AM I RICH? Uriah Heep

So you need a few quid to have a good night out, do you? Well that’s why I’m here. Most of us of a certain age have an album collection that we no longer play – from a few dusty albums in the attic, to shelves so full that were you to play every record once you’d have to live till you were 1962.

So get up in the loft and have a look for the first two Uriah Heep albums. You probably last played them when you were at school but if you’ve got originally copies of both, on the swirly Vertigo label, you’ve got a minimum of £35 for each of them, not bad for 12 inches of plastic you’ve not played since 1975 eh.

Very ‘Eavy, Very ‘Umble and Salisbury hit the record shops in 1970 and 1971. Critically panned at the time, they stand the test of time well, especially as retro heavy rock has had a kind of mutated revival of sorts. ‘Umble features the bands classic Gypsy which they would stretch out for oooooh 20 minutes if you were lucky.

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The American releases had totally different sleeves and they were both re-released on Bronze a couple of years later, they’re no good to you. You need the originals. You do still see copies of these two albums in charity shops because Heep were so unglamorous and reviled in certain quarters, a lot must simply assume they’re worthless discs. Now you know better.