Artist: Ken Hensley Album: Blood On The Highway Label: Membran Music Website: http://www.ken-hensley.com Reviewer: Chris Piccirillo

Track List: (This Is) Just The Beginning (4:41) We're On Our Way (4:51) Blood On The Highway (3:55) You've Got It (3:16) Doom (Scene 1) (0: 19) It Won't Last (5:23) Think Twice (4:45) Doom (Scene 2) (0:18) There Comes A Time (4:28) Okay (This House Is Down) (3:56) What You Gona Do (3:31) Postcript (0:23) I Did It All (4:53) Last Dance (8:26) Uriah Heep fans know the name Ken Hensley quite well. As UH’s keyboardist and songwriter from 1969 to 1980 he wrote and played on some of the band’s best known songs and tours. His 2007 release “Blood on the Highway” is a companion to his biography of the same title. The story in the CD mirrors that of his life; his desire to become a rock star, the ascention, the peak and the downfall of drugs and fame, to his eventual “rebirth”. Ken employs the use of several lead singers to be his voice on these tracks. Famed vocalist Jorn Lande (Various guest appearances, Ex-Ark, Company of Snakes) sings the majority of leads and offers his Coverdale-esque talents and bluesy, powerful, emotive voice to these tracks. Glenn Hughes (Ex-Deep Purple, Black Sabbath) sings 2 of the songs, while John Lawton and Eve Gallagher lend their voices to one each. Eve Gallagher is an English house music singer, who’s Tina Turner inspired vocals really lend something special to the soulful “Think Twice”. Ken sings leads on 2 of the tracks as well. The music on this CD is rather straightforward, 70’s inspired rock. It’s not too heavy, still has some nice thickness and power to it. A lot of this is due to the tremendous production. The music breathes and has plenty of low end to fill your speakers. There are some ballads on this disc that round out the album and are nice changes of pace. Songs like “I Did It All” really show some serious emotion from Ken and feels like you’re sitting in a room with him as he reminsices about his life and career. It’s a sad, yet uplifting song which pulls at your heart. If you don’t feel the emotion pouring out in this song, you’re probably depicted an Alan Parsons Project album cover. The songs are extremely well written, lyrically and musically, some of the best music Ken has written in some time. This CD is excellent summer driving music as most of the cuts are mid-tempo rock numbers with a hearty dose of blues thrown in. Nothing ground breaking, but an absolutely solid rock ‘n roll offering from a musical legend. Band Members: Ken Hensley - Hammond b3, guitar, dobro, synthesizers, vocals Juan Carlos Garcia - drums Antonio Fidel - bass Olvidio Lopez - principle guitars Vicente Ruiz – piano Special Guests: Jorn Lande Glenn Hughes Eve Gallager John Lawton The Alicante Symphony Orchestra