Iron Butterfly: Heavy

(1968)

The Butterfly's Maiden Flight!

Pros: "Iron Butterfly Theme" rocks, good first album from the heavy pioneers.
Cons: A couple corny tracks, Daryl DeLoach should leave the singing to Doug.

Full Review

"Heavy" showed the promise of what most would consider Iron Butterfly's masterpiece, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida." Coming from a fan, it's not perfect by a long shot (I'll admit that some of the tracks are pretty dated), but it's still worth having for a listen or two every now and then. Personally, I think the band really hit their stride from the "Ball" album on. "Heavy" and "Vida" were kind of "warm-up acts," as it were. This is not to say that their first two albums were bad, just that "Ball" and "Metamorphosis" were more solidly put together musically, in my opinion. As far as the tracks on "Heavy" are concerned, here's what I have to say.
1. "Possession" (Ingle)
This opens up the album appropriately enough, with the organ intro and guitar solo showcasing what you can expect from the Butterfly. It's really not a bad song for the first one that Ingle wrote.
2. "Unconscious Power" (Ingle/Weis/Bushy)
This is a good song. It's definitely got the "Day Tripper" vibe to it, that's what the band were going for anyway. Good guitar solo here by Weis.
3. "Get Out Of My Life, Woman" (Allen Toussaint)
This one's OK, kinda bluesy, but not really. Doug does a nice solo in the beginning. Nothing to write home about as far as the song is concerned.
4. "Gentle As It May Seem" (Weis/DeLoach)
Pure mid-to-late '60s pop/rock. This is one of those tracks that has been left in the dust, as it were. Fun to listen to though. Dig Daryl saying "Come here, woman!" throughout the song, always worth a laugh.
5. "You Can't Win" (Weis/DeLoach)
Iron Butterfly's anti-establishment anthem. I've always liked this one for some reason. I guess it's because it has an "edge" to it. Whatever the reason, it's a good track.
6. "So-Lo" (Ingle/DeLoach)
Doug is a much better singer than Daryl, and it shows in this tune. Daryl's vocal is weak, but Doug's harmonizing is beautiful. Nothing too earth-shattering here, just a happy little song about being dumped by your girl. Trust me, that last sentence will make sense when you listen to the song!
7. "Look For The Sun" (Ingle/Weis/DeLoach)
Nothing spectacular here, until you get to the organ solo. Doug plays it a little bit on the funky side. I've always liked that part of the song.
8. "Fields Of Sun" (Ingle/DeLoach)
We're starting to get into the "heavy" stuff with this one. It's not TOO heavy, but it does show a little bit more of the Butterfly's future aspirations. Not bad.
9. "Stamped Ideas" (Ingle/DeLoach)
Ahhh, another example of '60s pop/rock. Short and groovin', but forgettable once all is said and done.
10. "Iron Butterfly Theme" (Ingle)
This is the prime cut of the album, if you ask me. This is the song that gave meaning to the album title. As far as the '60s are concerned, this is about as heavy as you could get. And it still holds up pretty well today. The perfect album-closer.

Well, all of that having been said, this is an overall good first effort from the band that would give us "Vida." It has its weak as well as shining moments, but it paves the way for what the Butterfly would become over the course of their subsequent albums. Pick this one up if you want a blast from the past.

The Bottom Line:

Not their best, but still worth buying if you're a fan.

PLEASE NOTE: This section is under construction until further notice.

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