...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble

The album was released in June 1970 by Vertigo Records in the UK. The original vinyl release was a gatefold sleeve, featuring frontman David Byron on the front sleeve, almost unrecognisable beneath cobwebs.

It was issued in August 1970 by Mercury Records in the United States as just Uriah Heep with different sleeve artwork (a centipede type monster), and with the track "Bird of Prey" in place of "Lucy Blues". The album was reissued by Bronze Records in 1971 after the band signed to that label.

The album shows the band trying out various genres , a mix of heavy metal and progressive rock , rather than the hard rock that they performed on later albums. Tracks 3 and 8 were recorded as Spice songs prior to the band's renaming as Uriah Heep, and featured Colin Wood, session musician with The Yardbirds, on keyboards. When Ken Hensley joined Spice in early 1970, the tracks were not re-recorded.

The album was generally panned by the mainstream critical press upon its release, although it has since been acknowledged as an early classic of the heavy metal genre. Canadian music critic Martin Popoff classifies the album as "proto-heavy metal". Rolling Stone magazine's Melissa Mills began her review by saying, "If this group makes it I'll have to commit suicide. From the first note you know you don't want to hear any more."

Public Enemy’s 1989 release, "Fight the Power" samples "Bird of Prey". The extended version of the track "Fight the Power" was featured on Public Enemy's third studio album Fear of a Black Planet (1990).

US release

This remastered CD added three bonus tracks and extensive liner notes:

• The bonus single edit of "Gypsy" was released for the Best of Uriah Heep (1991 CD) and then remastered for Rarities from the Bronze Age (1995 CD).
• The two other bonus tracks were originally recorded in 1969 by the band Spice, just prior to Ken Hensley joining the band.

Uriah Heep

• David Byron, lead vocals
• Mick Box, lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
• Ken Hensley, organ, slide guitar, Mellotron, piano, backing vocals
• Paul Newton, bass guitar, backing vocals
• Ollie Olsson, drums, percussion
• Alex Napier, drums (except "Lucy Blues", "Dreammare" and "Bird of Prey")
• Keith Baker, drums on "Bird of Prey"

Additional personnel

• Colin Wood, keyboard on "Come Away Melinda" and "Wake Up (Set Your Sights)"

Production

• Gerry Bron, producer
• Peter Gallen, engineer, mixing
• Peter Olliff, mixing