Uriah Heep’s career has spanned over five decades now, so it only stands to reason that there have been many line-up changes.  I’m sure there are many fans who feel that the David Byron fronted era was the best, but the line-up that started in 1987 stood the test of time and remains the longest version, lasting almost 15 years.  This documentary focuses on this line-up starting with their concerts in Moscow in 1987 through Sonic Origami, which may not be their most prog timeframe but there is still a lot of that prog rock sound in the newer material that I feel warrants that tag.  Also, the band still plays a healthy amount of their more proggy back catalogue like “The Wizard” and “Look At Yourself."  Sailing The Sea Of Light is a great documentary hosted by Tommy Vance, but truth be told, the list of tracks on the back of the case are small snippets or background music to the documentary.  If you’re looking for a concert film with some commentary by Vance, then this is not the right DVD for you.  But I would still suggest you give this documentary a fair viewing because there is some great live footage along with interviews with the band.  You get some great insight from the guys as to what went into some of the records and how they have been able to stay together for so long.  While some documentaries are good for only one viewing, this one has enough interest and concert footage to make it enjoyable multiple times.  Classic Rock Legends always puts out quality product, and this one is no different.  Not that they needed to entice the buying public with extras, but they loaded this DVD up with plenty of cool material.  The best bunch is the ten-track concert from 1999 in Sofia, but you also get a couple of tunes form the 1987 Moscow concert.  To round things off, there is some nice footage of Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) presenting Uriah Heep with Silver record awards for Sonic Origami.  This was part of their Acoustically Driven show in 2000, but they added the small snippet here for those that don’t have that DVD.  No matter which era of Heep you like, I think there is plenty to enjoy with Sailing The Sea Of Light.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2022  Volume 2. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2022.