In the prehistoric days, back when record stores were essentially the only way to obtain new music, excitement built exponentially when the release date drew nigh for a favorite artist's new album. Once the day arrived and the record was purchased, the music would blast at jet engine volume — very possibly on a dorm room stereo.

But "listening" was only part of an immersive experience. The fan would also study cover art, lyrics and liner notes with far greater focus than, for example, an upcoming "Intro to Chaucer" mid-term.

"When you first meet Mick there's no pretense, no wall of silence that betrays the uncertain artist. He's always the first with the handshake and, well, maybe on your second meeting it's a bear hug. It's a natural friendliness and it spills over into his matey stage character."

Such was the inside-booklet description of guitarist Mick Box from inside 1973's "Uriah Heep Live." The recording remains one of the best in-concert documents of the hard rock era and, to a shy 19-year-old Heep-Head, the warm depiction of Box might resonate in sharp contrast to the stereotypes of an entitled rocker.

Fast-forward several decades. It's a whipsaw world of now-you-hear-'em/now-you-don't contemporary music stars and an artist's shelf-life seems to be about nine days. The dynamics of a "relationship" between the musician and the fan are considerably different today. In that context, to the old-school fan, the idea that, all these years later, it's rewarding that a phone interview with 70-year-old Box could instantly confirm those never-forgotten intimations of affability from the "Uriah Heep Live" liner notes.

"Hello, mate! It's great to talk with you!" Box says Tuesday evening from backstage at Musikfest Café in Bethlehem, Pa. It's the second date of a U.S. tour that brings the band tonight to the Mohegan Sun Wolf Den for a free show. Box is the band's only remaining original member, and his tone and demeanor throughout a half-hour interview are as though he's chatting at a pub with an old friend — albeit one who asks questions he's assuredly heard dozens if not hundreds of times.

In fact, he's so cheerful it's hard to tell whether playing music keeps him happy or his innate demeanor provides the fuel to shepherd the legacy of Heep.

"This band has been a part of my life since 1970," Box says. "I feel that privilege every day. On one level, I could say it's just something that I really enjoy but, at the same time, it's more than that. I'm not quite sure I'd know what to do without it."

By now, over 20 musicians have been a part of Uriah Heep, and the band has released two dozen studio albums. In the 1970s, Heep was, along with Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, one of the biggest bands in the world. Along with Box, the signature Heep lineup included vocalist David Byron, bassist Gary Thain, drummer Lee Kerslake and keyboardist Ken Hensley. Their sound was a polished blend of driving, complex songs with vocal harmonies that would later influence acts from Styx to Alice in Chains to Ghost. They headlined global arenas behind albums such as "Demons and Wizards," "Sweet Freedom," "The Magician's Birthday" and "Look at Yourself," and a partial list of FM radio hits would include "Gypsy," "Stealin'," "Easy Livin'," "July Morning," "Sweet Freedom," "That's Just the Way That it Is," "Sweet Lorraine," "Lady in Black" and more.

Over time, membership changed. Thain died not long after a horrible electric shock suffered onstage in Dallas — the incident was so traumatic Box doesn't ever remember what song they were playing when it happened. Byron passed a few years later of problems related to alcoholism. Hensley split off to join Blackfoot and then concentrate on solo projects. Kerslake played on and off with Heep as health would allow; he's now retired.

But the band, under Box's joyful guidance, has persisted. The current roster, which includes vocalist Bernie Shaw, bassist Davey Rimmer, keyboardist Phil Lanzon and drummer Russell Gilbrook, has been together longer than any other version of Heep. If their studio album output is more sporadic, the quality of recordings like "Outsider" and "Totally Driven" remains high and a testament to the enduring appeal of the band's style.

"On the one hand, we can't really change too much," Box laughs. "We write the songs we write and, no matter what one of us brings in, it becomes Heep. There have been different players over the years, but there's just something about it bigger than any of us. It becomes Heep."

To that end, Box is perfectly comfortable with the reality that a band can't choose its time or its place in history; and each generation evolves and starts anew.

"Things get locked in a timer, I suppose, and we're good with that," he says. "Ours was a special time, actually. In the '70s, we had sports, fashion and music and that was about it. Things didn't happen so quickly. Today there are so many diversions. Everything's here and then it's gone; it's disposable. There's no sense of anticipation. You don't even have to leave the house. Just download or buy online, and then tomorrow move on to the new thing."

Box is also quite capable of looking fondly at the past while maintaining a focus on the present and even the future. "I like the idea that, yes, our time, if you want to call it that, has gone by," he says. "But we've sold 40 million albums and played in 61 countries, and we're still making albums and touring to fans of multiple generations. Purple, Sabbath, Zeppelin — they're all gone but we're still here." He laughs again. "I'm not sure what that says, but I'm about to go onstage and play some songs that people still love, I'm quite happy about it."

r.koster@theday.com

If you go

Who: Uriah Heep

When: 8 p.m. Friday

Where: Mohegan Sun Wolf Den

How much: free

For more information: 1-800-745-3000