PREMIUM GOLD COLLECTION

"Premium Gold Collection" is a compilation album of Barclay James Harvest released in 1996. It has tracks from five of their studio albums. It has two tracks from their eponymous debut album, four tracks from their second album "Once Again", five tracks from their third album "...And Other Short Stories", three tracks from their fourth album "Baby James Harvest" and one track from their fifth album "Everybody Is Everybody Else". It has also five non-album's tracks.

"Premium Gold Collection" has twenty tracks. "Taking Some Time On" is a guitar rock song with a simple structure. It's a classic song with good arrangements, nothing innovative that sounds to the 60's. This is a nice and pleasant song. "Mother Dear" is a very pretty song that reminds me The Beatles. It's a very pleasant and beautiful song with some nice string arrangements. It also sounds to the 60's but it doesn't matter because it's beautiful. "Mocking Bird" is a majestic piece. It's a great song with excellent melody and with the use of an orchestra. It would still feature in live sets 30 years later. This is the German single edited version. "Vanessa Simmons" is a soft and simple acoustic ballad with only the use of acoustic guitar and voice. Many prog fans dislike it but I think we are in presence of a relaxing and pleasant song. "Early Morning" was originally only released as the A side of their single with the same name. Later it appeared as a bonus track on "Barclay James Harvest". This is a short, melodic and a lovely ballad with a romantic atmosphere dominated by Mellotron with a beautiful flute work. "Brother Thrush" was originally only released as the A side of their single with the same name. Later it appeared as a bonus track on "Barclay James Harvest". It's a beautiful song with falsetto vocals sounding to the 60's reminding The Beatles. It was one of many songs that John Lees wrote about birds. "Medicine Man" is a great song with beautiful vocal performance and also with a fantastic and memorable orchestral arrangement. This is one of the highest moments on "?And Other Short Stories". "Someone There You Know" is a nice song with a very catchy melody, good guitar and keyboard works and a very nice inspired harmony. The final result is a pleasant and romantic ballad to hear. "Harry's Song" is a simple song made to sound as a rocking number. It isn't a bad song, but I think it isn't an inspired song and the final result isn't convincing. John Lees wrote much better things in his career. "Ursula (The Swansea Song)" is a simple beautiful song with a nice melody and a great Mellotron work. It has a lovely poetry, is well played and carefully arranged. After so many years it still remains nice, fresh and pleasant to hear. "Song With No Meaning" is a typical English pastoral acoustic song where Les Holroyd played almost all the musical instruments. This is a simple and nice song, slightly laconic. "Crazy (Over You)" is a simple but effective composition featuring excellent guitar and keyboard workings. It was one of the first efforts and a typical example of what would be the musical direction of the band. "Delph Town Morn" is a very nice and beautiful song. It features thirteen musicians that formed a brass ensemble section. This is one of their few songs to include horns giving a different dimension to their music. "Song For Dying" is a powerful song with a strong anti-war message with morbid and dark lyrics. It's one of the best songs on "Once Again" featuring a great and powerful guitar work by John Lees. "Galadriel" is a beautiful and simple song with a good guitar work and a nice vocal performance. It has a great orchestral arrangement that can demonstrate how an orchestra can be used on a progressive album. "I'm Over You" was the A side of their single with the same name. It's a beautiful song, one of my favourite bonus tracks on their album "Baby James Harvest" on my release of that album. "Child Of Man" was originally only released as the B side of their single "I'm Over You". Later it appeared as a bonus track on "Baby James Harvest". It's a short track but that remains a fine song. It received an earlier airing for a BBC session on the BBC Radio One. "Child Of The Universe" is one of their most known songs. It's an emotional and personal song treated with a proper dramatic sense. This is the John Lees' solo version. "Rock And Roll Woman" was originally only released as the A side of their single with the same name. Later it appeared as a bonus track on "Baby James Harvest". This is a short calm rock piece a bit repetitive without great developments. "Thank You" is the rocking song on "Baby James Harvest" with lyrics made as a tribute to their road crew and to many other people who influenced the band's life. This isn't a great song and it's one of the weakest points on that album.

Conclusion: "Premium Gold Collection" is the twin compilation of "The Best Of Barclay James Harvest (1997)". Both compilations have the same 20 tracks precisely in the same order. Both compilations are focused on the first five works released by the band. This is very interesting because some of their best studio works were made in those days. I'm talking especially about "Once Again" and "Everybody Is Everybody Else", which are two of the best and most prog works of them. So, we can say that "Premium Gold Collection" and "The Best Of Barclay James Harvest (1997)" are a good showcase about the career of Barclay James Harvest in the first half of the 70's, a part of their most prog phase.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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