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ONCERoy HarperProg Folk3.42 | 17 ratings |
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kenethlevine
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Special Collaborator Prog-Folk Team |
Like many performers of 1960s vintage, ROY HARPER's productivity and popularity declined in the 1980s and 1990s,
though less so among other artists, as demonstrated by the usual stellar guestlist on "Once". Harper's "formula"
didn't vary a whole lot during this period, with grade A lyrics, musicianship and copasetic vocal, so his albums can
mostly be judged based on the musical aspects of their songs. "Once" occupies a lower rung but is far from
disposable.
The title track is consummate travail for ostensibly celebrating the miracle of our existence, and might have worked better in a poetry slam, or honestly any other format. The next couple of songs don't fare any better. Ultimately, the only true standouts here are the provocative protest folk "Black Cloud of Islam" and the tutorial that is "For Longer than it takes", but "Berlin" and "Ghost Dance" qualify as appealing enough near misses. Given its appearance during a relatively quiescent era for Harper, "Once" serves as, at a minimum, a placeholder to be replaced by another a few years down the line, and at most a reminder of his dogged oneness and wholeness.
kenethlevine |
3/5 |
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