Barclay james harvest 1st album - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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grantman

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Joined: December 03 2015
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Topic: Barclay james harvest 1st album
Posted: October 31 2017 at 17:44

Wow what a hidden prog gem ,upon 3rd listen everything works simply blown my ears away, stunning mellotron work by stuart "woolly "wolstenholme all i have heard before by BJH was hymn and child of the universe ,if you are a fan of early folky prog this is pure gold that,s all i can say standouts are as follows 1 TAKING SOME TIME ON rocker on par as RIDE MY SEE SAW moody blues
2 MOTHER DEAR
3 THE SUN WILL NEVER SHINE
4 THE IRON MAIDEN
5 epic DARK NOW THE SKY on par with ECHOES pink floyd
if you are not a fan BJH just listen to this debut absolutely amazing

YESESIS

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Posted: November 01 2017 at 16:27

I just got into this band a few months ago(based on seeing them talked about on here), and I love them. This album I listened to once when I first was discovering them and my thought was, "really good album but don't like the lyrics in that one song" lol. So seeing this thread, I listened to it again last night and liked it even better this time but that one song(When the World was Woken) still bothers me. Their second album is really good(probably their best imo). Time Honoured Ghosts is very good, so is Everyone is Everyone Else. Really good band, and this is a good album by them.

Cosmiclawnmower View Drop Down

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Posted: November 10 2017 at 15:36

A Bit like Genesis, BJH had been camped up together in a isolated 'rural idyll' jamming and playing together prior to recording the lp.. and It has many of the qualities and faults of Genesis 'Trespass'. A good section of the lp sounds very like Procol Harem in its string arrangements and Organ sound..

I do love it though...

dr wu23

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Posted: November 12 2017 at 15:01

I like all of the early BJH albums....if you like easy going prog in the Moody Blues vein then they will please you.

One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin

kenethlevine View Drop Down

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Posted: November 12 2017 at 15:59

I could never really get into the first album. It sounded like one of those groups that decided to use an orchestra because the Moodys did but they had no idea how, or, as some had said, like a poor man's (!) Procol Harum. All was rectified the next year with "Once Again", and onward and upward they went thru the 1970s. I think that "Everyone is Everybody Else", "Octoberon" and "XII" are all roughly the equal of "Once Again"

moshkito

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Posted: November 28 2017 at 15:05

Hi,

You guys are bad ... now I'm on a BHJ kick ... played:

Once Again

Everyone is Everybody Else

Live (is next!)

Goodness ... I'm missing the earlier stuff on CD!

Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com

Squonk19

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Posted: November 28 2017 at 16:34

BJH Live - the first double album - is still their peak for me (although Live Tapes is good too) - strongly recommend that as an early 'best of' for anyone exploring them in their mellotron-drenched era. Practically all the songs on the album outstrip the studio versions.

“Living in their pools, they soon forget about the sea.”

kenethlevine View Drop Down

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Posted: November 28 2017 at 17:18

I mention it in my review of the "live" album, but it's worth repeating. When the band is introduced as a lead in to a stupendous (indeed definitive) version of "After the Day", one of the intros is "Woolly Wolstenholme on mellotron". Just mellotron. Nuff said

Cosmiclawnmower View Drop Down

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Posted: November 29 2017 at 14:38

kenethlevine wrote:

I mention it in my review of the "live" album, but it's worth repeating. When the band is introduced as a lead in to a stupendous (indeed definitive) version of "After the Day", one of the intros is "Woolly Wolstenholme on mellotron". Just mellotron. Nuff said

Absolutely Clap

Its sad to think that Woolly passed away 7 years ago this 13th December- please play that live version of 'After the day' (or any Woolly Era BJH) in remembrance and celebration of this fantastic musician and character.

And of course, Mel too.