Barclay James Harvest... |
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salmacis
Forum Senior Member Content Addition Joined: April 10 2005 Status: Offline Points: 3928 |
Posted: October 04 2006 at 15:34 | |||
'Once Again' is probably the most consistently progressive album in BJH's catalogue, particularly the first side of it and 'Mockingbird'. It's also probably the heaviest one too.
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: October 04 2006 at 15:53 | |||
Hello fellow BJH freaks.
What's your opinion about my musical analysis that BJH never reached the excellent level of Live and Live Tapes on their studio albums? To me these two live albums contain way more powerful and compelling versions than as on the studio albums or ... ?
I am very curious to your opinion about this, it's not meant negative, it's purely a matter of taste because my only studio BJH album is the (remastered) first album. Am I a screamer in the desert? Edited by erik neuteboom - October 04 2006 at 15:54 |
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salmacis
Forum Senior Member Content Addition Joined: April 10 2005 Status: Offline Points: 3928 |
Posted: October 04 2006 at 16:18 | |||
You have a point. I think 'Live' especially is very raw and hugely dramatic- the version of 'After The Day', particularly John Lees' guitar work, is maybe the definitive BJH track.
I couldn't do without my studio albums, though. I don't now have anything past 'XII' though will get 'Face To Face' on CD. The other 80s albums are just so darned patchy and non BJH like!!
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Andrea Cortese
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 05 2005 Status: Offline Points: 4411 |
Posted: October 04 2006 at 16:44 | |||
I agree with both of you here. Live versions are more powerful than the original ones. The best example is Medicine Man in comparison with the superb version on BJH Live. Wolstenholme's role becomes more important and the general mood of the music is so pompous and theatrical...
BTW, the classic albums until 1978 XII are well worth of inclusion in any good prog lover's collection. What do you think of Ra? It's the most DRAMATIC composition (along with Beyond the Grave) ever written by Wolstenholme.
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salmacis
Forum Senior Member Content Addition Joined: April 10 2005 Status: Offline Points: 3928 |
Posted: October 04 2006 at 16:52 | |||
'Ra' reminds me of a Yes song actually- 'Heart Of The Sunrise' maybe. It has a startlingly intense intro which has some superb musicianship, and expansive keys from Wolstenholme.
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rupert
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 18 2006 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 610 |
Posted: October 07 2006 at 13:37 | |||
I've seen BJH "live" 9 times, 6 times the trio-line up, 3 times John & Woolly ( sadly never the original-line up which was best ). I can only say that, at a good day, they were far better in concert than on studio-albums, miteriously neither "Berlin" nor "Glasnost" can really show( in its full glory ), you have to pick the elder live-albums and/or Revival. But I love many of their studio-albums, too, read my reviews !
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...I'm a musician/singer/songwriter, visit me on www.reverbnation.com/rupertlenz and there you can choose from 125 recordings you can listen to ( for free ) if you're not limited to prog-rock !
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N Ellingworth
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 17 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1324 |
Posted: October 07 2006 at 14:41 | |||
I've just ordered tickets to the BJH gig at the Wulfun Hall in Wolvehampton on the 12th November
Really looking forward to it. EDIT: just re-read the details and the gig ticket includes entry to a fan convention the same day Edited by N Ellingworth - October 07 2006 at 14:55 |
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rupert
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 18 2006 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 610 |
Posted: October 12 2006 at 09:52 | |||
AAAH ! YOU'RE GOING TO MEET THEM PERSONALLY THEN ! WOULD YOU GREET WOOLLY ( & JOHN, OF COURSE ) FROM ME, Elli ?
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...I'm a musician/singer/songwriter, visit me on www.reverbnation.com/rupertlenz and there you can choose from 125 recordings you can listen to ( for free ) if you're not limited to prog-rock !
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greenback
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: August 14 2004 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 3300 |
Posted: October 12 2006 at 12:42 | |||
and if BJH were only prog related?
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[HEADPINS - LINE OF FIRE: THE RECORD HAVING THE MOST POWERFUL GUITAR SOUND IN THE WHOLE HISTORY OF MUSIC!>
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Andrea Cortese
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 05 2005 Status: Offline Points: 4411 |
Posted: October 12 2006 at 13:03 | |||
They certainly had their "prog-related-period". It started from 1979 on.
All the discography before cannot be moved from the prog genre even if the band generally elaborated a warm and melodic sound at the edges of the genre itself.
Their best contribution to the world (1970-1978) is prog, in my humble opinion. And I would say I disagree from the recent exclusion from the symphonic subgenre to the "art-rock" mess!
Proggiest moments:
- Dark Now My Sky
- the whole Once Again album
- The Poet/After the Day and Medicine Man (the two versions)
- The whole Baby James Harvest album
- the whole Everyone Is Everybody Else
- the whole BJH Live (their pinnacle of symphonic progressiveness)
- the most part of the songs in Time Honoured Ghosts (Beyond the Grave in particular)
- the most part of the songs in the Octoberon album (Ra and May Day in particular)
- part of the songs in Gone to Earth (Hymn and Sea of Tranquility in particular)
- Live Tapes (the whole album).
- part of the songs in XII (Harbour, In Search of England, Nova Lepidoptera and The Streets of San Francisco in particular).
It seems well enough!
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salmacis
Forum Senior Member Content Addition Joined: April 10 2005 Status: Offline Points: 3928 |
Posted: October 12 2006 at 15:49 | |||
I disagree strongly that BJH were only prog related. Arguably, every album from the Woolly Wolstenholme era was a prog album- it was his departure that de-progged BJH and turned them into just another AOR band with a few exceptions. Woolly took the sound that most fans love with him- just listen to his solo album 'Maestoso' for proof of that. For proggiest albums, 'Once Again', 'Live', 'Octoberon', 'Gone To Earth' and 'Live' fit the bill. But you can't really go wrong with their Woolly era albums. After that, we are into prog related, but the same happened really with many prog bands here after the departure of key members....
It's also interesting that BJH were considered to be a Moody Blues clone when I actually feel their material has aged rather better, being for the most part far less pretentious and without that 'groovy man' conceptual stuff the Moody Blues tended to like. I like that era of the Moodies a lot (don't like their late 70s and on work) but it has dated.
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: October 12 2006 at 16:32 | |||
I love the BJH Seventies sound, very warm, melodic and Mellotron-drenched symphonic prog but then the musical direction went a bit too much towards pop in my opinion, perhaps progressive pop or Art-rock or prog-related or ... ?
Edited by erik neuteboom - October 12 2006 at 16:32 |
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N Ellingworth
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 17 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1324 |
Posted: October 12 2006 at 16:39 | |||
I'll see what I can do, I can't promise anything though as the trains between Coventry and Wolvehampton aren't the best so I may be forced to miss it. I'm really looking forward to this gig (and Hawkwind on the 29th of this month ) |
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Andrea Cortese
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 05 2005 Status: Offline Points: 4411 |
Posted: October 13 2006 at 08:28 | |||
Well said, Jeffrey!!!
Agreed with you completely (also with your Moody Blues' opinions).
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rupert
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 18 2006 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 610 |
Posted: October 14 2006 at 10:18 | |||
Stay up early, don't miss it... hey, it's the FIRST "Fan-Convention" ever, if I were british or living in the UK there'd be no other thing as important as this in the next quarter-year !
Sadly enough I'm a poor musician ( Les Holroyd would probably argue "Poorer than a poor man's son" haha ) and I've NEVER been to the UK because of my finances. Doesn't look like I'll be there soon either ! Have a good time ! Hope they're going to play lots of your favourites !
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...I'm a musician/singer/songwriter, visit me on www.reverbnation.com/rupertlenz and there you can choose from 125 recordings you can listen to ( for free ) if you're not limited to prog-rock !
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rupert
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 18 2006 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 610 |
Posted: October 14 2006 at 10:20 | |||
BJH "prog" or "prog-related" ? Guys, I don't give a damn, it is what it is and with Woolly it was GREAT, no matter where you put it !
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...I'm a musician/singer/songwriter, visit me on www.reverbnation.com/rupertlenz and there you can choose from 125 recordings you can listen to ( for free ) if you're not limited to prog-rock !
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N Ellingworth
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 17 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1324 |
Posted: October 14 2006 at 10:25 | |||
Good point, I'll try my hardest to get there in time for the convention. I'll get as many photos as possible. |
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Andrea Cortese
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 05 2005 Status: Offline Points: 4411 |
Posted: October 14 2006 at 12:37 | |||
How I wish to be there too!!!!!!!
We wait for a great reportage from you, Ellingworth!
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N Ellingworth
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 17 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1324 |
Posted: October 14 2006 at 12:40 | |||
I'll try my hardest unfortunately my reviewing abilities are limited at best.
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Joolz
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 24 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1377 |
Posted: October 15 2006 at 13:37 | |||
OK BJH lovers - WOOLLY's here at last:
go to WOOLLY WOLSTENHOLME'S MÆSTOSO So get reviewing and spread the word! Regards Joolz |
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