Barclay James Harvest
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
Forum Description: Discuss specific prog bands and their members or a specific sub-genre
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=101902
Printed Date: March 12 2025 at 22:36
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Barclay James Harvest
Posted By: chopper
Subject: Barclay James Harvest
Date Posted: April 07 2015 at 06:00
| "Once Again" is easily one of my top 10 prog albums (and possibly top 10 albums), there's something quite magical about this album from start to finish, yet everything else I've listened to by BJH is a bit, well, average. I've just listened to Time-Honoured Ghosts and Baby James Harvest and they don't really do anything for me. Am I alone in this? Which other album of theirs should I listen to? |
Replies:
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: April 07 2015 at 06:50
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I'll give Once again a listen.. I don't know anything about this band, apart from the fact that Robert John Godfrey was in them for a while. I had Mockingbird on a compilation ablum many many years ago, and it bored me to tears, sounding like something the Moody Blues would have probably rejected. This does appear to be one of their more popular albums though, so it deserves a listen. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: April 07 2015 at 07:00
Godfrey did the orchestral arrangements for "Once Again" (and they are some of the best I've heard in prog, listen to "Galadriel"). "Mockingbird" is the track that normally pops up on compilations and, whilst it is a fine song, there are several better ones on the album (imo).
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Blacksword wrote:Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: April 07 2015 at 07:04
Ah, so RJG was on that album. That's a good enough incentive to check it out..  ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: Sagichim
Date Posted: April 07 2015 at 10:02
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I love Once Again very much and it was my introduction to the band, I've never really got into Time-Honoured Ghosts and never listened to Baby James Harvest, but the ones I do like are BJH & Other Short Stories, Everyone Is Everybody Else and Octoberon. First of all BJH were never that progressive but their arrangements were always rich and interesting plus they did have their more progressive songs. BJH & Other Short Stories is my favourite although I've seen many mediocre reviews for it, anyway for me it's kind of a magical album with such a cool atmosphere, beautiful, sad and disturbing, It's their most orchestrated album too, filled with beautiful orchestrated arrangements and some heartfelt melodies, check out the songs Medicine Man and The Poet, those are stunning. Everyone Is Everybody Else is probably their strongest with some of their best material, also contains some of their progiest moments, I'd suggest start with this one. Octoberon is also good and worth checking out if you'll like the others.  |
Posted By: TeleStrat
Date Posted: April 07 2015 at 10:37
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Octoberon is the only BJH album that I own but I haven't listened to it in years. After reading these comments I will dig it out and play it today.
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Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: April 07 2015 at 11:21
Thanks for the advice, I'll try those ones.
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Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: April 07 2015 at 13:12
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One of my favourite bands, to me they do not do much wrong. From their later output, Ring of Changes is highly recommended. ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: April 07 2015 at 15:05
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For me, Everyone Is Everybody Else is the best album. No real classic tracks, but all the songs are quite good and the album has grown on me through the years. It's good from beginning to end. As for songs, "Mocking Bird" and "Galadriel" from Once Again and "Beyond The Grave" from Time Honoured Ghosts are my favorite studio tracks. "The Poet" and "After The Day" are my favorite BJH tracks and maybe in my top 10 of best songs overall, from any artist. Absolutely stunning, those two songs.
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Posted By: yam yam
Date Posted: April 07 2015 at 18:41
They were one of my favourite groups in my late teens/early twenties. For an introduction you can't do much better than their imaginatively titled http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=3386" rel="nofollow - 'Barclay James Harvest Live' (1974) album...All the best songs from those early Harvest years (they switched to Polydor for this live album) are on it - and apart from 'For No One', which was so majestically presented on the studio album 'Everyone Is Everybody Else', the live versions are actually better imho. I picked it up brand new for two quid at Makro Halesowen (a card-holder only cash and carry warehouse that had a small, but surprisingly well chosen vinyl record department) just after its release, and wore it out in just a few months on my cheap (but very effective) Connoisseur BD1 turntable.  It's on YouTube in full, so anyone with 75 minutes to spare who wants to get to know this fine band - here you are - fill yer boots! |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: April 08 2015 at 09:51
oooopppppssss listed above!!!
This LIVE album is the best ... absolutely fantastic versions of Summer Soldier and Medicine Man.
Everyone is Everbody Else is a magnificent album and non stop pleasure.
------------- 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 |
Posted By: defectinggrey
Date Posted: April 08 2015 at 10:13
| I'm surprised that , no-one has mentioned that they have a song 'Poor Man's Moody Blues'. |
Posted By: geekfreak
Date Posted: April 08 2015 at 13:57
ooh yes... love BJH ------------- Friedrich Nietzsche: "Without music, life would be a mistake." Music Is Live Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. Keep Calm And Listen To The Music… < |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: April 08 2015 at 14:10
I always thought that it was funny, because the Moodies went "hip" and "cool" and forgot about the music and any meanings in it. It was superficial!
AND there was nothig superficial about Barclay James Harvest! ------------- 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 |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: April 09 2015 at 03:01
Ah, that's the same albul YamYam has mentioned, the first live one, from 1974? Haven't listened to that, but it's the first one I'm planning to check out now!
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Posted By: aliano
Date Posted: April 09 2015 at 03:43
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I love them.They have good singers in Les and John.Also John is kind of an underrated guitarist imo. |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: April 09 2015 at 06:47
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Posted By: Green Shield Stamp
Date Posted: April 09 2015 at 06:51
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I agree that the 1974 live album is probably the best album to get overall. I find the band a little frustrating because they are obviously hugely talented and have produced some great songs but their overall sound is just a little too limp and tepid. A little more drama (especially in the vocals) could have propelled BJH into the big league. ------------- Haiku Writing a poem With seventeen syllables Is very diffic.... |
Posted By: AreYouHuman
Date Posted: June 14 2015 at 20:35
They’ve been a favorite of mine for going on four decades now, though I do agree that they can be a bit on the less-than-dynamic side (“limp” is a little harsh, IMO). The more progressive tracks, by and large, were provided by the late great Woolly Wolstenholme, who for better or worse was the George Harrison of the group, usually contributing one or two songs per album: In Search of England, Ra, Beyond the Grave, Sea of Tranquility, Moonwater.Poor
Man’s Moody Blues, was done as a joke of sorts, answering a critic’s label of them,
but it’s now rightly recognized as one of their classics.
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Posted By: Andrea Cortese
Date Posted: June 15 2015 at 11:25
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oh, what a band. I love them and almost got the entire discography. "Octoberon" and "Everyone Is Everybody Else" are the most interesting studio recordings - from a prog rock perspective - they released during the polydor years. If looking for something harder you should get the 1974 "Live" of course. Personally, I'm very fond of "XII" (well, of "Baby James Harvest" too!).
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Posted By: Formentera Lady
Date Posted: June 15 2015 at 12:06
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I agree that the live 1974 album is probably their best album. The studio albums sometimes sound to me a bit too "overproduced", too many strings and such, while in the live recording you get the "pure" compositions, which are simply great, and greatly performed! ------------- http://theprogressiveweb.blogspot.de" rel="nofollow - Visit me in Second Life to talk about music. |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: June 15 2015 at 15:44
 ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: Green Shield Stamp
Date Posted: June 20 2015 at 03:51
I would like to revise this opinion. Prompted by this thread, I have been listening to a number of BJH albums lately, especially Time Honoured Ghosts, Octoberon, Gone to Earth, and XII. Repeated listens have made me realise that there is drama and power in the music. There is a tastefulness to the arrangements rather than a limpness. My initial evaluation was lazy and uninformed. ------------- Haiku Writing a poem With seventeen syllables Is very diffic.... |
Posted By: t d wombat
Date Posted: June 25 2015 at 18:03
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I know I don't have any BJH on CD, only vinyl and I think only Octoberon. I have good memories of the album but listening to it now I don't remember it at all. Have to agree with Green Shield in that it is largely enjoyable but lacks a certain something. Nice guitar work. Maybe I'll get pilloried for this but reminds me a bit of Chris de Burgh in that there is a lot to recommend but overall a tadge sacharine, or at least a bit shallow. Same could apply to Moody Blues I guess. |
Posted By: t d wombat
Date Posted: June 25 2015 at 18:44
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Ah ..... got to the end of Octoberon and now I know why I liked the thing back in the day. Suicide. If they ever wrote/recorded a better tune I'd like to know what it was. "Heard a voice shouting "Don't jump, please for God's sake let me move my car"!" |
Posted By: AreYouHuman
Date Posted: June 25 2015 at 19:54
That was a great line. They
were very good at putting in humorous bits in otherwise serious songs.
That’s perfectly valid. All three acts had their share of “meh”
moments.
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Posted By: The Jester
Date Posted: June 26 2015 at 05:07
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Barclay James Harvest.... I fell in love with this band when I was 14 years old, and today (after 30+ years) is still one of my most beloved bands. I read in some of your comments here, that BJH wasn't much into Prog, right? I will have to agree and disagree at the same time. It totally depends on what do you mean by "Prog". If for you 'Prog' means something like King Crimson, Yes, ELP etc, then yes, BJH isn't a Prog band. But if you are fond of bands like Procol Harum, Renaissance, Illusion, The Moody Blues and so on, then BJH should be a "must" for you.  As for the albums you mentioned... Their first and more "Symphonic" period, (including Robert John Godfrey as a musical conductor), is a wonderful one. It ends with the release of 'Baby James Harvest' which is a not so good album. (But it includes the brilliant 'Summer Soldier' and especially 'Moonwater' in it). The "must listen to" album from this first period, is without a doubt 'Barclay James Harvest Live' (1974). It includes most of their best songs, in wonderful versions. (Also, BJH & other short stories is a very good choice). Next, they moved to another record label, and tried to become famous. Well, they did it! Here's a few more albums I would recommend to you as well: Everyone is Everybody else (1974), Octoberon (1976) and Live Tapes (1978). I hope I helped you somehow... greetings! ------------- If anybody wants please visit: http://www.gfreedomathina.blogspot.com/ This is my Blog mostly about Rock music, but also a few other things as well. You are most welcome! Thank you. :) |
Posted By: Andrea Cortese
Date Posted: July 01 2015 at 10:27
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^^^ If you are fond of BJH and the other bands mentioned by The Jester then you'd probably love Mandalaband. Their Eye of Wendor album features the contribution of whole BJH band plus 10CC and Maddy Prior. The leader of the band was David Rohl, who took the duty of producer for BJH's Octoberon.
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Posted By: AreYouHuman
Date Posted: July 01 2015 at 21:59
^^ The
Eye of Wendor also features the Experience’s Noel Redding, Justin Hayward, and
Sad Café’s Ian Wilson and Paul Young.
Great prog concept album although the story is a bit clichéd.
------------- Caption: We tend to take ourselves a little too seriously. Silly human race! Yes is for everybody! |