DESCENDANTS OF SMITH [AKA: GARDEN OF URANIUM]

This was Harper's last album he made to EMI. His contract to EMI had already finished after 'Unknown Soldier' album, but he got new one when he's album with Jimmy Page got popularity. If I understood right, Harper was one of those who unfairly suffered to become 'a hippie relic' in the eighties. Harper even made promosingles from this album piece with the wrong name to the press, they were interested, but when found him to be Harper, they wrote bitter reviews. As his seventies albums, this great album didn't sell well and so Harper changed into smaller 'Awaraness Records'. Have to mention about this album there was playing also Roy's son Nick who was first time with his father in that Page-collaboration album.

I believe record company put pressures to Roy about making hit. 'Laughing Inside' sounds like 'hit'. There is Stuart Elliot playing drums, but it sounds like they've made with the drum machine. The song is the most mediocre, but beautiful lovesong and includes anyway really great vocals. But I am really glad direction changes in next one. 'Garden Of Uranium' sounds just like Roy Harper should sound, it is beautiful, but complex acoustic piece. Same direction continues in 'Still Life', but it has really modern synth base. Song tells about short winter of UK and really you got picture of that from the music. 'Pinches Of Salt' is again great acoustic piece. 'Desert Island' should have been part of the longer piece called 'Burn the World', but I can imagine EMI to say no about 20 minutes epic, so there is just this four minutes part with band playing in it. Song has something in common with Talking Heads. Roy made the epic later in 'Awareness Records'.

B-side starts with really sad acoustic piece 'Goverment Surplus'. 'Surplus Liquorice' is short electro passage with two songs. Direction changes totally in 'Liquorice Alltime', it's kind of electro-funk and reminding again lots of Talking Heads. Roy proves in that piece he can beat really many MC`s when putting words there really fast. In the end song changes really melodic. 'Maile Lei' is beautiful acoustic lovesong, like this much more than the 'hit' one. 'Same Shoes' is again a great band piece. The title song ends this album really spiritual way, as some other pieces it has really touching lyrics with it's awasome music.

Kate Bush has said Roy the greatest UK songmaker and I agree with her, to me he is bigger than Dylan or Cohen. Also I think he really wasn't any 'relic of the seventies' in the eighties, his albums sounds much fresher than for example Floyd, Yes or Genesis albums from that time. I believe main fault of his unsuccess was that he has always made really spiritual, also quite introvert music. But so has done Dylan & Cohen, so what's the problem? The lack of promotion of the big record company? Of course this album is not new 'Stormcock', but anyway really close to it (but sounding of course eighties) so it really is four stars. I think those few who have given 1-3 in PA ratings just don't understand Roy's greatness at all.