EVERYONE IS EVERYBODY ELSE

Barclay James Harvest

Crossover Prog

3.90 | 278 ratings

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Rune2000
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator

After four back-to-back albums and excruciating touring proved to be disastrous for the band parted with EMI and were signed to Polydor label where they remained until splitting up in 1998.

This bold move proved to be quite successful both commercially and creatively because Everyone Is Everybody Else is a masterpiece of an album. I knew for certain that it would become a big favorite of mine just after my first listen. The first four songs, Child Of The Universe through The Great 1974 Mining Disaster are just flawless and make me smile every time I turn them on. After that the album takes a bit of a break from that majestic sound while still maintaining the great songwriting qualities. The final track For No One is probably one of the greatest closing track I've ever heard on an album and comes only second to the conclusion of In The Court Of Crimson King.

On the down side it's a pity that non of Woolly Wolstenholme's compositions made it on the album especially since M�stoso (A Hymn In The Roof Of The World) is one of his strongest compositions to date and it's great that the track is made available on the remastered version of the album. At the same time I can't really consider that a flaw since that composition doesn't really fit the overall sound of the album and would probably ruin some on the momentum.

My biggest question concerning the rating of Everyone Is Everybody Else and the albums prog credentials. I can't really call it a masterpiece of progressive rock music since most of its prog qualities are subtle to say the least. But at the same time Barclay James Harvest has never been a band that showed off their impressive musical skills. It's basically all about the great songwriting and those small but memorable moments like the jam at the end of Paper Wings and the transitions between the last three tracks that makes it progressive in its own right.

***** star songs: Child Of The Universe (5:02) Negative Earth (5:28) Paper Wings (4:14) The Great 1974 Mining Disaster (4:35) For No One (5:08)

**** star songs: Crazy City (4:05) See Me See You (4:32) Poor Boy Blues (3:05)

*** star songs: Mill Boys (2:47)

Rune2000 | 5/5 | 2010-1-10

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