Barclay James Harvest

1,192

4 Stars

*The full gatefold sleeve artwork for Barclay James Harvest’s Once Again – things like this were taken very seriously in the early seventies!*

Audio CD (paid link)

You’ve just got to love Barclay James Harvest if only for their perseverance. Formed in 1966 they are still going today. One of the first bands signed to EMI’s special progressive rock label Harvest in 1969, the battle still rages amongst their hard core fans (yes, both of them) as to whether the label was named after the band or the band after the label. Having survived all the pits and troughs of the music business, including tragic deaths, and splits, at various times there have been several versions of Barclay James Harvest doing the rounds. There are currently two versions of the band, each featuring one original member, John Lee’s Barclay James Harvest and Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd.

Over their career they have released more than 20 studio albums and umpteen live and greatest hits packages with sales of each album since the late 70’s diminishing from the last, as they slip from major records companies to the small independents.

*The members of Barclay James Harvest take time out from their Sunday after lunch country ramble to allow a small photo session. I’m not saying this band was laid back. But … oh they were.*

Always labeled a poor man’s Moody Blues, on 1977’s album ‘Gone to Earth’ they actually wrote and recorded a song called – yes, you guessed it – “Poor Man’s Moody Blues.” Today it is still a fan’s favorite in their live set and shows at least a good sense of humour.

Originally a four piece, one of whom was wonderfully nicknamed “Wooly,” and an orchestral director in the George Martin role, a certain Robert John Godfrey. (Who later went on to form The Enid if you like a poor man’s Barclay James Harvest.)

But if Barclay James Harvest have a classic album, it was this—‘Once Again’ (1971), but not in sales or chart position where it was surpassed by ‘Every One Is Everybody Else’ (1974). The opening number began life as two distinct songs written by Les Holroyd, which were linked together with an Elizabethan-style recorder solo to create ‘She Said.’ For Galadriel, John Lees borrowed a blonde Gibson Epiphone acoustic guitar which had been left lying around at Abbey Road by John Lennon. Lees uses this to great effect to produce a wonderful love song. The starkly violent song ‘Ball and Chain’ is certainly as animated as Barclay James Harvest gets, with Woolly’s strained vocal effects being achieved by him singing his heart out through a paper cup with the bottom pushed out! It also gives John Lees a chance to stretch out with the electric six strings.

*Who can forget the album green inlays from Harvest Records.*

Every song is accompanied by sweeping keyboards and excessive use of the mellotron, leaving an early seventies feel to the whole album, plus aching vocals, and rippling guitars accompanied by a solid rhythm. But the hallmark of early Barclay James Harvest albums was that each one was recorded with a full orchestra, giving the epic songs an amazing cinematic feel, if leaving a bit of a similarity between the tunes. The songwriting after Les Holyrod’s opener is evenly shared between John Lees and Stuart ‘Wooly’ Wolstenholme, as it’s pretty difficult to tell who wrote what. It at least shows that they were all on the same page back in the day.

However, every band has got one classic song in them. Barclay James Harvest will always be remembered for the magnificent ‘Mocking Bird,’ a classic progressive rock ballad. Lyrically of the time, it’s purely about love and peace, but the melody of the song is nothing short of sumptuous. The price of this collection is worth it alone for this one song.