[Flac] Barclay James Harvest - Live 1974 [TNTVillage]

BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST





LIVE (1974)

Crossover Prog






La band è stata fondata a Saddleworth (Oldham), nel 1969 da John Lees (13-01-1947, voce, chitarra) proveniente dalla band Keepers, Les Holroyd (12-marzo-1948, basso, chitarra, tastiera, voce) proveniente dalla band Wicked, Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme (15-aprile-1947, voce, mellotron, tastiera) anchesso dei Keepers e Mel Pritchard (20-gennaio-1948-2004, batteria, percussioni) sempre proveniente dai Wicked. Nel 1970 pubblicano il loro primo album dal suono progressive, ove veniva ampiamente usato il mellotron. Ma è con la pubblicazione dei tre successivi album che la band comincia a godere di una certa popolarità in Gran Bretagna. John Lees, il chitarrista, nel 1973 stampa il suo album solista con ospiti di fama internazionale quali Rod Argent ed Eric Stewart dei Ten CC. L'anno successivo passano alla Polydor ed il derivante album pieno di melodia conferma l'ottimale stato compositivo della band. Nel 1976 con l'album Octoberon i B.J.H ricevono forti consensi nell'Europa continentale in special modo in Germania. Nel 1978 Woolly Wolstenholme ha lasciato la band. Rimasti in trio i BJH nel novembre del 1979 pubblicano l'album Eyes Of The Universe; nel 1981 sarà la volta di Turn Of The Tide, album che in Germania e Francia trova consensi di pubblico e critica. L'esibizione di Berlino del 31 agosto, a cui partecipano circa 175.000 spettatori, verrà poi immessa sul mercato con il nome A Concert For The People. I successivi due album sembrano evidenziare una certa crisi di creatività ed i Barclay James Harvest si prendono un anno di riflessione. Usciranno altri album che tuttavia non riescono a riportare il gruppo in auge. L'ultimo disco ufficiale è River of Dreams del 1997. Successivamente John Lees e Woolly Wolstenholme hanno prodotto due dischi sotto il nome Barclay James Harvest through the Eyes of John Lees. Gli altri due membri Les Holroyd e Mel Pritchard hanno invece pubblicato un album come Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd. Nel 2004 il batterista Mel Pritchard è deceduto. Il 13 dicembre 2010 Woolly Wolstenholme si è tolto la vita all'eta di 63 anni.

Barclay James Harvest are an English rock band. They were founded in Saddleworth, Yorkshire, in September 1966 by John Lees, Les Holroyd, Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme (1947–2010), and Mel Pritchard (1948–2004).
After signing with EMI's Parlophone in the UK for one single in early 1968, they moved to the more progressively inclined Harvest label. Their self-titled debut album was released in mid 1970 to positive reviews, but few sales. Their second album Once Again gained more favourable reviews, and the tour that followed was conducted with a full orchestra under the guidance of Robert John Godfrey. Their third album Barclay James Harvest and Other Short Stories was an even greater achievement, though Martyn Ford was brought in to supervise the orchestral work after Robert John Godfrey departed over writing issues behind "Mockingbird" - one of the group's most consistently popular tracks. By the release of their fourth album, Baby James Harvest, in 1972, the pressures of touring were beginning to have an impact on the band, and the album's inconsistency was noticed by both fans and critics alike.
After this album, they departed from EMI, and signed to Polydor, the move immediately resulting in greater sales. The next album, Everyone Is Everybody Else (1974), is viewed by many as their artistic high point. The album being played extensively on Radio Caroline, and later appearing in their Top 100 All Time Albums Chart. It also led to the band being invited to a BBC Radio 1 session for John Peel. The double live album, Barclay James Harvest Live, which followed in late 1974, built upon their solid fanbase, and was the first to chart in the UK, reaching #40.[5] Time Honoured Ghosts (1975), recorded in the USA, followed and this also charted in the UK reaching #32. Octoberon followed in '76 and reached #19 in the UK. They finally broke into the mainstream European market with their 1977 set Gone to Earth, which contained the song "Poor Man's Moody Blues", a homage to that band's 'Nights in White Satin', and also a title foisted upon Barclay James Harvest by press critics in the early 70s.
Woolly Wolstenholme – whose mellotron playing was a trademark of the band's sound in the 70s – left in 1979 after the album XII. Woolly pursued a short solo career fronting Maestoso, before retiring from the music business to pursue farming.
The remaining three members continued. At the height of their success, they played a free concert in front of the Reichstag in West Berlin, with an estimated attendance of 250,000 people (30 August 1980). They were also the first Western rock band to play an open-air concert in pre-Glasnost East Germany, playing in Treptower Park, East Berlin on 14 July 1987 to a 170,000+ audience.
The band continued as a trio with regular guest musicians until 1998. One album, Welcome to the Show, released in 1990, was released under the abbreviated name BJH. However, because of criticism from fans, the full Barclay James Harvest name was restored, albeit with the inclusion of the BJH moniker.
In 1998, musical differences in the band saw the three members agree to take a sabbatical. John Lees subsequently released an album mixing new songs and BJH classics, entitled Nexus, under the band name "Barclay James Harvest through the eyes of John Lees". Woolly Wolstenholme played in (and composed for) this band, subsequently resurrecting Maestoso to record and tour with new material, as well as back-catalogue favourites. Les Holroyd and Mel Pritchard teamed up to record under the name "Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd". Lees and Wolstenholme recently (2006/7) toured under the slightly modified band title "John Lees' Barclay James Harvest".
Mel Pritchard died suddenly of a heart attack in early 2004. Woolly Wolstenholme took his own life in December 2010 having apparently struggled with depression for many years.
The two derivatives of the original Barclay James Harvest continued to record and tour until 2010, and enjoyed ongoing popularity, particularly in Germany, France, and Switzerland.












Questa volta non delego a nessun altro l'onere di parlare dei Barclay James Harvest e di questo disco. Perché non è difficile dire chi furono i BJH: è difficile comprendere che cosa furono, davvero, i BJH.

La storia del Prog rock sarebbe la stessa, se non ci fossero i King Crimson, gli Yes, i Genesis? Forse no. E se non ci fossero stati i BJH? Probabilmente sì.

E credo sia per questo che la critica, soprattutto inglese, abbia un po' sputato sul gruppo, lasciandolo scientemente in ombra. I BJH, insomma, non furono mai profeti in patria, anche se non ho mai avuto molto chiaro di che cosa li si accusasse. Di fare canzoni troppo melodiche? Di non aver mai rinunciato a una vena pop che è più o meno sempre presente, anche negli album più prog? Forse. Ma non è forse una linea seguita anche da altri gruppi, in qualche modo ficcati dentro più o meno a forza dentro la categoria del cosiddetto Crossover Prog (qualsiasi cosa significhi)?

Io me ne innamorai da ragazzetto, forse perché mi sembravano più vergini e ingenui di tutti gli altri, forse perché la loro apparente mancanza di intellettualismo mi rasserenava più di molti altri gruppi che mi richiedevano un'attenzione continua. E, soprattutto, mi piacquero perché - nella mia ignoranza - mi sembravano all'inizio di tutto, all'inizio vero della storia del prog. Cosa che, in fin dei conti, è davvero.

Nel cercare di presentarli su TNT, non sapevo bene che cosa fare. Un album in studio? Mah, non ero troppo sicuro... Troppi strumenti acustici, troppa orchestra... qualcuno avrebbe potuto credere di trovarsi davanti a qualche gruppo folk prog un po' smaliziato o a qualche band amante dei suoni d'effetto, giudicandoli subito male e per quello che non sono, in fin dei conti, mai stati.

Così ho pensato a questo live ormai molto difficile da trovare. L'album ha un solo difetto: un suono davvero brutto, piuttosto piatto e intubato, frutto probabilmente di una registrazione un po' dilettantesca. Il concerto, però, è esaltante. I BJH non furono mai dei grandi virtuosi, al contrario di tanti altri gruppi del periodo: però, quando si esibivano dal vivo, riuscivano a mettere una carica e un'energia incredibile in tutto quanto suonavano. Ascoltateli, dato che non vi costa nulla, se non un po' di banda: difficile dire se siano davvero secondi a qualcuno.

Nel 1981, più precisamente il 16 giugno 1981, vennero anche a Milano, al Rolling Stones. Fu lì che li incontrai di persona per la prima e unica volta, in una discoteca quasi deserta, tanto erano misconosciuti dalle nostre parti. Di quella (per me) mitica serata conservo un bootleg che ormai ritengo sia una rarità, per quanto la registrazione non sia certo un granché... E' comunque una ragione in più che me li fa amare ancora, a distanza di tanti anni.

Per concludere: ammiro molti altri gruppi più di quanto ammiri i BJH. Non amo però molti altri gruppi più di quanto ami loro. Forse perché la maggior parte delle loro canzoni ha qualcosa di fresco e di ingenuo, eppure in qualche maniera ammaliante, che da altre parti non sono mai riuscito a trovare. Magari ho trovato più intelligenza, più capacità, più estro e più genio... Ma non sempre ho riscontrato maggior spontaneità.

Provate a sentire questo live, poi al limite ne riparliamo. Buon ascolto!

"The eyes of night march slowly by, the last grain falls, the kneeling man just sighs..."
It's strange thing how I've followed Barclay James Harvest three most famous live records! First of all I bought Berlin (1982), then Live Tapes (1978) and now Live (1974) dressed in the new 2005 remastered reissue. Respectevely "good", "excellent" and "masterpiece"! No doubt about that.
After the band was dropped off by the Emi's management (1973), their musical experience seemed to be near the end. All the four albums for the great label that is said to have taken the name of "Harvest" from this band itself (the band exists from 1967, first single released in 1968 was Early Morning) did not reach commercial success nor the radio airplay they hoped. Fortunately the BJH quartet managed to sign a contract under Polydor label and to release another memorable studio album in 1974: Everyone Is Everybody Else which, strange thing indeed, did not chart!
The agreement between the two record companies involved the option for Polydor to issue a live album containing material from their previous four albums. Paradoxally was that their first appearence in the U.K. Top 40 official charts!
The live sound of the band is captured perfectly. The remastered version comforts me for being born only in 1977 and haven't taken part to those memorable 1974 live shows at the Drury Lane Royal Theatre and at the Liverpool Stadium! Erik Neuteboom was right to say this album deserves the attention of any good progrock lover! The band captured in their peak of powers. Only one thing has to be pointed out: the absence of their well known mellow acoustic guitar. By the way this isn't enough to deprive this original double live album of its well deserved five stars rating!
Summer Soldier is the opener track taken from the Baby James Harvest album (1972), their last one under Emi label. Immidiately the mellotron erupts from the silence. Yeah, it's clear it has a more prominent role in the live conception of Barclay James Harvest. A classic BJH' song, immortal piece about the futility of war: "...is it love or hate, is it peace or war, it's for sure there's no in between...". Excellent vocals by John Lees. Long instrumental interlude for this 10,19 mns track. Wooly's mellotron is very surprising: this is the first proof!
Medicine Man, one of my best favourite BJH' songs ever, taken from their third 1971 album "Other Short Stories". Well, I've to be more precise, this version of Medicine Man does not derive from their third album, but from a single published in 1972. No strings but a catching electric guitar riff with a memorable mellotron support. Now the support seems to be the guitar itself! Excellent drums and bass parts provided by Mel Pritchard and Les Holroyd. 10,27 mns of pure pleasure. Similar in structure with that version from the 1977 Live-Ep. Unfortunately there the sound's quality was very poor. Fortunately their 1974 Live album heal the wounds! Here you can here to other wonderful surprises arising from the Wolstenholme placement!! In particular to a stunning and unexpected keyboard's solo! One of the best songs ever!
Do you think to have some relax? Crazy City's here, from the then current album Everyone Is Everybody Else. The first song penned by Les Holroyd in this live tour de force, one of his best ones! Not longer than the original one, though, but other 5,00 mns of high quality standard.
After the band's members presentation it's up to another highlight from their third work: After the Day (7,11 mns long). Great contribution from Wooly, another time! The obscure and empty landscape after a nuclear disaster..."...is there nothing left to see, is there nothing left at all, after the day...". Vocals here are provided by Wooly Wolstenholme as in the original studio album, even if the song is written by Lees (Wooly in "Other Stories" wrote the previous song, the mythic "The Poet", thought to be the introduction for After the Day.
Another precious gem from the pen of John Lees: The Great 1974 Mining Disaster, taken from their 1974 studio album. More introvert piece, more relaxing atmosphere for a double lenght track than the original one. More elaborated instrumental parts.
That sweet and delicate atmpsphere is mantained with Galadriel one of their most famous tracks taken from their second album titled "Once Again". It is quite known a great passion of all the bands' members for Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.
Negative Earth (1974) is another one invented by the prolific Leslie Holroyd and it's inspired by a famous mission in outer space in which the astronauts were very lucy to survive! "For fifty five days I've been flying around the world...all I've got to do is sit and cry...". Excellent indeed!
Ohhh yeah, finally I can here to another great favourite of mine: the superb She Said, from their second work released in 1971. The song originally was formed of the union of two different tracks by Les Holroyd and features Wooly also on vocals as he used to do in the first three releases. Impressive arrangements and PATHOS with a quasi-pastoral interlude in the middle part. The second track here it is a crime to forget!
Now it's up to Paper Wings (1974) written and sung by Holroyd. The song starting is soft and delicate, but then, from the half of the execution all instruments run to their apex! For nth time far better than the original studio version!
For No One is the closer of Everyone Is Everybody Else and always had a special place in my heart due to the fact of its sadness magnified by its pompous mellotron. "Please lay down your pistols and your rifles...please lay down your thoughts of being no one. Concentrate on what you ought to be". Another memorable track penned by John Lees.
Finally it could not miss perhaps the most famous track by Barclay James Harvest (comparable only with Hymn): Mockingbird (from Once Again). A strange vocal duo for my ears: Wolstenholme and Lees together...around them the wonderful frame of this miliar stone in all the melodic symphonic prog sub genre! Electric guitar seems to be agonizing and proud chant of whom thinks all it's lost, but he's wrong...
In conclusion: I'm enthusiastic for this recent cd purchase (despite the fact of the absence of any acoustic guitar): the REAL missing piece in my personal Barclay James Harvest' s collection cd! Extremely recommended in its new remastered re- issue!