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EVERYONE IS EVERBODY ELSE
This is the fourth album from Barclay James Harvest.
The band's line-up is: John Lees (lead and acoustic guitar), Les Holroyd (bass, acoustic and rhythm guitars), Stuart "Wooly" Wolstenholme (keyboards), and Mel Pritchard (drums, percussion). To the tracks...
In 'Child of the Universe' (5:02) a stately piano opening, accompanied by bass, is joined by John Lees' plaintive vocal.
Wooly Wolstenholme continues to pound out piano chords as the song moves into a multi-layered vocal chorus. There's excellent keyboard work in this song, with solid drum and bass accompaniment. Listen out for the cracking guitar solo from Lees at 4:10, which plays the song out ... an excellent start to the album.
A moody, bluesy, bass, drum and keyboard riff kicks off 'Negative Earth' (5:28) with some chunky electric guitar chords making their presence felt.
This track has another plaintive vocal from Lees, but it is a more interesting song than the album's opener. There's a strong little guitar solo at 2:51, before the main theme returns. At 4:34 the guitar chops are joined by another good electric guitar solo which plays the song out. Tight playing all round - another winner.
'Paper Wings' (4:14) starts with a drum beat which is joined by electric guitar and mellotron.
A gentle vocal, with acoustic guitar accompanying, takes the song forward. This development is reminiscent of the Moody Blues or Wishbone Ash, particularly when the electric guitar picks up the pace and the drumming becomes more forceful. At 2:28 the song changes pace and becomes a bit of a rocker, with superb percussion and electric guitar ... another strong track.
Piano, electric and acoustic guitars and a nice harmonised vocal feature in 'The Great 1974 Mining Disaster' (4:35).
This song reminded me of a similar number by the Bee Gees from the 1960s, before they discovered the lucrative joys of disco. This is a nice ballad, well played, and with a superb electric guitar solo from Lees at 3:38. A little like Pink Floyd in places, but the whole song works superbly.
A chunky electric guitar riff opens the song 'Crazy City' (4:05). This builds with bass and drums, accompanied by keyboards.
The vocal comes in accompanied by acoustic guitar. Mel Pritchard's drumming here is excellent, and the whole performance by the band is tight. This is a cracker and one of the strongest on what is a very strong album.
A bluesy electric guitar with keyboard backing opens 'See Me See You' (4:32); harmonised vocals join in and we have another ballad. The keyboard/guitar arrangement is a bit like Yes in places - this is a gentle
song with some nice guitar work from Lees, particularly the George Harrison-type solo at 2:39 ... Yes meet the Beatles - Hmm!
In 'Poor Boy Blues' (3:05) the solo vocal is joined by acoustic guitar. The "country" feel to this excellent number reminded me very much of some of Creedence Clearwater Revival's stuff, and the
chorus is very Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young! This is a really nice number that segues seamlessly into ...
'Mill Boys' (2:47) which is country in nature, featuring a catchy chorus and some nice guitar playing. 'Poor Boy Blues' returns at the end and then moves into 'For No One' (5:08). This is a wonderful
song, which develops into an inspiring, soaring, rock ballad with two guitar solos to die for ... a cracking finish to a wonderfully rich album.
This album was a quantum leap for Barclay James Harvest and it's a mystery why it didn't meet with wholesale commercial success as it should have catapulted the band to stardom. There's not a duff track on the
whole album; the musicianship is superb and John Lees shows us just what he can do with an electric guitar. This gets a resounding 10 out of 10 - I'm off to play it again!
Interesting Facts: 'Everyone Is Everybody Else' was released in June 1974 by Polydor on LP (2383 286) and cassette (3170 186) but failed to chart either side of the Atlantic. The album was re-issued in August
1983 on LP (SPE LP 11) and cassette (SPE MC 11) and was first issued as a CD in November 1987. It was re-issued on CD (833 448-2) by Polydor in February 1992.
'Poor Boy Blues' (with 'Crazy City' as the b-side) was released in the UK as a single in May 1974; 'Child of the Universe' (with 'Crazy City' on the b-side) was released as a single in the USA in July 1974, but
neither single charted. Barclay James Harvest gained wide-scale recognition with this album, particularly in Europe, despite its lack of chart success in the UK or the USA. Their appeal as a live act
around this time was such that Polydor released a live double album 'Barclay James Harvest - Live' in the UK in November 1974, which featured five tracks from 'Everyone is Everybody Else', this reached No 40 in the
UK charts.
David 1st May 2001
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OCTOBERON
It is only recently that I have got into the music of Barclay James Harvest.
My very first exposure to their music came with the compilation CD, 'Another Arable Parable', which mainly features tracks from the band's earlier albums. I was suitably impressed by what I heard, enough to quickly follow up with some CD's representing a slightly later period in the band's career. Although this is by no means a new release, BJH are a band that should have quite wide appeal with progressive fans - and, as one of our aims is to broaden our own musical horizons, it seemed right to share my thoughts here.
'Octoberon' was, in fact, BJH's eighth album and, at the time of its release in 1976, the band had already been together for ten years! Formed in Oldham in 1966 the original line up (still together for this album)
comprised Les Holroyd on acoustic guitar, bass and vocals; Mel Pritchard on drums; John Lees guitars and vocals; and Woolly Wolstenholme on keyboards and vocals.
BJH had their first single released on Parlophone in 1968, following which they signed to EMI's new progressive label, Harvest.
They recorded four albums, each with an orchestra, between 1970 and 1972 but unfortunately their sales did not match their well deserved reputation and EMI dropped them. It was not long before they were picked up by Polydor, and here enjoyed their period of greatest success with albums like 'Octoberon' and 'Gone To Earth', which also broke the band in Germany, eventually selling almost a million copies there.
At the start of their time with the Harvest label, the orchestral direction was under the control of Robert John Godfrey, and listening to some of the music recorded at that time, there are striking comparisons to be
drawn between the early BJH sound and The Enid (which Godfrey went on to found).
In many ways 'Octoberon' shows a very different style. The sound is clean and the song writing shows a greater maturity, yet at the same time it seems the band have made some concessions to commercial pressures and moved more towards the main stream. The resultant product could be compared to the likes of The Moody Blues or even The Eagles, however there are still flashes that harken back to the early years, as well an many elements that make me believe the band have had considerable influence on many modern progressive musicians!
The first track on the CD 'The World Goes On', starts off with a simple acoustic opening accompanied by a straight forward vocal melody, reminiscent at times of the Byrds song 'Wild Mountain Thyme'. The song
follows a fairly typical verse/chorus structure with instrumental interludes and, lyrically, I would have to say it is fairly middle of the road. Keyboard work tends to be piano based and is pleasant enough to
listen to.
What does really set this apart from the general run of the mill songs of the genre is the marvellous use of an orchestral string section - the sound builds gracefully as the track progresses and sets up a beautiful contrasts with the guitar work, especially in the closing section, and the end result is excellent.
'May Day' has a very different feel to it.
Lyrically the song is full of ambiguity and, at face value, it deals with a state of confusion - yet I have seen more detailed political interpretations of the piece that seem to stand up to scrutiny. Musically the track is very well developed and conveys an uneasy surreal atmosphere and there are elements in here that put me in mind of 'Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds', particularly some of the lighter guitar work in the foreground. Keyboards are more strongly in evidence in this track and the percussion creates a clear sense of direction. The final choral section of the song is something of a surprise and although the concept sounds odd it actually works very well indeed, consisting of a choir singing excerpts from six songs (all at the same time) ranging from 'Land Of Hope And Glory' to the 'The Red Flag'!
One of my personal favourites has to be 'Ra'. This track has a very intense and powerful musical opening which is quite clearly classically inspired. Starting with a softly repeating theme it builds upon
itself adding layers of sound as it moves forward.
After the initial introduction has built to a shuddering climax the air becomes more subdued; Doors-like keyboard sounds and fairly laid back vocals, supported by excellent vocal harmonisation, slowly build in intensity before dropping back down again. This vocal section leaves us held aloft by an inspiring guitar section prior to a reprise of the opening theme and a tumultuous finish.
'Rock 'n' Roll Star' has been compared musically to the Eagles track 'One of These Nights', and there certainly are similarities between the two.
After a quiet keyboard intro the song becomes more upbeat with a strong bass line and a well defined guitar part pushing out a pulsing rhythm. Vocals are quite high pitched but not at all strained and the overall effect is pleasing.
The next couple of tracks are not really up to standard and, I have to say, 'Polk Street Rag' is probably the weakest of the bunch. Despite some competent guitar sounds and reasonable supporting keyboard work,
the song does not really have any clear sense of direction or purpose. There is a lack of musical development and the fade out at the end leaves one with a sense of blandness.
Very seventies, but not progressive in any sense!
The shortest piece on the album, 'Believe In Me', is a fairly soft track and is essentially a love song.
Although the sound is somewhat weak and slightly twee, at least the track is redeemed, to some extent, by the vocal harmonies and some good instrumental work.
Fortunately the lasting impression of the album is bolstered up by a superbly strong end piece in the form of 'Suicide?' - a "did he jump or was he pushed?" tale. The guitar/keyboard intro sounds very
fresh and has a sound that gives no clue to the real age of the piece. This gives way to an acoustic guitar part alongside a gentle plaintive organ sound. The vocal line is very strong indeed and, once
more, the supporting vocal harmonisation is very evocative. Guitar and percussion form a strong foundation for the structure of the song to build upon, and the sound is made richer by the inclusion, once
again, of the string section.
The finale to the track has a series of sound effects played over the fading instrumental section which basically run through the story told in the song right up to the rather chilling ending!
To some extent this album is very much a product of its time, but there are still aspects of the work that make it worthy of resurrection and tracks like 'May Day', 'Ra' and 'Suicide' are all very progressive in
outlook. If you have ever enjoyed the music of The Moody Blues or, more recently, bands like Pendragon you may well find you enjoy this too!
Simon March 14th 2000
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LIVE TAPES
Track list: Child of the Universe, Rock'n'Roll Star, Poor Man's Moody Blues, Mockingbird, Hard Hearted Woman, One Night, Taking Me Higher, Suicide, Crazy City, Jonathan, For No One, Polk Street Rag, Hymn
This album was recorded on the band's tours in 1976 and 1977. It's not known exactly where each song was recorded, but the 1976 songs appear to have been taped on UK dates and the following year's shows in
Germany.
The set opens with the crowd favourite 'Child of the Universe', with John Lees' vocals coming through strong and clear amid a backdrop of guitar being played via some pedal distortion effects and a wash of mellotron
strings. The guitar solos on this and subsequent songs probably sound a bit pedestrian by today's standards, but they are very easy to listen to and the live setting helps overcome accusations of blandness.
Unfortunately, the same can not be said for 'Rock'n'Roll Star', with it's AOR leanings. Bassist Les Holroyd's vocals lend themselves very well to this kind of rock-lite material, and it's played well enough
but, apart from the chorus, it's not a particularly memorable tune.
'Poor Man's Moody Blues' is self-explanatory, and comes across almost as a cut-price 'Nights In White Satin', and listening to this and other BJH tracks played in the same tempo ie 'One Night', I could see clear
parallels between the music of the two bands, particularly given that both started out with prog leanings before becoming ever more AOR. Nevertheless, this song is very good, with the mix of ARP strings and
twin neck guitar making it a pleasure to listen to.
(Interestingly the original title of this album was to be 'Caught Live', until a fan club member pointed out the resemblance to the Moody Blues' live album 'Caught Live Plus Five'.)
'Mockingbird' is the band's recognised classic, with its gentle bass line and two note guitar motif sweeping the song effortlessly along. The strings and drums enter in the middle passage to bring an air of
intensity, before bringing the song to a passionate conclusion with a series of sustained guitar notes, before slowly fading out ... a highlight of this and subsequent live albums.
'Hard Hearted Woman' moves back into AOR territory again, but judging by the response of the audience it was obviously a favourite at the time.
The guitar playing is simple but effective, although the solo seems a bit directionless and the song ends on something of an anticlimax. 'One Night' see the Hammond organ come to the fore with a Procul Harum feel to the song, and again the leisurely pace and harmony vocals make this one pleasant listening.
'Taking Me Higher' is another highlight (apologies for the pun) building up slowly from a simple vocal arrangement accompanied by swirling organ to something quite beautiful as guitar and drums bring the song to its
climax. I prefer this live version - the original studio version was all too short and faded out before the rest of the band came in.
An uplifting song this one, and probably just as well given the nature of the next song, 'Suicide'. Its mournful opening melody haunts the whole song and while it's immaculately performed and emotionally sung by the band, the final frenzied rush of guitar is almost a relief from the depressing feelings this song conjures up.
After that, 'Crazy City' is refreshingly uptempo, with some great guitar riffing for openers before settling into a mid-paced rocker with nice chorus vocals that reminded me a lot of early Yes.
'Jonathan' is based on the novel about the seagull, and again it's a beautiful little number with lots of mellotron and strings. Gentle guitar strumming leads us into the body of the song where a nice vocal line soars above the band, very much the like the seagull being sung about, before concluding with a dramatic guitar and keyboard duet that would warm the cockles of many a progger's heart.
The encores start with 'For No One', with John Lees soloing on the guitar for all he's worth against a rich backdrop of keyboards that almost overwhelms the song at times ... bet this one sounded great on the night.
'Polk Street Rag' sees the band rock out, or as near to it as they ever got in those days, with enthusiastic drumming and determined riffing, and some nice echo effects on the vocals.
'Hymn' is another BJH classic, with its pairing of acoustic guitars pushing the song from humble beginnings to a heartfelt and stirring conclusion, accompanied by the clapping of the enthusiastic audience, and is a
fitting way to close this album.
BJH were never as successful on these shores as they were in Europe - and Germany in particular - and as a result they seem largely forgotten about twenty years after this album was released, although it appears that
they are planning a gig in London this year. Once keyboard player Wooly Wolstenhome left after the follow-up album, I felt that the band lost a unique part of their sound, and subsequent releases tended to
focus increasingly on forgettable AOR pieces. So for me, 'Live Tapes' is a snapshot of the band at its creative peak, and for those of you looking for an introduction to their music I would thoroughly
recommend this live album.
John Stout 29 January 2001
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CAUGHT LIVE (DVD)
Main Feature: 'Caught Live' - documentary including live footage.
Additional Material: Drury Lane Concert 1974, Biographies, Discography and band member profiles.
When Barclay James Harvest formed in 1967 they were certainly at the forefront of what could today be termed as progressive rock music, although at the time the term had yet to be coined.
In their early years they experimented with many different forms and performed live with their own orchestra, before utilising upcoming technology in the form of the mellotron to recreate orchestral effects.
In 1977 when 'Caught Live' was made for general cinema release, it managed to capture a snapshot of a successful band who, after ten years of gigging, had built up a significant European following and who had a
string of albums to their credit.
The early part of the film is in documentary style. Initially we are introduced to each of the band members in turn in fairly informal surroundings, after which we hear the band discussing what it means to be
part of BJH. Taken together these early scenes create a very interesting profile of band.
With the introductions out of the way, the nature of the film changes to a fly on the wall approach.
The majority of the scenes seem to have been filmed between two venues - and they show fairly typical events including the band's reactions at the end of a show, the road crew packing down the gear, travelling to the next venue, the stage set up and the soundcheck for the next show.
The centre piece of the film is mixed in with these scenes with some very good on stage footage of the band including full performances of 'Child Of The Universe', 'Rock and Roll Star', 'Hard Hearted Woman',
'Suicide?', 'Mockingbird', 'Polk Street Rag' and 'Hymn for the Children'.
The second of the two main features is previously unreleased footage of a 1974 concert filmed at London's Drury Lane Theater. Although this section contains only four tracks: 'Crazy City', 'For No One',
'Mockingbird' and 'The Great 1974 Mining Disaster'; the running time of around 30 minutes adds considerable value to the overall package.
The fact that the classic 'Mockingbird' is featured here, as well as in the main feature, allows some very interesting comparisons to be made as to how the band changed between '74 and '77, and (hair cuts apart) the most notable change is in the amount of additional keyboard equipment Wooly Wolstenhome seems to have acquired over the course of those three years.
In view of the age of both films, and the budget they were no doubt made on (after all we are not talking 'The Song Remains the Same' here), it has been necessary for a degree of restoration and remastering to be
undertaken for the release in DVD format.
Buyers should be aware that clearly the result is not going to be up to modern filming standards and, while it is true to say that some anomalies in sound and picture remain which have not been able to be completely removed , there is nothing that fundamentally detracts from the overall enjoyment of the film.
Other additional features to be found on the disk are the inclusion of a band biography and discography, as well as profiles of each of the band members: all of which can be easily accessed from the disk menu.
These all appear in straight forward text format and despite this very basic presentation, they do provide some useful background information. The only area that I really felt critical towards here was the
discography,
which is shown as a simple list of albums with dates. This section could have benefited enormously from a more in depth approach and a track listing for each album would have been a big step in the right direction.
Finally the sound options available allow for selection of Dolby 2.0 or 5.1 surround sound, both of which are pretty standard on releases these days.
In summing up I have to say that while this DVD provides an interesting insight into life on the road from the perspective of the band and crew, the real interest comes from the short interviews and the live footage
and this release is most likely to appeal to those who already know the band. Newcomers would probably get a better feel for the band from one of the many CD compilations currently available, but for existing
BJH fans 'Caught Live' is likely to prove well worth the investment and should be checked out.
Simon 27th March 2002
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