domingo, 28 de noviembre de 2021

1971: Barclay James Harvest y otras historias cortas

Contenido de esta entrada:

Introducción

El álbum Once Again

Créditos

Entrada anterior de Barclay James Harvest: 1971: Barclay James Harvest una vez más

Entrada siguiente de Barclay James Harvest: 1972: Baby James Harvest



Sitio oficial de Barclay James Harvest: Barclay James Harvest (bjharvest.co.uk)

Facebook de Barclay James Harvest:  John Lees' Barclay James Harvest | Facebook


Portada del tercer álbum de BJH


Introducción

En el anterior artículo comentamos el segundo álbum de Barclay James HarvestOnce Again, publicado el 5 de febrero de 1971. Las ventas tampoco acompañaron como el primer álbum y no entró en las listas.

Barclay James Harvest es un grupo británico de rock progresivo fundado en Oldham en septiembre de 1969 por el bajista / vocalista Les Holroyd (n. 1948), el guitarrista / vocalista John Lees (n. 1947), el baterista / percusionista Mel Pritchard (1948-2004), y el tecladista / vocalista Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme (1947-2010).

Actualmente el grupo está en activo, pero con otros nombres desde 1999 llamados: Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd y John Lees' Barclay James Harvest.


En este artículo continuamos su historia hasta la publicación de su tercer álbum Barclay James Harvest and Other Short Stories. Tras el lanzamiento de su segundo álbum, iniciaron una gira acompañados de una orquesta completa bajo la dirección de Robert Godfrey. La gira no animó las ventas y llevar una orquesta costaba mucho dinero que acarreó deudas las cuales incrementaron las tensiones en el grupo.


BJH

El álbum Barclay James Harvest and Other Short Stories

Tras la gira Godfrey abandonó por una disputa por los créditos de composición del tema Mockinbird por lo que tuvieron que buscar otra persona para supervisar el trabajo orquestal de su tercer álbum, Barclay James Harvest and Other Short Stories. Para ello se contrató a Martyn Ford. Años más tarde, Godfrey presentó una demanda alegando que se le debían créditos de composición y las regalías correspondientes en varias de las canciones de Barclay James Harvest

Aunque el tercer álbum no ha sido tan valorado como el anterior Once Again, incluye temas como After the Day o Medicine Man, que forman parte del repertorio clásico de BJH.

El álbum fue publicado a principios de noviembre de 1971. Como el álbum anterior no llegó a las listas y las ventas no acompañaron. La portada diseñada por Barry Honeyford mantiene el tono austero de las anteriores con unas fotografías de los componentes sobre un fondo negro. 

Contraportada del álbum

El álbum se edito en forma de carpeta incluyendo en el interior fotos, las letras de las canciones, los créditos y un comentario de Roy Hollingworth, crítico musical del Melody Maker. Las fotografías fueron realizadas por Barrie Wentzell y Peter Vernon.

Interior de la carpeta.

Once Again fue remasterizado y reeditado por Harvest en 2002 con varios bonus tracks.

Contraportada de la edición en CD de 2002

Lista de canciones: 



CARA 1

A1. "Medicine Man" (John Lees ) – 3:52

Se incluyó como cara B del sencillo Thanks You publicado el 20 de octubre de 1972 en el Reino Unido. Versión del sencillo: 


Portada del sencillo en Alemania

Enlaces:




Letras:

Didn't anybody see his hand move faster
Than the lightning in his eyes
Oh! what a cold surprise the flying horses cried
And didn't anybody want to ask the calliope
To call the tune
The flying horses crooned but did not know

The Medicine Man sits on the stage
Eats fire and water, earth and air while we all stare
The silver blade burns bright
And tells us to beware
Of mirrored passages that throw a thousand images
Of younger days
The wheel spins slower as it calls us back to play

Round and round now we go
Shout your name to the wind
As it spins by your side
Coloured lights echo as the sound slips on by
Could that have been me?
...

Videos:

Grabación en directo en Drury Lane 1974:

En directo en Berlín en 1987:

En directo en el Town & Country Club, 1992):

Actuación en los Metropolis Studios el 4 de diciembre, 2010:

Versiones en directo:

Grabado en el programa de la BBC Radio 1, Bob Harris Show, el  3 de abril de 1972 (disponible en el álbum ...BBC In Concert 1972 (2002):

Del álbum Live (1974):Medicine Man (1974 Live Version)

Del álbum "Live Tapes" - 1978 (solo como bonus track en las últimas reediciones en CD): 

Del álbum Glasnost - 1988Medicine Man

Portada del álbum Live

Mi opinión personal: 

Suena mejor en las versiones en directo que la original de estudio.



A2. "Someone There You Know"(Woolly Wolstenholme) – 3:43

Enlaces:






Letras:

I've been looking for a place that I know well
It's a long long way from here and when I get there
I will tell, I will tell
I've been looking for a time that I once knew
I could spend some happy hours just being there with you
It doesn't matter where you go
As long as there is someone there you know

So if you need a friend you can depend on me
'Cause I know what it feels to be alone
And in the darkest night you need a light to see
Your shadow's sinking low
Just like a stone
Feels like a broken bone
Guess I'll go on home

I've been looking for someone I know so well
She's a long long way from me and when I find her
I will tell her
It doesn't matter where she goes
As long as there is someone there she knows

  Mi opinión personal: 

   Buen tema rockero.



A3. "Harry's Song" (John Lees) – 3:49

Enlaces:






Letras:

There's a little bit of you and some of me
There's a little bit of everything you see
But you don't know why Harry cried
There's a time right after love when you feel low
Like a bird with perfect wings denied the sky
But you don't know why Harry cried

Take a look at the common man
He can talk with the use of his hands
Pass you on by with a smile
Like he just don't care
Take a look at yourself in the light
People see by the look in your eyes
Either you're deaf or you're blind
Or you just don't care
Well something stirred today
Young Harry he passed away

Someone moves and a leaf falls to the ground
Morning comes and he is not around
But you don't know why Harry cried

Well you pick him up and you put him in your hand
And he slips on through like tiny bits of sand
But you don't know why Harry cried

Take a look at the common man
He can talk with the use of his hands
Pass you on by with a smile
Like he just don't care
Take a look at yourself in the light
People see by the look in your eyes
Either you're deaf or you're blind
Or you just don't care
Well something stirred today
Young Harry he passed away
Bye bye

  Mi opinión personal: 

  Pop-rock.



A4. "Ursula (The Swansea Song)"(Woolly Wolstenholme)– 2:51

Enlaces:

Ursula (The Swansea Song)

Barclay James Harvest - Ursula

Barclay James Harvest - Ursula (The Swansea Song) (Vinyl)

Ursula (The Swansea Song) (New Stereo Mix)

Barclay James Harvest:-'Ursula (The Swansea Song)'

Letras:

I once loved a lady who did change into a child
I saw the light of day shine in her eyes
I loved her like a baby and I raised her to the sky
It seems the light of day did pass me by

Now she walks along the seashore
And she listens to the sea
But I can't say if she ever thinks of me

If I were of the ocean
Or a wave upon the sand
Or just a drop of water in her hand
A pebble or a broken shell
A rock upon the shore
I doubt if I could love her any more

Now she walks along the seashore
And she listens to the sea
And I can't say if she ever thinks of me
No I can't say if she ever thinks of me

Versiones en directo:

Grabado en el programa de la BBC Radio 1, Bob Harris Show, el  5 de julio de 1971

Mi opinión personal: 

Bonita balada relajante.


A5. "Little Lapwing"(Les Holroyd) – 4:54

Enlaces:

Little Lapwing

Little Lapwing [2020 Remaster]

Barclay James Harvest . Little lapwing

Barclay James Harvest:-'Little Lapwing'

Little Lapwing [New Stereo Mix]

Letras:

Bye, bye, bye
The time has come round again, my friend
A life and some time I just gotta spend
So bye bye, my friend
See you again
My mind in my pocket
The sun in my eye
There's gold in the mountains
The streams run by
So see you again

Swing low, swing high
Talk of the times, the love and the laughing
I'll come back to you in the spring, little lapwing
Till then, bye bye

Mi opinión personal: 

Bonita balada relajante.



CARA 2

B1. "Song With No Meaning" (Les Holroyd) – 4:18

Enlaces:






Letras:

Passing time in the sun
To think of things, lost and done
You wonder why she left so soon
No word or reason why
All feelings born can only die

Lazy days passing by
With memories you just can't hide
The song flows on you can't pursue
Your words don't mean a thing
The mood's too hard for you to sing

Moving on with a sigh
A silhouette against the sky
The seconds they dripped right on by
And slowly filled the day
And feelings born can only fade away

  Mi opinión personal: 

  Pop-rock.


B2. "Blue John's Blues" (John Lees) – 6:45

Enlaces






Letras

Mystery is following me down that lonesome road
And I don't know my way, my way back home
There's someone on my shoulder and he will not share a load
And I don't know my way, my way back home
There's a certain something deep inside
Like a rolling sea or a river wide
As the orchestra starts playing
Get down Joe

You can see his face, you can feel his smile
Yeah, look down low and let the tears run wild
When the orchestra starts playing
Blue John's Blues

Think about me, girl, and the things I ain't said
I could not be sad, thinkin' 'bout the things that you do
While the folks around me sing on
Blue John's Blues

Band is swinging, people singing
Get down Joe

There's a place down home where people meet
They clap their hands and they stamp their feet
When the music starts and the band plays
Get down Joe

They sing out loud and they sing out clear
Turn your head round girl and you might just hear
And if you do then start down singing
Blue John's Blues

Think about me, girl, and the things I ain't said
I could not be sad, thinkin' 'bout the things that you do
While the folks around me sing on
Blue John's Blues

Band is swinging, people singing
Get down Joe

Take hold of John's blues
Must be a thousand hues[?]
Blue John's Blues
Get back Joe
Take back all of your dough
You've got no place to go
Blue John's Blues
Get back now Joe
My sweetest girl that I ever had
She's drive any poor man bad
Blue John's Blues

Well my Ma and my Papa said, Son
You'll get the KB when you're not on the run
Blue John's Blues
Well my lady and me we're gonna dance all night
Yeah yeah we're gonna dance until the broad broad light
Blue John's Blues
The sweetest girl that I ever had
Was guaranteed to drive a poor man bad
Blue John's Blues
Blue John Blues
Get back Joe
Lord, get back Joe

  Mi opinión personal: 

   Buen blues



B3. "The Poet" ( Woolly Wolstenholme) - 4:56

Enlaces:




Letras

Here I sit watching the day out
No-one beside me who may doubt
All of the words that I could chose to say
So listen, believe, or be gone from this day
I need a friend to walk with me
And sit in the shade of an old tree
To think nothing much, just agree with my thoughts
To say nothing much, never tell what I ought

Watching the people pass by now
They just don't know why or know how
They don't seem to care about all that I've seen
They just walk on by never knowing I've been
Sitting up here where I'm wind blown
Only to ask and to be shown
Things that would make you believe what I say
I'll tell you myself and I'll show you some day

Versiones en directo:

Del álbum Live at High Voltage Festival 2011

Portada del álbum Live at High Voltage Festival 2011

Mi opinión personal: 

Las dos últimas canciones del álbum que están unidas son lo más progresivo del álbum.



B4. "After The Day" (John Lees) – 4:48

Enlaces:

After The Day

After the Day [2020 Remaster]

Barclay James Harvest:-'After The Day'

BJH - After The Day(with pictures)

Letras:

The eyes of night march slowly by
The last grain falls
The kneeling man just sighs
Protected by the one great wall
Of coloured parts
He probes his clouded mind

If he takes a look around him
Is there nothing left to see
Is there nothing left at all
After the day

With trembling hands he wipes his eyes
He tries to stand
But does not feel the need
The morning sun shines on
The multicoloured cross
Left standing through it all

If he takes a look around him
Is there nothing left to see
Is there nothing left at all
After the day

If he takes a look around him
Is there nothing left to see
Is there nothing left at all
After the day

 Versiones en directo:


Grabado en el programa de la BBC Radio 1, en el Hippodrome, Golders Green, Londres, el  19 de junio de 1974 (disponible en el álbum "After The Day" (The Radio Broadcasts 1974-1976)" (2008)

Del álbum Live (1974): After The Day (1974 Live Version)

Del álbum Live at High Voltage Festival 2011

Del álbum The 50th Anniversary Concert (2018): The Poet / After the Day (Live)


Videos:

En directo en Colmar - Francia. 15 agosto - 2011.

 Grabado en el London Shepherds Bush Empire el 5 de noviembre 2006

Mi opinión personal: 

Las dos últimas canciones del álbum que están unidas son lo más progresivo del álbum.


Mi opinión personal sobre el álbum: 

Es un álbum de escucha agradable y relajante. La primera vez que escuché a Barclay James Harvest me gustó mucho su música y sin que nadie me lo recomendará. Quizás este álbum es menos porgresivo que los anteriores.


Créditos

John Lees – voz, guitarras

Les Holroyd – voz, bajo, piano

Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme – voz, mellotron, teclados

Mel Pritchard – batería, percusión

Personal adicional

La Orquesta Sinfónica Barclay James Harvest

Director de orquesta:  Martyn Ford


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