BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST: "Once Again"

Original released on LP Harvest SHVL 788

(UK 1971, February 5)

BJH: "TIME HONOURED GHOSTS"

Original Released on LP Polydor PD 6517

(US, October 1975)

"Time Honoured Ghosts" sounds nice and peacefully, like an army of Graham Nash clones on a gentle autumn day. There are galore of those symphonic prog pearls here, all of them delicate and melodic, sounding still fresh today. John Lees is no slouch either on this recording with the "In My Life" with an upbeat guitar lick before turning into an athmospheric middle section ready to make a prog fan happy with its lush arrangements. I don't have a beef with "Titles", a Lees tribute to the Beatles, at least he doesn't plagiarize them, it's a respectful hommage to his heroes and i think it's well done with good taste. The majority of the BJH music is slightly pessimistic. But not always, since making a song like "Titles" is an original and funny idea. "Hymn For The Children" is another Lees gem while the closing track "One Night" goes back to Lees west-coast influences, another beautiful melody Neil Young or Stephen Stills would have been proud to create. This 2003 CD re-issue includes a version of "Child of the Universe" (from 1974's "Everyone is Everybody Else" album) originally intended as a US single release - this fine studio recording appears to have been the basis for most live renditions of this timeless classic and is a fine addition to the original LP's songs.