BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST: LIVE (1974)
I don't think that proposing a live album here is the right thing to do, but I will make an exception especially for this album. Because I have a long history with this record!
When I was young, it was very difficult to find this specific album in Greece. (I'm talking about the vinyl version, no cds back then). After almost 3 years that I was searching for it, I managed to find only one copy at a very high price. But I didn't have the money to buy it. So I left some money as a deposit, ran back home, borrowed money from anyone I could, returned to the record shop, and I bought it. And I never regret it! For the following 2 weeks I don't think I listened to anything else! :)
Now, about the album...
As I wrote in the post about Barclay James Harvest in the Progressive Rock Encyclopedia a few days ago, this record is actually closing their first (and most Progressive) period, in the best way possible!
In this double album you will find 11 songs, all in excellent versions.
'Barclay James Harvest Live' has been recognized as one of the greatest live albums, as almost every song here is improved in comparison with the original version.
The record opens with the 10-minute epic 'Summer Soldier', and continues with a very heavy and long version of 'Medicine man'. Next in line there is 'Crazy City' (I never liked that one) before we pass to the glorious 'After the Day' in an epic version, with its doomy mellotron sounds combined perfectly with the lengthy guitar solos.
Ok, I will not write about each one of the songs in this record, but inside it you will find some of the best moments of the early BJH. 'Galadriel', 'Negative Earth', 'She Said', 'Mockingbird', 'Paper Wings' and more, are all here and waiting for you to discover them..
My Personal Rating: 9/10
By clicking on the following link you will be able to listen to the song 'For No One' taken from this album.
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