LIVE TAPES

In the late Seventies I stumbled upon a double live LP entitled Live Tapes, from a band with the weird name Barclay James Harvest (later I read that the members couldn't choose a name and put all 3 proposed names together). I took a look at the double innersleeve and was mesmerized by the wide range of vintage keyboards from the late keyboardplayer Woolly Wolstenholme, including a Hammond C3 organ, the M300 and M400 Mellotron, ARP Pro Solist synthesizer, ARP string ensemble and Minimoog synthesizer, wow, this couldn't go wrong, and indeed, it didn't go wrong, on the contrary!

This double live album was my first musical encounter with BJH, and I was blown away, what a wonderful Mellotron drenched symphonic rock, very melodic and harmonic, topped with emotional vocals and moving guitar work, from sensitive to harder-edged with wah-wah. BJH sounds beyond the complexity and virtuosity of ELP, Yes and Gentle but their music lifts me to 'higher prog states', especially due to the Mellotron soaken tracks, what an unsurpassed musical invention.

The cynical music press once named BJH 'a poor version of the Moody Blues', one of the tracks is BJH their cynical answer to the press, entitled Poor Man's Moody Blues, haha.

My highlights.

Child of the universe : wonderful piano, Mellotron and moving guitar, I love the compelling atmosphere and the melancholical vocals, one of my favorite BJH songs.

Mockingbird : beautiful twanging guitar and then sumptuous Mellotron layers, halfway featuring a strong build-up and climax (intense lalala vocals and howling guitar).

Suicide : the emotional subject has been translated into a very emotional atmosphere with beautiful interplay between the vocals, guitar and keyboards, the sound in the end is stunning.

For No One : a moving blend of fiery, distorted electric guitar, Mellotron (violin and choir section) and dramatic vocals.

I have seen BJH two times live (in 1981 and 2009), I prefer this band on stage, they sound more powerful and the Mellotron is more omnipresent than on the studio albums. My favorite BJH on stage album is Live, an absolute masterpiece for me, I consider Live Tapes as another strong live album but to me some tracks sound a bit polished so 4 well deserved stars for Live Tapes.

John 'Woolly' Wolstenholme (1947-2010) R.I.P., you are still my Mellotron hero.

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