VALENTINE

comeback concert with symphonic orchestra and prestigious friends (again with Page) after life- threatening illness >> although not as poignant as the Drury Lane concert for Wyatt, this is one more reason for its inclusion in prog-related. Musically, it is a return to shorter tracks

The album is listed in the wrong category of Progarchives - it's not a "Boxset & Compilations" album; rather, it's the follow-up to his acclaimed "Lifemask" album. Despite some throwaway songs and being a bit spotty in places, this does rank among his finest releases of the 1970s, his greatest period. The opening "Forbidden Fruit" is among his greatest short love songs, as is the concluding "Forever." (Originally appearing on his first album, Sophisticated Beggar, this version is far superior.) On the other hand, this version of "Male Chauvinist Pig Blues" is not nearly as good as the acoustic version on his 1974 (essential) live album, Flashes from the Archives of Oblivion. The next two songs might be my two favorites by Harper, "I'll See You Again" and "Twelve Hours of Sunset." The first one captures everything unique and special about Harper's voice, while the next song perfectly captures the moody, off-kilter creepiness that Harper could do so well. Fans of Floyd should especially love this song.

"Acapulco Gold" is a throw-away track, sounding out of place on the album. (It would sound more at home on a Chet Baker album!) "Commune" starts off sounding like one of those straight folk songs that the young Dylan and Harper used to do (both of course performed great versions of "North Country Girl"), but the second half of the song lifts the song up. Peter Jenner (Pink Floyd's first manager) produced all of Harper's 70s albums, and he does an especially fine job here. Finally, the homage to Che Guevara is one of the few Harper instrumentals from the 70s, and if you are a fan of John Fahey or Leo Kottke or even Jimmy Page's acoustic work with Led Zep you'll appreciate this.

Erroneously listed under compilations and box sets in PA's Roy Harper discography, Valentine may be the summit of Harper's skills as a songwriter and that four of the album's songs are feature on his superb 2012 compilation album Songs Of Love And Loss, the most culled from any Harper album, and are there for a very good reason.

Aside from two Harper commentaries on his feelings towards Women's Lib, which is something along the line of you can't have your cake and eat it too, the other eight of the album's songs are about relationships past and present, and Harper is simply at his zenith when it comes to wearing his heart on his sleeves. The exception being Acapulco Gold in which Harper confesses love to both his lady and weed. Unlike the directness of Harper's 1970 album Flat, Baroque, And Berserk or the metaphorical obtuseness of Harper's material on Stormcock, from 1971, and Life Mask, from 1973, Harper combines the lyrical sensibilities of both styles on Valentine without becoming pretentious.

I'll See You Again and Twelve Hours Of Sunlight are among two of Harper's most potent and engrossing songs. The first about dismissing a lover because his feelings are unrequited and the second deals with longing compounded by a twelve hour flight from Europe to the US at twilight which seems to last an eternity (I know by personal experience) as the never ending day prolongs and compounds the feelings of loneliness and longing for a loved one. The instrumentation on the former is sparse acoustic guitar with multiple and necessary vocal overdubs by Harper, along with a sublime orchestral score by the late David Bedford that deftly combines baroque with a sense of modernism. Bedford's score on Twelve Hours Of Hours Sunset is even better with a string section that evokes both flight and loneliness. He is the album's unsung hero and almost bests himself with another ethereal score for Harper's take on the traditional Girl From The North Country.

There is not much that is blatantly progressive on Valentine, except for what is implied by trying to move folk rock into fresh territory, in which Harper easily succeeds. 4 stars.