BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST LIVE

BJH's first official live album is a must-have for everyone who likes great harmonies, beautiful mellotron and great guitar playing. The first two tracks are probably the best the band ever recorded live. The lengthy 'Summer soldier', a beautiful and powerful interpretation of the original Baby James Harvest song, opens the album and sets the standard. The lyrics take you by the throat, the guitar takes you along and it all ends in a strong finale, a bridge towards the second 10-minute track Medicine man. A live favourite until now this was the first time that this version of this song was recorded. Being a 3- minute orchestrated piece originally, the band made it a great rocksong on stage. Wah, I would have loved to be there! After these two tracks the tempo lowers somewhat as well as the length of the songs that from this point on are mainly from the 'Everyone is everybody else' album, their first and impressive record for Polydor. Yet the remaining highlights are not from that record: 'After the day', 'Galadriel', 'She said' (with recorder solo for a stunned audience) and, of course, their magnum opus 'Mockingbird'. Inbetween they play the EOIEE-songs perfectly, although I prefer the studio rendition of 'For no one' over the live versions. BJH proved with 'Live' that they were a superb live band already in 1974, keeping the promise they would become even better. This is really a must for everyone who likes mellotron. And this album is also a great introduction into the band.