HATS OFF

A newcomer to Harper's music might be forgiven for thinking that a compilation is the best way into his music. The fact is, Harper is not well-served by any of the compilations that are out there, and this one is no exception. Who put this CD together, I wonder? Very few of the tracks that I would expect to be here are present. Despite a fantastic title, I would stay away from this album, and instead seek out one of his albums from 1971 to '78.

Here's a big problem: Harper's first four albums in the 60s were in a folk vein (Sophisticated Beggar, Come Out Fighting Ghengis Smith, Folkjokeopus, Flat Baroque and Berserk). His 70s albums beginning with STORMCOCK were a big leap forward both in terms of production and songwriting, while his 80s albums beginning with THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER were marred by its production values. (Apparently his 90s work to the present was some kind of return to form, but I honestly haven't heard much of the more recent work yet.) Most agree that Harper's greatest period was the 70s. HATS OFF, on the other hand, mixes it all together; the tunes don't sit comfortably side-by-side, many of his greatest songs were left off in favor of more mediocre or dated work (or, worse yet, stuff from the 80s), while his longer songs were horribly edited. Until a definitive box set comes out, this album probably won't turn any newcomers onto Harper's work.

How would I have done it? A 2-CD retrospective of Harper's 70s work; call it 1970-1980. The CD would contain:

- "Hors d'oeuvres," "The Same Old Rock" and "Me and My Woman" from STORMCOCK; - "Highway Blues," "Little Lady," "All Ireland" and "South Africa" from LIFEMASK; - "Forbidden Fruit," "I'll See You Again," "Twelve Hours Of Sunset," "Forever," "Commune" and "Che" from VALENTINE; - "Forget Me Not," "Hallucinating Light" and "When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease" from HQ; - "One Of Those Days In England," "These Last Days" and "One of Those Days in Englad, part 2" from BULLINAMINGVASE; - "Playing Prisons" and "Burn Up the World (part 1)" from LOONY ON THE BUS; - "Sail Away" and "Come Up and See Me" from COMMERCIAL BREAK. - Finally, a few songs from 1980's THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER ("The Flycatcher," "Old Faces," "You"), - rounded out by selections from 1970's FLAT BAROQUE AND BERSERK ("Another Day," "Davey," "Song of the Ages," "Francesca"), and perhaps a live track or two.

Other compilations would best serve his pre- and post-70s work. My recommendation to newbees: seek out Harper's 70s stuff first, and make your own compilation! :-)