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Roy Harper - Stormcock CD (album) cover

STORMCOCK

Roy Harper

 

Prog Folk

3.96 | 207 ratings

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Flucktrot
Prog Reviewer
4 stars Stormcock is great addition to any prog, folk or classic rock collection, if for no other reason than to hear the musical apex of the man who earned the highest respect of the members of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and other legends. Harper gave them an example of independent spirit and musical inspiration that they did not have within them, and Stormcock is one of the better albums I have heard of the folk genre; however, with a caveat, as there are definitely moments where Stormcock moves past folk and into progressive territory.

The folk: Hors d'Oeuvres and One Man Rock & Roll Band. The former is a decent folky song that probably does not have 8 minutes' worth of interesting musical ideas, but it's a good table-setter. The latter is a step up musically, with a loping, bluesy feel, and a riff that sounds great on the 12 string. I can also hear some clear Led Zeppelin similarities here as well.

The prog: Me and My Woman, and Same Old Rock. Both of these extended numbers are of the highest quality in my opinion. Here the music lives up to quality of Harper's lyrics, and both are also extremely well-paced. Me and My Woman has a dark feel throughout, from Harper's low delivery in the opening, to the aggressive guitar scratching toward the end, to the longing strings interspersed throughout. Same Old Rock may be my favorite folksy song of all time, with what could be a folk anthem toward the middle, and then exploding into a series of brilliant musical ideas, from Harper's overdubbed oohh and aahh-ing over tambourine to the sublime dueling 12-string outtro. Just fantastic!

Not quite a masterpiece due to the shorter tunes, but a very solid album throughout, and with some very, very high points during the extended pieces. A great addition to just about any music collection!

Flucktrot | 4/5 |

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