WINTER-HARVEST

This second Golden Earring album is almost carbon copy of their debut one, even if two years have passed.

The band still plays this derivative early ''Beatles'' music which is not bad of course, but which can't capture the audience's attention, I'm afraid. This record released in '67, sounds as if it were recorded in '63. I guess that even then, it should have sound outdated.

The first track of value is ''In My House'' which holds some fine psychedelic features and a very good keyboards solo.

This album is just a curiosity for die-hard fans. This has NOTHING to do with their later work of course. Not to mention that prog is totally absent here. But that is not a surprise.

Some jazzy/bluesy tracks like ''Don't Wanna Loose That Girl'' or ''Don't Wanna Loose That Girl'' (even if the latter holds some fine vocal harmonies) are best avoided. Some psyche track like ''Tears & Lies'' do remind me of ''Piper'' and is one of the best available on this ''Winter Harvest''. The Rock'n'Roll ish ''You've Got the Intention to Hurt Me'' is not too bad either.

Most of the songs are childish (''Dream'', ''Call Me'' or ''Lionel The Miser''). Still, ''Baby Don't Make Me Nervous'' stands out for its aggressiveness and punch.

Everyone knows that the best time for harvest is not during the winter. No exception here. One star.

"Winter-Harvest" shows the Dutch beatsters' confidence to build upon their unremarkable debut. However, most of the album is still heavily steeped in the British beat sounds of the Beatlemania circa 1963-64, thus making it a bit old- fashioned for the revolutionary 1967 when it was released. Good thing is that all the songs are their originals; there are no covers here, but unfortunately few of them break any new ground. For me the best moments are those leaning on the then also quite popular R'n'B style - such as "In My House" and "You've Got the Intention to Hurt Me" - where Kooymans on guitar and Gerritsen on keyboards (and bass) display considerable talents on their respective instruments. In these moments GOLDEN EARRING suggests, in a way similar to the early the WHO, their future hard- rocking bursts. But, it is still a long way to go until reaching their recognizeable style of the early 1970s and in the process they also had to to recruit Barry Hay to feature on vocals and reeds in order to complete their songwriting and performing line-up. "Winter-Harvest" is therefore not recommended for casual listeners, while GOLDEN EARRING completists would probably find several songs of interest on this LP as a curiosity to remind of their humble beginnings.

Their early material, represented in their debut album, Just Ear-rings (1965), is likely the prime example of the Netherland's answer to Mersey Beat: naturally, Nederbeat. One of the few songs I remember/know from this album is the very good "Please Go", which really sounds like it could have been penned by John Lennon, but sounds like if... The Beatles collaborated with The Rolling Stones. Best I can say. Now, onto this their second album, what I always thought was slightly better received/loved, Winter-Harvest was released in 1967 and continues in a Rock 'n' Roll style with Beat and Pop hooks. I recall enjoying quite a bit from this album when I had first heard it who knows when [frankly, not that long ago].

The album starts off with the earwormy "Another Man in Town". As implied, awesome melodies and solid, kind of cleaner Garage Rock instrumentation. I've been listening to a lot of Power Pop the past year or so and this fits right into that Proto-Power Pop late-60s feeling. This would have just preceded some of the biggest releases of the Freakbeat movement (a few of them being some of my all-time favorite albums) and does, with the big Pop feel, still look back to Beat music. Next, "Smoking Cigarettes" is a sort of bluesy, introspective number, with low rhythm and the inclusion of vibes in the verses. Its chorus is a bit bigger. Though on that lighter side, a pretty classic Pop Rock song. This song, like the song from their debut I mentioned, is like the poppier side of The Stones, if I can place it.

"In My House" has a sort of honky tonk piano and a solid, very of-the-time backbeat over layers of harmonies. The lead vocals are clear. I think my favorite piece is the harmonies though. Seriously very nice. What is coming to mind here is The Small Faces. Then "Don't Wanna Loose That Girl" (a misspelling?) has a very simple rhythm and clean, low guitar, sort of sonically like a jazz guitar comp(?). The harmonies definitely win the day here, but nothing great about the song. The aforementioned Rock 'n' Roll is in fuller swing, though in a slower swing feel, on "Impeccable Girl". The song ain't much, but the chorus is fairly memorable. "Tears and Lies" is a piano-led ballad with jangling acoustic guitar and bass. Not sure it would appeal here.

Moving on, next is "You've Got the Intention to Hurt Me", which is... a very straight-forward title, isn't it? This is more Garage Rock with almost soaring guitar, especially notably for this time. The vocals here are gruff and big. Pretty good. Next is a song that I wouldn't be surprised if you knew it as I did when I first listened through, "Dream". This whole song is one big ol' hook. Very Blue-Eyed Soul, if I can place it. This song has some upbeat, forward and full instrumentation, including horns. The chorus and the verses are both super memorable to me. I'm trying to remember the song, but there's a later Phil Collins/Genesis melody that sounds a lot like "Dream"'s (though I wouldn't be surprised if Golden Earring's melody was also derivative of something that came before). [I'm certain the song that I was thinking of was Genesis' Soft Rock but honestly very lovely hit "Follow You Follow Me" in the chorus. I was trying to think what the starting point was for maybe both of them. "Baby Love" by The Supremes came to mind, and there's something in that... but... Dunno. Doubt that.]

"You Break My Heart" is... interesting. I don't like it. Hard to say what it is exactly, but I also don't care. Next is "Baby Don't Make Me Nervous". This is a sort of dark Rock number. The chorus has some pretty cool vocals, but the song overall is just alright to me. The other things that win it, if anything is the organ and the real stellar guitar solo (interestingly, this is possibly the best lead guitar on the whole release). Worth hearing once, I'd say. Next is another tasty number, "Call Me". The lead vocals are once again super clear and the instrumentation is upbeat and straight-forward. Really though, love this chorus. "Happy and Young Together" has some nice vocal harmonies and is another that glances back at Mersey Beat, but with a firm Garage Rock something. Nice hooks, nice melodies. Sort of jangly, actually. Don't know how I didn't pick up on that initially.

In the final swing of the album, "Lionel the Miser" is next with acoustic guitar and sort of... Western sonics? Silly kind of feel. Big surprise (/s), but the group vocals are the best part of the song. Again, it's just kind of silly. And finally, we have another very familiar and timeless number, our closer "There Will Be A Tomorrow". I love this song, and I think it's interesting, because, to me, they ended this with their absolutely strongest track. Love the instrumentation, the melodies, the vocals, everything. It's a perfect Pop Rock song. Kind of balladic. Again, excellent end to a pretty decent album.