ANOTHER ARABLE PARABLE

Yet another BJH compilation

A rather strange collection of tracks by BJH, mainly from their Harvest label period, but with an alternative version of one from their early Polydor output.

A couple of the tracks are taken from before they recorded their first album ("Song with no meaning", "Child of man"), having previously been included on the early budget label compilation "Early Morning Onwards". While they are of interest to BJH fans, they are far from essential.

Certainly some of BJH's best and most progressive pieces are here ("Summer soldier", Mocking Bird", "She said", "The poet/after the day"), making the collection worthwhile. It's harder though to understand the inclusion of other less impressive pieces such as "Ball and chain", and "Vanessa Simmons".

Little here then to attract those already familiar with the work of BJH, but those with a passing interest who happen to chance upon it should not be disappointed.

There are many compilations out there in BJH-land, far too many, but Another Arable Parable has historic significance as the first appearance of their Harvest catalogue on CD, originally conceived as a definitive distillation of three 'Best Of' volumes released in the late 1970s. As always of course, EMI could not resist the temptation to cynically include some 'rarities' amongst standard album tracks to entice even the committed fans as well as the casual buyer.

It's a good-ish collection and a reasonably fair representation of the band's early years though hardly definitive. Fans always love to debate this kind of album for the omission of favourite songs, and this certainly is open to criticism, for while most of the popular classics are present, others equally as strong yet less well known, such as Moonwater and Song For Dying, are missing. Instead we get two single B-sides from 1972 [Child Of Man and the live version of Medicine Man], their final throwaway pop single for Harvest [ Rock And Roll Woman], John Lees' excellent solo version of Child Of The Universe from his solo album A Major Fancy [it was eventually recorded by the band for their first Polydor album in 1974], and a couple of studio tracks that don't really belong on a 'Best Of' [Song With No Meaning from .....Other Short Stories and Ball And Chain from Once Again].

In 1987 this was a useful buy, a means of having some favourite early BJH material on CD at last. Today, though it remains enjoyable, it must be seen as a flawed and redundant collection inferior to a number of others, for example the much more comprehensive and satisfactory 1991 2CD The Harvest Years.