Barclay James Harvest
Barclay James Harvest

Apparently, the Barclay James Harvest (BJH from now on for convenience) have cooked up quite a stew: rock, psychedelia, and electric folk often immersed in symphonic airs and classical music. If that's the case, it must be said that the recipe has worked quite well; the fact is that BJH managed to find a compositional balance and stylistic originality that, for better or worse, have never abandoned them. A rather anonymous band, born in 1968 and developed in the orchestral project "The Barclay James Harvest Orchestra," its members are long-haired, talented figures with a passion for pompous arrangements and the grandeur of full orchestrations. John Lees on guitar, Stuart Wolstenholme on keyboards, Mel Pritchard (+ 2004) on drums, and Les Holroyd on bass are the architects of this alchemical fusion, one of the most hidden and juicy fruits of English prog. The group doesn't have a lead singer, but the simple and moving voices of the musicians themselves.

Their debut work, dated 1970 and self-titled, is a very interesting record, which sees the group working in close collaboration with a full-fledged orchestra, conducted by Robert Godfrey. An experimental work that should be discovered gradually, starting from the beautiful cover, which seems inspired by the stained glass windows of the Chartres Cathedral. The album opens with a nice psychedelic folk-rock, Taking Some Time On, which also features guitar support from a grandfather of progressive, namely James Litherland of Colosseum. The sharp and biting guitars, brilliantly played by Lees, will soon become a trademark of the group, as will the tender and evocative ballads with gothic and pastoral tones, just like the following Mother Dear, an intense story supported by guitar arpeggios, organ, and a sober and elegant string arrangement. This is followed by the first example of the typical BJH style: The Sun Will Never Shine, a powerful piece that stands on a solid bass structure; the choirs and excellent psychedelic guitar, supported by the mellotron, create an intense, dramatic, and elegant atmosphere, often re-emerging in subsequent productions and one in which the band feels particularly at ease.

It cannot be denied that sometimes, especially in times of avant-garde, good intentions don't automatically result in good outcomes; this is the case with When The World Was Woken, which represents a typical case of losing one's measure. The track is a sort of bitter-toned blues that closely resembles A Whiter Shade Of Pale, with the intrusive addition of a well-produced but certainly excessive orchestral arrangement, also somewhat inconsistent with the vocal setting, although the piece, after several listens, doesn't fail to fascinate. BJH lightens the mood with the subsequent and fun Good Love Child, a fairly standard psychedelic rock, while they return to more congenial atmospheres with The Iron Maiden, a splendid ballad characterized by an excellent bass line, gothic tones, and beautiful choirs.

The album closes with a true masterpiece, one of the best pieces by BJH and of early progressive in general. Dark Now My Sky is a 12-minute symphony where rock and orchestra blend wonderfully to create a unicum of extraordinary intensity. It begins with a schizoid recitative, inspired by the Shakespearean monologues of "Macbeth," which introduces a disturbing crescendo with strings and brass. The explosion occurs with the entry of a superbly corrosive guitar that pushes, screams, and carves throughout the piece while galloping piano, bass, and drums provide a backdrop. Dramatic, epic, unsettling, and poignant moments alternate magically, and this time the orchestral arrangement, curated by Robert Godfrey, proves balanced and well-integrated: we are in full progressive territory, and with Dark Now My Sky BJH rightfully enters among the forgers of the genre. If the piece remotely recalls earlier things, like the final section of In Held ‘Twas In I by Procol Harum, it is also true that it already foreshadows a path that even much more famous musicians, like Pink Floyd of Atom Heart Mother, will venture onto.

With a touching choir finale and a crescendo of mellotron, the album closes. We are left with admiration for the unrecognized (and little appreciated by the public) commitment of serious musicians who truly love music, who in their small way have been able to produce a record with great sound and more than interesting ideas. An album fundamental to understanding the evolution of progressive but also the beginning of a new, intriguing, and sincere interpretation of the genre; that of Barclay James Harvest.