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Rating: Time Honoured Ghosts is the sixth album effort by the group from Oldham, released sixteen months after the acclaimed Everyone is Everybody Else, the first album released under the Polydor label.
The music of BJH is easily recognizable: the delicate soundscapes of the mellotron and Woolly Wolstenholme's keyboards and the pastoral vocal harmonies blend with the guitar skills of the - perhaps too - underestimated John Lees and the bass counterpoints of Les Holroyd, the latter authors of most of the pieces. The lineup is completed by Mel Pritchard on drums, perfectly integrated into the group's sound blends.
Released in October 1975 and recorded for the first - and last - time outside of England, at the "His Masters Wheels" studios in San Francisco, stylistically it is the continuation of the previous record and this may deceive at first listen, as it’s easy to fall into the mistake of cataloging it as a “younger sibling” and less inspired compared to a great classic and little gem that is Everyone.
Yet, even though one can perceive that the group has relaxed a bit on their laurels and proposes nothing different from what was done before - after all, sales had markedly improved and changing the game could have been risky, especially for the record label - ideas are not lacking and the execution is flawless. The sound is perfectly polished and the album flows smoothly on both sides, without off-notes and maintaining a decent variety among the various pieces.
Noteworthy are undoubtedly the opening track, In My Life, characterized by superb overdubbed guitar work and a more “rock” feel, Beyond The Grave, composed by Wolstenholme and with a slightly sepulchral flavor, and especially Moonchild, one of the best ballads from the group, worthy of being placed alongside She Said and For No One.
As already mentioned and without going into too much detail, every piece is commendable and the entire album presents no hiccups. The quality of the recording and mixing are the strengths of this work, despite being recorded away from home, there is even a further improvement in sound compared to the latest releases, thanks to excellent production by Elliot Mazer (who had already worked with Neil Young and Janis Joplin).
The circle is completed by the beautiful cover designed by Bill Dare, a remake of a work by Maxfield Parrish, perhaps the best in the entire catalog, reflecting the warm tones of BJH's music.
Time Honoured Ghosts is thus a work that deserves to be reappraised both by the group's fans and by those who love the more melodic, relaxing, and - forgive the term - pop friendly side of progressive rock. This is great music and the fact that it is more easily accessible, in this case, is not a drawback at all.
BJH will return a year later with Octoberon, which will mark a slight shift. But there will be time to talk about that: for now, I hope you too can enjoy 40 minutes in the company of... Time Honoured Ghosts.
Tracklist
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