Barclay James Harvest
This is a story of a promise only partially kept. A pair of isolated singles in the late '60s indicated that Barclay James Harvest might be well suited to the growing progressive rock movement, based on their facility for psychedelic pop and (reason enough for induction) their use of the mellotron. Beginning with their eponymous debut in 1970, BJH released roughly an album a year throughout the '70s. But despite more than enough talent to succeed, BJH never really carved out a niche for themselves; when it came time to describe their music, the comparison was invariably drawn to more established bands like The Moody Blues and The Beatles. Their earliest music (up to Baby James Harvest) is a psychedelic treasure chest waiting to be rediscovered (or endless variations on "Puff The Magic Dragon," depending on your stomach for psychedelia). The albums from the '70s are also quite good, but primary songwriters John Lees and Les Holroyd had grown into balladeers rather than space cowboys, leaving Wooly Wolstenholme to author sublime epics on his own. As prog was pushed to the cultural periphery by punk, BJH found themselves playing more to the continent in the '80s (where they were still very popular). In 1999, the band recorded a live album featuring a returning Wolstenholme on keyboards. However, by 2003, Lees and Holroyd were fronting different versions of the band and releasing separate works under the BJH banner. A reconciliation we hope is in the future.
I know, you're just jazzed that I have a BJH page (and bummed that I haven't updated it since Wooly passed). Well, brighten up, there's an updated BJH page at the new Progrography, complete with full discography, more reviews and at least one reference to the fact that Wooly Wolstenholme is dead.
Date | ALBUMS / Singles |
---|---|
1968 April | Early Morning |
1969 June | Brother Thrush |
1970 June 5 | BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST |
1970 June | Taking Some Time On |
1971 February | ONCE AGAIN |
1971 February | Mocking Bird |
1971 November 5 | BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST AND OTHER SHORT STORIES |
1972 April | I'm Over You |
1972 September | Breathless |
1972 September | EARLY MORNING ONWARDS |
1972 October | Thank You |
1972 November 10 | BABY JAMES HARVEST |
1973 May | Rock And Roll Woman |
1974 June 14 | EVERYONE IS EVERYBODY ELSE |
1974 | Poor Boy Blues |
1974? | Negative Earth |
1974 November | LIVE |
1975 October | TIME HONOURED GHOSTS |
1975 | Titles |
1976 October | OCTOBERON |
1977 January | THE BEST OF BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST |
1977 September | GONE TO EARTH |
1977 | Hymn |
1977 | LIVE EP (EP) |
1978 June 9 | LIVE TAPES |
1978 September 29 | XII |
1978 | Loving Is Easy |
1979 March | THE BEST OF BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST VOLUME 2 |
1979 November 5 | EYES OF THE UNIVERSE |
1980 March | Capricorn |
1980 | MOCKING BIRD |
1980 | Life Is For Living |
1981 February | THE BEST OF BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST VOLUME 3 |
1981 May | TURN OF THE TIDE |
1981 | COLLECTION |
1982 July | CONCERT FOR THE PEOPLE (BERLIN) |
1983 May | RING OF CHANGES |
1983 | Just A Day Away |
1983 | Waiting For The Right Time |
1983 | PREMIUM GOLD COLLECTION |
1984 April | VICTIMS OF CIRCUMSTANCE |
1984 | Victims of Circumstance |
1984 | I've Got A Feeling |
1985 November | THE COMPACT STORY OF BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST |
1986 | He Said Love |
1987 January 30 | FACE TO FACE |
1987 | Panic |
1987 October | ANOTHER ARABLE PARABLE |
1988 April 5 | GLASNOST |
1989 | EXCERPTS FROM WELCOME TO THE SHOW (EP) |
1990 March 5 | WELCOME TO THE SHOW |
1990 | Cheap The Bullet |
1990 | Welcome To The Show |
1990 | John Lennon's Guitar |
1990 October 22 | ALONE WE FLY |
1991 May 20 | THE HARVEST YEARS |
1992 | THE BEST OF BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST (Polydor) |
1992 | Stand Up |
1993 May 27 | SORCERERS & KEEPERS |
1993 June | CAUGHT IN THE LIGHT |
1993 | Who Do We Think We Are? |
1996 | THE BEST OF BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST (EMI) |
1998 | ENDLESS DREAM |
1997 | Back In The Game |
2000 | REVIVAL: LIVE 1999 |
2001 | AU NATUREL (EP) |
2002 May 14 | BRAVE NEW WORLD |
2002 | ECHOES OF A BRAVE NEW WORLD |
2003 August 23 | GOLD COLLECTION |
2003 September 2 | HYMN: THE VERY BEST OF BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST LIVE |
2003 October 6 | LIVE IN BONN 30TH OCTOBER 2002 |
2003 October 6 | REVOLUTION DAYS |
2003 | BBC IN CONCERT |
2004 August 30 | EVOLUTION YEARS - THE BEST OF BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST |
2005 January 10 | FESTIVALE |
2005 | "ALL IS SAFELY GATHERED IN" |
2007 | LIVE AT THE SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE 2006 |
2008 | AFTER THE DAY: THE RADIO BROADCASTS 1974-1976 |
SEE ALSO...
JOHN LEES discography
WOOLY WOLSTENHOLME discography
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