Customer Reviews

Glass Harp

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Glass Harp delivers the goods in classic 1960's style.
The musicianship is incredible and the compositions are solid. Please bear in mind that these guys were quite young when this recording was made, these are musicians, not dudes who want to be in a band really bad. This music just gets better with time, there is variety here - not just hard rock. Phil Keaggy went on to record much much more after this, Highly recommended!

I remember my brother and I driving 25 miles through a snowstorm into Youngstown to see these guys play warm up for Billy Withers. Well, he didn't make it for the snow, so we and the crowd there had the absolute pleasure of enjoying a full evening of Glass Harp. Anyone who followed music in that part of the country will tell ya these guys were and are still GOOD. I don't know how or who found these but they oughta get a raise. Glad the masters were still intact.
GM Palko Phx., AZ

Being from Northern Ohio, I got to see the Glass Harp perform in my high school and in Cleveland Public Hall with Humble Pie. I was thrilled to see their three albums finally reissued on CD.

This bare-bones threesome could play. Beatlesque vocals. Assertive druming. Tight, clean bass lines. And arguablably the best guitar playing around anywhere, anytime. Glass Harp had an imaginative, progressive sound and style back then. This first recording always remained my favorite. I never get tired of listening to Children's Fantasy.

It's Now Been 40 Years Since Glass Harp Released Their First LP - The Self-Titled "Glass Harp". It Still Takes Me On An Awesome Musical Journey 40 Years Later! Each Song Is Different & Unique Showing Their Tremendous Depth -From Progressive Rock ["Can You See Me",Garden & "Voice Of God Call Out" To Jam Out Songs Like -"Changes"- "Look In The Sky" "Village Queen" "Whatever Life Demands" & "Childen'S Fantasy To "Southbound" "Black Horse" & "On Your Own" Sounds Like Folksy Beatles' "Rubber Soul" Era."Can You See Me " Is My Favorite Song [Which Is A Progessive Rock Song - With Nice Dreamy Orchestrations & Flutes -Blended Nicely With Phil's Awesome Guitar Chords/Lead Solos & Vocals]."Can You See Me" Was The First Song I Ever Heard With Phil's Unique Volume Swell Sounds, Which Sounds Like Spacey Trumpets/Violins Or Flutes. "Children's Fantasy" & "Whatever Life Demands" Have Sort Of A "James Gang" Like Feel To Them. I Love Phil's Lead Solo On "Children's Fantasy."Look In The Sky" & "Changes" Are Awesome Prog/Hard Rock Songs. "Look In The Sky" Starts Out With These Phase Shifted Power Chords And Goes Into Nice Volume Swell Solos -Before It's Over. "Changes" Features John Sferra's Drums/Vocals & Dan Pecchio's Flute/Bass & Phil's Dynamic Guitar Shred Solos/Chords/Vocals. "Garden" Is One Of My Personal Favorites, With Its Unique Shuffle Rhythm & Phil's Melodic Volume Swell Dynamics & Excellant Vocals."Black Horse" Is A Nice folk Song With Haunting Vocals & An Excellant Cello Solo. "Southbound"& "On Our Own" Are Acoustic -Melodic - Dreamy- Traveling Type Songs With Great Vocals & Harmonys & Flute Solos. Finally, "Voice Of God Call Out", Was Not On The Original LP, But Thankfully Re-issued On The New Remastered C/D. Glass Harp Also Re-Recorded "Voice Of God Call Out" " On Their 2004 "Hourglass" C/D. I Love Both , The Original & The Remake Versions, It's A Prog Rock Song With Nice Melodys, On The remake He Uses An EBow [Which Wasn't Avaiable In 1969-70]. Finally, The Lyrics Are Well Thought Out -Reflecting Well The Late -60's-Early 70's Vibe, Including Their Emmerging Christian Experiences. The Record Captures The Feel Of The Late 60's -Early-70's , But Still Sounds Fresh And Relevant Today ,Musically And Socially! Hopefully This Review Was Helpful! Congratulations Glass Harp On Your 40 Year Anniversary!! Michael R. Porter

I remember being knocked out by the song "Garden" when I first heard it while trying to grab some sleep at somebody's home. But somehow the rest of the record didn't get through the cotton in my ears. Now, just for giggles, I made the impulse buy to get that song and I discover that the whole record is great. Not perfect because the production's a little exotic and some of the jamming is not entirely to the point, but still fairly amazing for a group of 18 year old kids, even if it's Lewis Merenstein producing. I sort of tossed Phil Keaggy into the saccharine Jesus freak bin based on his later stuff, but here he's just a huge young talent, very much into his guitar sound and his dazzling set of riffs and runs and even funky rhythm playing. Plus he sings like McCartney or at least like Eric Carmen from the Raspberries (another McCartney clone). The whole band came up with very nice harmonies and I really liked the songwriters, particularly John Sferra (even younger than Keaggy). You can hear elements of Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac, some Nick Drakish stuff, and all kinds of earnest over the top Bono-angst from Keaggy. Highly recommended; I now see these guys as a sort of U2 ten years early.

What a great album despite Phil Keaggy's demise into Christian rock. What would he have been as a secular artist and would the succeeding albums have been better? We will never know, but this we can count on...a lot of the Keaggy catalogue is great music, particularly his instrumental music as well as some with vocals that aren't ultra-fundamentalist lyrically. One thing America doesn't need is another preacher.

I still play my albums, most of them pre 72'. And when I say play them, I mean just sit and listen to them. This cd falls into that category. It is music of the 60's. Music that takes you on a trip, lets your mind just go for a ride. Love to find this one for my turntable. Records still sound the best.

I had the pleasure of hearing Glass Harp even before their first album. A friend had heard them play at "JB's", a popular bar off the Kent State University (yes, THAT Kent State) campus. This was late 1969, early 1970 I think; before the May 4, 1970 killings. So I went to hear them and was blown away. They sounded much more than a cut-above other local bands I had heard, and were playing all original material to boot! It was truly magical. Imagine my joy when, soon after, their first album appeared on store shelves. Had to have it right away, and I still have that vinyl. Now it's finally out on CD and what a blast from the past it is!

Big groups coming into Cleveland back then (and we earned our rep as home of rock and roll before the Rock Hall was ever imagined), used to make a point of stopping to hear GH when in town. They were THAT good. Phil Keaggy was even mentioned on some of the same lead-guitarist lists as Hendrix and Clapton back then, but he went for Christain music and the furor subsided. I never knew GH was a "proto Christian band" until I got the album and studied the lyrics; they are pretty subtle, and not every song has a religious theme, so don't be put off by that element -- just buy this record and listen to some of the BEST, most melodic guitar rock that came out of the late sixties era!

This is pretty straight forward early 1970s rock with some absolutely amazing guitar work. The vocals are also excelent

If there is a drawback to Glass Harp, and this is subjective, is that they are too heavily orchrestrated. They are undisputably great players playing what could have been amazing roots rock. With instrumental command this strong, why the heavy arrangements?

This music could stand unshakable on just bare bones.

I don't have this LP/cd but I've heard it many times long ago - 1969 - Kent State - JB's - my roommate loved this band - finally pulled me to this venue and I agreed after watching the show that they sounded great - the agreement was then he would come with me to see Raspberries - that became a 6-week adventure - every Wednesday night - anyway - the first LP by Glass Harp became a standard - every day play in our apartment - so I recommend this disc to all - they had a great live sound and the LP sounded pretty close!