It Happened One Night & It Never Happened at All

John Wesley Harding | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 19, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Appleseed Records
• ASIN: B0002XEDRG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #283,244 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

NetRhythms

"A musician for all seasons. Rocker, poet, punk, popster or folkie, it all comes as one . . . Something unique."

Product Description

Expatriate British singer-songwriter John Wesley Harding considers the format of his first album, 1989’s "It Happened One Night," to be a mistake. It was a live 17-song recording of an early solo, acoustic club show, and Harding was already moving on. "My first album should have been "It Never Happened At All" – a whole different album of I was making in 1988/89 with great musicians. . . To me, it is my alternative album from a parallel world where you can have two debut albums," he explains.

Critics and listeners were impressed by "It Happened," though: Creem called it "a remarkable live debut" and Harding "a very funny, very passionate man . . .His eloquence can be gut-wrenching." The All Music Guide wrote that the CD captured Harding’s "folk roots and a wonderful sense of humor."

Now Appleseed Recordings offers a 2-CD package that should satisfy everyone: "It Happened One Night & It Never Happened At All" presents a remastered and expanded version of "It Happened One Night" (with two extra songs) plus "It Never Happened At All," a companion disc of 14 previously unreleased 1988/89 studio recordings that Wes wanted as his first release.

"It Happened One Night" presents Wes’s acerbic, keenly observant, and emotionally open songs bursting with words, humor and intensity as high-energy modern folk, whereas "It Never Happened At All" dresses some of those same songs – such as his early signature tune, "The Devil in Me" and later favorites like "Scared of Guns" and "Who You Really Are"– in arrangements ranging from Bo-Diddley-meets-Buddy Holly to folk-rock, rockabilly, C&W, and blues, as well as solo acoustic, frequently with full-band accompaniment by members of Elvis Costello’s Attractions, Lindisfarne, current solo artist Geraint Watkins and others.

Not to be missed: disc one’s "July 13 1985," a hilariously piercing look at the historic Live Aid broadcast, and two different versions of "The Devil in Me," in which Harding sardonically accepts responsibility for the world’s ill’s: "It all just seems like human behavior to me."

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars John Wesley's Bullseye, July 27, 2007

By 

Richard S. Walsh "folkpoems with music" (Central Islip, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: It Happened One Night & It Never Happened at All (Audio CD)

As with any collection of this type, there are gems, OK stuff, and less than stellar performances; the gems far outweigh the other here. Harding's deserved folk reputation shines through. If you like the imaginary compatriots on his dream song (Phil Ochs, Steve Goodman, Bob Dylan, David Blue) you will love this. If you don't you may very well love it anyway. There are some brilliant topical and love/love over songs. Like the gunfighter he almost shares his name with, there are many more hits than misses. And a bit of blood is shed.