Customer Reviews

Octoberon

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Any fan of the classical rock genre would be proud to own this CD. BJH bring to mind so many influences yet remain unique in a wonderfully positive way. In my humble opinion, there are no weak songs on this CD and the final track, "Suicide", is one of the most stunning songs I've ever heard!

This review comes with a caveat--I have never heard the remastered version the previous reviewer finds offensive. He may very well be right. I bought the original CD about twenty years ago--actually one of my first CD's--and my comments pertain only to that Polydor release (821-930-2)

The album, musically and lyrically, is superb. I knew very little about BJH beyond "Mockingbird" when I first bought this, and it took me a little while to appreciate it. I think I was more taken by surprise than reluctant in any way, but I remember hearing "Suicide?" for the first time and being blown away by its complexity, its harmony, its plot, and its method of narration. It truly is a masterpiece--one which most people will never hear and never hear of.

Anyway, the original "unremastered" version is more than worth the price if you can find it. I paid $4.98 at a now defunct music shop that sold used CD's. It's worth ten times that amount. Well, five anyway.

BHJ has never bettered this album. An amazing masterpiece of carefully crafted songs. BJH has different tempo on different songs as the band members write their own songs rather than colaborate on songs just like 'Queen' giving different feels on the same album.

The main song writers are guitarist John Lees and bass player Les Holroyed who alternately share the writing credits and vocals for most songs. Wooly Wolstenholm on keys usually contributes to one song on an album and the songs by him are really amazing like 'Ra' on this one which is a classic. Mellow yet extremely complex with great orchestration, melody and a lovely haunting tune on the guitar by Lees.

This song alone makes the album special but what makes it a classic is the fact that all the other songs like 'May Day', 'Rock & Roll Star' (commercially the best known), 'world goes on', 'believe in me' and the intriguing 'sucide'(totally unlike Thin Lizzy's song) with its classing ending are great.The thing about the album is that on different days with different moods you will have a new favorite. 'Polk Street Rag' may be the only average song which is not all that bad.

It's hard to classify the music by BJH though I've heard the nearest would be some songs by 'Moody Blues' or 'Procol Harum'.

The band is good, this album is an absolute masterpiece.

This pleasant 1976 release continues in the tradition of richly arranged symphonic pop that characterized much of their output. In contrast with previous releases however, the arrangements seem a little more elaborate and even include the use of an orchestra and a choir. The overall feel of the album is a bit sad and somewhat dark.

The lineup on this album included Les Holroyd (bass; acoustic guitar; and vocals); Woolly Wolstenholme (Hammond organ; mellotron; synthesizers; and vocals); Mel Pritchard (drums and percussion); and John Lees (electric and acoustic guitars; vocals). In general, the one thing that really stands out on this album are the vocal harmonies, which are superb. I also love the use of synthesizers which add a great deal to the symphonic aspects of this album.

The seven tracks on the album range in length from 4'21" to 7'57 and are all excellent examples of symphonic pop. Arrangements are lush and the instrumentation emphasizes acoustic textures, although there are a few up-tempo and electric sections. One of my favorite moments on this album is during the choir section (augmented with a celestial, "churchy" sounding organ), whereby a smaller chorus of male voices sing in a completely different key and meter than the rest of the choir. Although the effect is subtle, I found the dissonance to be pretty cool. In large part however, the pieces are very well arranged songs that feature pleasant melodies and excellent vocal harmonies. In addition to the more lavishly arranged pieces, there are a few straightforward pop songs on here, e.g. Rock and Roll Star, that are vaguely reminiscent of American west coast soft rock (think Eagles here). There is a unifying mood to all of the pieces and that is one of melancholy. In fact, the last song describes someone committing suicide (complete with sound effects I might add). I think that it is this emotional sophistication that really makes the band work for me.

This remastered version is just great and features loads of liner notes, pictures of the group, and lyrics. The bonus tracks on the album include remixes of the same tracks included on the original album and do not add too much.

All in all, this is a great album of symphonic pop with a lot of emotional sophistication. Recommended along with Everybody is Everybody Else (1974) and a few other albums that are somewhat similar in texture including a few by the Strawbs (Hero and Heroine, 1974; Ghosts, 1975); and a few by The Alan Parsons Project (Tales of Mystery and Imagination, 1976; and I Robot, 1977).

This was when bands had great musicians, and when you played the LP, you loved every song from start to finish. No filler, no junk. This is probably their best album. It's classic rock you may not have heard of, and it hardly gets radio play in the US. But it is relevant, original and inspiring. Maybe you could call it electric folk rock. It's progressive rock in the same genre as early Genesis and Yes. It is in the same calibre as Tull and Floyd. They are one of the greats. I was in the UK in the 70's, and this was considered a great album alongside Yellow brick road and all the true classics. They can rock, but they have more of a subtle feel. This music is timeless because it is thoughtful, introspective and mature, making relevant social statements. There was a lot of good music made in the 70's that had nothing to do with being commercial, wasn't made for dancing to and wasn't for head bangers. I've been into all kinds of genres, and this is the type of music that makes you think and feel, without making you feel agitated. It is not light like Air Supply or America, it's more hard edged than Crosby Stills Nash and Young. It can be emotional, it can be dark. It takes you places in your mind. It's the music you played in your study in a boarding school, alongside Bad Company, Doors and Stones. I miss albums which are truly created as art.

Sure, it came out in the 70s, but "Octoberon" is not an album that you would normally call music of the era. It has a very special timelessness about it. The tune, "Suicide?" was a bit controversial, but listening to the lyrics will make any skeptic feel differently about it. The orchestration and choice of instruments in each song make this album a pleasure to listen to, either with headphones or through a quality stereo. The lyrics are all thought provoking, but not so that you miss out on the rest of this creation. You must play it over at least twice to hear everything and to even begin to appreciate the genius therein. Quite possibly Barclay James Harvest's best, and somehow least known or played album. You won't hear any of this on any classic rock station, and that is sad. Thanks Amazon for offering this album.

This music is so excellent that I reserve it for October...it really fits the early autumn! There's an electricity, a feeling unique to this album and it's even better if you deny your ears for eleven months. This has been a ritual with me over the last quater century. A spiritual chord is struck within me and listening this way is like another way to demonstrate prayer. It's like a relay where blessings are emparted to me that I may empart them to others. If thats to criptic, than let me put it this way..."This Is Magic Music"! It can help you cope and show you pathways of understanding. "The World Goes On"! All we can do is prepare for and answer the bell when it's time to go another round...you can reflect upon the lyrics your whole life through. "May Day" delves into insanity asking: Who's insane? Me? Or the society I live in? The choir during the conclusion of this song is so unique, to me it's an incantation of sorts and can only be followed by "Ra"! For this reason I always listen to side two (of the original album) first. In this way after the thud at the very end of "Suicide"..."The World Goes On" (as if to say) even after your gone. These songs fit like puzzle pieces, not unlike 'Moody Blues' albums from 1967-71. The Moodys' and Bee Gees are the only groups B.J.H. are related to albeit vaguely. I feel that "Once Again" Barclays' second album from 1971 is there all time greatest achievement..."Octoberon" is one of their best, an intense recording not for the simple minded containing some of this groups' finest work.

Barclay James Harvest is one band I came across by accident. I heard a song of theirs on the radio and their name stuck with me. I picked up this album and instantly loved it. Good writing, excellent playing and great voices. The string sound, a mellotron I believe, adds a very ethereal element to the songs. I just love the way the songs flow. They just seem to wash over me. This music soothes me and I believe it can do the same for you.