Sea of Tranquility: Polydor Years 1974-1997 [Box set, Original recording remastered, Import]

Barclay James Harvest | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 24, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Box set, Original recording remastered, Import
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Esoteric
• ASIN: B002NV9AGE
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #208,247 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Child of the Universe [US Single Version] [Version]

2. Crazy City

3. For No One

4. The Great 1974 Mining Disaster

5. Negative Earth

6. She Said

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. The World Goes On

2. Rock N' Roll Star [TV Playback Version] [Version]

3. Hymn

4. Sea of Tranquility

5. Poor Man's Moody Blues

6. Suicide? [Live]

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Nova Lepidoptera [Live]

2. Life Is For Living [Live]

3. In Memory of the Martyrs

4. Fifties Child

5. Ring of Changes [Single Version: A-Side of Single 1983] [Version]

6. African

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

2009 three CD collection from the British Prog Pop band containing digitally remastered tracks that span the band's entire career with Polydor Records from 1974-1997. This extensive compilation covers their 23 year tenure with Polydor Records, beginning with material from the album Everyone Is Everybody Else plus tracks from albums such as Time Honoured Ghosts, Octoberon, Gone To Earth, XII and ending with tracks from the German-only album River Of Dreams. Features such classic tracks as 'Mockingbird', 'Galadriel', 'She Said', 'Child Of The Universe', 'Jonathan', 'Rock 'n' Roll Star', 'Hymn', 'Poor Man's Moody Blues', 'Berlin', 'In Memory Of The Martyrs' and much more. This extensive history of the band's most successful recorded work is a long overdue reappraisal of their music. Esoteric.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of Best of from BJH, November 26, 2009

By 

Colin Logue "'Prog is not dead'" (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sea of Tranquility: Polydor Years 1974-1997 (Audio CD)

'Sea of Tranquility' is by far the best collection of BJH songs ever to grace a CD. Polydor circumvented the restriction of using any of their EMI output by culling them from live performances while the band recorded under the label. One track in question is 'Medicine Man' which is taken from a 1976 live recording and sounds better than the studio version with beefed up guitar and rhythm section.

Their first album with Polydor was 'Everyone is Everybody Else' with 5 tracks featured, 3 of which were remastered in 2003 and sound bigger for that. The tour de force from that album was 'For No One' (not the Beatles song) but mysteriously did not get the remastered treatment. The following 3 live tracks are all from the 1974 live album and represent material from their days on EMI's Harvest label, 'She Said She Said' along with concert favourite 'Mocking Bird' and 'Galadriel', a song eluded to in later years on the song 'John Lennon's Guitar'. The superb self mockery of 'Poor Man's Moody Blues' appears in its' full 7 minute glory and a surprisingly good live version of 'Suicide' from 'Live Tapes'.

To make it interesting for long time fans some tracks appear in their single release form and actually sound better than the original album versions. The much maligned 'Face to Face' album is well represented and it has to be said that the compiler(s) have selected the strongest material from every album.

It's all presented in a beautiful package complete with copious and infromative liner notes. This is the best of to buy if you have little of no BJH in your collection and given it's a triple CD set the price is pretty fair.

Enjoy this highly recommended set.