Their First Album [EXTRA TRACKS] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] [IMPORT]

Barclay James Harvest

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 3, 2002)
• Original Release Date: June 25, 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered, Import
• Label: EMI
• ASIN: B00006397Z
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #116,719 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Digitally remastered edition of their classic album with 10 bonus tracks, most being previously unreleased BBC sessions.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant band, brilliant reissue, May 30, 2006

By	Harken (Brisbane) - See all my reviews

A few years ago EMI kindly reissued the four Barclay James Harvest/EMI albums, very nicely remastered and repackaged with a heap of bonus tracks and great liner notes. To give you an idea, everything from track 8 onwards is a bonus track, so there are more bonus tracks than the album itself.

BJH rode the fence between psychedelic music and prog rock but they also had folk influences from the likes of CSNY who were very popular at the time, and the end sound is easy to listen to, very orchestral, and it hasn't really aged disgracefully at all. They've always carried the label of being a "poor man's Moody Blues", but I think they're more soulful and grittier than the MB, they may be a little less commercial but they are probably more interesting!

Chronologically the album is in the wrong other as the bonus tracks mainly consist of singles (or attempts at singles) and peel sessions recorded before the album was made, with Norman Smith at the desk who also did Pink Floyd's early stuff, their stabs at a hit single do sound a bit like early Pink Floyd only polished-up a bit and not so clearly "psychedelic", not derivite though, it's all good stuff. Afterwards they moved on a bit and the sound on the album itself is a bit closer to prog. All this is explained very well in the essay included in the booklet.

It's well worth your time checking these guys out, I couldn't believe that no-one had reviewed this album yet, it's a cracker. All the ressiues are.

5.0 out of 5 stars I'l Use This LP for the Example, April 2, 2009

By	Joseph Eastlack "JEAST69187" (Sewell,New Jersey) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I really think this band lives or lived up to their other monicker as the Poor Man's Moody Blues. I'll use this lp for an example of how much I really like their music. Yes, you guessed it,I have some of their music on vinyl. I have two import singles on Harvest,Early Morning & Poor Wages. I have the Harvest label lps on vinyl and a few of the Polydor releases as well. I just had to buy this 4 cd box set called Four Barclay James Harvest Originals. This box set has all first 4 lps in mini-lp sleeve versions,and this one as well. A really nice set from Britain. I have a cd of Once Again on Harvest and I believe it is from Germany and a 2 disc set called The Harvest Years with a lot of singles under another name,as well as lp tracks and their regular singles. This first album, in my opinion, is truly a work of talent and one of their masterpieces,of which they have many. I think if you like the group,you will love this album, it is an album of really great talent and I think you will love all of their music as well as this cd. Mockingbird and Good Love Child are fine examples of their ranges in styles. From the melodic to the rockin'.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars these guys should be more well known, oh yes they should, October 25, 2008

By	B. E Jackson (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This Barclay James Harvest album is pretty good, but the songwriting is probably a bit weaker than some will have you believe. "Mother Dear" was influenced by the Moody Blues (you can tell because the lead singer sounds like Justin Hayward) but the songwriting isn't very strong. It's a good hook the tune has going there, but it COULD be even better. "The Iron Maiden" is AWESOME! I love that verse melody and the neat musical arrangements in the background that really elevate the verse melody to a new level of excitement.

"The Sun Will Never Shine" or whatever it's called, is pretty good, but contains a predictable chorus, and a verse melody that sounds like Love (the band that did the popular Forever Changes album). Overall, pretty good, but there's better examples of brilliant pop songwriting out there.