Roy Harper
Band members Related acts
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line-up () - Roy Harper -- vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica
backing musicians (1970): - David Bedford -- keyboards - Brian Davidson (RIP 2008) -- drums, percussion - Keith Emerson -- keyboards - Lee Jackson -- guitar, bass - Tony Visconti -- recorder
line-up () as Trigger - Bill Bruford -- drums, percussion - Dave Cochran -- bass - Roy Harper -- vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica - Chris Spedding -- lead guitar
supporting musicians (1975) - Steve Broughton -- drums, percussion - David Gilmour -- lead guitar - The Grimethorpe Colliery Band -- brass - John Paul Jones -- bass - Ray Warleigh -- sax
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- none known
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Genre: pop Rating: 4 stars **** Title: Flat Baroque and Berserk Company: Harvest Catalog: SHVL
766 Country/State: Manchester, UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: UK original pressing Available: 1 Catalog ID: 300 Price: $75.00
Best time to play: After a long, painful work week, or when you just need to spend a little time sulking
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1970's "Flat Baroque and Berserk" was recorded in Abbey Road Studios with Peter Jenner producing. (The title was apparently meant as a pun - Flat Broke and Berserk ...) So right off the bat, let me say this isn't going to appeal to everyone. Lots of folks will find Harper irritating, if not a pompous blow-hard, espousing hopelessly dated political and social themes. (One of my friends has always pointed to the cover and asked how such a seemingly sensitive, worldly guy would dare to have himself photographed with a dead tiger.) I'm guessing being stoned may have played a role. personally I was more offended by the horrible shirt Harper sported on the cover. Wonder if he really went out wearing that thing ... I'll readily agree that Harper's activist agenda can sound dated and stale, and the fact ten of the eleven tracks featured acoustic folk material (usually Harper accompanying himself on acoustic guitar) gave the album a certain sounds-the-sameness. There was certainly lots of sensitive singer/songwriter material here and while it should send English majors and sensitive loners into shivers of ecstasy, but folks looking for a slice of rock were going to be pretty disappointed. The lone exception coming via the closer 'Hell's Angels' where backed by The Nice, Harper demonstrated he could churn out a decent slice of rock and roll. But here's the thing ... flaws and all, this is one of those weird album's that grows on you. Harper had a cool voice that got better the more you heard it (or the more beer you drank) and the man was a gifted acoustic guitarist. Yeah, the arrangements were spare, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The album provided Harper with his first brush with UK success (going top-10), but didn't even seen an American release.
Good place to start checking out Harper's extensive catalog.
"Flat Baroque and Berserk" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Don't You Grieve (Roy Harper) - 5:43 rating: **** stars Coupled with an upbeat, bouncy melody, I've always found Harper's reflections on Judas Iscariot fascinating. How stoned did you have to be to write and sing a song from Iscariot's point of view? The lyric almost makes up for the fact there wasn't much in the way of a melody. 2.) I Hate the White Man (Roy Harper) - 8:03 rating: *** stars Hum, I guess it would be obvious to point out the song's aura of self-hatred ... so much for the "we're one big family" concept of love and understanding. Giving him credit, Harper's always claimed the song was inspired by such crimes against humanity as apartheid, slavery, and the annihilation of the American Indian culture. Overlooking the opening which featured a stoned Harper haphazardly lecturing listeners on his world views (wonder how may residents of "poor countries" would have gladly traded places with Harper), the song had a nice enough melody (just Harper and acoustic guitar), but the lyrics were definitely infuriating and the song seemed to go on and on and on ... Maybe that was the intent, or maybe Harper just got out on the wrong side of the bed when he wrote this one. 3.) Feeling All the Sunday (Roy Harper) - 1:56 rating: **** stars It's hard to remember that Harper could be funny (back to the album title), but in case you were unaware of that side of his personality, then there was the charming 'Feeling All the Sunday'. One of his prettiest melodies the lyrics were apparently inspired by some life threatening illnesses - at one point in time Harper was told he only had a couple of months to live. Anyhow, the song always brings a smile to my face. 4.) How Does It Feel (Roy Harper) - 6:29 rating: **** stars 'How Does It Feel' has always reminded me of a mid-'60s Dylan tune - there's something about Harper's voice ... he seemed to be incorporating Dylan's snarl on this one. Nice track. YouTube has a stunning live performance of the tune (sans the Dylan imitation). The track was apparently recorded for a 199 Swedish television show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1IoW_WlXbA 5.) Goodbye (Roy Harper) - 5:42 rating: **** stars Another one of Harper's prettier efforts; notable for multi-tracked lead vocal and some beautiful acoustic guitar - folks forget what an accomplished acoustic guitarist he is.
(side 2) 1.) Another Day (Roy Harper) - 1:56 rating: **** stars My wife will tell you I have the sensitivity of a break, but 'Another Day' is one of folk music's greatest tales of regret. Courtesy of David Bedford, the subtle orchestration adds to the feeling of pain and loss. Play it for an English major and they're guaranteed to breakdown in a stream of tears. For anyone interested, Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel did a stunning cover of the tune. This Mortal Coil also covered it. 2.) Davey (Roy Harper) - 2:57 rating: *** stars I've read various stories about the song's inspiration - a near death experience at the beach with brother Davey; fellow musician Davey Graham ... regardless, it's a pretty, if short acoustic tune. 3.) East of the Sun (Roy Harper) - 3:02 I'm not a big harmonica fan, but I'll make an exception for 'East of the Sun'. 4.) Tom Tiddler's Ground (Roy Harper) - 6:48 rating: **** stars I don't know if the inspiration was the Charles Dickens's short story, or the old game (kind of an early version of king of the hill), or maybe something totally different, but this was another album highlight. Backed by Tony Visconti on recorded and one of Harper's most energetic vocals, 'Tom Tiddler's Ground' was a great track. Anyone know who Harper was talking to at the start of the song? YouTube has a cool 2004 in--concert performance of the song. Backed by Matt Churchill, Harper's voice is a little deeper and bit more fragile, but the overall effect is quite impressive. I'd certainly pay to see the guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7Aq1nVG6GU rating 5.) Francesca (Roy Harper) - 1;19 rating: **** stars Sadly one of the album's shorted tunes, 'Francesca' sported one of the prettiest melodies. Shame there wasn't another stanza to the track. 6.) Song of the Ages (H. Ash) - 3:52 Hardcore fans will tell you this is a classic Harper tune, though I'll admit its charm is largely lost on me. The melody was pretty enough (just acoustic guitar and what sounded like a harp), but the hyper-sensitive lyric just kind of droned on. rating: *** stars 6.)
Hell's Angels (Roy Harper) - 7:46
rating: ***** stars
© Scott R. Blackerby, May 2025
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Genre: pop Rating: 4 stars **** Title: When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease Company: Chrysalis Catalog: CHR
1105 Country/State: Manchester, UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $25.00
Best time to play:
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As you can tell from prior reviews, I'm a Roy
Harper fan, though I've only scratched the surface of his extensive
recording catalog. Of those albums I've heard,197
Anyhow, back
to this album. When I think of Roy Harper, folkie comes to mind.
Harper accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, surrounded by heartfelt and
frequently enigmatic lyrics - right? Well, there were a couple
"When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease" track listing: (side 1) 1.) The Game (Parts 1-5) (Roy Harper) - 13:42 rating: **** stars Harper's folk fan base must have been shocked to hear the extended, five part "The Game". Backed by guest guitarist David Gilmour bassist John Paul Jones and drummer Steve Broughton the song showcased an impressive slice of radio ready classic rock. Built on a tasty Gilmour guitar riff, the opening section wouldn't have sounded out of place on AOR radio. 'Course you'd have to edit out the "bullsh*t" lyric ... Kicked along by Gilmour's instantly recognizable guitar, the second section shifted into slower, ballad territory. Given Gilmour's participation it shouldn't have come as a surprise this section had a mild Pink Floyd vibe. Supported by vibraphone, the third section added lilting tropical flavors to the mix. The last sections returned to hard rock territory giving Chris Spedding a chance to walk into the studio, turn in a masterful slide guitar solo and then leave.. As to the lyrics? Darn if I had a clue what the thirteen minute track was about. My guess is it was some sort of extended rant against modern society. Maybe that's why Harper went and bought himself an eleven acre farm (which he lost to foreclosure in the 1980s). Who knows why, but Chrysalis released an edited version of the song as a 12" US promotional single:
- 1975's "The Game" b/w "The Game" (Chrysalis catalog number PRO 626)
2.) The Spirit Lives (Roy Harper) - 4:15 rating: *** stars And just when I was getting my head around the concept of Harper as a blues singer with Spedding kicking in acoustic slide guitar, the song morphed into a full on rocker with some of Harper's most biting lyrics. I got the impression he might not have been a regular church goer ... "You Christians destroyed our tribe, I'll fight you 'til i die ..." 3.) Grown Ups Are Just Silly Children (Roy Harper) - 2:56 rating: *** stars Backed by Spedding (who turned in a dazzling solo) and the rest of Trigger, "Grown Ups Are Just Silly Children" was a fun, rollicking, '50s-tinged rocker. Echoes of Elvis throughout. Dave Edmunds made a career out of stuff like this. Harvest released it as a UK single:
- 1975's "Grown Ups Are Just Silly Children" b/w "Referendum (Legend)" (Harvest catalog number HAR 5102)
(side 2) 1.) Referendum (Legend) (Roy Harper) - 3:49 rating: **** stars "Referendum (Legend)" was an awesome rocker with Spedding again showing off his nimble talents. The lyrics were certainly enigmatic, though I took it as a slam at politicians who were completely disconnected from those the represented. I'm sure someone has the story ... The song also appeared as the "B" side on Harper's "Referendum (Legend)" single. 2.) Forget Me Not (Roy Harper) - 2:25 rating: **** stars The opening acoustic guitars had a Floyd-ish feel. With a strange echo effect (it's like the track was recorded in a heavy fog), the beautiful acoustic ballad "Forgot Me Not" had a distinctive Eastern flavor. The shimmering backing vocals have always reminded me of something out of 10cc's catalog (think "I'm Not In Love"). Stunning performance and one of those songs I can listen to time after time. 3.) Hallucination Light (Roy Harper) - 6:24 rating: **** stars The languid "Hallucination Light" started out sounding like a more traditional Harper tune - soft, reflective and cryptic ... The tune got even better when David Gilmour showed up again. Perhaps a result of Harper's singer/speak delivery the tune's always reminded me of a Lou Reed performance. Mesmerizing performance. A live version of the song also appeared on the "B" side of the 1975 "When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease" single. 4.) When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease (Roy Harper) - 7:14 rating: ***** stars The title track to 1975's "When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease" featured Roy Harper on vocals and twelve string guitar with horns from The Grimethorpe Colliery Band. The subject matter was patently English. Dedicated to famed English cricketers Geoffrey Boycott and John Snow, on the surface the song was about cricket. For American ears that was problematic since how many of us have any understanding of Cricket - some sort of bastard child of baseball? I certainly don't understand the game. (Thank you Mr. White for trying to teach Troop 1018 how to play the game.) On another level the song seemed to be a reflection on loss - the loss of family and friends and a reflection on one's own mortality. All I can say if that as someone who has been told they have the sensitivity of a brick, this one took my breath away. Simply stunning. Extra star for David Bedford's horn arrangement - it still stops me in my tracks.
Pulled from his website, I hope Harper won't mind me copying his comments on the song: "My childhood memories of the heroic stature of the footballers and cricketers of the day invoke the sounds that went along with them. Paramount among these was the traditional Northern English brass band, which was a functional social component through all four seasons, being seen and heard in many different contexts. My use of that style of music on 'Old Cricketer' is a tribute to those distant memories."
YouTube has a live performance of the song recorded in April 2011 before a small audience at London's Metropolis Studios: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RILkCz5VIf0
- 1975's "When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease" b/w "Hallucinating Light (Acoustic Version)" (Harvest catalog number 5096) - 1978's " When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease" b/w "Home" (Harvest catalog number 5160)
© Scott R. Blackerby May 2025
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5's
"When
an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease" is one of his more
interesting packages. Harper's eighth album was initially
going to be entitled "Blood
from a Stone" but that was dropped when Dylan released his
"Blood On the Tracks" collection. Plan B - produced
by Peter Jenner, the set was released with the title "HQ"
(reportedly shorthand for "Harper's Quartet" reflecting his touring
band). Designed by Hipgnosis, the original album featured rather conventional artwork -
Harper superimposed walking on water. While I don't have a background in
marketing, I can tell you that whatever hopes Harper's American label
Chrysalis Records had for generating American sales were dead before the
album was released. You could only wonder what the label's marketing
group was thinking when the decided to re-title
the collection as "When
an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease" and slap a cover of Harper in cricket uniform.
"Of course American audience will get the whole cricket concept and why
wouldn't the be intrigued by a cover photo of a skinny, pale guy walking
with funny leggings, a goofy hat and some sort of big stick?" I
would love to have been in those marketing meetings.
of
performances here that long time fans should have appreciated - the pretty
ballad "Forget Me Not", "Hallucination Light" and the
stunning title track (worth the price of admission by itself). All of
them showcased Harper's trademarked sound..
Elsewhere, the album
featured his backing band Trigger. Showcasing drummer Bill Bruford, bassist
David Cochran and guitarist Chris Spedding they were first-rate throughout
the album. What made the album genuinely interesting wasn't the
standard folk material, rather Harper's interest in being seen as a rocker.
One of the few tracks without backing from Trigger, the opener "The
Game (Parts 1-5)" featured support from an all-star cast including
drummer Steve
Broughton, David Gilmour
and John Paul Jones. Unlike anything he'd recorded before, the song d demonstrated
Harper could easily handle a conventional rock tune.
Having heard his soft and sentimental voice for so many years, here he found
a deeper register and discovered the advantages of double tracking his
vocals. Side two's "Referendum
(Legend)" may not have been as strong a composition,, but it was good
and had the advantage of being half the length of "The Game" and
just as tight. "The Spirit Lives" morphed into a roaring
rocker with some of Harper's bitterest anti-church lyrics. "Grown Ups Are Just Silly Children"
was fun, but as a slice of '50s styled Elvis rock, not particularly
memorable. Certainly diverse, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and the title
track was stunning.
