Roy Harper - The Dream Society (1998)

Roy Harper - The Dream Society (1998)

rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 550MB

Science Friction | HUCD030

Allmusic:
The Dream Society continued Roy Harper's winning streak with an impressively produced album of varied material. The opening "Songs of Love" is a striking duet with vocalist Musumi that also features some great acoustic guitar work from son Nick Harper. "Songs of Love, Pt. 2" quickly follows with a hard rock sound as convincing as any Harper has produced since HQ in 1975. While there are many styles on the album -- hard rock, folk-rock, and even country -- perhaps the acoustic ballad "Broken Wing" is the record's best cut. The album-closing epic "These Fifty Years" is one of Harper's most ambitious tracks. With several movements and some very progressive sections, it sounds a bit like Jethro Tull, a notion no doubt aided by a familiar flute sound courtesy of Ian Anderson. Although the song isn't as memorable as "The Same Old Rock" or "Me and My Woman," Harper must be given credit for a mostly successful attempt at a longer piece. As usual, the lyrics throughout are almost purposefully ponderous, a matter not allayed by the rambling liner notes. While Death or Glory? displayed greater highs and Once showed a new musical maturity, The Dream Society is more consistent and completes Harper's utterly successful trilogy of studio albums from the '90s.

Tracks
-01. "Songs Of Love" – 6:59
-02. "Songs Of Love (Pt 2)" – 4:50
-03. "Dancing All The Night" – 6:12
-04. "Psychopath" – 2:45
-05. "I Want To Be In Love" – 5:58
-06. "Drugs For Everybody" – 5:04
-07. "Come The Revolution" – 6:09
-08. "Angel Of The Night" – 5:10
-09. "The Dream Society" – 8:35
-10. "Broken Wing" – 6:42
-11. "These Fifty Years" – 14:27

sample & buy: The Dream Society

Roy Harper - The Unknown Soldier (1980) (eac-log-cover)

Roy Harper - The Unknown Soldier (1980)

rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 310MB

Science Friction HUCD031

Allmusic:
Released in 1980, The Unknown Soldier initiated an unsettling trend in Harper's career whereby over-production and unfocused songwriting became commonplace. Since that time, great Harper albums have been the exception rather than the rule, although every release does have at least a few good songs. The best song on this effort is "You," which benefits from the considerable talents of David Gilmour and Kate Bush. "Short and Sweet" is also good and was co-authored by David Gilmour, who released a similar take of the song on his solo debut, David Gilmour, in 1978. But not even the all-star cameos can completely save the day on this album, for most of the other cuts are mired in synth noodlings and inorganic sounds. The title track briefly reverts to Harper's simple yet strong acoustic approach, yet fails to completely convince due to the surrounding songs. Harper's output continued to be erratic for most of the '80s, with his Jugula album being the lone bright spot. There are many places to start investigating Harper's brilliant work, but The Unknown Soldier is not among them.

Tracks
-01. "Playing Games" (Harper/Gilmour) – 3:12
-02. "I'm In Love With You" – 3:45
-03. "The Flycatcher" – 4:10
-04. "You" (The Game Part II) (Harper/Gilmour) – 4:37
-05. "Old Faces" (Harper/Gilmour) – 4:09
-06. "Short and Sweet" (Harper/Gilmour) – 6:28
-07. "First Thing in the Morning" – 3:40
-08. "The Unknown Soldier" – 3:33
-09. "Ten Years Ago" – 3:35
-10. "True Story" (Harper/Gilmour) – 3:50

Personnel
* Roy Harper – vocals
* Kate Bush – vocals
* David Gilmour – guitar
* Andy Roberts – guitar
* Steve Broughton – guitar
* Hugh Burns – guitar
* B.J. Cole – steel guitar
* Don Grolnick – keyboards
* Jimmy Maelen – percussion
* Andy Newmark – percussion
* Pete Wingfield – keyboards
and others

sample & buy: Unknown Soldier

sample & buy on official website

Roy Harper - Burn The World (1985) (eac-log-cover)

Roy Harper - Burn The World (1985)

rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 225MB

Awareness |  rar +5% recovery

AMG:
Harper's Burn the World consists of two versions of the title track, one studio, the other live (recorded at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London). Written in 1984-85, this poetic composition is comprised of several distinct movements and timely lyrics. The studio cut is the original demo Harper presented to EMI records; they rejected it, stating it lacked commercial appeal. It includes a brief but attractive guitar solo by the "Unknown Space Cadet," also known as Dave Gilmour. The live track, a solo performance that Roy terms the "more cultured" version, has an immediacy and vibrancy not found in the demo. Energetic and driving (so much so that he breaks a string during the song), Harper's guitar work and vocals are superior to the studio take. Jacqui Turner, Roy's companion of nine years, engineered the album. Their relationship ended the following year, when Awareness Records picked up the recordings (and Harper). Before folding, the label released several of his albums, including the superb Once (1990) and Death or Glory?

Tracks:
1 - Burn The World (studio) - 19'40
2 - Burn The World (live) - 19'51

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Roy Harper - Work Of Heart (1982)

Roy Harper - Work Of Heart (1982)

rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log | 280MB

 RAR +5% recovery

AMG:
The years between the excellent Bullinamingvase in 1977 and the underrated Whatever Happened to Jugula? in 1985 were artistically unkind to Roy Harper. Work of Heart was released in 1982, and is typical of this over-produced era. The technological overkill apparent on the album would be more forgivable if the songwriting was strong. But except for "Jack of Hearts," nothing really impresses on this set, including the epic-length title track. For those interested in completing their Harper collection, Science Friction reissued Work of Heart in 1994 with Born in Captivity, which included the same songs in demo form. Casual fans should stick with earlier albums, such as Stormcock or HQ, for a more representative look at Harper's ability.

The original album was released on Harpers own label, Public Records, formed with Mark Thompson, (son of nuclear campaigner E.P. Thompson). Additionally, the album was chosen by Derek Jewell of the The Sunday Times as "Album of the Year" in 1982

Tracks:
1. Drawn To The Flames (6:34)
2. Jack Of Hearts (4:14)
3. I Am A Child (3:10)
4. Woman (4:42)
5. I Still Care (4:51)
6. Work Of Heart (21:32)

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Roy Harper - Born In Captivity (1985)

Roy Harper - Born In Captivity (1985)

rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 270MB

Awareness | RAR +5% recovery

AMG:
Here's an admirable example of creative recycling. After learning that fans preferred his rough tapes to their finished counterparts on Work of Heart (1985), Harper duly issued them on the short-lived Awareness label. The quality and format are pretty scrappy -- being just Harper's double-tracked vocals and guitar -- but hardcore fans won't care. "Ravedown" might be the best way of describing the mood here. "Elizabeth" should be the most familiar title; it's pretty close to the track that graced Harper's album with Jimmy Page, Whatever Happened to Jugula? (1984). However, its sparkling melody shines through, even in this relatively stripped-down context. Elsewhere, songs like "No Woman Is Safe" maintained Harper's profile as a proud provocateur.
The stripped-down "Work of Heart" fits into the Harper tradition of extended ruminations at the state of the world ("We Are the People") and distaste for Christianity's premises ("No One Ever Gets out Alive"). This album's obviously a minor entry in Harper's discography, but offers some worthwhile enough insight into his creative process.

Tracks:
01. Stan (5:03)
02. Drawn To The Flames (4:44)
03. Come To Bed Eyes (4:21)
04. No Woman Is Safe (4:42)
05. I Am A Child (3:59)
06. Elizabeth (4:48)
07. Work Of Heart (19:21)

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Roy Harper - Sophisticated Beggar (1966) (eac-flac-cover)

Roy Harper - Sophisticated Beggar (1966)

Rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 295MB

Science Friction | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
Recorded under primitive circumstances and not distributed well on initial release, Harper's debut proves that the definitive cult folk-rock singer's idiosyncratic weirdness was firmly in place from the start. Mostly but not wholly acoustic, there are lingering similarities to Donovan and Bert Jansch, as well as a light similarity to Al Stewart on occasion. But Harper's scrambled lyricism is already his own, as is his peculiar melismatic phrasing. Those two traits combine to give the impression of a singer-songwriting dyslexic, not able or willing to write words that are easily digested and apparently unsequenced in any linear fashion. That isn't the most appetizing recipe, but it's leavened by fairly attractive British folk melodies and very accomplished guitar work (the liner notes infer that John Renbourn and Ritchie Blackmore helped out). Although this is largely acoustic, electric guitar and backing are used from time to time, as well as reverb and backwards effects that give it a dated charm. Certainly the most uncharacteristic arrangement is "Committed," a crunching, ominous rock tune whose first-person account of madness recalls Syd Barrett's most distraught work (and is if anything more distraught than Barrett's loony tunes). And speaking of Pink Floyd, "October 12th" makes you wonder if Harper's influence didn't find its way into the post-Syd Floyd on tunes like "Grantchester Meadows."

Tracks:
01. "China Girl" – 3:36
02. "Goldfish" – 2:47
03. "Sophisticated Beggar" – 5:07
04. "My Friend" – 4:06
05. "Big Fat Silver Aeroplane" – 3:39
06. "Blackpool" – 5:08
07. "Legend" – 3:43
08. "Girlie" – 3:02
09. "October the Twelfth" – 5:54
10. "Black Clouds" – 4:31
11. "Mr. Station Master" – 3:04
12. "Forever" – 3:27
13. "Committed" – 3:14

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Roy Harper - Come Out Fighting Ghengis Smith (1967) (eac-flac-cover)

Roy Harper - Come Out Fighting Ghengis Smith (1967)

Rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 290MB

Awareness  | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
On Harper's second album (and first for a major label), he strode further into folk-rock as opposed to folk, with sympathetic production from Shel Talmy; there was light electric backing and drums, as well as occasional orchestration. Harper remained, however, overly verbose, his observational lyrics tending to jam too many thoughts into too little time. Often this is stream-of-consciousness songwriting, proving that such a strain existed in alternative rock long before Jandek and Lambchop's Kurt Wagner. Harper is far more tuneful, and a much better singer and instrumentalist, than either Jandek or Wagner, which makes this much more accessible on a surface level. Still, it's music that demands a lot of concentration to apprehend, and ultimately doesn't fully reward the effort, the listener's attention tending to drift off amidst Harper's inscrutability. Far be it from a mere critic to suggest such a thing decades after the fact, but it may have been that Harper could have well done with a songwriting collaborator who could have extracted Roy's most coherent ideas and sanded off the most incoherent ones. Especially befuddling are the epic-length cuts ("Circle" and the title track), which seem to wish to be making a grand point, but are only intermittently interesting winding roads, the pseudo-humorous spoken dialogue in "Circle" falling especially flat. He is best when he is most restrained, as on "All You Need Is" and "What You Have." The CD reissue on Science Friction adds seven bonus tracks. Two are from his 1969 album Folkjokeopus; two are from a 1967 single that is only marginally more commercial than the album; and the remaining three are from 1969-1970 BBC sessions.

Tracks:
01. "Freak Street" – 3:06
02. "You Don't Need Money" – 2:27
03. "Ageing Raver" – 4:11
04. "In A Beautiful Rambling Mess" – 2:51
05. "All You Need Is" – 5:49
06. "What You Have" – 5:16
07. "Circle" – 10:40
08. "Highgate Cemetery" – 2:22
09. "Come Out Fighting Ghengis Smith" – 8:58
Bonus tracks on 1991 CD reissue
10. "Zaney Janey" - (from the US release of - Folkjokeopus)
11. "Ballad Of Songwriter" - (from the US release of Folkjokeopus)
12. "Midspring Dithering" - (A-side from the 1967 single)
13. "Zengem" - (B-side from the 1967 single)
14. "It's Tomorrow And Today Is Yesterday – 4:11 – (John Peel - BBC Radio Show 1970)
15. "Francesca – 1:32 – (recorded for 'Top Gear' at the BBC, June 3, 1969)
16. "She's The One – 4:45 – (recorded for 'Top Gear' at the BBC, June 3, 1969)

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Roy Harper - Valentine (1974) (eac-flac-cover)

Roy Harper - Valentine (1974)

Rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 330MB

Awareness  | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
Valentine, released on that day in 1974, is a collection of tracks that Roy Harper recorded during the early '70s but did not include on either Stormcock or Lifemask. The fact that this album somehow gels is testimony to just how talented Harper was at this point in his career. All Harper albums have stellar cameos, and this one is no different. Jimmy Page adds devastating lead guitar to "Male Chauvinist Pig Blues," even though the acoustic version the duo released on Flashes from the Archives of Oblivion is still superior. In addition, David Bedford continues his streak of outstanding string arrangements on Harper albums with particularly winning versions for "I'll See You Again" and "Commune." The instrumental "Che" is a reminder of Harper's astounding and influential acoustic guitar technique, while "Twelve Hours of Sunset" rivals "Waterloo Sunset" as one of most beautiful songs in the English language. Like most Harper releases, this one has a few weak songs, especially the jazz throwaway "Acapulco Gold," but even the extra tracks from Flashes from the Archives of Oblivion, included on the CD reissues, seem to fit in. While not as high-profile as Stormcock or HQ, Valentine can be numbered among Harper's best work during his heyday.

Tracks:
01. "Forbidden Fruit" – 2:35
02. "Male Chauvinist Pig Blues" – 3:36
03. "I'll See You Again" – 4:58
04. "Twelve Hours Of Sunset" – 5:06
05. "Acapulco Gold" – 4:06
06. "Commune" – 4:34
02. "Magic Woman (Liberation Reshuffle)" – 6:35
08. "Che" – 3:04
09. "North Country" – 4:35
10. "Forever" – 2:52
*bonus tracks:
11. "Home" (studio) – 3:10 – (from Flashes From The Archives Of Oblivion)
12. "Too Many Movies" (live) – 6:35 – (from Flashes From The Archives Of Oblivion)
13. "Home" (live) – 6:11 – (from Flashes From The Archives Of Oblivion)

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Roy Harper - Flat, Baroque And Berserk (1970) (eac-flac-cover)

Roy Harper - Flat, Baroque And Berserk (1970)

Rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 440MB

Science Friction  | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
Roy Harper's fourth album found him in an acoustic folkie mode more often than not, though as usual (for circa late-'60s Harper) there were detours into pretty rocky items on occasion. It's not much of either a progression or a slide from the lyrically convoluted, somewhat but not incredibly melodic path he had established with his prior work. "I Hate the White Man," however, is certainly one of his most notable (and notorious) compositions, a spew of lilting verbiage that's hard to peg. It could be irony, it could be ironic self-hatred, it could be muddled reflections on the chaos that is the modern world, or it could be a combination of all of them. There are gentler items, sometimes with subdued harmony vocals and orchestration, that sound rather like Harper's most acerbic side sanded off with edges of Al Stewart, Donovan, or Tim Hardin; "Another Day" is the prettiest of those. The atypical "Hell's Angels," on the other hand, has a twisted, chunky rock feel rather like the solo work of another of producer Peter Jenner's clients, Syd Barrett.

Tracks:
01. "Don't You Grieve" – 5:43
02. "I Hate the White Man" – 8:03
03. "Feeling All the Saturday" – 1:56
04. "How Does It Feel?" – 6:29
05. "Goodbye" – 5:42
06. "Another Day" – 2:57
07. "Davey" – 1:30
08. "East of the Sun" – 3:02
09. "Tom Tiddler's Ground" – 6:48
10. "Francesca" – 1:19
11. "Song of the Ages" (H. Ash)[6] – 3:52
12. "Hell's Angels" – 7:46

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Roy Harper - HQ (SNS 20-bit) (1975) (eac-flac-cover)

Roy Harper - HQ (SNS 20-bit) (1975)

Rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 410MB

Science Friction  | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
Roy Harper was already coming off two stellar efforts in Lifemask (1973) and Valentine (1974), which marked yet another artistic peak and his introduction to American audiences. Previous settings of acoustic guitar and orchestration were supplanted by Harper's formation of Trigger, a relatively straightforward hard rock trio anchored by ace guitarist Chris Spedding and former King Crimson/Yes drummer Bill Bruford. (The unit disbanded after this album, however.) Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour and Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones are among the other all-star contributors on this album, which gets off to a rousing start with "The Game"'s multi-part critique of modern society and features some hard-hitting guitar passages. "The Spirit Lives" upholds yet another long-running Harper theme of critiquing Christianity and its premises. "Hallucination Light" and "Forget Me Not" maintain the brooding romanticism associated with Harper's earlier work, but it's the last track that should stick longest with listeners. Harper's understated, elegaic ode to life's departures gains power from a blend of string and brass band lines; it remains one of his finest, most enduring compositions. Commercially, Harper's profile remains that of a cult artist, but he surely deserves wider recognition on his own merit. If you only know Harper as an associate of the '70s English rock aristocracy or the shadowy subject of Led Zeppelin's "Hats off to Harper," make this album one of your first starting points.

Tracks:
1. The Game (Parts 1-5) (13:42)
2. The Spirit Lives (4:15)
3. Grown Ups Are Just Silly Children (2:56)
4. Referendum (Legend) (3:49)
5. Forget Me Not (2:25)
6. Hallucinating Light (6:24)
7. When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease (7:28)
bonus
* The Spirit Lives (4:37) (early mix 1975-03-23)
* When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease (7:52) [Exeter 1977-10-31]
* Hallucinating Light (7:33) (acoustic version)

Personnel:
* Roy Harper – vocals, guitar
* David Gilmour – guitar on "The Game"
* John Paul Jones – bass on "The Game"
* Steve Broughton – drums on "The Game"
* Chris Spedding – guitar
* Bill Bruford – drums
* Dave Cochran – bass
* The Grimethorpe Colliery Band – brass on "When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease"

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Roy Harper - Folkjokeopus (1969) (eac-flac-cover)

Roy Harper - Folkjokeopus (1969)

Rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 310MB

Science Friction  | rar +5% recovery

AMG
This Shel Talmy-produced album is as sprawling and unwieldy as its title. Always a determined eclectic, Harper tries to cover a lot of ground here, and while his effort is impressive, the result is unnervingly inconsistent. The influences of Bob Dylan, Bert Jansch, Donovan, and maybe even early Al Stewart hover over most of this folk-rock. Harper tries to cram too many musical and (especially) lyrical ideas together here, and several of his heart-on-the-sleeve narrative folktales ramble on for too long, with an obscurity that verges on maddening. Some pretty, melodic passages here and there, with adequate folk singing that cracks when he even approaches the upper register. The acoustic guitar work is uniformly excellent, making this confused late-'60s timepiece sound rather more impressive than it should.

Tracks
1. "Sgt. Sunshine" – 3:04
2. "She's The One" – 6:55
3. "In The Time Of Water" – 2:16
4. "Composer Of Life" – 2:26
5. "One For All" – 8:11
6. "Exercising Some Control" – 2:50
7. "McGoohan's Blues" – 17:55
8. "Manana" – 4:20

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Roy Harper - Flashes From the Archives of Oblivion (1974) (eac-flac-cover)

Roy Harper - Flashes From the Archives of Oblivion (1974)

Rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 425MB

Science Friction  | rar +5% recovery

AMG
By the time Flashes From the Archives of Oblivion was released in 1974, Roy Harper had already released seven albums and had even opened for Led Zeppelin during their ninth American tour. Nonetheless, Harper was still a virtual unknown in the States, and only a minor figure in England, albeit one with an impressive name-dropping list. While Flashes did not change Harper's obscurity, it did serve as an effective summation of his stunning live work. Numbers like "Commune," "Me and My Woman," and "South Africa" all highlight Harper's beautiful voice, poetic lyrics, and startling acoustic guitar technique. Jimmy Page plays slide guitar on "Male Chauvinist Pig Blues," which legend has it was recorded at Royal Albert Hall in 1973. The liner notes are not forthcoming as to the origin of the tracks, stating they were recorded at various concerts in England at one time or another. While this lack of information is mildly irritating, it does not diminish the effectiveness of the songs. The CD version of Flashes lacks three songs found on the LP, and is actually stronger because of it. Two of those songs were recorded on Valentine's Day in 1974 and are rather sloppy, despite featuring Keith Moon and members of Led Zeppelin. The third song is a studio cut with Ian Anderson on flute. Completists can find these three tracks on the CD reissue of Valentine, where they aren't quite as incongruous. Harper's next two efforts, HQ and Bullinamingvase, included working bands and were much more rock-oriented than his solo efforts. But as an introduction to Harper's acoustic era, Flashes From the Archives of Oblivion is an ideal choice.

Tracks
1. "Commune"
2. "Don't You Grieve"
3. "Twelve Hours of Sunset"
4. "Kangaroo Blues"
5. "All Ireland"
6. "Me and My Woman"
7. "South Africa"
8. "Highway Blues"
9. "One Man Rock & Roll Band"
10. "Another Day"
11. "M.C.P. Blues"

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Roy Harper - Stormcock (1971) (eac-flac-cover)

Roy Harper - Stormcock (1971)

Rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 255MB

Science Friction  | rar +5% recovery

AMG
Roy Harper achieved some acclaim with releases like his debut, Sophisticated Beggar, and Flat Baroque and Berserk, but 1971's Stormcock was his first effort that was a fully realized success. Even though all four long songs on the record were arguably superior in subsequent live versions, this is one of only a handful of Harper's albums that has no weak cuts. "Hors d'Oeuvres" had been previewed two years earlier in a faster incarnation, but this version is pleasingly lethargic in a way much like Pink Floyd's "Fearless." "The Same Old Rock" is an extended musical poem about the narrow-mindedness of organized religion and features several movements, including one of Jimmy Page's best solos, even though the notes list Page as S. Flavius Mercurius. After the strangely melodic "One Man Rock and Roll Band," the album ends with the grand "Me and My Woman." This version, while slower than the definitive live take from Flashes From the Archives of Oblivion, features lush orchestration by David Bedford. All four lyrics could stand on their own, showing Harper's vision to be much more profound than the typical stoned poet. His musicianship on acoustic guitar is revelatory, at once thoughtful and hard-edged. Stormcock, in fact, epitomized a hybrid genre that had no exclusive purveyors save Harper -- epic progressive acoustic. In this style, Harper amalgamated the best elements of associates Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and folk artists like Bert Jansch into a winning stew of thought-provoking acoustic music. Harper dabbled in this style with mostly good results for the rest of his career, but never again would one of his albums exclusively have these type of songs on it. Stormcock represents a truly original vision comprised of oft-heard parts rarely assembled and therefore is on par with other heavyweights from the class of 1971 such as Led Zeppelin IV or Meddle.

Track listing
1. "Hors d'Oeuvres" – 8:37
2. "The Same Old Rock" – 12:24
3. "One Man Rock and Roll Band" – 7:23
4. "Me and My Woman" – 13:01

Personnel
* Roy Harper – guitar and vocals
* S. Flavius Mercurius – guitar
* Peter Jenner – producer
* John Barrett – sound engineer
* Peter Bown – sound engineer
* John Leckie – sound engineer
* Phil McDonald – sound engineer
* Alan Parsons – sound engineer
* Nick Webb – sound engineer
* Richard Imrie – photography

sample & buy: Stormcock

Roy Harper - Bullinamingvase (1977) (SNS 20-bit) (eac-flac-cover)

 

Roy Harper - Bullinamingvase (1977)

Rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 300MB

Science Friction | SNS 20-bit | rar +5% recovery

wikipedia
This album is one of Harpers most polished recordings, featuring a rich mix of musicians and instruments, including the Vauld Symphony Orchestra (named after the Hereford farm Harper owned and recorded in at the time). Brilliant lyrics, as 'clear' as Harpers guitar playing, make this a stand out album from Harpers back catalogue. The current CD release (Science Friction HUCD021) has been remastered with SNS 20-bit digital supermapping, allowing the 'full texture' of the music to be appreciated.
One of the albums highlights is the epic, 19 minute, "One Of Those Days In England (Parts 2-10)" (originally side 2 of the album). Comprising several musical movements, this song is a collection of reminiscences from both a personal and cultural perspective. Harper sings of "Britannica and all those who sail in her, especially those with Albions cultural heritage claws..."

Tracks:
"One Of Those Days In England" – 3:25
"These Last Days" – 4:26
"Cherishing the Lonesome" – 5:54
"Naked Flame" – 5:06
"Watford Gap" – 3:22
"One Of Those Days In England (Parts 2-10)" – 19:27
"Breakfast With You" – 2:42

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Roy Harper - Lifemask (1972) (eac-flac-cover)

 

Roy Harper- Lifemask (1972)

Folk-Rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover

Science Friction HUCD005 (1994) | rar +5% recovery | 270 MB

Wikipedia:
Lifemask was written by Harper during a period where a congenital blood disorder threatened his health. With thoughts of life and death upon his mind, side two of the album features a lengthy track entitled "The Lord's Prayer" which Harper described as "...my last will and testament". The album cover itself is a representation of Harpers 'death mask'.
Some of the songs comprised the soundtrack for the movie Made which was on general release at the time. It co-starred with Carol White. The John Mackenzie directed film, Made, was the story of the relationship between a young single mother and an insecure rock star, 'Mike Preston' played by Harper. The film featured excerpts from "The Lord's Prayer", a live excerpt from "Highway Blues", a live session of "Little Lady" and "Bank Of The Dead" (a.k.a. "The Social Casualty" and "Valerie's Song") sung with alternate lyrics.

Tracks:
1 Highway Blues (6:34)
2 All Ireland (2:53)
3 Little Lady (4:20)
4 Bank Of The Dead (3:13)
5 South Africa (4:07)
6 The Lord's Prayer (22:55)


Originally released in 1973

Producer
Peter Jenner

Sound engineers
John Leckie, Phil McDonald, Nick Webb

Additional musicians
Laurie Allan, Steve Broughton, Tony Carr, Brian Davison, Brian Hodges, Jimmy Page & Ray Warley

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