Blues Resurgence [Explicit Lyrics]

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
Essence Magazine selected Acey to feature at the 2001 and 2002 Essence Music Festivals in New Orleans. He has also lectured on performance poetry for the University of California at Berkeley. His first video "When the Smoke Clearz" was shown in film festivals in Los Angeles, New York, Amsterdam and Rotterdam and was one of only 22 films nominated for a 2002 Sundance Film Festival On-line Award. His poetry has been featured in several publications including Essence Magazine.

Taalam was the 2000 Grand Slam Champion of London's Paddington Int'l Poetry Festival and the 2002 Slam Champion of the Austin International Poetry Festival. He was also the 2000-2001 NJ Slam master and the Washington DC Black Words Grand Slam Champion. He's won slams in both the Nuyorican and the Green Mill Cafe in Chicago (both considered to be the int'l meccas of slam poetry). Acey was also a member of the 1999 New York City slam team representing the world famous Nuyorican Cafe. BBC Radio One-London featured Taalam in their documentary on slam poetry. Bleeding edge spoken word has brought this Newark, NJ native everywhere from Los Angeles to Amsterdam. He has toured extensively throughout the continental United States, Canada, Germany and the U.K.

Prior to becoming a full time performance poet, he earned a BS in Accounting and an MBA in Finance and was a full time lecturer in senior level accounting at Rutgers University and a principal partner in a small business consulting firm.

Blues Resurgence, Music, Taalam Acey
The Dream Society
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • There's life in the old troubadour yet
  • Refreshingly classic Roy Harper
  • Roy's best album since HQ.
The Dream Society
Roy Harper
Manufacturer: Resurgence UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

British FolkBritish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Blues RockBlues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
Folk RockFolk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Singer SongwritersSinger Songwriters | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
FolkFolk | Imports | Stores | Music
RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. The Green Man
  2. Death or Glory?
  3. Once
  4. Stormcock
  5. HQ

ASIN: B000007ORQ
Release Date: 1998-06-23

Tracks:

  1. Songs Of Love
  2. Songs Of Love (Part Two)
  3. Dancing All The Night
  4. Psychopath
  5. I Want To Be In Love
  6. Drugs For Everybody
  7. Come The Revolution
  8. Angel Of The Night
  9. The Dream Society
  10. Broken Wing
  11. These Fifty Years

Amazon.com

By informal count, this is the 30th Roy Harper album to come out between the late '60s and the late '90s. His best work dates from the '70s, so it's more than a pleasure, and admittedly a little surprising, to listen to The Dream Society. It is an older and wiser record, but no less absorbing; the songs are simply more disciplined and better crafted. The tender charm of "I Want to Be in Love" and "Broken Wing" show a vulnerability that is a welcome counterpoint to the cocksure cleverness of much of Harper's poetry. But he hasn't gone soft on us. "Drugs for Everybody," a song open to wide interpretation, suggests that the mischievous wit and the social provocateur is still alive in the onetime psychedelic troubadour. "Come the Revolution" is an eloquent, ironic look into the future, invoking Harper's eternal conflict between Utopian dream and Orwellian nightmare. "These Fifty Years," the cornerstone song of the album, is a lengthy, demanding, and exhilarating anthem of self-examination. For the first time in a long time, Harper seems sure of himself. After health, business, and personal setbacks, he is looking inward now as much as looking out. --John Sutton-Smith

Album Description

1998 & first new studio album in six years by this rock veteran. Over 72 minutes long, it contains 11 tracks with musical contributions from Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson & Fairport Convention's Ric Sanders.

Album Details

Over 70 Minutes of Music with Contributions by Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull and Ric Saunders of Fairport Convention, Packaged with a 32 Page Booklet. Inital Orders Will Include a Bonus CD of Roy Discussing Each Track.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars There's life in the old troubadour yet.......2000-06-28

I cannot disagree with the comment that this is Roy's best album since HQ. Indeed, in many respects, this has more vibrancy and impact. Now writing from a lifetime of experiences (including plenty of Mary-Jane and Sir John Barleycorn) Roy injects great wisdom and humanity into what could easily become maudlin and routine songs in the hands of a lesser genius. The highlights for me are the opening Songs of Love where Roy sings a very effective duet and shows that the years haven't affected the astonishing range of his voice. The achingly beautiful Broken Wing is a classic example of Roy at his most sensitive. Angel of The Night is a heartfelt description of mental turmoil but still, somehow, remains uplifting. The piece de résistance though is undoubtedly These 50 Years. This massive track takes the form of a dialogue between Roy and God and touches on creation, evolution, naughty girls, drugs and rock n' roll. For my money, one of Roy's strongest songs ever. There are a couple of weaker tracks; a skiffly number and the whimsical Drugs for Everybody, but all in all, an essential purchase!

4 out of 5 stars Refreshingly classic Roy Harper.......1999-10-03

Roy made his return after a long absence with Dream Society. It was worth the wait. Though it lacks the pain and caustic energy of Death or Glory, his most recent effort, Dream Society demonstrates that Roy has only improved with age.

4 out of 5 stars Roy's best album since HQ........1998-08-25

After the painfully introspective "Death or Glory", Roy's first studio work in six years washes over you like a bright summer day after a long rainy spring. The album is more optimistic, whimsical, and musically enjoyable than anything Roy has released since the definitive 1975 album, "HQ". Although die-hard Harper fans have hotly debated the place this record deserves when compared with the rest of his catalogue after a few listens the songs stick in your mind. "Drugs for Everybody" (an anti-drug song, actually) should get some airplay, especially with it's pointed Bill Clinton reference: "With Hillary, and sillery, to make sure Bill remembers to inhale". But the album has more than whimsy going for it. The haunting "Dancing All the Night" - a requiem for Roy's mother (who died when he was quite young), the tender "Broken Wing" - perhaps the final word on the break up of his long relationship with Jacqui that tended to make his last album, "Death or Glory" so oppressive, and the straight-up rocker "Angel of The Night", are the best new music from an old rocker to come out since Bob Dylan's "Time Out of Mind".
HQ
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Gifted singer-songwriter mixes anger, sadness & joy
HQ
Roy Harper
Manufacturer: Resurgence UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

British FolkBritish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
Blues RockBlues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
Folk RockFolk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Singer SongwritersSinger Songwriters | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
FolkFolk | Imports | Stores | Music
RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000009DB4
Release Date: 1998-07-28

Tracks:

  1. The Game (Parts 1-5)
  2. The Spirit Lives
  3. Grown Ups Are Just Silly Children
  4. Referendum (Legend)
  5. Forget Me Not
  6. Hallucinating Light
  7. When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Gifted singer-songwriter mixes anger, sadness & joy.......1999-06-30

This is one of the three most rewarding rock albums of the early to mid 7Os. I rate it in the same class as Lou Reed's Berlin and Peter Hammill's In Camera. These are albums with real bite, musically and lyrically. HQ's Game is a rock gem and Harper's biting social critiques are as relevant today as they were then. This is an album to enjoy.
Bullinamingvase
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Roy's last great 70's album
  • The best of Roy's "Middle" period
  • Take Courage!
Bullinamingvase
Roy Harper
Manufacturer: Resurgence UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

British FolkBritish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Folk | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
Blues RockBlues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
Folk RockFolk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
FolkFolk | Imports | Stores | Music
RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. HQ
  2. Lifemask
  3. Folkjokeopus
  4. The Green Man
  5. Flat, Baroque And Berserk

ASIN: B00000DCIN
Release Date: 1998-11-10

Tracks:

  1. One Of Those Days In England
  2. These Last Days
  3. Cherishing The Lonesome
  4. Naked Flame
  5. Watford Gap
  6. One Of Those Days In England (Parts 2-10)
  7. Breakfast With You

Album Description

Reissue of 1977 album is the CD debut for it in it's original running order, and with the bonus track 'Breakfast With You'. Also includes a 16 page booklet with lyrics and archive photos. A total of seven tracks. Other 6 'One Of Those Days In England', 'These Last Days', 'Cherishing The Lonesome', 'Naked Flame', 'Watford Gap' & 'One Of Those Days In England' (Parts 2-10). Mastered with 20 bit super mapping. Guests include Paul & Linda McCartney, Alvin Lee (ex-Ten Years After), BJ Cole, Percy Jones and others!

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Roy's last great 70's album.......2004-12-01

This is, in my opinion, Roy's last classic folk-rock album from the 70's. It's recorded with a band called Chips, and features a number of acoustic as well as electric songs. The opener is part one of the "One of these Days In England" suite. It's poppy and has some cool slide guitar, as well as featuring Paul and Linda McCartney on background vocals. "These Last Days" is a great ballad with Roy's trademark vocal layering. "Cherishing the Lonesome" is one of the album's strongest tracks--it effortlessly switches styles from folk to rock with some awesome vibraphone--it's one of Roy's best songs. The "Naked Flame" is quick acoustic song, sort of playful. "Watford Gap" is a quite funny song that was originally nixed from the album because the people at Watford Gap were offended (rightly so) by the ridiculous lyrics. It was replaced by "Breakfast With You," a "piece of pap," as described by Roy himself. The centerpiece of the album, "One of these Days In England (P.2-10)" is sublime, like most of Roy's long works. It starts of with some trademark witty lines, then goes into a reprise of part one. The song is essentially a series of reflections about the state of England, past and present, and the nature of passing time. It's got some varied folky parts as well as bluesy and rock parts. Chips is tight, though just a notch below Trigger, the band that played with Roy on "HQ." This album is very strong, and includes Roy's excellent fingerstyle guitar work, as well as some of his most positive lyrics (fewer rants on religion and society). I recommend it very highly to fans of Roy's other work (with "Stormcock," "HQ," and "Valentine" as his best). I'd also recommend it to fans of Dylan's folk rock, Van Morrison, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and newer music like David Gray's earlier work. Get in on this--Roy's about as indie as they get!

5 out of 5 stars The best of Roy's "Middle" period.......2001-09-25

This album is one of Roy's best. It provides a sampling of most of the various sounds he experimented with over the first half of his long career: his simple, folksy arrangements (represented here by "Naked Flame" and the hilarious "Watford Gap"); his multi-layered overdubs of fascinating guitar work ("Cherishing the Lonesome"); and his epic, heavily orchestrated masterpieces ("One of Those Days In England, Parts 2-10").

The latter is a collection of "movements" that trace the roots of his English heritage and relate them to the modern English experience. The lyrics can be interpreted in a variety of ways; my take is that the piece recognizes that Britain is a culture in decline, but finds that enlightenment can still be found within such a decaying structure. Yes, it's that deep, and beyond.

A phenomenal live version of "One of Those Days" can be found on "In Between Every Line." For those who have trouble with the densely orchestrated sound on the studio version, the live one is just Roy's voice and guitar - yet the essential brilliance of the piece endures, and flourishes.

The bonus track "Breakfast With You" is not typical of Roy at all - it reminds me of early Alan Parsons (a la "Hypnotized"). Still, not a bad tune, just not essential Roy Harper.

A must-have for Roy fans, and not a bad place to start for those new to his music. (I personally don't recommend compilations - what a waste when you decide to get all the "real" albums.) Roy's voice is an acquired taste, but he can win you over with his unparalleled songwriting and playing abilities.

4 out of 5 stars Take Courage!.......2000-01-30

I was in a record store in the early 1980s and saw this album for sale. At that time, it was getting harder and harder to find Harper albums in this area. Having heard this at a friend's, I bought two copies and still have the second one in plastic. At the time, I was afraid I would wear out the first and not be able to find it again. My favorite song is Cherishing the Lonesome. Mr. Harper was obviously in a jolly mood when he composed this album. Pardon the ale promotion.
Valentine
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Great collection of love songs
  • "Songs of love, loss, hope"!!!!--a beaut!!!!!!
  • A stabilizing force
  • Up There with Stormcock
  • One of my DIDs
Valentine
Roy Harper
Manufacturer: Resurgence UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

British FolkBritish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Blues RockBlues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
Folk RockFolk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Singer SongwritersSinger Songwriters | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
FolkFolk | Imports | Stores | Music
RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Stormcock
  2. Flat, Baroque And Berserk
  3. Lifemask
  4. HQ
  5. The Dream Society

ASIN: B00000IAKT
Release Date: 1999-05-11

Tracks:

  1. Forbidden Fruit
  2. Male Chauvinist Pig Blues
  3. I'll See You Again
  4. Twelve Hours Of Sunset
  5. Acapulco Gold
  6. Commune
  7. Magic Woman Liberation Reshuffle
  8. Che
  9. North Country
  10. Forever
  11. Home (Studio)
  12. Too Many Movies
  13. Home

Album Description

UK reissue of the idiosyncratic British singer/songwriter's 1974 album.

Album Details

10 Track Album Originally Released in 1974. Guests Include Jimmy Page, Keith Moon, Pete Sears and Max Middleton.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Great collection of love songs.......2004-12-01

"Valentine," released on Valentine's Day in 1974, is a collection of then new and old love songs by Roy Harper, inimitable British singer-songwriter. The album opens with fingerstyle guitar in the surreal "Forbidden Fruit." "MCP Blues" rocks the hardest on the album, and is one of the only non-acoustic songs. "I'll See You Again" is as touching a song as Roy has ever written, highlighted by orchestral flourishes. "Twelve Hours of Sunset" is a beautiful song about a plane ride across the Atlantic. It includes some phased-out guitar and gorgeous, soaring, layered vocals. "Acapulco Gold" is jazzy, a departure for Roy. "Commune" is another beautiful song with more of Roy's signature guitar licks. Included are "North Country," Roy's version of a traditional folk song made famous by Bob Dylan, and "Forever," an earlier Harper song that gets production attention here to sound the best it ever has. This album is an EXCELLENT collection of songs--though it's not as cohesive as Roy's masterpiece "Stormcock," it's probably more accessible to most listeners, and has more individual songs. Throughout the album are well-crafted melodies, deep, personal lyrics, and varied themes. Recommended if you like David Gray, Van Morrison, acoustic Dylan, acoustic Pink Floyd, and folk music. After this album, check out "Stormcock," and "Lifemask."

5 out of 5 stars "Songs of love, loss, hope"!!!!--a beaut!!!!!!.......2004-09-28

Now that we've reached the c.d. & computer age--hoorah!!!!You know what?.....we're becoming cushioned, sterile, spoilt & directionless!!Roy Harper knew this in the late 60's .If you're looking for challenge ,truth honesty, love & great,great music, this album is for you.It's a beautiful c.d.!I had the old vinyl way ,way back(1973), i've seen Roy Harper live more times than i can remember, and he will ALWAYS be one of the GREATS of the recording studio, with an acoustic guitar style like no other!!"Valentine! followed the EPIC "Lifemask" album, & contrasted beautifully.It begins with the ever so memorable "Forbidden fruit" ,a love song for a teenage girl,check out the lyrics ,as in all Harper songs-they're amazing!This became ,in most part, an acoustic-guitar exercise for Mr. Harper,altho' in parts, this album really rocks!!Songs like "Male chauvinist pig blues"....what can you say-whoever wrote songs like this??Beautiful ,wonderfully played acoustic guitar!The song "12 hours of sunset" is my favourite here,it's gotta be one of my favourite songs-ever!!"Che" -the acoustic guitar instrumental, dedicated , ofcourse to a certain Revolutionary, stills sounds awesome ,all these years later!And so it goes on--this c.d. is a wonderful addition to anyone's music collection-Roy Harper....surely one of Rock's greatest geniuses!!"Valentine" is one amazing album!!!The great thing , too, is that Roy is still in the process of musicmaking(i'm told a new album is being costructed!!For an artist/musician to attract such talents as most of the Pink Floyd group AND Led Zeppelin, there's got to be some reason,folks ,for this amazing fact!Check out & purchase Roy Harper on c.d.-this is true genius!!!

5 out of 5 stars A stabilizing force.......2002-05-07

I listened to a live version of "Commune" several times every day for months and months on end. It helped make things that didn't make sense make a little more sense to me.

4 out of 5 stars Up There with Stormcock.......2000-01-12

Stormcock is Roy's masterpiece but "Valentine" is almost as good - and quite a bit more accessible. A collection of love songs, yes, but there is nothing predictable or sloppy here: these songs have truth, tenderness, anger, frustration, humour - and loads of bittersweet twists and turns to keep you interested. Some of the tracks rock out very nicely with assistance from Roy's "heavy" friends, but mostly the feel of this album is gentle, acoustic (very fine guitar as always from Roy)...quite seductive in its way. A favourite of mine for unwinding. The reviewer who suggested playing this and "Stormcock" one after the other has definitely got it right!

5 out of 5 stars One of my DIDs.......2000-01-05

One of my top ten favorite albums, although now I've listened to it too much. This is Roy Harper's best. My wife wanted to have "Commune" played at our wedding, but my mother-in-law couldn't stomach some of the lyrics. Only individual songs on other albums like "Soldier" and "South Africa" match up. Hats Off to Harper!
Heart of the Moment
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • "Moments" has its moments
  • As with the first...
  • History Is A Matter Of Opinion
  • I don't really know what to say
Heart of the Moment
B.J. Cole
Manufacturer: Resurgence UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Blues | Styles | Music
Traditional BluesTraditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Country | Styles | Music
Nashville SoundNashville Sound | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music
RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000024HY1
Release Date: 1999-12-14

Tracks:

  1. In at the Deep End (Titanic Elegy)
  2. Icarus Enigma
  3. Eastern Cool
  4. Indian Willow
  5. Three Piece Suite
  6. Sands of Time
  7. Promenade & Arabesque
  8. Kraken Wakes
  9. Forever Amber
  10. Adagio in Blue

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars "Moments" has its moments.......2003-05-22

This improves on Transparent Music by steering clear of the Debussy interpretations, which seemed cheesy. Like one of the other reviewers, I found the synthesizer accompaniment distracting. I also thought some of the 70ish jazz fusion moments marred the otherwise dreamy mood. But the cello and steel were wonderful together, and the best moments on this disc are sublime and well worth the price.

3 out of 5 stars As with the first..........2003-03-01

As with TRANSPARENT MUSIC, this CD is a rather uneven mix. There is no question that BJ Cole is a superb and creative pedal steel guitarist, but I have to wonder just what he would do without collaborators like Guy Jackson; Jackson's use of synths does little (on either CD) to actually enhance or expand the music, and on the first CD really adds a trite and sappy ambience. Cole's original compositions are generally enjoyable, though not always to my personal taste, but his searching (perhaps because of Jackson) takes on a somewhat aimless thrust. As with some other artists, BJ Cole may prove a more effective and creative sideman than leader, but without hearing him really stretch on his own, I would suspect it's his choice of people like Jackson that prove a stumbling block. That all said, it is always worth hearing Cole's work. I would still recommend HEART OF THE MOMENT and TRANSPARENT MUSIC for their risk-taking and some really fine moments.

5 out of 5 stars History Is A Matter Of Opinion.......2002-06-05

It seems ridiculous to offer a second review when neither of us have heard this CD. But, I have one of his earlier CD's called "Transparent Music". It's one of my favorites, as I find that compositions by Debussy, Ravel and Satie played on pedal steel guitar to offer the very ethereal, transcendent rendering the composers were reaching for. It's a surprising joy.

5 out of 5 stars I don't really know what to say.......2000-06-16

I have not really actually listened to this CD but I could hardly recommend this CD with much enthusasium since I do not know what it is like. I guess the five stars probably should not be warranted because I have not listened to this. Try his collaberation with Luke Vibert, or Esquievel!
Lifemask
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Made...but slightly rare
  • who is c. shearman?
  • Poetic, atmospheric, stirring music.
Lifemask
Roy Harper
Manufacturer: Resurgence UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

British FolkBritish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
Blues RockBlues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
Folk RockFolk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Singer SongwritersSinger Songwriters | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
FolkFolk | Imports | Stores | Music
RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000003RTN
Release Date: 1997-12-09

Tracks:

  1. Highway Blues
  2. All Ireland
  3. Little Boy
  4. Bank Of The Dead
  5. South Africa
  6. The Lords Prayer:Poem/Modal Song Parts I to IV/Front Song/Middle Song/End Song(Front Song Reprise)

Album Details

11 Track Album Originally Released in 1973. Features Guest Musician Jimmy Page.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Made...but slightly rare.......2001-06-27

After the arresting urgency of Highway Blues, this obscure entry goes down the road and around the bend for me. Perhaps the album will come to me in time, as Stormcock and Work of Heart certainly have. But Lifemask seems far more pensive and verbose than either. I'm still looking for a video of the movie from which some of this music comes, and perhaps Lifemask will harden on me at that time. Valentine, from around the same period, would be a better purchase for most.

5 out of 5 stars who is c. shearman?.......1999-10-10

I think everyone should really question who and what c. shearman is. a pretentious review (above) yes. it really pays ones ears nicely to actually listen to an album before one reviews it. a highly suggested album to anyone who would enjoy thinking.

4 out of 5 stars Poetic, atmospheric, stirring music........1998-04-21

Although it is technically folk music this album transcends boundaries. I recall it as being like a new state of consciousness.
Flashes From The Archives Of Oblivion
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • one man rock 'n roll band
  • Yikes!
  • But this record.
  • The patron saint of Pink Floyd, Led Zep, and Jetrho Tull
  • Some of Harper's best in a live setting -- excellent
Flashes From The Archives Of Oblivion
Roy Harper
Manufacturer: Resurgence UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

British FolkBritish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
Contemporary FolkContemporary Folk | Live Albums | Folk | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Live Albums | Pop | Styles | Music
Blues RockBlues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
Folk RockFolk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music
Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Singer SongwritersSinger Songwriters | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
FolkFolk | Imports | Stores | Music
RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000AF5E
Release Date: 1998-09-15

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

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars one man rock 'n roll band.......2005-06-25

i don't remember how i stumbled onto roy harper back in the early 70's....probably from the reference to him on led zeppelin III ("hats off to harper"), but he's been one of my favorite obsessions ever since that time. this release and the amazing STORMCOCK capture him at the top of his game. this particular release showcases his talents in live settings. you can truly almost feel the "magic" that must have been in the air at these shows. his guitar rings, his voice soars and sails, and the excitement and intricacy of the songs' arrangements are undeniable. the outrageous harmonies present on his studio albums are obviously missing, but he somehow compensates for their absence with the sheer intensity of the performances. the names of contributing musicians (almost all of the songs are performed solo) are missing from the liner notes, but one easily assumes that the various players are some of the famous friends that often accompanied him on his other releases (particularly jimmy page). in addition to this excellent live recording, i recommend the afore-mentioned STORMCOCK, BULLINAMINGVASE, and WHEN AN OLD CRICKETEER LEAVES THE CREASE. it will always be a mystery to me why he didn't become more widely known in america. his vocal contribution to pink floyd's "have a cigar" should, in itself, have guaranteed that. but those of us who did seek him out found ourselves a true treasure. sometimes, nothing else will do...i have to have my roy harper, and "flashes from the archives of oblivion" is the one i go to most often.

4 out of 5 stars Yikes!.......2000-01-20

An extremely intense album. It was my first into to Roy roughlya year and a half ago. Picked it up in the import sale section of myindie. Still have a helluva time getting past 'Me And My Woman' tho, as it leaves me breathless. And 'Commune' is the perfect opening.

5 out of 5 stars But this record........1999-12-27

Good old Roy, here at his best with some brilliant appearences from his many friends in the industry. The slide gutar by Jimmy Page on the last song of this record is awesome. If you are in any way a fan of singer songwriters then this record is a must as it showcases the best of the era and proves that fame and fortune are not related to talent. May Roy keep on smokin' for years to come.

5 out of 5 stars The patron saint of Pink Floyd, Led Zep, and Jetrho Tull.......1999-10-17

You're definately somebody when MaCartney, Jimmy Page, Ian Anderson, David Gilmour, and many others of the same caliber join you on your albums. Roy Harper was definately somebody. Of all the constellation of truly major artistes in the 70's, he's the one who didn't make it. Too idyosincratic, abrasive, complex, insightful, what-have-you, perhaps. Two things characterize his best music, however: a true genius for melody, sometimes rivalling even classical composers although armed only with an acoustic guitar, and secondly, a soaring, multi-ranged voice that anyone would sell his/her soul for. "Archives" is a fine collection, but the musts are "Stormcock", "Bullinaminvase", "When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease", and "Whatever Happened to Jugula". If you don't know his work and yearn for the quality of the aforementioned accompanying artists, this is your ticket to paradise (albeit a troubled one!). Roy isn't always great, obviously, but when he is, as on the above titles, all others leave much to be desired. Truly.

4 out of 5 stars Some of Harper's best in a live setting -- excellent.......1998-10-09

Recently, I was fortunate to actually see the rarely seen (in America) Roy Harper perform live to a handful of people in San Francisco at Bottom of the Hill. As I sat on the floor (we all did, at his polite request) and listened to "Commune" and "One Man Rock and Roll Band" and a host of other new and old songs, two ideas hit me (making the moment, and my memory of the entire evening since, resonate with a special pleasure): (1) Here I was witnessing a great songwriter give us a few hours of his time, and I had never thought I'd get to see Roy at all, and (2) I was fortunate enough to be with a friend who'd been in attendence at some of the concerts chronicled in "Flashes from the Archives of Oblivion." The show I saw was vintage Harper in every sense. The only thing that compares to an event/experience like that is a live album...

Listening to Flashes, recorded in the early '70s with a little help from Harper's rock royalty friends, one hears some of Harper's best songs performed in their most ideal state: before a live, INTERACTING audience. Commune, Don't You Grieve, Male Chauvanist Pig Blues, 12 Hours of Sunset, these songs are expertly recorded, wonderfully performed with intense emotional pitch. The middle part of the journey, One Man Rock and Roll Band etc., is a tour de force through Harper's multi-layered sound experimentation -- acoustic guitars, echoing laughter, stories about boarding school, etc etc. This one must not be missed. The diligent will look for the now very healthy Harper making concert appearances in places he hasn't appeared since the '70s. Look out!
Blues Resurgence
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Wordlicious!!!!!!!!!
Blues Resurgence

Manufacturer: Word Supremacy Press, LLC
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00023DA5C
Release Date: 2003-03-07

Tracks:

  1. Blues Intro
  2. Code Blues 2/Blues Resurgence
  3. Stop It (featuring Will Da Real One)
  4. Afro Pick
  5. Bush Knew
  6. Excellent Exposure (featuring Lamar Hill)
  7. Self Help/Ugly 2
  8. Reckless Abandon
  9. Diamond Life
  10. Blues Intermission
  11. American
  12. Front Line (featuring Queen Sheba)
  13. Lose Control
  14. Proselytizing
  15. Intrusive
  16. Poetology
  17. Pathos
  18. Shrines (featuring Jaha Zainabu and Omari Latif)
  19. Blues Outro

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Wordlicious!!!!!!!!!.......2004-06-15

Oh my! I first heard Talaam Acey at a cipher in DC....I was so wrapped up in his words and delivery that I had to buy this CD....I was blown that I had to spend $15 at first (I'm a struggling grad student), but when I got the CD home that night...I let everything he said rock me fast asleep.....I dont know what message I got while I was sleeping....But it didnt leave my CD player....until someone decided to borrow it and never give it back! I aint mad though....Its the same reason I fell in love. Talaam is socially and culturally conscious and his delivery of the material pulls you in. There is something on this CD for everyone....From 15 year olds trying to do the damn thing in the streets to the pro-Black bohems trying to help him off the corner to the men and women out there who enjoy and appreciate intimacy. I LOVE IT! He is a true poet with a lot to say.....Keep SPEAKING TALAAM!!!!!!!!!!!
Flat Baroque and Berserk
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • The first classic
Flat Baroque and Berserk
Roy Harper
Manufacturer: Resurgence UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

British FolkBritish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Folk | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
Blues RockBlues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
Folk RockFolk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Singer SongwritersSinger Songwriters | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
FolkFolk | Imports | Stores | Music
RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000DHY6
Release Date: 1998-12-15

Tracks:

  1. Don't You Grieve
  2. I Hate The White man
  3. Feeling All The Saturday
  4. How Does It Feel
  5. Goodbye
  6. Another Day
  7. Davey
  8. East Of The Sun
  9. Tom Tiddler's Ground
  10. Francessa
  11. Song Of The Ages
  12. Hell's Angels

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The first classic.......2007-04-10

1970 found Roy Harper producing his fourth full-length LP, Flat Baroque and Berserk. It also found him cutting out the somewhat clumsy, group-oriented sounds found on Come Out Fighting Genghis Smith and Folkjokeopus and returning to the folky, acoustic sounds that typified his first album, as well as markedly focusing on the poetic lyrical heights that he was obviously capable of. As a result, Flat Baroque and Berserk is his strongest album since his debut, Sophisticated Beggar, and the first in a long line of mind-blowing classics that spanned the 1970's.

The album opens with "Don't You Grieve," a new spin on the Jesus/Judas story, told from Judas' point of view. Right away, it's obvious that Roy hasn't lost his trademark sense of humor, but where his irreverence tended to detract on earlier albums, the irony and cleverness here ties in with songs that have serious meaning--digging at religion. This occasional combination of humor and seriousness is one of Roy's trademarks, and this album is when it really starts working. Plus, "Don't You Grieve" is a pretty rocking song. Between tracks one and two is a snippet of Roy's legendary, rambling between-song banter, an essential part of this album and a glimpse into Roy's inimitable live show. Track two, "I Hate the White Man" might be Roy's most controversial song (and that's saying a lot when you talk about Roy!), a burning mini-epic that lambastes the arrogance of white culture from the inside out. In a lot of ways, "I Hate the White Man" takes up where Folkjokeopus' "McGoohan's Blues" (which saved the album and showed the dizzying heights he could reach) left off--Roy really came alive, showing his gift for breathtaking, incandescent lyrics, his skill at skewering the deluded, and an edgy use of his incomparable voice. When you hear songs like these, you start to wonder why more people don't know about Harper's music.

The first two songs are classic tunes, but through the entire rest of the album there isn't a weak track (I'll talk about "Hell's Angels" a bit later). The deceptively light "Feeling All the Saturday" juxtaposes images of Roy's infant son with images of Roy resting his "toes on the horizon"--the song was written after Roy was told by a doctor that he only had a short time to live (he was plagued by a cardiovascular disorder that was only just cured in the early 2000's and repeatedly threatened his life). "How Does it Feel" is another classic, with a soaring vocal and some great verse-to-verse rhymes. Roy's fingerstyle acoustic playing is in good form on songs like "Davey" and "Francesca," showing hints of his inimitable style and his more progressive work to come. "Tom Tiddler's Ground" is another great tune that Roy still plays live, with a mysterious lyric and a great recorder accompaniment. The song also has a classic Roy moment--when the engineer tells him the tape is "Rolling," Roy responds, "A joint? Well you better had be then, hadn't you?" The album closes with one of Roy's classic throwaways--"Hell's Angels." Until the end, it's an entirely acoustic and subtle album, until the heavy lumbering rock of "Hell's Angels" breaks the spell. It's one of the funniest album closers ever--Roy intentionally spoiling his own vibe--but it's also a potent commentary on the Angels and contains the classic line; "Free speech!! One each!!" Yet another instance of Roy paradoxically creating meaningful throwaways, and displaying an eccentricity and brilliance unmatched by any of his peers.

Overall, Flat Baroque and Berserk is one of Roy's first records that really works from start to finish (with the exception of Sophisticated Beggar), and it remains today as glittering as the day it was released. Science Friction's remaster sounds flawless. If you're just approaching Roy's music for the first time, this is a great place to start, since it's accessible, but also shows most of Roy's greatest qualities--lyrics, musicianship, wit, and voice, and hints to the out-there progressive folk territory he would soon map on his magnum opus, Stormcock.
Let Me Tell You More
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Richie Milton is king of R & B!
Let Me Tell You More
Richie Milton & The Lowdown
Manufacturer: Resurgence UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Blues | Styles | Music
Electric Blues GuitarElectric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music
Modern BluesModern Blues | Blues | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music
BluesBlues | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005NTKM
Release Date: 2001-11-13

Tracks:

  1. Keep My Engine Clean
  2. In Temptation I'll Be Strong
  3. Walking Your Shoes
  4. Reaching For Diamonds
  5. You Don't Shake It
  6. Let Me Tell You More
  7. Moonlight And Midnight
  8. I See Love
  9. Speechless
  10. Don't Walk Away
  11. Who's Been Teaching You?
  12. Crazy Ole Man
  13. Stay Here And Dance

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Richie Milton is king of R & B!.......2003-06-08

What a strong 3rd Album, this guys new CD is out soon, buy it as soon as its released, this tracks are superb.

Keep My Engine Clean 2. In Temptation I'll Be Strong
3. Walking Your Shoes
4. Reaching for Diamonds
5. You Don't Shake It
After I played his 1st cd i was hooked, now Ive booked him for my club twice, wish there was more!!!

Music:

  1. But The Girl's The Same
  2. Caveman
  3. Darkness and the Machine, Vol. II
  4. Deuce [Explicit Lyrics]
  5. Diamond Dogs [Import] [Limited Edition]
  6. Documenting the Sound of Relay Recording(s)
  7. Doolittle [Import]
  8. Driftwood [CD-single] [Import]
  9. Drip Fed Fred Pt. 1
  10. eclipse

Music

music

Music

Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws

Irwin Bazelon: Trajectories; Spires; Legends and Love Letters

German Brass: On Stage Overtures

Kruder & Dorfmeister Session

Mind Games

Let's Get Loud [CD-single] [Import]

Jambo and Other Call & Response Songs and Chants

Mozart: Piano Concertos K453

Album Review: 'Round the Table Again

Gotas de Piel

Neti Neti Audio Letter Remix

Juliette Greco [Original recording remastered] [Import]

Lola's Theme [CD-single]

Bricks in My Pillow

Home Grown! The Beginner's Guide to Understanding the Roots, Vol. 1