Hats Off To (Roy)Harper

[Mike Boom]

1966 – Sophisticated Beggar
1968 – Come Out Fighting Ghengis Smith
1969 – Folkjokeopus
1970 – Flat Baroque and Berserk
1971 – Stormcock
1973 – Lifemask
1974 – Valentine
1974 – Flashes from the Archives of Oblivion (live)
1975 – HQ
1977 – Bullinamingvase

Yes, he's the vocalist on "Have A Cigar," yes Zeppelin have a song titled after him, but those are mere blips on the radar of an astonishing career and the run of albums above from the debut in 66 to 77's masterpiece "Bullinamingvase" (or One Of Those Days In England in the US) contain some of the most outrageously brilliant songs with the most poetic and stunning lyrics ever put to music. Rank the albums above and/or give us your thoughts on Roy here ...

[Quaco]

The four I know best are

Folkjokeopus
Stormcock
Lifemask
HQ

All have incredible high points -- invariably the most ambitious parts -- and none is more ambitious than Lifemask's "The Lord's Prayer"! What an incredible creation.

[The Fish]

...to 77's masterpiece "Bullinamingvase" (or An Old Cricketeer Leaves The Crease in the US) ...

Isn't When An Old Cricketer a US version of HQ rather than Bullinamingvase. I thought Bullimamingvase was released over there as One Of Those Days In England?

In any case both albums are great and I'd extend the run to include The Unknown Soldier

[yomptepi]

Wasn't there a load of fuss about him being a mackerel at some point. I am sure I remember him being accused of being a Johnson or some such.

[Mike Boom]

Mike Boom wrote:
...to 77's masterpiece "Bullinamingvase" (or An Old Cricketeer Leaves The Crease in the US) ...


Isn't When An Old Cricketer a US version of HQ rather than Bullinamingvase. I thought Bullimamingvase was released over there as One Of Those Days In England?

In any case both albums are great and I'd extend the run to include The Unknown Soldier

You are correct in both cases.

Wasn't there a load of fuss about him being a mackerel at some point. I am sure I remember him being accused of being a Johnson or some such.

Aye, and found innocent.

[Mike Boom]

Corrected
Theres lots of good stuff after 77 too of course, but its rather more hidden.

[Darkness_Fish]

I saw him supporting Joanna Newsom a few years back, he was a huge character with an enormous voice and a cutting sense of humour. To then hear how tame and anaemic his albums were in comparison was so disappointing.

[Mike Boom]

I saw him supporting Joanna Newsom a few years back, he was a huge character with an enormous voice and a cutting sense of humour. To then hear how tame and anaemic his albums were in comparison was so disappointing.

He is tremendous live indeed, but I wouldn't call any of those albums above tame and anaemic.

[yomptepi]

Mike Boom wrote:
...to 77's masterpiece "Bullinamingvase" (or An Old Cricketeer Leaves The Crease in the US) ...


Isn't When An Old Cricketer a US version of HQ rather than Bullinamingvase. I thought Bullimamingvase was released over there as One Of Those Days In England?

In any case both albums are great and I'd extend the run to include The Unknown Soldier

You are correct in both cases.

Wasn't there a load of fuss about him being a mackerel at some point. I am sure I remember him being accused of being a Johnson or some such.

Aye, and found innocent.

Odd how good news like that only ever occupies 2% of the space the accusations got in the first place, isn't it?

[Mike Boom]

Odd how good news like that only ever occupies 2% of the space the accusations got in the first place, isn't it?

Exactly Yomp, its funny that innit ?

In any case both albums are great and I'd extend the run to include The Unknown Soldier

Was just listening to this, it is indeed a wee gem.

[soundchaser]

1966 – Sophisticated Beggar
1968 – Come Out Fighting Ghengis Smith
1969 – Folkjokeopus
1970 – Flat Baroque and Berserk
1971 – Stormcock
1973 – Lifemask
1974 – Valentine
1974 – Flashes from the Archives of Oblivion (live)
1975 – HQ
1977 – Bullinamingvase

Yes, he's the vocalist on "Have A Cigar," yes Zeppelin have a song titled after him, but those are mere blips on the radar of an astonishing career and the run of albums above from the debut in 66 to 77's masterpiece "Bullinamingvase" (or One Of Those Days In England in the US) contain some of the most outrageously brilliant songs with the most poetic and stunning lyrics ever put to music. Rank the albums above and/or give us your thoughts on Roy here ...

Cheers for this. I never really got into Roy Harper at the time, so I’m doing a bit of streaming now.

One Of These Days In England, is just magnificent, as is Harper’s vocal range: Roger Waters was greatly impressed, I can tell.

[Hugh]

Predictably, Roger was not impressed by Roy's vocal and feels he should have done it himself.

[soundchaser]

Predictably, Roger was not impressed by Roy's vocal and feels he should have done it himself.

Yeah, there was no way Waters could have nailed it the way Harper did.

[Phenomenal Cat]

Just started getting into some serious money collecting these things on vinyl. I found Folkjokeopus at a second-hand shop not too long ago, and then Amazon offered a spanking-new copy of Lifemask for $14.00(!) Everything else is listed at $45.00+ (Amazon.uk isn't much better), so I started dealing direct with Roy Harper Shop. There, the LPs are only £15.50. Had Flat Baroque and Berserk shipped from Cork (customs slip signed by someone named 'Harper') and have additionally ordered Stormcock and HQ. Now Playing: Man & Myth. He's good.

[Phenomenal Cat]

I picked this up on a lark because it was cheap (and a double LP to boot). This is powerful stuff.

[pcqgod]

I'm only familiar with 'Stormcock.'

[Mike Boom]

I picked this up on a lark because it was cheap (and a double LP to boot). This is powerful stuff.

Indeed, its great, hoping he will release another new album at some time , but there are plenty of gems in the back catalogue for sure. Been playing Valentine a lot lately which is of course brilliant.

[Phenomenal Cat]

I am still awaiting a vinyl reissue of Valentine. I'm not sure if it's my favorite, but it is the most accessible.

[Phenomenal Cat]

[Ghost of Harry Smith]

I am still awaiting a vinyl reissue of Valentine. I'm not sure if it's my favorite, but it is the most accessible.

Valentine is my favourite. I hunted down a vinyl copy about 20 years ago after reading Jim O'Rourke explain why it's one of his favourite albums.

I also own Lifemask and Stormcock but find them a bit grandiose and laboured in comparison to Valentine. Most of his albums have at least one OTT epic on them but I prefer his quieter, more measured songs like 'I'll See You Again' and the earlier 'Another Day'. Man or Myth is great, must give it a spin.