Barclay James Harvest  –  Live

At the time an interest in the English band Barclay James Harvest was a bit unusual, moving me well away from the mainstream – no ‘glitter & the rouge’ with these Northern lads that is for sure. In some ways it was quite natural I should see what they had to offer as they were formed around Oldham just over the moors from my hometown of Darwen. Not one of the country’s cultural high spots it is true, but BJH were a gem found in that bleak moorland area. Anyone of a certain age will remember that BJH were always condescendingly referred to as ‘The Poor Man’s Moody Blues’. They even wrote a song with that title. True, in their early days there was a certain Moody Blues pretentiousness about them but by the time of this Live album they were to my mind head and shoulders above Moody Blues and had a style completely their own.

The song writing was strong and at times quite sensitive. Combining these lyrics with some melodic, almost classical tunes the effect was stunning and particularly when seen live in Concert. Much of their energies and resources went into their live shows but drained the patience to some extent of the record company accountants. I feel this album captures the spirit and appeal of the band perhaps more than their studio albums. Listening back to it nearly fifty years later I can say that it has worn well. My memories of their live shows are well captured and still sound fresh and innovative – no ‘Poor Man’s Moody Blues’ at all.

The album captures a live performance from 1974 from Drury Lane London and Liverpool that sounds quite seamless and a little like a concept album telling a story. That is probably close to the mark as the time period had an obsession with concept albums and you sense BJH wanted a stage show that followed a pattern. Musically it does and has some delightful moments that burst with orchestral type riffs that were their trademark. Introductions were a strong point and all the work up front was underpinned by some ferocious drumming from Mel Pritchard who could just as easily slip into delicate, soulful drumming on the sensitive parts. Les Holroyd’s guitar style is unique, lilting along with the flow before breaking out to the front of the mix with a robust riff or solo. The sound was gorgeously underpinned by the keyboards – Mellotron especially – of Woolly Wolstenholme, creating a distinct atmosphere. The light and shade created by these creatively talented musicians was their trademark and although quite a 70’s style that had many imitators they still sound wonderfully innovative today. Now, I mean this in a good way, Northern humour not withstanding, – they reminded me visually a little of the Muppet Show band, all pounding away in a world of their own, but BJH would always be producing a glorious harmonic whole.

The song writing was exceptional with John Lees taking most of the credits with Les Holroyd & Woolly Wolstenholme adding material and some collaboration from all of the band. Looking back from this distance it is the poignancy of their writing that stands out. They were a fine tight unit for many years. Sadly, their heady success in the UK was of a relatively limited duration and their strongest fan base was of course around Manchester and Lancashire. As a live band they would fill up halls around the country on their annual Autumn shows. They strangely and wonderfully went on to have remarkable success in Europe and especially in Germany where they are revered. In 1980 they played to some 175,000 fans in Berlin by the historic Reichstag. Later, just before the wall came down they enthralled an even larger audience in East Berlin. For a Western band this was an amazing, unheard-of event. Listening back, I can sense why they became popular in Germany. They fitted the time period and the atmosphere in a divided Germany. The later classic song ‘Berlin’ shows that they understood the city and the country – they were loved for it.

I saw BJH many times in concert and when in Manchester, always to a packed audience at the Apollo or the Free Trade Hall. However, in contrast to the 175,000 they appeared to in Berlin there was another concert that was somewhat lacking in attendees. One of the dates on their tour around 1974 was in Blackpool at the Opera House (if my memory serves me well). The weather was appalling, truly apocalyptic, eventually making travel virtually impossible. We however had headed to Blackpool earlier in the day and were on site before the weather turned really nasty. As showtime approached it was still possible to count very quickly just how many people were in the hall. We reckoned it to be around 50 hardy souls. To their credit BJH came on stage, asked everyone to ignore their seat numbers and just come to front.  We were thrilled as they then played the full show as if the hall was packed. I can’t remember how we got home but what a special, unexpected gig this was.

They were at their best as a live band, having a real bond and rapport with their audience and this they developed in the great success they achieved in Germany. They were also generous in their respect for their fans, you could always be sure that they would play at least an Autumn tour all around the country and often a Spring one as well. We would always try to go, even if we had only seen them a few months earlier.

A wonderful band, an underrated one by the Southern dominated music press in the UK but a part of my musical life that I treasure. Their music is readily available to stream – I recommend that you have a listen. They wear it well.

My other ‘reviews’ from my Vinyl collection can be read by this link

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