Barclay James Harvest - BBC In Concert 1972

Remastered 2002 set with BJH on top prog form

Briefly released and then withdrawn due to licensing issues, this eight-song set sees the Oldham quartet firing on all cylinders, backed by an orchestra and showcasing material from their then-new Baby James Harvest, as well as some old favourites. The clarity of the remastered set is a big improvement on its predecessor, with crystal percussion shimmering on the opening Mockingbird, along with bright guitar, parping brass and strings and rolling drums.

That majestic rock classic is followed by an inflated and moderated take on Medicine Man, with the harmonies slightly off, but swept along by the strings. The sweet Galadriel also shines, before the bold and contemplative political commentary of Summer Soldier and melancholic The Poet. It segues into the monumental war critique, After The Day, before keyboardist Woolly Wolstenholme renders his tense gothic Moonwater, and the band close with the 12-minute aural spectacle of Dark Now My Sky – a dramatic prog tableau with numerous crescendos and requisite pomp.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

EMI | tbc

Reviewed by Tim Jones
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