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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
It's very nice to see Polydor finally re-issueing BJH's classic mid-70s albums. Probably most buyers will be old gits like me revisiting their past, but what else are CDs for ? As a teenager I was a big BJH fan. Later I was a bit embarassed about it. Now I can take a balanced view! "Octoberon", like so many BJH albums, has got "almost but not quite" written all over it. If _only_ they had worked with a good strong-willed producer who could have curbed their indulgences they could have really cleaned up (sounds mad but John Cale would have been an interesting choice). Octoberon has got some absolute classic songs on it - "Rock'n'Roll Star", the best of BJH's series of "West Coast" songs has a cool, persistent vibe and a bittersweet theme which easily matches up to the Eagles. "The World Goes On" and "Mayday" are early BJH updated with a pared-down sound (despite the orchestra & choir). "Mayday" is probably one of John Lees' best songs. The rest, well Polk Street Rag lets Lees show that he can inspire air guitar as well as anyone. "Believe in Me" is just sweet. "Suicide?" is...well finally what is it ? It has to be at least part tongue in cheek - the "please for god's sake let me move my car" line for example! Which leaves "Ra". Hmm. By this point every BJH album had to have a Wooly Wolstenholme track which was way out of touch with the rest. Ra is actually pretty good in parts - the middle part has some organ which Pink Floyd would be proud of - but the intro / outro are awful over the top dirges that the rest of the band must have cringed at. Clearly WW has frustrated and trying to cram a whole album into one song. When he had space, on his solo "Maestoso", he produced some gorgeous stuff, but at this point with BJH he was a fish out of water.
Anyway, buy this album if only to hear some of the best work of one of most underated guitarists in British rock.
Anyway, buy this album if only to hear some of the best work of one of most underated guitarists in British rock.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
If, like me, you're already familiar with this album but decided to purchase it for the improved sound quality then you won't be disappointed. All instruments and vocals are crystal clear, as you'd expect from a modern remastering, though at times it's like a different album after years of listening to an inferior copy.
If you're just interested in the bonus tracks then I'd save your money. To be honest I couldn't tell much difference from the original versions, with the exception of the TOTP recording of Rock 'n' Roll Star. In fact I began to think they'd put the same tracks on twice by mistake.
Highly recommended for the sound improvement but loses a star for the bonus tracks.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I am surprised that i am the first person to review this underground classic. From the sweeping majesty of World goes on to the heartbreaking beauty/sadness of Suicide this album never fails to impress. Clearly a product of it's time it nevertheless creates an ambience all of its own, a slow burning, smokey candle of an album that demands to be listened to again and again. Lyrically and musically provocative, "Felt the hand push, felt the air rush, felt the sidewalk, fell in line". Classic!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The BJH prog classic.
It has taken many years to replace my record collection onto CD; all the essential ones I had already replaced, however there were a few that were questionable! Read more
Published 14 months ago by C. B. Young
All Time Favourite
In their day Barclay James Harvest were a huge band, perhaps like U2 at their height, and they packed out the concert halls and every LP was awaited with baited breath. Read more
Published on 23 Mar 2010 by Alan Burridge
One of their better albums
The opening song is a gentle acoustic ballad with a memorable melody and good lyrics. It's followed by an equally good tune called Mayday. Read more
Published on 23 Aug 2009 by The Soft Machine Operator
More exquisite doom and gloom
For a band that insist on reminding us of the bad things in life, BJH make some beautifully textured, mellow rock. Read more
Published on 10 Oct 2006 by D. J. H. Thorn
70s Classic
Despite the problems which would later beset the band, the classic 1976 album 'Octoberon' captures Barclay James Harvest at the height of their powers. Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2003
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