Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Barclay James Harvest
Label: Polydor Records
Release: 1977
Runtime: 39:50
Rating: 4/5
“Gone To Earth” is a major milestone in the career of British melodic prog rockers Barclay James Harvest, since it brought them their biggest success in Central Europe, especially in Germany, where they were always warmly welcomed, unlike the stepmotherly treatment they got from their homeland. The irony is that their greatest commercial success came just as their best creative period was slowly coming to an end. In every respect, “Gone To Earth” is a genuine BJH classic, which is also reflected in the lovely, pastoral-tinged cover art, a kind of mirror image of the music inside.
The partnership between guitarist/vocalist John Lees and bassist/vocalist Les Holroyd once again produced some of the most beautiful BJH compositions on this record, with plenty of acoustic arrangements and mighty vocal harmonies, while keyboardist/vocalist Woolly Wolstenholme took care of the majestic orchestral arrangements, which subtly and unpretentiously give individual songs a strong symphonic rock backdrop. Drummer Mel Pritchard admittedly was never one of the technically most accomplished prog rock drummers, but he always had a great feel for spirited transitions and special percussive touches, which were consistently built on an obvious melodic foundation.
The album contains quite a few BJH evergreens, and the standout is the opening power ballad “Hymn”, which, alongside “Mocking Bird”, is perhaps even their most recognizable classic. The main driving force behind this positive-minded wake-up call is guitarist and vocalist John Lees, who conjures up a majestic atmosphere with gentle acoustic guitar chords. Even though over the years it has become established as an almost traditional Christmas song with Christian-flavored lyrical metaphors, at its core it is actually a warning about drug abuse and its chilling consequences. The song has an interesting history, as they had intended to include it on their third studio album “BJH And Other Short Stories” (1971), but they put that off for a full six years.
“Love Is Like a Violin” is John’s trademark love ballad with a lovely pastoral acoustic guitar melody and symphonic arrangements in the background. There’s nothing particularly innovative about it, but even after the test of time it’s still interesting enough for all the romantic souls among us. The next piece, “Friend Of Mine”, is Les’s answer to the love ballad, with a bouncy country melody that’s atypical for BJH, slightly out of context for the album, but thanks to the excellent singing and lovely acoustic arrangements it’s still solid enough not to feel out of place.
One of the nastiest ideas certain British music critics came up with about BJH’s sound was that they were really “The Moody Blues for beggars”. Fed up with that kind of sniping, they went for an ironic reply and recorded a song for “Gone To Earth” with the telling title “Poor Man’s Moody Blues”, which deliberately contains a reconstruction of The Moody Blues’ most beloved hit “Nights in White Satin”. John actually wrote it completely differently, deliberately keeping only the basic chord structure, so he ended up creating an entirely new song. The mood, the lyrical message and the orchestral backdrop are similar, though. So this superb composition was created as a sort of parody, but ironically, soon after release it became one of BJH’s indispensable classics.
The next Les creation, “Hard Hearted Woman”, is one of those gems that don’t get mentioned nearly often enough, which the bearded bassist and vocalist dedicated to one of those muses of his who were immune to all sorts of sweet talk. Here you can once again revel in some rather clever guitar ideas and splendid vocal harmonies. The symphonic prog rock appetizer “Sea Of Tranqulity”, which deals with the senselessness of the space race between the two Cold War rivals, is one of Woolly’s best BJH compositions ever. It’s also a chance for the legendary keyboardist, who was already thinking about leaving the band at that point, to shine with a succession of ethereal orchestral arrangements, while his melodramatic voice was always the most melancholic of BJH’s three singers and as such tailor-made for ‘telling’ dramatic stories.
The pastoral ballad “Spirit On the Water” continues BJH’s long-standing tradition of environmental wake-up calls. This time it’s a bitter critique of the delusions of the fur industry. The serene mood, built on acoustics and hypnotic vocal harmonies, easily conjures up images of unspoiled nature. The bouncy “Leper’s Song”, which features some spirited guitar phrases, is based on two short stories dealing with existentialist themes such as the phenomenon of burnout/stress and the loneliness of the individual in modern society. The closing “Taking He Higher” is another Les love ballad that’s nothing special, more of a ‘holy simplicity’ built on his protective falsetto vocals, ethereal harmonies and gentle orchestral arrangements, but regardless, a fairly fitting end to the album.
“Gone To Earth” was the legendary band’s big breakthrough in Central Europe, and even though their best creative years were slowly winding down by then, they still had enough juice left to leave a handful of timeless BJH classics on it. The golden years of prog rock were already history by then, but as long as the foursome stayed true to each other and the creative chemistry ran like a well-oiled engine, BJH remained a byword for quality right up to the end of the seventies and one of the most important bridge-builders between progressive and melodic rock.
Lineup
Les Holroyd – vocals, bass guitar, guitar
John Lees – vocals, guitar
Mel Pritchard – drums, percussion
Woolly Wolstenholme – keyboards, mellotron, vocals
Production
Barclay James Harvest, David Rohl
Tracklist
1. Hymn (5:06)
2. Love Is Like A Violin (4:03)
3. Friend Of Mine (3:30)
4. Poor Man’s Moody Blues (6:55)
5. Hard Hearted Woman (4:27)
6. Sea Of Tranquility (4:03)
7. Spirit On The Water (4:49)
8. Leper’s Song (3:34)
9. Taking Me Higher (3:07)
