Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Barclay James Harvest
Label: Esoteric Antenna
Release: 2013
Running time: 55:20
Rating: 4/5
The legendary English prog rockers Barclay James Harvest are one of those unfortunate bands that split into two factions because of friction between individual members, which in their case set off a number of fateful consequences. In 1998, guitarist/vocalist John Lees and bassist/vocalist Les Holroyd fell out over the future stylistic direction of these masters of orchestral-pastoral symphonic rock. Pop rocker Holroyd wanted to carry on with the more commercial, ‘pop’ direction of the eighties and the first half of the nineties, while Lees wanted to return to the symphonic prog rock roots of the ‘golden’ BJH days, meaning the seventies.
Drummer Mel Pritchard, sadly no longer with us (he died of a heart attack in 2004), joined Holroyd’s version of BJH, while Lees renewed his collaboration with former BJH keyboardist Stuart ‘Woolly’ Wolstenholme, another sadly departed member of the original foursome (he took his own life in 2010 after years of depression), in their own vision of this cult band. The differences in style and songwriting approach showed up right away with the first studio efforts of the two rival BJH factions.
While Lees’ first BJH album, »Nexus« (1999), got a relatively warm reception and can even be called the best BJH effort since the end of the seventies up to that point, the response to Holroyd’s BJH debut »Revolution Days« (2002) was, more or less as expected, pretty lukewarm, since stylistically it stayed stuck at a ‘dead end.’ Lees and Holroyd sadly never managed to bury the hatchet, not even after Pritchard’s and Wolstenholme’s deaths, so two different versions of BJH are still active today. Longtime fans and lovers of classic BJH favor Lees’ version of the band, which mostly plays in the UK and northern Europe (in recent years it has occasionally ventured into Germany and central Europe too) and plays all the biggest hits from the seventies, mostly the ones with the guitarist’s songwriting stamp, while Holroyd’s band tours mainly in Germany and central Europe, where it performs the most commercial BJH material live, especially the songs with the bassist’s authorial signature.
Not long after Wolstenholme’s death, Lees, realizing that there was less time for new studio adventures with every passing year, and with the gray hairs having won the war long ago, finally felt his songwriting inspiration wake up. Together with new keyboardist Jez Smith, bassist/additional vocalist Craig Fletcher and drummer Kevin Whitehead, two former members of Woolly’s solo band Maestoso, he started putting together completely new BJH material. Some of the ideas actually began taking shape while the cult keyboardist was still alive. These new pieces saw the light of day as a new John Lees’ Barclay James Harvest album titled »North«, which in many ways marks a stylistic return to the symphonic roots, especially when it comes to the vivid orchestral arrangements with which Lees’ band wrapped the melodic rock skeleton of the individual songs.
»North« also has plenty of elegant acoustic arrangements, since Lees has always been an excellent acoustic guitarist, and his vocals are surprisingly well preserved while still keeping that recognizable tone. Bassist Fletcher is also more than a decent singer, as you can tell already from the opening title track »If You Were Here Now«, which, like the whole album, is dedicated to the memory of the two late original BJH members. It’s easygoing melodic rock with a meaningful symphonic backdrop and dynamic vocal harmonies, just like most of BJH’s past output. Of course, the modern production does the lion’s share in making Lees’ band sound contemporary, so moments of nostalgia, where you get a whiff of the classic BJH era, aren’t all that frequent. Judging by the lyrics, which are full of memories of the past and youthful years, you’d actually expect the opposite, that the album is cemented somewhere in the distant past.
On »Ancient Waves« keyboardist Smith proves he has total mastery of building mighty ambient curtains, while Lees steps up as lead singer for the first time and shows that his voice is still very solidly preserved even in the 21st century. The art rock-flavored »In Wonderland« is marked by a witty guitar phrase and playful rhythms, while subtle symphonic arrangements further feed the generally laid-back atmosphere. This composition is also the only one on the album whose lyrics aren’t about nostalgia for bygone days but are tied to ‘cruel’ modernity, as it’s a biting social satire on addiction to modern mobile phones. The pastoral ballad »On Leave« surprises with its bluesy guitar passages and an appropriately melancholic atmosphere. Lees has always been a master at building inconsolable Anglo-Saxon, or rather Celtic, melancholy, and this one is quite reminiscent of some of his past BJH ballads.
On »The Real Deal,« where bassist Fletcher again shines on lead vocals, the band picks a somewhat punchier approach at just the right moment, led by a hefty guitar phrase and a shimmering layer of Hammond organ. What impresses most here is the superb melodic rock chorus that Fletcher’s voice seems made for, while the bandleader wows with an interesting guitar solo that reminds you he hasn’t lost his virtuoso skills over the years. Of all four original BJH members, Lees was the one with the greatest sense for the occasional, admittedly pretty rare, heavy rock adventure. The rousing anthem »On Top of the World« radiates patriotism, even though the lyrics are really just another tribute to the ‘good old days’ before the feuds broke out in the original band, and thanks to its mighty orchestral arrangements, with woodwinds taking center stage, it strongly recalls some BJH classic from their early period.
One of the best moments on »North« is without a doubt »Unreservedly Yours«, yet another pastoral, almost traditional BJH ballad, with a breath of folk thanks to gorgeous acoustic guitar arrangements, while Lees’ voice feels especially at home here. The excellent title track is structurally the most complex, progressive rock piece on the whole album, which goes for its ethereal and distinctly positive atmosphere too. The exchange of vocal harmonies between the two lead singers flows incredibly smoothly and is a real treat for the ears, while the majestic symphonic arrangements, in which the Mellotron plays a key role, sound like the best BJH days. Lees once again proves himself an outstanding guitar improviser who doesn’t lose his sense of refined melody for a second. All the skeptics among longtime BJH fans who weren’t convinced that Lees could still create anything particularly interesting in his old age will realize their mistake at the latest while listening to this title track. The distinctly ethereal »The End of the Day« is a short orchestral closer with narration by John, which recalls the ‘golden’ BJH era as well as the classic The Moody Blues, although Lees certainly wouldn’t like the comparison with the latter, since he’s been hearing similar remarks for most of his career.
With »North,« John Lees has managed to make the best Barclay James Harvest album since the end of the seventies, which is undoubtedly an achievement worthy of respect at his age. Over more than a decade of working with Fletcher and Whitehead, and with Smith making sure in a short time that Wolstenholme is hardly missed, the legendary guitarist and singer has developed excellent chemistry with his band. Most importantly, Lees’ new BJH sound current and fresh on »North« while still recalling the cult band with the mighty body of work that created its finest achievements in the seventies of the last century. John’s former comrade and, since 1998, fierce rival Les Holroyd, meanwhile, has already buried his hatchet in the ground, so to speak, and announced a new studio album from his BJH incarnation, due out sometime in mid-2014.
Lineup
John Lees – guitar, vocals
Craig Fletcher – bass guitar, vocals, backing vocals
Kevin Whitehead – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Jez Smith – keyboards
Production
John Lees
Track list
1. If You Were Here Now (5:48)
2. Ancient Waves (7:10)
3. In Wonderland (5:49)
4. On Leave (9:11)
5. The Real Deal (5:48)
6. On Top of the World (5:40)
7. Unreservedly Yours (4:51)
8. North (8:29)
9. The End of the Day (2:34)
