Search - Roy Harper :: Flashes From the Archives of Oblivion

The patron saint of Pink Floyd, Led Zep, and Jetrho Tull

10/17/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You're definately somebody when MaCartney, Jimmy Page, Ian Anderson, David Gilmour, and many others of the same caliber join you on your albums. Roy Harper was definately somebody. Of all the constellation of truly major artistes in the 70's, he's the one who didn't make it. Too idyosincratic, abrasive, complex, insightful, what-have-you, perhaps. Two things characterize his best music, however: a true genius for melody, sometimes rivalling even classical composers although armed only with an acoustic guitar, and secondly, a soaring, multi-ranged voice that anyone would sell his/her soul for. "Archives" is a fine collection, but the musts are "Stormcock", "Bullinaminvase", "When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease", and "Whatever Happened to Jugula". If you don't know his work and yearn for the quality of the aforementioned accompanying artists, this is your ticket to paradise (albeit a troubled one!). Roy isn't always great, obviously, but when he is, as on the above titles, all others leave much to be desired. Truly."

Some of Harper's best in a live setting -- excellent

10/09/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Recently, I was fortunate to actually see the rarely seen (in America) Roy Harper perform live to a handful of people in San Francisco at Bottom of the Hill. As I sat on the floor (we all did, at his polite request) and listened to "Commune" and "One Man Rock and Roll Band" and a host of other new and old songs, two ideas hit me (making the moment, and my memory of the entire evening since, resonate with a special pleasure): (1) Here I was witnessing a great songwriter give us a few hours of his time, and I had never thought I'd get to see Roy at all, and (2) I was fortunate enough to be with a friend who'd been in attendence at some of the concerts chronicled in "Flashes from the Archives of Oblivion." The show I saw was vintage Harper in every sense. The only thing that compares to an event/experience like that is a live album...Listening to Flashes, recorded in the early '70s with a little help from Harper's rock royalty friends, one hears some of Harper's best songs performed in their most ideal state: before a live, INTERACTING audience. Commune, Don't You Grieve, Male Chauvanist Pig Blues, 12 Hours of Sunset, these songs are expertly recorded, wonderfully performed with intense emotional pitch. The middle part of the journey, One Man Rock and Roll Band etc., is a tour de force through Harper's multi-layered sound experimentation -- acoustic guitars, echoing laughter, stories about boarding school, etc etc. This one must not be missed. The diligent will look for the now very healthy Harper making concert appearances in places he hasn't appeared since the '70s. Look out!"

But this record.

12/27/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Good old Roy, here at his best with some brilliant appearences from his many friends in the industry. The slide gutar by Jimmy Page on the last song of this record is awesome. If you are in any way a fan of singer songwriters then this record is a must as it showcases the best of the era and proves that fame and fortune are not related to talent. May Roy keep on smokin' for years to come."