[.ca] Stormcock

Weathercock Points to Superb:
Back in the day, you could actually buy this LP as a cut-out for $3.49 or less. When you hear it, and reflect on the fact that we now have to pay $$13.00 for the CD, you will feel sick. Of course he was under-appreciated then. Yeah, like he is appreciated now. DO NOT be mis-led by the fact that the down-load for pay services don't have his early stuff. Bullinamingvase, Folkjokeopus, are the princes in Harper's discology, where Stormcock reigns as king. Not exactly representative of his work, it is not a radical departure, a blending of jazz vocal stylings with his innate British folk sensibilities and a pinch of rock stylings thrown in for good measure, it compares more to John Martyn than anything, except more folky. It is very hard to describe, you have to hear it, because "unique" truly fits this one. Another comparison might be Tim Buckley. Get the picture? ....other uniques? Very intense: if anything in the rock genre brings tears to you, this might; if anything inspires you this will; it's in my top 10 all-time along-side the likes of Buddy Holly, David Bowie, Beatles. 5 stars because I can't give 10. If you still don't get it, stop reading reviews.

This CD is great!:
This is one of those amazing albums that you stumble upon totally by accident. I remember reading about this record in the All Music Guide, and thinking, well it sounds ok, but who cares? When i finally listened to it I was blown away. This album is enjoyable for prog rock fans and folk fans. Prog Rock fanns will enjoy it because it is epic sounding and all of the songs have several movements. Folk fans will appreciate it because it does not have any rock and roll elements, even though the songs are long this is still a 100% folk album. Anyway, regardless of what genres you like, this album is amazing and anyone who likes creative music, should enjoy it.

Sound of times past - still sounds good:
I purchased Stormcock (on vinyl) when it was first released many years ago. Fortunately I owned a good turntable, so even though I played the LP for years it is still in good condition (but now in storage). Now we are blessed by the wonders of technology ... no longer do we have to worry about wearing out our precious relics from the past ... I have the CD, and I intend to give it a darn good thrashing for a good few years to come! I was (and am) a quietly dedicated Roy Harper fan, and I purchased all his releases that were available to me in Australia. Of these many recordings, Stormcock is the star... This is Roy Harper at his absolute best ... his tour de force if you like. When they ship me off to the nursing-home (and that might be sooner than I like to think), what will I take with me? ... Well, my Bible of course, and I like to imagine that I'll have the Stormcock CD tucked away there as well - if my ears have packed up by then, I'll get an 'audio in' socket hard wired directly into my brain ... If you don't own this CD, you are a lesser person than you should be - buy it - create a demand - put Roy in the top 100! Listen to Stormcock - you will grow from the experience!

LEADING A HORSE TO WATER:
This record is really like none other. It's completely unclassifiable and yet, undeniably listenable. Fans of Led Zepplin (which I'm not), Richard Thompson (which I am) & Pink Floyd (no comment)should do themselves a big favor & pick this up. The same goes for Beatle fans. Passionate, ambitious and astoundingly well played, STORMCOCK is quite simply one of the most mesmerizing albums I've ever heard (& I've heard alot!). Next to the Beatles' ABBEY ROAD, I've yet to hear anything so deleriously passionate. So sprawling, yet so together. Epic, yet simple. If hard pressed, I'd say this is a Folk album at heart. Strings, vocal effects, piano & the dexterous hands of Jimmy Page come in & out, but at the root is Harper's acoustic guitar & stream of concious lyrics. With a voice that faintly resembles John Lennon & armed with guitar playing that would make Nick Drake dizzy, Harper lays it all on the line. In 4 mind bendingly long tracks, he bares his soul, rips his guts out & then walks out of the studio with his heart bleeding off his sleeve. Needless to say there is not a dull moment. "Hors d' Ouevres" starts things off lamenting over that sad old cliche, "You can't lead a horse to water". I'd be hard pressed to say what the song's about, but the mystery is part of the charm. I suppose at times, Pink Floyd fans would say this one sounds like something off DARK SIDE OF THE MOON. Only without the mad-man schtick & atmospheric contrivences. Just keep in mind Harper was an influence on them & not vice versa. Songs don't end so much as drift into one another. Though one can't really tell where one ends & another begins, next up is "The Same Old Rock". The acoustic guitar here would give Segovia a run for his money & the lyrics are as baffling as they are haunting. Oh, I could go on & on. When he yelps, "you don't need a gun man, we're already dead!", it's guaranteed to stop you in your tracks. "Me & My Woman" ends it all on a surrealistically epic note, keeping the listener on pins & needles with some truely dramatic shifts in time & rythmn. Roy Harper is a respected figure in England whom has recieved scant recognition on these shores. And I have to confess, I haven't heard much of his previous or subsequent work. After listening to this, I'm loathe to. I can't imagine he could top this & judging from his liner notes, he humbly seems to admit the same. Believe any hype, this is a masterpeice. There's nothing quite like it. Recorded over 30 years ago, STORMCOCK could be considered of one of those records, critics love to call, "seminal". I suppose it's right up there with Captain Beefheart's TROUT MASK REPLICA, only a 1000 times more melodic & listenable. I'd liken it more to something like David Bowie's "Bewley Brothers" going on for over 40 spellbinding minutes. Wihtout a doubt, a major influence on Zepplin, Floyd & countless others---Harper's name deserves to be remembered for this record alone. A perfect merger of the accesible & the unacessible. As T.S. Elliot once said, a stunning "raid on the inarticulate".

A Masterpiece!:
If you are still on the outside of the Roy Harper universe, this is your doorway - don't think twice, buy it, listen and revel in it! Stormcock will make you wonder why more people haven't heard of Roy Harper. You will not be dissapointed!!

• Hors d'Oeuvres
• Same Old Rock
• One Man Rock and Roll Band
• Me and My Woman