Favourite Albums

Back in 1970 I was at journalism college in Harlow, Essex. At that time the social secretary of the technical college was a guy called Steve Clarke who, like me, came from Norwich.

I believe that he now works as a freelance entertainment writer. Anyway Steve was excellent at getting the top bands of the day for Saturday night concerts.

So it was that on one cold autumnal night I went to see a band called Barclay James Harvest. I had never heard of them before. There must have been about three support acts on that night. All were pretty dreadful and at one point I considered going home.

Then BJH came on stage and their music was full of atmosphere and the superb guitar work of John Lees. They had just released Barclay James Harvest and Other Short Stories. But the memories of that evening mainly surrounded music from Once Again which contained for me the best three tracks they have ever put together - namely "Mockingbird," "Galadriel" and "She Said." To me this was a new kind of rock. I was stunned by that evening and the following Monday went out and bought all three of their albums.

Once Again has remained my favourite album ever since. It still conjures up memories of the early 70s and my early 20s. I still play this album with all the lights off. I just put my feet up and love it. Mockingbird is in addition my favourite all time rock track and I don't think it will ever be beaten.

Thank you BJH for those memories and I'm still a fan after almost 30 years and yes they are still recording.

I intend writing about more of my favourite albums shortly. In the meantime here is my provisional top 25 of all time. I will change and add to this as I work through my collection and my memories.

1. Once Again - Barclay James Harvest
2. Hunky Dory - David Bowie
3. The Innocent Age - Dan Fogelberg
4. Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield
5. After the Goldrush - Neil Young
6. Matthews Southern Comfort - Matthews Southern Comfort
7. Every Picture Tells A Story - Rod Stewart
8. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars - David Bowie
9. Judith - Judy Collins
10. Surfs Up - The Beach Boys
11. Fog on the Tyne - Lindisfarne
12. Just and Old Fashioned Love Song - Paul Williams
13. Dance Band on the Titanic - Harry Chapin
14. The Yard Went on Forever - Richard Harris
15. Aladdin Sane - David Bowie
16. Friends - The Beach Boys
17. Harvest - Neil Young
18. And Other Short Stories - Barclay James Harvest
19. Crime of the Century - Supertramp
20. Pet Sounds - Beach Boys
21. Short Stories - Harry Chapin
22. Love - Love
23. Between Today and Yesterday - Alan Price
24. Canons in the Rain - John Stewart
25. Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
26. America - America
27. Meddle - Pink Floyd

    

Many people reading my list of favourite albums will feel that I am stuck in a 70s time-warp and maybe they are correct.

I like tothink that the early 70s were the golden age of rock music - where originality reigned.

I first began to become interested in Bowie's music at Grammar School. Whilst my friends were into Black Sabbath and Deep purple, I wanted something a little more challenging. Here then was this London boy with a quirky Tony Newley style voice who seemed to have something about him.

Space Oddity, The Man Who Sold the World - there was certainly something fresh and then he metamorphasised into Ziggy Stardust. Before that, however, Bowie produced an absolute classic album.

I saw him numerous times in the 70s but my greatest memory was a concert at Harlow Playhouse probably in 1972 when he mixed an acoustic first half set with an electric second half featuring material from Ziggy Stardust.

The first half had a smattering of Jacques Brel, but mainly songs from Hunky Dory and I was smitten. I have been a fan ever since and would argue that no other artist has ever brough out a trio of albums of such overall brilliance as Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane.

Here was an artist who was prepared to move boundaries - to push rock into new artistic areas and somebody who obviously was destined for a long career.

Bowie's ability to re-invent himself has kept him alive and fresh and Hunky Dory still remains my second favourite album of all time. There is no waste, no dross on here and some classic Bowie songs such as "Changes" "Oh You Pretty Things," and "Life on Mars" and "Kooks" rub shoulders with harder rockers such as "Queen Bitch."