Roy Harper
"Flat, Baroque and Berserk"
Harvest/EMI Records
Released 1970
Best known for his high-profile fans like Ian Anderson, Jimmy Page (who dedicated the Led Zeppelin song "Hats Off To (Roy) Harper" to him) and David Gilmour (who invited him to sing lead vocals on the Pink Floyd hit "Have a Cigar"), folksinger Roy Harper has been a fringe figure on the British music scene for over 40 years. He has also recently been rediscovered by the current crop of "freak folk" singers like Joanna Newsom, who performed with him in London in 2007.
"Flat, Baroque" is his fourth album, a curious blend of whimsy and righteous anger, that doesn't quite hang together. The best moments on the album are the shortest and longest tracks - "Francesca" and "Davey" clock in at less than 90 seconds each and are beautiful, tight melodies.
Contrasting is "I Hate the White Man" - an eight-minute epic that examines the history and justification of prejudice in convoluted, Dylanesque wordplay. The powerful tune, recorded live for the album, is reminiscent of Phil Ochs' bleak examination of American history, "When in Rome."
In "Tom Tiddler's Ground" you can hear the roots of Jethro Tull's acoustic explorations, and the song is another high point to "Flat Baroque" despite its vaguely obscene-sounding title.
The album closing "Hell's Angels" is another interesting detour - a full electric jam with British proggers The Nice. Harper's effects-drenched guitar provides a nice contrast to some surprisingly tasteful organ playing from Keith Emerson.
The rest of the album, unfortunately, doesn't register. Songs like "East of the Sun" are pleasant, but not memorable - kind of like Donovan when he's not in his childlike hippie persona.
Harper is at his best when he's taking chances - even if they fail, they are interesting. But when it comes to a basic three-minute folk song, he simply doesn't stand out in a crowd populated by the likes of Dylan, Ochs, Mitchell, et. al.
Buy "Flat, Baroque And Berserk"
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