Esoteric Recordings / Cherry Red Records has recently turned its attention to the Polydor discography of melodic prog giants BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST for the reissue of their acclaimed 1977’s LP “Gone To Earth“, featuring a 24-bit Remastered Original Stereo Mix on one disc, and a New Stereo Mix & Bonus Tracks on the other.
It’s great to hear the original album finely remastered, but the star here is the New Stereo Mix which is awesome, fuller, and utilizing different multi-track parts never used.
As requested, here’s ”Gone To Earth [Remastered & Expanded Edition including New Stereo Mix & Bonus Tracks]” featured in exclusive at plotn08.
A No. 30 hit in the United Kingdom, “Gone To Earth” (BJH’s fifth for Polydor, overall, including a live set) was wildly popular in Germany, where it peaked at No. 10 and remained in the charts for an astonishing 197 weeks. David Rohl co-produced with the band, this time emphasizing shorter songs.
One of the song on this LP, John Lees’ “Hymn,” became one of the group’s most enduring compositions. The dynamic track was written by Lees as an anti-drug song as it built from gentility to grandiosity. An unforgettable opening track, it also became a turntable hit in Germany.
Lees penned four songs in total, such as the romantically-inclined rocker “Love is Like a Violin” and the Moody Blues-inspired “Poor Man’s Moody Blues.”
The sweet “Nights in White Satin” became a favorite in Germany – particularly at wedding receptions. Les Holroyd wrote four songs on ”Gone to Earth”, once again drawing on folk influences for the uptempo “Friend of Mine”, and addressing environmental themes on “Spirit on the Water.”
Wooly Wolstenholme only contributed one song, but the epic “Sea of Tranquility” was a choice one.
This reissue features on Disc One a remaster of the original stereo mix of ”Gone To Earth” plus four bonus cuts: the outtake “Lied”, the B-side “Our Kid’s Kid,” and the single versions of “Hymn” and “Friend of Mine.”
Disc Two has the new stereo mix as well as the 1977 recording “Loving is Easy” and a new mix of “Our Kid’s Kid.” The album sounds modernized, still retaining its essence. The sound quality is terrific.
The album has been remastered from the original master tapes by Paschal Byrne, housed in digipak.
BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST’s brand of Proggy Harmony Rock was never as cool as say Supertramp or as edge-bending and ear-catching as Yes or as commercially clued-in as say The Moody Blues – but they had a special touch: elegance.
“Gone To Earth” is perhaps their most accessible album, showcasing some of the best and most enduring music created by the original Barclay James Harvest.
HIGHLY Recommended
CD1 Gone To Earth (24-bit Remastered Original Stereo Mix):
01 – Hymn
02 – Love Is Like a Violin
03 – Friend Of Mine
04 – Poor Man’s Moody Blues
05 – Hard Hearted Woman
06 – Sea Of Tranquility
07 – Spirit On The Water
08 – Leper’s Song
09 – Taking Me Higher
10 – Lied (Gone To Earth ’77 sessions) [bonus track]
11 – Our Kid’s Kid (Gone To Earth ’77 sessions) [bonus track]
12 – Hymn (Single Edit) [bonus track]
13 – Friend Of Mine (single version) [bonus track]
CD2 Gone To Earth (New Stereo Mix & Bonus Tracks):
01 – Hymn
02 – Love Is Like A Violin
03 – Friend Of Mine
04 – Poor Man’s Moody Blues
05 – Hard Hearted Woman
06 – Sea Of Tranquility
07 – Spirit On The Water
08 – Leper’s Song
09 – Taking Me Higher
10 – Loving Is Easy (1977 version) [bonus track]
11 – Our Kid’s Kid [bonus track]
John Lees – vocals, guitars
Les Holroyd – vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards
Stuart “Woolly” Wolstenholme – vocals, mellotron, keyboards
Mel Pritchard – drums, percussion