Carol of Harvest - Carol of Harvest (1978)
Carol of Harvest's only album used to be one of those rare psych/folk LPs which commanded such stratospheric prices as to put it completely out of reach of the average collector. Fortunately, the album has been re-released in a gorgeous digipak format with a slew of bonus tracks for the benefit of those of us born into the CD generation. Thankfully, the album does not disappoint, and those who possess an affinity for warm folk rock with hints of symphonic progressive rock should put this obscurity high on their wish lists.
Although the album comes out of Germany in 1978, it really sounds to me like a British album from around 1970 or '71. The songs are based around warm, acoustic guitar melodies and the outstanding vocals of front woman Beate Krause, who possesses a magical, highly emotive delivery. Moog is the keyboard of choice here, and song climaxes are marked by towering solos of said instrument. The album has often been compared to folk-rock like Mellow Candle and Trees, but I also hear an early British symphonic quality reminiscent of Cressida or Barclay James Harvest. Basically, lovers of early 70s atmosphere will flip their lid over this one, I can guarantee that. The sound quality on the reissue is gorgeous, and the entire affair has a sort of otherworldly vibe, kinda like sitting around a campfire in late autumn around nightfall, trying to get as close as possible so as not to freeze your ass off.
"Put on Your Nightcap" the 15 minute opener, is a masterpiece. Sure, there is often a slight cheese factor involving the lyrics (due to a very slight accent), but here they work well as Krause delivers some kind of wartime eulogy for those fallen in battle. The sense of haziness, mist and cannon smoke ebbs and flows throughout the track, punctuating by the clean, clear Valkyrie siren, calling the dead to Valhalla. This puts me in a trance every time I listen to it. The remainder of the album is consistently as strong. Occasionally, some of the vocal melodies can get a tad redundant ("Somewhere at the End of Our Rainbow"), but are never unpleasant. Another highlight for me is the closer of the album proper, "Try a Little Bit", by virtue of the impossibly beautiful vocal melodies. The bonus tracks are cool too. All of them are live, and despite a drop in sound quality, exhibit a more rocking approach. Yeah, this is a pretty spectacular album, maybe even a "classic" - Greg Northrup [October 2001]
Album Legnth: 50.08
Recorded: April/May 1978, Nuernberg, Germany
Genre: Folk/Progressive
Best Song: 'Put On Your Nightcap'
Release Info: 2001 CD Reissue Second Battle SB 064
Tracks:
1. Put On Your Nightcap 16.02
2. You And Me 2.31
3. Somewhere At The End Of The Rainbow 6.26
4. Treary Eyes 4.17
5. Try A Little Bit 9.59
6. River 2.36*
7. Sweet Heroin 7.04*
8. Brickstone 1.14*
*=Bonus Track
Musicians:
- Bass
- Guitar, Vocals
- Flute, Guitar, Vocals
- Saxaphone
- Guitar, Vocals, Percussion
Carol of Harvest's only album used to be one of those rare psych/folk LPs which commanded such stratospheric prices as to put it completely out of reach of the average collector. Fortunately, the album has been re-released in a gorgeous digipak format with a slew of bonus tracks for the benefit of those of us born into the CD generation. Thankfully, the album does not disappoint, and those who possess an affinity for warm folk rock with hints of symphonic progressive rock should put this obscurity high on their wish lists.
Although the album comes out of Germany in 1978, it really sounds to me like a British album from around 1970 or '71. The songs are based around warm, acoustic guitar melodies and the outstanding vocals of front woman Beate Krause, who possesses a magical, highly emotive delivery. Moog is the keyboard of choice here, and song climaxes are marked by towering solos of said instrument. The album has often been compared to folk-rock like Mellow Candle and Trees, but I also hear an early British symphonic quality reminiscent of Cressida or Barclay James Harvest. Basically, lovers of early 70s atmosphere will flip their lid over this one, I can guarantee that. The sound quality on the reissue is gorgeous, and the entire affair has a sort of otherworldly vibe, kinda like sitting around a campfire in late autumn around nightfall, trying to get as close as possible so as not to freeze your ass off.
"Put on Your Nightcap" the 15 minute opener, is a masterpiece. Sure, there is often a slight cheese factor involving the lyrics (due to a very slight accent), but here they work well as Krause delivers some kind of wartime eulogy for those fallen in battle. The sense of haziness, mist and cannon smoke ebbs and flows throughout the track, punctuating by the clean, clear Valkyrie siren, calling the dead to Valhalla. This puts me in a trance every time I listen to it. The remainder of the album is consistently as strong. Occasionally, some of the vocal melodies can get a tad redundant ("Somewhere at the End of Our Rainbow"), but are never unpleasant. Another highlight for me is the closer of the album proper, "Try a Little Bit", by virtue of the impossibly beautiful vocal melodies. The bonus tracks are cool too. All of them are live, and despite a drop in sound quality, exhibit a more rocking approach. Yeah, this is a pretty spectacular album, maybe even a "classic" - Greg Northrup [October 2001]
Album Legnth: 50.08
Recorded: April/May 1978, Nuernberg, Germany
Genre: Folk/Progressive
Best Song: 'Put On Your Nightcap'
Release Info: 2001 CD Reissue Second Battle SB 064
Tracks:
1. Put On Your Nightcap 16.02
2. You And Me 2.31
3. Somewhere At The End Of The Rainbow 6.26
4. Treary Eyes 4.17
5. Try A Little Bit 9.59
6. River 2.36*
7. Sweet Heroin 7.04*
8. Brickstone 1.14*
*=Bonus Track
Musicians:
- Bass
- Guitar, Vocals
- Flute, Guitar, Vocals
- Saxaphone
- Guitar, Vocals, Percussion
. Vor allem beiden weniger bekannten letzteren Alben haben es schwer in sich!
Sachen gibt`s! 