Once
By Roy Harper
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Track listing
- 1 Once
- 2 Once in the Middle of Nowhere
- 3 Nowhere to Run To
- 4 The Black Cloud of Islam
- 5 If
- 6 Winds of Change
- 7 Berliners
- 8 Sleeping at the Wheel
- 9 For Longer Than It Takes
- 10 Ghost Dance
Rate/Catalog
Catalog
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Review
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6 Issues
3 Reviews
Very fine Roy Harper album from 1990. It was not released on a major label so I suspect not many people (for example those who know of Roy's EMI releases) are aware of "Once". It is not currently available on CD - only download - and that is a shame. Songs such as the title track , "Nowhere To Run", "If" "Berliners" "Sleeping At The Wheel", "For Longer than it Takes" & "Ghost Dance"are all up there with Roy's best - and as Roy Harper is probably this country's greatest singer/songwriter that means excellent and the couple short linking pieces work to make "Once" a unified album. I suppose if there is a problem with "Once" it is political in any sense you want to use the term. - and if someone from the future wanted to know what 1990 was like, then they should begin here. However, this album is more than an historical document - if there is a theme its everything happens ..."once" so cherish the moment (If I read Roy's sleeve notes correctly) Musically it is excellent too, with notable contributions from Dave Gilmour, Nick Harper, Steve Broughton (drums), Tony Franklin (bass) among others. Kate Bush even makes an appearance. However there is one track I have not mentioned - "The Black Cloud Of Islam" Now, when Roy wrote it it was a defence if one were needed of Salman Rushdie and all that was wrong with Islamic fundamentalism. It makes some extremely good points and asks the right questions. Roy Harper has never had much time for religion of any kind so "The Black Cloud Of Islam" was hardly surprising in its attack on fundamentalism.....except, as Roy says on his website, the lyrics have been often quoted on the internet - Youtube for example - to support racist or xenophobic views. Worth reading Roy's notes from 2009 on the subject - see his website. Maybe that's why "Once" isn't that widely available - and as I said earlier - that's a shame.
Published
HUCD 011 CD (1995)
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Roy Harper is said to have made mostly mediocre music during the late eighties, about half of which I haven't heard. Once is seen as a comeback of sorts by some and I'll acknowledge that most of the songs are good. Many of the lyrics here deal with the fall of Communism which had just happened prior to the album being written and recorded.
Though there are certainly more winners than losers, the album has a hit and miss feel to it. The opening track Once, for example, just doesn't grab me like an opener should. It does offer good eastern influences, strong vocals by Harper and cool lead guitar work courtesy of David Gilmour. Unfortunately, the song isn't fully realized and just drags along to be blunt about it.
Later on, the album becomes interesting, even if it isn't Harper at his best. "Nowhere to Run to" has some fine acoustic guitar work and a western U.S. harmonica that works, but the lyrics seem heavy handed. Speaking of heavy handed, "The Black Cloud of Islam" is certainly that, but I have to give Roy credit for having the balls to release a song denouncing the violence committed under the cover of religion at the time and praising Salman Rushdie.
Some of the album's best songs are the more light hearted acoustic numbers such as "If" and "Sleeping at the Wheel." There's also a typically beautiful Harper love song included near the end, "For Longer than it Takes."
Truthfully I find the second half of the album much more listenable overall than the first, but you still have awkward political diatribe ("Winds of Change") side by side with well written songs like "Berliners", the best of the fall of Communism numbers with more innovative electric work from Gilmour. In fact the electric/acoustic interplay between Gilmour and Harper on this song is one of the best moments on Once.
My final recommendation is that even casual Harper fans should listen to Once at least once to decide for themselves. The album is much too "all over the place" to recommend wholeheartedly. That said, it is original and interesting music and the majority of the album is genuinely good enough to make Once a solid if uneven effort and much closer to classic Harper than his worst eighties excesses.
Though there are certainly more winners than losers, the album has a hit and miss feel to it. The opening track Once, for example, just doesn't grab me like an opener should. It does offer good eastern influences, strong vocals by Harper and cool lead guitar work courtesy of David Gilmour. Unfortunately, the song isn't fully realized and just drags along to be blunt about it.
Later on, the album becomes interesting, even if it isn't Harper at his best. "Nowhere to Run to" has some fine acoustic guitar work and a western U.S. harmonica that works, but the lyrics seem heavy handed. Speaking of heavy handed, "The Black Cloud of Islam" is certainly that, but I have to give Roy credit for having the balls to release a song denouncing the violence committed under the cover of religion at the time and praising Salman Rushdie.
Some of the album's best songs are the more light hearted acoustic numbers such as "If" and "Sleeping at the Wheel." There's also a typically beautiful Harper love song included near the end, "For Longer than it Takes."
Truthfully I find the second half of the album much more listenable overall than the first, but you still have awkward political diatribe ("Winds of Change") side by side with well written songs like "Berliners", the best of the fall of Communism numbers with more innovative electric work from Gilmour. In fact the electric/acoustic interplay between Gilmour and Harper on this song is one of the best moments on Once.
My final recommendation is that even casual Harper fans should listen to Once at least once to decide for themselves. The album is much too "all over the place" to recommend wholeheartedly. That said, it is original and interesting music and the majority of the album is genuinely good enough to make Once a solid if uneven effort and much closer to classic Harper than his worst eighties excesses.
Published
I first saw Roy Harper live when he released this album.
I love every song, especially "Berliners"
Laurence Binyon's war poem put to music is very moving
I love every song, especially "Berliners"
Laurence Binyon's war poem put to music is very moving
Published
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Catalog
8 Feb 2023
17 Dec 2022
-
1
Once
-
2
Once in the Middle of Nowhere
-
3
Nowhere to Run To
-
4
The Black Cloud of Islam
-
5
If
-
6
Winds of Change
-
7
Berliners
-
8
Sleeping at the Wheel
-
9
For Longer Than It Takes
-
10
Ghost Dance
14 Dec 2022
7 Dec 2022
11 Nov 2022
20 Sep 2022
5 Sep 2022
-
1
Once
-
2
Once in the Middle of Nowhere
-
3
Nowhere to Run To
-
4
The Black Cloud of Islam
-
5
If
-
6
Winds of Change
-
7
Berliners
-
8
Sleeping at the Wheel
-
9
For Longer Than It Takes
-
10
Ghost Dance
29 Aug 2022
4 Jun 2022
20 Mar 2022
28 Dec 2021
21 Dec 2021
8 Oct 2021
10 May 2021
10 Mar 2021
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