One Of Those Days In England

Subject: RE: One Of Those Days In England
From: Musket
Date: 05 Oct 14 - 04:40 AM

Never been able to listen to that bit without my mind leaping into a chorus of Monty Python's "Sit on my face and and tell me that you love me."

I was asked to sing Tom Tiddler the other week and surprised myself by remembering it and realising how nice it sounds.

Subject: RE: One Of Those Days In England
From: michaelr
Date: 04 Oct 14 - 01:44 PM

Apparently now scheduled for 15 Jan, 2015. Not that it's relevant to this thread.

Subject: RE: One Of Those Days In England
From: Jack Campin
Date: 04 Oct 14 - 01:24 PM

When does Harper's trial start? Last I read, it should have started a few weeks ago, but there seems to have been a delay.

Subject: One Of Those Days In England
From: michaelr
Date: 04 Oct 14 - 01:07 PM

"…with a sword in every pond…"

Last night, as I do periodically, I listened once again to my CD copy of Roy Harper's 1977 masterpiece Bullinamingvase. This timeless folk-rock classic remains one of my all-time favorite recordings. Harper's songwriting is at its best, and his soaring vocals show off the peerless beauty and control of his voice.

The album is a gold mine of gorgeous acoustic and electric guitar work, from the filigreed picking on "The Naked Flame" to the half-speed riffing on "These Last Days" to the crunching rockout on "One Of Those Days In England (Parts 2-10)", along with lovely piano from Dave Lawson and a versatile rhythm section. Supporting players and singers include Steve Broughton, B.J. Cole, Ronnie Lane, Alvin Lee, Paul and Linda McCartney, Jimmy McCulloch, Henry McCullough, and Andy Roberts.

Lyrically, the record is a tour de force of poetry ranging from fragile to fiery to despairing to satirical to downright bawdy. This is from "These Last Days":

We might have to take the world the way we made it
It seems we have to find a fight
Though some of us ain't satisfied with less than any universe
I'm not sure that any side is right

This from "The Naked Flame":

The naked flames of cracking dawn come searing through with cruel scorn
To furrow wounds across each frown inside the breast of love's sad clown
Who chases fleeting silhouettes with swollen dreams and rising sweats
Who taunts and bluffs the savage god with a broken heart and a hanging head

From "Watford Gap", which Harper was sued for and forced to remove from the vinyl record:

The traffic jam is rattling like a five mile cornered snake
With fuming pieces falling off and steaming in its wake
The countryside is ravaged like a syphilitic whore
And yodeling up the canyon is the dirty old blue boar

And "One Of Those Days In England (Parts 2-10)" includes this immortal couplet:

Well hell girl, I don't even know your face
`Cause you see, you've been sitting on mine

You can listen to the album on YouTube. Check out this brilliant work.