Steve Peck writes: For over five decades, British folk-rock icon Roy Harper has crafted a vast musical legacy and forged an infamous reputation for his rebellious attitude. This is a two-part feature, penned by a devoted fan from across the pond, exploring his extraordinary career.
Album cover photography by Ray Stevenson
Roy Harper is an enigmatic wildman, a revolutionary, an uncompromising iconoclast, an exceptional talent, a thoughtful, poetic minstrel, a spirited sage, a rocker, a controversial character, a great songwriter, guitarist, and musician—beloved by his fans and peers but not well-known outside his circle.
Harper has danced around the edges of popular British folk and rock since the mid-1960s, never aiming for mass appeal. He has famous musician friends, many of whom he influenced.
Jimmy Page, David Gilmour, Kate Bush, Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend, Ian Anderson, and John Paul Jones have all appeared on his records. Led Zeppelin even named a song after him, Hats Off to (Roy) Harper, and he sang lead vocals on Pink Floyd’s Have a Cigar. Page and Harper went on to release a joint album in 1985, Whatever Happened to Jugula?
But defining Roy Harper on the merits of his well-known pals does his talent a great disservice. Over the years, he has created a remarkable body of work that deserves to be heard.
At his core, Harper is an acoustic singer-songwriter, but you couldn’t call him a true folkie since he never conformed to the norm. He rocked out at times, but only occasionally. He also composed lengthy, multi-movement songs, but they weren’t prog rock—just progressive.
Harper emerged from the ‘60s London folk scene, which featured great guitarists like Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, and Davy Graham. While many imitated these masters, Harper was noted for his distinctive style.
Reflecting on his early days in the folk clubs, Harper says:
“I was never really a bona fide member of the folk scene. I was too much of a modernist, really.”
While he was admired and respected by his peers, Harper never quite fit in. It’s no surprise he gravitated towards another outsider, the mysterious and ghost-like American singer-songwriter Jackson C. Frank, who was active on the scene at the same time.
Jackson C Frank – Columbia/EMI publicity photo
Roy and Jackson were kindred spirits, and they became best friends outside of the clubs. Musically, they shared key traits. Harper and Frank both eschewed traditional songs, choosing instead to write and perform their own thought-provoking compositions, each with a unique guitar-playing style.
When Frank returned to the States in 1966, Harper wrote a song for him entitled My Friend, which appeared on his debut album, Sophisticated Beggar. The poignant lyrics reflect their deep bond.
Harper’s career was on an upswing with the release of his album Flat Baroque and Berserk in 1970. The record features many of Harper’s most well-known songs, including Another Day, which tells the tale of an estranged couple tightly bound by each other’s chains.
On her 1979 BBC Christmas Special, Kate Bush performed Another Day as a duet with Peter Gabriel. The stark stage set provides the perfect backdrop as the couple’s emotional distance grows.
In 1971, Harper released his acclaimed masterpiece Stormcock. The album brilliantly captures his synthesis of acoustic folk and grander progressive elements.
Harper’s acoustic guitar is the only instrument for the vast majority of the record. On its 12-and-a-half-minute centerpiece, Same Old Rock, his pal Jimmy Page adds dazzling acoustic guitar under the pseudonym S. Flavius Mercurius, for contractual reasons. For Page fans unfamiliar with it, Same Old Rock is a great discovery.
Lyrically, Harper covers some of his favorite topics: attacking the government, war, and organized religion. However, his mesmerizing vocals and melodies take center stage, preventing the lyrics from sounding like a harangue or diatribe.
Stormcock has harbored a lasting reputation as an influential classic. Younger musicians such as Joanna Newsom, Johnny Marr, and Robin Pecknold have all sung its praises.
In Part 2, highlights from the remainder of Roy Harper’s career will be covered.
Steve Peck also writes at his Hickory Notes Facebook music blog
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