Barclay James Harvest – XII (1978/2017) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Barclay James Harvest – XII (1978/2017)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 57:03 minutes | 1,12 GB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Cherry Red Records/Esoteric Recordings

Esoteric Recordings are proud to announce the release of a newly re-mastered and expanded edition of the classic gold selling 1978 album by BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST, “XII”. Originally released in September 1978, the album was another big selling release for the band achieving Silver disc status in the UK and Gold in Germany. The album followed in the wake of “Gone to Earth” and saw BJH consolidate the success they had found in Germany and Europe.

The album struck a chord with the record buying public thanks to tracks such as ‘Berlin’, ‘In Search of England’, ‘Nova Lepidoptera’ and more, and its popularity continues to endure. It would be the last Barclay James Harvest album to feature Woolly Wolstenholme before his departure from the band in June 1979.

This Deluxe edition includes two CDs and a DVD, and features a new re-master of the original album mix, along with stunning brand new stereo and 5.1 surround mix of the album. The DVD (which is region free and NTSC) also includes 96 kHz / 24-bit stereo re-mixes and a 96 kHz / 24-bit re-master of the original album mix. In addition the set features five bonus tracks, including the rare single versions of ‘Loving is Easy’ and ‘Berlin’.

This expanded deluxe edition also includes a lavishly illustrated booklet that fully restores the original album artwork, a new essay and also includes a reproduction poster.

Based very loosely around the motif of literary genres (science fiction, fantasy, classics, etc.), XII shows Barclay James Harvest following many other progressive bands in the late ’70s with slicker production and simplified song structures. This attempt at the mainstream doesn’t always succeed; the album begins inauspiciously with “Loving Is Easy,” a generic rock track with embarrassing “shoot my love into you” lyrics. But the simple yet effective arrangement of the keyboard ballad, “Berlin,” shows that the band is capable of stripping down their compositions without having to sink to the lowest common denominator. Still, most fans won’t find much to love here, except perhaps for “In Search of England,” which briefly resurrects Wolstenholme’s epic keyboard-driven orchestration. –AllMusic Review by Paul Collins

Tracklist:

01. Barclay James Harvest – Loving is Easy (04:30)
02. Barclay James Harvest – Berlin (05:12)
03. Barclay James Harvest – A Tale of Two Sixties (04:01)
04. Barclay James Harvest – Turning in Circles (03:30)
05. Barclay James Harvest – Fact: The Closed Shop (03:48)
06. Barclay James Harvest – In Search of England (04:25)
07. Barclay James Harvest – Sip of Wine (04:52)
08. Barclay James Harvest – Harbour (04:03)
09. Barclay James Harvest – Nova Lepidoptera (06:48)
10. Barclay James Harvest – Giving it Up (04:52)
11. Barclay James Harvest – Fiction: The Streets of San Francisco (05:51)
12. Barclay James Harvest – The Streets of San Francisco (Alternate Version) (05:06)

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