Descendants of Smith is the fourteenth studio album

Album

An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

 by Roy Harper

Roy Harper

Roy Harper is an English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist who has been a professional musician since the mid 1960s...

, released in 1988.

History

As a publicity stunt on the music media, whom Harper thought did not give him or his music fair or considered reviews. Harper sent out 3 promo versions of "Laughing Inside" using anagrams of his own name; 'Per Yarroh' a Norwegian classical avant garde composer, 'Rory Phare' a Lounge Lizard

Lounge Lizard

The term Lounge Lizard is usually used to refer to lounge musicians, most often in a negative sense . Since its first appearance as American slang in 1917, "lounge lizard" has surprisingly shown up in nearly every decade...

 and trendy art designer and 'Harry Rope' a Hells Angels

Hells Angels

The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is a worldwide one-percenter motorcycle gang and organized crime syndicate whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation. Their primary motto...

. Music magazines were sent the 7" single, along with an accompanying fake biography describing the artist they were being introduced to.

The album was re-issued in 1994 as Garden of Uranium

Garden of Uranium

-History:The album was originally released in 1988 as Descendants of Smith. For this release the track listing is identical, however the album cover has been redesigned.-Track listing:All tracks credited to Roy Harper#"Laughing Inside" – 4:15...

. The track listing was identical, though the albums cover was different.

Track listing

All tracks credited to Roy Harper, except Laughing Inside - Roy Harper/Nick Harper

Side one

1. "Laughing Inside" – 4:15
2. "Garden of Uranium" – 4:03
3. "Still Life" – 4:47
4. "Pinches of Salt" – 3:07
5. "Desert Island" – 4:20

Side two

1. "Government Surplus" – 2:21
2. "Surplus Liquorice" – 0:39
3. "Liquorice Alltime" – 3:43
4. "Maile
   Maile
   Alyxia oliviformis, known as Maile in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering plant in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, that is native to Hawaii. It grows as either a twining liana, scandent shrub, or small erect shrub, and is one of the few vines that are endemic to the islands. The scientific...
   
    Lei
   Lei (Hawaii)
   Lei is a Hawaiian word for a garland or wreath. More loosely defined, a lei is any series of objects strung together with the intent to be worn. The most popular concept of a lei in Hawaiian culture is a wreath of flowers draped around the neck presented upon arriving or leaving as a symbol of...
   
   " – 4:34
5. "Same Shoes" – 4:15
6. "Descendants of Smith" – 3:49

Personnel

• Roy Harper
  Roy Harper
  Roy Harper is an English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist who has been a professional musician since the mid 1960s...
  
   – guitar
  Guitar
  The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
  
   and vocals
• Jacqui Turner – sound engineer
• Stuart Elliot
• Tony Franklin
  Tony Franklin (musician)
  Anthony James "Tony" Franklin is an English rock musician, best known for his work on the fretless bass guitar with Roy Harper, The Firm, Jimmy Page, John Sykes' Blue Murder, Whitesnake and briefly, with Quiet Riot.-Fretless bass:...
  
  
• Nik Green
• Nick Harper
  Nick Harper
  Nick Harper is an English singer-songwriter/guitarist. He is the son of English folk musician Roy Harper.-Early life:Nick Harper was born in London in 1965 to the famous folk singer-songwriter Roy Harper...
  
  
• Kevin McAlea – keyboards
  Keyboard instrument
  A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
  
   and alto saxophone
  Alto saxophone
  The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
  
  
• Mark Ramsden

External links

• Roy Harper official site
• Excellent Roy Harper resource