Flat Baroque and Berserk
Encyclopedia
Flat Baroque and Berserk is the fourth album
by English
folk
/ rock
singer-songwriter
and guitarist
Roy Harper
, and was first released in 1970
by Harvest Records
.
and recorded at Abbey Road Studios
, Flat Baroque... was the first of eight albums recorded for EMI
's Harvest
label. Harper has said of the album, "for the first time in my recording career, proper care and attention was paid to the presentation of the song."
The album contains some of Harper's best-known songs. "I Hate the White Man", in particular, is noted for its uncompromising lyrics, and Allmusic described the song as
Harper described the song as
The album also features "Another Day", a song of regret for lost love, which was covered as a duet by Kate Bush
and Peter Gabriel
in her 1979 television special, and later by This Mortal Coil
on their 1984 album It'll End in Tears
. The cover by Bush led to collaboration with Harper in 1980; he singing backing vocals on her song "Breathing
" and she duetting on the track "You" on Harpers album The Unknown Soldier
.
The album closes with one of Harper's most rock-based tracks, "Hell's Angels", on which backing is provided by progressive rock
band The Nice
and features the unusual combination of acoustic guitar
played through a wah-wah pedal
.
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 English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
/ rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
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...
, and was first released in 1970
1970 in music
- Events :*January 3**Davy Jones announces he is leaving the Monkees**Former Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett releases his first solo album The Madcap Laughs....
by Harvest Records
Harvest Records
-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
.
History
Flat Baroque and Berserk was the first of Harper's recordings to enter the charts, reaching number 20 in the UK album chart in January 1970. Produced by Peter JennerPeter Jenner
Peter Jenner is a British music manager and a record producer. Jenner, Andrew King and the original four members of Pink Floyd were partners in Blackhill Enterprises.- Early career :...
and recorded at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
, Flat Baroque... was the first of eight albums recorded for EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
's Harvest
Harvest Records
-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
label. Harper has said of the album, "for the first time in my recording career, proper care and attention was paid to the presentation of the song."
The album contains some of Harper's best-known songs. "I Hate the White Man", in particular, is noted for its uncompromising lyrics, and Allmusic described the song as
Harper described the song as
The album also features "Another Day", a song of regret for lost love, which was covered as a duet by Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
and Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
in her 1979 television special, and later by This Mortal Coil
This Mortal Coil
This Mortal Coil was a gothic dream pop supergroup led by Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of the British record label 4AD. Although Watts-Russell and John Fryer were technically the only two official members, the band's recorded output featured a large rotating cast of supporting artists, many of whom...
on their 1984 album It'll End in Tears
It'll End in Tears
It'll End in Tears was an album released in 1984 by 4AD using the name This Mortal Coil as an umbrella title for a loose grouping of guest musicians and vocalists brought together by label boss Ivo Watts-Russell. When released in late 1984, the album reached #38 on the UK Albums Chart...
. The cover by Bush led to collaboration with Harper in 1980; he singing backing vocals on her song "Breathing
Breathing (song)
"Breathing" is a single by Kate Bush, the first cut from her 1980 album Never for Ever, with backing vocals by Roy Harper.The single was issued on April 14, 1980, four months before the album was released, and reached number 16 in the UK charts...
" and she duetting on the track "You" on Harpers album The Unknown Soldier
The Unknown Soldier (album)
The Unknown Soldier is the tenth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1980 by Harvest Records and was his last release on the label.-History:...
.
The album closes with one of Harper's most rock-based tracks, "Hell's Angels", on which backing is provided by progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band The Nice
The Nice
The Nice were an English progressive rock band from the 1960s, known for their blend of rock, jazz and classical music. Their debut album, The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack was released in 1967 to immediate acclaim. It is often considered the first progressive rock album...
and features the unusual combination of acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
played through a wah-wah pedal
Wah-wah pedal
A wah-wah pedal is a type of guitar effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect, mimicking the human voice...
.
Side One
- "Don't You Grieve" – 5:43
- "I Hate the White Man" – 8:03
- "Feeling All the Saturday" – 1:56
- "How Does It Feel?" – 6:29
- "Goodbye" – 5:42
Side Two
- "Another DayAnother Day (Roy Harper song)"Another Day" is a song by Roy Harper from his album Flat Baroque and Berserk.The track's bittersweet lyrics are written from the point of view of a man looking back with regret upon a missed chance. A chance that might have led him to a love he searches for. Eternally. He views his former...
" – 2:57 - "Davey" – 1:30
- "East of the Sun" – 3:02
- "Tom Tiddler's GroundTom Tidler's GroundTom Tidler's Ground, also known as Tom Tiddler's Ground or Tommy Tiddler's Ground, is an ancient children's game in which one player, "Tom Tidler," stands on a heap of stones, gravel, etc.; other players rush onto the heap, crying "Here I am on Tom Tidler's ground," while Tom tries to capture the...
" – 6:48 - "Francesca" – 1:19
- "Song of the Ages" (H. Ash) – 3:52
- "Hell's Angels" – 7:46
Personnel
- Phil McDonald – sound engineer
- Neil Richmond – sound engineer
- David BedfordDavid BedfordDavid Vickerman Bedford , was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music....
– additional musician - Brian DavisonBrian Davison (drummer)Brian Davison , nicknamed "Blinky", was a British drummer, best known for his work in The Nice. He was born in Leicester and died in Horns Cross, Devon....
– additional musician - Keith EmersonKeith EmersonKeith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
– additional musician - Lee JacksonLee Jackson (bassist)Lee Jackson is a British bass player and singer, best known for his work in The Nice.-Biography:...
– additional musician - Tony ViscontiTony ViscontiAnthony Edward Visconti is an American record producer and sometimes a musician or singer.Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers; his lengthiest involvement with any artist is with David Bowie: intermittently from Bowie's 1969 album Space Oddity to 2003's Reality, Visconti...
– additional musician