Barclay James Harvest Album Mappe

Eyes Of The Universe

LP: Polydor 2383 557, Dezember 1979
LP: Polydor Club-Sonderauflage 27284-9, 1979
MC: Polydor, Dezember 1979
CD: Polydor 821 591-2, 12. Juli 1984
CD: Remaster mit 4 Bonustracks, Eclectic ECLCD 1049, 23. Oktober 2006

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Seite 1
Love On The Line (Les Holroyd)
Alright Down Get Boogie (Mu Ala Rusic) (John Lees)
The Song (They Love To Sing) (Les Holroyd)
Skin Flicks (John Lees)

Side 2
Sperratus (John Lees)
Rock 'N' Roll Lady (Les Holroyd)
Capricorn (John Lees)
Play To The World (Les Holroyd)

Bonus tracks auf remasterter CD:
Sperratus (John Lees) [previously unreleased single edit]
Rock 'N' Roll Lady (Les Holroyd) [previously unreleased single edit]
Capricorn (John Lees) [single edit]
Play To The World (Les Holroyd) [previously unreleased single mix]

Aufnahmedetails

Aufnahmestudio:
Strawberry Studios North, Stockport

Aufnahmedaten:
July - September 1979

Produzent:
Barclay James Harvest and Martin Lawrence

Toningenieur:
Martin Lawrence

Titel

Stammt indirekt vom Text von "Sperratus":

	Look in my eyes,
	See the light of the universe

Sleeve

Designed von Alwyn Clayden, mit Photographie von John Shaw. Das UFO-Thema bekommt eine interessante Wendung dadurch, daß Raumschiffe ebenso Fenster in eine andere Welt sind. Original-GB-Ausgaben hatten eine schwarzweiße Textbeilage und einen Schmetterling vorne unten rechts eingestanzt - dies fehlt in späteren Ausgaben einschließlich der CD und leitet manche Fans fehl, die denken, daß der Markenzeichen-Schmetterling der Band nicht auf dem Album sei. Auf der deutschen Ausgabe ist der Schmetterling nur als glatte Stelle auf der sonst unebenen Hülle zu erkennen, was ebenfalls bei späteren Ausgaben verlorenging, weil sie völlig glatt waren.

Guest Musicians

Dieses Album war die erste Gastrolle für BJH von Kevin McAlea (Ex von Bees Make Honey und frisch von Kate Bushs Tourband) an den Keyboards. Alan Fawkes (der mit Steve Broomhead und vielen Mitgliedern von Sad Café und Steeleye Span an einem Tim Hart Soloalbum, produziert von David Rohl, gearbeitet hatte!) spielte Saxophon in "Play To The World".

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Love On The Line

Les' Auftakt wurde als Single gewählt, um das Album zu promoten, und wurde oft gespielt, was Eyes auf den Weg zur Platinplatte in Deutschland brachte. Ironischerweise ist der Titel sehr ähnlich wie Woollys "Lives On The Line", welches zuerst mit auf das Album sollte. Wie Woollys "bißchen Bizarres in 6/8" ist auch "Love On The Line" rockig, aber das Thema ist Liebe.

Text:

Love like a burning fire
Creeping up on you
Watch as the flame grows higher
Can you see it through?

Don't you know the die is cast?
Got to keep on running faster than time
And you're riding high above
Are you gonna lay your love on the line?

Out where the light is burning
There's a heart that's true
Sounds of the night returning
Put a spell on you

Don't you know the die is cast?
Got to keep on running faster than time
And you're riding high above
Are you gonna lay your love on the line?

[Les Holroyd, © St. Annes Music]

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Alright Down Get Boogie (Mu Ala Rusic)

Johns "Disco"-Song ist nicht der Liebling der Fans. Man sollte ihn aber im Zusammenhang von 1979 sehen, als frechen Kommentar zum Saturday Night Fever-Discostil, der zu der Zeit vorherrschend war. Der Untertitel könnte ein Anagramm sein ("aural music"?).

Text:

Disco la Risco
Latin Surprise
Dance Floor A Go-Go
Satin and Thighs
Coke a la Cola
Flashing Her Eyes
Get Down Get With It
Nights, Boogie, Lights

Get Down Boogie Alright

Mu ala Rusic
Cool Out o Sight
Heaven in High Heels
Hell in Black Tights
Move ala Groovin'
Flashing Her Lights
Get Down Get With It
Nights, Boogie, Lights

Get Down Boogie Alright

Rock ala Rolla
A Slip and a Slide
Move a Bit Closer
Whisper You're Nice
Booga la Rooga
Don't Give Me That Jive
Get Down Get With It
Nights, Boogie, Lights

Get Down Boogie Alright

[John Lees, © St. Annes Music]

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The Song (They Love To Sing)

Dieser Song und "Play To The World" haben ein ähnliches Thema: Sie beschwören die einzigartige Atmosphäre und das Gefühl von Livekonzerten der Band herauf. Während "Play To The World" in den letzten Jahren ein Revival erlebte, wurde "The Song (They Love To Sing)", welches genauso gut wenn nicht noch besser ist, eher vernachlässigt.

Text:

The day begins
Riding a rainbow
Bow in her hand
To drive away
The night again
Nothing has changed
And all around
People are waking
King of them all
Has gone to rest
He passed the test
Leaving the stage

Time goes sailing on
Slowly the crowd will appear
And into their ears
The song they'd love to sing forever
Tomorrows come,
Tonight lives on for years

The time has come
Follow the spotlight
Lighting the scene
Another world
The flags unfurled
Into the sky
And in the air
Music is playing
Ingots of gold
Fall to the ground
Creating sound
Into the night

Time goes sailing on
Into the light disappears
And still in the ears
The song they'd love to sing forever
Tomorrows come,
Tonight lives on for years

[Les Holroyd, © St. Annes Music]

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Skin Flicks

Der Titel ist Slang für Pornofilme, und der Song ist die traurige Geschichte eines Models, dessen Karriere als Pin-up zwischen sie und ihren Geliebten kommt. Musikalisch macht John da weiter, wo "Poor Man's Moody Blues" aufhört, denn die Coda borgt sich ein Riff von The Moody Blues "Question".

Text:

Calendar, Pin-Up Girl
Blonde and Bronze, Beauty Fair
Photographed, Cover Girl
Unashamed, Body Bare
There's No Story
She's A Country Girl At Heart
There's No Glory
She's Just In It For The Art, Her Part

Sun Oiled Skin, Shapely Breast
Slim and Sleek, Without Dress
Page Two Girl, Page Two World
Glamour Girl, Look Your Best
There's No Story
She's A Country Girl At Heart
There's No Glory
She's Just In It For The Art, Her Part

Every Day I'm Waiting by The Telephone
Every Day You Keep Me Hanging On
But While You're Away, I Think Night and Day
About Where You're Gone and How For Long
Before Our Love Turns To Stone

See You In The Papers and The Magazines
But a Photograph's No Good To Me
But While You're Away, I Think Night and Day
About Where You're Gone and How For Long
Before Our Love Turns To Stone

Saw You For The First Time and My Shutter Froze
Cameras Clicked, We Kissed and You Were Gone
But While You're Away, I Think Night and Day
About Where You're Gone and How For Long
Before Our Love Turns To Stone

Beauty Contests Were Your Only Claim to Fame
Then Your Body Won Over Your Brain
You Stripped For the Lights
And Things Went Just Right
Now You're Suntanned Right Down To The Bone
And Our Love's Gone, Turned To Stone

[John Lees, © St. Annes Music]

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Sperratus

Ich habe nie verstanden, warum dies eine kein wichtiger Teil des Livesets wurde, mit seiner atmosphärischen Strophe, eingängigem Refrain und wunderbar "duellierenden Gitarren" am Ende. Es geht um die komplexe Beziehung zwischen Stars und den Fans, die sie in jene Position setzen. Der Titel ist ein Anagramm von "Superstar".

Text:

Look in my eyes
See the light of the universe
I'm man, born of God
Not a clown in disguise

My skin is bronze
My hair is gold
The power within me lights the way
To wealth and fame
All in my name, the final goal

Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud
Sing it, sing it, sing to the crowd
Call out, call out, call out from afar
Make them, make them, make you superstar

Look in my face
See the light
Of a thousand stars shine bright
In the night
As I step
From the stage

Don't burn your hands
On my skin
You can't touch what's deep within
That's my soul
Reaching my final goal

Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud
Sing it, sing it, sing to the crowd
Call out, call out, call out from afar
Make them, make them, make you superstar

[John Lees, © St. Annes Music]

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Rock 'N' Roll Lady

Dieser kommerzielle Song wurde überraschenderweise nie als Single veröffentlicht. Nach "Sip Of Wine" ist der Song über die aufgedonnerten Anhänger, die durch den Glanz des Musikgeschäftes angelockt werden. Die Zeile "In den Bars, wo die Stars Tequila und Wein trinken" kann man auch als "die Stars trinken Tequila und weinen" verstehen!

Text:

In the light of the night
Trying hard to forget
All the cries and the lies
Of the people she met
Hypmotised by the sight
That you're seeing and yet
Can't disguise in her eyes
There's a look of regret

So she drifts into tomorrow
Maybe she can find a better way
To love and see her sorrow
Vanish in the haze

Rock 'n' roll lady
Keep on trying
Like the sand that is washed on the shore
Don't believe all the tears and the crying
She's running back for more

In the bars where the stars
Drink tequila and wine
Loud guitars, fancy cars
And the feeling is fine
See her face every place
Every movement in time
But don't choose or a loser you'll be
When she throws you her line

And she drifts into tomorrow
Maybe she can find a better way
To love and see her sorrow
Vanish in the haze

Rock 'n' roll lady
Keep on trying
Like the sand that is washed on the shore
Don't believe all the tears and the crying
She's running back for more

[Les Holroyd, © St. Annes Music]

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Capricorn

Einer von Johns zusammengestückelten Texten, wo er Lieblingsphrasen aus Büchern nahm und neu arrangierte, bis sie gut klangen, aber nichts bedeuteten. Trotzdem bringt es eine erstaunliche Atmosphäre, die an "Medicine Man" erinnert.

Text:

Capricorn
Man of war
Honour bright
The long midnight
In the hour before
You lose your head
The thief will paint
The sunlight red
Sunlight red

Deep blue sea
Witnessed by
Flocks of ships
As they sail by
In a tower of strength
The sabre frail
Will take the brig
And raise the sail

Caged until tame
Go-between is the name
Scaring death to the strains of their crying
Here lies the tale
Of escapists who sail
With assassins who kill for the morning

Don't paint the sunlight
It's virgin bright
Don't paint the sunlight
Wait 'til the morning light

Capricorn
Man of war
Honour bright
The long midnight
In the hour before
You lose your head
The thief will paint
The sunlight red
Sunlight red

Caged until tame
Go-between is the name
Scaring death to the strains of their crying
Here lies the tale
Of escapists who sail
With assassins who kill for the morning

Don't paint the sunlight
It's virgin bright
The long midnight
In the hour before
You lose your head
The thief will pain
The sunlight red

[John Lees, © St. Annes Music]

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Play To The World

Die Wiedereinführung von "Play To The World" in neuere Liveaufführungen hat dem Song ein neues Leben verliehen und seine Beliebtheit immens aufgefrischt. Die Krönung ist Johns stimmungsvolle Gitarre, gefolgt von Alan Fawkes' Sax-Solo, das in Liveshows von Kevin McAlea reproduziert wird.

Text:

You can make the day seem right
And make the darkness bright
That's what you do

Girl, don't hide your love away
You'll want it back some day
That's what they say

And, my friend
We're gonna make it right
And play to the world tonight
We'll play to the world

Time, what's to become of me?
What will the future see?
What will they say?

Life is like a passing dream
It's never what it seems to be
From day to day

And, my friend
We're gonna make it right
And play to the world tonight
We'll play to the world

[Les Holroyd, © St. Annes Music]

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