The Blue Aeroplanes
Harvester - Harvest 2007
Tracks: 1. Fireball / 2. Hotel Room / 3. Stagger Lee / 4. Taking Some Time On / 5. Outdoor Miner / 6. Stop This Train (Again Doing It) / 7. It Didn't Work Out / 8. Free Four / 9. (I'm) Stranded / 10. Maisie
Comments:
This 2007 album from The Blue Airplanes is their tenth. The group has over the years, despite regular changes in the line-up, managed to maintain a fairly uniform sound and musical approach on their album releases.
"Harvester", however, differs somewhat from the other albums; not that you won’t rather quickly recognize the group with its characteristic lead singer Gerard Langley in front, but because it was decided to make an album consisting exclusively of cover versions. Furthermore, they chose exclusively to select tracks released on Harvest Records; the label on which Harvester is also released.
With 10 tracks written by ten different artists, it almost goes without saying that there may be some variation throughout the album; and this there is. Overall, The Blue Airplanes do quite well with their project, although I like the songs best that might go for being group originals. E.g. his applies to Wire's "Outdoor Miner", Pink Floyd's "Free Four" and not least Edgar Broughton's "Hotel Room", which is my favorite on the album.
There is also a good version of the early Barclay James Harvest track "Taking Some Time On". I must admit that it was only about half of the numbers I knew in advance, and in fact it was only "Free Four" I knew really well. The guitars are nicely hit here while the vocals are changed to Langley's usual spoken performance.
Aside from the last two cuts, I actually really like the album, although at first I was a little disappointed. So the album definitely wins with closer acquaintance.
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