Roy is truly back!
I'm not sure whether Roy needs a full backing band as they usually tend to leave the music a little less free. The Green Man is truly beautiful! There's nothing on it I dislike and I guess it was actually a great idea to record it with acoustic guitars and no drums. Roy is just perfect on his own though credit should be given to the few guest musicians who contributed great parts this time round.
Twilight masterpiece
Like many (but not all) of his greatest works, it's primarily acoustic, but pretty spacey and not your run-of-the mill acoustic folk. Roy Harper's most recent full-length (although it was 6 years ago) finds him tapping into a wellspring of folk sounds, emotion, and difficult idealism. In this heartily-recommended album, Roy reaches new emotional heights, but they come from a different place--looking back at 60 years on this planet and 60 years of interacting with people on it. After one listen, you'll wonder just where this was hiding when the less-vibrant The Dream Society was recorded just a few years earlier.
The title track is a brooding, mysterious classic, imbued with folktale imagery and finding Roy contemplating just how natural and fluid life and mortality are. You'll notice Roy's characteristic, unique fingerstyle guitar, and you'll also notice that his voice is just as strong as ever. "Wishing Well" is one of Roy's most amazing songs; it's a rumination on a departed former lover, one about whom he's written many songs about. It really blows my mind to hear what it's like to have "a moment when I tell myself the truth/ and suddenly we're dancing in the first flush of our youth," priceless and human! "Sexy Woman" shows that Roy hasn't lost his characteristic virility, and it's complemented by mandolin and slide guitar, which make very constructive accompaniment on much of the album.
More British folk references come on the love song "Midnight Sun," and "Glasto" is a happy romp to the festival of the same name. "The Monster" is one of Roy's best semi-epic songs, a catalogue of the oppressive political forces (among other things) that permeate the world today. "New England" is another highlight and a wistful piece of aural memory. "Rushing Camelot," another near-epic, is a more personal piece that locates human desires in a world where humans are tampering with the nature that preexists all of us. "All In All" is one of Roy's strongest closers, and is one of the most upbeat songs on the album and has some of Roy's trademark crazy, eastern-sounding pulloff guitar playing.
This album is just as green as the cover suggests--it feels so organic and true to the artists nature that you can't help but be moved. I recommend this with the tops of Roy's catalogue, but I'd recommend checking out his earlier masterpieces first, since you'll appreciate the emotional force behind some of these songs more if you understand the context. Check out Roy's website, for an online store--if you buy from there you'll be directly supporting the artist. When Roy Harper is a household name, my work will be done. Enjoy!.
As Nature Intended
This album is far from his most accessible, but certainly amongst the most fascinating. Roy Harper has a catalog of moving and thought provoking music. Because of it's acoustic nature, The Green Man probably has the most in common with Stormcock. But the philosophy behind the two records couldn't be further apart. While Stormcock had thematic undercurrents of anger and isolation, Green Man celebrates life as only a grandfather could. With Green Man Roy we find Roy aged like a glass of Oregon pinot noir, with just a bit cork floating in the top. If Roy keeps going like this until the end of his days, he'll never go wrong.
An acoustic masterpiece
With The Green Man, Roy Harper has excelled his own high standards by producing a strong contender for one of the greatest acoustic albums ever (or at least since Nick Drake's Five Leaves Left). When was the last time an album sent shivers down your spine on first listen? Tubular Bells? Dark Side of the Moon? Aqualung? Whatever; it's been a long long time since I felt so emotionally moved by a collection of songs. Whereas Dream Society was hailed as one of Roy Harper's most accomplished efforts for many years and was undeniably an extremely good album, The Green Man is a truly *great* album, which transcends the boundaries of folk/rock and should appeal to a wide audience. There is no dead wood whatsoever; all 11 songs are very strong and yet very different. If pushed to select the highlights though, I would have to mention first the title track, which has a haunting ageless beauty about it and amply demonstrates the vibrant power of Roy's voice undiminished by his 60 years. Glasto is a joyously frivolous celebration of the famous festival and serves as a light-hearted counterbalance to other more spiritually profound songs around it. The Monster is a massive work containing the most beautiful poetical lyrics and is an inspired exploration of the strange values and priorities that society holds so dear. Solar Wind Sculptures has a dreamy trance-like feel to it and is just made to listen to on a hot Summer's afternoon when chilling out in your garden with a glass or two of fine ale. Rushing Camelot has perhaps the catchiest tune of the collection which I guarantee will be stuck in your head for ages. Finally All in All completes the album with a deceptively simple song with a strong "hook" in the chorus. Roy's intricate guitar work throughout is flawless but never clinical and the accompaniment is pitched at a minimalist level, letting the sheer exuberance of the songs shine through. This stunning album deserves to gain a much wider audience for Roy and I urge you all to give it a listen.
You can see a complete list of all Roy Harper discography, or go back to the Roy Harper tabs
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