Nutty as a fruit-cake, but intermittently interesting.

Of whom of us could this not be said?

Not many, that's true.

Roy Harper published an autobiography a few years ago, but it was remaindered before I got the chance to buy it. From what few fragments I've been able to piece together, his early years were troubling ones:

Raised by fundamentalist Pentecostalists in the North of England, he eventually joined the RAF from which he was dishonourably discharged on the grounds of mental instability. This was the stage of his life at which he became a very, very stoned 1960's hippy folk-singer.

I should add the disclaimer here that I'm not entirely sure that any of the above is actually true. That's why I would have liked to read his life-story.

But if it's only half-true, this would account for both the militant atheism and anti-militarism of many of his lyrics.

He's a very, very good guitar-player, a talent inherited by his son Nick whom I saw live at The Spitz, Spitalfields a few years ago: quite extraordinary sounds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3AAxXyqOzg

This is one of my favourites by Roy.

I meant to say, enjoy, Eddie!! and of course everyone else.

Thanks, Nashville. Much appreciated.

The same link gives access to more of Roy's finest hours, some of them with Jimmy Page, esp.

When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease (Played at John Peel's funeral)
The Same Old Rock
Pink Floyd's Have a Cigar ( For which Roy provided the vocals)

For fans of the cult 60's series "The Prisoner" featuring the late Patrick McGoohan, check out Roy Harper's "McGoohan's Blues Parts 1 and 2" on Nashville's link.

Roy's best album is "Stormcock".

If there's better use of strings on an English folk album than Stormcock's "Me and My Woman", I'd like to hear it:

The cuckoo she moves through the dawn fanfare
The dew leaves the roofs in the midnight air
Feel her finger running through my nightmare's lair
Feel most together with my nowhere stare...

Ah! It takes me back....

I dunno, Bert Jansch and John Renbourn and Robin Williamson have all done fine work. If you call anyb one of them folkies, of course. Only one of them is English, that's true.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTKPTJ_gUXQ

This is Bert Jansch's Needle of Death - written when he was 21, before he'd ever gone near smack, oh well. I'd say enjoy, but that's hardly the word, is it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EH3Bh3Sc2k

Or here's John Renbourn noodling on "Sweet Potato." More fun, huh?

Roy was more of a cannabis enthusiast.

In the days when I used to smoke dope, nothing ever surpassed the high I used to get listening to "Stormcock". Something to do with the quality of the vocal performance, I think. That, and Jimmy Page's guitar.

But what do I know? I was so stoned I don't remember that much about it.

But geez, it was vivid while it lasted, am I right?