Stormcock

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Professional reviews
Stormcock

Studio album by Roy Harper
Released	1971
Recorded	England
Genre	Folk
Length	41:25
Label	Harvest SHVL 789, Science Friction HUCD004 (Current release)
Producer(s)	Peter Jenner
All Music Guide link
Roy Harper chronology
Flat Baroque and Berserk (1970)	Stormcock (1971)	Lifemask (1973)

Stormcock is a 1971 album by Roy Harper and is considered by many to be his 'best record'. It certainly represents, at very least, one of the 'peaks' within his career.

1 Miscellanea
2 Track listing
3 Personnel
4 External links

[edit] Miscellanea

The album's title, Stormcock, is an old English name for the Mistle Thrush. The male of this species "...sings its loud melodious song from a tree, rooftop or other elevated perch, often during bad weather or at night" [1], perhaps a perfect metaphor for Harper himself. Harper has an appreciation of birdlife and has made reference to many birds on his albums.

The album features four extended songs which showcase Harpers talents, both as songwriter and guitarist. But, perhaps most significantly, "..Stormcock...epitomized a hybrid genre that had no exclusive purveyors save Harper — epic progressive acoustic." [2].

The album credits "S. Flavius Mercurius" for the lead guitar on "The Same old Rock", better known as Jimmy Page but unnamed within the album credits for contractual reasons.

Johnny Marr, guitarist with The Smiths, is on record stating that "Stormcock" was "intense and beautiful and clever" [3].