As our Holiday Gift Guide continues with a fourth and final look at Cherry Red's recent box set offerings, we wanted to bring to your attention two collections that would look great underneath the tree, whether for a prog-rock enthusiast in your life or for yourself (we won't tell!). 

First up: Barclay James Harvest's And Other Short Stories, recently reissued as a 2-CD/DVD set.  The English prog rock outfit Barclay James Harvest had already made a name for themselves as part of Harvest Records' growing stable of free-form rock groups.  Their blend of orchestral, baroque, and pastoral elements caught the attention of the listening public and rock press alike.  After their self-titled debut and the aptly named Once Again, BJH were ready to follow up with And Other Short Stories.  They worked out of Abbey Road Studios (only recently renamed after the success of The Beatles' album) with ex-Pretty Thing Wally Allen producing.  It's clear the band was striving for an epic, blending rock elements and sometimes overblown symphonic arrangements while also straddling the line between pop and rock.  And while it was acclaimed by critics and fans, And Other Short Stories isn't typically mentioned alongside the great prog albums.  Maybe it was a lack of promotion, or poor supervision  (they'd soon part ways with EMI and find a new manager), but almost 50 years on, Esoteric brings listeners an opportunity to hear the album anew, with remastered audio, fresh mixes, and rarities.

Esoteric's edition features the classic prog album in its original stereo mix and in a newly remastered, remixed, and expanded form.  It totals 40 tracks.  Disc 1 includes the original stereo mix, which is expanded with John Lees' demos for "Brave New World" and "Hymn to a White Lady" alongside BBC recordings from 1971 and 1972.  Disc 2 includes a brand-new mix of the album plus tracks from the U.S. edition of the album, and rare mono reduction mixes from 1971.  Finally, Disc 3 is a DVD of Barclay James Harvest and Other Short Stories in high resolution stereo and 5.1 surround sound.  Given the density of BJH's arrangements, fans will no doubt delight in the opportunity to hear the album spread across the speakers.  Rounding out the set is a liner notes booklet and a replica promo poster.

In addition to their Barclay James Harvest series, Cherry Red's Esoteric label has been reappraising Be-Bop Deluxe's classic albums in an array of formats.  The most recent is an exploration of the band's debut, Axe Victim.  Originally released in 1974 on the Harvest label, Axe Victim is unlike any other entry in the band's catalogue.  It sees the band merging sounds informed by the glam movement with what would become their usual progressive tendencies.  The album picked up steam after DJ John Peel named it one of his favorite albums of the year.  And while some would say it's not up to par with what would come later in the band's career, it's full of classics, like the glam-like "Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape," and "Third Floor Heaven," featuring Jenny Haan of the band Babe Ruth.

Axe Victim has been newly expanded for this comprehensive reissue with a new remaster sourced from the original master tapes, a new stereo mix, a 5.1 surround sound version of the album, and two BBC sessions from November 1973 and May 1974 presented in their entirety.  You'll also hear pre-contract single sides, album outtakes, and an unreleased Decca audition.  It's all packaged together across 3 CDs and a DVD, alongside a 68-page book with notes by bandleader Bill Nelson and plenty of rare photographs.

For those who might be interested in something more digestible, Esoteric has also released a 2-CD edition which features the original album mix remastered and a new stereo mix.  Added to the mixes are a smattering of rarities.  On the first disc, you'll hear the early single sides "Teenage Archangel" and "Jets At Dawn," and unreleased early mixes of "No Trains to Heaven" and "Axe Victim."  Meanwhile, the second CD is rounded out with unreleased versions of "Axe Victim," "Night Creatures," and "Rocket Cathedrals."

No matter which version of Axe Victim you choose, you're sure to enjoy this tribute to Be-Bop Deluxe's beginnings.  Alongside the expanded Barclay James Harvest and Other Short Stories, you get a proper look at some of Harvest Records' finest - yet somehow overlooked - albums.  Both packages are available now through Cherry Red's Esoteric imprint, and you can find the track listings and order links below.  Please visit our full Holiday Gift Guide here!

Barclay James Harvest, And Other Short Stories (Cherry Red/Esoteric PECLEC 32720, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1:

1. Medicine Man
2. Someone There You Know
3. Harry's Song
4. Ursula (The Swansea Song)
5. Little Lapwing
6. Song with No Meaning
7. Blue John's Blues
8. The Poet
9. After the Day
10. Brave New World
11. Hymn to a White Lady
12. She Said
13. Galadriel
14. Ursula (The Swansea Song)
15. Someone There You Know
16. Medicine Man

CD 2:

1. Medicine Man
2. Someone There You Know
3. Harry's Song
4. Ursula (The Swansea Song)
5. Little Lapwing
6. Song with No Meaning
7. Blue John's Blues
8. The Poet
9. After the Day
10. Medicine Man
11. Harry's Song
12. Someone There You Know
13. Medicine Man
14. Ursula (The Swansea Song)
15. Someone There You Know

DVD contains 5.1 surround mix, new stereo mix, and original stereo mix in 96/24 high resolution

CD 1, Tracks 1-9 from Harvest LP SHVL 794, 1971
CD 1, Tracks 10-11  John Lees Demos, July 1971
CD 1, Tracks 12-16 from The Bob Harris Show, BBC Radio One
CD 2, Tracks 1-9 new stereo mix
CD 2, Tracks 10-12 U.S. album versions from Sire LP SI 5904, 1972
CD 2, Tracks 13-15: Abbey Road mono reduction mixes, 1971

Be-Bop Deluxe, Axe Victim (Cherry Red/Esoteric PECLEC 42715, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1 (Original Album - Harvest LP SHVL 813, 1974 plus Bonus Tracks):

1. Axe Victim
2. Love Is Swift Arrows
3. Jet Silver and The Dolls of Venus
4. Third Floor Heaven
5. Night Creatures
6. Rocket Cathedrals
7. Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape
8. Jets At Dawn
9. No Trains to Heaven
10. Darkness (L'Immortaliste)
11. Teenage Archangel
12. Jets at Dawn (Single Version) (Smile single LAFS 001, 1973)
13. No Trains to Heaven (First Mix)
14. Axe Victim (First Album Version Mix)

CD 2 (New Album Mix plus Bonus Tracks)

1. Axe Victim
2. Love Is Swift Arrows
3. Jet Silver and The Dolls of Venus
4. Third Floor Heaven
5. Night Creatures
6. Rocket Cathedrals
7. Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape
8. Jets At Dawn
9. No Trains to Heaven
10. Darkness (L'Immortaliste)
11. Axe Victim (First Version)
12. Night Creatures (Spoken Word Version)
13. Rocket Cathedrals (First Version)

CD 3 (BBC Sessions and Decca Recordings):

1. Axe Victim
2. Bluesy Ruby
3. Tomorrow the World
4. Axe Victim
5. I'll Be Your Vampire
6. Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape
7. Bluesy Ruby
8. Third Floor Heaven
9. Mill Street Junction
10. 15th of July (Invisibles)
11. Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape

DVD contains 5.1 surround mix, new stereo mix, and original stereo mix plus bonus tracks (CD 2, Tracks 11-13) in 96/24 high resolution

CD 3, Tracks 1-3 from The John Peel Show, 6 November 1973
CD 3, Tracks 4-7 from The Decca Session, 13 December 1973
CD 3, Tracks 8-11 from The John Peel Show, 9 May 1974