Unhinged

As is often the case, this live effort by Roy Harper is much more impressive than his sometimes spotty studio albums. This disc was initially a cassette-only release entitled Born in Captivity II. In 1993, it was edited and re-released on CD as Unhinged. The songs hail from the period between 1989 and 1991 and were recorded throughout the United Kingdom. Such overlooked gems as "Descendants of Smith," "When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease," and "Naked Flame" are given solid acoustic treatments by Harper. The songs that include Nick Harper, his son, on lead acoustic guitar are the album's best, and reveal the younger Harper as even more accomplished on the instrument than his father, if that is possible. He also adds astonishing, almost Spanish, flourishes to "Highway Blues," resulting in one of the best takes of his father's classic song. The fact that this was the first of Harper's official live albums with proper liner notes and complete recording information only adds to its enjoyment. Even though Unhinged mostly rehashes past Harper songs, it is an impressive update and easily outperforms his studio releases from the time. ~ Brian Downing