Personnel includes: Roy Harper, David Gilmour, John Paul Jones, Bill Bruford, Chris Spedding.
One of Roy Harper's most commercially and critically successful albums, 1975's HQ is also one of his most idiosyncratic. It's certainly his most rock-oriented album, with fewer of the folky acoustic numbers that made his name than any of his other albums.
His backing band at the time included guitarist Chris Spedding and drummer Bill Bruford--the 17-minute suite "The Game" also features Dave Gilmour, John Paul Jones and Steve Broughton--and these players turn Harper's tunes into smooth but never slick, powerful mid-'70s rock. Odd touches like the appearance of a 50-piece traditional brass band on the closing "When An Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease" suggest a kinship to fellow UK eccentrics like Roy Wood and Mike Oldfield. Folks looking for an entry album from Harper's enormous output could do far worse than to start here.
