After a disappointing decade of flawed releases,
Roy Harper began the '90s on a strong note with the resurgent
Once, an album very reminiscent in tone of
Harper's 1980 effort,
The Unknown Soldier. Despite the similarity,
Once is the far superior album due to
Harper's effort to downplay production in lieu of musicianship. Many of the lyrics deal with the impact of the fall of communism, which had taken place as
Harper recorded the album. Most seem heavy-handed, though, except for the touching poetry of "Berliners," a song which features
David Gilmour on guitar. "The Black Cloud of Islam" deals with a completely different issue, and drew fire from critics for its attacks on organized religion.
Harper's next album,
Death or Glory?, with its more personal imagery, is the one to get for those wanting the best from this era, but
Once isn't far behind. ~ Brian Downing, All Music Guide