Valentine, released on that day in 1974, is a collection of tracks that
Roy Harper recorded during the early '70s but did not include on either
Stormcock or
Lifemask. The fact that this album somehow gels is testimony to just how talented
Harper was at this point in his career. All
Harper albums have stellar cameos, and this one is no different.
Jimmy Page adds devastating lead guitar to "Male Chauvinist Pig Blues," even though the acoustic version the duo released on Flashes from the Archives of Oblivion is still superior. In addition,
David Bedford continues his streak of outstanding string arrangements on
Harper albums with particularly winning versions for "I'll See You Again" and "Commune." The instrumental "Che" is a reminder of
Harper's astounding and influential acoustic guitar technique, while "Twelve Hours of Sunset" rivals "Waterloo Sunset" as one of most beautiful songs in the English language. Like most
Harper releases, this one has a few weak songs, especially the jazz throwaway "Acapulco Gold," but even the extra tracks from Flashes from the Archives of Oblivion, included on the CD reissues, seem to fit in. While not as high-profile as
Stormcock or
HQ,
Valentine can be numbered among
Harper's best work during his heyday. ~ Brian Downing