Descendants of Smith
Studio album by
Roy Harper
ReleasedMarch 1988
RecordedLincolnshire, England
GenreRock
Length44:03
LabelEMI CD-EMC 3524
ProducerRoy Harper
Roy Harper chronology
Whatever Happened to Jugula?
(1985)		 Descendants of Smith
(1988)		 Loony on the Bus
(1988)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

Descendants of Smith is the fourteenth studio album by Roy Harper, released in 1988. In 1994 it was re-issued under the title, Garden of Uranium with an identical track list but new cover artwork.

History

As a publicity stunt on the music media, whom Harper thought did not give him or his music fair or considered reviews, Harper sent out 3 promo versions of his single "Laughing Inside" using anagrams of his own name; 'Per Yarroh' a Norwegian classical avant garde composer, 'Rory Phare' a lounge lizard and trendy art designer and 'Harry Rope' a Hells Angel. Music magazines were sent the 7" single, along with an accompanying fake biography describing the artist they were being introduced to.[2]

An employee from Sounds interviewed Per Yarroh and apparently fell for the publicity stunt "hook, line and sinker".[3] When interviewed, Harper elaborated:[3]

as she wrote up the interview in the office, an old timer heard the record and asked what she was doing on Roy Harper? She'd loved the record originally, but then turned right around and wrote the most vindictive piece about me. I also had loads of radio lined up, but as soon as they found out it was me they all cancelled. Being called Roy Harper is the biggest artistic drawback in my career."

Cover art of Garden of Uranium

Track listing

All tracks credited to Roy Harper, except Laughing Inside - Roy Harper/Nick Harper

Side one

  1. "Laughing Inside" – 4:15
  2. "Garden of Uranium" – 4:03
  3. "Still Life" – 4:47
  4. "Pinches of Salt" – 3:07
  5. "Desert Island" – 4:20

Side two

  1. "Government Surplus" – 2:21
  2. "Surplus Liquorice" – 0:39
  3. "Liquorice Alltime" – 3:43
  4. "Maile Lei" – 4:34
  5. "Same Shoes" – 4:15
  6. "Descendants of Smith" – 3:49

CD bonus track

  1. "Laughing Inside (Rough and Ready version)" – 4:10

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ "Descendants of Smith - Roy Harper". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  2. ↑ "1994 Roy Harper Interview". Terrascope.co.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  3. 1 2 "Hats off to Harper". Dave Burnham. August 1994. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
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