At last, one of the great, lost rock albums comes back to life – Home’s third and final album, The Alchemist.  Only available as an import on CD before, and I believe out of print for at least a few years, Esoteric has released a fine package with great liner notes, original album graphics and a clean-sounding remaster.

Home, in existence from 1971 to 1974, featured Mick Stubbs – vocals, guitars, piano; Laurie Wisefield – lead electric, acoustic and slide guitars, vocals, Cliff Williams – bass, vocals; and Mick Cook – drums and percussion.  For this recording, they added Jimmy Anderson on all manner of keyboards and sound effects. 

Home’s first LP from 1972, Pause for a Hoarse Horse, had elements of early Eagles (some country rock flavourings) and Crosby, Stills and Nash (the edgier songs with harmony vocals) that created a tight sounding album with great playing.  The second, the self-titled Home, also from 1972, branched into a bit heavier territory, perhaps with some Fleetwood Mac overtones.  Then came what I consider their best, The Alchemist, in 1973.  With a definite nod to Barclay James Harvest and the great Glencoe (when will this ever come out on CD???) and with occasional psychedelic passages, the band created a 12 song cycle telling the story of two friends, alchemy, prophecy and the events that haunt them.

Mixing acoustic passages with riffing rockers, and with the added dimension of keyboards of all kinds in the mix, this music changes tempo throughout the story, always keeping it fresh and interesting.  There is even crowd noise in places to add to the story narrative, giving The Alchemist a bit of a rock opera feel.  It is such a pleasure to listen to a piece of music so well crafted, so spot-on.  Home really upped the complexity here compared to their two very good earlier LPs.  And to hear Laurie Wisefield is worth the price of admission alone – his stunning guitar, the lead instrument throughout all the pieces, gives good evidence why Wishbone Ash recruited him after Home disbanded. It says in the liner notes that bassist Cliff Williams went on to AC/DC – now there is a major change for sure!