"Once Again" was the second album released by Barclay James Harvest in early 1971. As with many of their early works, the album was recorded with the accompaniment of a full orchestra, giving it a lush, symphonic sound. One of the standout tracks from the album is "Galadriel," where John Lees, the band's lead guitarist, played John Lennon's iconic Epiphone Casino guitar. This moment became memorable for the band, and it was later referenced in the song "John Lennon's Guitar" from their 1990 album Welcome to the Show.
In an interview with Songfacts, Keith Domone, the official biographer of Barclay James Harvest (and husband to Monika, his co-author), revealed that John Lees wrote the song "Mocking Bird" in 1968, while he was living with the parents of his future wife, Olwen. The song was inspired by a musical phrase from another track, "Pools of Blue," which Lees had written around the same time.
Once Again was highly regarded in the progressive rock community and earned a spot in Q & Mojo Classic's Special Edition titled Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, where it was ranked #39 in the list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums."
