CATALOG CRAWL: THE STRAWBS, Part 2 (1971-1972)

As the Strawbs entered the '70s, they began to realize their potential as a progressive rock band with the live album Just A Collection Of Antiques & Curios. Its lively mixture of progressive arrangements and energetic, rock-derived interplay between band members paved the way for a string of studio albums beloved to fans of folk-influenced prog rock.

This installment of Catalog Crawl includes the first two albums of that legendary run, the latter considered by many to be the band's shining moment on record, and a key solo album by founding member Dave Cousins that plays like the missing link in the Strawbs catalog from this era. All three represent a compelling and harmonious union between strong songwriting, ambitious musicianship and that vintage, earthy yet cleanly defined style of recording that defined so many great albums of the '70s.

FROM THE WITCHWOOD (1971): the sessions for this one were a bit tempestuous, with Hudson and Ford disputing material choices with Cousins while Wakeman was busy with outside sessions (he'd be poached by Yes before this album's release). Despite the difficult birth, this is a gem of prog-tinged folk with strong songs across the board. The band's newfound artsy side finds its flowering on numbers like "Sheep," a dark commentary piece whose dynamic arrangement includes some ear-catching synth effects, and "The Shepherd's Song," a deliriously romantic number powered by controlled but lavish bursts of Wakeman synth and mellotron textures. Elsewhere, "Thirty Days" is a Ford-penned folk number with singalong harmonies and artfully integrated sitar while Hudson's "Cannondale" wraps you in a post-psych, harmony-heavy dreaminess. That said, the killer cut here is "The Hangman And The Papist": it offers a taut narrative about the soul-destroying cruelty of murder in the name of religion, bolstered by Cousin's intense lead vocal and a cinematic arrangement layered with simple yet atmospheric instrumental touches.

GRAVE NEW WORLD (1972): Cousins and company carried on after Wakeman's exit with this loose song cycle about the cradle-to-grave process of life. If you wanted to introduce someone to the Strawbs with a representative album, this is the perfect choice: the songs are consistently substantial as the band expands their proggish take on folk rock via successful ventures into gospel ("Benedictus"), hard rock ("Tomorrow," which borders on Deep Purple in spots) and even some vintage dance band sounds (the orchestrated "Ah Me, Ah My"). "New World" is one of Cousins' great achievements, a venomous social commentary piece delivered in a scorched-earth tenor, and Ford's "Heavy Disguise" is similarly thoughtful in a subtler way that offsets its acoustic core with a sprightly brass arrangement. New keyboardist Weaver doesn't go for virtuoso theatrics like Wakeman but adds colorful textures everywhere, most notably the rich layers of mellotron on "New World."  Headphone-quality production seals the appeal of the album's kaleidoscopic array of moods and textures, making it a rewarding listen all the way through.

DAVE COUSINS - TWO WEEKS LAST SUMMER (1972): Cousins' only solo outing until the late '90s dovetails neatly with the Strawbs' 1971-1972 work. Half is folkish material in the vein of the first few Strawbs albums: the title track utilizes production touches to add a post-psychedelic haze to its acoustic ruminations on summertime memories and "When You Were A Child" utilizes a percussive piano melody for a fond look back at a childhood friendship. Songs like those are balanced by pieces with rock elements in line with From The Witchwood and Grave New World: "The Actor" sets its philosophical musings to a driving rock melody with a surprisingly funky instrumental coda and "Ways And Means" mixes folk and electric modes, with piano uniting both approaches. The album's highlight is the folk-prog gem "Blue Angel," a musical triptych whose arrangement reinvents its melody with multiple shifts in texture but unites everything with a soaring refrain that lends catharsis to its spiritual storyline. If you like the Strawbs work of this era, this is a necessary companion piece.