CATALOG CRAWL: THE STRAWBS, Part 3 (1973-1975)
As the Strawbs moved towards the mid-'70s, they reached their artistic peak. With founding member Dave Cousins guiding the ship, they cut of a string of progressive rock albums that combined lush, ambitious arrangements an approach that synthesized English folk, rock and progressive ambitiousness in the structuring of pieces and their ability to make a variety of styles cohere.
The trio of albums covered below are even more impressive when you consider there was a massive lineup change between the first and second albums, including the departure of valuable songwriters and performers Richard Hudson and John Ford to start their own career as a successful duo act. Cousins built a new band for albums two and three without missing a beat - and as you read on, you will see that he and his new recruits were able to retain an impressive continuity in both songwriting and sound...
Members: Dave Cousins (lead vocals, guitars, percussion), Dave Lambert (lead vocals, guitars), John Ford (vocals, bass - albums 1), Richard Hudson (vocals, drums - album 1), Blue Weaver (keyboards - album 1), John Hawken (keyboards - album 2 and 3), Chas Cronk (bass, vocals - album 2 and 3), Rod Coombes (drums - album 2 and 3), Claire Deniz (cello - albums 2 and 3)
BURSTING AT THE SEAMS (1973): the debut album for Lambert stands up nicely alongside the mighty Grave New World. It's a master class in complimentary contrasts, with different songs offering different textures and styles that enrich the whole of the album: prog ambition meets catchy pop melodies, acoustic meets electric, orchestration meets rock instrumentation. The album's two big hits have a similar sense of contrast with each other and within themselves: Hudson/Ford's "Part Of The Union" is a pub sing-along with music hall piano, a glammy stomp-beat and an earworm of a sing-along refrain that belies its subversive pro-union/anti-company lyric while Cousins' moodier "Lay Down" combines an earthy rock arrangement with lyrics that have a spiritual bent. "Tears And Pavan" seamlessly blends ethereal balladry with a folk-styled instrumental and a matched pair is formed by the balladry of "The River" and the prog-infused rock "Down By The Sea," both united by powerful orchestration. This feast of complexities is beautifully framed by a crystal-clear recording job, making it an absorbing listen from opening to close. One of their classics.
HERO AND HEROINE (1974): disagreements in the band led to everyone departing except for Cousins and Lambert. The survivors put together a new lineup that quickly produced a new album boasting a tougher outlook in its lyrics and a rockier yet still highly melodic take on prog. It's a strong collection of songs with some classic moments: the "Autumn" suite is one of the Strawbs' most cohesive and engaging art rock moments, "Round And Round" is a synth-layered rocker with spellbindingly gothic lyrics and vocal from Cousins and the title track packs ten minutes worth of prog flourishes and bombast into three minutes. Elsewhere, "Out In The Cold" offsets its mellow soft rock with quietly bitter ruminations about a failed love affair and "Lay A Little Light On Me" is a constantly mutating song that shifts from introspective ballad to melodramatic rock with stunning ease. The album's sound hits the right balance between punch and lushness and everyone turns in a committed performance. If you like your prog song-driven, this is worth picking up.
GHOSTS (1975): the band lineup remained consistent on this album, which furthered a trend of success in America. It's an interesting sibling to its predecessor in that the lush yet rock-edged take on folk-prog remains the same but there are moments of brightness to challenge Cousins' darker impulses: "Lemon Pie" mixes playfully saucy lyrics with ornate folk rock to charming effect, the "Starshine" half of "Starshine/Angel Wine" is an ethereal ode to Chas Cronk's newborn child and the historical tribute of "Grace Darling" pumps up its emotional effect with a children's choir and church organ. The familiar dark drama can be felt in the title track, an expressive but tightly structured mini-epic that mixes religious and gothic imagery, and "The Life Auction," which lays out its grim meditation on mortality with theatrical bombast. There's even slightly funky piano pop ("Where Do You Go") and a soft-rock nostalgic reverie ("You And I)." As usual with the Strawbs' best work, the variety of moods and musical textures cohere thanks to the band's dual focus on substance and melodicism.