new Strawbs album this fall

thanks!

And, here is my uncharacteristically long review

and you know, Martin, you can publish a French language review on rateyourmusic.com

Steve, not sure if you are around but hope you can do a review too.  

hmm, I think I agree.  In general the sound is much more overproduced than even their 70s albums.  There was also a spot-on melodic simplicity in the early work that is lacking in all but a couple of songs.  Early Strawbs songs would stick in your ear for days.  A Song like "The Nails from the Hands of Christ" is good but hardly hummable.  The easiest way to compare the new/old is to compare the title track to its predecessor, "The Vision of the Lady of the Lake.  In comparison it's a tedious drone.  And the original had its flaws, but total lack of melody was not one of them.

I know Bainbridge is a good keyboard player but I have listened to Iona in the past and IMO he has brought some of the issues I have with Iona into Strawbs.  I noticed this on his interludes between songs on the new live H&H performances.  Lots of notes but no apparent master plan at all.  Compare the lovely sounding instrumental intros that go nowhere on the new album with the succinct beauty of "remembering" written and delivered by John Hawken on "Ghosts".  I'll take Hawken's work any day.

I shouldn't pile on too much - there are several excellent songs, with the 2 best being back to back - "The Familiarity of Old Lovers" and "When the Spirit Moves", and the twin leads are a great idea.  "Bats and Swallows" is in the vein of the better light tracks in their history.  "The Nails" is pretty good, flaws notwithstanding.  The closer is good but I found the ending flat.  

Sounds like lots of mellotron, several instances of dual lead guitars, and even bouzouki on one track!

details here

I doubt Rick Wakeman will be on the new album.  I was just mentioning that he had played on the original song.

It's likely to be Dave Bainbridge from Iona playing keys on the new album.