Strawbs/Dave Cousins Appreciation Thread!

Yes it's got a DVD of the BBC show they did which appeared initially as a bootleg CD called "Live in London", later "Live in America".  The sound isn't great but performances like "Simple Visions and "Hero and Heroine" were excellent.  I am looking forward to seeing the actual footage.  Andy Richards is on keys

kenethlevine wrote: time for a bump to say that there is a remastered and expanded version of Dave Cousins first solo album, "Two Weeks Last Summer" from 1972, coming out in just a few weeks https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/dave-cousins-two-weeks-last-summer-remastered-expanded-edition-cd/ While most of the bonus cuts have already appeared on the Taste of Strawbs boxset, "I've been my own worst friend" has not.  It was on Sandy and the Strawbs and also Old School Songs.  I'm curious what the 1972 Dave Cousins did with the song, since he had just begun to turn rock, and in fact "Two Weeks Last Summer", though not a Strawbs album, can be seen as the transitional album between the still largely folky if bombastic "Grave New World" and the surprisinly bold and even heavy "Bursting at The Seams". It was interesting to read in Dave's autobiography how, while Grave New World sold over 90K copies in the UK and Bursting nearly 80K (along with two hit singles), "Two Weeks Last Summer" sold a paltry 5K!  While I don't think it's quite as strong as any of the aolbums between Grave New World and Ghosts, it's still excellent

  I do love Grave New World and Ghosts and certainly feel as though the first side of Two Weeks in particular, stands up to those.  I just really wish they hadn't closed the second side with "Going Home."  Perhaps inserting "I've Been My Own Worst Friend," before "We'll Meet Again Sometime," would have better kept the feeling of the LP,  in my opinion.  It still remains always in my Top 10 of all LP's and it is one I would never part with.

Edited by Snicolette - November 11 2019 at 07:52

Pleased that someone agrees with me, I always wondered if it was just me.  And "That's The Way It Ends," was just so heartbreaking after that incredible, hopeful and just plain moving "Blue Angel," but the song does fit.  I have the feeling that the rockers were to appease the labels, as often musicians had to make those kinds of concessions in those days.  However, I'm with you, I also love "The Actor."  It would be interesting to find out if other rockers were forced and that was a natural piece that the band wrote, perhaps why it is more compelling?

Edited by Snicolette - November 11 2019 at 12:55

Yes, it is lovely, with the outside feel, the birds in the background, etc.  Maybe it was hay fever.  :)

Just before Christmas, Dave Cousins and the acoustic Strawbs rolled into our nearest town as part of the 50th anniversary tour. The concert was held in our small local (criminally under-used) venue to play a fantastic intimate gig of classic tracks and stories between. Right at the start Dave Cousins stated it was a very special concert for him as he had lived nearby during much of the 70's (in a number of local villages) and the majority of the songs written during that period were written in Devon. So as the evening progressed he shared with us the stories, the anecdotes about village life, pubs, the landscape and his own personal life which had inspired the songs. All these places were well known to the majority of the audience that night and it made it a very special evening. I briefly spoke with Dave Cousins, Dave Lambert & Chas Cronk and got my copy of 'Hero & Heroine' signed and Dave said he had family members still living nearby and how pleased he was to be back playing his old stomping ground!

I thought this was a new thread until I saw the date at the top and the page number.

SteveG wrote: Psychedelic Paul wrote: I thought this was a new thread until I saw the date at the top and the page number.   Maybe I should create a handy index of all of the Band Appreciation threads, just like I did with the Make Your Own Album threads.   Just for the record, my favourite Strawbs album is Hero & Heroine, although I've only heard seven Strawbs albums so far. Damn Paul, you gotta start writing some Strawbs reviews.   And give that jazz/fusion stuff a break.

Squonk19 wrote: Played the 'Full Bloom' CD (2004) the other day. A gift sent to me from a fellow Strawbs/BBT fan last year when I saw Acoustic Strawbs near Newcastle. Great sound production and a quality selection as well.

You lucky SOB! That CD is their best acoustic set and went out of print a few weeks after it was released. Hard to find, it lists for about 150 pounds used on various seller sites.

Snicolette wrote: cstack3 wrote: My American friends and I always thought that Cousin's voice and singing style was reminiscent of the great American folk artist, Burl Ives, who was also a banjo player.  Very interesting vocalization for prog, which always seemed to depend upon high-range tenor/contra-tenor vocalists.  RIP Burl.    Loved the way he used banjo on "Witchwood."

The weird thing about Cousins was that he was a phenomenal banjo player that was often used for session work and could play circles around any bluegrass banjo picker. Strangely, he kept it on the down low his whole time in the Strawbs after Sandy Denny left the group and only played low key accompaniment on songs like Witchwood and Cold Steel.