GHOSTS

STRAWBS started as a folk-rock band but gradually turned into a prog band; this album is from their strongest - and most rocking - period. The more folk-oriented members gone, Dave Cousins is accompanied by keyboardist John Hawken (of Renaissance Mk 1 fame), guitarist Dave Lambert (the head of psychedelic one-album act FIRE), bassist Chas Cronk and drummer Rod Coombes - the same line-up was already on Hero & Heroine. A very strong group, and the sound has a nice sharpness.

The opener title track is a definitive highlight in the Strawbs career altogether. Tightly progressive and powerful in emotion, dealing with nightmares. 'Lemon Pie' is a happy, folkish (but not acoustic) song with good vocal harmonies. Another proggy highlight is the sinister 'Life Auction'. A female choir backs up the closing love song 'Grace Darling'. The rest of the material falls somewhere between quite ordinary folk-tinged (prog) rock and mellow acoustic stuff, but always sounding distinctively Strawbs. Ghosts is among the albums that make The Strawbs deserve their place as one of the better British prog bands.