Classic Rock Legends: The Strawbs

Rating:
Summary: LIVE 1990
Review: If you're a Strawbs fan, you already own this dvd. Nuff said.

That said, the Strawbs are the best unknown "English Progressive" band of the seventies (aka, the Strawberry Hill Boys in the 1960's). Of course, the Strawbs never stood a chance, even in the wake of "progressive" bands such as Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Jethro Tull, and Yes (each of whom "The New York Times" despised back in the early '70's).

Because rock critcs took as a given self-evident gospel truth that the wellspring of Rock and Roll was the Blues, choirboy music never stood a chance in America. And so Dave Cousins, folkie choirboy lover of orchestral rock and instrumental virtuosity, was just rendered irrelevant for one reason or another - too "intense", too "conceptual", too British? Too good, I'd say.

The only song of the Strawbs I remember on the radio was "Lay Down" from September, 1977, which hooked me; it was the best song being aired at the time (though I suspect I heard "Part of the Union" at some point prior to that). But with Disco and the Eagles and the New Wave/Punk thing just around the corner, where were the Strawbs going to find a place? Alas.

And just as Ian Anderson has been making incredible music for 30 plus years without a word of mainstream "critical" praise, just so Dave Cousins is anonymous here in the USofA. Go figure.

The fact that this is "out of print" says it all.

Rating:
Summary: LIVE 1990
Review: If you're a Strawbs fan, you already own this dvd. Nuff said.

That said, the Strawbs are the best unknown "English Progressive" band of the seventies (aka, the Strawberry Hill Boys in the 1960's). Of course, the Strawbs never stood a chance, even in the wake of "progressive" bands such as Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Jethro Tull, and Yes (each of whom "The New York Times" despised back in the early '70's).

Because rock critcs took as a given self-evident gospel truth that the wellspring of Rock and Roll was the Blues, choirboy music never stood a chance in America. And so Dave Cousins, folkie choirboy lover of orchestral rock and instrumental virtuosity, was just rendered irrelevant for one reason or another - too "intense", too "conceptual", too British? Too good, I'd say.

The only song of the Strawbs I remember on the radio was "Lay Down" from September, 1977, which hooked me; it was the best song being aired at the time (though I suspect I heard "Part of the Union" at some point prior to that). But with Disco and the Eagles and the New Wave/Punk thing just around the corner, where were the Strawbs going to find a place? Alas.

And just as Ian Anderson has been making incredible music for 30 plus years without a word of mainstream "critical" praise, just so Dave Cousins is anonymous here in the USofA. Go figure.

The fact that this is "out of print" says it all.

Rating:
Summary: A great mix of old and new Strawbs
Review: Line-up being Cousins, Hooper, Willoughby, Parren, Demick and Hudson.
There's not a lot of extras here except the performance - which is great. The sound is very dirty, typical tv broadcast - lots of hiss (but that could have been the combination of playing it through my computer to an oldish tv). But you can tell that before it was broadcast a good-ish production job was done on the mixing and sound.
It's easy to live with all the limitations and lack of extras because the performance is fantastic. We are given a graphic example of why this band and their music is greatly underrated. Cousins is deep in his trances when he sings, living the lyrics (autobiographical or not). The songs are alive, with each band member doing their best to make ever song reach its full potential. The keyboards provide both a background wash for the atmosphere of the songs, and the orchestral furnishings. Parren looks nervous but his work is dynamic. Bass and drums are tight and rock based. Willoughby provides appropriate fireworks and cutting edges, and Hooper is there to authenticate the Strawbs vocal sound. It's everything you'd expect from a full band gig of the Strawbs.

This DVD is highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A great mix of old and new Strawbs
Review: Line-up being Cousins, Hooper, Willoughby, Parren, Demick and Hudson.
There's not a lot of extras here except the performance - which is great. The sound is very dirty, typical tv broadcast - lots of hiss (but that could have been the combination of playing it through my computer to an oldish tv). But you can tell that before it was broadcast a good-ish production job was done on the mixing and sound.
It's easy to live with all the limitations and lack of extras because the performance is fantastic. We are given a graphic example of why this band and their music is greatly underrated. Cousins is deep in his trances when he sings, living the lyrics (autobiographical or not). The songs are alive, with each band member doing their best to make ever song reach its full potential. The keyboards provide both a background wash for the atmosphere of the songs, and the orchestral furnishings. Parren looks nervous but his work is dynamic. Bass and drums are tight and rock based. Willoughby provides appropriate fireworks and cutting edges, and Hooper is there to authenticate the Strawbs vocal sound. It's everything you'd expect from a full band gig of the Strawbs.

This DVD is highly recommended.