BBC IN CONCERT

Recently I stumbled upon an album that I didn't play for a long time when I was in the mood for Mellotron friendly prog, it's entitled The Strawbs - BBC In Concert. This legendary band (featuring Chas Cronk who later joined Steve Hackett solo) gained a lot of attention with their humorous hit-single Part Of The Union, it peaked at #2 in the UK charts, in 1973. But The Strawbs are hard to pigeonhole, their sound is unique. Singer Dave Cousins plays an important role, colouring the music in a very special way with his distinctive voice, from tender to powerful, with a lot of expression.

This BBC radio broadcast contains recordings from '73 and '74. The music frequently shifts between folky (acoustic guitars), classical (piano and harpsichord) and sumptuous symphonic rock outbursts (fiery electric guitar and majestic Mellotron evoking BJH and The Moody Blues). The 15 tracks on this CD include their best work, my favorites are Tears And Pavan, Down By The Sea (what a compelling Mellotron sound), Part Of The Union and Hero And Heroine.

If you are up to discover The Strawbs this is an excellent musical encounter.