BLUE ANGEL

Having never heard Dave Cousin's solo album "Two Weeks Last Summer", I was a bit curious about this re-working of an old oeuvre, fearing the worst. I was expecting also some real surprises knowing that this solo album was recorded at the same time when Strawbs were disintegrating around the mediocre BATS album (which curiously enough became their best-selling album).

I still have not heard the original work of the album, but I gather from listening to Blue Angel, that it stuck relatively close the Strawbs sound. Actually , from looking at the credits on this album, it looks more like a collaboration between Cousins and Willoughby accompanied by Strawbs members of two different generations, with Hudson and Weaver from the GNW album and Cronk, Coombes and Lambert from the H&H album. Anyway, the Blue Angel album is very confusing refelecting well the mayhem around Cousins around the time of recording. But clearly there is a strong aural link from this album (or most likely its original form) and Strawbs album such BATS and later H&H: some countryish ambiance of BATS (the awful Strange Day Over The Hill), a long mini-suite reminding H&H or Ghosts albums and an over-all typical third era Strawbs, but also its share of "average tracks like Do You remember, Rhythm Of The Night, Morning Glory or so-called bonus track The King. So if you are into such albums from them, this is likely to please you, but be warned that there are some very profound sound changes (in the drumming most notably which sound a bit too early 90's, which is always better than the 80's drums sounds), but the late 70's Strawbs spirit is there. Even up to a re-make of their hit Lay Down - just as awful as the original but twice the length - this album is rather average de chez Average.

Blue Angel mini-suite is a typical treat for fans (you'd swear this was Renaissance man Hawken on piano), while the almost 6-min The Plain holds some superb drama and Come The Day cannot save enough to be the day of grace.

Tooooooo bad there are so many shadows on what has been changed from the original oeuvre (and the ugly and stupid artwork with the ugly mutt), but if you are a later 70's fan, this might just be worth your investigation since to me this might just be a long-lost Strawbs album. For my part, I will look for the original work, before really judging this album, so tentatively and temporarily: 2,5 stars really!!! Just not enough good tracks to warrant a higher rating.