ACOUSTIC STRAWBS: BAROQUE & ROLL

I listened to this album over and over, thinking it was going to someday seduce me into believing that it was as good as it ought to be. The main problem, I think, is that the available time and budget simply wouldn't permit the performers from getting everything right. The vocals are often problematic (weak or shrill), the instrumental performances sometimes glitchy (not-so-smooth fretwork), and the arrangements are too simple (more strings, and stuff like flute or oboe would've helped). There are saving graces which make the album worth keeping, like the lovely "Alice's Song". Some of the "favorites", however, made me want to listen to the original versions.