STRAWBS

The Strawb's debut is a forgotten gem. There is so much quaity in the compositions and performance here.The arrangements are top notch and give a colourful and interesting setting. The music has a few flavours, going from sparse folk to pop-psychedelia (sometimes in the same song!) Dave Cousins is really a genius of a songwriter and his singing also seems to suit the songs well.

I admire everything on this album. The tracks have a peculiar Englishness about them. They are absolutely wonderful, charming, very original and each is different from the next. Best moments are "The Man Who called Himself Jesus", "Or Am I Dreaming", "Tell Me What You See In Me" which has a mixture of middle eastern, and western arrangements, and the epic 'The Battle' although as I said, everything is a winner.

Listen for the melancholy melodies and lyrics in "That Which Was Mine", "All The Little Ladies" and the sad tale of "Poor Jimmy Wilson". They are really stunning! Fans of late sixties quirky Psychedelia, folk, and early progressive pop/rock will adore this album!! The best music may have come from the band later on, but I also love the early classics very much indeed. Well worth the repeated listens. Four solid stars.