TWO WEEKS LAST SUMMER

Dated but timeless

In 1972, Dave Cousins released his first, and to date only solo album. Best known of course as the founder, leader, and only ever present member of the Strawbs, it could perhaps be argued that he has never needed to release solo albums, since the sound of Dave Cousins is the sound of the Strawbs.

While current and former members of the Strawbs Dave Lambert and Rick Wakeman contribute, the album is notable for the presence of a number of well known musicians from the rock world. These include Roger Glover (Deep Purple) and Jon Hiseman (Colosseum). The album was indeed recorded in two weeks, slotting in between the Strawbs albums "Grave new world" and Bursting at the seams". Had this been a Strawbs album, it would actually have fitted in well as a link between those albums, combining as it does the remaining folk influences of the former with the harder rock sound of the latter.

The feature track is the three part "Blue angel", a ten minute piece which is structured along the lines of Strawbs tracks such as "Autumn" and "Ghosts". It is in many ways the missing Strawbs epic, a situation only rectified relatively recently when Cousins re-recorded it in the band's name.

Among the many other highlights are a spirited up-tempo "The actor" which includes some excellent lead guitar and a story telling lyrics. There are plenty of softer pieces too, including the a-cappella "October to May" and the delicate "When you were a child" where Cousins provides his own piano accompaniment.

Several of the tracks have since been included on official Strawbs compilations, further emphasising the strong connection this album has with the output of that band.

For those who enjoy the early 1970's folk prog of the Strawbs, "Two weeks last summer" represents a hidden treasure. Recommended.

The LP sleeve is unique in that it has a picture of a calendar hanging on a wall, with two weeks crossed out. The part of the sleeve which shows the wallpaper is a different texture to that which portrays the calendar.

Even before the traumatic split of Strawbs in 1973, the group had been subject to a variety of opposing interests within its ranks. Thus Dave Cousins took the time to record a solo album in the summer of 1972, in which non Strawbs musicians, many of them UK heavyweights, would guest. While more of a diverse agglomeration than the contemporary works of the mother group, this album could easily be taken as a Strawbs production since Cousins' vocals are so distinctive. It also features some of his best songs in their best arrangements

The highlights are many, including the space folk of the title cut with key jangling and Cousins softest voice. The epic "Blue Angel", is more raw than the Strawbs' version that appeared 30 years later, and preferable to my ears. While it is a suite, each section is terminated by the same chorus to provide continuity. Miller Anderson and Rick Wakeman provide solid lead guitar and keyboard backing for Cousins' top notch poetry. It's certainly one of the best single tracks in the extended Strawbs family. "That's the Way it Ends" benefits from Robert Kirby's strings and winds and several lovely melodies, with only a half minute of muffled voice appearing at the end.

While the CD age juxtaposition of the latter gentle number with the hard rocking "The Actor" is overly jarring, it must be noted that "The Actor" kicked off side 2 on the original LP. It's probably Cousins best hard rock number, sounding totally convincing and enhanced by warbled processed vocals and a powerful melodic chorus. Anderson steals the show at times with his monkey-like guitar sounds, no doubt reflecting the Actor's ability to impersonate everyone but himself. "Ways and Means" and "We'll Meet again Sometime" have become oft recorded Strawbs classics over time, and I much prefer this version of "We'll Meet.." over any other, thanks to its dual guitar orientation and Anderson's delightfully played slide guitar. The album wraps up with the poor hard rocker "I'm Going Home". Unlike "Thank you" on "Bursting at the Seams", this is not supposed to be a novelty song, yet it can be cast off at the first listen.

It's hard to decide what rating to give here, but I think this is an excellent disc that also has an important historical place in Strawbs' canon. Ultimately, because of one poor song and a couple of ok songs, and to avoid deliberating on it for a fortnight, I will round down to 4 stars.

A lost Strawbs album

Two Weeks Last Summer was Dave Cousins' first solo album, released between Strawbs' Grave New World and Bursting At The Seams albums. This was, of course, right in the very middle of Strawbs' most interesting and prolific period that began in the early 70's and culminated with Hero And Heroine and Ghosts in the mid 70's. During this time, Strawbs evolved from a Folk group to a Prog band and the present solo album is pretty much in the same style as Bursting At The Seams. As such it has a few weaker numbers, but overall a good release. One rightly wonders what the point was of releasing a solo album that doesn't notably deviate from the Strawbs sound and standard. But one reason was probably that it allowed Cousins to work with other people. The list of people involved is fairly impressive and includes Deep Purple's Roger Glover, Colosseums' Jon Hiseman, as well as ex-Strawb Rick Wakeman.

The most interesting track is the 10 minute plus, multi-part Blue Angel. A re-recorded version of this epic much later appeared on the Strawbs album of the same name.

Recommended in addition to Strawbs' 1970 - 1975 output.

Not quite the classic people make it out to be. Or more specifically, it's not the 'lost Strawbs' album that people make it out to be.

Released in only a few European countries (excluding the U.K. and the U.S) when the album Blue Angel first came out in 1972, it was because the album truly had all the hallmarks of a Dave Cousins solo album at that time. The contemporary Strawbs album released with great success at that time was the U.K. hit producing Bursting At The Seams. BatS was vitrually chock full of clever catchy tunes from Tears and Pavin, Part of The Union, Laydown and the mega progressive Down By The Sea.

By comparison, Two Weeks Last Summer seams restrained and very individualistic with Cousins accompanying himself solely on piano on several tracks (who knew he could play?) and woodwind accompaniment on another song (with an instrumental intro) The World/That's The Way it Ends. Cousins' first ever outing of October To May was done completely acapella. While his voice was still vibrant and charming at this point in his career, these songs simply fall short as symphonic prog.

Where Cousins does excel is in the heavy prog of the three suite title track that utilizes some heavier than usual lead electric guitar from guest player Millar Anderson, who makes the track sound more interesting and dramatic than it actually is. The lack of a mellotron is surely a missing asset (compare this with the live 40th Anniversary Edition featuring Blue Weaver's mellotron magic.) It's not a bad prog song, but it palls in comparison with Cousins' future three suite masterpieces such as Autumn, Ghosts and the now properly sequenced The River/Down By Sea on the CD reissues of Bursting at the Seams.

Unfortunately, the straight up rock song The Actor is ruined by Cousins' use of annoying oscillating vocal manipulation on the songs verses, which renders the lyrics indecipherable.

Two Weeks Last Summer is not a bad album but it got the limited reception that it actually deserved due to a majority of the song's simply not being up to snuff. Which really is a shame as the album is well produced and sounds great. 3 stars as it's the only Dave Cousins solo album that actually contains new material and not make overs (save We'll Meet Again Sometime), as has been his want since releasing solo albums since 1980.