Hero and Heroine by the Strawbs. Does it still hold up?

[Scrotum Scissor]

Out In the Cold is about getting old? I thought it was about being dumped! I'll have to listen more closely next time.

It's about both, and more specifically about finding out during the course of years that age is essentially what makes you come to terms with your own bitterness and grudges, letting go of pondering for the sheer futility of it - i.e. not only the time elapsing and passing, but age itself. Cousins was a great lyricist back then; I'm not saying he isn't one anymore, I'm just not that acquainted with his recent material. Already in his mid-to-late 20s he foresaw how 'middle-ageing' would affect judgement and outlook.

[BarryLI]

Absolutely a classic. Among the string of great Strawbs albums.

Correct answer, "X" gets the square.

[Lopez]

Definitely. One of my favorite bands and one of my favorite albums by them. Still gives me chills (though "Just Love" not so). Saw them shortly after H&H came out and they were wonderful. John Hawken was sublime on keys.

[RapidRefresh]

Thanks to all for your responses. Yes, it does seem universal that 'Just Love' is a turkey. I wonder how and why it ended up on the album. Perhaps Cousins was just trying to placate Lambert with a songwriting credit.

[rickawakeman]

Any thoughts on the recent live version? I liked it but felt it didn't add much to the original.

[Gizmotron]

I am a big Strawbs fan (I saw them in 1977).

H & H was one of my favorites back then and still is today. Superb album!

[Rand Kelly]

My first Strawbs album. Listened to in incessantly in the 70's along with Ghosts. Enjoyed the bookends of those 2 albums, but didn't explore much further. Saw them live in May of 74 at the Academy of Music in NYC. It was a memorable show. Still gets some love on the ipod.

Mine too. I bought it on 8-Trak. My next one was Bursting At The Seams. I prefer their mid 70's output.

[Onomatopoeic]

A friend of mine recently stated that the album was of it's time and that people no longer view it with any awe. Is that true?

1.) Your friend is full of caca.

2.) Hero & Heroine was of it's time and has been since deemed timeless by the gods of prog.

3.) The Strawbs revisited Hero & Heroine in 2011 (Hero & Heroine in Ascencia) and the result was decent.

[emperorken]

From start to finish, I think it's their most consistently great album. I'm not a big fan of Dave Lambert's vocal parts, but still, overall, there are fewer weak moments on H&H than on any of their other albums. The album still holds up well today.

[RapidRefresh]

Any thoughts on the recent live version? I liked it but felt it didn't add much to the original.

If your referring to the 2011 studio remake, I think it sounds a bit fresher and that the band are not just going through the motions. But it's certainly no improvement over the original, IMHO.

[chalkpie]

I busted this sucker out for the first time in a long, long while. The music aside for a moment - the sound and production of this album is, well, not to my tastes. It almost sounds like an 80's album, but it was done in 1974? I guess my favorite sounding albums were Witchwood, Grave New World, and even Two Weeks last summer.....and then the reverb monster started to creep in around the time of Bursting at the Seams, and then H and H came along. I try to listen *through* the sonics, and sometimes I can with albums I love with less-than-ideal productions, but this one is a tough ride. The drum sound (the snare in particular) really grates on me. BTW, I am a huge fan of Cousins and Strawbs in general - I LOOOVE this band, so its not about that at all. Believe it or not, I still never bought Ghosts - should I?

[Onomatopoeic]

Believe it or not, I still never bought Ghosts - should I?

As Mister T used to say, and still does on occasion, "Pity the foo!"

Don't be a fool. Ghosts is essential. Get it! The remastered version with an extra track can be had cheaply.

1	Ghosts: Sweet Dreams; Night Light; Guardian Angel	8:31
2	Lemon Pie	4:03
3	Starshine / Angel Wine	5:15
4	Where Do You Go (When You Need A Hole To Crawl In)	3:03
5	The Life Auction: Impressions Of Southall From The Train; The Auction	6:52
6	Don't Try To Change Me	4:28
7	Remembering	0:55
8	You And I (When We Were Young)	4:04
9	Grace Darling	3:55
	Bonus Track
10	Changes Arrange Us	3:55

[Koreabruce]

I used to have this remastered version but got rid of it. The thing sounds like someone mucked with the eq in a not terribly complimentary way, and the so-called bonus track is, imho, a throwaway. Don't get me wrong - Ghosts is a *great* album, but it really does need to stop at Grace Darling, which is a completely gorgeous song. Having something as inconsequential as Changes Arrange Us come after it is sacrilege!

[Lopez]

Listened to it yesterday before I noticed the reappearance of this thread. Yup, it still packs a punch.

[Scrotum Scissor]

I LOOOVE this band, so its not about that at all. Believe it or not, I still never bought Ghosts - should I?

Frankie, Ghosts is my fave Strawbs creation next to Grave New World. It retains some of the theatrical element of H&H but merges this with the "Blue Angel" aesthetic of Cousins' solo venture, resulting in material which is at once emotionally intimate still powerfully grand in sound and scope. I also think the title track to be one of the best examples of his allegorical flair in lyrics, yet again circling around the matter of past/release/fate/conclusion. Beautiful, and "Life Auction" arguably marked the zenith of their 'prog' attempts.

[JJ88]

I think chalkpie has a point about the sound, actually- it's not the greatest. I remember the mix having that compressed, in-your-face sound.

I do feel like the albums after Grave New World became unbalanced by the 'commercial' songs. I'm not especially fond of 'Part Of The Union', 'Lemon Pie' or 'Just Love' on here.

[Staun]

YOU BET YOUR ASS IT STILL HOLDS UP!!

If the expert says it does, it does. A special album for me.

[Rye-Ergot]

. I also think the title track to be one of the best examples of his allegorical flair in lyrics, yet again circling around the matter of past/release/fate/conclusion. Beautiful, and "Life Auction" arguably marked the zenith of their 'prog' attempts.

Completely agree.

[Gizmotron]

Ghosts?

You MUST get it!

[soundsweird]

I bought the remasters of "H. & H." and "Ghosts"; agree that the sound is crap, so I'm glad I kept the original CD's. Two great prog albums with some pop filler, and I'll add "Nomadness" with an asterisk, since there are only a handful of great tracks. Yes, I love the earlier stuff, too, though the prog elements aren't as overt. I have a ton of Strawbs, including a DVD. Other recommendations: "Recollections", a live album from 1970 that I like more than the similar "...Antiques & Curios", and "Of a Time" and "All Our Own Work", both with a bunch of bonus tracks

[chalkpie]

Thanks for the tip(s) guys. I will get Ghosts.

[Gizmotron]

Thanks for the tip(s) guys. I will get Ghosts.

You will love it. If i could only have one Strawbs disc, it probably would be Ghosts...

[mozo-pg]

I love Grace Darling from Ghosts, among many others.

[grego]

Great album by great band, just recently spinned it, and music is as fresh, as if was written today. I love the sound. Favorite songs are Autumn, Midnight Sun, Hero & Heroine. Heard them live, as acousitc trio, in 2010.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Midnight Sun

This is one of Cousins' finest short tunes, IMHO. It displays the apparent ease with which he could deliver a layered set of inner images and feelings. I love the hand percussions and 'tron flutes here; great, sparse arrangement which fits the song just perfectly, and the way it nearly seamlessly segues into "Round & Round" remains one of those exhilarating moments of 70s 'prog rock' magic.