I see absolutely nothing wrong with Lay Down
I see absolutely nothing wrong with Lay Down
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
I picked up recently the Broken Hearted Bride (2008) and I was surprised how good this album is. Very much like the old days!
I was at a client's staff xmas dinner Saturday night, and a husband of one of the workers, and of whom I have chatted about music at previous staff dinners, says to me, "I guess you went to see the Strawbs when they playing her last month?". What? They were here? In Victoria? NO prog band ever makes it to our little island. Man, was I bummed!! In my own backyard and I didn't even know about it. I would have sooooo been there! Been to two Prog related live shows in my 50 years and missed an easy third!
I checked their website, and they played here Oct 24 on a Canadian acoustic tour. Any fellow Canucks see them and care to tell me what I missed?
I like 'Part of the Union'.
Bursting, Hero, and Grave for me. I found a vinyl copy of Grave several months ago in a record store and I was ecstatic. The former owner had barely played it.
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
My favorite Strawbs song...Simple Visions from Deep Cuts. Love that strummed acoustic guitar and the emotional, heartfelt way Dave sings those lyrics!
Actually I disliked both songs (and find them sonically close)... along with too many fillers (IMHO, of course), that's my main gripe to why BATS is not quite as good as the albums that surrounds it... It doesn't help that the group was imploding at the time (Hooper gone, Hudson & Ford on the way out)... and that I never really warmed to Lambert's presence in the band
Seems odd enough that some UK band would try (and succeeed somewhat) to conquer the US with a song bearing that kind of title, though... Trade unions had a fairly bad name in the US, and were well on the way to block UK's political situation by that time...
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
Lay Down and Part of the Union are sonically close?
The song can actually be taken as a criticism of unions... I don't think they tried to conquer the USA with that song...
I agree. I've played this album many times. Just love it. While I do find the occasional Strawbs cut poor, generally I love everything they do and everything they and Dave put out are auto-buys for me. Saw them for the first time in Philly in 1974, and they were killer. Have seen them electric and acoustic many times since. Just about my favorite band ever. And I like Part of the Union primarily because it is an unusual Strawbs number (it's based on and is a satire of an old union rouser Maid of the Union).
Lou
Looking forward to my day in court.
All three latter day electric Strawbs albums (Deja Fou, Broken Hearted Bride, Dancing to the Devil's Beat) sound pretty strong to me-- With Asia and VDG, it's one of the strongest three-album runs there's been by a reunited pog band. There are terrific songs on all three, but BHB has the advantage of being the most electrric and sounding the most like the Hero/Ghosts era.
Been spinning "Grave New World" in my car, and every time it finishes, I just let it start over and play again. It's just one of those albums, you know. Love this album in the cold weather, preferably under an overcast sky. I truly have to give this record a 10/10 just based on the amazing feeling I get when I'm hearing it.
Me too. I like it when bands throw a monkey wrench in once in a while to keep their fans on their toes. I call it the element of surprise. The same could be said about "thank you." To suggest someone isn't a true fan just because they don't like an atypical song by a band is just plain absurd. If anything it's just the opposite. If you do like those songs then you must be a real fan.
Last edited by Digital_Man; 12-14-2014 at 11:38 PM.
Do not suffer through the game of chance that plays....always doors to lock away your dreams (To Be Over)
I like everything up 'till and counting Ghosts. I haven't heard their latest couple of albums, but they keep telling me that these are solid.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
I like most their periods very much. I'm a huge fan.
My favorites would be Witchwood, Grave New World, H&H and Ghosts.
I think Busting At The Seams oddly fell flat, though has a few great tunes on it. I have no problem with Part Of The Union.
I also like some of the later 70's stuff, Nomadness in particular has a lot of very strong shorter tracks. The other albums to follow are more spotty.
Heartbreak Hill was a return to form, in my book (the unreleased late 70's album, until recently). Though I know others have a problem with it because it lacks lambert - who only played on one track, and is late 70's synth heavy (lacking in organic organs). But, how one can deny the song writing is more akin to mid 70's prog Strawbs, is beyond me. Those darn synths, probably make people think of Tormato.
The newer stuff is over-rated, I think. Yes, Broken Hearted Bride has a few really strong tracks on it, indeed. Get that one. But, most of the other new albums are forgettable. And I have forgotten them.
Last edited by Man In The Mountain; 12-15-2014 at 10:06 AM.
If I admitted that I like a song or two from Deadlines, is someone going to roll down the window and throw me out of the car?
The older I get, the better I was.
Broken Hearted Bride and Deja Fou has a few good tracks on it.
“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”
There are occasional great tracks on their earlier albums, such as "Heavy Disguise" and "New World". Bursting at the Seams has only 2 great tracks IMO, "Down By the Sea" and "Tears and Pavan". Hero and Heroine is their most consistently great album, while Ghosts is kinda hit and miss, with "The Life Auction" the definite highlight. After Ghosts, I'm pretty much unfamiliar.
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