A whole bunch of new things coming from The Strawbs:

A new album, "The Broken Hearted Bride", has been recorded and is scheduled for September release. The album features the classic "Hero & Heroine" lineup. Witchwood Records is offering the album for pre-sale with the first 1000 takers getting their name included on the packaging, as well as receiving a copy of a live album recorded on Dave Cousins first solo tour which took place this past March.

(See separate thread for The Broken Hearted Bride here. ~ Linda)

A live album, "Lay Down With The Strawbs", is scheduled for release June 30. The double CD was recorded in March, 2006, and features the same lineup as mentioned above. The album is also available now as an MP3 from Amazon, and is priced at $8.99! I downloaded it because I wanted it now, and will buy the CD when released. The music is excellent-the group is in fine form, and the sound quality is very good, much better than the below-par "NY 75" released last year.

(See separate thread for Lay Down With The Strawbs here. ~ Linda)

Remastered, and awaiting a release date from Universal, are the 3 "missing" A&M albums:

Strawbs
Dragonfly
Nomadness

All 3 albums are being released for the first time officially on CD, and feature some bonus tracks.

Wow. Great stuff to look forward to for Strawbs' fans!

---

(And here are details for the three reissues Anthony mentioned ... ~ Linda)

[bigred]Strawbs[/bigred]



2008 issue UK 14-track digitally remastered CD album [available on CD for the first time] - Originally released in 1969, The Strawbs' debut album now comes expanded with the Bonus 'BBC Radio One Top Gear Session' Recordings 'Interview / That Which Once Was Mine', 'Poor Jimmy Wilson' & 'The Battle'; comes complete with a picture booklet containing rare & previously unseen photographs of the band and extensive sleevenotes by Mark Powell.

1. The Man Who Called Himself Jesus - Album Version
2. That Which Once Was Mine - Album Version
3. All The Little Ladies - Album Version
4. Pieces Of 79 And 15 - Album Version
5. Tell Me What You See In Me - Album Version
6. Oh How She Changed - Album Version
7. Or Am I Dreaming? - Album Version
8. Where Is This Dream Of Your Youth? - 1969 Album Version
9. Poor Jimmy Wilson - Album Version
10. Where Am I (I'll Show You Where To Sleep) - Album Version
11. The Battle - Album Version
12. Interview / That Which Once Was Mine - BBC Radio One Top Gear Session - Bonus Track
13. Poor Jimmy Wilson - BBC Radio One Top Gear Session - Bonus Track
14. The Battle - BBC Radio One Top Gear Session - Bonus Track

Amazon USA:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ASIRTW/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001ASIRTW/?tag=imwan-21

_________________


[bigred]Dragonfly[/bigred]



2008 issue UK 13-track digitally remastered CD album [available on CD for the first time] - Originally released in 1970, The Strawbs' second album now comes expanded with 4 Bonus Recordings including 'We'll Meet Again Sometime', 'Forever' and 'Another Day' & 'We'll Meet Again Sometime' [taken from a BBC Radio One Top Gear Session]; comes complete with a picture booklet containing rare & previously unseen photographs of the band and extensive sleevenotes by Mark Powell.

1. The Weary Song - Album Version
2. Dragonfly
3. I Turned My Face Into The The Wind
4. Josephine (For Better Or Worse)
5. Another Day
6. Til The Sun Comes Shining Through
7. Young Again
8. The Vision Of The Lady Of The Lake - Album Version
9. Close Your Eyes
10. We'll Meet Again Sometime - Album Version - Bonus Track
11. Forever - Bonus Track
12. Another Day - BBC Radio One Top Gear Session - Bonus Track
13. We'll Meet Again Sometime - BBC Radio One Top Gear Session - Bonus Track

Amazon USA:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ASIRV0/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001ASIRV0/?tag=imwan-21

_________________


[bigred]Nomadness[/bigred]



2008 issue UK 12-track digitally remastered CD album [available on CD for the first time] - Originally released in 1975, The Strawbs' 8th studio album now comes expanded with the Previously Unreleased Bonus Recordings 'Still Small Voice' & 'It's Good To See The Sun'; comes complete with a picture booklet containing rare & previously unseen photographs of the band and extensive sleevenotes by Mark Powell.

1. To Be Free - Album Version
2. Little Sleepy
3. Golden Salamander
4. Absent Friend
5. Back On The Farm
6. So Shall Our Love Die? - Album Version
7. Tokyo Rosie
8. A Mind Of My Own
9. Hanging In The Gallery
10. The Promised Land
11. Still Small Voice - Previously Unreleased Bonus Track - Bonus Track
12. It's Good To See The Sun - Previously Unreleased Bonus Track - Bonus Track

Amazon USA:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ASISB4/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001ASISB4/?tag=imwan-21

I dived in at the deep end with regard to Strawbs, investing in the pussycat box set first! Now I need to get me some of the actual albums. The box is mainly previously unreleased stuff.

Two of those albums that you mentioned Dragonfly and Nomadness are avialable now at Amazon UK.
The best I've heard of The Strawbs are Bursting at The Seams and Grave New World both impressive but I think the former has the edge.

Have you heard of Lindisfarne ? Their first album "Nicely out Of Tune" sits well with Strawbs material.

Mister Master,

Both the "Dragonfly" and "Nomadness" CDs you mentioned are bootlegs, and not very good copies at that.I bought the "Nomadness" without researching it and got burned, and I hear the other is no better.

I agree with you about "Bursting at the Seams"-I think it's the best Strawbs album. My other favorites:

From the Witchwood
Grave New World
Hero and Heroine
Burning For You

I have a Lindisfarne comp and nothing else. Any other recommendations?

Thanks.

Another progressive/folk group that I quite like are Renaissance.Again, not a million miles away from the Strawbs,although their work has perhaps more classical influnces including a fair amount of piano.Their vocals were fronted by Annie Haslam a soprano whose voice has a crystalline but also rather haunting quality.My favourite of their output,and I have five, are "Ashes Are Burning" and then "Turn Of The Cards".

Also you can look up a group called "Trees"if you like early 70s English folk rock with a celtic or prog edge fronted by female singers."On The Shore" is probably the better of the two albums they made..A bit like Fairport Convention,but not anywhere as good.But who is in that genre ?

Love the Strawbs as well Anthony. I bought the boot "Nomadness" and also was fooled in that it was not a legit remaster. I pretty much have all their stuff, many Japanese CDs which have a nice full sound. The news of new stuff being released will be added to the collection. Thanks for the heads up.

Now if we can only get the "Hudson and Ford" catlg released. I have four vinyl albums they recorded in the 70's after leaving the "Strawbs" and really enjoyed them. Can't believe we don't even have a comp out on these guys.

My fave Strawbs period is the early, mid 70's A&M stuff, "Bursting at the Seams", "Hero's and Heroine" and especially "Ghosts". They were really rocking it up. Also have a nice DVD that contains two programs.

Renaissance was a terrific group. Saw them live numerous times and they spellbounded the audience. The NYC Radio City concert was most memberable.

Master Hare's take on "Trees" "On the Shore" is quite correct. It's alright but I expected to like it more than I did.

Rick A.

Thanks, guys, for the Trees info. I have read things over the years but never got around to getting anything. I just checked Amazon UK and the expanded "On The Shores" is currently not in. I ordered the "The Garden Of Jane Delawney" and will start with that.

I too liked Renaissance very much. They were very popular here in the Northeast. The Keith Relf version did some good stuff as well.I also enjoyed Illusion, and found Jane Relf to be a very pleasant vocalist-not as technically good as Annie Haslam, but quite enjoyable.I wish she and McCarty would do some more new things.
Speaking of Jane, there is a 2 disc comp to be released sometime soon(I hope) of material Jane sang lead on, including the singles she did, and some unreleased Renaissance demos. I believe the demo for "Carpet of the Sun" is included.

Anyone into Steeleye Span?

Anthony,

I don't know any songs by this group apart from "All Around My Hat" and "Gaudette" which has a habit of appearing most of "The Very Best Christmas Albums In The World Ever".

Did they make any decent albums or any to recommend,or were they only good for a compilation ?

They're one of my favorite groups, so I'm not objective about them. I love so much of what they've done, and they continue to put out records that stand up with anything they've ever done. Most recent was last years "Bloody Men". The first Steeleye Span album I heard was "Commoners Crown", and I was hooked from that point on. That might be a good place to start, and you can take it from there."All Around My Hat" is another good one

Anthony, thank you so much for all the Strawbs info. I've just posted details for the new studio album here ...

http://www.imwan.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=31669

... and will get to the other CDs shortly. (I think this thread will become the official one for the reissues.)

Linda,
Thank YOU for posting the links. I'm glad to see "The Broken Hearted Bride" has an official release date.

Okay, I've finished updating all the Strawbs threads with Anthony's info, and here's what's where ...

The Broken Hearted Bride:
http://www.imwan.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=31669

Lay Down With The Strawbs:
http://www.imwan.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=31672

Secret Paths (a new Dave Cousins acoustic album which we'd somehow missed!):
http://www.imwan.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=31674

... and details for the Strawbs, Dragonfly and Nomadness expanded remasters now appear at the end of Anthony's opening post for this thread, above. (They appear to have been pushed back to August 12th, BTW.)

Thanks Linda for all that you do.

Rick A.

Bump ~ added more details to the first post regarding the bonus tracks for each remaster. Also, all three CDs have been brought forward one week and are now scheduled for release on August 4th in the UK.

I'm hoping for a reissue of the out of print Sandy Denny & The Strawbs...

--RRofL