Strawbs: Hero and Heroine (1974)
What’s well known about the Strawbs was that they were never known for a steady lineup, with only Dave Cousins being the only constant through the mess. The band was known for having Rick Wakeman in their ranks, but he left in 1971 for Yes, of course. In his place was a keyboardist named Mick “Blue” Weaver, formerly of Amen Corner. Then comes the albums that prog rock fans most associate with: Grave New World (1972), and (with Tony Hooper leaving and Dave Lambert stepping in) Bursting at the Seams (1973). The latter even gave them the working-class anthem “Part of the Union” which became a UK hit.
After Bursting at the Seams, the band witnessed another drastic lineup change, where only Dave Cousins and Dave Lambert were the only members left from their previous lineup. In come keyboardist John Hawken (ex-Nashville Teens, and Renaissance, that is the original version with Keith Relf and Jim McCarty), drummer Rod Coombes, and bassist Chas. Cronk. Most of them credited to vocal duties as well.
Apparently this new lineup hurt their UK success, but in America, this was when they were at their peak. That album was Hero and Heroine, the back cover shows the band all dressed in white against a smudgey white background, making look like they were in heaven. Plus you can’t mistake who Dave Lambert is (the one with the streaked hair). This album succeeds at combining the band’s folk roots with Mellotron-heavy symphonic prog. The band was never going to be Gentle Giant as far as complexity, in fact I have to say they were often not a million miles from the Moody Blues in complexity, more focusing on the songs themselves, with emphasis on vocal harmonies, but giving their own style. Not to mention how often Dave Cousins’ voice would remind me of Cat Stevens at times, and at other times, of Peter Gabriel.
“Autumn” is a three piece movement that starts off with some really fat Moog from John Hawken, and some truly wonderful Mellotron passages. Then the band gets more into symphonic gear, with vocals and more Mellotron. The last part, “The Winter Long” has a more singalong quality, with vocal harmonies. “Sad Young Man”, by Rod Coombes, features some nice guitar work, and out of nowhere, an almost Genesis-like prog passage. Dave Lambert’s “Just Love” could sound like any countless straight-ahead rocker you could come across in the 1970s, but suddenly out of nowhere is a Mellotron-dominated symphonic passage that sounds completely different from the rest of this piece, which is generally a lively, guitar-dominated piece, showing that Dave Lambert was a rock ‘n roller. Dave Cousins gives us another one of those singalongs with “Shine on Silver Sun”. He also gives us the wonderful title track, which has some massive Mellotron brass, and then when the music kicks in, it has an almost medieval, jig-like quality, showing their folk roots. “Midnight Sun” and “Out in the Cold” show more the folk and less of the prog, while “Round and Round” and especially “Lay a Little Light on Me” shows the prog influences greater. The latter, especially, reminding me a bit of Gabriel-era Genesis (especially during the mellower passages). “Hero’s Theme” was simply an experiment by Dave Lambert which was essentially “Shine on Silver Sun” played in reverse.
This really shows the Strawbs at their finest. If you’re a prog purist, you might not like this album, but if you enjoy folk-influenced prog, this is right up your alley. Another excellent album to have in your collection.