Search - Dave Cousins :: Boy in the Sailor Suit

Bottomless Well of Talent

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 02/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Back in the early 1970s, I was a fairly strong fan of the Strawbs, an English progressive folk band. But over the years, I drifted away from prog and into jazz. Then with the advent of the internet, I began to get back into prog, discovering new bands and rediscovering some that never actually went away. The Strawbs are just one of those and along with that comes exploration into the solo work of Dave Cousins, the lyrical and compositional heart of that band.

Cousins' work has never been for the masses. His distinctive voice is an acquired taste and the depth of his compositions are beyond the understanding of those who have Van Gogh's ear for great music. However, the cognoscenti will find The Boy In the Sailor Suit to be a rare treat indeed.

Backed by his Blue Angel Orchestra, Cousins draws deeply from his seemingly bottomless well of talent. Almost fifty minutes of music take the listener all over the musical map from folk to hard rock and much that's in between. My favorites are: the fiddle-powered rocker Never Take Sweets From A Stranger; Mellow Moon, the dreamy sound of which evokes the South Pacific; the neo-psychedelic hard rock of Mother Luck; the old-time string band jazz of Wish You Were Here; Skip to My Lou, a square-dance number with ominous undertones; Lonely Days, Lonely Nights with its swinging fiddle-driven beat; and Hellfire Blues, a pulsating, swinging number featuring fiddle evocative of the late Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and a searing guitar that gives it some real blues sting.

The CD comes with a booklet containing lyrics and pictures and despite its relatively short duration, is worth every penny I paid. Whether you are an old Strawbs/Dave Cousins fan who has drifted away over the years, or are just someone looking for something new and interesting to listen to then consider getting The Boy In The Sailor Suit. Old fans will hear that Cousins has rarely sounded better than here and new fans will be scrambling to acquire his back catalogue.

NOTICE: As of the date of this review's posting, please note that the track list is incorrect. There are only ten tracks, not eleven and the list here presents them in the wrong order. Should the list be corrected, it will have been done after this date.

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Great new songs

Mark Delmedico | Sauquoit,NY | 08/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great cd.Dave Cousins still is writing great songs,I think overall I like it better than 2 weeks last summer.The Standout track on 2 weeks Last summer for me was Blue Angel, there were some other really good songs on TWLS but I like this new solo cd better ,seems more focused.Definately a must have disc."

Beautiful!

D. Jennings | upstate NY | 10/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fantastic recording! Dave Cousins' usual thoughtful, cerebral lyrics, and melodies that stick in your head, and exceptional musicianship from the Blue Angel Orchestra (Ian Cutler, Chas Cronk, Miller Anderson, Chris Hunt)... a very diverse collection of songs, from the fiddle-flavored rock of "Never Take Sweets From A Stranger," to the folky "Skip To My Lou" to the 1930s feel of "Wish You Were Here," plus a rocking blues number and some beautiful, sweet ballads. Shame there are no samples on Amazon, but if you find Dave Cousins on MySpace (www.myspace.com/davecousinsuk) you can listen to a few tracks. bet you'll find yourself singing "Calling Out My Name" tomorrow!"