Strawbs - Blue Angel (13 tracks) +Album Reviews

Best album in years!

Gareth Davies-Morris | San Diego, CA USA | 07/24/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Not on par with their classic 71-75 era, to be sure, this is still the best and most progressive Strawbs album since Heartbreak Hill, the posthumously released follow-up to Deadlines. Fans should know that Blue Angel is in great part a repackaging of the Cousins-Willoughby project The Bridge, but with enough new material and enough reworking of the old to make this stand as a "new" release. Backed up by a star lineup of ex-members from all periods (including Lambert, Hudson, Cronk, Coombes, & Blue Weaver on a couple of tracks each), and featuring major contributions from vocalist Mary Hopkin, it includes all but two songs from The Bridge, plus new recordings of some old tunes: a band version of Cousins' solo epic Blue Angel, an acoustic Sealed With A Traitor's Kiss, a note-for-note retake of Lay Down, and a partial re-recording of the post-Deadlines single The King.The playing and production are excellent, especially Willoughby's lead guitar, while the overall complexity of the songs is comparable to the two Oyster releases, Deep Cuts and Burning For You. Further Down The Road and Morning Glory are mid-paced ballads in the same vein as the second half of Burning ... (though better), while Strange Day Over the Hill recalls Back In the Old Routine or Wasting My Time (though not as good!). Similarly, Oh So Sleepy (which dates from the Deep Cuts sessions, in fact), Do You Remember, and The Rhythm of The Night (aka Heat Of the Street) are loosely that same Little Sleepy / Charmer sort of pop-rock. Prog-heads will be happier with the title track (originally on Cousins' 1972 solo album Two Weeks Last Summer), the lovely acoustic ballad Cry No More, and There Will Come The Day (co-written with journeyman keyboardist Don Airey), plus the almost Grave New World-ish The Plain. These tracks provide a fair dose of the dark, melancholy prog that the Strawbs did at their best.All in all, more prog-pop than prog rock, but a strong release nonetheless. They may have become a cottage industry, but Blue Angel shows that the Strawbs are still a respectable artistic force. Fans will also enjoy Hummingbird, Cousin's recent collaboration with Rick Wakeman, which mines similar turf but in a more acoustic-duo setting. The best moments of both records would have made a superb single album - but that's what CD burners are for!"

Into the Future from the Past...

M. Rosenberg | Lorton, Va., United States | 01/28/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is an album which all Strawbs fans should own. Listen to it several (at least 3) times before you decide which songs to tape, copy to another cd or rip to mp3. Out of 13 songs I will keep seven (7) in my massive Strawbs collection. I own 19 albums by them.
The first song, Blue Angel is worth the price of the album. It scores for originality, production quality and complexity.
Oh So Sleepy - is a rehash of an old song - Little Sleepy. It is an enjoyable tune, but not as good as its' predecessor.
Further Down the Road has lyrics which imply a faster tempo and if it had that, it would be delicious.
There Will Come the Day is aged in maturity and class with a religious flavor richly enhanced by the beautifully strong voices of the ladies on the album.
Strange Day is a fun and lilting tune with a soft rich beauty.
Cry No More is a pretty tune, but it belongs on an album by Fairport Convention or Sandy Denny, not here.
The Plain - a sad lament reminiscent of a slow version of The Soldiers Tale is beautifully contrived
Do You Remember was just plain fun to listen too.
Rhythm of the Night - ROCK 'n' ROLL - Thank you, God. I guess you can tell, I like it.
Morning Glory is a sad lament and it would be a boring tune but for its' saving grace - the voice of Mary Hopkin.
Sealed with a Trators Kiss - This version should have been left on the cutting room floor.
Lay Down is a remake of an old favorite. It is not as good as the original due to its' lack of ups and downs in voice and sound, but it is a flavorful second if you don't have a recording of the original.
Lastly - The King - this song would have benefitted from a slow beginning like Blue Angel had and then an increase in tempo to a rollicking crescendo at the end. Alas the song was too short but very good.
The return of so many musicians from old times, like Dave Lambert and others keeps Dave Cousins vital, alive and full of energy. If not for their pressence, I fear that Dave (much as I love his ability to craft great lyrics and tunes) would slip back into the boring and melancoly drivel of albums like "Old School Days".
Overall this is a good solid start on a revival of a fabulous band from the greatest era of music. The Strawbs have always been my favorite band. Anyone hearing the band on this album will want to hear more. And there is so much more from the past which can take The Strawbs and us into the future."

A Pleasant Surprise

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 12/08/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"How many times have you heard a band record decent new versions of some of its old songs? Not many, I'll bet. In my experience, the original version of a song generally remains the definitive one, and attempts at "improving" them often fall flat. Not so with Blue Angel. There are many reworked songs here, and if you are an old Strawbs fan, you are in for a pleasant surprise.

I like most of the CD, but the following are my favorites:

1)The title cut, a beautifully crafted ballad.

2)There Will Come the Day; a chorus-driven anthem. The Al Stewart-like instrumental interlude is a stunner.

3)Strange Day Over the Hill, a jaunty, swinging ditty. Very unusual for the Strawbs.

4)The haunting Plain.

5)Rhythm of the Night, a rousing rocker.

6)Morning Glory, a romantic piece with harmonies reminiscent of pre-disco Bee Gees.

7)Lay Down, a spiritual rocker.

and

8)King; another high-spirited chorus-driven song.

I don't usually like a lot of chorus, preferring a singer's voice to carry the song by itself. Dave Cousins has such a distinctive voice that he doesn't need a backing chorus to augment it. But do you know what? He makes it work here!

Even if, and especially if, you are an old Strawbs fan and are familiar with most of these songs, you ought to give Blue Angel a shot. I'm sure glad I did!"

As Good as Deep Cuts and Burning For You (maybe better)

David Sleger | West Allis, WI | 06/27/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I came to this album in a roundabout way. As a 70s Strawbs fan I was reluctant to jump in to this 21st century reincarnation period. DEADLINES (1978) was a huge disappointment, DON'T SAY GOODBYE (1988) was abysmal as was RINGING DOWN THE YEARS (1991). I finally heard HEARTBREAK HILL years later and it did nothing to ease the pain those other recordings laid on my ears. I acquired BAROQUE AND ROLL because I liked the title and my expectations were higher. It turned out to be another disappointment. Cousins voice sounded tired and old and the arrangements were uninspired. And the use of 'baroque' was an utter misnomer. So from 2001 until early 2009 I steadfastly refused to purchase any more Strawbs CDs.

Earlier this year (09) I became aware of another new recording BROKEN HEARTED BRIDE which was recorded by a 'real' rock producer. While I was never a fan of most of Tsangarides' associate groups I liked the idea of a hard rock guy overseeing this band. So I finally relented and purchased the new CD. I'm glad I did as I feel it is their best effort since GHOSTS (their finest). Then I decided to work my way back from that point. DEJA FOU was next, fearturing the same classic lineup as GHOSTS and BRIDE. Not as sonically intense as BRIDE but still a fine album (also their best since GHOSTS). So my trek backwards continued with BLUE ANGEL.

First of all it was nice to see all those former band members involved even though it detracted from a sense of continuity. It was especially good to see Blue Weaver back working with Cousins again. After all of those wildly excessive years with the Bee Gees, he didn't forget from whence he came. The song 'Blue Angel' is one of Cousins' masterpieces. This version seems to lack the intensity and dynamics of the TWO WEEKS LAST SUMMER issue but it's always interesting to hear how a new group of musicians will treat a song decades later. The same could be said of 'Lay Down' a welcome revisit of a classic but hardly essential. I wonder why Dave Lambert wasn't involved with that song. 'Oh So Sleepy' is a catchy rocker with invaluable electric guitar from Lambert and Willoughby. 'Further Down the Road' is a melodic, reflective piece with Mary Hopkin singing harmony. 'There Will Come a Day' is classic Strawbs repleat with the infectious singalong chorus. The country-esque 'Strange Day Over the Hill' might seem out of place but please remember 'Ah Me, Ah My,' 'Part of the Union,' 'Back in the Old Routine' and 'Big Brother' before you dismiss it. 'Cry No More' is another acoustic-based ballad with indelible Hopkin harmonies "The Plain' is an epic Cousins narrative in the vein of 'Beside the Rio Grande.' 'Do You Remember' is a breazy pop piece but not the formulaic, mainstream pop Strawbs produced in the late seventies through RINGING DOWN THE YEARS. The two hardest rocking songs on this CD, not coincidently, include Lambert on guitar; check out 'Rhythm of the Night' - I can imagine Lambert singing lead as well. 'Morning Glory' is a sappy piece whose omission would make this a stronger album. 'Sealed with a Traitor's Kiss' is one of the better songs from the deeply flawed DEADLINES. This version is comparable to the original. 'The King' formerly on RINGING DOWN THE YEARS is an upbeat Cousins spiritual with Maddy Prior singing harmony. Any time she sings her voice takes center stage so this ends up sounding like Steeleye Span which is fine by me.

All in all this is a good record. I'm not one who dolls out 5-stars willy nilly. Those are reserved for the best of the best. This is, however a pleasant suprise and easily their best recording in at least 25 years."

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