Strawbs From the Witchwood (Vinyl, A&M Records, 1971) ****
Genre: Pop, folk rock, prog rock
Places I remember: Slow Boat Records
Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Witchwood (Strawbs)
Gear costume: Lay Lady Lay (Jackie DeShannon)
Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Witchwood (Strawbs)
Gear costume: Lay Lady Lay (Jackie DeShannon)
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They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7
Active compensatory factors: A recent visit to Wellington meant a few purchases from Slow Boat Records*. Nineteen seventy-one is one of my favourite years for music - here are two more from that stellar year.
Jackie DeShannon has featured from time to time in the collection's rundown (Jackie and For You). I'm not sure why I'm drawn to her brand of pop music, but I am. Songs is an unheralded album of hers, Jackie gets much more attention, but it's a good pop album with a variety of looks - pop, folk, gospel even. Her version of Lay Lady Lay is interesting and a highlight of this album.
From the Witchwood has been on my radar for a while. It's the second and final Strawbs' album with Rick Wakeman as a full member (Dragonfly has already appeared - he appears on one track, Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios).
It is a game of two halves in some regards - a folk-rock side one and a prog rock side two. I enjoy both sides in equal measure. Dave Cousins has an appropriate vocal style for each and Rick Wakeman's keyboards can adapt to all sorts of styles.
Where do they all belong? *I also picked up Bob Weir's second solo album. I'll get to it eventually.
