toomanyhatz wrote:
It all started with a rather bizarre episode of "This is Your Life" dedicated to Rick Wakeman. The whole thing's on YouTube for the curious. But after Cousins appeared on said program regaling watchers with stories of Strawbs' checkered history, the two stayed in touch.
Playing amateur psychologist a bit here, but you have to think Mr. Cousins was feeling fairly invigorated in the early '00s. Acoustic Strawbs was now a thing - sounded good, was easy and cheap to tour with, and took him, once again, around the world singing his songs.
Beyond that, he was starting to write new ones again.
But mostly he was feeling his roots. The connection with Acoustic Strawbs is a pretty obvious one, but the popularity of the reunion shows reminded both Cousins and his audience exactly which parts of his past were worth preserving.
It was in this spirit that Cousins got together with his old pal and nemesis (and to again play amateur psychologist, their complicated relationship doesn't seem to be one either wants to completely end, despite their periodic snits of each complaining about the other) to make this tentative, but mostly delightful album.
The big news was, of course, the new songs. No instant classics, but there are a few nice co-compositions, and Wakeman piano solos provided some lovely codas to Cousins' first new songs in a while. And of course and as usual, there were a few remakes of Strawbs tunes. This one, rescued from the bad memories of nomadness, is particularly appropriate and lovely.
And throwing it even farther back, the first Cousins recording in years of a traditional song (learned from Martin Carthy, I'm guessing). It's also quite lovely.
It was a tentative step, and of course recorded quickly, and didn't exactly set the charts on fire, but it was, according to both parties, relatively easy and enjoyable to make.
Also contains bonus Ric Sanders.
Thanks Dave
.