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Strawbs - Ghosts (1974) {1998, Remastered}

Posted By: popsakov
Strawbs - Ghosts (1974) {1998, Remastered}

Strawbs - Ghosts (1974) {1998, Remastered}
EAC Rip | FLAC (Img) + Cue + Log ~ 318 Mb | MP3 CBR320 ~ 125 Mb
Full Scans | 00:45:02 | RAR 5% Recovery
Art Rock, Progressive Rock, Folk Rock, Classic Rock | A&M Records #540 937-2

Ghosts was the last album by the Strawbs to appear while the band was on its upward curve of commercial success; a more lyrical follow-up to Hero and Heroine, it was the group's last thrust at wide-audience appeal, with a hoped for-hit ("Lemon Pie") that didn't materialize. The group's mix of acoustic guitars, electric lead and bass, and Rod Coombes' heavy drumming was very compelling on this, their smoothest album. The title track introduction, mixing multiple overdubbed harpsichords, acoustic guitars, and church bells was a gorgeous beginning, and the melodies only got better further into the album.

Strawbs - Preserves Uncanned (2023)

Posted By: ciklon5
Strawbs - Preserves Uncanned (2023)

Strawbs - Preserves Uncanned (2023)
FLAC (tracks), Lossless / MP3 320 kbps | 1:47:54 | 640 / 247 Mb
Genre:Art Rock, Progressive Rock, Folk Rock, Classic Rock

One of the unsung British progressive bands of the early 1970s, the Strawbs differed from their more successful compatriots – the Moody Blues, King Crimson, Pink Floyd – principally in that their sound originated in English folk music rather than rock. Their transformation from acoustic bluegrass outfit to progressive folk-rock innovators was an impressive feat, and they hit their stride with gems like 1972's Grave New World and its follow-up, Bursting at the Seams. As the '70s wore on, the Strawbs' career began to falter with ongoing lineup and label changes marring their progress. They survived a breakup at the end of the decade and went on to enjoy a robust revival in the mid-'80s that, while not quite up to the level of their peak years, helped carry them and their fans into the 21st century. The Strawbs of the 2000s were particularly prolific, delivering an array of studio albums with highlights like 2005's Painted Sky and 2009's The Broken Hearted Bride. Over the years, the group has managed to remain stylistically adventurous even on late-period outings like 2021's Settlement, released over 50 years after their debut, and 2023's The Magic of It All, featuring songs written for a film about the band's following in South Africa.

Strawbs - From The Witchwood (1971) {1998, Remastered}

Posted By: popsakov
Strawbs - From The Witchwood (1971) {1998, Remastered}

Strawbs - From The Witchwood (1971) {1998, Remastered}
EAC Rip | FLAC (Img) + Cue + Log ~ 283 Mb | MP3 CBR320 ~ 122 Mb
Full Scans | 00:41:40 | RAR 5% Recovery
Folk Rock, Art Rock, Progressive Rock | A&M Records #540 939-2

This album was originally the weak link in the transition of the Strawbs from an acoustic folk-rock outfit to a progressive folk band, being neither fish nor fowl and suffering from an anemic mix. The 1998 British reissue (A&M 540-939-2), however, solves some inherent problems that plagued both the original vinyl edition and the first CD reissues. The new remastering toughens up the bass sound, and brings out more of the sheer power of Rick Wakeman's organ and synthesizer playing, accenting the harder side of the group's sound that was obviously there in the studio but lacking in the analog mix.

Strawbs - Magic Of It All (2023)

Posted By: Rtax
Strawbs - Magic Of It All (2023)

Strawbs - Magic Of It All (2023)
CD Rip | FLAC (tracks, no cue, no log) - 270 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps - 107 MB
46:42 | Progressive Rock | Label: Esoteric

The Magic Of It All’ by Strawbs, recorded in Cape Town and featuring David Cousins, Blue Weaver, and John Ford from classic 1970s line up joined by some of the finest musicians and singers in South Africa. Strawbs were high in the charts with ‘Grave New World’ and ‘Bursting At The Seams’ 50 years ago which coincided with a pivotal moment in the struggle for freedom in South Africa, when students and workers launched a new wave of resistance against so-called “resettlement”. The resistance in South Africa identified with Strawbs songs, especially ‘Part Of The Union’, ‘Lay Down’, and ‘New World’.

Hudson-Ford - Nickelodeon (1973) [Reissue 2015]

Posted By: gribovar
Hudson-Ford - Nickelodeon (1973) [Reissue 2015]

Hudson-Ford - Nickelodeon (1973) [Reissue 2015]
EAC Rip | FLAC (tracks+.cue+log) - 233 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps (LAME 3.93) - 87 MB | Covers - 5 MB
Genre: Pop Rock, Folk Rock | RAR 3% Rec. | Label: Big Pink Music (Big Pink 399)

Though best known for their membership in The Strawbs, the rhythm section of John Ford (bass) and Richard Husdon (drums) worked together both before and after their '70-'73 stint with the folk-prog band. The debut album "Nickolodeon" was bolstered by by the presence of Rick Wakeman and other studio sharpshooters, and the band scored a hit in the U.K. with the single "Pick Up the Pieces." The album has a bright, sparkling pop-rock sound but still retains some folk and blues roots; the rest of the songs are good and varied and contribute to an enjoyable and yet unusual type of album in the annals of British 70's rock.

Strawbs - Magic Of It All (2023)

Posted By: Rtax
Strawbs - Magic Of It All (2023)

Strawbs - Magic Of It All (2023)
WEB FLAC (tracks) - 221 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps - 92 MB
38:33 | Progressive Rock | Label: Esoteric

The Magic Of It All’ by Strawbs, recorded in Cape Town and featuring David Cousins, Blue Weaver, and John Ford from classic 1970s line up joined by some of the finest musicians and singers in South Africa. Strawbs were high in the charts with ‘Grave New World’ and ‘Bursting At The Seams’ 50 years ago which coincided with a pivotal moment in the struggle for freedom in South Africa, when students and workers launched a new wave of resistance against so-called “resettlement”. The resistance in South Africa identified with Strawbs songs, especially ‘Part Of The Union’, ‘Lay Down’, and ‘New World’.

Strawbs - Hero & Heroine In Ascencia (2011)

Posted By: gribovar
Strawbs - Hero & Heroine In Ascencia (2011)

Strawbs - Hero & Heroine In Ascencia (2011)
EAC Rip | FLAC (image+.cue+log) - 319 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps (LAME 3.93) - 120 MB | Covers - 11 MB
Genre: Progressive Folk Rock | RAR 3% Rec. | Label: Witchwood Media (WMCD 2050)

Released in 1974, Hero & Heroine was one of the Strawbs' more popular albums, making the Top 100 in the U.S. This release is not the original recording, nor an expanded edition of it, but a much later reworking of the same material, recorded between November 2010 and March 2011. Three of the Strawbs who played on the 1974 Hero & Heroine album (Dave Cousins, Dave Lambert, and Chas Cronk) remained in the lineup this time around, with John Young on keyboards and Tony Fernandez on drums. It's different from the original, of course, in the unavoidable different flavor given to it by more modern production and instruments, though also via the absence of John Hawken, the keyboard player on the 1974 album.

Strawbs - Dancing To The Devil's Beat (2009)

Posted By: gribovar
Strawbs - Dancing To The Devil's Beat (2009)

Strawbs - Dancing To The Devil's Beat (2009)
EAC Rip | FLAC (tracks+.cue+log) - 302 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps (LAME 3.93) - 106 MB | Covers - 39 MB
Genre: Progressive Folk Rock | RAR 3% Rec. | Label: Withwood Media (WMCD 2045)

Few bands from the classic rock era that had some commercial success, yet never attained true stardom, have maintained such a steady release schedule in the 21st century as the Strawbs have. About 40 years on from the release of their debut, Dancing to the Devil's Beat finds them still at it, with a lineup in which all but one of the members served with the group back in its heyday. It would be quite unusual for a band with such a long career to be making major stylistic departures at this point, and the record has the kind of bittersweet, somber, narrative songs for which the Strawbs are known, as well as their characteristic mixture of folk and progressive rock. Both wistful regret and muted anger at the vagaries of war and conflict are voiced in the lyrics…

Strawbs - Dragonfly (1970) [Reissue 2008]

Posted By: gribovar
Strawbs - Dragonfly (1970) [Reissue 2008]

Strawbs - Dragonfly (1970) [Reissue 2008]
EAC Rip | FLAC (image+.cue+log) - 268 MB | Covers - 10 MB
Genre: Progressive Folk Rock | RAR 3% Rec. | Label: A&M Records (5302680)

Dragonfly was the second album to be released by the Strawbs, though much other material unissued in the late '60s that preceded it has since been made available. (In fact, earlier versions of two of the songs, "I Turned My Face into the Wind," and "Josephine, For Better or for Worse," appear on the archival releases Strawberry Music Sampler, No. 1 and Preserves Uncanned, respectively.) Dragonfly was also the only LP the band recorded with cellist Claire Deniz in the lineup. Though an attractive and competent record, it's not as impressive as their debut. The songs aren't as striking, and the arrangements - even with the addition of a fourth full-time member in Deniz - aren't as effective as the mating of folk-rock, medieval, and classical music that characterized the best songs on the first album…

Strawbs - From The Witchwood (1971) [Japanese Edition 1987]

Posted By: gribovar
Strawbs - From The Witchwood (1971) [Japanese Edition 1987]

Strawbs - From The Witchwood (1971) [Japanese Edition 1987]
EAC Rip | WavPack (image+.cue+log) - 212 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps (LAME 3.93) - 90 MB | Covers - 4 MB
Genre: Progressive Folk Rock | RAR 3% Rec. | Label: Pony Canyon (D32Y3578)

"From the Witchwood" marked the start of the Strawbs transition in earnest from a primarily acoustic folk based band, to a prog rock orientated band with strong folk influences. The album represents Rick Wakeman's last venture with the Strawbs, before he was headhunted by Yes. In retrospect, his keyboard skills whilst apparent, were somewhat suppressed in the Strawbs, with only brief displays of his virtuosity such as those on "Sheep" and "Glimpse of heaven". It was perhaps inevitable that when the opportunity arose, he would move on to a band where he would be afforded more room to exercise his skills. Rick Wakeman and Dave Cousins have however remained firm friends, collaborating more recently on the Strawbs flavoured "Hummingbird" album. In all, superb album, which finds the band exploring new pastures and starting their migration to a major prog folk band.

Strawbs - Deep Cuts (1976) [2019, Extended Edition]

Posted By: v3122
Strawbs - Deep Cuts (1976) [2019, Extended Edition]

Strawbs - Deep Cuts (1976)
CD-Rip | Flac(Image) + Cue + Log & MP3 CBR 320Kbps
Esoteric Recording, ECLEC 2702 | ~ 389 or 150 Mb | Artwork -> 4.26 Mb
Progressive Rock, Folk Rock

`Deep Cuts' is a mixed bag of styles and genres arranged in an accessible and easy to listen format, a collection of shorter and more concise pieces with slight progressive elements throughout. It's full of the usual charm and character of their previous albums, with rich and detailed lyrics and a feeling of sweet sentimentality. It's sophisticated and elegant pop/prog/folk with the expected country leanings and some rockier moments too, with a great balance of acoustic and electric guitar playing…

Strawbs - Settlement (2021)

Posted By: v3122
Strawbs - Settlement (2021)

Strawbs - Settlement (2021)
EAC | Flac(Image) + Cue + Log & MP3 CBR 320Kbps
Esoteric Antenna, EANTCD 1087 | RU | ~ 357 or 132 Mb | Artwork(jpg) -> 5.25 Mb
Folk Rock, Prog Rock

For a band that celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019, Strawbs still sound amazingly spry on Settlement. That’s a testament to both their staying power and their ability to transcend genres to create music that relates to the world in which we are currently trapped. Dave Cousins assembled a lineup of old hands, Dave Lambert on guitar, bassist Chas Cronk, and Tony Fernandez on drums, all veterans of the classic Strawbs bands of the ‘70s…

Strawbs - Deadlines (Remastered & Expanded Edition) (1977/2019)

Posted By: delpotro
Strawbs - Deadlines (Remastered & Expanded Edition) (1977/2019)

Strawbs - Deadlines (Remastered & Expanded Edition) (1977/2019)
EAC Rip | FLAC (tracks+log+.cue) - 806 Mb | MP3 CBR 320 kbps - 318 Mb | 02:18:54
Progressive Rock | Label: Cherry Red Records, Esoteric Recordings

Esoteric Recordings is pleased to announce the release of a re-mastered and expanded 3 Disc clamshell box edition of the 1977 album, “Deadlines” by STRAWBS. Released in late 1977, this would be the band’s final album to be released in the 1970s. Recorded in Dublin and London by a line-up of Dave Cousins (vocals, acoustic guitars, banjo, guitar), Dave Lambert (vocals, lead guitar), Chas Cronk (bass, acoustic guitar, vocals) and Tony Fernandez (drums, percussion) with guest keyboard players John Mealing and Robert Kirby, “Deadlines” was the Strawbs only album for the Arista label. Often unfairly overlooked in the Strawbs canon and largely ignored by some quarters of the music press upon its release (at the height of Punk rock), “Deadlines” was a fine album featured some excellent tracks such as ‘No Return’, ‘The Last Resort’, ‘Sealed With A Traitor’s Kiss’, ‘Time And Life’, ‘New Beginnings’, ‘Deadly Nightshade’ and ‘Words of Wisdom’.

Strawbs - Bursting At The Seams (1973) {1998, Remastered}

Posted By: popsakov
Strawbs - Bursting At The Seams (1973) {1998, Remastered}

Strawbs - Bursting At The Seams (1973) {1998, Remastered}
EAC Rip | FLAC (Img) + Cue + Log ~ 357 Mb | MP3 CBR320 ~ 140 Mb
Full Scans | 00:52:11 | RAR 5% Recovery
Art Rock / Folk Rock / Progressive Rock / Classic Rock
A&M Records #540 936-2

The 1998 remastering of the Strawbs' best album sports the finest sound of any of their CDs, which, by itself, would make this purchase worthwhile – the detailed notes and the presence of three bonus tracks – the shorter, punchier single version of "Lay Down," "Will Ye Go," and "Backside" – only add to the enticements offered. Additionally, the song order has been changed to the correct one (on the LP, "The River" had to follow "Down by the Sea" to end the first side, because of its heavy bass part), but the main virtue is the sound, which is extraordinary: every instrument sounds as though it's miked directly into your speakers. The result is that Dave Lambert's heavy chording is so close that the record does come off closer in texture to a Who album at certain points than it does to the group's folk roots.

Strawbs - Burning For You (1977) [Japanese Edition 2003]

Posted By: gribovar
Strawbs - Burning For You (1977) [Japanese Edition 2003]

Strawbs - Burning For You (1977) [Japanese Edition 2003]
EAC Rip | FLAC (image+.cue+log) - 253 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps (LAME 3.93) - 95 MB | Covers - 15 MB
Genre: Progressive Rock, Pop Rock | RAR 3% Rec. | Label: Muskrat Records (RATCD-4220)

Recorded at Relight Studios in the Netherlands in March 1977, the album was the band’s second for the recently established Oyster Records (formed by Deep Purple member Roger Glover).
The album starts off promisingly with the moody and expansive "Burning for Me"; Dave Cousins sings with restraint over a somber repeating theme on piano and strings, and it ends with a hint of a Moog solo. Alas, later numbers like "Keep on Trying" turn out to be a limply insincere sort of "positive pop," which is all the more grating given the sincere moodiness of the band's earlier work. "Back in the Old Routine" is a patronizing mimicry of the working bloke, a sort of folky watering down of their old hit "Part of the Union." Cousins at least gets back a bit of his old bile in "Alexander the Great," where he gives a sour kiss-off to music critics - who, at this point, probably weren't listening anyway.