After the break up of the Bursting line-up, Dave Cousins and Dave Lambert recruited a new band around them, bringing in Rod Coombes from Stealers' Wheel, John Hawken from semi-retirement and Chas Cronk from sessions work. They quickly released a taster single, "Shine On Silver Sun", but their UK singles chart spree was over; the following album, released in the UK in April 1974, shortly after its release in North America, was a blueprint for things to come - bleak, harsh lyrics reflecting Cousins current state of mind, increasingly electronic/progressive instrumentation and a concentration on the North American market rather than the UK homeland.
Dave Cousins (vcls, ac/el gtrs)
Dave Lambert (vcls, ac/el gtrs)
John Hawken (pno, el pno, org, Mell, synth)
Chas Cronk (bs, synth, vcls)
Rod Coombes (drms, perc, vcls)
Vinyl album: AMLH 63607 (A&M, UK, 1974) - DELETED. Single sleeve, with inner sleeve with lyrics. The first Strawbs album to be released initially on the new design silver label.
Vinyl album: SP 3607 (A&M, US, 1974) - DELETED. Single sleeve, with inner sleeve with lyrics.
CD: VPCD 3607 (A&M Canada, no date) - DELETED but still a few copies around. Minimal reproduction of original - front and back cover, no lyrics.
CD: 540 935-2 (A&M, 1998, REMASTERED WITH 2 BONUS TRACKS). Front and back covers reproduced (white tie and tails photo is not as "soft focus" as original. No lyrics, but six pages of new sleeve notes by Dave Cousins and John Tobler.
CD: UICY-9216 (Japan only, A&M, 2002, REMASTERED WITH 2 BONUS TRACKS). Card sleeve is mini replica of the original album release, nicely printed. Lyrics in English and Japanese and sleeve notes (probably by John Tobler from UK re-issue).
Produced by Dave Cousins and Tom Allom
Engineering Tom Allom and Freddy Hansson
Recorded at Rosenberg Studios, Copenhagen in November 1973
Sleeve information
Sleeve printed and made in England by MacNeill Press Ltd London SE 1
Art Director Michael Doud (London)
Photography Tony Evans
Other sleeve information
A & M Records Ltd address quoted as A & M House, 136/138 New Kings Road, London SW6 4LZ
The sleeve carries the following verse :
While storm clouds gathered high above
The Heroine he grew to love
Turned slowly to a snow white dove
And spread her wings to fly
Crushed and broken in the end
Hero watched his soul ascend
Knowing that he was condemned
To sail all alone to die
UK Chart: 35
US Chart: 94
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