Preserves Uncanned

RELEASE
1991
LABEL
Witchwood Collection
GENRES
Pop/Rock, Prog-Rock, British Folk, Art Rock, British Folk-Rock, Folk-Rock, Psychedelic

Album Review

A double CD of 38 previously unreleased songs (one is unlisted on the sleeve) dating from 1966-68, prior to the recording of their proper debut album. Most of these are demos, and many would surface (sometimes in altered form) on future Strawbs and Dave Cousins albums, although quite a few were never officially rerecorded. Its appeal isn't just limited to Strawbs specialists -- it's good, versatile (if slightly derivative) late-'60s British folk-rock, recalling Fairport Convention and (to a lesser degree) Pentangle in its eclecticism, though the Strawbs were no match for the Fairports in the vocal department. Most of the songs are Cousins originals, including tuneful, almost poppy harmony numbers and wordy tracts that take their lyrical cues from Bob Dylan and Ray Davies; the traditional folk tunes and bluegrass instrumentals, though indicative of the group's multi-faceted talents, are less interesting. Self-penned compositions like "October to May," "Martin Luther King's Dream," "Where Is the Dream of Your Youth," and "The Man Who Called Himself Jesus" are among the best (not to mention lyrically ambitious) songs Cousins has ever done; "All I Need is You" and the Beatles-ish "And You Need Me" are among the poppiest. Good sound quality, and detailed liner notes by Cousins himself.
Richie Unterberger, Rovi

Track Listing

  1. Coal Creek March
  2. Sail Away to the Sea
  3. That Which Once Was Mine
  4. How Everyone But Sam Was a Hypocrite
  5. October to May
  6. On My Way
  7. All I Need Is You
  8. Josephine, for Better or for Worse
  9. We'll Meet Again Sometime
  10. Spanish Is the Loving Tongue
  11. Handsome Molly
  12. Hard Times
  13. How I Need You
  14. The Man Who Called Himself Jesus
  15. Pieces of 79 & 15
  16. Following the Rainbow
  17. Always on My Mind
  18. Martin Luther King's Dream
  19. [Untitled]
  20. All the Little Ladies
  21. Just the Same in Every Way
  22. Strawberry Picking
  23. A Good Woman's Love
  24. The Battle
  25. Jenny O'Brien
  26. Sweetling
  27. Flint Hill Special
  28. The Blantyre Explosion
  29. Tell Me What You See in Me
  30. Or Am I Dreaming?
  31. I'll Show You Where to Sleep
  32. And You Need Me
  33. You Keep Going Your Way
  34. Where Is the Dream of Your Youth
  35. Why?
  36. Lawrence Brown
  37. Wild Strawberries
  38. Song to Alex