-- principally in that their sound originated in English folk music, rather than rock. Founded in 1967 as a bluegrass-based trio called
on bass. That same year, the group -- now rechristened
, and doing repertory well beyond the bounds of bluegrass music -- briefly became a quartet with the temporary addition of
, who stayed long enough to record a relative handful of tracks with the group on the Hallmark label before joining
. In 1969,
, that same year.
For their second album,
Dragonfly, recorded and released the following year, the group broadened their sound with the presence of a group of session musicians, including piano/organist
Rick Wakeman. Soon after the release of this record, the group became a full-fledged band with the addition not only of
Wakeman but also
Richard Hudson and
John Ford, on drums and bass, respectively. These changes, coupled with
Cousins' increasing dexterity on electric guitar, gave
the Strawbs a much more powerful sound that was showcased on their next album.
The live
Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios (1970) sold well, and was followed up the next year with
From the Witchwood. In 1971,
Wakeman left
the Strawbs in order to join
Yes; he was replaced by
Blue Weaver formerly of
the Amen Corner.
Grave New World (1972) showed the band entering its strongest period, with
Cousins' songwriting augmented by the new prowess of the composing team of
Hudson and
Ford. The record became their best-selling album to date. Unfortunately, its release also heralded the exit of
Tony Hooper. He was replaced by
Dave Lambert, a more aggressive, rock-oriented guitarist, and his addition brought the group into its peak period.
The Strawbs' 1973 album,
Bursting at the Seams, featured two Top Ten U.K. hits, "Lay Down" and "Part of the Union," and one album track, "Down by the Sea," racked up substantial airplay on American FM radio.
It was all too good to last, and it didn't.
Blue Weaver left after one more tour, while
Hudson and
Ford exited to form
Hudson-Ford, also signed to A&M.
The Strawbs regrouped in 1974 with
Hero and Heroine, recorded with a new lineup consisting of
Cousins,
Lambert, keyboardist
John Hawken, bassist
Chas Cronk, and drummer
Rod Coombes. The new album was a critical and commercial failure in England, but proved popular in America. Their next two albums,
Ghosts (1975) and
Nomadness (1976), both did better in the U.S. than they did in the U.K. None of this was enough to sustain the group, however, which continued to lose members and also left A&M Records.
Two more albums on the Oyster label were poorly distributed and received, and one album for Arista,
Deadlines (1978), was a failure, while a second record for the label was never released. The group ceased to exist at the end of the 1970s, and
Cousins embarked on some solo projects in association with guitarist
Brian Willoughby that attracted the interest of die-hard fans but few others. That might have been the end of the group's history, if it hadn't been for an invitation to play the 1983 Cambridge Folk Festival.
The Strawbs responded, in the guise of
Cousins,
Hooper,
Hudson,
Ford,
Weaver, and
Willoughby, and the response was so favorable that a tour was scheduled, which, in turn, led to their return to America in the mid-'80s. The group followed this up with two new studio albums released in Canada.
In 1993, they released their own retrospective concert album
Greatest Hits Live!, which summed up many of the high points of their history. The group continued to play throughout the decade and into the following century, issuing a slew of live efforts and studio albums. 2008 saw the original lineup from the
Hero and Heroine era returning to the studio to record
The Broken Hearted Bride, a return-to-form effort that solidified the band's staying power.
–
Bruce Eder, Rovi