A BOX SET WORTH EVERY PENNY
Daniel Sneddon | ONTARIO,CANADA | 12/11/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST BOX SET COLLECTIONS I HAVE PURCHASED.THE STRAWBS MUSICAL OVERVIEW OFFERS THE LISTENER A JOURNEY THROUGH A CAREER THAT SAMPLES FAMILIAR AND RARITIES WITHOUT THE "CLUTTER" AND THROWAWAY TRACKS THAT OTHER BOX SETS FROM ARTISTS RELEASE.DAVID COUSINS AND COMPANY PAINT A BEAUTIFUL MUSICAL MOSIAC AND THIS COLLECTION HAS BEEN PUT TOGETHER WITH THE SAME CARE AND EFFORT THAT IS A TRADEMARK OF THIS FINE GROUP KNOWN AS "THE STRAWBS".WELL DONE AND "CHEERS" TO YOU!!!!!"
Not Just A Taste, Rather A Banquet
Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 02/26/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If nothing else, A Taste of Strawbs is one of the most ambitious and eclectic musical compendiums I have ever had the pleasure to hear. Far from being a mere "taste" of the band, it is instead a sumptuous musical banquet that will satisfy the most ravenous glutton.
Those lucky few who have been Strawbs fans from the start will find a bewildering array of material they are unlikely to have heard before. Those who were just casual fans at one point or another in the band's career may often find themselves wondering whether or not they are listening to the same band as the music runs its course. There is something almost everyone can enjoy here and that speaks volumes about both the depth and breadth of bandleader Dave Cousins' talent. You will hear folk, prog-folk, bluegrass, country, pop, commercial rock, neo-classical, straight-ahead prog and even a little jazz. Listeners must come to this sprawling set with a very open mind and those that do will come away with their musical lives greatly enriched.
I was a lukewarm fan of the Strawbs back in their progressive rock heyday, my favorite Strawbs album at the time being Hero and Heroine. Beyond that, I liked Ghosts and Grave New World then kind of lost track of them until this decade when Deja Fou renewed my interest in the band. When I played A Taste of Strawbs through for the first time, I was astonished by the variety of styles Cousins and his bandmates have mastered. No listener could ever tire of the box set precisely because there are so many styles presented.
The four discs that comprise the main set run just over five hours total. Tack on another seventy minutes with the bonus disc and you get more than a quarter of a day's worth of enjoyable listening. In addition, you get a very attractive and informative booklet that features the history and discography of the band along with a slew of pictures and a song-by-song rundown on the four core discs. Most of the songs are alternate versions or demo takes on songs from Strawbs albums and related albums featuring Dave Cousins. Others are entirely new. But unless you have lived and breathed Strawbs music for the past forty years, chances are that you will never have heard ninety-five percent of what is here!
Obviously, I really like this box set. Here are some of the highlights:
Disc 1)Oh, How She Changed, The Battle, RMW, and Sheep.
Disc 2)Tomorrow, New World, and the medley of Out In the Cold/Round and Round.
Disc 3)Blue Angel, Deadly Nightshade, Armada, The Hangman and the Papist, and Evergreen.
Disc 4)Heartbreak Hill, Hero and Heroine, Canada, and Here Today, Gone Tomorrow.
Bonus Disc) Andalucian Express, If, Cold Steel, and the medley of The River and Down By the Sea.
No matter whether you are just a casual Strawbs fan or a die hard, you should find A Taste of Strawbs to be a box set you'll come back to again and again. The current price (about 90 dollars) is a huge bargain, so get it while it is still available."
"a four course meal of Strawbs would be more accurate
Jim Z | 10/08/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Not just a "taste" of Strawbs--- A four course full meal with dessert ! Have listened straight through six times----can't find a weak track on the whole blessed thing. Why can't music like this be more recognized and appreciated ?"
Track Listings (19) - Disc #1