I know The Strawbs are considered a progressive rock band – and that’s why I’ve included them in that category. For my money, though, they fit far better into folk. Still, I won’t argue. I will say that this album fares much better if you take it as a folk disc. There are only a few pieces here that seem at all prog – and if you look at it from that aspect it’s kind of weak. Still, just listen to it for the sake of listening to it and it’s quite enjoyable.
Track by Track Review
The Weary Song
Dragonfly Psychedelic elements with folk and symphonic instrumentation creates the modes of this track. I’m not sure I’d call it “prog,” but I’d definitely call it “psychedelia.” You can add “cool” and “tasty” to that description.
I Turned My Face Into The Wind This is more prog like, but still very folk oriented. It’s got a moody nature and is also rather symphonic. I like this one a lot. It’s my favorite to this point on the set.
Josephine (For Better Or Worse) Intricate and pretty, this is pretty much fully folk in nature.
Another Day This is also tasteful and attractive. It’s very folk oriented and not all that special, though.
Til The Sun Comes Shining Through Again we are given a full on folk piece. The symphonic instrumentation adds a bit more to it, but overall this is all folk. Complex and pretty, but folk.
Young Again Another that’s fully folk, the main draw to this is the vocal arrangement.
The Vision Of The Lady Of The Lake The first five minutes or so of this ten minute plus epic is not all that different from the previous music here. They power it out into a full rock treatment beyond that and it somehow reminds me a bit of Robert Calvert’s music. This track is definitely a highlight of the disc and worth the price of admission by itself. It gets quite involved and is very dynamic and also calls to mind Gabriel era Genesis at times. It dissolves into space to end.
Close Your Eyes At only forty eight seconds in length, this is an extremely brief little vocal dittie.
