The Broken Hearted Bride

The New Release from the legendary British Progressive/Folk-Rock group Strawbs

Celebrating 40 years of Recording!

Featuring "Aphrodite's Eyes," "Too Many Angels," and "The Call to Action"

Out now on Witchwood Records!

The Broken Hearted Bride

The legendary British Rock ensemble Strawbs, spearheaded by singer/songwriter Dave Cousins, scored their biggest American success in the early seventies with the keyboard-rich, thematic, albums Hero & Heroine (1973), and Ghosts (1974).  That success was greatly due to Cousins’ decision to continue recording under the group name, albeit with new band members, after releasing his first solo album.  The fresh blood pushed the group to new heights, but the formula broke when keyboardist John Hawken opted to leave prior to the completion of the groups’ contractual obligation to A&M Records.  The band soldiered on, garnering acclaim, but never recovering the sales figures of that era.

More than 30 years later, that particular line-up of the Strawbs (Cousins, Dave Lambert, Chas Cronk, Rod Coombs, John Hawken) returned to the recording studio to chronicle Deja Foo (2004) and the sensational, freshly released, The Broken Hearted Bride. 

In many ways The Broken Hearted Bride is the logical follow up to Ghosts, and in some ways it is not. 

The dark romanticism that burned on Ghosts has remained intact on the new release, and it is easy for one to draw parallels from the vintage songs to the new, not only in subject matter but in aural articulation as well.

The contribution of violinist Ian Cutler, especially on the opening track “The Call to Action,” much like Claire Deniz’s cello that accented Ghosts, lends mystery and urgency to the inevitable doom that marks Cousins as the most Gothic of the seventies-era progressives.   As on Ghosts, Cousins’ sentimental imagery laces lush arrangements that juxtapose the darkness.  Whereas “You and I (When We Were Young)” reminisces of youthful pleasantries from the adult perspective the new “Too Many Angels” – which should be plucked for single release – looks back on life from the view of the wizened journeyman.

Amid the thundering drums of the instant classic “In Aphrodite’s Eyes” Cousins anguished voice summons up mythological images of deception, singing “He wept as she smiled/Led to believe/That she carried his child” as the band pound out a descending apocalyptic rhythm.  

On other tracks, such as the galloping “You Know As Well As I” and “Deep In The Darkest Night,” the band are a tight-knit tour de force woven together by Lambert’s lyrical guitar playing.

Indelibly stamped with their unique brand, but without ever aping themselves, the overall vibe of The Broken Hearted Bride rivals the majesty of the Strawbs’ finest recordings.  Had these songs been released on the heels of Hero & Heroine and Ghosts, instead of now, it might very well have been the Strawbs’ brightest hour.

The fact that it is now 2008 is where fault can be found on the new disc, and it is not from lack of quality songs, production, musicianship, or otherwise.  The powerful sojourn that is the Strawbs’ sound is very much welcome in today’s world of poser Rock stars and disposable garage theatrics.  The issue is in the medium. 

The technology of the High Fidelity LPs of the ‘60s and ‘70s, as well as stuffed-shirt-record-industry clout, forced musicians to create within the scope of approximately 45 minutes, whereas the CD (and in-house/self production) provides a seemingly endless amount of time to record ideas.  The concept of the “double album” was reserved for the self indulgence of the elite few who were permitted to oversee all aspects of their – sometimes failing – careers.  The point is, more is not always better and The Broken Hearted Bride, which clocks in at a full hour, suffers from disjointed sequencing and an overabundance of material.  

“Christmas Cheer (Everything is going to be Alright)” is a catchy, driving, slab of hi-hat driven funk, complete with a huge chorus and searing electric slide guitar, which would have nestled comfortably alongside the mid-seventies attempts at Disco by the Rolling Stones (“Miss You”) and Rod Stewart (“Do you think I’m Sexy?”).  Here, on The Broken Hearted Bride, the song sounds completely out of place. 

Additionally, the inclusion of the group version of Lambert’s “Shadowland,” and the vintage Cousins’ tune “We’ll Meet Again Sometime” (perhaps included for John Hawken’s sake as he has once again left the group, this time due to health issues) seems redundant and unnecessary.

The Strawbs, and Dave Cousins in particular, have always been savvy when it comes to marketing and placement of their products.  As with their boxed set, they pre-sold The Broken Hearted Bride directly to their fan base, which provided funding for the production of the disc.  In return, everyone who placed a pre-order not only received a credit in the CD booklet, but also a complimentary live disc recorded on Cousins’ recent solo tour.  A smart move, and no doubt a lesson for younger musicians to learn from.

In hindsight it may have been wiser to release The Broken Hearted Bride in an abridged form, with a separate EP featuring the aforementioned tracks.  When The Broken Hearted Bride is re-sequenced to a standard albums-length listening experience (recommended tracking: 1, 6, 7, 3, 8, 9, 10, 4) one can truly hear the Strawbs at their most brilliant.

Review by Cottage Views' Senior Editor Michael A. Cimino

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