STRAWBS – HERO AND HEROINE LP – Nr MINT UK PROG

Strawbs – Hero And Heroine
(A&M Records   AMLH63607)
Matrix No’s: A4/B4 – UK Pressing

Sleeve in Nr MINT condition
Inner Sleeve in Nr MINT- condition
– start of a small split in side

Vinyl in Nr MINT condition
(there are some light surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality)

Strawbs (or The Strawbs) are an English rock band founded in 1964. Although the band started out as a bluegrass group they eventually moved on to other styles such as folk rock, progressive rock, and (briefly) glam rock.

They are best known for their hit, “Part of the Union”, which reached number two in the UK charts in February 1973, as well as for “Lay Down” a popular Progressive Rock hit from the same LP. The Strawbs also toured with Supertramp in their “Crime of the Century” tour, doing their own “Hero and Heroine” tour, which drew musical similarities and themes.

Hero and Heroine is a studio album by English band Strawbs.

After the tour supporting the previous album, Bursting at the Seams, there was an acrimonious split leaving only Dave Cousins and Dave Lambert to rebuild the band. The new line-up gelled very quickly and studio sessions were very productive. The album was released first in the US to a warm reception, and then in the UK where reviews were less positive. The album only reached number 35 on the UK Album Charts and the band increasingly began to look to North America for a successful future.

The album, although still recognisably Strawbs, contains tracks with harsh “straight talking” lyrics, in contrast to the more lyrical approach shown on Bursting at the Seams. The music is more Gothic and doom-laden with washes of mellotron and guitar power chords, especially on the longer tracks.

All band members made writing contributions, notably Chas Cronk, with whom Cousins would write many songs on future albums.

Track listing

Side one

1. “Autumn” – 8:27

   “Heroine’s Theme” (John Hawken)

   “Deep Summer Sleep” (Dave Cousins)

   “The Winter Long” (Hold on to me) (Cousins)

2. “Sad Young Man” (Rod Coombes) – 4:09
3. “Just Love” (Dave Lambert) – 3:41
4. “Shine on Silver Sun” (Cousins) – 2:46

Side two

1. “Hero and Heroine” (Cousins) – 3:29
2. “Midnight Sun” (Chas Cronk, Cousins) – 3:06
3. “Out in the Cold” (Cousins) – 3:19
4. “Round and Round” (Cousins) – 4:44
5. “Lay a Little Light on Me” (Cousins) – 3:27
6. “Hero’s Theme” (Lambert) – 2:28

Personnel

• Dave Cousins – lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• Dave Lambert – lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• John Hawken – organ, piano, electric piano, Mellotron, synthesizer
• Chas Cronk – backing vocals, bass guitar, synthesizer
• Rod Coombes – backing vocals, drums, percussion

Additional personnel

• Claire Deniz – cello on “Midnight Sun”

Recording

• Dave Cousins, Tom Allom – Producers
• Tom Allom, Freddy Hansson – Engineers

Recorded at Rosenberg Studios, Copenhagen.