Tears And Pavan (Strawbs, 1973)

Strawbs were surely underrated during their early career, but Dave Cousins' band reached stunning creative peaks since their very first works and they never lost it. This track comes from "Bursting at The Seams", Strawbs' sixth album and it's the deepest and maybe most interesting one in this 1973 LP. The band's folk roots perfectly meet  progressive and classic elements following their wide, unpredictable arrangement concept. In fact, "Tears And Pavan" is divided into two parts (namely "Tears" and "Pavan") and it starts like a folk ballad, earthly sung by Cousins with the usual acoustic background. 

One of my favourite LPs by Strawbs, not one of my favourite cover arts...

But just when you think that's all the track has to say, here come the instrumental part and a Greek flavour you'd never expected there, followed by a Medieval touch. A good keyboard work (mellotron and harpsichord) graces this mini-suite and of course the melody is gorgeous and so well sung that even if you could find the arrangement a little too baroque, this track always keeps a high emotional power. Each time I listen to it, I feel like a traveler going across time, space and inner realms.

Autumn (Strawbs, 1974)

Autumn is likely to be the most progressive rock season of the year, judging by the way our musical heroes keep on writing songs about it and even naming themeselves after it. But I can't remember such a riveting depiction of autumn as this one, taken from the album "Heroe And Heroine", released by Strawbs in 1974. It's a short suite (some 8 minutes), including three movements (Heroine's Theme, Deep Summer's Sleep and The Winter Long).

"Hero And Heroine" was the sixth studio album by Strawbs.

The first part is simply a beautiful instrumental, with lushing and pastoral keyboards, then here you are an acoustic guitar-driven ballad, with also an addicting electric guitar and a very well found sung theme. It's the core of "Autumn" and the most influenced by folk music. A gentle piano opens the last movement, another perfectly autumnal song, with effective vocal harmonies and based on a rythmic crescendo. Really, I think I could listen to this a thousand times and never be bored by such a nostalgic and warm atmosphere.

Down by The Sea (Strawbs, 1973)

Taken fron the Strawbs' most successful album, "Bursting at The Seams", this song isn't a commercial one at all. Full of sadness and visions, it features in its first half a suspended vocal performance floating downtempo on a changing landscape, including some folk resonances. The second, mostly instrumental section is a treat... the song was inspired by a walk along the Dover sea wall and Dave Cousins actually captures the sound of the waves and the seashore changing moods. 

"Bursting at The Seams" peaked at number 2 in the UK Charts.

That's why the track is clearly divided into two different movements, the first one depicting the rage of waters and the second one illutrating their eventual stillness. I like such a two-faced track and I admire the Strawbs' mastery when it comes to echoes and musical depth. It is also interesting to observe here that this song is often played after the ballad "The River", to form kind of a suite. Anyway, "Down by The Sea" has an unusual architecture (I think Marillion did something like this many years later with "Easter") and an excellent way of mixing different genres and atmospheres... that's the prog, baby.