Listening to.......

[Alan2]

The last 2 Strawbs albums -  The Settlement  and The Magic of it All .

Both on vinyl.  I'm liking these more than i did on first listen.  After some consideration,  my feeling is Dave Cousins  and the band never  marked time  or suffered a loss in quality, for a band of their longevity. While my heart will always go toward the first 5 albums on A&M , there's material of depth and feeling here. I feel a slight sadness Dave had to retire,  but there's a considerable legacy.  

[Shane (Skirky)]

Jonathon Wilson  - for some reason the mobile listening station threw up a bit of a medley of Woe is Me and 49 Hair Flips on the way in this morning which was very calming in the face of the regular morning Bixley Road traffic jam. Then nicely back up to speed with RT's incendiary version of Calvary Cross from the Life and Times box. I'm guessing this was the Gregson/Collister/Kirkpatrick midfield, but does anyone have the artefact to hand to remind me who was setting a fire in the engine room?

[Will S]

Jonathon Wilson  - for some reason the mobile listening station threw up a bit of a medley of Woe is Me and 49 Hair Flips on the way in this morning which was very calming in the face of the regular morning Bixley Road traffic jam. Then nicely back up to speed with RT's incendiary version of Calvary Cross from the Life and Times box. I'm guessing this was the Gregson/Collister/Kirkpatrick midfield, but does anyone have the artefact to hand to remind me who was setting a fire in the engine room?

I just checked the book, and you are correct about the midfield.  Anchoring everything at the back were Ruari Macfarlane and Gerry Conway. Recorded in Chicago, Nov 17th 1986.  So actually only 2 days before the Live at Rock City Nottingham CD was recorded, apparently, which also contains a version of Calvary Cross.

[PaulT]

Ruari MacFarlane and Gerry Conway

[Shane (Skirky)]

Lovely, thank you team. On a recent Word in Your Ear with David Hepworth and Mark Ellen, Clive Gregson mentioned that he'd heard that some folk regard this as the best RT Band line-up they'd seen, and this version makes a compelling case!  

[Harbottle (Martin)]

Jethro Tull - Curious Ruminant. Latest from Mr Anderson and whoever he currently has behind him.
Enjoying this a lot. Has all the mayhem of Tull of old.
But maybe too much accordion.

[Harbottle (Martin)]

The last 2 Strawbs albums -  The Settlement  and The Magic of it All .

Both on vinyl.  I'm liking these more than i did on first listen.  After some consideration,  my feeling is Dave Cousins  and the band never  marked time  or suffered a loss in quality, for a band of their longevity. While my heart will always go toward the first 5 albums on A&M , there's material of depth and feeling here. I feel a slight sadness Dave had to retire,  but there's a considerable legacy.  

I listened to The Magic of it All recently on vinyl for the first time in a while and really enjoyed it.

Both controversial albums - Settlement apparently wasn't liked by the drummer who quit after it came out (Apparently his drums may have been replaced?) and of course, the lineup on Magic was missing some long-standing members who apparently didn't like the material (If you believe Cousins) or just weren't invited (If you believe the other parties.)
All sad and messy, but both albums are decent.

[steve-n]

Inspired by Trev's post on the Dick Gaughan thread, listening to the Bully Wee Band version of The Snows (they melt the soonest) from the 50 Channels album.
Jim Yardley's whistle rendition of the Shepherd's Daughter which features in the middle of The Snows and closes the track is magical !

[Alan2]

The last 2 Strawbs albums -  The Settlement  and The Magic of it All .

Both on vinyl.  I'm liking these more than i did on first listen.  After some consideration,  my feeling is Dave Cousins  and the band never  marked time  or suffered a loss in quality, for a band of their longevity. While my heart will always go toward the first 5 albums on A&M , there's material of depth and feeling here. I feel a slight sadness Dave had to retire,  but there's a considerable legacy.  

I listened to The Magic of it All recently on vinyl for the first time in a while and really enjoyed it.

Both controversial albums - Settlement apparently wasn't liked by the drummer who quit after it came out (Apparently his drums may have been replaced?) and of course, the lineup on Magic was missing some long-standing members who apparently didn't like the material (If you believe Cousins) or just weren't invited (If you believe the other parties.)
All sad and messy, but both albums are decent.

That's interesting-  i didn't know the background.  I was just aware that 4  long standing members   are on the albums.

[davidmjs]

I wouldn't generally expect to enjoy an album of solo harp playing, but I'll make an exception for Robin Williamson - Celtic Harp Airs & Dance Tunes from '97.  Just about the last solo album that I've literally never heard...it sounds much as you'd expect, but in a good way.  

[davidmjs]

And now this.  And they're not wrong - the vocals do have more than a hint of the RTs about them...

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/mar/07/the-tubs-cotton-crown-review-a-blistering-joy-to-heartbreak-masterpiece-owen-williams

[davidmjs]

And finally, for me at least, to celebrate Bandcamp Friday, this is my purchase today - American Memory by Imperial Valley (which if you care about these things, is the amazingly talented polymath, Richard Skelton (Landings, Corbel Stone Press, etc etc) in disguise.
https://foldedtime.bandcamp.com/album/american-memory
Remember all the money goes to the artist on Bandcamp today so buy, buy, buy.

[Dan O.]

First listen to "Here We Go Crazy", the long-awaited (well, by me anyway - it's his first in 5 years) new album from the mighty Bob Mould.
It's reassuringly a typical Bob Mould album - just north of 30 minutes of loud guitars, strong melodies with understated vocals, aided and abetted by his long time rhythm section drummer Jon Wurster and bassist Jason Narducy.

This one's brings back memories of his 2012 solo album "Silver Age" and Sugar's 1992 classic "Copper Blue", and that's no bad thing. Fingers crossed he doesn't leave it so long 'til the next one.

[Alan2]

I wouldn't generally expect to enjoy an album of solo harp playing, but I'll make an exception for Robin Williamson - Celtic Harp Airs & Dance Tunes from '97.  Just about the last solo album that I've literally never heard...it sounds much as you'd expect, but in a good way.  

I think you put this on fbk  too David.   My comment is there.  Not y most played of Robin's many recordings.  

[ColinB]

I've bought a couple of cds and a book from Greentrax Recordings and am now listening to the Nick Keir compilation The Collection which is a mixture of songs from his time with The McCalmans and from his solo albums.

My external cd drive won't play CD1 and I can't rip it onto my laptop which is a bit annoying. But CD2 is okay. Weird.

[davidmjs]

I've bought a couple of cds and a book from Greentrax Recordings and am now listening to the Nick Keir compilation The Collection which is a mixture of songs from his time with The McCalmans and from his solo albums.

My external cd drive won't play it and I can't rip it onto my laptop which is a bit annoying. I'm guessing there's some anti-copying software built into the disc. I ripped the other cd ok though it didn't pick up any of the song info.

No problem with ripping the Robin Williamson on my laptop.

[Adam]

Jethro Tull - Curious Ruminant. Latest from Mr Anderson and whoever he currently has behind him.
Enjoying this a lot. Has all the mayhem of Tull of old.
But maybe too much accordion.

Same here. I’m really enjoying it, great songs and a sense of energy that really brings them to life.

[Alan2]

Strawbs  :   A Taste of Strawbs   (4+1  CD boxed set,  2006).

I've played the whole thing, as i do once in  a while.  Only skipped 'Part of the Union'  and one or 2 others.  A worthy boxed set, every track an unreleased song  or version .

[davidmjs]

Strawbs  :   A Taste of Strawbs   (4+1  CD boxed set,  2006).

I've played the whole thing, as i do once in  a while.  Only skipped 'Part of the Union'  and one or 2 others.  A worthy boxed set, every track an unreleased song  or version .

Worth a decent chunk that these days...

[Alan2]

Strawbs  :   A Taste of Strawbs   (4+1  CD boxed set,  2006).

I've played the whole thing, as i do once in  a while.  Only skipped 'Part of the Union'  and one or 2 others.  A worthy boxed set, every track an unreleased song  or version .

Worth a decent chunk that these days...

It is indeed. And a lot of Strawbs later catalogue  is hard to find these days. Not sure wh⁷o owns it as Witchwood Media hasn't been a thing for some time.