30-07-2025, 20:36
FROM THE WITCHWOOD (1971)
![[Image: 250px-From_the_Witchwood_%28Strawbs_albu...art%29.jpg]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/34/From_the_Witchwood_%28Strawbs_album_-_cover_art%29.jpg/250px-From_the_Witchwood_%28Strawbs_album_-_cover_art%29.jpg)
From the Witchwood is the album where Strawbs really start to come into their own, shifting away from the acoustic folk sound to more of a progressive rock vibe – more plugged in. Rick Wakeman is here, although he’d already been poached by Yes and kinda fitted in recordings for this release whenever he could, sometimes completely separately. Busy boy back in those halcyon days! In fact, Strawbs had recorded a live album in between Dragonfly and this one, but I’m not including the live albums in this thread. What I will do, is post a link here to an instrumental on that album, Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios, showcasing the not inconsiderable talents of young Rick – not yet grumpy. He was showing off for sure, and it worked! He got a LOT of attention. “Temperament of Mind” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRz60jZev34.
Incidentally, a ‘witchwood’ is also known as a Wych Elm. The image on the cover is a negative, looking up through its tangle of branches. Not the best wood for building anything as it’s very bendy, however, it was used to make coffins. And was shunned by witches, which is good to know! There is some correspondingly heavy subject matter in some of the lyrics. Wowzer. “The Hangman and the Papist” for example. Cousins does not spare one’s sensibilities! And he sort of vacillates between dire and pastoral. There is not exactly a theme running through the album, aside from a bucolic feel.
By now Mr Cousins’ distinctive style and lyrical prowess had become firmly established but there are two other writers on this album – John Ford and Richard Hudson. I very much like the Bonus Track by Ford which of course is not to be found on the lp, but his “Thirty Days” is positively Beatle-esque, despite its seriousness, and is an odd juxtaposition. The band was at musical odds with one another and still feeling their way. In any event there are some gems on this release … fabulous instruments too!
Tracklisting:
A Glimpse of Heaven (Dave Cousins)
Witchwood (Cousins)
Thirty Days (John Ford)
Flight (Richard Hudson)
The Hangman And The Papist (Cousins)
Sheep (Cousins)
Canon Dale (Hudson)
The Shepherd's Song (Cousins)
In Amongst The Roses (Cousins)
I'll Carry On Beside You (Cousins)
Bonus track (A&M CD re-issues)
Let's Keep The Devil Outside (Ford)
Personnel:
Dave Cousins – lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, dulcimer, banjo, recorder
Tony Hooper – lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, autoharp, tambourine
Rick Wakeman – piano, organ, celeste, mellotron, Moog synthesizer, clavinet, harpsichord
John Ford – lead vocals, backing vocals, bass guitar
Richard Hudson – lead vocals, backing vocals, drums, sitar
with: The Choir and Congregation of Air Strawb - choir on "A Glimpse of Heaven"
“Witchwood”
From the Witchwood is the album where Strawbs really start to come into their own, shifting away from the acoustic folk sound to more of a progressive rock vibe – more plugged in. Rick Wakeman is here, although he’d already been poached by Yes and kinda fitted in recordings for this release whenever he could, sometimes completely separately. Busy boy back in those halcyon days! In fact, Strawbs had recorded a live album in between Dragonfly and this one, but I’m not including the live albums in this thread. What I will do, is post a link here to an instrumental on that album, Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios, showcasing the not inconsiderable talents of young Rick – not yet grumpy. He was showing off for sure, and it worked! He got a LOT of attention. “Temperament of Mind” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRz60jZev34.
Incidentally, a ‘witchwood’ is also known as a Wych Elm. The image on the cover is a negative, looking up through its tangle of branches. Not the best wood for building anything as it’s very bendy, however, it was used to make coffins. And was shunned by witches, which is good to know! There is some correspondingly heavy subject matter in some of the lyrics. Wowzer. “The Hangman and the Papist” for example. Cousins does not spare one’s sensibilities! And he sort of vacillates between dire and pastoral. There is not exactly a theme running through the album, aside from a bucolic feel.
By now Mr Cousins’ distinctive style and lyrical prowess had become firmly established but there are two other writers on this album – John Ford and Richard Hudson. I very much like the Bonus Track by Ford which of course is not to be found on the lp, but his “Thirty Days” is positively Beatle-esque, despite its seriousness, and is an odd juxtaposition. The band was at musical odds with one another and still feeling their way. In any event there are some gems on this release … fabulous instruments too!
Tracklisting:
A Glimpse of Heaven (Dave Cousins)
Witchwood (Cousins)
Thirty Days (John Ford)
Flight (Richard Hudson)
The Hangman And The Papist (Cousins)
Sheep (Cousins)
Canon Dale (Hudson)
The Shepherd's Song (Cousins)
In Amongst The Roses (Cousins)
I'll Carry On Beside You (Cousins)
Bonus track (A&M CD re-issues)
Let's Keep The Devil Outside (Ford)
Personnel:
Dave Cousins – lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, dulcimer, banjo, recorder
Tony Hooper – lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, autoharp, tambourine
Rick Wakeman – piano, organ, celeste, mellotron, Moog synthesizer, clavinet, harpsichord
John Ford – lead vocals, backing vocals, bass guitar
Richard Hudson – lead vocals, backing vocals, drums, sitar
with: The Choir and Congregation of Air Strawb - choir on "A Glimpse of Heaven"
“Witchwood”
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson