Electric Version Of British Band In Boston Next Week - from The Sun Chronicle - feature by Don Wilding, Foxboro Reporter
Sneak Preview From The Keyboard Wizard - tour preview by Amanda Baughn
BREAKFAST WITH CHAS(Title courtesy of Mike Gebhardt)
On the morning of Saturday, July 3rd, I had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Chas Cronk, bass player for the Strawbs, over breakfast at the restaurant inside the Four Points Sheraton, where he, the rest of Strawbs, some Witchwooders and myself were staying as well.
After seeing him perform with the band the night before and having met and chatted with him after the show, this was a wonderful opportunity to further discuss the current tour and upcoming events he has planned involving his musical career.
Having come from a musical background (Chas' mother was a concert pianist), he had a passion for sound. A self-taught guitarist, he went on to bass in his later teenage years and began a career in music as a sessions player with no professional training.
Over cornflakes, toast, and coffee (Chas is a vegetarian), he explained how both his mother and Dave Cousins' mother worked together when he and Dave were younger. Coincidently, as Chas' young musical career began to blossom, he developed a friendship with Rick Wakeman former Strawbs and Yes keyboardist. In 1973, just as Dave Cousins was looking for a bassist, Rick Wakeman introduced him to the young Chas Cronk, who joined the Strawbs that year and recorded with them their hit record "Hero and Heroine."
Chas remained a member of the Strawbs when they recorded "Ghosts," later that year and recorded several more albums with the Strawbs which include "Nomadness," "Deep Cuts," "Burning For You," and "Deadlines."
Following his departure from the group, Chas teamed up with musician Roy Hill to form the duo "Cry No More." They have gained popularity in Europe, especially in Germany. They play together at least once a year by doing a Christmas show.
Chas has continued to stay focused on his music throughout the 80's and 90's and his enjoys the recording and engineering part of music as well. "Recording music and then being able to play it back and change it has always fascinated me..." he says. He also goes back to his roots by doing session work occasionally for artists such as Celine Dion, but perhaps the most exciting event he is involved in now is the electric Strawbs reunion tour.
When asked whether touring in 2004 is more stressful than touring in 1974, Chas replies, "I think now that we are more mature, we can relax a little easier..and it's a lot less stressful than it used to be, due to the fact that it's a shorter tour and we're driving. We don't have to get on a plane everyday like we used to do." And have they been well received? "Yes," replies Chas, "the American/Canadian audiences have been very enthusiastic during the tour and haven't held back their excitement."
What's up next for Strawbs? The new acoustic lineup, in which Chas will be playing both bass and guitar, debuts this fall. He seems enthusiastic about it.
It is a great example of what keeps the Strawbs fresh and new....the art of re-invention.
ELECTRIC VERSION OF BRITISH BAND IN BOSTON NEXT WEEKThe Strawbs have been through several incarnations during their 37-year existence, many of which haven't been together for over two decades. Now, the lineup from the mid-1970s, which played on the albums "Hero and Heroine" and "Ghosts" is back together again, and they'll be taking the stage at Johnny Dee's in Somerville next Tuesday (June 29) at 8:30 p.m.
A smaller, acoustic lineup of the Strawbs played at Johnny Dee's late last fall, but the British band's founder/ leader, David Cousins, has managed to assemble the quintet of himself, lead guitarist Dave Lambert, drummer Rod Coombes, keyboardist John Hawken, and bassman Chas Cronk. What amazes Cousins, who sings and plays rhythm guitar, banjo, chromaharp, dulcimer, and a wide variety of other stringed instruments, is that 29 years apart hasn't made this unit a bit rusty.
"It's been remarkable -- not anything like it," raved Cousins by telephone from England, where the acoustic version of the Strawbs (Cousins, Lambert, and Cronk) just wrapped up a tour. "It's come together like I couldn't believe. The material is so ingrained in our minds, and new ideas are coming into it now." Diehard Strawbs enthusiasts, who have seen the likes of former Yes keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman, Richard Hudson, John Ford, and Blue Weaver go through various lineups, will be happy to hear the mellotron-laced, guitar-driven melodic rock that the Strawbs (which debuted as the bluegrass "Strawberry Hill Boys" in the 1960s) is back with a vengeance. Not only will the Strawbs no doubt play the likes of "Hero and Heroine," "Ghosts," "Out in the Cold," and other longtime classics, "Shine on Silver Sun," a track from "Hero and Heroine" that's never been played on stage before, is on the set list.
While the lineup is laced with many old Strawbs standards, the British rockers are also releasing a new album -- "Deja Fou." One of the new songs is "This Barren Land," which Cousins describes as "An observation on the current state of the world -- a view on things like the environment and Iraq -- it's immensely powerful." Also in the set list is a new tune titled "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow."
"On Deja Fou, we're playing in the style we always have done," Cousins says. "The minute that you put it on and that mellotron comes in, it's 'oh ... Strawbs!'"
Besides Cousins, this edition of the Strawbs also features lead guitarist Dave Lambert, whose Who-inspired, Pete Townshend-esque licks propelled the sound of the electric Strawbs in the 1970s. Lambert's powerful vocals are the perfect compliment to Cousins, whose voice has been described as somewhere between Cat Stevens and Peter Gabriel.
Hawken also played with the groups Renaissance and Illusion, while Coombes (who Cousins says has never sounded better) did a stint in Stealer's Wheel ("Stuck in the Middle"). Cronk joined the Strawbs in 1973 for "Hero and Heroine," and stuck with the band through many different lineups. Cronk has also been known to pick up the acoustic guitar (as he has done on "Simple Visions" in the past), and recently replaced longtime guitarist Brian Willoughby in the acoustic Strawbs.
Cousins, whose lyrics ring with fluid poetry, cites Dylan Thomas as a primary literary influence. Nature and the seasons, along with spirituality, are all part of many Strawbs lyrics.
"Neither is deliberate," Cousins explains. "If the season is a beautiful time of year, I'll write about it. I'm not really religious at all, but spiritual -- I love churches, abbeys, organ music. I don't go to church or anything like that, but do have a deep sense of spirituality."
The Strawbs will be playing dates in the U.S. into July, moving on to Montreal right after the Johnny Dee's show and finishing up at the sold-out NEARFest in Pennsylvania. They'll then return to England, where Cousins and Lambert will rejoin Hudson, Ford, and Weaver (the lineup from "Bursting at the Seams") for an electric tour through the United Kingdom and Italy. One tour will end with a folk festival; the next begins with a pop rock festival.
"I suppose the Strawbs are the only band that could do that, except for maybe the Grateful Dead with Jerry Garcia," Cousins says with a laugh.
Whatever direction that the Strawbs go in, Cousins promises that the band will be as good -- or even better -- for those who saw them so many years ago.
"We've undergone a total facelift," Cousins concluded. "But I'm thrilled with it -- it's quite remarkable."
SNEAK PREVIEW FROM THE KEYBOARD WIZARDAmanda Baughn interviewed John Hawken (see photo to right) about the US tour and had this to say:
On Memorial Day, May 31st, I had the opportunity to get a preview of the upcoming North American Strawbs Concert Tour at the New Jersey home of their keyboard wizard, John Hawken.
Since interviewing Mr. Hawken in January, we had been in touch regarding the exciting news of the North American concert Tour featuring the lineup from the Hero and Heroine and Ghosts albums. These albums featured the intricate keyboard instrumentation provided by Mr. Hawken on mellotron, Fender-Rhodes piano, and church organ. Recreating these glorious sounds in concert is daunting, but Mr. Hawken demonstrated he is up to the task.
In addition to his arsenal of electronic keyboards, Mr. Hawken has obtained the digitized "voices" of the various instruments required to recreate the magic from these classic Strawbs albums. These "voices" have been programmed into a synthesizer which allows the original creator of the orchestration to let the music live again on stage.
During my visit, Mr. Hawken performed portions of some of my favorite Strawbs selections and demonstrated that this music is alive and well in the 21st century. Those of us who will be fortunate enough to witness the reunion of these wonderful musicians are sure to be blessed with the musical experience our lives.
I, for one, can't wait.