1975: Los nómadas de los Strawbs

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Introducción

El álbum Nomadness

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Portada del álbum Nomadness

Introducción

Strawbs (o The Strawbs) es un grupo británico de rock, fundado en 1964 por el guitarrista y cantante Dave Cousins, principal compositor y líder del grupo. Aunque la banda comenzó su andadura como un grupo de bluegrass, Strawberry Hill Boys, pronto ampliaron su paleta, explorando otros estilos, como el folk rock, el glam rock y el rock progresivo. 

Anterior artículo

En el anterior artículo de los Strawbs, comentamos su álbum Ghosts publicado en 1975: 1975: Los fantasmas de Strawbs

Portada del álbum Ghosts

Este artículo

En este artículo comentamos su álbum Nomadness publicado en 1975.

El álbum Nomadness

Antecedentes

A finales de 1975, John Hawken dejó la banda después de desacuerdos sobre la dirección más comercial que los otros miembros querían seguir. 

John Hawken

Hawken no fue sustituido y la banda se quedo sin tecladista hasta 1978 que Andy Richards se les unió. La formación quedó con cuatro miembros: Dave Cousins, Dave Lambert, Chas Cronk y Rod Coombes. 

Durante 1975, Strawbs ofrecieron varios conciertos en los Estados Unidos donde habían tenido más aceptación.

Cartel de un concierto en el Golden Hall de San Diego el 2 de noviembre de 1975

Grabación del álbum

Nomadness, su siguiente álbum, además de ser el primero sin Hawken, sería el último con el sello A&M records. En 1976 firmarían con el sello Oyster, propiedad de Deep Purple.

Las primeras sesiones tuvieron lugar en abril de 1975 en los estudios Sound Techniques de Londres. De estas primeras sesiones se grabaron dos temas: "Still Small Voice" y "It's Good to See the Sun". Ambos temas fueron descartados y permanecieron en los archivos durante años hasta que se incluyeron en la edición en CD del álbum en 2008 como bonus tracks.

El álbum fue grabado entre junio - julio de 1975 en los estudios Sound Techniques de Londres. Tom Allom actuó como productor y Vic Gamm como ingeniero. Allom también tocó el címbalo en el tema "Tokyo Rosie".

En la composición del temas además de Dave Cousins y Dave Lambert, contribuyeron Rod Coombes con el tema "A Mind of My Own" y Chas Cronk con el tema "The Promised Land". El álbum abarcó una gran variedad de estilos.

Chas Cronk

Todas las pistas están cronometradas en menos de cinco minutos, lo que le da al álbum una sensación más ligera y menos "épica" en contraste con los tres álbumes de estudio anteriores.

A falta de tecladista oficial, usaron músicos de sesión: John Mealing y Tommy Eyre.  Rick Wakeman regresó para ayudar en el clavicordio eléctrico en una canción.

Rick Wakeman en 1974

Lanzamiento

El álbum fue lanzado con A&M Records en noviembre de 1975. No llegó a las listas. 

La portada fue diseñada por:

• Dirección de arte: Fabio Nicoli
• Diseño: Nick Marshall
• Fotografía: Gered Mankowitz

Contraportada del álbum

El lanzamiento del álbum fue respaldado por una gira por Estados Unidos con John Mealing y Robert Kirby como tecladistas invitados. Aunque la gira fue un éxito no consiguió animar las ventas del álbum y terminó con la salida de la banda del sello A&M.

Recepción

Paul Collins en su reseña para AllMusic comentó:  Este álbum camaleónico suena más como diez bandas diferentes en una recopilación que un trabajo unificado de los Strawbs; Afortunadamente, esas diez bandas son muy buenas. El álbum cobra vida con imitaciones acertadas de Peter Gabriel en "To Be Free" y The Who en los riffs de "Little Sleepy". La canción de antorcha blues "Absent Friend" presenta un buen trabajo de piano y una guitarra eléctrica pensativa, mientras que el baterista Rod Coombes contribuye con una explosión magníficamente fulminante (y aún oportuna) contra el financiamiento de campañas y la corrupción en "A Mind of My Own". Rick Wakeman incluso aparece para lanzar una parte de clavecín en la por lo demás tonta y desechable "Tokyo Rosie". Injustamente descuidado en su lanzamiento por los fans desconcertados por la repentina reinvención de la banda de su sonido, en retrospectiva este álbum se encuentra fácilmente entre los mejores de su trabajo.

El sencillo Little Sleepy

En octubre de 1975 se publicó en Estados Unidos el sencillo Little Sleepy / The Golden Salamander como promoción del álbum. No se publicó en el Reino Unido. También se publicó en Australia y Portugal. Probablemente se interrumpieron las publicaciones por el cambio de discográfica.

Portada del sencillo en Portugal

Lista de canciones

Enlace a la lista de reproducción del álbum: Nomadness (Bonus Tracks)

Cara uno

1.    "To Be Free" (Dave Cousins) – 4:17

2.    "Little Sleepy" (Dave Lambert) – 4:10

3.    "The Golden Salamander" (Cousins) – 4:57

4.    "Absent Friend (How I Need You)" (Cousins) – 4:42

5.    "Back on the Farm" (Cousins) – 2:42

Cara dos

1.    "So Shall Our Love Die?" (Cousins) – 3:39

2.    "Tokyo Rosie" (Cousins) – 2:48

3.    "A Mind of My Own" (Rod Coombes) – 4:33

4.    "Hanging in the Gallery" (Cousins) – 4:32

5.    "The Promised Land" (Chas Cronk) – 4:07

LADO UNO

A1 To Be Free

Enlaces

To Be Free

The Strawbs - To be free

To Be Free

The Strawbs TO BE FREE 1975 Nomadness

Strawbs - To Be Free

Letras

The gilt-edged invitation came

And I said, "What can this mean

To attend the coronation

As the first guest of the Queen

And sit upon her right hand

Where the Prince is mostly seen?"

The maids of honour stared at me

And register surprised

To see a man of such good taste

Appear before their eyes

Now being rather humble

I adopted a disguise

As the Minister of State

For Mass Environment Controls

Who condemn the working classes

For inhabiting the holes

That belong to Queen and Country

But do not permit their souls

To be free like me

The perspex chandelier

Began to melt and slip away;

One million candle-powered

It kept the night at bay

While the power station workers

Were busy making hay

The workers in the fields

Were engaged in self-defence

Which involved the use of barbed wire

As a self-containing fence

But as a means of self-protection

It was needlessly immense

I stopped to ask them for a light

They pointed at the sun

Which raised their hopes of harvesting

A better crop than guns

Can ever mass-produce

At the expense of anyone

Who is free like me

The solitary peasant

In his home above the lake

Raised high on woooden stilts

Has made the singular mistake

Of revolutionary conduct

At the celebration wake

His urban counterpart

Engaged in mundane occupation

Enjoys the chance of laughing

At the Queen's humiliation

At the hands of Ministers of State

For Rehabilitation

Now the power station worker

Though his aim is too disjointed

Finds himself around the corner;

While his gun is never pointed

He is ever at the ready

He desires to be annointed

And be free like me

A2 Little Sleepy

Enlaces

Little Sleepy

The Strawbs - "Little Sleepy"

The Strawbs LITTLE SLEEPY 1975 Nomadness

Strawbs - Little Sleepy

Letras

Listen to my story

I've got something I must say

All about a new experience

That came to me today

Well I don't want your sudden changes

I don't need your New York zoo

But I want some understanding

'Cause I think I'm going to lose

Yes I think I'm going to lose

Take me home, little sleepy

You don't have to take that train

That leads you where you just don't want to go

Take me home little sleepy

You don't have to take that train

This little rock and roller's going to show you what you are

Well it might have been in Texas

And it could be New Orleans

But it really doesn't matter

'Cause it's only in my dreams

In the places where I travel

And the people that I meet

All I know is what I'm fighting for

It's you I really need

Yes, it's you I really need

In the middle of time,1

I'm going to be thinking about you

Take a look at yourself

I just can't live without you

A3 The Golden Salamander

Enlaces

Strawbs - The Golden Salamander

Golden Salamander

Golden Salamander

The Strawbs THE GOLDEN SALAMANDER 1975 Nomadness

Strawbs - The Golden Salamander

Letras

The bird had silver wings, my friends

And reached out for the sky;

It found its wings were broken

It had lost the right to fly

The pink-eyed salamander

Changed its colours for the day;

It changed from white to purest gold

And left the stag at bay

Now I am but a p;oor man

In the apple blossom state

I choose to fly where'er I please

The stag must needs a mate

My golden salamander

You must take me as I am

I cannot change my colours

I am but a simple man

The golden salamander

Had become the rite of spring;

The silver bird made promises

That scarcely meant a thing;

They told the wicked huntsman

Where the stag had run to rest

Now the elderly survivor

Knew this was not for the best;

He opened up his heart

And prayed for peace for all mankind

He asked a fortune teller

But found out that she was blind

The clouds were passing over

There was little sign of rain;

The sun was slowly rising

From its slumberdown again

The stag had run to cover

In a copse beside the lake;

The huntsman broke the silence

And the birds began to wake

The fortune teller smiled

As the survivor spoke of fate

He thanked her for her interest

But knew it was too late

A4 Absent Friend (How I Need You)

Enlaces

Absent Friend (How I Need You)

Absent Friend (How I Need You)

Strawbs - Absent Friend (How I Need You)

The Strawbs ABSENT FRIEND 1975 Nomadness

Letras

My ashtray's flowing over

And the 'phone's left off the hook

I've been staring for three hours

At the first page of a book

Day and night I keep the curtains drawn

And curse the very day that I was born

And get to thinking

How I need you

Now

I keep staring at my wristwatch

Until it's ticking fills the room

And the hollow sound reminds me

Of the silence of a tomb

And as the ceiling and the walls close in

And the furniture begins to spin

I get to thinking

How I need you

Now

And as the days go passing by

And I never get a letter

How I need you

Days turn into weeks

And it doesn't get much better

How I need you

The gaslit streets lean slowly

As I reel against the wall

And my musty head is aching

As I stagger down the hall;

Then I fill the broken glass once more

And fling the empty bottle to the floor

And get to thinking

How I need you ...

A5 Back On The Farm

Enlaces

Back On The Farm

The Strawbs BACK ON THE FARM 1975 Nomadness

Strawbs - Back On The Farm

Letras

I sailed with Miss Columbus for a trip across the sea

The horizon was behind me when I found that I was free

I smashed the glass I drank from, drove it deep into my arm

Tell me how do you feel, now you're back on the farm?

She put me on the periscope and told me she was lost

She said she was expensive, but I did not mind the cost

I said her deep-sea diver did not mean her any harm

Tell me how do you feel, now you're back on the farm?

I rang the bell of freedom

Drank from the well of plenty

The milk of human kindness

Was succour to my soul

I took her to the mast head

And showed her my conditions

She promised me the cargo

That she carried in her hold

The sails were set for sunrise when we found the wind had dropped

I tried to make the time up but the clock had somehow stopped

A fire broke out below the decks and I sounded the alarm

Tell me how do you feel, now you're back on the farm?

Now you might think it strange of me to write to you this way

For years I was a farmer, but I could not make it pay

Yet here I am a sailor and I feel a sense of calm

Tell me how do you feel, now you're back on the farm?

LADO DOS

B1 So Shall Our Love Die?

Enlaces

So Shall Our Love Die?

So Shall Our Love Die?

The Strawbs SO SHALL OUR LOVE DIE 1975 Nomadness

Strawbs - So Shall Our Love Die?

 Letras

The rose buds are hard and firm;

Erect and proud they stand

On slender stems

Wrapped in silk

And tied with a velvet ribbon

"Tie the ribbon in my hair,"

She says

"Your gentle touch upon my brow

Can make me close my eyes

In sleepy pleasure."

Low the candle burns

And flickers shadows on the wall;

It's crimson lips are closing

Round the flame

As the flame dies

So shall our live die?

The roses stoop lower

As their petals fall

So shall our love die?

"What is it,"

She says

"Nothing,"

Say I

"Nothing but the west wind

The wind of change."

B2 Tokyo Rosie

Enlaces

Tokyo Rosie

The Strawbs TOKYO ROSIE 1975 Nomadness

Tokyo Rosie

Strawbs - Tokyo Rosie

Letras

The willows stand on guard in the dark

Where lovers are rowing alone in the park

In awe of each other they make a mistake

And find they must spend one more night on the lake

And I don't care if anyone knows

There's no-one so fair as my Tokyo rose

I don't care if anyone knows

There's no-one so fair as my Tokyo Rosie

The blossom has fallen before the west wind;

The butterfly lies with its silken wings pinned;

Alone in the temple the lovers rejoice

And sing to each other with one single voice

I wear my silk kimono black

Get you monkey off my back

No matter where the west wind blows

You'll never find a fallen rose

The flowers of heaven are roses in bloom;

The east wind turns west in the walls of my room

I build my defence in the palace of sin

The lovers make home and the loser must win

B3 A Mind of My Own

Enlaces

A Mind Of My Own

The Strawbs A MIND OF MY OWN 1975 Nomadness

Strawbs – A Mind of My Own

Strawbs - A Mind of My Own

Letras

Politician's fighting hard to win

Getting a good position

So he won't have to lose again

The battle's always on

Working against disgrace

He has to win you over

Well it's always the case

Ends up saving face

Delegations, flying in

Happiest relations

Smiling faces, shaking hands

The battle's always on

Working against displacement

They have to win them over

If it's only a case

Of saving space

No don't bother telling me

I can see it for myself

I was born with a mind of my own

And I intend to keep it free

Still the seasons come and go

Bad influences pile up

Like the dirty driven snow

Turn off the news

I really don't want to know

If there was anywhere left to go

Well I think I'd want to go

'Cause I really don't like the show

B4 Hanging in the Gallery

Enlaces

Hanging In The Gallery

Strawbs - Hanging In The Gallery

Strawbs - Hanging In The Gallery

The Strawbs HANGING IN THE GALLERY 1975 Nomadness

Strawbs - Hanging in the Gallery

Letras

Is it the painter or the picture

Hanging in the gallery?

Admired by countless thousands

Who attempt to read the secrets

Of his vision of his very soul

Is it the painter or the picture

Hanging in the gallery?

Or is it but a still life

Of his own interpretation

Of the way that God had made us

In the image of His eye?

Is it the sculptor or the sculpture

Hanging in the gallery?

Touched by fleeting strangers

Who desire to feel the strength of hands

That realised a form of life

Is it the sculptor or the sculpture

Hanging in the gallery?

Or is it but the tenderness

With which his hands were guided

To discard the unessentials

And reveal the perfect truth?

Is it the actor or the drama

Playing to the gallery?

Heard in every corner

Of the theatre of cruelty

That masks the humour in his speech

Is it the actor or the drama

Playing to the gallery?

Or is it but the character

Of any single member of the audience

That forms the plot

Of each and every play?

Is it the singer or his likeness

Hanging in the gallery?

Tongue black, still and swollen

His eyes staring from their sockets

He is silent now, will sing no more

Is it the singer or his likeness

Hanging in the gallery?

Or is it but his conscience

Insecurity, and loneliness

When destiny becomes at last

The cause of his demise?

Videos

Dave Cousins (Strawbs) - "Hanging In the Gallery" - YouTube

B5 The Promised Land

Enlaces

The Promised Land

Strawbs - The Promised Land

The Strawbs THE PROMISED LAND 1975 Nomadness

Strawbs - Promised Land

Letras

It was early in the morning

And our ship was still at sea

With a lifetime far behind us we were free

We had strong hearts and a faith

In our good Lord's guiding hands;

The mist before us cleared, and we saw the promised land

With our brothers and our sisters

We soon forged into the land

Building towns and cities far beyond our dreams

As the tree which reaches to the sky

The child who learns to stand

So we had men of vision to create the promised land

But the vision soon became

One man's view of wealth and fame

And the gun became what wisdom used to be

So the struggle had begun

Which has never yet been won

Hear the people, hear them saying, "Are we free?"

So God bless you, my promised land

Let nothing you dismay

For the hand that guides our fortunes has strange ways

And when the fight is over

And the judgment is at hand

Please don't forget our brothers

Far beyond the promised land

Videos

STRAWBS - The Promised Land - YouTube

Créditos del álbum

Dave Cousins – voz principal, (pistas 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 y 10) coros, guitarra acústica, dulcimer, banjo

Dave Lambert – voz principal (pistas 2, 5, 8 y 10), coros, guitarra acústica, guitarra eléctrica

Chas Cronk – coros, bajo

Rod Coombes – coros, batería, guitarra acústica

Personal adicional

John Mealing – piano (pistas 4 y 6), órgano (pistas 1, 4, 5, 9 y 10), piano eléctrico (pista 7)

Tony Carr – congas

Jack Emblow – acordeón (pista 5)

Tommy Eyre – piano (pistas 8 y 10), clavinet (pista 8), sintetizador (pista 8)

John Lumley-Saville – sintetizador (pista 9)

Rick Wakeman – clavicordio eléctrico (pista 7)

Tom Allom – címbalo (pista 7)

Imagen del libreto de la edición en CD de 2008

Mi opinión sobre el álbum

Se nota la pérdida del tecladista John Hawken que aportó el sinfonismo de álbumes anteriores. El sonido del álbum es más variado quizás buscando un estilo más comercial. El éxito en Estados Unidos hace que busquen un sonido más "americano". Es el álbum más subestimado de los Strawbs, pero que guarda algunos tesoros. El álbum abre con el tema To Be Free que parece cantado por Peter Gabriel.  "Little Sleepy" es un tema rockero que no aporta nada nuevo. Hay muy buenas baladas como Golden Salamander y Hanging in the Gallery. Back on the Farm es una canción country poco convincente. El álbum cierra con The Promise Land que es para mi lo mejor del álbum, un himno grandioso.

Reediciones

El álbum fue reeditado por primera vez en CD remasterizado en 2008.  

Contraportada de la edición en CD

Incluyó dos bonus tracks:

1. "Still Small Voice" (Cousins) – 2:27

2. "It's Good to See the Sun" (Cousins) – 4:05