Hero and Heroine is the seventh studio album by English band Strawbs.
| Hero and Heroine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 1974 | |||
| Recorded | November 1973, Rosenberg Studios, Copenhagen | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock[1] | |||
| Length | 39:36 | |||
| Label | A&M, (UK) | |||
| Producer | Dave Cousins, Tom Allom | |||
| Strawbs chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Hero and Heroine | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic[2] |   |
Background
editAfter the tour supporting the previous album, Bursting at the Seams (1973), there was an acrimonious split leaving only Dave Cousins and Dave Lambert to rebuild the band. John Hawken of The Nashville Teens and Renaissance on keyboards, Chas Cronk on bass and Rod Coombes on drums from Juicy Lucy and Stealers Wheel completed the line-up. The new line-up gelled very quickly and studio sessions were very productive. The album was released first in the US to a warm reception, and then in the UK where reviews were less positive. The album only reached number 35 on the UK Album Charts[3] and the band increasingly began to look to North America for a successful future.[citation needed]
All band members made writing contributions, notably Chas Cronk, with whom Cousins would write many songs on future albums.
Critical reception
editStephen Lambe, author of Citizens of Hope and Glory: The Story of Progressive Rock, has called it "their most prog album" and has identified John Hawken's Mellotron playing as "a particular highlight".[1] The album ranked number 44 in 50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time list of Rolling Stone magazine.[4]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Autumn"
| John Hawken, Dave Cousins | 8:27 |
| 2. | "Sad Young Man" | Rod Coombes | 4:09 |
| 3. | "Just Love" | Dave Lambert | 3:41 |
| 4. | "Shine on Silver Sun" | Cousins | 2:46 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Hero and Heroine" | Cousins | 3:29 |
| 6. | "Midnight Sun" | Chas Cronk, Cousins | 3:06 |
| 7. | "Out in the Cold" | Cousins | 3:19 |
| 8. | "Round and Round" | Cousins | 4:44 |
| 9. | "Lay a Little Light On Me" | Cousins | 3:27 |
| 10. | "Hero's Theme" | Lambert | 2:28 |
The following tracks did not feature on the original vinyl release, but were included as bonus tracks on the A&M reissue.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Still Small Voice" | Cousins | 2:28 |
| 12. | "Lay a Little Light On Me (Early Version)" | Cousins | 2:20 |
Personnel
edit- Dave Cousins – lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- Dave Lambert – lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- Chas Cronk – backing vocals, bass guitar, synthesizer
- John Hawken – organ, piano, electric piano, Mellotron, synthesizer
- Rod Coombes – backing vocals, drums, percussion
- Additional personnel
- Claire Deniz – cello on "Midnight Sun"
Recording
edit- Dave Cousins, Tom Allom – Producers
- Tom Allom, Freddy Hansson – Engineers
Recorded at Rosenberg Studios, Copenhagen.[5]
Charts
edit| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[6] | 70 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[7] | 20 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[8] | 35 |
| US Billboard 200[9] | 94 |
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | April 1974 | A&M | stereo LP | AMLH 63607 | |
| United States | February 1974 | A&M | stereo LP | SP 3607 | |
| Canada | 1974 | A&M | LP, 8-track, cassette, CD | SP-3607, 8T-3607, CS-3607, VPCD 3607 | #70 [10] |
| Worldwide | 1998 | A&M | CD | 540 935-2 | Remastered with bonus tracks |
| Japan | 2002 | A&M | CD | UICY-9216 |
Sources
edit- Hero and Heroine at strawbsweb.co.uk
- Hero and Heroine: CD 540 935-2 - sleeve notes
Notes
edit- ^ a b Lambe, Stephen (2013). Citizens of Hope and Glory: The Story of Progressive Rock (Second ed.). The Hill, Stroud: Amberley Publishing. p. 58. ISBN 9781445607375. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
- ^ Hero and Heroine at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-06-20.
- ^ UK Top 40 database Archived 2007-07-17 at the Wayback Machine. everyHit.com. retrieved 16 December 2008
- ^ "50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
- ^ "Strawbs 73 to 75: JohnHawken.com". johnhawken.com. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5015b". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Strawbs – Hero and Heroine". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ "Strawbs Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums - May 11, 1974" (PDF).
