Grave New World Explained

Grave New World
Type:studio
Artist:Strawbs
Cover:grave new world.jpg
Released:February 1972
Recorded:November 1971
Genre:
Length:36:31
Label:A&M (UK)
Producer:Strawbs
Prev Title:From the Witchwood
Prev Year:1971
Next Title:Bursting at the Seams
Next Year:1973

Grave New World is the fourth studio album by English band Strawbs, their fifth overall. It was the first album to be released after the departure of Rick Wakeman, who was replaced by Blue Weaver, late of Amen Corner.

Background

Tony Visconti influenced Cousins to buy an I Ching book; Cousins used the book to decide what he should do after Wakeman had left the band. The answer was used in the lyrics for the first track on the album, "Benedictus".[1] The songs themselves show the continuation of the movement away from Strawbs' original folk leanings. Founding member Tony Hooper began to be increasingly uncomfortable with this and left after the recording sessions of this album.

The original vinyl album had lavish artwork and included a pamphlet showing the lyrics of each track together with details of instrumentation. The front cover is a reproduction of William Blake's Glad Day.

The album reached number 11 in the UK Albums Chart.[2] [3]

Track listing

Side one

  1. "Benedictus" (Dave Cousins) – 4:24
  2. "Hey Little Man ... Thursday's Child" (Cousins) – 1:06
  3. "Queen of Dreams" (Cousins) – 5:32
  4. "Heavy Disguise" (John Ford) – 2:53
  5. "New World" (Cousins) – 4:11
  6. "Hey Little Man ... Wednesday's Child" (Cousins) – 1:06

Side two

  1. "The Flower and the Young Man" (Cousins) – 4:17
  2. "Tomorrow" (Cousins, Tony Hooper, Ford, Blue Weaver, Richard Hudson) – 4:49
  3. "On Growing Older" (Cousins) – 1:56
  4. "Ah Me, Ah My" (Hooper) – 1:24
  5. "Is It Today, Lord?" (Hudson) – 3:07
  6. "The Journey's End" (Cousins, Weaver) – 1:46

Bonus tracks – A&M 1998 reissue CD

  1. "Here it Comes" (Cousins) – 2:42
  2. "I'm Going Home" (Cousins) – 3:14

"I'm Going Home" originally appeared on Dave Cousins's solo album Two Weeks Last Summer. This track is the first occasion on which Dave Lambert recorded with the band. He had occasionally been appearing on stage for encores, but after this album and the departure of Tony Hooper, Lambert joined the band full-time.

Personnel

Strawbs
Additional personnel

The track "Ah Me, Ah, My" credits "The Gentlemen of the Chorus" with vocals and "Tony Visconti's Old Tyme Dance Orchestra" (actually the Ted Heath Orchestra) as musicians.

Recording

Recorded mainly at Morgan Studios, London with additional work at Island Studios and Landsdowne Studios.

Produced by Dave Cousins, Richard Hudson, John Ford, Blue Weaver and Tony Hooper

Release history

RegionDateLabelFormatCatalog
United KingdomA&Mstereo LPAMLH 66078
United StatesA&Mstereo LPSP 4344
JapanA&M/CanyonCDD32Y3578
South KoreaSi-WanCDSRMC 0075
WorldwideA&Mremastered CD540,934-2

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Simple Perfection. strawbsweb. Dick Greener. 2022.
  2. http://www.everyhit.com UK Top 40 database
  3. Web site: STRAWBS | Artist | Official Charts . Official Charts Company . 23 March 2013.
  4. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 296.

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