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1997 compilation album by Strawbs
The Very Best of the Strawbs: Halcyon Days is a compilation album by English band
Strawbs . Although credited to Strawbs it does contain three
Hudson Ford tracks and a
Dave Cousins solo track (taken from his album
Two Weeks Last Summer ). The album was released as a 2-CD set in the UK and US. The US release has a slightly different title (The Very Best of Strawbs: Halcyon Days – The A & M Years ) and a different track listing.
Cover
The cover image is of a
common kingfisher , a reference to the mythical kingsfisher of
Halcyon days .
Track listing – UK release
CD one
"Ghosts" (
Dave Cousins ) – 8:30
"Sweet Dreams"
"Night Light"
"Guardian Angel"
"Night Light"
"
On Growing Older " (Cousins) – 1:56
"
The Man Who Called Himself Jesus " (Cousins) – 3:50
"Stormy Down" (Cousins) – 2:44
"I Turned My Face into the Wind" (Cousins) – 2:35
"
Queen of Dreams " (Cousins) – 5:31
"Witchwood" (Cousins) – 3:22
"Keep the Devil Outside" (
John Ford ) – 3:01
"The Hangman and the Papist" (Cousins) – 4:11
"
Benedictus " (Cousins) – 3:38
"Golden Salamander" (Cousins) – 4:54
"Tokyo Rosie" (Cousins) – 2:49
"
Hero and Heroine " (Cousins) – 3:22
"Pick up the Pieces" (
Richard Hudson , Ford) – 2:35
Hudson Ford track
"
Lay Down " (Cousins) – 4:32
"Backside" (Cousins) – 3:50
"Out in the Cold" (Cousins) – 3:19
"Round and Round" (Cousins) – 4:44
"
Oh How She Changed " (Cousins,
Tony Hooper ) – 2:52
In the liner notes, track 16 is referred to as "Ciggy Barlust (Backside)"
CD two
"The Battle" (Cousins) – 6:25
"
Grace Darling " (Cousins) – 3:54
"Blue Angel" (Cousins) – 9:46 Dave Cousins solo track
"Divided"
"Half Worlds Apart"
"At Rest"
"
Here It Comes " (Cousins) – 2:42
"The Shepherd's Song" (Cousins) – 4:33
"We'll Meet Again Sometime" (Cousins) – 3:12
"Martin Luther King's Dream" [Live] (Cousins) – 2:53
"Burn Baby Burn" (Hudson, Ford) – 3:02 Hudson Ford track
"
Shine on Silver Sun " (Cousins) – 2:46
"Why and Wherefore" (Cousins,
Dave Lambert ,
Chas Cronk ,
John Hawken ,
Rod Coombes ) – 5:31
"Floating in the Wind" (Hudson, Ford) – 4:13 Hudson Ford track
"Absent Friend" (Cousins) – 4:35
"
Part of the Union " (Hudson, Ford) – 2:56
"
Will Ye Go " (Francis McPeake) – 3:54
"The River" (Cousins) – 2:23
"Down by the Sea" (Cousins) – 6:19
"Tell Me What You See in Me" (Cousins) – 6:11
Track listing – US release
CD one
"
The Man Who Called Himself Jesus " (Cousins) – 3:50
"Where Is This Dream of Your Youth" (Cousins)
"The Battle" (Cousins) – 6:25
"The Weary Song" (Cousins) – 3:50
"I Turned My Face into the Wind" (Cousins) – 2:35
"
Forever " (Cousins, Hooper) – 3:32
"Song of a Sad Little Girl" (Cousins) – 5:28
"A Glimpse of Heaven" (Cousins) – 3:50
"Witchwood" (Cousins) – 3:22
"Sheep" (Cousins) – 4:14
"The Shepherd's Song" (Cousins) – 4:33
"The Hangman and the Papist" (Cousins) – 4:11
"
Benedictus " (Cousins) – 3:38
"
Queen of Dreams " (Cousins) – 5:31
"
Heavy Disguise " (Ford) – 2:53
"
New World " (Cousins) – 4:11
"Two Weeks Last Summer" (Cousins) – 3:07 Dave Cousins solo track
"Blue Angel" (Cousins) – 9:46 Dave Cousins solo track
"Divided"
"Half Worlds Apart"
"At Rest"
CD two
"
Here It Comes " (Cousins) – 2:42
"
Part of the Union " (Hudson, Ford) – 2:56
"Tears and Pavan" – 6:35
"Tears" (Cousins)
"Pavan" (Cousins, Hudson, Ford)
"The River" (Cousins) – 2:23
"Down by the Sea" (Cousins) – 6:19
"
Lay Down " (Cousins) – 4:32
"
Autumn " – 8:27
"Heroine's Theme" (Hawken)
"Deep Summer Sleep" (Cousins)
"The Winter Long" (Cousins)
"
Hero and Heroine " (Cousins) – 3:22
"Midnight Sun" (Cronk, Cousins) – 3:06
"Out in the Cold" (Cousins) – 3:19
"Round and Round" (Cousins) – 4:44
"Ghosts" (Cousins) – 8:30
"Sweet Dreams"
"Night Light"
"Guardian Angel"
"Night Light"
"
Grace Darling " (Cousins) – 3:54
"
Lemon Pie " (Cousins) – 4:03
"To Be Free" (Cousins) – 4:17
"Hanging in the Gallery" (Cousins) – 4:32
"The Promised Land" (Cronk) – 4:07
Personnel
The songs were performed by several incarnations of Strawbs, plus the Hudson Ford and Dave Cousins session musicians. The following musicians featured: –
Dave Cousins – vocals,
acoustic guitar ,
dulcimer
Tony Hooper – vocals, acoustic guitar
Dave Lambert – vocals, electric guitar
Miller Anderson – electric guitar (on Dave Cousins solo tracks)
Micky Keen – guitar (on Hudson Ford tracks)
Ron Chesterman –
double bass
Claire Deniz – cello
John Ford – vocals, bass guitar
Chas Cronk – bass guitar, vocals
Rod Demick – bass guitar, vocals
Roger Glover – bass guitar (on Dave Cousins solo tracks)
Rick Wakeman – keyboards
Blue Weaver – keyboards
John Hawken – keyboards
Andy Richards – keyboards
Chris Parren – keyboards (on Hudson Ford tracks)
Richard Hudson – drums, guitar, vocals
Rod Coombes – drums, vocals
Tony Fernandez – drums
Ken Laws – drums (on Hudson Ford tracks)
Jon Hiseman – drums (on Dave Cousins solo tracks)
Release history
Region
Date
Label
Format
Catalog
United Kingdom
1997 (1997 )
A&M Records
2-CD set
540,662-2
United States
1998 (1998 )
A&M Records
2-CD set
31454 0951-2
References
Albums Live albums Compilation albums Box sets DVDs Acoustic Strawbs albums Singles Related articles