Strawbs Heartbreak Hill - The Platinum Edition CD

This is a rather peculiar and disjointed collection of tracks culled from 1988's reunion album Don't Say Goodbye along with other late period recordings. Only fleeting moments of the Strawbs' patented progressive folk and rock gets uncovered, which is no surprise since their final albums leading up to their late '70s demise were also bereft of those key ingredients. With only eight tracks, continuity is definitely lacking here, other than the familiar and unique voice of Dave Cousins. The Strawbs are neither pop hitmakers nor schmaltzy romantics so why was this compilation necessary? ~ Dave Sleger

Digitally remastered edition of the classic from the Strawbs catalogue. The long-lost master tapes were rediscovered and prepared for release. `Heartbreak Hill' was the last of the 1970s albums recorded by Strawbs. David Cousins remembers: "We felt we had made our best album in years, but, as we finished recording, our management decided to withdraw support of the band and the master tapes disappeared in a legal haze." The album features the remarkable keyboard work of Andy Richards, who used it as a calling card to become the sound of Frankie Goes to Hollywood.