The Acoustic Strawbs

Dave Cousins leader of strawbs, Britain's most successful international progressive folk-rock band, released his long-awaited autobiography exorcising ghosts: Strawbs and other lives in September 2014.

In the USA and Canada, strawbs sold more records per head of population than in any other country. in the USA the band can boast seven consecutive albums in the billboard top 200. the band’s most successful album, hero and heroine was certified gold in Canada many years ago, but since its re-release on cd in the late 1990s the album has sold over 20,000 copies in Canada alone – an extraordinary figure.

Dave cousins, who leads the group, has been described by the influential all music guide as: “the most talented Dylan influenced songwriter to come out of England”. strawbs are often mentioned in the same breath as progressive rock bands like yes, king crimson, and the moody blues. it is well documented that Rick Wakeman left strawbs for yes, but he returned to join dave cousins onstage at the band’s 40th-anniversary celebration.

strawbs have a unique component in their intricate prog-rock music – they emerged out of the British folk movement of the mid-1960s. the band started life as the strawberry hill boys playing bluegrass, before moving into the mainstream by making the first strawbs album, all our own work, with Sandy Denny in 1967, a full year before she recorded her first album with Fairport Convention. the album attracted the attention of a&m records in hollywood who signed strawbs as their first british band.

Strawbs has a devoted fan base that continues to grow on the strength of albums like grave new world, bursting at the seams, hero and heroine, and ghosts, and classic songs such as lay down, a glimpse of heaven, and benedictus.

The Acoustic Strawbs comprise David Cousins, along with lead guitarist Dave Lambert, and the astonishingly versatile chas cronk, who together formed the front-line of the classic 1970s line-up of strawbs.