Dragonfly
Dragonfly
Release date: February, 1970
A & M AMS 970
CD Reissue: 2008
Universal 5302680
There is an old joke about debut albums. Bands have ten years to write their first album, but one year for the second. Dave Cousins, who wrote most of the songs for the Strawbs second album, did not have a year, he had much less time.
Nine months after their debut was released, Strawbs released the next step in their evolution, Dragonfly. As with Strawbs, Dragonfly featured Dave Cousins (vocals, guitars, piano, Chinese piano, dulcimer, percussion), Tony Hooper (vocals, guitars, tambourine, percussion), and Ron Chesterman (double bass) and for the making her debut, Clare Deniz (cello). This was the only album with Deniz. It would also be Chesterman’s swansong. Dragonfly was also the first Strawbs album Tony Visconti produced, and he also provided recorder.
Dragonfly also marked a return to Copenhagen, where they recorded with Sandy Denny. Reportedly it was less expensive to record there and given the sales returns on their debut album A & M were not prepared to put a great deal of money into the second album. They had faith in the band, just in a more economical manner.
Dragonfly is an important album for Strawbs. It is a transitional period for the band. The folk music was there (“The Weary Song” and “Another Day”) but on Dragonfly they began experimenting with prog rock. With the help of Rick Wakeman, who plays piano but is not yet a member, Strawbs produced a work of art with “The Vision Of The Lady Of The Lake”. An epic inspired by the Arthur legend. It is a wonderful piece. Visconti arranges the piece and it points the direction Strawbs were heading in the future.
Bjarne Rostvold provides tasteful drums throughout the album. Again, seeds are being planted in Cousins head. One senses that this album was part of the master plan and Cousins knew all along where he wanted to take this band.
Dragonfly not originally released in North America. It was issued in Canada in 1974 as part of the two album set, Early Strawbs, where it was paired with their debut album, Strawbs. It was also reissued in 2008 on CD by Universal Music. Four bonus songs were added, including the terrific single “Forever”, which was recorded at the time of Dragonfly. Why it was not included on the album remains a mystery. The B-side of the single, “Another Day” was found on Dragonfly.
The other bonus songs on the CD are: “We’ll Meet Again Somewhere”, an obscure gem recorded in 1969 but not officially released until 1997 (on the compilation Halcyon Days – The Very Best Of The Strawbs. The John Peel recording is included, and “Another Day” from the same John Peel session.
Dragonfly is an album that does not receive a great deal of attention, and is often overlooked. Few of the songs have been performed live in the last few years, although “Josephine, For Better Or For Worse” gets played every now and again (there is a lovely version on The Complete Strawbs – Live At Chiswick House, 2000) and Cousins the song on his solo album Secret Paths (2008). Strawbs revisited “We’ll Meet Again Somewhere” on the album The Broken Hearted Bride (2008) and Cousins does a lovely version on his live album Duochrome (2008)
There were no singles issued off the album, and the album did not chart.
