Strawbs have been a fixture in the early history of Rock. As a British band, they have contributed to the variables that have allowed Rock and Roll to expand and to be expressive in every corner. Fortunately, Dave Cousins, the founder of the band remains with the current iteration of Strawbs along with other important and historical parts of the legendary band. With more than twenty albums to Strawbs name, including their most recent release, The Ferryman’s Curse (2017), the band has enjoyed UK and US successes with eight of their titles.
One of their albums is Deadlines. Issued in 1977, Deadlines followed such classics as Ghosts (1975), Hero and Heroine (1974), Nomadness (1975), Deep Cuts (1976), and Burning For You (1977). Deadlines is an essential part of that prolific era when Strawbs was as musically fertile as they could be. Unfortunately (and not just for Strawbs), the musical climate was in a strong state of change. While this impacted the sales of Deadlines dramatically, it did not alter the expected quality of the music found within.
On June 21, Esoteric Records will reissue Deadlines as a newly remastered 2CD/1DVD set properly celebrating the title. Within, here will be a collection of 33 bonus tracks including 11 outtakes and acoustic demos, along with a previously unreleased promotional 60-minute BBC concert from 1978, also on the included DVD. The set contains a booklet with new notes, credits, photos, and more. This set is housed in a sturdy clamshell box with restored original artwork.
I have strong, strong hope such lavish attention will be paid to he above mentioned Strawbs titles as they helped form a bedrock of my collection in the ’70s.
Deadlines – Strawbs
CD1
Original Album Remastered
01 No Return
02 Joey and Me
03 Sealed With A Traitor’s Kiss
04 I Don’t Want To Talk About It
05 The Last Resort
06 Time and Life
07 New Beginnings
08 Deadly Nightshade
09 Words of Wisdom
Bonus Tracks
Sessions Out-take
10 Midnight
Acoustic Demos
11 No Return
12 Sealed With A Traitor’s Kiss
13 Time And Life
14 Deadly Nightshade
15 Words of Wisdom
16 The Chosen Ones
Rehearsal Demo
17 Sealed With A Traitor’s Kiss (Rehearsal Demo)
Dublin Production Mixes
18 No Return
19 Joey And Me
20 Deadly Nightshade
CD2 (BBC Radio One Sight & Sound In Concert – February 18, 1978)
01 Lay Down
02 The Last Resort
03 Ghosts
04 No Return
05 Heartbreaker
06 Sealed With A Traitor’s Kiss
07 Simple Visions
08 Cut Like A Diamond
09 Out In The Cold
10 Round and Round
11 Hero and Heroine
DVD (BBC Radio One Sight & Sound In Concert – February 18, 1978)
01 Lay Down
02 The Last Resort
03 Ghosts
04 No Return
05 Heartbreaker
06 Sealed With A Traitor’s Kiss
07 Simple Visions
08 Cut Like A Diamond
09 Out In The Cold
10 Round and Round
11 Hero and Heroine