| Hero and Heroine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 1974 | |||
| Recorded | November 1973, Rosenberg Studios, Copenhagen | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock [1] | |||
| Length | 39:36 | |||
| Label | A&M, (UK) | |||
| Producer | Dave Cousins, Tom Allom | |||
| Strawbs chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Hero and Heroine | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic [2] |   |
Hero and Heroine is the seventh studio album by English band Strawbs.
After the tour supporting the previous album, Bursting at the Seams (1973), there was an acrimonious split leaving only Dave Cousins and Dave Lambert to rebuild the band. John Hawken of The Nashville Teens and Renaissance on keyboards, Chas Cronk on bass and Rod Coombes on drums from Juicy Lucy and Stealers Wheel completed the line-up. The new line-up gelled very quickly and studio sessions were very productive. The album was released first in the US to a warm reception, and then in the UK where reviews were less positive. The album only reached number 35 on the UK Album Charts [3] and the band increasingly began to look to North America for a successful future.[ citation needed ]
All band members made writing contributions, notably Chas Cronk, with whom Cousins would write many songs on future albums.
Stephen Lambe, author of Citizens of Hope and Glory: The Story of Progressive Rock, has called it "their most prog album" and has identified John Hawken's Mellotron playing as "a particular highlight". [1] The album ranked number 44 in 50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time list of Rolling Stone magazine. [4]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Autumn"
| John Hawken, Dave Cousins | 8:27 |
| 2. | "Sad Young Man" | Rod Coombes | 4:09 |
| 3. | "Just Love" | Dave Lambert | 3:41 |
| 4. | "Shine on Silver Sun" | Cousins | 2:46 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Hero and Heroine" | Cousins | 3:29 |
| 6. | "Midnight Sun" | Chas Cronk, Cousins | 3:06 |
| 7. | "Out in the Cold" | Cousins | 3:19 |
| 8. | "Round and Round" | Cousins | 4:44 |
| 9. | "Lay a Little Light On Me" | Cousins | 3:27 |
| 10. | "Hero's Theme" | Lambert | 2:28 |
The following tracks did not feature on the original vinyl release, but were included as bonus tracks on the A&M reissue.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Still Small Voice" | Cousins | 2:28 |
| 12. | "Lay a Little Light On Me (Early Version)" | Cousins | 2:20 |
Recorded at Rosenberg Studios, Copenhagen. [5]
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [6] | 70 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [7] | 20 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [8] | 35 |
| US Billboard 200 [9] | 94 |
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | April 1974 | A&M | stereo LP | AMLH 63607 | |
| United States | February 1974 | A&M | stereo LP | SP 3607 | |
| Canada | 1974 | A&M | LP, 8-track, cassette, CD | SP-3607, 8T-3607, CS-3607, VPCD 3607 | #70 [10] |
| Worldwide | 1998 | A&M | CD | 540 935-2 | Remastered with bonus tracks |
| Japan | 2002 | A&M | CD | UICY-9216 |
The Strawbs are an English rock band founded in 1964 as the Strawberry Hill Boys. The band started out as a bluegrass group, but eventually moved on to other styles such as folk rock and progressive rock.
Ghosts is the eighth studio album by English band Strawbs.
Nomadness is the ninth studio album by English band Strawbs. It was their last album recorded for A&M Records and their first with no full-time keyboard player since 1970's Dragonfly. Indeed, Strawbs would not feature a full-time keyboard player until 1978 when Andy Richards joined the band. All the tracks are timed at less than five minutes giving the album a lighter, less 'epic' feel in contrast to the previous three studio albums. Rick Wakeman came back to help on electric harpsichord on one song.
Deep Cuts is the tenth studio album by English band Strawbs.
Burning for You is the eleventh studio album by English band Strawbs, with cover art by Patrick Woodroffe.
Deadlines is the twelfth studio album by English band Strawbs.
Déjà Fou is the 16th studio album by English band Strawbs. The title is a play on the phrase déjà vu, French for "already seen", as the band line-up had been seen 30 years before on the Hero and Heroine album. The phrase déjà fou literally means "already mad". The album delivers the kind of British folk rock the band had built its reputation on.
The Best of Strawbs is a compilation album of songs by Strawbs, with one track from the Dave Cousins solo album Two Weeks Last Summer.
"Shine on Silver Sun" is a song by English band Strawbs featured on their 1974 album Hero and Heroine. It is written by Dave Cousins and was intended as a "come-back" single after the post-"Part of the Union" band split. The single was a minor success peaking at number 34 in the UK Singles Chart.
Strawbs in Concert is a live album by English band Strawbs. The tracks are taken from recordings of two BBC In Concert programmes from 1973 and 1974.
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. The album was released as a 2-CD set in the UK and US. The US release has a slightly different title and a different track listing.
Live at NEARFest is a live album by Strawbs. It was recorded at NEARFest in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on July 11, 2004 and featured the line-up which played together on the albums Hero and Heroine (1974), Ghosts (1975), and Déjà Fou (2004).
"Hero and Heroine" is a song by English band Strawbs featured on their 1974 album of the same name. It is written by Dave Cousins. The song is in a similar vein to an earlier track "Witchwood" but with rather more obvious allegory.
"Autumn" is a three-part song by English band Strawbs featured on their 1974 album Hero and Heroine. The final part "The Winter Long" was released as a single in 1974 under the title "Hold on to Me ".
"Grace Darling" is a song by English band Strawbs, featured on their 1975 album Ghosts.
"Lemon Pie" is a song by English band Strawbs. featured on their 1974 album Ghosts.
"I Only Want My Love to Grow in You" is a song by English band Strawbs featured on their 1976 album Deep Cuts.
"Charmer" is a song by English band Strawbs featured on their 1976 album Deep Cuts.
Lay Down with the Strawbs is a live album by English band Strawbs. It was recorded at Robin 2 in Bilston and features the "Hero and Heroine line-up" of the band with a guest appearance of former member John Ford.
