The Strawbs - Live At Nearfest (2004)

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Amazon Album Review
The Classic Line-up of the Veteran English Band (where a young Rick Wakeman sprang from) regrouped in 2004 for a Lauded International Tour. Spearheaded by Singer and Songwriter Dave Cousins, along with Guitarist Dave Lambert, Bass Player Chas Cronk, Drummer Rod Coombes, and Keyboard Player John Hawken, the "Hero and Heroine" era lineup amazed audiences worldwide. This disc was recorded at Nearfest (North East Art Rock Festival), the most prestigious progressive music festival in the world, is an Annual Event celebrating the resurgence of [rogressive and art rock worldwide. The set was recorded in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in June 2004.
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Amazon Fan Review
Strawbs: Live at NEARfest 2004 actually has two more songs than shown in the list above. 'Lay Down' shows up in the #3 spot and down at #7 is 'Remembering/You & I When We Were Young.' This album has all the drama, intensity, majesty and heartache that have made Strawbs one of the great progressive rock bands that simply refuse to call it quits -- this, as their audience will not let them. ;o) This is the classic 'Hero & Heroine' line-up and they are firing into some of their great moments and songs like 'New World' arguably see their most intense, fiery and passionate incarnation. 'New World' reminds me of the drive and intensity of ''The Who's 'I Can See For Miles'-meets-New World'' -- it's played with a drive that is befitting David Cousins' intro in which he describes where he was and what he was doing when September 11th's tragedy broke across the world. When he gets to the intro line of 'There's blood in the dust where the city's heart beats...' it is nothing short of hair raising.
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Dave Lambert sets 'The Winter Long' (from the Autumn suite) ablaze and the ending is arguably more powerful than the one featured on 'Hero & Heroine.' (You almost need to lay back and have a cigarette or something after it ends -- it is simply scalding and the build to the conclusion is a wonderful musical ride.) John Hawken's keyboards are where they should be in the mix, front and center with the majesty and power you'd expect.
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Chas's bass thunders and even the fatness of 73's 'Hero & Heroine' mix (which I always felt was one of the best mixes from 1973) is surpassed here and Chas sounds as if a brontosaurus is walking around in your stereo. It's fat. ;o) Rod Coombes' drums stab, jab and drive the band in places but in the subtle passages, you are treated to Rod's incredible sense of cymbal combinations and fills that few drummers can match. Not too loud and not too laid back, but right where it should be in the mix.
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Many Strawbs fans are already over at the Yahoo Strawbs discussion group commenting that this is the best live Strawbs album ever. I'd agree. (For more on these comments and to find the Strawbs listserv, check at www.strawbsweb.co.uk for directions.) This is a superb live album and is one for the fans, pure and simple. Strawbs have always been, to me, the most dramatic rock band in the history of rock -- almost Shakespearean in their command of language and drama. In this album, they prove that they have lost none of that drama. If it were a double album, I would give it five stars.