Strawbs were high in the charts with ‘Grave New World’ and ‘Bursting At The Seams’ 50 years ago which coincided with a pivotal moment in the struggle for freedom in South Africa, when students and workers launched a new wave of resistance against so-called “resettlement”. The resistance in South Africa identified with Strawbs songs, especially ‘Part Of The Union’, ‘Lay Down’, and ‘New World’.

Recognizing this, South Africa documentary maker, Niel van Deventer, approached David Cousins with the idea of producing a documentary about Strawbs and the band’s influence around the world. Niel wanted to film while new songs were being recorded in a Cape Town studio. David Cousins came up with a bunch of his finest songs; Blue Weaver flew over to produce the sessions and co- write some of the material, while John Ford joined in with his contribution to the songs from New York.

Featuring brand-new songs recorded at the Academy Of Sound Engineering in Cape Town, with engineer Peter Pearlson worked with Paul Simon when he was recording South African musicians for the ‘Graceland’ album, the South African musicians on this album include Mauritz Lotz, Schalk Joubert, Kevin Gibson, Byron Abrahams, Simangele Mashazi, Marzia Barry and Luna Paige.

Also, Cathryn Craig and Nicole Tee joined the singers from the UK and the documentary The Magic Of It All will be released later this year.

1. Ready (Are We Ready)
2. The Magic Of It All
3. All Along The Bay
4. Everybody Means Something To Someone
5. Our World
6. The Time Has Come (For Giving Back)
7. Slack Jaw Alice
8. Paris Nights
9. Wiser Now
10. The Lady Of The Night
11. Christmas Ghosts

Recorded in Cape Town, South Africa, the album opens on the rhythmically melodic of Ready (Are We Ready) and the emotively titular The Magic Of It All and then brings us the Mediterranean-hued, joyous All Along The Bay, the stoically impassioned Everybody Means Something To Someone, before then bringing forth the harmonized balladry within Our World.

Along next on this simply magnificent new recording, is the heartfelt The Time Has Come (For Giving Back) and the upbeat and fun Slack Jaw Alice, and they are in turn backed seamlessly by the languishing beauty within Paris Nights, the album rounding out on the wistful Wiser Now, the stunning sculpted The Lady Of The Night, before closing on what is referred to on the artwork as the ‘Abracadabra’ closing track, the all-embracing, lighthearted, festive sleigh bell-imbibed pop bounce of Christmas Ghosts.

Strawbs - The Magic Of It All [Trailer]