“The Strawbs’ farewell album?” says Dave Cousins. “Who told you that?” The esteemed prog folk act’s sole constant since they formed in London in 1964, Cousins is referring to The Magic Of It All, the new LP he made in Cape Town, South Africa. Flummoxed, Prog protests that the new record has been billed as the Strawbs’ swansong in online news stories. “Well, it bloody well shouldn’t have been!” he says. “Just because my body isn’t up to playing live any more, it doesn’t mean I won’t continue recording. I have every intention of doing so.”
Chatting from his home in Sandgate, near Folkestone in Kent, Cousins is admirably upbeat despite recent health trials including a major cancer op, stent replacements and a full knee replacement. He has plenty to say about The Magic Of It All’s content and the South African musicians who feature on it alongside fellow Strawbs Blue Weaver and John Ford. But also feels duty bound to address ongoing controversies regarding who does and does not play upon the new LP, and why.
