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Halcyon Days (Strawbs album)

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 (taken from his album Two Weeks Last Summer). The album was released as a 2-CD set in the UK and US. The US release has a slightly different title (The Very Best of Strawbs: Halcyon Days – The A & M Years) and a different track listing.

Cover

The cover image is of a common kingfisher, a reference to the mythical kingsfisher of Halcyon days.

Track listing – UK release

CD one

  1. "Ghosts" (Dave Cousins) – 8:30
  2. :"Sweet Dreams"
  3. :"Night Light"
  4. :"Guardian Angel"
  5. :"Night Light"
  6. "On Growing Older" (Cousins) – 1:56
  7. "The Man Who Called Himself Jesus" (Cousins) – 3:50
  8. "Stormy Down" (Cousins) – 2:44
  9. "I Turned My Face into the Wind" (Cousins) – 2:35
  10. "Queen of Dreams" (Cousins) – 5:31
  11. "Witchwood" (Cousins) – 3:22
  12. "Keep the Devil Outside" (John Ford) – 3:01
  13. "The Hangman and the Papist" (Cousins) – 4:11
  14. "Benedictus" (Cousins) – 3:38
  15. "Golden Salamander" (Cousins) – 4:54
  16. "Tokyo Rosie" (Cousins) – 2:49
  17. "Hero and Heroine" (Cousins) – 3:22
  18. "Pick up the Pieces" (Richard Hudson, Ford) – 2:35 <small>Hudson Ford track</small>
  19. "Lay Down" (Cousins) – 4:32
  20. "Backside" (Cousins) – 3:50
  21. "Out in the Cold" (Cousins) – 3:19
  22. "Round and Round" (Cousins) – 4:44
  23. "Oh How She Changed" (Cousins, Tony Hooper) – 2:52

In the liner notes, track 16 is referred to as "Ciggy Barlust (Backside)"

CD two

  1. "The Battle" (Cousins) – 6:25
  2. "Grace Darling" (Cousins) – 3:54
  3. "Blue Angel" (Cousins) – 9:46 <small>Dave Cousins solo track</small>
  4. :"Divided"
  5. :"Half Worlds Apart"
  6. :"At Rest"
  7. "Here It Comes" (Cousins) – 2:42
  8. "The Shepherd's Song" (Cousins) – 4:33
  9. "We'll Meet Again Sometime" (Cousins) – 3:12
  10. "Martin Luther King's Dream" [Live] (Cousins) – 2:53
  11. "Burn Baby Burn" (Hudson, Ford) – 3:02 <small>Hudson Ford track</small>
  12. "Shine on Silver Sun" (Cousins) – 2:46
  13. "Why and Wherefore" (Cousins, Dave Lambert, Chas Cronk, John Hawken, Rod Coombes) – 5:31
  14. "Floating in the Wind" (Hudson, Ford) – 4:13 <small>Hudson Ford track</small>
  15. "Absent Friend" (Cousins) – 4:35
  16. "Part of the Union" (Hudson, Ford) – 2:56
  17. "Will Ye Go" (Francis McPeake) – 3:54
  18. "The River" (Cousins) – 2:23
  19. "Down by the Sea" (Cousins) – 6:19
  20. "Tell Me What You See in Me" (Cousins) – 6:11

Track listing – US release

CD one

  1. "The Man Who Called Himself Jesus" (Cousins) – 3:50
  2. "Where Is This Dream of Your Youth" (Cousins)
  3. "The Battle" (Cousins) – 6:25
  4. "The Weary Song" (Cousins) – 3:50
  5. "I Turned My Face into the Wind" (Cousins) – 2:35
  6. "Forever" (Cousins, Hooper) – 3:32
  7. "Song of a Sad Little Girl" (Cousins) – 5:28
  8. "A Glimpse of Heaven" (Cousins) – 3:50
  9. "Witchwood" (Cousins) – 3:22
  10. "Sheep" (Cousins) – 4:14
  11. "The Shepherd's Song" (Cousins) – 4:33
  12. "The Hangman and the Papist" (Cousins) – 4:11
  13. "Benedictus" (Cousins) – 3:38
  14. "Queen of Dreams" (Cousins) – 5:31
  15. "Heavy Disguise" (Ford) – 2:53
  16. "New World" (Cousins) – 4:11
  17. "Two Weeks Last Summer" (Cousins) – 3:07 <small>Dave Cousins solo track</small>
  18. "Blue Angel" (Cousins) – 9:46 <small>Dave Cousins solo track</small>
  19. :"Divided"
  20. :"Half Worlds Apart"
  21. :"At Rest"

CD two

  1. "Here It Comes" (Cousins) – 2:42
  2. "Part of the Union" (Hudson, Ford) – 2:56
  3. "Tears and Pavan" – 6:35
  4. :"Tears" (Cousins)
  5. :"Pavan" (Cousins, Hudson, Ford)
  6. "The River" (Cousins) – 2:23
  7. "Down by the Sea" (Cousins) – 6:19
  8. "Lay Down" (Cousins) – 4:32
  9. "Autumn" – 8:27
  10. :"Heroine's Theme" (Hawken)
  11. :"Deep Summer Sleep" (Cousins)
  12. :"The Winter Long" (Cousins)
  13. "Hero and Heroine" (Cousins) – 3:22
  14. "Midnight Sun" (Cronk, Cousins) – 3:06
  15. "Out in the Cold" (Cousins) – 3:19
  16. "Round and Round" (Cousins) – 4:44
  17. "Ghosts" (Cousins) – 8:30
  18. :"Sweet Dreams"
  19. :"Night Light"
  20. :"Guardian Angel"
  21. :"Night Light"
  22. "Grace Darling" (Cousins) – 3:54
  23. "Lemon Pie" (Cousins) – 4:03
  24. "To Be Free" (Cousins) – 4:17
  25. "Hanging in the Gallery" (Cousins) – 4:32
  26. "The Promised Land" (Cronk) – 4:07

Personnel

The songs were performed by several incarnations of Strawbs, plus the Hudson Ford and Dave Cousins session musicians. The following musicians featured: –

Release history

References