For a onetime folk band, the Strawbs really hit their stride when they discovered their inner prog rockers. It certainly helped Dave Cousins blossom as a writer, having the instrumental backing to do justice to grander themes. Drawn from the four albums that made up their very fertile first-half-of-the-´70s period, Tears and Pavan: An Introduction does stand as an excellent introduction to the band at their best. "Witchwood," for example, is heavily embellished by Rick Wakeman´s keyboards, but not to the point of overkill; the song itself still shines through. "New World" still stands as an epic track, one of the best to come from Cousins´ pen, and their single "Lay Down" captures the spirit of the band in a most commercial way. In a nod to the American market, "Down By The Sea" is included; never big in England, it received substantial airplay in the U.S.