Week of March 30, 2008

Comus

Personnel:
Gordon Caxon - Drums
Glen Goring - Guitar, Vocals
Andy Hellaby - Bass
Colin Pearson - Violin
Bobbie Watson - Vocals, Percussion
Roger Wootton - Guitar, Vocals
Rob Young - Percussion, Oboe, Flute

Album:
First Utterance (Dawn DNLS 3019) 1971
CD: Beat Goes On BGOCD 275, 1995

To Keep From Crying (Virgin V 2018) 1974

CD (Both albums): Song To Comus - The Complete Collection, Castle/Sanctuary CMEDD 1121, 2005

45:
Diana/In The Lost Queen's Eyes/Winter Is A Coloured Bird (PS) (Dawn DNX 2506) 1971

The first LP is rock music only by association. Taking British folk as point of departure, the music twists and oozes as a vile bunch of snakes, pairing gorgeous melodies and expert playing to ecstatically altered vocals and vicious lyrics:

'You stand before me defenceless
your stare unchanging silent, cold, intense sears my brain
drip drip from your sagging lip
liquid red down your body spreads.'
(from 'Drip Drip')

Rape, murder, witchcraft and abuse are main ingredients to the menu, which is cooked with raging madness, but still manages to taste delicately composed. One of the very few British folk LPs that creates a totally new, dangerous and utterly unique atmosphere. Obligatory music! By comparison, the second album cannot but disappoint. More common both in sound and content, this still is nice folk LP with some very good tracks. Studio musicians on woodwinds and 'normal' rock on bass and drums sound fine enough, but nothing superb. There also is a rare EP in existence with outtakes from the first album (Dawn 1006) with a slightly more subdued atmosphere.

Their very rare and adventurous debut album 'First Utterance' is now available on CD. The opening cut 'Diana' is very strange and very appealing (to these ears), 'The Herald' is a beautifully fragile instrumental with strings and woodwind, 'Drip Drip' is a decidedly weird series of rantings and ramblings. The four tracks on side two essentially continue the challenging tapestry of beautiful woodwind, strings and unorthodox vocals which at times recall a folky version of early Curved Air. This dark, haunting and at times bizarre psychedelic folk rock masterpiece is recommended.

For more information check this website.

(Marcel Koopman / Vernon Joynson)

Discography and personnel data taken from The Tapestry of Delights - The Comprehensive Guide to British Music of the Beat, R&B, Psychedelic and Progressive Eras 1963-1976, Vernon Joynson ISBN 1 899855 04 1


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