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Comus' first album contains an imaginative if elusive brand of experimental folk-rock, with a tense and sometimes distressed vibe. Although there are elements of traditional British folk music, there's an edginess to the songwriting and arrangements that would be entirely alien in a Fairport Convention or Pentangle disc. At times, this straddles the border between folk-rock and the kind of songs you'd expect to be sung at a witches' brew fest, the haunting supernatural atmosphere enhanced by bursts of what sound like a theramin-like violin, hand drums, flute, oboe, ghostly female backup vocals, and detours into almost tribal rhythms. All of this might be making the album sound more attractive than it is; the songs are extremely elongated and fragmented, and the male vocals often have a grating munchkin-like quality, sometimes sounding like a wizened Marc Bolan. The lyrics are impenetrable musings, mixing pastoral scenes of nature with images of gore, torture, madness, and even rape, like particularly disturbing myths being set to music. It's been reissued on CD, but here's one case where you might want to get the LP reissue (on Get Back) instead, as it comes with a bonus 12" of three songs in a similar vein as their rare 1971 EP.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
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Colin Pearson, Composer, Viola, Violin - Rob Young, Flute, Oboe - Comus, MainArtist - Roger Wootton, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals - Barry Murray, Producer - Geoff Calver, Engineer - Bobbie Watson, Percussion, Vocals - Andy Hellaby, Bass Guitar, Vocals - Glen Goring, Vocals
© 2018 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Colin Pearson, Viola, Violin - Rob Young, Flute, Oboe - Comus, Composer, MainArtist - Roger Wootton, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals - Barry Murray, Producer - Geoff Calver, Engineer - Bobbie Watson, Percussion, Vocals - Andy Hellaby, Bass Guitar, Vocals - Glen Goring, Vocals
© 2018 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Colin Pearson, Viola, Violin - Rob Young, Flute, Oboe - Comus, Composer, MainArtist - Roger Wootton, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals - Barry Murray, Producer - Geoff Calver, Engineer - Bobbie Watson, Percussion, Vocals - Andy Hellaby, Bass Guitar, Vocals - Glen Goring, Vocals
© 2018 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Colin Pearson, Viola, Violin - Rob Young, Flute, Oboe - Comus, MainArtist - Roger Wootton, Composer, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals - Barry Murray, Producer - Geoff Calver, Engineer - Bobbie Watson, Percussion, Vocals - Andy Hellaby, Bass Guitar, Vocals - Glen Goring, Vocals
© 2018 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Colin Pearson, Viola, Violin - Rob Young, Flute, Oboe - Comus, Composer, MainArtist - Roger Wootton, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals - Barry Murray, Producer - Geoff Calver, Engineer - Bobbie Watson, Percussion, Vocals - Andy Hellaby, Bass Guitar, Vocals - Glen Goring, Vocals
© 2018 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Colin Pearson, Viola, Violin - Rob Young, Flute, Oboe - Comus, Composer, MainArtist - Roger Wootton, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals - Barry Murray, Producer - Geoff Calver, Engineer - Bobbie Watson, Percussion, Vocals - Andy Hellaby, Bass Guitar, Vocals - Glen Goring, Vocals
© 2018 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Colin Pearson, Viola, Violin - Rob Young, Flute, Oboe - Comus, MainArtist - Roger Wootton, Composer, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals - Barry Murray, Producer - Geoff Calver, Engineer - Bobbie Watson, Percussion, Vocals - Andy Hellaby, Bass Guitar, Vocals - Glen Goring, Vocals
© 2018 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Colin Pearson, Composer - Comus, Performance, MainArtist
© 2018 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Comus, Performance, MainArtist - Roger Wootton, Composer
© 2018 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Comus, Composer, Performance, MainArtist
© 2018 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Comus, Composer, Performance, MainArtist
© 2018 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 2005 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Album review
Comus' first album contains an imaginative if elusive brand of experimental folk-rock, with a tense and sometimes distressed vibe. Although there are elements of traditional British folk music, there's an edginess to the songwriting and arrangements that would be entirely alien in a Fairport Convention or Pentangle disc. At times, this straddles the border between folk-rock and the kind of songs you'd expect to be sung at a witches' brew fest, the haunting supernatural atmosphere enhanced by bursts of what sound like a theramin-like violin, hand drums, flute, oboe, ghostly female backup vocals, and detours into almost tribal rhythms. All of this might be making the album sound more attractive than it is; the songs are extremely elongated and fragmented, and the male vocals often have a grating munchkin-like quality, sometimes sounding like a wizened Marc Bolan. The lyrics are impenetrable musings, mixing pastoral scenes of nature with images of gore, torture, madness, and even rape, like particularly disturbing myths being set to music. It's been reissued on CD, but here's one case where you might want to get the LP reissue (on Get Back) instead, as it comes with a bonus 12" of three songs in a similar vein as their rare 1971 EP.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 01:11:24
- Main artists: Comus
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Sanctuary Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2018 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 2018 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
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