COMUS First Utterance LP + EP Acid Folk Psych + lyrics
€
46
$
53
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Description
COMUS
"First Utterance"
Double LP version in a breathtaking gatefold sleeve, with a bonus 12-inch containing two songs from an early single
Hearing it is like stumbling upon some forbidden ancient ritual that scares you to death. You stand paralyzed, too frightened to look away. But as powerful as Comus's music is – even today – the band is overlooked and misunderstood. Comus's singular, frightening sound, violently poetic lyrics, and unbelievably bad luck, kept them from taking their rightful place alongside Fairport Convention, Incredible String Band, and the rest of Britain's psychedelic folk royalty.
I don't write the words psychedelic folk royalty without a certain amount of trepidation. At first glance Comus would seem to fit squarely in the Ren-Faire camp: bongos, flute, oboe, 12-string guitar, and no drummer. But never has the whole of a band so completely defied its parts; their sound is as mesmerizing as it is repulsive.
Comus's run of misfortune through 1970 and 1971 began with what was meant to be a high-profile appearance with David Bowie, a huge fan. It ended in complete failure; no one turned up. The release of their debut album, First Utterance, and a subsequent tour were marred by a postal strike that made it impossible to send contracts, book shows, keep sales figures, and most important, get copies of the record into retail stores.
When stores did finally get the record, the response wasn't entirely positive. British music journalist Penny Valentine wrote that she "didn't get past the first track, which sounded like a cross between a frenzied version of the witches chorus from Macbeth, and Marc Bolan being squeezed to death." Funny thing is, that's a fairly apt description. Tales of murder, rape, insanity, and witchcraft unfold amid a swirling abyss of seething acid folk. Squalls of shamanistic wailing jut uncomfortably from serene, tranquil melodies; guttural growls battle a delicate angelic chorus, echoing the violent struggle of the lyrics. Flutes, hand drums, acoustic guitars, and a violin clamber atop one another in a chaotic melee, creating a pagan folk not unlike that of The Wicker Man.
A small group of obsessive musicians have paid tribute to the fallen Comus as well. Nurse with Wound cronies Current 93 modeled their '90s sound after '70s British folk, Comus especially. They even went so far as to cover "Diana," Comus's only single, on their album Horsey. Swedish progressive black metalers Opeth have always been outspoken about their love of Comus. Their acclaimed 1998 album was called My Arms, Your Hearse, after the lyrics of "Drip Drip" (on First Utterance).
Never would I have thought that a record from 30 years ago, with flutes and bongos, could be so absolutely malevolent, both sonically and lyrically.
Am 03.05.04 hat der Verkäufer die folgenden Angaben hinzugefügt:
Label : Get Back (C)1970 (P)1998
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