FIRST UTTERANCE

Before I offer my own brief comments, here are some quotes from various web sites discussing the group: "Comus was one of England's underground bands that dealt with the folk revival from a psychedelic and classical perspective...employing viola, violin, flute, oboe, guitar and percussion." "Pastoral English folk." "One of a kind, and one of the most inventive and distinctive works to come out of the 70s progressive rock movement. A minor classic." "Vulnerable innocents face abusive power in songs about brutal murder mixed with Gothic eroticism ("Drip Drip"), Christian martyrdom ("The Bite") and mental illness ("The Prisoner"), all described with disturbing candor." One reviewer on another site said it reminded him of "a bunch of trolls dancing around in a forest, chanting and casting spells." I would have to agree with all of these quotes. I also agree completely with chantraine's review below, though I am not quite ready to call it a "masterpiece" and give it five stars. / Definitely miscategorized on this site, Comus was an early member of the Canterbury scene, contemporaneous with Jethro Tull (with whose earliest work they have much in common). Like chantraine, this album also reminded me alot of the album "Fearless" by Family (which featured a pre-Crimson John Wetton on bass). Ultimately, "First Utterance" is a fabulously creative album, especially given that it was written in 1970. (In fact, it is likely to have influenced Crimson's "Wake of Poseidon," "Lizard" and "Islands.") It is admittedly a bit weird at first listen, especially Wootton's vocals, since he uses all kinds of bizarre inflections and vocal tricks. However, once you "get it," this album immediately clings to you like a comfortable suit, and leaves you wondering why you never heard it before. It is instantly recognizable as prog in one of its earliest forms, and is a must-have for any serious collection of historical prog-rock.