SONG TO COMUS: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION

I originally only rated this album, and I gave it four stars, but I clearly think this is worth 5 stars.

First Utterance I often list as what I find to be the greatest acid folk album, but this compilation is better still. The bonus tracks, "In the Lost Queen's Eyes", "Winter is a Coloured Bird" and "All the Colours of Darkness" are brilliant. If I were to choose a favourite Comus song, I would choose "Winter is a Coloured Bird".

I originally dropped this down a star because I thought To Keep From Crying quite inferior to First Utterance. I always thought "Children of the Universe" and "To Keep From Crying" fantastic, and I loved "Touch Down", "Waves and Caves", and "Get Yourself a Man" but I grew to really like the rest of the album. It's not very consistent, but that's part of the charm.

Although the word underrated gets thrown about way too much, and really does generally come down to meaning "I like this more than most" rather than some objective notions of quality and truth, to me the To Keep From Crying album is of much higher quality than many state. I find it hard to fathom people who love First Utterance not liking any music off To Keep From Crying. It's still an eccentric album with pieces that people into F.U. should like.

What I love about this compilation is the contrast. Another reviewer said much the same, but First Utterance is a dark concept album and To Keep From Crying is light. To Keep From Crying is an album that I've recommended to many who say that Comus is far too disturbing due to First Utterance, but in my experience, very few people who dislike First Utterance ever give the follow-up a chance. And to those who disdain First Utterance for its disturbing lyrics and pagan aspects, realize that it is a concept album. Just because someone sings,writes a book, or make s film about a killer does not mean that that person condones murder.

I love Song to Comus and I like that you get the disturbing and the up-beat on it. Incidentally, it is interesting how high rated this is while one of the albums on it gets so derided. Light and dark can go beautifully together.

I hope we'll get more music from Comus and more complete collection at a later date -- if Out of the Coma were on this compilation I would prefer it still. :)

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