FIRST UTTERANCE

This is really a masterpiece , a gem , a diamond , an enourmous find. Released in 71 and re-released on Cd by Dawn label (shouldn't be too difficult to hunt it down) this is one of the most accomplished prog-folk album ever. There are two singer , the female having a rather standard folk rock voice such as Celia Humphries (the Trees) or Jacqui McShee (Pentangle) and the male sounding like some kind of Roger Chapman of Family on acid. The lyrics are demonic (not satanic) and the poetry is as good as Gabriel or Tull's Tramp or Hastings but in a very dark way - but I would not classify this as gothic either. The music is very acoustical - one might say folkish without sounding celtic or country music. Somehow this escape real description unless by comparing to Trespass (Genesis) or a Trees album or maybe also Spirogyra's debut album St Radiguns . The violin is more of classic nature than celtic and the flute makes for an even more pastoral mood. The lyrics are in a sharp contrast to this pastoral feel and this is what makes it fabulous . Drip Drip and The Herald are pure "heavenly" chills down your spine, yelling for murder curses and other joyful christain things.

Stupendous and flabbergasting how this did not become huge back then, but one understand that the sheer quantity of quality records coming out in those years made that some disappeared without a trace as it is the case with this one. Whereas in the 80's the slightest average record might have been seen as excellent in a very mediocre mass production - this is why so many of that neo is so over-rated.

Anyway, if you must discover one album this year , make it this one!!!!!!!!