SONG TO COMUS: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION

As might not be correctly annotated this is a double CD release (at a very democratic price I might add) containing the full works of Comus including the extremely rare maxi-single Diana that came with the same sickly painful character observed on the First Utterances artwork sleeve (it looks like Iron Maiden's Eddy mascot was nothing new in the rock business) and a Wootton never-released-solo single just released after the second album. Disc 1 stops at track 11 and disc 2 starts at track 12 on the above information.

Well for the two albums , please look at the separate entry reviews , but in short if the first one is a real gem, the second is not bad but rather tamed and lame in comparison with the debut, but it was never released (to my knowledge , anyway) on Cd format. The real inerest for those having already the debut album is the Maxi-single release tracks that contains a shorter version of Diana lp-track coupled with the beautyful In The Lost Queen's Eyes. The second track is the marvelous Winter Is A Coloured Bird. Both tracks are very worthy of the First Utterances album.

Disc 2 is well worth the listen as there are still many moments of greatness but also one or two duds that renders the playing of this disc a little less enjoyable. The bonus tracks on this record are Roger Wootton solo single and are best forgotten. The only other small negative remarks is that the Artworks are not fully resepected as if the debut is printed at half the size , the second album sleeve is completely forgotten.

Even if you have the First Utterances album (which I do ) , this double compilation is an absolute must have for the rare bonus tracks. Most of you will be delighted and sorry to learn that there were aborted plans for a second album with two tracks (they existed in written form and were played a few times) two side-suites about a concept descibed as Tolkienesque. Mouth-watering is it not?????