Cult psychedelic acid folk music from the 1970s? My eyes popped out when I saw the name Comus. Surely this wasn’t the same Comus who contributed a dark and dreamy track “Song to Comus” on a 99p label sampler “The Dawn Take Away Concert” in 1971. It is that Comus. In truth that compilation, which had the likes of Mungo Jerry, Paul Brett’s Sage, John McLaughlin and the BeBop Preservation Society, had me buying the jug rock band Bronx Cheer’s Greatest Hits Volume 3 and leaving Comus behind until now, 41 years later. In fact in terms of production I hadn’t missed much. After the 1971 album “First Utterance”, the band split in 1972 and the remnants released one more album in 1974. The story goes that Opeth’s Akerfeldt, whose album title “My Arms, Your Hearse” is part of a Comus song lyric, persuaded the original band to reform and play inSwedenin 2006.
“Out of the Coma” contains three “modern” tracks and the unearthing of a 15 minute song “The Malgaard Suite” which was going to be part of a sequel to “First Utterance” but never happened. A very articulate sounding band member introduces “The Malgaard Suite”, explaining that the record label wanted a 3 minute single, not a 15 minute progressive hippy epic. It’s laughable but understandable as 3 minute singles were the norm in those days. But Comus were not about observing convention, then or now. So here is “The Malgaard Suite”, warts and all. Having been taken from a damaged cassette tape, it was never going to sound great but this is all about passion and the earth and the wind, but not fire. On the one hand it’s shapeless and anarchic but on the other the drama is evident as the male and female vocalists play their part as the warlord Malgaard and the maiden who is being held captive. The lady’s high pitch may sound she’s wailing and in fact would be perfect for Kate Bush but with the subtle aid of the violins and other folk- and classical-inspired instrumental touches, there’s amazing pathos and emotion. There are haunting echoes and passion aplenty. The flute is all around, generating a delicate ambiance as the vocal actors play out their drama. The violins head into a majestic piece and the vocalists continue to express their anguish and sense of struggle before the oboe enters this mobile track and introduces the confirmed sound of sadness. The sound quality is indeed shocking but the imagination is evident.
In spite of the 41 year time lapse, the three tracks which precede “The Malgaard Suite” are very much in keeping. The structure is based on feeling and mood over conventional musical form, which isn’t there. The title track “Out of the Coma” exudes progressive eccentricity, psychedelic patterns and paranoia: “Somebody’s talking about me”. It’s easy to see why the hippy and psychedelic folk web sites have commented on Comus. But while the agonised and raw outpourings take place, there is a range of moods. The flutes play and we imagine that we are dancing round the garden. The chorus is manic. There’s a soft Eastern undercurrent behind the violins which themselves are dark and sinister. Sad trumpet sounds match funky music. It’s all very outer-worldly and doesn’t seem to relate to anything. Yet it does because the emotion is so raw and suggestive of recognisable mental disturbance. “The Sacrifice” starts with dreamy female vocals whose Eastern quality reminded me a lot of Monsoon’s Sheila Chandra. Her soft voice and the wonderfully calming flute, which is like a gentle breeze, stand in polarity with the discordant and agonised male vocalist who again captures a sense of struggle within. The moody, anarchic fiddle and the meandering flute take us away. The third modern track “The Return” again digs deep. Acoustic in common with the others, this time focus is the lady’s beautiful floaty voice. The flute appears gently through the haze. The oboe adds gravity. Towards the end, the lady whispers through the echoing soundwaves. “The Return” has great ambiance. It is a beautiful track.
This album combines ambient dreaminess with a sense of harsh internal struggle. It can be disconcerting but the fact is that it’s emotionally raw and natural without any pretensions. Musically it’s very skilful and I can see why Comus have acquired devotees in spite of being missing from action for so many years. I admit that I cannot get away from the historical element of this. Other than in sound quality, there’s been no modernisation process, nor does there need to be. I am intrigued to know how the band members spent the missing 35 years between break-up and reformation. Did they become bankers or did they continue their hallucinatory existence, or both? Mystery is very much part of Comus. I’m glad they have stuck to their roots on “Out of the Coma” and taken us on a nostalgic trip. My only adverse comment would be that it’s a pity that they didn’t re-record “The Malgaard Suite” and maybe included the original version as a bonus track. I don’t normally like the idea of bonus tracks but I think it would be legitimate here. It’s quite a short album so there’s space. This gripe apart, 41 years on I appreciate the inventiveness of their music. Whether this will all mean anything to the 21st century listener, I do not know. It’s more “Yesterday” than “MTV” for sure. But does that matter? I’m sure it doesn’t. If you don’t mind the rawness of it, “Out of the Coma” has its place as a fine piece of psychedelic ambiance.
(6.5 / 10 Andrew Doherty)
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