Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

First Utterance

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Released
  
1971

Producer
  
Barry Murray

Release date
  
1971

Length
  
49:17

Artist
  
Comus

Label
  
Dawn Records

First Utterance httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaenthumb9

Recorded
  
November–December 1970 at Pye Studios, London

First Utterance (1971)
  
To Keep from Crying (1974)

Genres
  
Progressive rock, Psychedelic folk, Progressive folk, Freak folk

Progressive rock albums
  
Traced in Air, The Night Watch, In the Land of Grey and Pink, Pawn Hearts, Red Queen to Gryphon Three

1971 comus first utterance full album


First Utterance is the debut album of the progressive folk band Comus. It was released in 1971, with the opening song "Diana" being released as a single.

Contents

First Utterance was notable for its unique blend of progressive rock, folk, psychedelia, and elements of paganism and the macabre. The overall thematic tone of the album is of vulnerable innocence facing abusive power, the songs dealing with violence ("Drip Drip"), rape ("Diana", "Song to Comus"), and insulin shock therapy ("The Prisoner"). These themes contrast starkly with the acoustic sound of the record, featuring acoustic guitar, violin, flute, and lyrical, almost Arcadian, female harmonies.

References to Comus by other bands and artists include Opeth, citing its lyrics in album and song titles and tattoos. Experimental outfit Current 93 also covered "Diana" as the opening song on their 1997 LP Horsey.

Comus diana


Artwork

The cover artwork was drawn in ball point pen by Roger Wootton, lead singer and songwriter of the band. The centrefold artwork was painted by guitarist Glenn Goring.

Critical reception

Reviews were favourable (the NME praised the album's "highly unusual but fascinating sound" and Time Out said "the overall effect is unique"), but sales were small and the band dissolved after the album's release.

Early biographies of Comus said that a postal strike was one of the reasons that the album did poorly; however, none have provided an explanation for how a postal strike would have affected one particular album's sales.

Track listing

  • All songs copyright Our Music Ltd.
    1. "Diana" – 4:37 (Colin Pearson)
    2. "The Herald" – 12:15 (Andy Hellaby, Glen Goring, Roger Wootton)
    3. "Drip Drip" – 10:56 (Wootton)
    4. "Song to Comus" – 7:31 (Wootton)
    5. "The Bite" – 5:27 (Wootton)
    6. "Bitten" – 2:16 (Hellaby, Pearson)
    7. "The Prisoner" – 6:15 (Wootton)

    Personnel

  • Roger Wootton – acoustic guitar, lead vocals
  • Glenn Goring – 6- and 12-string acoustic guitars, electric guitar, slide guitar, hand drums, backing vocals
  • Andy Hellaby – fender bass, slide bass, backing vocals
  • Colin Pearson – violin, viola
  • Rob Young – flute, oboe, hand drums
  • Bobbie Watson – lead and backing vocals, percussion

    • Production

  • Comus - arrangements
  • Produced By Barry Murray - producer
  • Jeff Calver - recording, engineer

    • Songs

    1Diana4:37
    2The Herald12:15
    3Drip Drip10:56

    References

    First Utterance Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA