It was a mystery to me why The Comsat Angels weren't bigger in the 1980s. Perhaps the bleak sound didn't suit the time (although, add a dash of humour and it served The Smiths well). I certainly owned at least one album and a couple of 12" singles on vinyl, since the disconnect between record company promotion and the band's popularity meant they frequently made the bargain section.
Feeling I needed some Comsat Angels in the CD collection, I bought this (subtitled BBC Sessions 1976-1984 ) album (named after a short story by Samuel R Delany) as a 'best of'.
From the start, their unembellished guitar, bass and clipped drum sound works well with Stephen Fellows' morose vocals. Eye Of The Lens was a great single, mysterious and dark, and several songs in, Waiting For A Miracle sounds almost upbeat. Independence Day is another magnificent song which should have been a massive hit, but I'm finding much is unremarkable, and I'm thinking that perhaps the Comsats were a band with a few great songs, and a host of OK ones. But their sparse, even ethereal songs are never without appeal, Dark Parade in particular being atmospheric and bleak. In the final straight, Island Heart is a little more lively, while You Move Me is lovely.
It's a good selection of Comsat Angel songs, which suggests to me further exploration of the band would be fruitful.
3* - some great, some merely average, but a decent selection of songs by this underrated 1980s band
Comments