C.O.B. – Spirit of Love (CBS 1970)

C.O.B., or Clive’s Original Band, released two highly regarded folk albums in the very early 70’s. I haven’t heard their second album (with the wonderfully weird title ‘Moyshe McStiff And The Tartan Lancers Of The Sacred Heart’), but I really enjoy their debut. C.O.B. at this point consisted of the banjo virtuoso Clive Palmer, Steve Bonnett on bass and Ursula Smith (who came from Third Ear Band) on cello. Together they made a debut album full of traditional folk with an often haunting and rather dark atmosphere. But the album opens with the cheerful title track, that has a very nice love-thy-neighbour, free-flowing hippy-spirit. The contrast is quite big from that to the next track, ‘Music of The Ages’. Here we are deep into mystical and medieval folk-territory. It’s not exactly hard to imagine being in a foggy, autumnal forest with hidden and possibly dangerous powers lurking around you when this is being played. I love it! Possibly my favourite track here. ‘Soft Touches of Love’ is also melancholic and dark folk of the highest order, before ‘Banjo Land’ (excellent playing!) and ‘Wade In The Water’ then offer us some more uplifting stuff again. The rest of the album is all dark, and excellent as well. Tracks like ‘Evening Air’ and the closing track ‘When He Came Hime’ feature an incredibly dark and haunting atmosphere that will stay with you. I just love this album, which by the way was produced by the legendary Ralph McTell. Highly recommended!