This album, Moyshe McStiff And The Tartan Lancers Of The Sacred Heart (1972), is an album by C.O.B. (Clive’s Original Band), which was a group spearheaded by Clive Palmer, a founder of the Incredible String Band and the Famous Jug Band, alongside John Bidwell and Mick Bennett. The Incredible String Band is a band I listen to quite frequently, so I’m pretty excited to listen to this one. From what I can find online, the album seems to be loved by enthusiasts of the psychedelic folk genre from the early 1970s. This album in particular was C.O.B.’s second and final release. I’m pretty stoked to give this album a listen, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Sheba’s Return / Lion Of Judah” begins with a really mysterious, folksy mixture of a cello and what sounds to be a hurdy gurdy or some other droning folk instrument. Oh wow, the song is heavily laden with psychedelic, folksy experimentalism for the intro. Holy smokes, a really interesting, psychedelic Scottish folk-sounding track dropped into place after a brief moment of silence, lead by some nearly guttural vocals that seems to be narrating an epic tale of some sort. I’m really digging the strumming of the acoustic guitar in this track, which provides a light, rhythmic feeling that goes nicely with the percussion on what sounds to be a tabla or a similar instrument. Oh wow, the track finishes with some super interesting drones that seem to suggest the story is nowhere near done. Great track, and I’m excited to hear more.
“Let It Be You” begins with some super interesting, soft acoustic guitar work that seems to be echoed by a sitar. Oh wow, a really soft, folksy vocal line comes in that seems to gently coax the narrative of the song along. Oh wow, I’m reminded a lot of the Incredible String Band with the way the vocals and guitar/sitar seem to walk in line with one another. Oh wow, there’s a really sweet flute that seems to walk in line with the guitar and sitar as well. The melody from the guitar and sitar almost have a sort of slowly melting quality. Super sweet track.
“Solomon’s Song” begins with a symphony of what sound to be flutes and some sort of droning folk instrument, which gently give way to what sounds to be sweet organs and a violin. Holy smokes, the vocals have a really interesting weight of mystery that seems to gently walk atop the sweet drones in the instrumentation, as though it’s a musical representation of a distant ship seen moving on the sloping waves of the ocean. Great track.
Oh wow, “Eleven Willows” gets started with a really interesting, shifting guitar line that seems to walk in between the beats of the tabla. Oh wow, there’s a really interesting light tapping on the other side of the soundscape as well. I’m really digging the female background vocals that almost shroud the main vocal line in mystery. Super sweet track.
Holy smokes, “I Told Her” starts out with a really interesting twangy folk instrument that sort of sounds like an oud, which is accompanied by a bright, quick acoustic guitar, and a tabla, which all come together that sounds like an interesting folk tune plucked from the streets of Morocco. Oh wow, the track almost changes up to a waltzy sort of time signature in the build up to one of the choruses. The narrative of the album thus far has a really classic, mysterious folksy and psychedelic feel that I’m really digging. Great tune.
“Oh Bright Eyed One” starts out with a sweet acoustic guitar line somewhat reminiscent of Bert Jansch, which is soon joined by some folksy drones and an interesting tapping sort of percussion. Oh wow, there’s a really sweet flute that comes in and seems to beckon you further into the serene soundscape. The vocals in this track sort of have a more western European folk sound as though you’re walking across some old English meadow. Super sweet track.
“Chain Of Love” starts out with a sweet droning sound and some percussion from a tabla, which is soon joined by some sweet guitar chords. Holy smokes, the track picks up in feel suddenly to almost have a bit of a whimsical sound for a moment. Oh wow, the track seems to build up momentum really nicely as the music continues, as the guitar chords go between tight and spacious movements, while the tabla seems to keep the quick rhythm the whole time. Holy smokes, I really dig the bass/cello in the backdrop of the soundscape. Super sweet tune.
“Pretty Kerry” starts out with a rapid, gently shifting twangy banjo or similar stringed folk instrument, and some super folksy vocals with a sort of Scottish folk style. Oh wow, a really sweet flute gently comes in from the background, as though the banjo and vocals are gradually bringing you towards some meadow that the flute seems to signify. Oh wow, the flute has changed places and is now in a more focused location. Holy smokes, the vocals hit some really sweet falsetto notes for a moment. Oh wow, now there are two flutes that come together to form a really sweet, folksy breeze around you, as though you’re still traveling about some English countryside. Great tune.
“Martha And Mary” begins with some acoustic guitar that immediately has a sort of mysterious sound to it, seemingly walking the line between baroque Spanish guitar and Indian raga with the style. There’s another guitar on the other side of the soundscape that seems to have more of a tradition western European folk sound. Holy smokes, the droning background vocals behind the folksy lead vocals almost have a bit of a Gregorian chanting sound that adds a further mysterious layer to the soundscape. The vocals remind me a lot of the style of the Incredible String Band in this track. Oh wow, the end of the track has a really nice resolution. Great tune.
“Heart Dancer” begins with a combination of jangly acoustic guitar, sitar, and a tabla that again gives the sort of impression that you might be hearing this walking down a Moroccan street. Holy smokes, the vocals also have a sort of raga sound to them as well that I’m really digging. Oh wow, there’s some sort of droning folk instrument that adds even more raga flavor to this arrangement. Oh wow, the track finishes out with a duo of tablas for a few seconds before coming to an end. Great track.
Oh wow, “Falconer’s Glove” starts out with a mysterious folksy line that seems to walk the line between raga and traditional western European folk music, especially as the violin comes into the soundscape. The overall feel of the album seems as though there’s a lot of momentum at the moment that’s been built up. Oh wow, the track seems to be headed more down a raga sort of path for a moment before resolving to something along the lines of a Scottish folk melody. Wow, great track.
Holy smokes, “Summer’s Night” starts with a super sweet, and quite warm, twangy banjo that gives the impression you could be watching the stars from somewhere in the Appalachian mountains or somewhere in the hills of Scotland. Oh wow, there’s a bright, somewhat jangly acoustic guitar that comes in and backs up the banjo really nicely. It almost sounds like the song was recorded on some porch of a cabin in the countryside under the night sky, foregoing the clarity of the studio to add even greater feel and ambiance to the soundscape. Wow, great track.
“Solomon’s Song (Version 2)” starts out with some mysterious guitar chords that have a spacious feel between each strum. Holy smokes, the chords begin to play some higher notes as some background vocals come in and add even more weight to the lead vocals as they create a droning effect. I just noticed that the original album ended with “Heart Dancer”, so these tracks seem to be from some bonus edition. Oh wow, there’s a really interesting violin that comes in that seems to walk the line between raga and Scottish folk music again. Super sweet track.
“Child Of The Season” begins with some super interesting, jangling, and somewhat droning guitar work that sort of has a traditional folksy Scottish/British sound that could be a narration to some old folktale. The past few songs all seem to have a sort of demo quality in the overall sound that adds an interesting feel to the playing that I’m really digging. Super sweet track.
Oh wow, “Sweet Spring” gets started with some bright acoustic guitar that seems to continue traveling a meandering path that the vocals follow along with. There’s a sort of traditional Scottish folk feel to this track, while still reminding me a bit of the Incredible String Band. Wow, super sweet track.
Holy smokes, “Blue Morning” starts out with electric guitar and a bass line that has a bit of a funky sort of reggae feel to it. Oh wow, the vocals come in and the soundscape feels like some sort of breezy, island, folk-inflected reggae song, and I’m really digging the resulting sound. There seem to be some really interesting organs gently coming in from the background. Oh wow, there’s a really groovy, upbeat feel as the song comes to an end. Great tune.
Holy smokes, “Bones” gets started with a really interesting mixture of bluesy and raga flavors with the guitar work and the sitar, and there are some super interesting shouts and laughs that add a sort of experimental, whimsical darkness to the soundscape that I’m really digging. Oh wow, the bass line brings a really groovy, mellow sort of psychedelic rock feel reminiscent of St. John Green to the soundscape. Holy smokes, a sweet piano comes in as the song gradually comes to an end. Great track, and a super groovy way to finish the album.
Holy smokes, this album is sweet. Though I didn’t realize it until part of the way through the listening experience, everything after “Hear Dancer” was a bonus track. I really dig the sort of mysterious style from the band walking along the lines of a sort of traditional Scottish folk style and a raga style, bringing in experimental and psychedelic arrangements along the way. The bonus tracks also covered a diverse span of folk-inflected genres, ranging from the sort of raga-folk style to covering more of a psychedelic folk rock and even a sort of reggae/island-feel at times. If you’re into groups and musicians like Bert Jansch or the Incredible String Band, and are interested in an album along the lines of traditional Scottish folk and Indian raga, then you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, then I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A