Moyshe McStiff - C.O.B***

Sheila's Return-Lion Of Judah/Let It Be You/Solomon's Song/Eleven Willows/I Told Her/O Bright Eyed One/Chain Of Love/Pretty Kerry/Martha & Mary/Heart Dancer

Moyshe McStiff was the follow up album from the psychedelic folk group C.O.B (Clive's Original Band). Led by Clive Palmer, a now largely overlooked founder of the Incredible String Band.

“This album shows the group’s experimentation and hippyness. One of the most eclectic offerings in the fields of British folk, and a highly original effort.”

“Perhaps the biggest difference between this and others in this style is that from front to back it all sounds very samey. Interesting and pleasurable but not essential.”

“A dazzlingly beautiful album with not a weak track. Emotion springs from every spore. These guys had to have a very strong musical and emotional bond to be able to deliver such a masterpiece.”

“The playing is top-notch, but the songwriting is even better. Just jaw-dropping stuff on practically every track, and really not a weak one in the bunch.”

“This second LP by C.O.B is among the most complex and challenging items ever produced by the British folk scene. Crude chants and delicate ballads stand side by side; religious brooding leads into a pastoral hymn, then back again. But running through it a certain mood, or world-view, emerges, a unique experience which is not easy to describe.”

“Clive's Original Band, was the side-project of the Incredible String Band founder Clive Palmer. Although this is really traditional, it is certainly a step to the proverbial left from ISB. There's a real stoned vibe to accompany the great fantasy/pseudo-religious lyrics. The record competently stumbles through a real mellow haze, and the atmosphere is what makes this much more interesting to me than the ISB.”

“When it comes to the Incredible String Band, I'm more concerned with the rich, staggering variety of arrangements. With C.O.B the enjoyment factor stems from the catchy vocal melodies and the unique blend of Middle Eastern arrangements, with banjos creating a unique sound. The vocal melody style is written in an entirely different way so there are really no musical similarities between the two artists.”