COS - PASIONES - 1982

Cos biography
This band's career spends over five albums released between 1974 and 1983. Often referred to as the Belgian answer to ZAO, they offer a mixture of prog rock, jazz and Canterbury styles, drawing their influences mainly from MAGMA, KING CRIMSON, HATFIELD AND THE NORTH, and of course, ZAO. They are led by flautist/guitarist Daniel Schell and feature the unique vocals of his wife, Pascale Son, who uses nonsense syllables to suggest a semblance of language; she also plays the oboe. The rest of the regular cast include Robert Dartsch on drums, Alain Goutier on bass and Charles Loos on keyboards.

Each of their albums has its own sound: "Babel", emphasizes Pascale's vocals; "Swiss Chalet" has a particular African feel; as for "Pasiones", it is a strange mixture of styles (SOFT MACHINE, Canterbury, operatic and Latin American). However, their strongest are their first two releases, "Postaeolian Train Robbery" (1974) and "Viva Boma" (1976). They are a mixture of jazzy and surrealistic sounds with some off-beat, humorous twists.

If you like the idea of ZAO or MAGMA with a real goofy edge, then these two albums are highly recommended.


Many years after releasing their first two great albums, the excellent French label Musea is now releasing another Cos album, but in their later career, with this very Spanish-tinged Pasiones (subtitled New Fanstasmos Aus Brussel - Esperanto for New Fantasies From Brussels). From the Early days, only Schell remains but he is well surrounded by other well-known Belgian musician and a superb (and beautiful) Spanish falsetto singer Ilona Chale sometimes sounding like Nina Hagen and Nicolas Fiszman - who played bass on the only album this writer have produced, so far - providing a very African touch. Cos was always fairly successful in Northern Spain (Pais Vasco and Catalunia), so it was little wonder that soon or later, their passions would erupt and they did in a quite stunning way.

Musically, we are very much in the 80's, not that far away from some of the better new wave bands (my fave Talking Heads) but also very close of King Crimson of the moment. Yes, I did say new wave or funky new wave b ut if you love the two afore- mentioned group, you will not be disappointed with this one. African touches, German New Wave sounds, Frippian guitars beds are among the elements that make up this concept album about the Spanish Civil War that would lead to 40 years of Franco dictatorship. This passion for Spain was existing as soon as Cos released their first album in 75 around the death of El Caudillo and they toured the regions rather extensively as Spain was entering an artistic fervour. Already the previous Swiss Chalet album had touched the subject, but now the concept had come to fruition. The story of three Republican soldiers (the good guys in that war) out on a quick leave in Barcelona from the war front reveals many enjoyable moments and reach Cabaret music heights at times.

As so often the case with Musea releases, the disc comes with many bonus tracks, including a short concert in 82 in southern France (the music presented there is very similar to this album and a few tracks are from the Pasiones album), a demo track and from what I gather a non-album single also well in style.

If you love the third Crimson era with Adrian Belew and Talking Heads, this album will make you climb up your living room walls, tear your window curtains in howling and delirious musical orgasms. Only waiting For Musea to release the other yet unreleased albums so I can howl to the moon.
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