IN PRAISE OF LEARNING

Usually, when I hear Dagmar Krause singing, whether it's with Slapp Happy, The Art Bears, or Henry Cow, I find that her shrill meandering melodies detract from the fantastic instrumentation behind it. Not so much on this album. Her tone still annoys me a bit, but it seems to fit in better here. And one song featuring her vocals, Living In The Heart Of The Beast, might just be one of the best RIO pieces ever. The music is just so fantastic that I can forgive her voice.

This is a teaming of the bands Henry Cow and Slapp Happy, and both bands seem to fare wll for it. Other highlights, besides the above mentioned track are War more toward the Slapp Happy side of this grouping, with Peter Blgvad sharing the vocals with Kraus, and Beautiful As The Moon - Terrible As An Army With Banners which fares much better as a studio piece than on the live album.