HENRY COW

What a wonderful record! At the time there was hardly anything like this. King Crimson had it's moments - like abstract part of "Moonchild" or some parts on "Islands" and there was second Matching Mole's album with some avant parts, but HC took it furhter. Of course one may hear canterburian jazz influences - mostly Soft Machine (with Wyattesque vocals here and there) and sometimes Caravan, especialy the flute parts - but there is much more to it. This band was pushing the boundries of what term 'progressive' means and what rock music is, going even further on the next album, but if this debut was their last they would still be remebered as unmatched rock innovators and pioneers fearlessly breaking all the rules about song structure or rock band instrumentation, opening doors for things to come, like chamber rock or avant-prog. Five stars in my book.

Legit or just a big joke?

This album will test:

1) your patience. Is it serious or is it just goofing around on your instrument? Some segments makes sense like Amygdala, we could almost hear Gentle Giant. I say almost. Otherwise, it's pretty non-sensical. Or is it just so advanced, nitwits don't get it?

2) your musical judgement. « Why I cannot enjoy this? Why don't I understand what's going on? I thought I was open minded! »

3) your sanity. How many spins are needed to grasp the « genius »?

I hear adventure, I hear improv, I hear a desire to push forward a concept but I don't hear genius. Hell no.

You know why they call it free jazz? Because nobody would pay to hear it. (chuckles)

After some dissention in the band, this would become Henry Cow's last album. The attention of members of the group would now go towards the "Art Bears". It was then decided that this album would be an all instrumental album, thus staying away from any commercial appeal pretty much. What ended up happening, after all was said and done, is this excellent album of Rock in Opposition, probably the best of all of the Henry Cow albums.

What you get here is some of the best avant-prog out there with a huge dose of free form jazz. The album become "split in two" with one side being called "History and Prospects" and being completely composed by Tim Hodgkinson. This part of the album is made up of 3 tracks. Starting out with 'Industry' we get a more metallic sounding piece provided mostly by strings, but still with plenty of softer sounding passages that even it all out. All the aspects of free form avant-prog are there, but there is plenty of structure to know that the boundaries are there to form a certain sound. 'The Decay of Cities' is more centered on a brassy feel, with plenty of horns and dissonance among the instruments. Again, a bit of structure is there, just enough to keep things constant as far as the feel of the track. The side finishes up with a shorter track called 'On the Raft' which is again run by brass, though more as a structured whole than free form individual parts as on the previous track. The percussion is more rhythmic than the previous tracks, at least at first. Things do turn a little darker towards the middle of the track though. There is one wayward instrument providing the feeling of a cannon on the loose while the others play together.

The 2nd half of the album is called 'Day By Day' and is composed by Lindsay Cooper. There are 4 tracks on this half, but the last track is composed by both Cooper and Hodgkinson, so that is the only exception to the rest of the album concept. This side starts with 'Falling Away' which is a bit smoother sounding than the harshness of side 1. There is still plenty of dissonance, but you get the feel of more direction here, so maybe a tad less improvised, but not much. It seems that this is a more sectional piece than previous on the album. There is finally a lead by the guitar in the middle of this one, which is followed by an oboe. Next is 'Gretal's Take' which is headed over by reed instruments more so than brass, with a great jazz piano section reminiscent of King Crimson's 'Cat Food'. Again, there is the sectional aspect of the track, even though it is only 3 minutes, there seems to be a lot going on here. 'Look Back' is a short minimal piece with brass and woodwinds playing together, no percussion. The side winds up with '' the Sky' composed by both Hodgkinson and Cooper. This one is very free form with an organ and percussion providing a foundation for an improvised sax. Sudden structure forms halfway through with some great bass interplay and the instruments sometimes play 'insieme' and apart.

There are a few bonus tracks that were added, including 'Viva Pa Ubu' which actually has all four band members singing together (in a somewhat haphazard way) with some interplay with instruments. Suddenly the album wasn't an all- instrumental album anymore. There is also an alternative version of the short track 'Look Back' and another short track called 'Slice'.

This is an excellent avant-prog album and is a great example of the genre. It would serve well as an entry album for those wondering about the genre and whether it would be for them or not. There is plenty of free form improvisation here, with just enough structure to keep things more digestible to those who are not used to the sound. There is a lot of variety here too, which is not always an easy thing to find on many albums in this genre. This is definitely an album worth checking out and it is, in my opinion, a perfect and essential avant-prog album.

For many progarchives listeners Henry Cow will not be love at first sight. Their blend of avant-prog and free jazz improvisations on most of their albums will result in mixed opinions. Links to the Canterbury sound can be found, but the quirkiness and pop vibe are totally absent. I myself fell in love with this group after hearing 'Living in the Heart of the Beast' from the third album. On 'Western Culture' the band continues their composed avant- prog style beautifully, but without the vocals of Dagmar Krause. All tracks sound fresh and inspired, creating original atmospheres with a wide pallet of electronic and acoustic sounds. The musicians are all remarkable, yet no-one seeks to stand out as the compositions are tight and well structured. Lindsay Cooper stands out on this album as a great female composer, writing all the tracks of side two! Though I have some favorite moments like the middle section of 'The Decay of Cities' and 'Look Back', I must say every minute of this short album sounds impressive and otherworldly. True art. The sound is mixed in a way that it sounds a bit flat at low volume and huge & detailed at high volume. Recommended to progressive rock listeners who are ready to take yet another step after acquiring a taste for King Crimon's Lizard, Robert Wyatt's Rock Bottom and Van Der Graaf's Pawn Hearts.

"Chamber music played in colour instead of black and white." -- brother John.

I find this album of Rock-in-Opposition music to be far more melodic and accessible, though still quite similar, to that of UNIVERS ZÉRO. The whole avant garde/RIO subgenre I find fascinating though often more cerebral or basic instinct in its access points. Thus, I need to be in "the right kind of mood" when I choose to listen to it.

The Tim Hodgkinson side of this album starts out with one of the more accessible and (therefore) enjoyable songs before taking one on the trail to the precipice. Song three, "On the Raft" finds me feeling as if I'm there, in view of the whole world, sky, land, and the abyss before me, at my feet. There are moments of elation and majesty countered by abrupt shifts into fear and despair. (My vertigo is setting in!) Then there is a familiar Weather Report chord sequence to offer me a lifeline! But no, it's not to be. Darkness falls, disorientation occurs, balance is lost, and we slip--we fall into "Falling away"--down the dizzying rabbit hole. The song is surprisingly slow for the first three minutes before gravitational acceleration takes hold. I thought side two, Lindsay Cooper's side, is supposed to be the lighter, brighter side! This is like an Acadian dirge! But, there are tempo and stylistic shifts. But "Gretel's Tale" gets darker, bleaker, and "Look Back" feels like the funereal aftermath: everyone sitting around in self-isolating numb silence with the occasional distraction of a movement from someone, something--perhaps a cat. The finale, "Half the Sky" is heavy, perhaps like the hellish afterworld to which we are doomed. Still, I can't help but be encouraged by the "light" and "levity" provided by the organ and saxophone, respectively.

To conceive, compose, perform, and render these ideas, this music, into history via the vinyl medium is an amazing feat. I'm so glad it was! Not the most uplifting or optimistic of musics, but of tremendous curiosity from the creativity perspective.

Erk Gah!

A wonderful archive of their live concerts in the late 70s, this album is a must-have for Henry Cow fans. This album is volume 6 in the 10-CD 'The Road' box set. It was simultaneously released on its own on the strength of its excellent sound quality, having been recorded by Sveriges Radio (the Swedish equivalent to Radio Bremen, or perhaps the BBC, known for their excellent recordings). This being Henry Cow, a lot of the material here is improvised free, which sometimes works very well and sometimes does not. The tracks labelled "Stockholm" and "Goteborg" are improvisations named after the cities where they were recorded. These are, like their other improvs, mixed but of interest. Other great tracks here include the wonderful version of "Ottawa Song" and "The March", which work very well. But the real gems here, and the prime reason for getting this collection, are the full version of "Erk Gah (Hold to the Zero Burn)", the Tim Hodgkinson composition that would have made it onto the next Henry Cow album after Western Culture if they had remained together, and their cover of Phil Ochs' song "No More Songs". "Erk Gah" is most similar to Hodgkinson's pieces on "In Praise of Learning" (my favourite Henry Cow album), with Dagmar Krause singing throughout. The composition is very angular, with many harmonic leaps and odd time signatures, and it is a major accomplishment that Krause is able to sing it so well! The track is full of tension, with many quiet parts, sometimes interrupted by loud fast bursts, and flows directly into another Hodgkinson composition "A Bridge to Ruins" which acts as a natural ending to this wonderful quirky piece. Definitely difficult listening in the RIO mode, but much (but not all) of its is very musical, or at least very innovative. "No More Songs", meanwhile, is very straightforward. I have always thought this one of Phil Ochs' best songs, and while Henry Cow/Krause generally play it straight their interpretation lends additional emotional weight. I really like Krause's singing, and she does a great job with this. These two pieces, and "Ottawa Song" and "The March", are the tracks I have found most rewarding on repeated listens. Thinking of a rating, though, I have to admit the excellent pieces take up less than half of the 63 minutes that make up this release. Like their album "Concerts" the improvs take up the majority of actual time, and they are not something one will want to listen to over and over. Across the entire album, I rate the average quality around 7.3 out of 10, which places this within the 3 PA stars realm. But those two/four tracks I mentioned make it absolutely essential for true fans. Of course, if you are a die-hard Henry Cow fan, you will want to get the entire 10-CD The Road box. But if you are not ready to commit to that, but liked "In Praise of Learning" and "Western Culture", then this album would be a natural follow-up.

Mix of bliss and out-there...

Concerts was released in the late 70s and contains live tracks from a number of different tours between 1973 and 1975. Because of this, it features a number of different Henry Cow lineups, including both instrumental lineups and the line-up with Dagmar Krause on vocals. The music is in turn equally varied. The first track, a 22-minute medley of some of their best tunes to 1975 (but also including an interesting cover of "Gloria Gloom", the Matching Mole song), is the one with Dagmar Krause on vocals. It is awesome, and the main reason for getting this box set. I really like Krause's vocals, and In Praise of Learning (the album featuring Krause) is my favourite Henry Cow album. There is an odd feature of this recording, in that for the first few minutes, only the drums, bass and electric piano are in the recording, after which all of a sudden (as if someone flicked a switch on the mixer after realizing their mistake) the guitar and woodwinds kick in. The second track combines "Bad Alchemy" and Robert Wyatt's "Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road" (no 1), with Robert Wyatt guesting on vocals. Another great track, and a great archive as Wyatt did not play live very often at all. The third track is a live version of "Ruins", the instrumental from the album Unrest. This is pretty good too. But that is where the bliss ends and the out-there music starts. The last two tracks on the first CD involve two improvisations from Groningen in 1974, aptly titled "Groningen" (and "Groningen Again"). These are pretty difficult listening, and not something most will want to spend time listening to more than once. They don't really go anywhere, and while yes they add diversity, I am not sure most would consider them to be very musical. The second CD contains all instrumentals, including two improvs played by the instrumental line-ups, as well as three tracks recorded in studio at the Manor in 1973 and original released on the "Greasy Truckers" compilation. Two of these studio tracks are about as avant as avant-garde gets, a collection of odd noises, while the last ("Keeping Warm in Winter" contains slightly more traditional sax/clarinet solos followed by a more musical piano-led ending with some nice guitar effects. The second CD opens, however, with a quiet and building improv aptly itled "Oslo" which has some very nice sections, even some short beautiful parts, although at over 25 minutes it could test the average listener's patience. The CD ends with an improv "Udine" (recorded in Udine, Italy, in 1975) that is somewhat similar to the Groningen improvs, if perhaps more lively. A great archive, this double-CD set is obviously a must-have for Henry Cow fans. While I like improvised music, I don't think the improvs here are nearly as successful as the more structured pieces. For me, it is the opening medley that is the highlight, but it is so good it makes it worth seeking out this collection. On balance (which averages across all tracks and takes into account every minute), I give this set 6.7 out of 10 on my 10-point scale, which translates to 3 PA stars.

My Favourite Cow.

This album is different from other Henry Cow albums in having Dagmar Krause provide vocals, while other members of Slapp Happy also contributed (Slapp Happy agreed to join/'merge' with Henry Cow for this album and their tour, with Henry Cow contributing to Slapp Happy's album Desperate Straights. Dagmar Krause would for a while join Henry Cow as a full member). In Praise of Learning thus feels very different, with the emphasis for the first time on singing and words. While I love instrumental music, I think it works very well here, and pushes the quality here above the rest of the Cow discography. Dagmar Krause's singing style is very unique, simultaneously grating and beautiful. But regardless of what one thinks, you can't help but listen to her. The album is anchored by two of Cow's very best compositions, Tim Hodgkinson's "Living in the Heart of the Beast" and "Beautiful as the Moon, Terrible as an Army with Banners" written by Fred Frith and Chris Cutler. These take up the vast majority of the album. In between these epics are shorter pieces. The opening track, "War" (written by Slap Happy members Anthony Moore and Peter Blegvad) is fantastic, a proto-punk RIO anti-war anthem. Awesome song. Unfortunately, neither Henry Cow, nor even Slapp Happy, would ever create another track with the same punch. The two remaining tracks, "The Long March" and "Morning Star" seem more like filler, but in fact are also quite unique innovative pieces, rounding out (and in the case of "Morning Star" closing) the album. Even to this day, I don't think there is anything quite like this album. I wholeheartedly recommend it. I give it 8.8 out of 10 on my 10-point scale, which translates to high 4 PA stars. Their best work.

This is not only my favorite Cow album, but a top favorite all time album. As much as I love the earlier Henry Cow albums, one still notices other influences there at times, and the long improvs can get tedious on repeated listenings, not to mention the rather strident political tone. The LP release was one side composed by Tim Hodgkinson, and side B by Lindsay Cooper. The album is perfectly conceived and structured, and apart from one Zappaesque section, doesn't sound like anyone else (not counting the bands who've emulated its sound since). The opening of Industry still blows my mind today as it did then, a vivid musical portrayal of industrial society in decay. I also find humour here, especially in Lindsay Cooper's album side...the opening is very reminiscent of Zappa's Uncle Meat, and her compositions continue in a playful vein, a great contrast to the rigid terseness of Hodgkinson's side. I've always found this to be a perfectly engineered and mixed album, as nearly all the albums done at Sunrise Studios in Switzerland that I've heard, and honestly don't hear any difference in the Remaster (assuming I've gotten that copy, but mine also has the 3 bonus tracks mentioned). If I had to recommend one RIO album, this would probably be the one (next to Univers Zero's Ceux du Dehors and the Art Bear's Winter Songs, an essential masterpiece of the genre. (Rating 5)

After the breakup of Henry Cow in 1978, the musicians went their own way. The same year, Chris Cutler, the band's drummer and its most politically-involved member, founded an independent record label, Recommended Records. At the break of the new century, Cutler mentioned at one point that he was planning a compilation of Cow's previously unreleased live recordings, which resulted in numerous rumors around the internet. Several years later, in 2009, Recommended Records released the long-awaited 40th Anniversary Box Set. The Road: Volumes 1-5 is the first part of the set.

For a band with a musical vision as inventive and complex as that of Henry Cow, the recording studio was without a doubt the most comfortable environment, opening a new plethora of technical possibilities, such as overdubbing, pre-recorded tape effects, and electronic sounds. And yet, as opposed to many bands whose style relies heavily on studio equipment, Henry Cow display an incredibly high amount of confidence and knowhow in a live situation.

Disc 1, entitled Beginnings, comprises recordings from the LegEnd period, with Geoff Leigh still a full-time member of the quintet. The overall style presented on this album could really be classified as the Canterbury sound. It opens with "Pre-Teenbeat", a composition in two parts, and is followed by two vocal pieces, which had never been released on any album. These flaunt the influence of bands such as Soft Machine, Caravan or even Matching Mole, with fuzz organ very much in the vein of Mike Ratledge, Dave Sinclair or Dave Stewart. Next come the pieces from Henry Cow's debut album. Tim Hodgkinson's composition "Amygdala Extract" and Fred Frith's "Teenbeat" perfectly showcase the group's well-rehearsed sound characterized by near-flawless musicianship and equal input from all of the members. They are not exactly the same tracks as those on the original album, but they employ the main themes and ideas of the source pieces. "Teenbeat" features Dave Stewart, the keyboardist of Egg and Hatfield and the North, who provides light celeste touches and participates in a conversation in the background. The live-cut version of "Citizen King" is astonishingly similar to the studio version and is followed by "Nirvana For Moles" (originally released as "Nirvana For Mice"). The full version of "With the Yellow Half Moon and Blue Star", for which we have got the taste on LegEnd, is divided into eight movements. One is likely to detect the familiar melodies and passages from the studio album. "With the Yellow Half Moon and Blue Star" is probably my favorite piece out of the whole box set with its truly magical, inexplicable uniqueness. The disc closes with the three-part "Guider Tells of Silent Airborne Machine". A title of every part appears to be a name and a surname. This is by far the most experimental track on the album, pointing the way towards the band's future style.

Disc 2 comes from the Unrest era, with Lindsay Cooper onboard. Geoff Leigh left the group during their tour of the Netherlands as he could not stand the tension in the band and was unable to keep up with the touring schedule. "Introduction", with a dark, Stravinsky-like feel, quickly transforms into a contrastingly bright piece "Ruins I". As one goes on listening, one is likely to discover that the sudden yet natural changes in pace and mood are very common. The following track, "Half Asleep, Half Awake", composed by John Greaves, is built around a catchy motif. The "Ruins" theme returns in "Ruins II", quickly resolving into "Heron Shower Over Hamburg" (originally released as "Bittern Storm Over Ulm"). This track showcases Fred Frith's signature improvisational style, relying on his distinctive fuzz guitar sound. "Halsteren", which was recorded in Halsteren in the Netherlands (naming a live-cut piece after the city it was recorded in is common practice), uses the opening passage of "Living in the Heart of the Beast". Putting them in different musical landscapes really shows its modal ambiguity. "Halsteren" is divided into seventeen segments, such as "Extension", "First Suspension" or "Solo Extension". The rest of the disc is occupied by Henry Cow's 13-minute political statement "Living in the Heart of the Beast", with the line-up featuring vocalist Dagmar Krause. Robert Wyatt, the Canterbury scene pioneer and mastermind, provides his unique vocals for this piece. The recording quality on this one is slightly less perfect than on the previous tracks, but is nonetheless true to the impressive studio version.

Disc 3 was recorded in Hamburg. Once again, the band name some of their tracks by transforming recognizable phrases (for instance, "Nirvana For Rabbits" instead of "Nirvana For Mice"). They feel incredibly comfortable in the odd time signatures. "Ottawa Song", "Twilight Bridge", and "Gloria Gloom" are Robert Wyatt's compositions (the last one comes from Matching Mole's politically-charged Little Red Record). These are less reliant on improvisation and are kept in a more "popular" song convention. "Hamburg" is an ambient piece divided into five parts with "Red Noise 10" in between them. Next, the theme of "Beautiful As The Moon" comes back, followed by "A Heart". Robert Wyatt's input comes back with "Little Red Riding Hood Hits The Road", which comes from his memorable solo album Rock Bottom. The disc is closed by a loud jam on Soft Machine's 1968 hit "We Did It Again", with Wyatt singing.

Discs 4 and 5 are almost entirely occupied by a lengthy ambient improvisation "Trondheim". The piece might appear as aimless noodlings, but an experienced listener will discover that it goes far beyond that. It should really be regarded as a thought-provoking provocation. Its single-layered flatness and sterility expressed by improvised dissonant parts plays an important psychological role. Even an accurate description of every single note on "Trondheim" will not properly carry the musical metaphor. The subjective meaning of time plays a crucial role here. Towards the end, it becomes a little more ariose. The box is closed by "March", which brings in a repetative melodic sequence.

The Road: Volumes 1-5 presents numerous different periods of Henry Cow's existence; from atonal ambient workouts to fast-paced jazz-rock jams to mellow, melodic, Canterbury-style pieces. Henry Cow was without a doubt a unique band and despite its dynamic, ever-changing style, two elements remained the same: excellent musicianship and incredibly clever musical detailing. Each listen to any of their works reveals many new factors and qualities. This box set is not only a very important historical document, but also an exceedingly addictive listening experience.