HENRY COW

I have always loved some weird and more abstract music. Stuff like The Residents, Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, etc and etc. Avant Garde music is pretty neat to me on how they can blend both traditional and non traditional musical elements together to make a weird, hypnotic, or sometimes creepy experience. With that being said I won't call it my favorite genre of music, or Prog, however I do have a soft spot for the bands that make these weird sounds. One of these bands is Henry Cow. Just now I listened to their debut album. I was pretty prepared for what was too come. After all this wasn't my first rodeo in the Henry Cow ring, since a few months ago I listened to the very great 'In Praise of Learning'. I knew I would at least enjoy this album, so I listened to it and so here are my thoughts.

The first song, Nirvana for Mice, introduces us to the early sound of Henry Cow. Before being Avant-rock, they were more sorta Canterbury or Fusion or Avant-Jazz. Stuff like that. It is a pretty smooth yet weird song that gets more abstract the more it goes on. The next song, Amygdala, is more in line with Fusion works mixed with some bits of Avant Garde of course. It is a smooth, pretty mellow track you can listen to. After that we get to what I think is probably my least favorite track on the album, Teenbeat Introduction. Now I know the point of Avant-Prog music is too be rock like and abstract in sound, however I feel like this song kinda gets on my nerves a bit, plus it's very annoying, especially at the end. But it leads to the very good Teenbeat, a very sick jazzy song that holds some cool brass instruments and drumming. Side 2 is where the really good stuff takes place. Extract from with the Yellow Half Moon and Blue Star is a very free form and jazzy song with a very cool bass riff that leads to some cool drumming. The reprisal of Teenbeat is like a remembrance of the good times you have had with the first side, and plus the electric can go pretty hard at times, like a solo in a 70s hard rock or metal band, but in a free form and weird environment. The Tenth Chaffinch is a very hypnotic track. It is creepy in it's sound and the abstraction is super interesting. It's like if Teenbeat Intro wasn't just nonsense for the sake of nonsense but instead, nonsense to make something that is executed greatly. Then the last song, Nine Funerals of the Citizen King is such an amazing track. It is like a combination of all the best elements of the best songs on the album and uses it to make a good finale for the record.

Overall this album is very good, however it definitely has it fair share of some issues that if you listened to the album can be quite noticeable. But that doesn't detract from the good stuff on the album. Overall I enjoyed this album and I think some people can to if they like more experimental music.

Henry Cow on their debut presents a delightful slice of Canterbury Scene. One can expect none of the Psychedelic stuff, rather the instrumental changing compositions of say Egg or Soft Machine. This is achieved through a lovely bass driving each track alongside some sublime guitar and various brass/woodwinds with sprinklings of keys. Oh and who could forget the eclectic drumming firing off a subdued barrage of percussion.

Since this album has other reviews discussing the tracks I'll simply mention some of the ones that really give me an issue.

Teen beat Introduction is the second track and consists of mostly saxophone squealing which is surprisingly ambient and to me very dull. When the song finally begins a lot of energy has been lost for me.

Teenbeat itself is a morphing landscape of sound that ultimately does not warrant the previous four minutes as the track itself has many moments where instruments are dropped for some really boring stripped down sections.

The Tenth Chaffinch is like a sound collage, there are instruments playing music here but I think sound collage describes this one well. Moderately chaotic ambient.

Overall this is a solid album but I think the quality level is not high enough for a better review. In the coming years Henry Cow blossoms into something more befitting of the Avant Prog title, for now Henry Cow plays their brand of Canterbury Scene which is maintained for their follow up album, Unrest, an album I highly recommend over the debut if one wishes to try Henry Cow as it improves upon everything done here.

Challenging and uncompromising, the legendary HENRY COW may go down in history as one of the 1970s most defiantly uncommercial bands whose mission was to create music so complex and daring and so far out of the box that even almost a half century down the road, many will still have a difficult time grasping onto the bizarre nature of the music that this band founded by Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson crafted. The origins of HENRY COW go as far back as 1968 when the two founders joined their avant-garde fetishes while at Cambridge University with a decidedly anti-commercial attitude that would keep them well outside the gatekeepers of the music industry for the band's entire existence however if anything HENRY COW showcased a blueprint as how to find an audience, sell albums and become a LEGEND even while swimming upstream in an industry that was more concerned about cranking out music that appealed to the lowest common denominator.

First of all HENRY COW does not refer to Henry Cowell although it would make perfect sense to assume as such. Cowell was one of the 20th century's most outrageously experimental classical artists and he surely must have been at least an influence in passing but the both Frith and Hodgkinson have denied this and stated that the name is supposed be nonsensical and given some of the Canterbury Scene influences on the band's debut LEGEND which is the first of three albums to feature a sock on the cover and refer to the end of a leg (hardy har har. It only added an extra layer of irreverence and suggests that the Canterbury Scene was one of the primary impetuses in HENRY COW's whimsical avant-garde jazzy-rock with no [%*!#]s left to give approach of musical madness. While HENRY COW was opening for Pink Floyd as early as 1968, it took the band many years to actually put together an album but in 1973 the debut LEGEND was finally released and of course found many critics unable to grasp exactly what it was they were hearing since HENRY COW was extremely unorthodox, unapologetically complex and more irreverent than any punk rocker who came after.

While HENRY COW would create one of the most unique sounds in all of progressive rock and even start an entire movement called Rock In Opposition, on this debut album the band was still testing the waters and finding their way through the abstract ethers of the avant-garde. LEGEND was only a quintet at this point but due to the multi-instrumentalist nature of all the members on board still resonated as what many must have perceived as a full orchestra of sort. Hodgkinson himself performed on the Farfisa organ, piano, alto sax, clarinet and bells. Frith handled guitar duties while also adding violins, violas and piano. Geoff Leigh performed on saxophones, flute, clarinet and recorder and John Greaves added bass, piano and whistles. Chris Cutler was the main percussionist but also added sounds from toys, pianos and whistles. While the album was primarily instrumental, there were a few moments where all of the members contributed vocals. While the album seems a little too all over the place for its own good, it's utterly amazing how talented these guys were from the beginning especially considering they basically took a few inverted rock messages from Frank Zappa and turned it into a veritable musical genre.

The opening "Nirvana For Mice" begins the album and sounds like a brass-rock band that has been hitting the pubs a little too much upon first listen. The time signatures are all over the place but then it really kicks into an alien sounding set of pulsating rhythms, psycho-jazz dynamics and an in-yer-face disscontempt for pretty much everything else that was gracing the airwaves during the early 1970s. The beauty of the album is that the members were all talented composiitionalists who offers a very diverse array of mondo-bizarro transitions between straight forward 70s jazz-fusion, Canterbury Scene flavors and completely unhinged avant-garde jazz excursions that would make Cecil Taylor and Sun Ra blush (just check out "Teenbeat Introduction" which basically melds with the following "Teenbeat.") One of the secrets to the stylistic approach on LEGEND was what Frith described as "chance methods" to compose which offered moments of chaos and order to intermingle in wild and unpredictable behaviors!

LEGEND is a tough nut to crack and anyone who thinks they can tackle this one on a single listen or even four or five is delusional. This one takes a great long time to comprehend as it takes all of the advanced methodologies of musical composition to their extremities. Sure this one isn't as streamlined as the band's grand finale "Western Cultures" but all of the HENRY COW elements are presented here albeit in a freeform improv sort of way. While i wouldn't call this my favorite HENRY COW album at all, i have to admit that this one has grown on me after quite a few spins over the years. There is literally nothing else that sounds like HENRY COW even in the modern era some half century later after this debut emerged in 1973. While the album may seem a little too loosy goosy for some, it really does have an underpinning that emerges over time. Canterbury fans go straight to the closing "Nine Funerals Of The Citizen King" which offered glimpses of where Hatfield & The North would go while showcasing a proto-punk irreverence and Canterbury whimsey simultaneously. HENRY COW was one of a kind and although the following albums are more properly constructed, the debut LEGEND stands on its own as one of the primo examples of [%*!#]-it-all prog running amok therefore cannot be discarded in any way.

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)

A very gimmicky album to my ears. The first couple times I heard Unrest was amazing. Quickly my opinion dropped and I never listened to the album. I find once the changes have been heard they lose their shock value and one can see the music between transitions. For me that music is sparse and uninteresting.

For a brief time I really liked this album, not anymore, one of a handful of albums that has plummeted after multiple listens. I recommend the debut over this album, Nine Funeral Of The Citizen King and Amygdala are nice, even if Teenbeat fills that album. Still, I do think Ruins/Deluge are nice songs and if one wants to hear this album I would say start with those two.

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.