Non-British Canterbury Style albums

Cos, MGP, Forgaz, Muffins, Supersister: all great bands. Had the pleasure of watching Supersister perform at ProgFest 2000 (the final one).

Sagichim wrote: I love every album on this list and have a soft spot for the too obscure Patrick Forgas Cocktail! It's very hard to choose here actually, today I'll give it to The Muffins.

Sean Trane wrote: Logan wrote: I wasn't going to vote as there so much that I like here. Glad to see Dedalus included despite how it's classified at PA. Classification at this site is hardly ideal as we can't tag albums specifically, and we can only add bands under one category (if I were to do a British Canterbury Scene/ Sound list, for instance, I would include Henry Cow albums).   No, It's not on the album level that's the problem. I'd say that PA's biggest flaws are the genre teams and the way they're tied to a single genre   HC is definitely RIO in my book without them, the movement would've never existed), but indeed Legend (or Leg End) is Canterburian to my ears.

Yeah here's the genre tags for LegEnd on RYM: Rock in Opposition, Canterbury Scene 

Hi David, good to see you posting again, and John too. I hear Krautrock type flavours in the opening, on the album, also on Seppia, but that's partially because of its experimental "avant-prog"/ jazzy jammy qualities. Picchio dal Pozzo is not worlds apart from Krautrock bands, and Krautrock people also commonly like Canterbury Scene and Avant Prog music.

Not complaining, the OP can come up with any lists he likes and there's plenty for me to love as is, but I would have liked to see Abbiamo tutti i suoi problemi in the list too. About a decade ago, "Mettiamo il caso" was my favourite PdP track.

Saperlipopette! wrote: Sean Trane wrote: Logan wrote: I wasn't going to vote as there so much that I like here. Glad to see Dedalus included despite how it's classified at PA. Classification at this site is hardly ideal as we can't tag albums specifically, and we can only add bands under one category (if I were to do a British Canterbury Scene/ Sound list, for instance, I would include Henry Cow albums).   No, It's not on the album level that's the problem. I'd say that PA's biggest flaws are the genre teams and the way they're tied to a single genre   HC is definitely RIO in my book without them, the movement would've never existed), but indeed Legend (or Leg End) is Canterburian to my ears. Yeah here's the genre tags for LegEnd on RYM: Rock in Opposition, Canterbury Scene  Avant-Garde Jazz - how hard can that be to introduce on PA (just swap the avantgarde-tag for jazz rock/fusion I guess)?

Of course Henry Cow is a Rock in Opposition band as founder. I would call RIO, especially of of the late 70s, more of a collective than a musical "genre". They got the first concert/ movement going, but the first Rock in Opposition concert wasn't until 1978, the year before Western Culture came out and three years after In Praise of Learning came out. While LegEnd is the most Canterburian in sound, I would say that all of their albums have some element of a Canterbury Sound. I would rather the genre teams not be tied to one genre, though I would like individual album multi-tagging. Anyway, that has been discussed ad finitum. Had I set up the site, I think that I would have done it more rateyourmusic or ProgFreak style. Our sister sites, Jazzmusicarchives and metalmusicarchives, were able to implement better systems. It would take a lot to make major changes here, though it would be easy to add descriptors to the existent categories if one wanted to. But I don;t wish to sidetrack the conversation here. My point was that classification is limited at PA, and it helps to think outside that box. Let your own ears be your guide, and one can also check other sites to see how they classify bands.

As for how rateyourmusic classifies Henry Cow:

Legend (1973):
Genres     Rock in Opposition, Canterbury Scene
Avant-Garde Jazz, Canterbury Scene

Unrest (1974):
Genres     Rock in Opposition
Avant-Garde Jazz, Free Improvisation, Canterbury Scene, Modern Classical

Desperate Straights (1975) (Slapp Happy / Henry Cow)
Genres     Rock in Opposition, Progressive Pop, Art Pop
Cabaret

In Praise of Learning (1975):
Genres     Rock in Opposition
Canterbury Scene, Jazz-Rock, Free Improvisation

Western Culture (1979):
Genres Rock in Opposition, Avant-Prog
Canterbury Scene

https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/henry-cow


Edited by Logan - August 31 2018 at 08:52

Hi John
I love The Winstons too!!! Had no idea about an upcoming album though. Can't wait!
Gotta say I've realy been enjoying your latest reviews. I keep reminding myself to send you a pm...and then forget about it. I mildly blame captcha because it's been such a pain in the derriere trying to mail people over the last year or so. Well at least for me it has.
Anyway how's it hanging up in Canada? We just had the summer of the century here in Denmark with "Spanish weather" for nigh on 4 months straight.
On another note: have you heard Mildlife's Phase? 2018 album that brings the funk! (and proggy disco to the partay)


Greg! Nice to hear from you too buddy. That Krautrock almost swampy-like texture of the opener was what initially pulled me in with Picchio dal Pozzo. It was first a little later the more Canterburian trades really opened up to me, but I guess I've always been a psychedelically inclined individual. Probably also why early Softs is my fave period of the band and that Caravan along with Gong were my first loves inside this wonderful little scene. Both bands share that oozing 60s psych feel that I've always adored. Sorta like this bubbly blanket of music that has a way of putting my mind at ease and often making it open up to visuals in the music that the creators of the very same never in a million years would have thought of. Yup I like psych

Thanks man I really appreciate it. I guess I write like I talk: lots of everyday speach and slang, madeup words and the occasional fancy with the grandiose...the latter is something that was passed down from my dad..and his dad before and so forth. In that sense we're all very 'theatrical' and surely why most of them worked with theatre or films. I use my tricks on autists instead Half of the experience is missing though ie jazzy hands and wild Monty Python-like gestures. John Cleese seemed to seep into my bones at a very early age.

If I may: I am most oftenly jealous of people who are able to express themselves succinctly and on point without being dry. I only master the last bit ie not being dry and that's usually with clown shoes on. I am completely in agreement with you regarding our mutual love of psych elements, but I would have made a mess out of explaining it to others like you just did Chaos comes at a cost.

Speaking of Canterbury sounding albums: last night I span Hiro Yanagida's Hirocosmos and was again pleasantly surprised of how Canterburian it sounds...and how much I love it yet always seem to forget about it's existence!

Maybe my understanding of succint is a little different to your's Or maybe I just used the wrong word. What I am getting at is that some folks, like you, can very elegantly yet done in a simple manner explain cryptic/complex matters to people so as they actually come to a better understanding of the matter.
I am better at explaining things to people that they already know...but in a "different" way.

Alright let's get a room and be done with it!
Heh...
All kidding aside I'm glad you're digging that Hirocosmos. I had a feeling you might.

Bump with a vote to the 'Gelatines self-titled (haven't heard Genius Hans) closely followed by both Cos albums.