Henry Cow appreciation society

"GuiderTells Of Silent Airborne Machine" - that's such a great track, too! It's divided into three basic parts with a name and a last name.

Here is one of the versions (although not the one from the Box Set, so not as good quality).


I would guess I like it so much, because on this very track, Henry Cow is Canterbury scene!


Edited by ALotOfBottle - May 31 2016 at 01:52

Flight123 wrote: Could be from the John Peel session (April 73).  'Would You Prefer Us to Lie' in the Box Set from 77 is still very Canterbury.

I like to divide Canterbury into three narrow categories.

• the song-based a la Caravan, Matching Mole's debut, some of Robert Wyatt's solo, Khan.
  
• jazz-fusion Canterbury, so bands like National Health, Soft Machine, (don't know where Hatfield and the North would go), Gilgamesh, Matching Mole's Little Red Record.
• The sophisticated, eclectic Canterbury of Egg, Henry Cow, Supersister, Moving Gelatine Plates.

That is just how I like to have it. I absolutely adore the third option, although all are great.

I'll have a look at 'Would You Prefer Us to Lie'. I can't remember the song at the moment.

Edited by ALotOfBottle - May 31 2016 at 03:50

LegEnd is a Canterbury sounding album in my books !! The other albums not.
Gosh, I love the debut......

Just spun Unrest. Another great album. There's some 'grating' sounds in Ruins that cut right through the soundscape - I think Tim's just about blown his organ up
John Greaves is a fantastic bassist.

I am not sure I would totally agree with the analysis of Kew. Rhone. although it is a great album and a lost classic.  In terms of musical settings, to me at least, it sounds closer to Slapp Happy unsurprisingly, but more complex and closer to jazz in arrangements (not surprising given Bley/Mantler's involvement - but would agree 'Half Asleep Half Awake' provides an antecedent).  One of my favourite ever songs was the first result of the Greaves/Blegvad partnership: 'Bad Alchemy' off Desperate Straights.  I once put that on a pub juke-box and chuckled as the room started to empty...

Not to worry  I think its great to be in touch with other Henry Cow fans.  Out of all my friends, I only know of one other I would call a fellow fan, and maybe two more that think they are OK/appreciate their music.  Kew. Rhone was one of those albums I didn't buy at the time (buying vinyl was expensive business as a teenager) and so I didn't get to hear it until many years later.

I think Wyatt and Greaves are good friends - BTW have you heard Greaves singing a cover of 'Beautiful as the Moon' on the Alain Blesing album?

Kew. Rhone. is superb.
Sheez, just looking at some odd related LP's I have - there's a John Greaves solo from 1982 called 'Accident'. Quite a strange, experimental New-Wave thing with an impressive guest-list.
Then there's French, Frith, Kaiser, Thompson's album 'Live, Love, Larf and Loaf'. A very clever and quite fun album - their take on Surfin' U.S.A. is quite a blast.
I was really fortunate to have scored a beauty in Frith's 'Speechless' album. Side 1 is Frith with Etron Fou Leloublan, and side 2 with Massacre. It cost me 2 bucks. All great stuff.
Oh, I spun side 4 of HC Concerts - they sound in top form, and no doubt enjoying themselves a lot. I'm just fascinated with Tim's organ playing.
I've not met anyone yet who digs HC - a friend of mine one bought a copy of LegEnd at my insistance, and liked it for a few months then ditched it.
I guess we're always up for discussing about these phenomenal bands and musicians.
I can go off and listen to Meshuggah for days, and maybe go on a Kajagoogoo bender, but I'll always return to Canterbury

ALotOfBottle wrote: It's just three of us really, for about 4 or 5 pages. I bet nobody besides me, you, and Tom Ozric reads the thread.

Tom Ozric wrote: Kew. Rhone. is superb. Oh, I spun side 4 of HC Concerts - they sound in top form, and no doubt enjoying themselves a lot. I'm just fascinated with Tim's organ playing.

Actually, the slow fade on 'Udine' annoys me as it sounds like Tim is letting rip at that point!