Henry Cow appreciation society

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

"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

I've just revisited the first disc of the 40th Anniversary Box Set with early Legend-era recordings. I am so blown away! The full version of "With the Yellow Half Moon and Blue Star" is one of the most rewarding journeys I've taken in my life. So amazing. It has such a unique vibe going on right there, I can't really put it into words. The version of "Citizen King" is out of this world. Really recommended!

Tom Ozric wrote: ^ Great review work, Tymon

On Hopes and Fears? Thank you very, very much
There is absolutely nothing better than hearing warm words about your review. This Art Bears album was especially hard to write about, because, as is often the case with RIO and avant-garde music, it is often difficult to capture the real spirit of the work.

Tom Ozric wrote: Back in the mid-90's, The World..... was the very first album I bought with Daggie singing. It is an LP, I played most of the first song on 33 and thought WTF ?? I didn't realise is was to be played at 45 ......out of town, myyyy worrk takes meeee out of town......... Just listened to LegEnd - I'm convinced Amygdala is my favourite HC piece. Tim's organ playing is out of this world. Very Canterbury-ish track. Such a special album. And I love the sock artwork. More people need to be aware just how how amazing this band is.

Yeah, I've also listened to LegEnd yestarday and I'm convinced "Teenbeat Reprise" is my favorite HC piece

It wouldn't surprise me if the sounds were deliberately manipulated by Frith. 

In keeping with the ethic of the time, albums were relatively short - better than padding with sub-standard material (once CDs took hold, the quality control imposed by vinyl sometimes disappeared!)

Alright, my Hopes and Fears review is up right now. It was one of the hardest albums for me to review, but I hope I have captured the spirit of the work in my review. I hope you will like it. Enjoy!

http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=1571091

Flight123 wrote: I enjoyed Macan's book as well - Martin is heavily into cultural theory but its always interesting to read different perspectives.  I also read The Wire but missed that Henry Cow article - I will try and get hold of a back copy.  Martin seems to think the mag is disparaging of prog rock, but I don't fully agree with him. Hopes and Fears is a good album but given its context, it lacks the integration of the other two albums - at least to my ears.  I also prefer the live versions on the 40th Anniversary Box Set of 'On Suicide' and 'Joan'.

But you won't stop talking to me is I give Hopes and Fears five stars, right?

Flight123 wrote: I am reading Bill Martin's 'Listening to the Future', anyone who knows his work will also know that he is a huge Yes fan.  However, he cites 'In Praise of Learning' as the most important album of 1975 and describes 'Western Culture' as possibly the last, great prog. album.  Worth a read. Bradley Smith's 'Billboard Guide to Progressive Music' also reviews all the Cow albums - very positively I hasten to add.

I have read the book and I liked it, but was not blown away by it. Edward Macan's Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture is a similar book, but I liked it a lot more.

My dad has been a 23-year subscriber of The Wire. In issue 290, I found a phenomenal article on Henry Cow, which tells about their history and has a review of every album + some of the albums from Cow's members. An incredible skill in writing and a professional article. In short, a phenomenal read!

At the moment I am listening to Hopes and Fears, wanting to review the album today or tomorrow. So far it looks like a 5-star work for me, love it absolutely. Somewhere down the road I might find some flaws, so may change to 4 stars. Either way, I really like it.

Michael P. Dawson wrote: Just my guess: I don't think Art refers to Art Zoyd, but it does have the double meaning of being a man's name, so Art Bears--with Bear being the animal--is sort of a follow-up to Henry Cow.

That had never occurred to me, but it makes sense. How narrowly we missed having a band called Derek Beavers or Winston Meerkat.

Edited by Mascodagama - May 24 2016 at 12:48