Henry Cow appreciation society

Tom Ozric wrote:   Looks like I'm going to spin LegEnd real soon once again. I may have to (eventually) get a hold of these commemorative box sets. I generally stick with vinyl, but somehow I don't think that these things will get that treatment. The 5 HC albums alone are still so exciting to me, every time.

Haha, I was thinking the same thing, I was wanting to spin LegEnd today, too! And as to the box sets, do yourself a favor. The first boxset in particular is a work of art and is equal to their best albums really. I mean really. It's nearly as good as LegEnd. It kind of feels like an extension of LegEnd in a way that the studio release presented just the best bits and on the boxset, you've got full composition and you can sort of get an idea of how they used some of ideas, passages from pieces that eventually did not make it into their debut album.

Tom Ozric wrote: ...but a rose is a rose is a rose........ Just finished LegEnd. Citizen King is a work of art - beautiful organ on this one. Love that electrical wire sock set in, what looks like plaster (?).

The best thing about Citizen King is the dark, ominous sound at the end of the piece, which sort of reminds me of a flying plane and war... I'd guess it's a bassoon put through a wah-wah pedal. Especially in conjunction with the lyrics.


Edited by ALotOfBottle - June 02 2016 at 01:44

Tom Ozric wrote: ^ I just went back and listened to that bit - there's no bassoon credited on the album, and buggered if I know what it is - sounds like a synth to be honest. And there's never synth in HC. And this leads to me saying that this bunch made 'conventional' instruments sound very 'unconventional'. Nirvana For Mice even sports a brief Glissando guitar section, which, naturally, brings the band Gong to mind. Amazing diversity in sound and textures. If you listen real carefully, you can imagine they even shape the air around the room whilst these amazing sonic structures are permeating the ambiance

It's dubious that they've manipulated studio equipment to do that. On the Box Set, they manage to achieve a very similar sound in a live scenario. My guess would be bass pedals or lowest notes of Tim's Farfisa.... Or a saxophone with an octave-down (not sure if octavers existed in those days).
Nonetheless, it sounds amazing. Like a plane! It sort of reminds me of World War II for some reason. Man, it's one of the most genius songs in the history of progressive rock.
But is Henry Cow progressive rock anyway? Some say they are not, I think in terms of creativity they are right up there with the most inventive prog bands, if not much higher.

Tom Ozric wrote: ^ Top-tier Progressive band. In every way. And that sound does sound like a plane 100 % !! I still find that side 3 of Concerts - Oslo, is a tough listen. But that's just them, in full improv flight. They are the Masters.

In fact, I have edited my Concerts review, felt 3 stars was too low and sort of changed my approach to pieces like Oslo. Research as to how music like this should be regarded helped me in understanding what pieces like that are all about. Try to think of it as a thought-provoking provocation. Don't try to find music in it, notice how it is aimed at portraying the subjective meaning of time. John Cage said that if you are bored, you should count to 10, if you are bored again, count to 10 again and so on... Oslo is really not like a meal, say spaghetti, steak, or pizza. I think it is more of an apetizer or just a spice! Those seeking music in it will naturally be disappointed, but I think that is not the point. It's not even supposed to be music. In short, remember: the subjective meaning of time.

Also, after countless listens to Kew. Rhone., I've finally got around to writing a review on it. If anybody was interested, here's the link:
http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=1573737

Tom Ozric wrote: ^ Yep - excellent review. You do your research well

Thank you very much, Tom. I really appreciate it, I'm extremely flattered.


Edited by ALotOfBottle - June 02 2016 at 14:35

There's a new vinyl reissue of Winter Songs out this week, with yellow and black vinyl variations. (I plumped for the yellow, myself.)

Michael P. Dawson wrote: There's a new vinyl reissue of Winter Songs out this week, with yellow and black vinyl variations. (I plumped for the yellow, myself.)   http://ektrorecords.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=29&products_id=4282

Thanks for the heads-up, Michael! I think I might go for it.

Tom Ozric wrote: ^ There was a Pink version years ago, the copy I own is just black. Great cover-art on that one.

Yeah, the cover's great! I always thought it shared some similarities with Crimson's Lizard.

Nogbad_The_Bad wrote: Listened to Desperate Straights again today following a discussion on PE, I enjoy it but can't class it as a Henry Cow album it's too much of a Slapp Happy album.

I would agree but that was the album that got me into Henry Cow!  Reviews at the time indicated that the Cow were somewhat different, and for some reason a quote from the press stuck in my mind - 'a cul-de-sac for the pioneering Cow'.  It appears that only in recent years has there been a wider appreciation of the Cow.

Tom Ozric wrote: I've often thought that Slapp Happy were 'avant' to the regular Pop world. I've often thought that Henry Cow were 'avant' to the Prog world. Both bands had their direction already mapped out. Both hands had similar ideals of how to, perhaps, bend the rules, within each direction. Hence, a 'meeting of the minds' if you ask me. I love them both - and realistically, don't ask me why......    I knew, through the GEPR, back in early-mid 90's, of these bands. Heck, when I bought Hatfield S/T in 1989, coz of Rich Sinclair, I thought that Henry Cow was some solo 'bloke' who may have been into Canterbury. I was only 17, looking out for something really special within music. I knew what it was I liked, and I was rewarded when I bought LegEnd. Best 15 bucks of my life.

Which pressing of LegEnd do you own? I have the 1979 American Red Records one and it sounds very good.

I think the 'Red' records lable, I dunno, my In Praise Of.. is on the Red lable, and I think is a frad rougher quality vinyl. Or it's my overactive imagination ..........