Any Henry Cow fans here?
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Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
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Topic: Any Henry Cow fans here?
Posted By: profanatio
Subject: Any Henry Cow fans here?
Date Posted: January 14 2008 at 23:29
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This band is highly revered in the avant-prog world but they have a lot of CD's and I have no idea where to start. Can someone recommend me anything? Keep in mind that I'm coming from an ELP, King Crimson backround so anything that HC does that would be considered the least crazy and out in left field the better. In other words, the more palatable the better. Perhaps their most "commercial" CD? I can work my way up to the craziness from there. Thanks Mike ------------- Mike |
Replies:
Posted By: sean
Date Posted: January 14 2008 at 23:36
| I only just heard a song today on last.fm, so I can't recommend any albums in particular, but I did enjoy it. |
Posted By: Mellotron Storm
Date Posted: January 15 2008 at 00:11
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I would start with "Western Culture" for me that's a masterpeice,and it's not out in left field at all. "In Praise Of Learnig" is one that is a little insane,so keep that in mind. "Leg-End" is another one i highly regard.I just ordered "Uncut". Great band! ------------- "The wind is slowly tearing her apart" "Sad Rain" ANEKDOTEN |
Posted By: Apsalar
Date Posted: January 15 2008 at 00:15
| I think Leg-End would be a perfect starting place. Probably there most Canterbury sounding release and one of the easier on the ears. Check out the 'Nirvana for Mice' stream on their page. |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: January 15 2008 at 00:22
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Also consider their two albums they did with Slapp Happy (and a good introduction to Dagmar Krause). Desperate Straights (classed a Slapp Happy release) In Praise of Learning (classed a Henry Cow release) Also, for a general view of Henry Cow, you cannot miss their 2-CD Concerts, which features Dagmar Krause and Robert Wyatt on some of it. -------------   
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Posted By: Cheesecakemouse
Date Posted: January 15 2008 at 01:34
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I just got In Praise of Learning the remaster is brilliant and I love Dagmar Krause's vocals. I also own Western Culture. I think they are hard to get into, but if you like composers like Schoenberg or Varese. Other than that it may take a while I recommend surrounding yourself with avant garde music and just taking heavy doses of it until it finally 'clicks' |
Posted By: Sckxyss
Date Posted: January 15 2008 at 01:52
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Certainly start with LegEnd. I can't promise you'll enjoy it (at least not right away), but it's probably your best shot. I purchased Western Culture first, but couldn't appreciate it until I got into LegEnd. Coming from your background, it may take a few listens to grow on you, but give it a chance. |
Posted By: fuxi
Date Posted: January 15 2008 at 03:25
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Leg End is a true prog masterpiece. If you've got a sense of adventure, you'll appreciate it.
As for Slapp Happy and Dagmar Krause, my advice is: sample first! |
Posted By: Ghandi 2
Date Posted: January 15 2008 at 09:47
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I know everyone recommends LegEnd, but I still recommend Western Culture because it is completely composed, so you don't really have the free jazz moments of LegEnd. But that's just me. ------------- "Never forget that the human race with technology is like an alcoholic with a barrel of wine." Sleepytime Gorilla Museum: Because in their hearts, everyone secretly loves the Unabomber. |
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: January 15 2008 at 09:49
The album stemming from their Rocktunity Knocks win, Legend (as I've long called it) is my favourite because of so many echoes of Machine at their prime. Personally I think you need to be more adventurous with other HC records. BTW always though Casablanca Moon (originally Virgin?) or better the extended version, known as Noom Acnalbasac (ReR), was a friendly way of discovering Slapp Happy. ------------- The best eclectic music on the Web,8-11pm BST/GMT THURS. CLICK ON: http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php - http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php Host by PA's Dick Heath. |
fuxi wrote:Posted By: A B Negative
Date Posted: January 18 2008 at 05:19
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I've always found the stuff with Dagmar Krause a bit heavy going. I've never taken to her voice, so I wouldn't recommend starting with In Praise of Learning. ------------- "The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar.... Now, that's my idea of a good time." |
Posted By: Nightfly
Date Posted: January 18 2008 at 12:00
I've been thinking of checking out this band for some time now, they somehow seemed to pass me by in the seventies so thanks for the tips. 
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Posted By: laplace
Date Posted: January 18 2008 at 12:59
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I'm more of a fan of what came after Henry Cow (primarily their subsequent tighter compositional work as part of Art Bears, Letters from Babel and Aksak Maboul rather than their improv or solo works) but I think In Praise of Learning is exceptional - I'd say it was worth all five stars and an album I hope I'll never tire of hearing, but it's hard to recommend it as a starting point because it's so incomparable to anything else I've heard; maybe I'm missing contemporary classical references which could enrich the music even more for me, but regardless of origin, it's an album you might fall in love with immediately, because I did! The first two more experimentally Canterburian adventures don't appeal to me as much |
Posted By: Philéas
Date Posted: January 19 2008 at 11:33
| Quite a fan these days. Always liked them, but it took a while to really get it. Been listening to them a lot recently. Currently playing In Praise of Learning. |
Posted By: 3243
Date Posted: February 22 2008 at 23:41
| Start with their first album, Leg-end. Then you can proceed through their catlog chronologically. |
Posted By: Bj-1
Date Posted: February 23 2008 at 07:55
Agree on this!
I'd also recommended their Slapp Happy collaboration "Desperate Straights", which is far easier on the ear, but still wonderfully quirky and interesting in typical RIO fashion. ------------- RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on! |
Posted By: Rottenhat
Date Posted: March 01 2008 at 13:37
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Try iTunes. There's all four studio albums there and a live one. You can hear 30 secons snippets of all tracks for free... Rottenhat
------------- Language is a virus from outer space. -William S. Burroughs |
Posted By: Syzygy
Date Posted: March 01 2008 at 14:34
Good recommendation, as is the idea of checking out the downloads on emusic. If you like the albums then it is worth getting them on CD - the packaging is really well designed and the liner notes are very informative. ------------- 'Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how much to contribute to the already rich among us...' Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom |
Posted By: scruffydragon
Date Posted: March 01 2008 at 14:55
Did someone say Henry Cow.
Good,very, very ,Good band.
Like you when I brought my first Henry cow album I was listening to King Crimson and ELP.I had just started to push into the canterbury style via Egg.
Still Henry Cow was a hell of a shock to the system.It was a simple case of not liking what I heard on Leg-End and it was quickly filed into a box of don't like much cd's.Problem,for a couple of months I had fragments of a tune going around in my head,which I just could not help trying to hum.
 Came to a point that I had to find this tune.It was Amygdala from Leg-End.Strange thing is I loved that tune on the second listen,and the rest followed,but took much longer for their more adventurous pieces to get hold,but they did.
well Had Leg-End for over two years now and Feeling brave,earlier this year got hold of Unrest.Its a really great album,but not a good starting place.
 I recommend Leg-End,althow have been told Western Culture is also a good place to start.Anyway,no matter which album/s you start with I hope you get as much enjoyment from them as I do.
 HAPPY LISTENING,RELAX AND ENJOY.
 |
Posted By: Dim
Date Posted: March 01 2008 at 14:59
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Western cuture was just too much weirdness for me, and thats a lot, I'm a Kayo Dot fan! ------------- 
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Posted By: cuncuna
Date Posted: March 01 2008 at 15:09
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I sort of like them, but I'm into the after Henry Cow things, Art Bears and the else. ------------- ¡Beware of the Bee! |
Posted By: pkazee
Date Posted: May 01 2008 at 12:47
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Interesting to see so many Art Bears fans on the various Henry Cow threads. I never really appreciated AB all that much, though I thought of Henry Cow as Gods of a sort... especially Cutler and Frith (despite my ambivalence toward their Art Bears venture). My fave HENRY COW albums are easily WESTERN CULTURE and the collaboration with Slapp Happy titled DESPERATE STRAIGHTS. If one enjoys those two albums, then I would STRONGLY recommend the Aksak Maboul album "...BANDITS" with HC's Frith and Cutler (I've yet to have heard AM's other album), and also the album KEW. RHONE. by Slapp Happy's John Greaves and Peter Blegvad. To my mind, those are probably the 4 most exciting Avant Prog albums in my collection. I can also recommend Frith's SKELETON CREW albums with Tom Cora. Moving away from Frith, Cutler and Greaves, other albums from 'back in the day" that I still return to with regularity include Can's LIMITED EDITION (a limited release that was later expanded on and released as UNLIMITED EDITION), the 1st NEGATIVLAND release (back when they were more interested in music than chatter), and - if one can stretch Avant Prog to include groups like VELVET UNDERGROUND and PERE UBU (and I would), then I'd include any of their earliest albums. |
Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: May 01 2008 at 12:57
Try Leg End.
One of the most brilliant bands I've ever had the pleasure of hearing.
Western Culture: *****
Leg End: ****1/2
Unrest: ****
In Praise of Learning: ***1/2
Art Bears:
Hopes and Fears: ****
Winter Songs: ****1/2
The World As It Is Today: ****
Both amazing.
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Posted By: mithrandir
Date Posted: May 03 2008 at 13:40
| I personally think Cow's "Concerts" is their best, I wished they had more official live albums out there, |
Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: May 03 2008 at 13:45
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I relistened to Leg End yesterday, what an amazing album. EDIT: ah, now I have to go review it. |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 05 2008 at 13:34
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Just got back from vacation, where I listened to a lot of Henry Cow. I would say that they are my most played band of the past few weeks. The download service emusic is a great way to sample their records - but be warned, one of their greatest tracks, the 15+ minute "Living in the Heart of the Beast" off of In Praise of Learning is for some bizarre reason absent from emusic. I am slowly getting used to Dagmar Krause. On the whole, I can hear how the band might be very difficult (if not impossible) for one to digest. I'd say start with Leg End and if something like "Nirvana for Mice" and "Amygdala" scare you away, the band is probably not for you. |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 05 2008 at 13:52
That's why buying real, physical silver discs is so much better, Pat.  I must have a play through my Henry Cow collection again. I cannot remember, but have checked out News from Babel yet? -------------
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 05 2008 at 14:01
Too true, although emusic is a nice way to sample. Now that I'm this much of a fan I think it's time to shell out the $60 to get all four albums from Wayside, though.
I've also grabbed one of their records from emusic, but haven't sampled it yet. I'll be listening to that and probably Art Bears Hopes and Fears sometime this week. |
Posted By: Syzygy
Date Posted: May 05 2008 at 15:29
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Some labels, ReR among them, do not make 15 minutes + tracks available on emusic (AMMMusic and Faust BBC sessions are also missing crucial tracks). When I first signed up emusic had a lot of Tzadik (J Zorn) releases, now sadly unavailable, but on the plus side they've got loads of Seventh records (Magma & related) these days. ------------- 'Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how much to contribute to the already rich among us...' Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 05 2008 at 21:05
Which album? Letters Home with Robert Wyatt as guest is excellent, whilst the debut has more Dagmar Krause on it than the one track she sings on Letters Home. -------------
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Posted By: rileydog22
Date Posted: May 05 2008 at 21:08
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Haha, funny story: the first time I put on Letters Home, I didn't realize Wyatt was involved, and I immediately said "who's this clown think he is, Robert-F'ing-Wyatt?!" A few minutes later I realized that it actually WAS Robert Wyatt.
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 05 2008 at 21:11
| Sirens and Silences/Work Resumed on the Tower. Looks like they have Letters Home on emusic as well, I'll have to grab that. |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 05 2008 at 21:18
He's brilliant on it too. I also love Lindsay Cooper's keyboard work, it reminds me of a cross between Ratledge and Gowen. -------------
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 05 2008 at 21:32
| Just downloaded Western Culture, Letters From Home, and Hopes and Fears. I'd rather still be on the beach listening to all this than going to work tomorrow. |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 05 2008 at 21:39
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Let us all know what your opionionionionionionionions are about them. I need to listen to News from Babels debut again, as I cannot remember how exactly it sounds. I also need to have a Matching Mole marathon. -------------
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 05 2008 at 22:03
I still need to get some Matching Mole!  What kind of a Canterbury fan am I, anyway? |
Posted By: rileydog22
Date Posted: May 05 2008 at 22:04
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Matching Mole is insanity in the form of music. And I don't mean that in the positive way I usually do when I say things like that.
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Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 05 2008 at 22:08
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I have all Matching Mole, including those live and BBC sessions, yet I've not gotten around to sticking them on yet. And I call myself a Robert Wyatt fan? I don't even have his good 1980s and 1990s albums yet! -------------
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Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: May 05 2008 at 23:21
| Henry Cow, you say? Eh, they're ok. I guess. |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 05 2008 at 23:23
zomg d00d there the bomb lolz!!1!! |
Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: May 05 2008 at 23:26
If Henry Cow fans were the stupid people, I can only imagine how great the rest of the world would be.
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Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 05 2008 at 23:29
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ZOMG they iz bettr than ze Magma u n00b!
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Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: May 06 2008 at 08:38
Phayl moar pleez
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Posted By: Equality 7-2521
Date Posted: May 07 2008 at 23:58
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I need to explore them more. I have Unrest and can definitely hear the
talent. Ruins I can easily say is a flawless work of art. However, the
album as a whole does have it problems, but form what I gather thats a
common complaint. I plan on moving onto Western Culture next, but for some reason I've gone a year since getting Unrest and have still not purchased it. ------------- "One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. " |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 09:48
| As you've surmised, Unrest is divided such that the first half is compositions and the second is very free-form avant-garde works. Some people really think they missed the mark doing that second part, in fact I think Hugues gave the album two stars, which I would judge to be a little too harsh. Check out Leg End, I think that's a bloody brilliant album myself. |
Posted By: Equality 7-2521
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 11:26
Sums up my review of the album in 2 lines. I'll be doing some used cd hunting after school comes to a close. ------------- "One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. " |
Posted By: Cesar Inca
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 12:10
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Either "Leg-End" or "Unrest": any other HC introduction would be bold and not necessarily productive.
Kidn regards.
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 12:37
I honestly don't know what I would rate Unrest to be, though it would certainly be more than two stars and I wouldn't label it a "stinker" - for me "Half Asleep, Half Awake" and "Ruins" alone would get me to three stars. Not sure I could get all the way up to four stars, it might be sort of a 3.5. Whereas Leg End is an easy four star and I could see my way to possibly giving it 5. edit: I think I'm starting to agree with Pnoom about half-star ratings...but I'm not here to stir up that hornet's nest, so no more comment about the matter from me. |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 13:17
| Listening to Western Culture...the piano playing on "Gretel's Tale" is otherworldly - I mean, just ludicrously good. |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 13:24
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All of Henry Cow's albums are extraordinarily brilliant.
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 13:26
I guess that's all that need be said. 
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Posted By: pkazee
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 13:35
| I think WESTERN CULTURE is easily the best overall intro to Henry Cow for anyone who is already comfortable with more muscular prog like some of that from King Crimson (RED comes immediately to mind), and many of the RIO groups. If one is coming from generally gentler climes, however (like Yes or Hatfield or Gentle Giant, I suppose), then LEG-END would probably be a better entrance point. |
Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 13:38
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Western Culture: ***** (9.9/10)
Leg End: ****/12 (8.9/10)
Unrest: **** (8.6/10)
In Praise of Learning: ***1/2 (7.7/10)
Need to relisten to IPOL though.
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Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 13:48
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Their weakest is their joint effort with Slapp Happy "Casablanca Moon", although I've yet to hear the original version with Faust (now called Noom Acnalbasac), which I do have on CD.
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Posted By: laplace
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 13:49
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then listen to it =P ------------- FREEDOM OF SPEECH GO TO HELL |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 13:51
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Oh and Desperate Straights is weaker too. I've heard that one, Lappy. I will I will! I even have Slapp Happy's debut. -------------
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Posted By: laplace
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 13:53
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Teehee. Perhaps it's just me, but I can't find anything with Dagmar Krause weaker than anything without. ------------- FREEDOM OF SPEECH GO TO HELL |
Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 14:00
Nah, not at all. And Casablanca Moon isn't a collaboration, I don't think...
Western Culture: 9.9
Winter Songs: 9.1
Leg End: 8.9
Unrest: 8.6
The World As It Is Today: 8.5
Desperate Straights: 8.3
Hopes and Fears: 8.2
In Praise of Learning: 7.7
Pretty consistent group of people, eh?
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Posted By: pkazee
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 14:02
| Certainly agree with the order. WC and LE are the only two I still routinely listen to from start to finish. |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 14:05
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Just ordered all three Art Bears records (that should put a smile on laplace's face ) I don't know, Pnoom, I wasn't thrilled with Desperate Straights. I would place In Praise of Learning above it. |
Posted By: pkazee
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 14:06
| Oops. Wrote that before you added to the list. Personally, I'd put DESPERATE STRAIGHTS at the top of the entire list. I think its absolutely brilliant in every way. Still sing these songs to myself years after 1st hearing them. That said, I certainly understand that Dagmar is not for everyone! |
Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 14:07
Meh, Desperate Straights is great.
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Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 14:08
Well yes, my mistake, it was originally recorded with Faust as the backing musicians and was then later recorded with other musicians, including Geoff Leigh of Henry Cow. Little known fact: Roger Wootton of Comus does backing vocals. Not that much a surprise really, bearing in mind Lindsay Cooper and Didier Malherbe (I think) were on their second album.It's not an issue with Dagmar Krause on Desperate Straights but just the music isn't quite as interesting. I cannot remember how Hopes & Fears sounds, I'll have to play that one again. -------------
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 14:10
Meh yourself.  |
Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 14:14
No meh you.
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Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 14:16
As I said, it's not a Dagmar issue, I love her vocal style. The music isn't quite as good. I still like the album though. -------------
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 14:17
I'm listening to that now. It's a good, fairly eclectic mix of styles and I think some of Dagmar's better vocals, of the records I've heard anyway. |
Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 14:22
| Hopes and Fears is the weakest Art Bears album, Winter Songs ftw. |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 14:24
Good thing I just ordered the other two. 
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Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 14:28
Indeed.
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 08 2008 at 16:23
| So I was compelled to start playing Desperate Straights and it's quite good. I should have given it a bit more credit. |
Posted By: muddoctor
Date Posted: May 09 2008 at 06:19
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Great Band !!!
My fav are :
- Leg End
- Unrest
Please play in the songs list !!!
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Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: May 09 2008 at 22:32
Yes. Yes you should have.
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 09 2008 at 22:36
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Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: May 09 2008 at 22:46
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I'm beginning to appreciate Slapp Happy more because I realize how much I like Peter Blegvad. I'm excited to listen to Kew Rhone for that reason.
Speaking of Blegvad, has anyone ever read his Leviathan comic strip? I bought a hardcover collection off of Amazon for about six dollars and it's absolutely brilliant.
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 09 2008 at 22:50
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Haven't read any of that strip, but for $6 maybe I'll grab it on my next Amazon order. Can anyone recommend another of John Greaves solo (or pseudo-solo) efforts? |
Posted By: Syzygy
Date Posted: May 10 2008 at 06:16
Songs is a good intro to his work, a mixture of reworked songs from his back catalogue and some new material played by a virtuoso all acoustic ensemble.
Kew.Rhone is a 5* masterpiece that you should already own. After that I'd suggest Little Bottle Of Laundry, The Caretaker and Verlaine.
The 80s albums Parrot Fashions and Accident have some great moments but a very 80s sound (Linndrums and synths). ------------- 'Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how much to contribute to the already rich among us...' Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 10 2008 at 10:03
| Great information! Thanks, I'll try and check some of those out. |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 10 2008 at 10:53
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I have Little Bottle of Laundry on CD but as per usual, I have yet to give it a listen. Hopefully I prefer it to Kew. Rhone. -------------
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Posted By: rileydog22
Date Posted: May 10 2008 at 14:04
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Just got a newsletter from ReR USA today, and sometime this year they are going to release a NINE DISK Henry Cow box set. I wonder what they'll fill all those disks with?
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Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 10 2008 at 14:22
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Haven't they already done a Henry Cow box? It was over £100 and still is, as far as I know. -------------
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Posted By: rileydog22
Date Posted: May 10 2008 at 14:23
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I'm pretty sure you're thinking of the Art Bears set. ------------- |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 10 2008 at 14:30
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No no, there was a Henry Cow one for Subscribers only, I think. It isn't 9 CDs though:
Legend, Unrest, In Praise of Learning, Western Culture - all in cardboard original release facsimile covers. This is a limited Japanese edition of 500 copies of which 32 numbered copies are available outside Japan. These pressings are identical to the ReR releases, so these are really only for collectors. And they are not cheap:28 pounds each, or 100 pounds the set which comes with an archive "Henry Cow family tree" from 1990. Must be sold on a first come first served basis. Not available in japan And:
Very sturdily boxed edition containing the new Concerts double, as well as the other four Henry Cow releases and the Henry Cow/SlappHappy release 'Desperate Straights' - all in facsimile original board LP-style covers, with an extra subscription-only 8cm CD of previously unreleased material, in a strictly limited edition of 200 numbered copies. -------------
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Posted By: Syzygy
Date Posted: May 10 2008 at 19:07
Official releases already run to seven discs, so the remainder will either be live material (and there are some very good quality live recordings out there in cyberspace; seek and ye may possibly find) if we're lucky or another project like the Art Bears revisited set that was included in the Art Box (which was interesting but nothing to get too excited about) if we're not.
I didn't get the limited edition Henry Cow box (finances) but I might invest in this depending on what's included. ------------- 'Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how much to contribute to the already rich among us...' Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom |
Posted By: pkazee
Date Posted: May 11 2008 at 08:34
Agree 100% regarding Kew.Rhone. One of my top faves of all time. Musically and lyrically brilliant in a manner not dissimilar to Desperate Straights. I only ever purchased one other later Blegvad album, however (can't recall which one... UNEARTHED, perhaps?), as I found it to be fairly standard and unremarkable singer-songwriter stuff. As such, I'm wondering if LAUNDRY, CARETAKER or VERLAINE are in the manner of DS or KR, and if not, if you can say more about why you might recommend them? And what of John Greaves? Aren't CARETAKER and VERLAINE primarily his work? Thanks! Paul |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 11 2008 at 08:58
| Really have to get my hands on that Concerts double. |
Posted By: Syzygy
Date Posted: May 11 2008 at 10:30
D'Oh!!!! I meant Greaves, not Blegvad, although he had some input into all of the albums mentioned except Verlaine. Laundry, Caretaker and Verlaine are all song based and probably are closer to DS in that there's a variety of musical styles on offer.
I like PB's singer/songwriter albums, but more for the lyrics than the music; Downtime is probably the best if you're after a more RIO type sound, and it includes a KR related track (Actual Frenzy). ------------- 'Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how much to contribute to the already rich among us...' Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom |
Posted By: tmay102436
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 05:21
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In regards to where to start? Why, at the beginning of course. That's how the music flowed/was created, and I think best listened to. Especially with Henry Cow, who is/was one of the great defining bands of the RIO movement. And yes, Western Culture is their magnum opus, but I love all of it, and really love Dagmar's art of vocals. Just my humble opinion. ------------- Freedom Of Personal Expression Can Not Die |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 17:14
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Well said, friend, and a good way to start your forum life. Welcome.
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Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 17:25
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A quick off topic post: did you say you've purchased Soft Head? Thoughts? -------------
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 13 2008 at 21:07
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I only have Heap...I didn't think Soft Head released any recordings? edit: Ah, there are a couple of live recordings. Never heard them, though. |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 14 2008 at 16:10
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I meant Soft Heap, my mistake. Soft Heap actually released two but I only have their first. Anyway, did you enjoy it? You can hear how Gowen plays without Stewart being there. -------------
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 14 2008 at 16:12
Oh I enjoy it tremendously. Listened to it again today, as a matter of fact. Just such a fantastic bunch of musicians. |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 14 2008 at 16:23
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I'm an Elton Dean fanboy so anything he's on, I enjoy. I'm also a Hugh Hopper fanboy and so anything he's on, I also enjoy. Finally, I'm a Pip Pyle fanboy so again, anything he's on, I really enjoy. Have you tried Absolute Zero yet? -------------
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 14 2008 at 16:27
| I had never even heard of them, so I just wandered over to their page here...interesting. I noticed references to 5uu's and Motor Totemist Guild, I'm seeing those names a bunch around here lately, that's why I asked about U Totem. |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 14 2008 at 16:33
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I wouldn't start with 5uu's, to be honest. As Assaf, Chris and Aaron have discussed in the other thread, they're hit and miss. I'm not sure what styles make you tick, so it's difficult to suggest bands... how much do you like chamber music and such like? If you like your Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Messiaen, Bartók and others, you may like some Univers Zero and Present. It sounds like you're not that keen on depressing music though, so that is why I suggested Samla Mammas Manna. You should try them again definitely. Also worth a try maybe a band like Cartoon, although again, availability is not easy (well, Greg Walker and Wayside sell them). I'd like to have an idea what makes you tick and what makes you grimace. As for me, well, I am not keen on musicals so Kew. Rhone. I find quite awkward at times. I also dislike faux-Reggae. -------------
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 14 2008 at 16:39
| We're sort of duplicating this conversation here and in the RIO thread...I'll reply to the above post there, as this is getting way off topic from Henry Cow. |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 14 2008 at 16:43
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Yes, my apologies. Henry Cow FTW! There, back on track. -------------
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Posted By: avestin
Date Posted: July 14 2008 at 08:27
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The official press release of the Henry Cow Box Set from ReR Megacrop
http://www.rermegacorp.com/ - Recommended Records to release 40th Anniversary http://www.furious.com/perfect/henrycow.html - Henry Cow Box Set in December ....
40th Anniversary Henry Cow Box Set Volumes 1 and 2 is an upcoming nine-CD plus one-DVD box set by English avant-garde rock group Henry Cow, scheduled to be released by Recommended Records in December 2008. It consists entirely of previously unreleased live recordings made between 1971 and 1978, and includes new compositions and improvisations, one-off projects and events, radio broadcasts, and live versions of some of the Henry Cow studio material. The original recordings were remastered by Bob Drake.
The box set is split into two volumes, each in its own box. Volume 1 consists of five CDs and a book, and covers the period 1971 to 1976. Included is the March 1976 Hamburg radio show that was John Greaves’s last concert with the band, and the Trondheim concert that followed in May where Henry Cow performed as a quartet.One of the CDs in Volume 2, Stockholm (over an hour of extracts from the Swedish Radio broadcast) will be released three months earlier in September 2008 as a teaser to the box set. Featured on Stockholm is "Erk Gah", a 16-minute composition by Tim Hodgkinson that was performed live regularly by the band between 1976 and 1978,[1] but never recorded in the studio.[2] Hodgkinson later recorded it in 1993 under the title "Hold to the Zero Burn, Imagine" with some of the former Henry Cow members and others, and released it in 1994 on his solo album, Each in Our Own Thoughts. If you go to Progressive Ears you can read more about this and also read "live" as Bob Drake is doing the mastering of these recordings, his comments about it etc. Very interesting stuff!
------------- http://hangingsounds.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow - Hanging Sounds http://www.progarchives.com/ProgRockShopping.asp" rel="nofollow - PA Index of prog music vendors |
Posted By: Syzygy
Date Posted: July 14 2008 at 16:49
If anybody feels like buying me a Xmas present...  ------------- 'Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how much to contribute to the already rich among us...' Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom |