Glad you took the leap to give Henry Cow a listen. I agree that a rock element is missing, but the avant, improv and free aspects of the band is the attraction. They can be a difficult listen at times, but there are rewards in abundance. My ranking is 1) Legend; 2) In Praise of Learning; 3)Unrest: 4) Western Culture; 5) Desperate Straits. The live records - Concert and the comprehensive 10 CD live box - are filled with gems as is the massive catalog of solo and group recordings from the original band members which I have only explored in tiny bits and pieces.
Yet another great ranking video, Pete! Thank you for choosing to do Henry Cow. I’ve actually always wondered what you thought of them! A cool and different band for sure! Not sure what their fixation on the sock is though.
I’m a massive Henry Cow fan. I think they were heavily influenced by Uncle Meat by the Mothers Of Invention. In the 80s I was in a band called Zulu Break Torque Society that was greatly influenced by Henry Cow. For anyone wanting to take their Henry Cow game in a different direction, check out Art Bears.
Henry Cow has no bad albums. My favorite HC album is not on your list: Henry Cow Concerts. Desperate Straights is actually a Slapp Happy album. Henry Cow is providing the backing instrumentation and the songs are by Slapp Happy. In Praise of Learning is a HC album. The first song on the album is a Slapp Happy song; the remaining tracks are by Henry Cow. Imho, Henry Cow has more in common with Frank Zappa and early Mothers than it does with Canterbury scene music.
It really is crazy how consistent their discography is. Even with all of the archival and live stuff not a single one of those albums is below 9/10 for me. They just didn’t make any bad music
Wow i really appreciated this exploration of a band i had never heard of. I love the artwork on Western Culture. From the beginning of the video, i was really hoping to like the band. I usually keep pausing these videos to play the songs you are talking about. I really couldn't get in to them at all, except for Decay of Cities. That's 100% NO disrespect to fans of the band. In fact, that's why i love SoT. Look at all the fans who commented... it's awesome!
I came to Henry Cow from Art Bears-whose albums I love. I am a huge fan of the Dagmar, Chris, Fred combination. I also love the Belgian band Aksak Maboul who made 2 albums with Frith on guitar and Cutler on drums
I enjoyed Pete's very American take on this very English band. For what it's worth, Henry Cow weren't strictly Canterbury Scene - they were mostly from Cambridge - but the guest appearance of a couple of members on the first Hatfields album and John Greaves' later membership of National Health put them into the Canterbury "honourable mentions" category. I'm in agreement with Richard Archbold's earlier post regarding their studio albums (which are very much an acquired taste) but would personally recommend the 2CD 'Concerts' release as the best place to sample Henry Cow. The opening 'Beautiful As The Moon' medley (Side One of the original Caroline LP set) is probably my favourite Cow listen of all.
Stockhausen meets some members of Gentle Giant and a couple of jazz improvisers and produce a unique sound which is like Marmite (a British savoury food spread famous for dividing opinion) . So for me, most of it chimes apart from the very far out improvisation stuff. Ranking for me is: 1)Unrest 2) Western Culture 3) in praise of Learning 4) Legend
Same two HC’s for me too, mostly because I can have them on in the background while I read or do other things without having to fully pay attention. I discovered them thru the book, The Billboard Guide To Progressive Music by Bradley Smith. Interesting book, I think you’d enjoy as a reference, Pete, if you haven’t seen it already. A lot of the bands you talk about are in it.
As somebody who would probably list Henry Cow as one of my top 5 favorite bands of all time I appreciate that you don’t just come out and say that their music is bad even though you don’t always like it that much, just that it’s not really your thing, and that’s totally valid. Their music is incredibly unconventional and challenging. I see a lot of people who either don’t enjoy or understand the music of Henry cow wrote it off as pretentious or unmusical and I’m glad you didn’t do that. Btw here’s my ranking 1. Unrest 2. In Praise Of Learning 3. Western Culture 4. Legend 5. Desperate Straights I’d include all the live and archival stuff too but I don’t want to sort all of that out lol
I'm a little surprised to see HC show up here. Been a fan since the beginning and I love Fred Friths first few solo albums. My list is Pete's list upside-down. Western Culture at the bottom and Desperate Straights at the top. Love Desperate Straights.
Listened to Henry Cow a bit about a decade ago.. didn’t stick with me then, maybe I should revisit their music. First thing I think about when I hear or read their name is those wacky sock album covers lol.
Legend has a pretty strong Canterbury leaning and Unrest has less of it but still noticeable. By 1975 they pretty much completely dropped that aspect of their sound
I consider myself very tolerant of avant-garde exploration and, usually, Henry Cow stay this side of the line of listenable (though not always!) The lyrics often sound like they came straight from Karl Marx or Chairman Mao but it's interesting to note that possibly their best track (Beautiful as the Moon, Terrible as an Army with Banners) 's title comes from the Bible (the song of Solomon) Generally worth a listen though I'd have In Praise of Learning as number 1.
1. Western Culture 2. Legend 3. Unrest 4. In Praise of Learning 5. Desperate Straights Funny, I have always thought Legend was the best place to start for those unfamiliar with Henry Cow - and if not that, then Unrest. The harmonies are dense and dissonant on all of HC's albums, so there is probably no real easy way in for many listeners. However, there is a fairly warm, organic quality on the two albums mentioned above (with maybe a hint or two of quirkiness), whereas Western Culture has cold, austere, and harsh qualities about it. I couldn't ever recommend it for a first listen to the uninitiated, irrespective of what seems to have been a tighter (for lack of a better term) approach to the album. Then again, I guess it all depends on the individual. All in all, I find every one of these albums to be fantastic, and there are more beautiful melodies on albums like Legend and Unrest than one might initially expect, given the band's reputation. Fred Frith has great solo stuff, too. Great show.
I like Henry Cow well enough, I only have the Leg End album, but as you said they're tough to get into, and I'll take King Crimson or Magma anytime before Henry Cow. There's a doomy element present in KC and Magma that's not really there in HC. Fred Frith is a great musician tough, wishing he'd done more "rocking" stuff. I'll have to check that late album of theirs.
Silence - end of side 1 is my favorite song of all 3 Canterbury bands I did my best to try to like them, Pete. But is a no go for me & I like quirky music from time to time. I did enjoy watching all 3 shows.
Saw them support, Captain Beefheart at, Leeds University. I find them the most difficult to listen to out of all the Canterbury Bands. Just own Western Culture, and In Concert. I very rarely play the Albums I own.
The obvious take on the band name is that it is a pun based on the name of American Avant Garde classical composer, Henry Cowell. The band denies this connection, though.
...well! It took @ 14 minutes and 30 seconds before you mentioned Magma...:0)...like you, I have a really hard time with this band...I've tried for some time now, and...I just can't get into them.
Some bands are ok musicians but they just can't write music. Back in the early to mid 90's, most musicians didn't write music. They bought songs from writers, who themselves didn't perform
Love this band,love Dagmar vocals .In praise of learning is my favorite
Love Henry Cow. Love Dagmar Krause. Saw the Lindsay Cooper Songbook at Zappanale ... I weeped like a baby.
Huh, never thought i'd see Henry Cow mentioned on SOT. They're brilliant, nice job Pete.
Glad you took the leap to give Henry Cow a listen. I agree that a rock element is missing, but the avant, improv and free aspects of the band is the attraction. They can be a difficult listen at times, but there are rewards in abundance. My ranking is 1) Legend; 2) In Praise of Learning; 3)Unrest: 4) Western Culture; 5) Desperate Straits. The live records - Concert and the comprehensive 10 CD live box - are filled with gems as is the massive catalog of solo and group recordings from the original band members which I have only explored in tiny bits and pieces.
Yet another great ranking video, Pete! Thank you for choosing to do Henry Cow. I’ve actually always wondered what you thought of them! A cool and different band for sure! Not sure what their fixation on the sock is though.
Not a sock; leg end.😉
I like that! : )
I’m a massive Henry Cow fan. I think they were heavily influenced by Uncle Meat by the Mothers Of Invention. In the 80s I was in a band called Zulu Break Torque Society that was greatly influenced by Henry Cow. For anyone wanting to take their Henry Cow game in a different direction, check out Art Bears.
Henry Cow has no bad albums. My favorite HC album is not on your list: Henry Cow Concerts. Desperate Straights is actually a Slapp Happy album. Henry Cow is providing the backing instrumentation and the songs are by Slapp Happy. In Praise of Learning is a HC album. The first song on the album is a Slapp Happy song; the remaining tracks are by Henry Cow. Imho, Henry Cow has more in common with Frank Zappa and early Mothers than it does with Canterbury scene music.
Definitely agree about the Frank Zappa connection!
It really is crazy how consistent their discography is. Even with all of the archival and live stuff not a single one of those albums is below 9/10 for me. They just didn’t make any bad music
thanks, pete, for reviewing all these lost gems!...who else in the world is doing this?!...
Wow i really appreciated this exploration of a band i had never heard of.
I love the artwork on Western Culture.
From the beginning of the video, i was really hoping to like the band. I usually keep pausing these videos to play the songs you are talking about.
I really couldn't get in to them at all, except for Decay of Cities.
That's 100% NO disrespect to fans of the band. In fact, that's why i love SoT. Look at all the fans who commented... it's awesome!
Pete, will you do an Art Bears ranking as well?
Pete/ I’ll try the 79 album. Thank you for “ broadening our horizons! 👍💯
Hey Gary! Usually go by Pete and your expert opinions when it comes to these ranking shows... hope you have a great Sunday my friend
The bass player John Greaves was also in National Health
1- Leg End
2- Unrest
3 - In Praise of Learning
4- Western Culture
Really cool show Pete..I would recommend Henry Cow Concerts 2 LP Set..Some incredible beautiful music there..
Absolutely fearless band, I love them to the moon and back. Art Bears are great too.
I had the live album. It has taken me nerves of steel to get through all of it.
Lol, I listen to it frequently. I love the improvisations.
Great video Pete Growing up in that Period Henry Cow were right out there As you say not 4 everyone
Love the Cow
Brilliant band , one of my favorites.
Love it. Three rankings today. A lot of creativity from the Canterbury scene.
I came to Henry Cow from Art Bears-whose albums I love. I am a huge fan of the Dagmar, Chris, Fred combination. I also love the Belgian band Aksak Maboul who made 2 albums with Frith on guitar and Cutler on drums
I enjoyed Pete's very American take on this very English band. For what it's worth, Henry Cow weren't strictly Canterbury Scene - they were mostly from Cambridge - but the guest appearance of a couple of members on the first Hatfields album and John Greaves' later membership of National Health put them into the Canterbury "honourable mentions" category. I'm in agreement with Richard Archbold's earlier post regarding their studio albums (which are very much an acquired taste) but would personally recommend the 2CD 'Concerts' release as the best place to sample Henry Cow. The opening 'Beautiful As The Moon' medley (Side One of the original Caroline LP set) is probably my favourite Cow listen of all.
Stockhausen meets some members of Gentle Giant and a couple of jazz improvisers and produce a unique sound which is like Marmite (a British savoury food spread famous for dividing opinion) . So for me, most of it chimes apart from the very far out improvisation stuff. Ranking for me is:
1)Unrest
2) Western Culture
3) in praise of Learning
4) Legend
Same two HC’s for me too, mostly because I can have them on in the background while I read or do other things without having to fully pay attention.
I discovered them thru the book, The Billboard Guide To Progressive Music by Bradley Smith. Interesting book, I think you’d enjoy as a reference, Pete, if you haven’t seen it already. A lot of the bands you talk about are in it.
An album that is adjacent to Henry Cow but needs to be heard is Kew. Rhone. by John Greaves and Peter Blegvad. Anything Fred Frith touches is gold.
As somebody who would probably list Henry Cow as one of my top 5 favorite bands of all time I appreciate that you don’t just come out and say that their music is bad even though you don’t always like it that much, just that it’s not really your thing, and that’s totally valid. Their music is incredibly unconventional and challenging. I see a lot of people who either don’t enjoy or understand the music of Henry cow wrote it off as pretentious or unmusical and I’m glad you didn’t do that.
Btw here’s my ranking
1. Unrest
2. In Praise Of Learning
3. Western Culture
4. Legend
5. Desperate Straights
I’d include all the live and archival stuff too but I don’t want to sort all of that out lol
I dont know if ur into Robert Wyatt but love to see a ranking
I think of the first album as 'Leg End' - it goes with the sock :)
I'm a little surprised to see HC show up here. Been a fan since the beginning and I love Fred Friths first few solo albums. My list is Pete's list upside-down. Western Culture at the bottom and Desperate Straights at the top. Love Desperate Straights.
Did you listen to their 1976 live album Concerts? It might be the craziest one out there.
I have it...yeah
Listened to Henry Cow a bit about a decade ago.. didn’t stick with me then, maybe I should revisit their music. First thing I think about when I hear or read their name is those wacky sock album covers lol.
Great ranking thank you. Never understood what is Canterbury in their sound though
Legend has a pretty strong Canterbury leaning and Unrest has less of it but still noticeable. By 1975 they pretty much completely dropped that aspect of their sound
I consider myself very tolerant of avant-garde exploration and, usually, Henry Cow stay this side of the line of listenable (though not always!) The lyrics often sound like they came straight from Karl Marx or Chairman Mao but it's interesting to note that possibly their best track (Beautiful as the Moon, Terrible as an Army with Banners) 's title comes from the Bible (the song of Solomon) Generally worth a listen though I'd have In Praise of Learning as number 1.
1. Western Culture
2. Legend
3. Unrest
4. In Praise of Learning
5. Desperate Straights
Funny, I have always thought Legend was the best place to start for those unfamiliar with Henry Cow - and if not that, then Unrest. The harmonies are dense and dissonant on all of HC's albums, so there is probably no real easy way in for many listeners. However, there is a fairly warm, organic quality on the two albums mentioned above (with maybe a hint or two of quirkiness), whereas Western Culture has cold, austere, and harsh qualities about it. I couldn't ever recommend it for a first listen to the uninitiated, irrespective of what seems to have been a tighter (for lack of a better term) approach to the album. Then again, I guess it all depends on the individual. All in all, I find every one of these albums to be fantastic, and there are more beautiful melodies on albums like Legend and Unrest than one might initially expect, given the band's reputation. Fred Frith has great solo stuff, too.
Great show.
I like Henry Cow well enough, I only have the Leg End album, but as you said they're tough to get into, and I'll take King Crimson or Magma anytime before Henry Cow. There's a doomy element present in KC and Magma that's not really there in HC. Fred Frith is a great musician tough, wishing he'd done more "rocking" stuff.
I'll have to check that late album of theirs.
Have to give listen to some Henry Cow thanks Pete.
Silence - end of side 1 is my favorite song of all 3 Canterbury bands I did my best to try to like them, Pete. But is a no go for me & I like quirky music from time to time. I did enjoy watching all 3 shows.
Dagmar Krause became Mrs. Tom Petersson (Cheap Trick)
?????? Different Dagmar !
Saw them support, Captain Beefheart at, Leeds University. I find them the most difficult to listen to out of all the Canterbury Bands. Just own Western Culture, and In Concert. I very rarely play the Albums I own.
Never heard of this band hilarious name. 😂
That's apparently why they chose it.
The obvious take on the band name is that it is a pun based on the name of American Avant Garde classical composer, Henry Cowell. The band denies this connection, though.
That's a band to love only with the brain.
...well! It took @ 14 minutes and 30 seconds before you mentioned Magma...:0)...like you, I have a really hard time with this band...I've tried for some time now, and...I just can't get into them.
I love this band. It have great drumming. But never try to dance to their music.
Fred Frith has several dozen records of all different genres. He likes to experiment so beware
Never heard of this group
Some bands are ok musicians but they just can't write music. Back in the early to mid 90's, most musicians didn't write music. They bought songs from writers, who themselves didn't perform