*You don't need no music degree to listen to henry cow!* I loved this band from the first time i heard em, and not because i'm a hipster with "good taste" in music 🤢🤢 this 'noise' is not an aquired taste; just a preference.. Reminded me of Saal Hardali
On a visceral level music either touches (evoking a like, dislike, hate, discomfort or other reaction in the listener) us or it doesn't. Why this is so is difficult to explain. Explanations to discuss and explain my listening experiences invariably lead me into the kinds of descriptions that are more revelatory about me than they are of the music I might be attempting to describe.
Fell in love with Henry Cow, Faust, the very early Kraftwerk & Tangerine dreams first album when they came out. They epitomised the freedom advocated in the 60’s into a musical form. There was no need to stick to the formulaic pop/rock song structure, but to follow in the tradition of free jazz and the directions being pushed by the likes of Stockhausen, et al. The difference in Henry Cows approach was a deep rooted socialist political undercurrent.
I loved Henry Cow in high school in the 1970s, and they've never left my mental playlist. Coming to Western Culture from that perspective when it came out it seemed more mannered than the earlier ones. Just intuitive, beautiful, music to my ears. But I gave up trying to get people to listen to it back then as well. Thank your for your thoughts, and for sharing it
Unrest was where I dipped my toe in. I found it sort of related to Uncle Meat era Frank Zappa. Bittern Storm Over Ulm is a nice introductory piece. Short and, well... bitternsweet.
I received this album from my father when I turned 18. I have never been the same. It is an absolute masterpiece. Required listening for anyone wishing to understand music on an advanced level. The moment of the epiphany when you finally get "it" is a transcendental experience that brings one in touch with the numinous.
When I was in high school in the 70's, I loved going to the record store and finding weird music. Henry Cow was one of my favorites, along with Samla Mammas Manna from Sweden. My understanding is the name comes from Henry Cowell who made homemade microtonal instrumentals to play his compositions. and were also influenced by Stockhausen. I saw Frith live in college when he was with Skeleton Crew. I loved them! I've heard Frith described as Europe's answer to Robert Fripp. Though they both play guitar and love odd time signatures I think they couldn't be more different. Henry Cow and Faust got me into the whole noise rock scene. I love both of them but I lean more toward Frith. RIO!
The song “Amygdala” from their first album (Legend) is arguably the greatest avant prog song of the entire decade. It’s more complex than Zappa, smarter than King Crimson and joyous like Gentle Giant. Would highly recommend if you’re discovering Henry Cow, it’s not as hard on the ears as Western Culture.
I take it you mean the Muddy Mouse / Muddy Mouth tracks from Ruth is Stranger than Richard. Those were cobbled together from bits written for the Ottawa Music Company and Henry Cow's live score for a staging of The Bacchae. Frith gave them to Wyatt who added lyrics. Henry Cow were definitely influenced by Soft Machine. Frith has said he idolized Wyatt and would call him up and sort of suggest that he join Soft Machine. Wyatt later asked Frith to join the proposed Matching Mole reformation, which never happened due to Wyatt's accident.
@@gidouille There are the Fred Frith bits with Ivor Cutler that give me no end of pleasure. You will see Fred playing with Mike Oldfield and Mike Ratledge in the BBC recording of Tubular Bills.
I love this album. When I was in college at Kent State their college station ran an overnight program called Fresh Air. From 11pm to 6am it was all prog, fusion, art rock, RIO, synthesizer music, everything AND the kitchen sink. Henry Cow was a revelation.
@@MakeWeirdMusic Part of it was that nothing was off limits, so they had a lot to draw from. The other is that they had an interview segment call "Industrial Wasteland" and an Artist of the week feature where they would play a lot of a particular act over the 5 days, and a new import feature. It wasn't that they were relentlessly iconoclastic and weird, they'd throw in a Hendrix or Doors deep track, it's that you just never knew what was coming. A playlist might go Egg, Zappa, Brand X, Bo Hansson, Pere Ubu, Hendrix, Magma, Alan Parsons one night. Next night Eno, Art Bears, Can, Kraftwerk, McDonald and Giles, Tin Huey, PFM, and even some Ken Nordine word jazz.
Someones got to do it. So it might as well be them! First saw at the Roundhouse in 1973, they played Nirvana for Mice first, and the audience were stunned into silence at the end. SO beautiful. the extremes of beauty and ugliness, light and shade, hope and despair. x love and peace
This is my favorite Henry Cow album. I enjoyed knowing your experience listening this record for the first time. I think for me the first time wasn't that harsh because I was already checking other R.I.O. records. But I agree with you there's some music that you need to learn from previous experiences to be able to enjoy it.
I never found HC 'difficult'. But, I guess I was lucky, as I was around at the time. I just regarded Legend as a very interesting 'jazz/rock album'. In fact, I thought it was just a more complex Tubular Bells (Which came out around the same time). Very fortunate to have seen them live - musically and in terms of sheer virtuosity, nothing has come near (for me). Alas, eventually all that musicality, rhythmic invention, and virtuosity fell off a cliff after this album. I think to this day, they are stuck in the dark hole of aimless and self-indulgent noise noodling. So happy I still have these overlooked albums and my memories. Five stars for whoever it was that persuaded the repulsive Branson that this band would make him more money.
Hardcore fan of this band, I have like 20 bootlegs. I can confirm that the compositions are so complex that in one of them, Angers 1978 (features Yochk'o from Magma as guest if you know), they were still learning the material and apologize for failing Falling Away, also fail Industry so they do it again at the end of the show lol
Henry Cow's second album was called Unrest, and for good reason. It is UN-easy listening, but with moments of great beauty in between the passages of apparent dissonance. In that regard they're in the same league as King Crimson or Radiohead, in my view anyway. Again IMO, their first two albums are the ones to seek out.
They're quite interesting and even though haven't gotten completely into them, I like Nine Funerals of the Citizen King and Ruins quite a lot, especially Nine Funerals.
Has there ever been a rock band that pushed the boundaries of what music music is and can be in every direction? My own band> Ut Gret has been inspired by Henry Cow to a great degree. Fred Frith is my favorite guitarist, our quintet has a bassoon and clarinet and our 1st album "Time of the Grets" opening cut has 17 different time signatures and is called "Friend of the Cow" . I do love them and seeing Fred Frith in NYC at the Manifestival debut his Guitars on the Table changed my life as an aspiring guitarist and improvisor
4 года назад
By the time I listened to this album for the first time I knew the previous three, so my jaw didn't drop. Much. Curiously enough, I listened to them in chronological order. I found Leg End in a flea market in Madrid, made a tape for my brother Ricardo (whom you know, I think - talk about music theory guy) he liked a lot and in time he provided the other three. For my last birthday he presented me with the book about Henry Cow, The World is a Problem.
First discovered this gem several years ago. Definitely an acquired taste but at the same time a huge influence on my own musical endeavours. I probably don't need to tell you but if you enjoy Irène Schweizer's solo on "Gretel's Tale" I highly recommend the work of jazz pianist Cecil Taylor.
I loved this since I was 12 and always won the game 'Risk' when I put it on for my friends. 'Nirvana for Mice' is not a chart topper, but oooooh! Love it all underneath an Analbasac Noom!
Thanks for watching and commenting. I can't imagine playing Risk _while_ listening to Henry Cow. Can't really imagine doing anything while listening to HC, actually. :)
I bought this album when it first came out on CD but never got on with it. I loved all their others, especially Concerts and saw them live a couple of times in the 70's. A lot of their stuff needs a few listens before you "get" it and then becomes very rewarding.Not sure why this one didn't gel.. Is it a touch more relentless than the others or maybe I got more impatient as I got older? Anyway I will now dig it out and listen a few more times and see if we can make it work!
INSTANT BIG LOVE, right back when it was released, but I grew up with this stuff (early prog, Soft Machine, weird harmonies and time signatures), so I had no problem and could enjoy
Je comprends pas ce qu'il dit mais la musique est bien ...... très bien même !! cette musique absconse et un peu toxique ouvre indéniablement les yeux sur de nouvelles promesses et à toutes les merveilles de la nature. Evocatrice de la croyance dans «l'au-delà» et de pouvoirs au-delà de l'observation, ces pièces tirent les ficelles du cœur, attirent les nostalgies et éveillent les amours, les vies écorchés et les veilleurs endormis!
Perhaps now is a good time to plug the new HC book that is out under Duke University Press entitled: "Henry Cow: The World is a Problem". I am about 1/3 through it and so far I can highly recommend it. Will report back...
@@MakeWeirdMusic Reporting back to say that I completed this book about three months ago. Highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the "vernacular avant garde" (the way avant garde artists/musicians express themselves) in general, Henry Cow, Canterbury music, Frank Zappa, Capt. Beefheart and other similarly oriented artists. Coming in at over 500 pages, it is a very thorough read on the subject, that takes one though the early years of Henry Cow at Cambridge in the late 1960's up until the band's decision to split up in 1978. The writer interviews everyone for the book who was a member and also managers, sound engineers (John Greaves' wife, Sarah Greaves) and other artists who played with Henry Cow near the end (members of "The Orkestra"). Very Enthralling.
Yeah I guess like any aesthetic you're not so familiar with, but this is also very detailed so each revisit is like peeling down layers to the piece. Dunno if it's just the cover, but this album has a real 20th century artsy vibe.
Interesting! I'll check that one out and will definitely read about them ( which is often an important step to access music better), thank you very much for you're share. I really like the Jaw Dropper series! BTW what happened to the giveaway stuff? Already gone? I'm always interested in Gentle Giant merch😁.
I ended up giving the stuff away with t shirt orders and to patreon supporters. I still have some left! Thanks for following up and watching and commenting.
I’m still trying to digest this album. I’m not as familiar with it as the others. I absolutely love all the other Henry Cow albums though. My personal favorite is Unrest
@@MakeWeirdMusic Understandable. But I would offer that the difference between Dagmar and Yoko is like the difference between Fred Frith and a cat walking over the guitar. Dagmar sings atonally because she CAN, and accurately. Yoko is just caterwauling.
Yes! Living In The Heart of The Beast is one of my all time favorite progressive rock (?) songs and I think Dagmar is outstanding on that album. I hope you've seen the old live performance for French television that's been RUclips.
I've always liked Henry Cow-with or without Slapp Happy. Its closest counterpart for me would be the experimental side of Zappa, like "Greggery Peccery maybe" But I think the Cows maybe had more formal training in counterpoint? Hodgkinson's writing is brilliant, as in "Living in the Heart of the Beast," one of my favorites.
Listen to Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz, that is where Hendry Cow drew most of their inspiration. Also on the piano solo, that is lifted from Cecil Taylor. Finally, listen to Meditations from John Coltrane. You will hear the influence. Those are more difficult and demanding listening than Henry Cow.
You got grettles tale mixed up with day by day. When I first heard this album in love it. Georgie Born got down on that Cecil taylor like solo. HC is one of my fave bands .you gotta dig that 1/2 the sky first heavy metal song with bassoon like sabbath's meets prokofiev . Notice the beginning is the same as the song falling away ( the song you featured last . Just heavier and doomier
@@gidouille yeah as i said i got my females mixed up . And i k ow especally irene had had a music career out side of HC she was also on john Graves solo album if i could remember shes done a ton.
@@Shadowbannddiscourse Schweizer, who is a drummer as well as pianist, led a free Jazz trio which had Uli Trepte and Mani Neumeier before they tripped out, went electric and formed Guru Guru. She played with Cooper, Born, Nichols, Potter, etc. in the Feminist improvising Group, with Cooper and Nichols in Les Diaboliques, with Jo Mcphee's Po Music, is on dozens of improv albums and has a hand in running the Swiss Label, Intakt, I believe. Can't recall her being on a John Greaves album, but i could be forgetting something, or perhaps you're thinking of Carla Bley.
That's not really fair. I have a music degree and that ain't the way it goes. Just 'cause you understand it doesn't make it something you're going to hum on the way to McDonalds. This stuff is extreme but I like what I like and that is that. I bought the white background sock album for $1.99 at a record store and it must have been one of the first Virgin pressings because it took paint off walls it was a Mastering Genius. I came from a Frith album and this became my favorite new band. So on to Art Bears and how to clear a room at last call. God I love these creatures. BTW I play the Chapman Stick because I ran out of notes on the bass...
I'm a big fan of Henry Cow, and associated projects. To be honest, though, I've never been fond of Western Culture. It always felt like cleverness got in the way of art. My favorite album is sides 1 & 2 of Concerts. It is truly a thing of beauty and wonder.
I tried to listen henry cow starting from beginning of they're journey, my impressions always ranged from total trash to unskilled playing, and still do, hence I have never went through the socks albums. Personally I think that first attempts was just experimenting and trying new things from which not a lot remained relevant. With this album I think they finally found "IT", instead of trying to mimic Canterbury style they switch to King Crimson and it turned out to be the missing element.
I think they were just doing their own thing, not sounding like KC or Canterbury. They always knew what they were doing, but the ears weren't always available to hear it.
big pet peev you do not need to seek a friend with a music degree or know all the motifs to appreciate this. also the drums alone are a huge selling point. may be listen to more music, baby steps... like trout mask is a harder listen, some glenn branca... may be start with cardiacs work your way here lol
Make Weird Music a Yugoslavian avant-garde band. They tend to be more melodic than Henry cow, but they are similarly bold. Their song “coc’n rolla” is a good example of their style.
I’ve loved this album for about 40 years, and loved it from the beginning. It really did blow my mind as a 20 year old the first time I heard it. In fact I thought it was impossible for humans to actually play this music and then I discovered my turntable was in 45! All one needs is an open mind and imagination to enjoy, I certainly had little understanding of music theory back then. It is still an inspiration all these years later.
This is a wonderful album. I was lucky enough to see Tim Hodgkinson, Chris Cutler, Yumi Hara, Chlöe Herington and John Greaves perform the second half of this record at a show in 2018 (the first half was skipped because they were only playing music composed by Lindsay Cooper). Cutler's drumming is truly something to behold.
*You don't need no music degree to listen to henry cow!* I loved this band from the first time i heard em, and not because i'm a hipster with "good taste" in music 🤢🤢
this 'noise' is not an aquired taste; just a preference.. Reminded me of Saal Hardali
Of all the messages to (incorrectly) take from this video… Oy vey.
On a visceral level music either touches (evoking a like, dislike, hate, discomfort or other reaction in the listener) us or it doesn't. Why this is so is difficult to explain. Explanations to discuss and explain my listening experiences invariably lead me into the kinds of descriptions that are more revelatory about me than they are of the music I might be attempting to describe.
Western Culture and In Praise Of Learning are essential listening along with the Art Bears albums.
Fell in love with Henry Cow, Faust, the very early Kraftwerk & Tangerine dreams first album when they came out. They epitomised the freedom advocated in the 60’s into a musical form. There was no need to stick to the formulaic pop/rock song structure, but to follow in the tradition of free jazz and the directions being pushed by the likes of Stockhausen, et al. The difference in Henry Cows approach was a deep rooted socialist political undercurrent.
It was a wonderful time to listen to late night FM and then to take a chance on the record.
I loved Henry Cow in high school in the 1970s, and they've never left my mental playlist. Coming to Western Culture from that perspective when it came out it seemed more mannered than the earlier ones. Just intuitive, beautiful, music to my ears. But I gave up trying to get people to listen to it back then as well. Thank your for your thoughts, and for sharing it
Thanks for watching!
If you're curious about Henry Cow, start with Unrest, it's a more accesible album
Unrest was where I dipped my toe in. I found it sort of related to Uncle Meat era Frank Zappa. Bittern Storm Over Ulm is a nice introductory piece. Short and, well... bitternsweet.
I always thought “bittern” was a typo on my original mp3 files haha
Zappa meets Gentle Giant meets King Crimson...
Someone just commented something similar on our FB post. Interesting.
I received this album from my father when I turned 18. I have never been the same. It is an absolute masterpiece. Required listening for anyone wishing to understand music on an advanced level. The moment of the epiphany when you finally get "it" is a transcendental experience that brings one in touch with the numinous.
............. Luminous, I presume .................... ;-)
Luminous works, but I mean numinous in the sense Christopher Hitchens used the word.
What a gift!
Amen. That moment when your psyche locks in to their frequency, and you get it with your soul.
When I was in high school in the 70's, I loved going to the record store and finding weird music. Henry Cow was one of my favorites, along with Samla Mammas Manna from Sweden. My understanding is the name comes from Henry Cowell who made homemade microtonal instrumentals to play his compositions. and were also influenced by Stockhausen. I saw Frith live in college when he was with Skeleton Crew. I loved them! I've heard Frith described as Europe's answer to Robert Fripp. Though they both play guitar and love odd time signatures I think they couldn't be more different. Henry Cow and Faust got me into the whole noise rock scene. I love both of them but I lean more toward Frith. RIO!
Amazing!
Check out Mat Muntz’s new record Phantom Islands. You’ll love it.
The song “Amygdala” from their first album (Legend) is arguably the greatest avant prog song of the entire decade. It’s more complex than Zappa, smarter than King Crimson and joyous like Gentle Giant. Would highly recommend if you’re discovering Henry Cow, it’s not as hard on the ears as Western Culture.
Please do more Henry Cow videos. BTW, I love this album. I have loved it ever since I first bought it back in 1982 when I was in college.
Did you see the Decay of Cities instructional video I made?
@@MakeWeirdMusic The Fred Frith Guitar part? Yes. Very good videos
I adore Henry Cow. This album is brilliant; next time, feature one with Dagmar.
I never got into the Dagmar stuff. But there is still time.
art bears' debut is the 2nd half that completes this album
Fred Frith's work with Robert Wyatt should not be overlooked as well. Some Henry Cow even reminds me of Soft Machine.
Please share!
I take it you mean the Muddy Mouse / Muddy Mouth tracks from Ruth is Stranger than Richard. Those were cobbled together from bits written for the Ottawa Music Company and Henry Cow's live score for a staging of The Bacchae. Frith gave them to Wyatt who added lyrics. Henry Cow were definitely influenced by Soft Machine. Frith has said he idolized Wyatt and would call him up and sort of suggest that he join Soft Machine. Wyatt later asked Frith to join the proposed Matching Mole reformation, which never happened due to Wyatt's accident.
@@gidouille There are the Fred Frith bits with Ivor Cutler that give me no end of pleasure.
You will see Fred playing with Mike Oldfield and Mike Ratledge in the BBC recording of Tubular Bills.
@@anotherdamn6c Yes, on Velvet Donkey.
I love this album. When I was in college at Kent State their college station ran an overnight program called Fresh Air. From 11pm to 6am it was all prog, fusion, art rock, RIO, synthesizer music, everything AND the kitchen sink. Henry Cow was a revelation.
Wow, what an evening of programming. I wonder how they found that much material to air every night
@@MakeWeirdMusic Part of it was that nothing was off limits, so they had a lot to draw from. The other is that they had an interview segment call "Industrial Wasteland" and an Artist of the week feature where they would play a lot of a particular act over the 5 days, and a new import feature. It wasn't that they were relentlessly iconoclastic and weird, they'd throw in a Hendrix or Doors deep track, it's that you just never knew what was coming. A playlist might go Egg, Zappa, Brand X, Bo Hansson, Pere Ubu, Hendrix, Magma, Alan Parsons one night. Next night Eno, Art Bears, Can, Kraftwerk, McDonald and Giles, Tin Huey, PFM, and even some Ken Nordine word jazz.
That is so excellent. We need more of that in the world.
Someones got to do it. So it might as well be them! First saw at the Roundhouse in 1973, they played Nirvana for Mice first, and the audience were stunned into silence at the end. SO beautiful. the extremes of beauty and ugliness, light and shade, hope and despair. x love and peace
This is my favorite Henry Cow album. I enjoyed knowing your experience listening this record for the first time. I think for me the first time wasn't that harsh because I was already checking other R.I.O. records. But I agree with you there's some music that you need to learn from previous experiences to be able to enjoy it.
Yeah. Not something you can just dive into.
I never found HC 'difficult'. But, I guess I was lucky, as I was around at the time. I just regarded Legend as a very interesting 'jazz/rock album'. In fact, I thought it was just a more complex Tubular Bells (Which came out around the same time). Very fortunate to have seen them live - musically and in terms of sheer virtuosity, nothing has come near (for me).
Alas, eventually all that musicality, rhythmic invention, and virtuosity fell off a cliff after this album. I think to this day, they are stuck in the dark hole of aimless and self-indulgent noise noodling. So happy I still have these overlooked albums and my memories.
Five stars for whoever it was that persuaded the repulsive Branson that this band would make him more money.
LOL thanks for watching, Alchemy Moon
There could've been a great Mitchell & Webb skitch between Fred Frith and Richard Branson.
Hardcore fan of this band, I have like 20 bootlegs. I can confirm that the compositions are so complex that in one of them, Angers 1978 (features Yochk'o from Magma as guest if you know), they were still learning the material and apologize for failing Falling Away, also fail Industry so they do it again at the end of the show lol
Henry Cow's second album was called Unrest, and for good reason. It is UN-easy listening, but with moments of great beauty in between the passages of apparent dissonance. In that regard they're in the same league as King Crimson or Radiohead, in my view anyway. Again IMO, their first two albums are the ones to seek out.
They are great! But they don't have the nauseating effect of Western Culture haha.
@@MakeWeirdMusic I wonder whether some of the 'Western Culture effect' is due to the rather shrill production - 'warm' it most certainly isn't!!
No one I've played it for has commented on the sound. It's the composition that gets under their skin. :)
I always like to play this track kinda loud as "background music" when my girl friend wants to " have a talk "......
😂😂😂
This works better as "breakup" music.
In my opinion, the greatest album ever. Musical mastery from start to finish.
Fred Frith’s Guitar Solos album is also worth checking out.
Yes! That's going in an upcoming video.
@@MakeWeirdMusic Great. It’s a classic!
They're quite interesting and even though haven't gotten completely into them, I like Nine Funerals of the Citizen King and Ruins quite a lot, especially Nine Funerals.
I haven't gotten completely into them, either. That's for sure.
Ruins is my most favourite composition of theirs!
I just bought the album for a decent price and I am not disappointed. It's in the same vein as Frank Zappa but it's also different.
Indeed. Great album. Thanks!
henry cow will always be my goto rio band
Has there ever been a rock band that pushed the boundaries of what music music is and can be in every direction? My own band> Ut Gret has been inspired by Henry Cow to a great degree. Fred Frith is my favorite guitarist, our quintet has a bassoon and clarinet and our 1st album "Time of the Grets" opening cut has 17 different time signatures and is called "Friend of the Cow" . I do love them and seeing Fred Frith in NYC at the Manifestival debut his Guitars on the Table changed my life as an aspiring guitarist and improvisor
By the time I listened to this album for the first time I knew the previous three, so my jaw didn't drop. Much.
Curiously enough, I listened to them in chronological order. I found Leg End in a flea market in Madrid, made a tape for my brother Ricardo (whom you know, I think - talk about music theory guy) he liked a lot and in time he provided the other three. For my last birthday he presented me with the book about Henry Cow, The World is a Problem.
Hey, I recognize that last name!
Very cool story. Henry Cow is divisive, but it sounds like your family is very open-minded.
First discovered this gem several years ago. Definitely an acquired taste but at the same time a huge influence on my own musical endeavours.
I probably don't need to tell you but if you enjoy Irène Schweizer's solo on "Gretel's Tale" I highly recommend the work of jazz pianist Cecil Taylor.
Thank you for the recommendation.
I loved this since I was 12 and always won the game 'Risk' when I put it on for my friends. 'Nirvana for Mice' is not a chart topper, but oooooh! Love it all underneath an Analbasac Noom!
Thanks for watching and commenting. I can't imagine playing Risk _while_ listening to Henry Cow. Can't really imagine doing anything while listening to HC, actually. :)
I bought this album when it first came out on CD but never got on with it. I loved all their others, especially Concerts and saw them live a couple of times in the 70's. A lot of their stuff needs a few listens before you "get" it and then becomes very rewarding.Not sure why this one didn't gel.. Is it a touch more relentless than the others or maybe I got more impatient as I got older? Anyway I will now dig it out and listen a few more times and see if we can make it work!
I bet it'll stick at some point
INSTANT BIG LOVE, right back when it was released, but I grew up with this stuff (early prog, Soft Machine, weird harmonies and time signatures), so I had no problem and could enjoy
You are more open-minded than I! :)
Je comprends pas ce qu'il dit mais la musique est bien ...... très bien même !! cette musique absconse et un peu toxique ouvre indéniablement les yeux sur de nouvelles promesses et à toutes les merveilles de la nature. Evocatrice de la croyance dans «l'au-delà» et de pouvoirs au-delà de l'observation, ces pièces tirent les ficelles du cœur, attirent les nostalgies et éveillent les amours, les vies écorchés et les veilleurs endormis!
Are you kidding me? This is one of my most favorite albums of all times. I never tire of hearing it. I only wish that I could create such art.
More videos like these, amazing
I have another one planned for this weekend, if the day job allows.
Perhaps now is a good time to plug the new HC book that is out under Duke University Press entitled: "Henry Cow: The World is a Problem". I am about 1/3 through it and so far I can highly recommend it. Will report back...
Yeah, I should get it and do a video about it. Thanks!
@@MakeWeirdMusic Reporting back to say that I completed this book about three months ago. Highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the "vernacular avant garde" (the way avant garde artists/musicians express themselves) in general, Henry Cow, Canterbury music, Frank Zappa, Capt. Beefheart and other similarly oriented artists. Coming in at over 500 pages, it is a very thorough read on the subject, that takes one though the early years of Henry Cow at Cambridge in the late 1960's up until the band's decision to split up in 1978. The writer interviews everyone for the book who was a member and also managers, sound engineers (John Greaves' wife, Sarah Greaves) and other artists who played with Henry Cow near the end (members of "The Orkestra"). Very Enthralling.
Awesome! I gotta check it out
It is Irène Schweizer (1941-2024) playing the piano solo from 4:19
Yeah I guess like any aesthetic you're not so familiar with, but this is also very detailed so each revisit is like peeling down layers to the piece. Dunno if it's just the cover, but this album has a real 20th century artsy vibe.
my favorite Henry Cow recording... amazingly complex
Interesting! I'll check that one out and will definitely read about them ( which is often an important step to access music better), thank you very much for you're share. I really like the Jaw Dropper series!
BTW what happened to the giveaway stuff? Already gone? I'm always interested in Gentle Giant merch😁.
I ended up giving the stuff away with t shirt orders and to patreon supporters. I still have some left!
Thanks for following up and watching and commenting.
Love the good Hodgkin's side, haven't gotten into the Cooper side yet. Hodgkinson was also in two cool post-punk bands called The Momes and The Work.
I’m still trying to digest this album. I’m not as familiar with it as the others. I absolutely love all the other Henry Cow albums though. My personal favorite is Unrest
That’s a good one too!
I love it, fantastic album, all Henry Cow's albums are amazing, related bands Slapp Happy and Art Bears are great too.
Always liked "In Praise of Learning" over other Henry Cow albums. Love me some Dagmar.
I do not enjoy Dagmar. But I’m glad so many do! She reminds me of Yoko Ono. Just not my thing.
@@MakeWeirdMusic Understandable. But I would offer that the difference between Dagmar and Yoko is like the difference between Fred Frith and a cat walking over the guitar. Dagmar sings atonally because she CAN, and accurately. Yoko is just caterwauling.
They gut huts with gusto
Pillage villages with verve
War does what she has to
People get what they deseve
Yes! Living In The Heart of The Beast is one of my all time favorite progressive rock (?) songs and I think Dagmar is outstanding on that album. I hope you've seen the old live performance for French television that's been RUclips.
I've always liked Henry Cow-with or without Slapp Happy. Its closest counterpart for me would be the experimental side of Zappa, like "Greggery Peccery maybe" But I think the Cows maybe had more formal training in counterpoint? Hodgkinson's writing is brilliant, as in "Living in the Heart of the Beast," one of my favorites.
Listen to Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz, that is where Hendry Cow drew most of their inspiration. Also on the piano solo, that is lifted from Cecil Taylor. Finally, listen to Meditations from John Coltrane. You will hear the influence. Those are more difficult and demanding listening than Henry Cow.
Frankly, I'm not looking for demanding listening as much as creative music. But those are some great recommendations!
Ce l' ho questo vinile...ti consiglio In praise of learning 1973 o 1974 ?
I really like Leg End and In Praise of Learning, but I could never get why people like Western Culture. Maybe I'll give it a real try again then.
Please do
Love at first listen! A love that just grows stronger and stronger.
Excellent! Glad you enjoyed it
You got grettles tale mixed up with day by day. When I first heard this album in love it. Georgie Born got down on that Cecil taylor like solo. HC is one of my fave bands .you gotta dig that 1/2 the sky first heavy metal song with bassoon like sabbath's meets prokofiev . Notice the beginning is the same as the song falling away ( the song you featured last . Just heavier and doomier
Thanks for the correction. There’s a lot of depth to that album, which you adeptly point out.
Georgie is the bass player. The pianist is one of the guests, Irene Schweizer.
@AlexanderBabikovHimself true shame on me i got my female's mixed up .
@@gidouille yeah as i said i got my females mixed up . And i k ow especally irene had had a music career out side of HC she was also on john Graves solo album if i could remember shes done a ton.
@@Shadowbannddiscourse Schweizer, who is a drummer as well as pianist, led a free Jazz trio which had Uli Trepte and Mani Neumeier before they tripped out, went electric and formed Guru Guru. She played with Cooper, Born, Nichols, Potter, etc. in the Feminist improvising Group, with Cooper and Nichols in Les Diaboliques, with Jo Mcphee's Po Music, is on dozens of improv albums and has a hand in running the Swiss Label, Intakt, I believe. Can't recall her being on a John Greaves album, but i could be forgetting something, or perhaps you're thinking of Carla Bley.
I don't know what's better - the album or the book it's standing on.
I knew someone would catch it!
I’m not sure where I’d put Western Culture in my ranking of the Henry Cow cannon. I love In Praise of Learning and the Art Bears albums.
Obviously it's #1.
The solo in the intro goes harder than any other guitar solo I've ever heard
It's boppin' fer sure
@@MakeWeirdMusic i feel like you can't truly appreciate it until you've tried to play air guitar along to it
I love HC and have been listening to them for over a decade now. It's an acquired taste for sure!
But once you acquire it, your life is never the same lol
@@MakeWeirdMusic Right! For me it started with Gong (Radio Gnome trilogy) and then I was blown away by Magma older stuff. Have you heard those?
That's not really fair. I have a music degree and that ain't the way it goes. Just 'cause you understand it doesn't make it something you're going to hum on the way to McDonalds. This stuff is extreme but I like what I like and that is that. I bought the white background sock album for $1.99 at a record store and it must have been one of the first Virgin pressings because it took paint off walls it was a Mastering Genius. I came from a Frith album and this became my favorite new band. So on to Art Bears and how to clear a room at last call. God I love these creatures. BTW I play the Chapman Stick because I ran out of notes on the bass...
That’s fair. Go make a video about it
Western Culture makes atonal sounds tonal.
Hah, I wouldn't go that far. There's a lot more extreme stuff out there.
this album changed my life too.
Wonderful!
I'm a big fan of Henry Cow, and associated projects. To be honest, though, I've never been fond of Western Culture. It always felt like cleverness got in the way of art. My favorite album is sides 1 & 2 of Concerts. It is truly a thing of beauty and wonder.
I've never listened to Concerts. I'll have to give it a shot.
Let me know what you think.
As good as intellectual chamber rock gets.
Agreed. Nothing better in the genre
I tried to listen henry cow starting from beginning of they're journey, my impressions always ranged from total trash to unskilled playing, and still do, hence I have never went through the socks albums. Personally I think that first attempts was just experimenting and trying new things from which not a lot remained relevant. With this album I think they finally found "IT", instead of trying to mimic Canterbury style they switch to King Crimson and it turned out to be the missing element.
I think they were just doing their own thing, not sounding like KC or Canterbury. They always knew what they were doing, but the ears weren't always available to hear it.
I have the album on CD signed by Tim
Lucky lucky!
Henry Cow is one of the best bands ever!
They're amazing
@@MakeWeirdMusic have you read the biography? It's incredible.
Not yet
Ask a friend with a music degree? you're what we call in England a... you look it up.
You are so clever!
i love godel escher bach:)
+1 big fan of Henry Cow here
Heck yeah!
Love it.
Marty, that was very interesting...music.
Glad you thought so. Who’s Marty?
@@MakeWeirdMusicthink McFly, think!😂
big pet peev you do not need to seek a friend with a music degree or know all the motifs to appreciate this. also the drums alone are a huge selling point. may be listen to more music, baby steps... like trout mask is a harder listen, some glenn branca... may be start with cardiacs work your way here lol
To each his or her own. It helped me appreciate it. I can’t change my story.
Glorious music.
Agreed, Malcolm.
instead of asking a friend with a musical degree, spend some time listening the rest of their discography
Yes sir
love
this reminds me of begnagrad
I don’t know what that is. Please share.
Make Weird Music a Yugoslavian avant-garde band. They tend to be more melodic than Henry cow, but they are similarly bold. Their song “coc’n rolla” is a good example of their style.
I adore it. But it took a while.
Yep
Like it.
I’ve loved this album for about 40 years, and loved it from the beginning. It really did blow my mind as a 20 year old the first time I heard it. In fact I thought it was impossible for humans to actually play this music and then I discovered my turntable was in 45! All one needs is an open mind and imagination to enjoy, I certainly had little understanding of music theory back then. It is still an inspiration all these years later.
Check out the new interview we just posted with an avant garde bagpipe artist
This is a wonderful album. I was lucky enough to see Tim Hodgkinson, Chris Cutler, Yumi Hara, Chlöe Herington and John Greaves perform the second half of this record at a show in 2018 (the first half was skipped because they were only playing music composed by Lindsay Cooper). Cutler's drumming is truly something to behold.