Henry Cow was an English avant-garde rock group, founded at Cambridge Unive… Read Full Bio ↴Henry Cow was an English avant-garde rock group, founded at Cambridge University in 1968 by multi-instrumentalists Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson. An inherent anti-commercial bias kept them at arm's length from the mainstream music business, enabling them to experiment at will. They remained in existence for 10 years, breaking up in 1978, and produced a body of music that was challenging, provocative and influential for years to come. Collaborations with the similarly-minded band Slapp Happy led to an eventual but brief merger of the two bands in 1974, and demerging in 1975. Cutler, Frith and Krause also continued on as Art Bears from 1978 as disagreements set in and the band dissolved.
Henry Cow was among the founding members of the movement dubbed Rock in Opposition (RIO).
A number of people passed through Henry Cow over the years:
* Georgie Born - Cello, Bass (1976-1978)
* Lindsay Cooper - Bassoon, Reeds (1974, 1975-1978)
* Chris Cutler - Drums, Percussion (1971-1978)
* Fred Frith - Guitar, Violin, Bass, Piano, Xylophone (1968-1978)
* John Greaves - Bass, Piano (1970-1976)
* Tim Hodgkinson - Keyboards, Reeds (1968 - 1978)
* Dagmar Krause - Vocals (1975 - 1978)
* Geoff Leigh - Flute, Reeds (1972 - 1973)
Henry Cow's repertoire included elaborately scored pieces (often with complex time signatures), tape manipulations, free improvisation and songs. It incorporated elements of jazz, rock, classical music and the avant-garde. Dagmar Krause's vocals added another dimension to their sound, giving it a dramatic, almost Brechtian flair.
Their music was often experimental, making classification all but impossible. However, the following styles (amongst others) are often associated with Henry Cow:
* rock (too general and therefore inadequate)
* progressive rock
* art rock
* avant-progressive rock
* avant-rock
* chamber rock
* experimental rock
* free improvisation
Some of these styles may come closer to describing their music than others, and often it contained elements of all of the above, but in reality, Henry Cow simply remains one of those unclassifiable groups.
Henry Cow's music was challenging, not only to the listener, but also to the band themselves. They often composed pieces to challenge their own capabilities. Some of their music was scored beyond the conventional ranges of their music instruments necessitating that they "reinvent their instruments", learn how to play them in completely new ways. And yet their music may not have been as good as it could have been. Henry Cow conducted their affairs as a committee, having regular, minuted meetings with no decisions being made unless approved by the group. This included their music. Band members brought their ideas to the table but often they ended up being watered down as a result of the collective process, rather than strengthened, and many of their best ideas may not have been fully realised. Who knows what Henry Cow might have produced had individual members been given more free reign.
While their music is a decided "acquired taste", there is much to recommend in it, for as it is often dissonant and challenging, it is also rich and exciting, and yields more insights upon repeated listening.
Henry Cow reunited in November 2014 to celebrate the music of the late Lindsay Cooper for shows in the UK and Italy.
Henry Cow was among the founding members of the movement dubbed Rock in Opposition (RIO).
A number of people passed through Henry Cow over the years:
* Georgie Born - Cello, Bass (1976-1978)
* Lindsay Cooper - Bassoon, Reeds (1974, 1975-1978)
* Chris Cutler - Drums, Percussion (1971-1978)
* Fred Frith - Guitar, Violin, Bass, Piano, Xylophone (1968-1978)
* John Greaves - Bass, Piano (1970-1976)
* Tim Hodgkinson - Keyboards, Reeds (1968 - 1978)
* Dagmar Krause - Vocals (1975 - 1978)
* Geoff Leigh - Flute, Reeds (1972 - 1973)
Henry Cow's repertoire included elaborately scored pieces (often with complex time signatures), tape manipulations, free improvisation and songs. It incorporated elements of jazz, rock, classical music and the avant-garde. Dagmar Krause's vocals added another dimension to their sound, giving it a dramatic, almost Brechtian flair.
Their music was often experimental, making classification all but impossible. However, the following styles (amongst others) are often associated with Henry Cow:
* rock (too general and therefore inadequate)
* progressive rock
* art rock
* avant-progressive rock
* avant-rock
* chamber rock
* experimental rock
* free improvisation
Some of these styles may come closer to describing their music than others, and often it contained elements of all of the above, but in reality, Henry Cow simply remains one of those unclassifiable groups.
Henry Cow's music was challenging, not only to the listener, but also to the band themselves. They often composed pieces to challenge their own capabilities. Some of their music was scored beyond the conventional ranges of their music instruments necessitating that they "reinvent their instruments", learn how to play them in completely new ways. And yet their music may not have been as good as it could have been. Henry Cow conducted their affairs as a committee, having regular, minuted meetings with no decisions being made unless approved by the group. This included their music. Band members brought their ideas to the table but often they ended up being watered down as a result of the collective process, rather than strengthened, and many of their best ideas may not have been fully realised. Who knows what Henry Cow might have produced had individual members been given more free reign.
While their music is a decided "acquired taste", there is much to recommend in it, for as it is often dissonant and challenging, it is also rich and exciting, and yields more insights upon repeated listening.
Henry Cow reunited in November 2014 to celebrate the music of the late Lindsay Cooper for shows in the UK and Italy.
Beautiful As The Moon
Henry Cow Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Henry Cow:
Bad Alchemy I dream Hermaphrodite and I sit up all night Our eyes…
Deluge Don't disturb me while I'm dreaming Walk softly on my peace…
Gloria Gloom Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how…
Living in the Heart of the Beast Situation that rules your world (despite all you've said) I…
Lovers of Gold Lovers of Gold Give All you own To bats and spiders and t…
Nine Funerals of the Citizen King Down beneath the spectacle of free No one ever let you…
Nirvana for Mice Sweet mystery of life I will remember Sweet mystery of life…
Ottawa Song You and I could sail away to distant lands. In a…
Teenbeat Reprise Instrumental…
Viva Pa Ubu Here is a song for all you Ubists Fat & loathsome, Rich…
War Tell of the birth Tell how war appeared on earth Thunder an…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Vincent de Tourdonnet
This remains one of the most unique and powerful songs I've ever heard in my life. It still mystifies me, although now I recognize how much of its originality lies in Chris Cutler's madly inventive, precise drumming. Kind of falls apart into improv chaos part way though. That was a prog-rock thing. But when the main theme comes back near the end: "ROSE DAWN/DAEMON" it's worth the wait, the tense counterpoint, the climax. Henry Cow were prog, I guess, but they were not pompous. 40 years later, I've personally never heard rock totally re-invented this much. Except maybe by some surreal hip-hip. But how many bands totally re-invent music, really? How often does something this unique get created?
John Sluggett
Where is the "improv chaos?" This piece sounds pretty composed to me.
ShanghaiRooster
@John Sluggett I'd guess he means somewhere after the five minute mark, where the rest of the band fades out leaving just Tim for a bit. Then Fred enters, and the full band follows.
John Sluggett
ShanghaiRooster It is folly to argue things we don't really know. The musical effect of the piano(s) is chaotic for sure, (they do multiple pianos; listen to the 2 or 3 piano outro on Half Asleep/Half Awake) but don't rule out that it is "composed," or a mix of a prescribed tone row set to improvised rhythm. 12 tone type music is usually often jarring and random sounding. Then add some rhythmic disjunct for more jarring effect. I wouldn't say this section is particularly representative of "prog-rock." It IS very Henry Cow.
ShanghaiRooster
@John Sluggett John I don't disagree with you at all. Was merely a hypothesis.
John Sluggett
Sorry, ShanghaiRooster. I should have been addressing Vincent regarding his "improv/chaos," "prog rock" comments.
Surrealms
I love Henry Cow & their inventiveness. I've always said Leg End is my favorite because it's more playful/optimistic? than their other albums, but having heard this for maybe the 4th or 5th time, it's hard to deny the ambitious achievement that is In Praise Of Learning.
Bernabé García Sánchez
Sort of Messiaen/Ligeti meets rock. A lot of chromaticism in the melody (for instance, the first melody E-Eb-D-C#), major chords (E, F#, A), 7th chords(C#m7, BMaj7), and also changing time signatures, and adding/substracting beat (14/8 -13/8 riff)
stinkoodor🧅
In my opinion, Henry Cow were THE progressive rock band. I don't think their contemporaries were as radical as HC eventually became, especially when pushing the limit of what was even considered rock music.
They were incredibly deliberate about everything, including the improvisations. Gotta admire that dedication
John Appleseed
First time hearing, being a fan of prog and avant garde, I like what I hear :)