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.
Beginning: The Long March
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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Shuggie Burlington
And when I listen to its companion piece, 'Lovers of Gold', my imagination is haunted with scenes from J.G. Ballard's jet black novel 'High Rise'. You might post that track as well, mousetrapreplica91!
Marco Di Donato
Zappa+Pink Floyd+Cpt.Beefheart=mishmash Zappa+Pink Floyd+Cpt.Beefheart+genius= Henry Cow
Michael Dupont
This changed my views on music many years ago...
Death Mask
Don;t you think it may be a blessing that this band does not try to appeal to Shane Dawson fans? Maybe it's a blessing it's a blessing that this band is not of the substance to attract almost two million shane dawson fans.
JuomariTurmio
The Cow says moo. Great tune.
Shuggie Burlington
The titular march was an unimaginably nasty but nessecary ordeal. This music is a perfect, horrifying soundtrack; it really caught me off guard. Some reviewer likened it to a rusty old submarine crawling along the bottom of a river, but I have a higher opinion of this music.
CapitalistOverlord
Reminds me a lot of GSY!BE.
David Karner
This video = 1,842 views Blow-up doll for dinner = 1,957,499 What's wrong with the world: Exhibit A
Zabaglione
if this had a million views i wouldnt like it anymore
Malwaeve
now theres 10k views haha all that time and not even close