In Praise of Learning (Original Mix)

Artist: Henry Cow , and Slapp Happy
Label: East Side Digital
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Original recording reissued
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 021561815223
EAN: 0021561815223
ASIN: B00004TRUW

Release Date: 2000-06-20

In Praise of Learning (Original Mix)

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Tracks:

War
Living In The Heart Of The Beast
Beginning: The Long March
Beautiful As THe Moon - Terrible As An Army With Banners
Morning Star

Similar Items:

Unrest
Desperate Straights
Casablanca Moon/ Desperate Straights
Egg
Space Shanty

Album Details

Third in Re-releases of Henry Cow. on CD for the First Timewith the Originl Mix and Re-Mastered.

Customer Reviews:

Exceptionally complex and difficult stuff.......2007-04-08

In 1975, the German/English avant-garde group Slapp Happy merged with English chamber progressive rock group Henry Cow and created what has to be one of the most exciting and challenging recordings in my collection. Come to think of it, In Praise of Learning (1975) is easily my favorite Henry Cow album and the complexity on this album certainly gave bands like Gentle Giant a run for their money.

The lineup on the album included Henry Cow members Tim Hodgkinson (Hammond organ, clarinet, piano on Living in the Heart of the Beast); Fred Frith (guitar, violin, xylophone, piano on Beautiful as the Moon - As Terrible as an Army with Banners); John Greaves (bass guitar, piano); Chris Cutler (drums, radio); Lindsay Cooper (bassoon, oboe); and Slapp Happy members Dagmar Krause (vocals); Peter Blegvad (guitar, voice, and clarinet); and Anthony Moore (piano, electronics, and tapework). All of the musicians are absolutely top shelf and the group is capable of some mind numbingly complex ensemble work - the arrangements are unbelievable. John is an exceptionally good bass player, and his angular lines on the bass show a clear mastery of the instrument. Other great players include the superb guitarist Fred Frith and Chris Cutler, a drummer I would place in a class with other masters such as Christian Vander (Magma) and Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson, U.K. etc).

The five tracks on the album range in length from the 2'30 War to the lengthy 16'18" Living in the Heart of the Beast suite. Although there are moments on the album that use somewhat pleasant modalities (i.e. scales that are nice to listen to) there are large sections of sheer atonal chaos, complete with electronic mayhem and furious explosions on the woodwinds courtesy of Lindsay. The tracks Beginning: The long March and Morning Star are great examples of the more harsh and astringent aspects of the music, while the Living in the Heart of the Beast suite and Beautiful as the Moon... are more in keeping with the English progressive rock style (well somewhat at any rate). I especially appreciate the (at times) complete disintegration of melody and Dagmar's harsh vocal style (there are moments however when her singing style is more "traditional"), although I suppose that for me, the most impressive aspect of this album is the unbelievable intricacy of the arrangements - it is clear that the band spent a great deal of time composing the pieces. Before I forget, the pieces seem to be arranged in a massive suite of sorts.

This remastered album is pretty good and features informative liner notes, the lyrics, small photos of the group, and excellent sound quality.

All in all, this album is very highly recommended to those listeners that like their prog rock on the difficult, atonal, and challenging side of the equation. Other albums by Henry Cow that might prove interesting include Unrest (1974) and Western Culture (1978).

IN LIGHT OF RECENT EVENTS.......2004-08-11

That any music by Henry Cow is out of stock is understandable, but unforgivable. Enough to know about the sacrifice these artists made for their art, and enough to know that in an industry increasingly obsessed with predictable product there is less and less and soon even less room for music that actually says something. In this case, something important.

Amid the complexities of the early 1970s, when some musicians took on some very thorny issues, none proved more dangerous than Henry Cow. With Slapp Happy on board -- for this album at least -- a curiously refined social commentary emerged. If there ever was a proletarian art, this was it. And, as we've been told, art is not a mirror, it is a hammer. Few records can hit as hard as "In praise of learning".

Get your hands on a copy. Listen to it, learn it. Then consider the social and political climate of the Vietnam era, and consider the world today.

THE SOCK MOVES FIRMLY TO THE LEFT FOOT..........2002-11-09

The third album in their ýsocký trilogy (see the cover art for LEG END and UNREST), IN PRAISE OF LEARNING shows Henry Cow, having merged with their (then-) labelmates on Virgin, Slapp Happy, evolved into a band whose music and politics had become one. In press releases, interviews, and the scarce lyrics contained in earlier works (ýNine funerals of the citizen kingý, on LEG END), their left-wing views had been hinted at ý and those who knew the band and how they worked were aware of these beliefs as well ý on this recording, this philosophy takes center stage, with lyrics that leave little doubt as to where the authors stand, delivered with a vengeance by the amazing voice of Dagmar Krause.

The album kicks off nicely with ýWar (Energy enslaved)ý, written by Anthony Moore and Peter Blegvad (two-thirds of Slapp Happy) ý itýs a scathing myth-like tale of the birth and appearance of War on Earth. The powerful lyrics remind the listener that, while War make fight on both sides of conflicts, invoked by varying causes and ideologies, and might employ assorted tools and techniques over the course of history, her purpose and deliverance have always been death and destruction. The next piece, the Tim Hodgkinson opus ýLiving in the heart of the beastý, takes the bandýs revolutionary philosophy and message further ý itýs a history lesson as well as a rallying cry, and the final section, with Fred Frithýs guitar taking the lead, is one of the most powerful pieces of music Iýve ever heard. From the final section: ýNow is the time to begin to determine directions, refuse to admit the existence of destinyýs ruleýý The other vocal selection (from the original album) is ýBeautiful as the moon ý terrible as an army with bannersý, a group composition with lyrics by Chris Cutler. The images it contains are dark (or bright, depending on which side you stand) portents of a class struggle coming to revolutionary fruition, of a people rising up and retaking control of their lives and labor. Itýs overtly political in thought, backed by some more outstanding and moving ensemble playing.

The two instrumental pieces from the original album are ýBeginning: the long marchý (a nod to the Long March that Mao led during the early days of the Chinese Revolution) and ýMorning starý ý each with plenty of room for the band to stretch out and improvise. The final track on this disc is a bonus, not released previously, entitled ýLovers of goldý, another group composition with lyrics by Chris.

Instrumentally, this album shows a progression from the styles developed on the groups first two albums ý the biggest change here is the presence of so many vocals. The merger of Henry Cow with the group Slapp Happy (Peter Blegvad, Anthony Moore and Dagmar Krause) brought two new instrumentalists into the mix ý and gave the bandýs political philosophy a near-perfect voice in Dagmar. Her instrument is like no other. She is obviously possessed of enormous talents and dedication ý and her style fits her role to a ýTý. She can cover an amazing range of tone and delivery, from a coo to a cackle to a scream ý and her German accent brings to mind the social/political songs of Brecht/Eisler/Weill from the first half of the 20th century, artists whose work is extremely relevant to the songs presented here. After the demise of Henry Cow, Dagmar, Fred Frith and Chris Cutler went on to form Art Bears (hey Amazon, where are their cdsý?), who recorded three absolutely amazing and essential albums during their short career.

IN PRAISE OF LEARNING is not easy listening ý either musically or philosophically. It is, however, intelligent and sincere and honest in both categories ý and itýs an album that will always remain a vital element of my collection.

4 instead of 5 stars? But the previous 2 recieved 5, hmm.......2002-10-18

Ah yes, somewhere after "unrest", Slapp Happy and Henry Cow merged, but the union was only temporary. The reason i give 4 stars intstead of the usual 5 for Henry Cow's "In praise of learning" is that i think (and sorry for this) that the inclusion of a singer, and given "desperate straights" and "casablanca moon"; the more song-based compositions are a departure. Before, Henry Cow's instruments were the singers- the instruments were at the forefront, and i feel they were pushed back behind the singer in this album. However, tracks like "The long march" and "morning star" are instrumental- and as "unrest" dealt with improvisation, tape manipulation, etc.- IPOL takes a step further. The inclusion of Mongezi Feza on trumpet adds an incredibly fresh tone over the tracks, particularly "War". We hear more tapework, noise makers, oscillators, even a detuned radio in the background- its little speaker long since blown out. Henry Cow's muscles continued to get larger as the albums kept coming, and the words in my head now are ugly and aggressive. With IPOL, HC just got uuugly, and aggressive. And this is good! Mr. Frith's guitar work on "Living in the heart of the beast" is, well... beastial- it moves and strikes with a force that some hardcore (a la punk, metal, etc) acts have tried to utilize, but have given it overkill. With Mr. Frith, its just enough to disturb. Dagmar is right on the mark- her voice able to reach from dirty to pristine.
The general mood and lyrics reflect the conflict that has been raging around the world since the world was able to be concious of itself : i cannot help but think of the mid-70s, and the turmoil in Britain, the Middle East, Africa (particularly South Africa, home of the Soweto incident in 1976, a year after the record's release), and grim parrelled coda in Vietnam, and rise of the Cambodian chapter.The world over, this is a statement bathed in conflict, foreshadowing the rough decades that we still inhabit. Take the lyrics from "war"- "The pilgrims increase/ Boasting they are led by peace/ They gut huts with gusto/ Pillage villages with verve/ War does what it has to/ People get what they deserve". This is the power that only IPOL can deliver.
I recomend anyone who wishes to start with Henry Cow's albums to begin at the beginning, naturally. Then take "Unrest" and stick with both of those for a few years, months, weeks, days; which ever you desire. Then, grab this album, and welcome it into the family. It is considered "classic henry cow" by most reviews, and i agree, but no more classic than the first two. What does that mean? THEY ARE CLASSIC. Ugh, forgive that word...they are important. Transmission embarassed...

She banged her spoon against her plate.......2002-09-24

NOTHING COMPARES TO THIS - MUSIC IN OPPOSITION YEAH!!! - UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE THIS IS A CLASSIC LP - THE FIRST TWO HENRY COW LP WERE GOOD BUT THIS ONE IS TRULY OUT THERE!! THOUGHT PROVOKING LYRICS ABOUND AND THE DYNAMIC TENSION OF THE MUSIC IS INCREDIBLE!! I ENCLOSED THERE LYRICS OF WAR - WOW - WHAT A SONG!! DIG DEEP INTO ALL OF THE LYRICS AND SOUNDS OF THIS MASTERPIECE!!! PLEASE!!! NOT FOR CASUAL LISTENING OR TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY - FRED FRITH'S GUITAR SEARS THROUGH SPACE - THIS CD TREADS UPON DARK EMOTIONS........

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