Henry Cow includes: Fred Frith, Chris Cutler, Tim Hodgkinson, Lindsay Cooper, John Greaves, Dagmar Krause.
Recorded live between 1973 and 1975.
Henry Cow had expanded to an eight-piece ensemble by the time they had released their third album, IN PRAISE OF LEARNING, in 1975. The group absorbed the trio Slapp Happy when that group broke up, giving Henry Cow its first vocalist, Dagmar Krause. Though the new lineup proved to be a fractious one, Henry Cow did follow the release of IN PRAISE OF LEARNING with a tour that helped produce this album.
Originally a two-record set, CONCERTS is here expanded to include additional material that had appeared on a compilation entitled GREASY TRUCKERS. This set is more or less divided between highly composed pieces and free improvisation culled from their previous three releases. It also includes an adventurous medley made up of "Beautiful as the Moon; Terrible as an Army With Banners," "Nirvana for Mice," and more. Robert Wyatt makes a guest appearance on a few numbers, including a version of his own "Little Red Riding Hood Hits the Road." CONCERTS makes clear that Henry Cow was able to flawlessly pull off its complex pieces on stage.
Professional Reviews
The Wire (p.45) - "CONCERTS is the ultimate Cow anthology, showing off every aspect of their work..."
