SLAPP HAPPY/HENRY COW
DESPERATE STRAIGHTS (1975)
320 KBPS
When Slapp Happy and Henry Cow joined forces two albums resulted. The first was the monumental Henry Cow centred "In Praise of Learning", one of the most uncompromising and complex rock records ever. The second was this collection of basically Slapp Happy penned songs. This collection owes more to the Brecht/Weill school of art songwriting and is quite poppy is places, especially on tracks such as Peter Blegvads "Strayed". I am even reminded of some of Mike Westbrooks work. The songs are melodic, succinct and quite playful and in some ways signals the post Henry Cow project between Krause, Frith and Cutler as the Art Bears.
This is a charming album, unlike anything Henry Cow was involved in at that time. Of note are the tracks "Bad Alchemy" which would later appear on the "Concerts" album and the excellent "Riding Tigers". The final track "Caucasian Lullaby" does not really fit here, a rather austere instrumental which does tend to meander.
1. Some Question About Hats
2. Owl
3. Worm Is At Work
4. Bad Alchemy
5. Europa
6. Desperate
7. Riding
8. Apes In Capes
9. Strayed
10. Giants
11. Excerpt From The Messiah
12. In The Sickbay
13. Caucasian Lullaby
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