In Praise of Learning

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In Praise of Learning
Studio album by Henry Cow / Slapp Happy
Released	1975
Recorded	The Manor, Oxfordshire, England, February–March 1975
Genre	Avant-progressive rock
Length	37:28
Label	Virgin Records (UK)
Producer(s)	Henry Cow, Slapp Happy and Phil Becque
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Prog. Archives   link Robert Christgau (B) link
Henry Cow chronology
Desperate Straights (1975)	In Praise of Learning (1975)	Henry Cow Concerts (1976)
Slapp Happy chronology
Desperate Straights (1975)	In Praise of Learning (1975)	Acnalbasac Noom (1980)

In Praise of Learning is an album by British avant-garde rock groups Henry Cow and Slapp Happy, recorded at Virgin Records' Manor studios in February and March 1975. It was the second of two collaborative albums by the two groups and was released later that year.

In Praise of Learning was the most overtly political album Henry Cow made. Printed on the back of the album cover is filmmaker John Grierson's quote "Art is not a mirror - it is a hammer", and the Tim Hodgkinson 16 minute composition "Living in the Heart of the Beast", augmented by Dagmar Krause's Armageddon-like vocals, made it quite clear where Henry Cow's political aspirations lay. Krause's powerful voice had added a new dimension to their music. The album opener, "War" (Moore/Blegvad) had been recorded the previous year during the Desperate Straights sessions.

The album cover art work was by artist Ray Smith and was the last of the three "paint socks" to feature on Henry Cow's albums.

Contents 1 Track listing 2 Personnel 2.1 Guests 2.2 Sound and art work 3 CD reissues 4 External links

[edit] Track listing

Side One

1. "War" (Moore, Blegvad) – 2:25
2. "Living in the Heart of the Beast" (Hodgkinson) – 15:30

Side Two

1. "Beginning: The Long March" (Henry Cow, Slapp Happy) – 6:26
2. "Beautiful as the Moon - Terrible as an Army with Banners" (Frith, Cutler) – 7:02
3. "Morning Star" (Henry Cow, Slapp Happy) – 6:05

[edit] Personnel

• Tim Hodgkinson – Organ, clarinet, piano
• Fred Frith – Guitar, violin, xylophone, piano
• John Greaves – Bass guitar, piano
• Chris Cutler – Drums, radio
• Dagmar Krause – Voice
• Peter Blegvad – Guitar, voice, clarinet
• Anthony Moore – Piano, electronics and tapework
• Lindsay Cooper – Bassoon, oboe

[edit] Guests

• Geoff Leigh – Soprano saxophone
• Mongezi Feza – Trumpet
• Phil Becque – Oscillator

[edit] Sound and art work

• Henry Cow – Producers
• Slapp Happy – Producers
• Phil Becque – Producer
• Ray Smith – Cover art

[edit] CD reissues

• East Side Digital issued a remixed version of In Praise of Learning on CD in 1991 with one extra track, "Lovers Of Gold".
• In 2000 both East Side Digital and Recommended Records reissued In Praise of Learning on CD with the original mixing restored and the bonus track omitted.

[edit] External links

• Fred Frith discography

v • d • e Henry Cow
Lindsay Cooper  •  Chris Cutler  •  Fred Frith  •  Tim Hodgkinson  •  Dagmar Krause Georgie Born  •  John Greaves  •  Geoff Leigh Dave Attwood  •  Rob Brooks  •  Martin Ditcham  •  Joss Graham  •  Andy Powell  •  Sean Jenkins
Discography
Leg End (1973)  •  Unrest (1974)  •  Henry Cow Concerts (1976)  •  Western Culture (1979)
with Slapp Happy:  Desperate Straights (1975)  •  In Praise of Learning (1975)
Related bands and movements
Art Bears  •  Rock in Opposition  •  Slapp Happy

v • d • e Slapp Happy
Peter Blegvad  •  Dagmar Krause  •  Anthony Moore
Discography
Sort Of (1972)  •  Slapp Happy (1974)  •  Acnalbasac Noom (1980)  •  Ça Va (1998)  •  Live in Japan (2001)
with Henry Cow:  Desperate Straights (1975)  •  In Praise of Learning (1975)
Related bands
Faust  •  Henry Cow