Henry Cow: The World Is a Problem

The British experimental band Henry Cow pushed rock music to its limits with its rotating personnel, synthesizing a distinct sound that troubled genre lines. Benjamin Piekut's book explores the group's pursuit of a political and musical collectivism, offering up its history as an example of the vernacular avant-garde that emerged in the decades after World War II.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 512 pages
Publication date: 27 September 2019
Publisher: Duke University Press

The British experimental band Henry Cow pushed the boundaries of rock music with its open improvisations, lapidary lyrics, errant melodies, and relentless pursuit of spontaneity. Formed in Cambridge in 1968, the band's rotating personnel, drawn from rock, free jazz, and orchestral worlds, synthesized a distinct sound that blurred genre lines. This musical diversity also brought forth a mixed political ideology, encompassing Maoism, communism, feminism, and Italian Marxism.

In his book "Henry Cow: The World Is a Problem," Benjamin Piekut delves into the band's story, from its founding to its affiliation with Virgin Records and its eventual demise ten years later. Through extensive research, including ninety interviews with Henry Cow musicians and crew, letters, notebooks, scores, journals, and meeting notes, Piekut traces the group's pursuit of a political and musical collectivism. He offers up the band's history as a testament to the vernacular avant-garde that emerged in the decades following World War II.

Henry Cow's music is undeniably unique, but its impact extends far beyond its musicality. The band's unpredictable potential to transform the world resonates deeply, making it a valuable example of the avant-garde's enduring influence.

Weight: 752g
Dimension: 153 x 230 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478004660