Unrest by Henry Cow (1974 album)
On Progressive Rock World I dedicated ample space to Henry Cow, one of the pillars of the Canterbury experimentation and scene, in particular with the review of their debut album, The Henry Cow Legend (1973), a complex blend of experimental jazz, contemporary classical music and rock.
If Henry Cow are among the fundamental artists of RIO (Rock In Opposition) and Avant-Prog they owe it to Chris Cutler who is not only the drummer, but is a central and visionary figure of the European rock avant-garde.
We are talking about a Visionary, the main promoter of the revolution of intentions, musical and ideological, which led to the birth of the Rock in Opposition (RIO) movement, a drummer with great technical talent, who we also recently heard in the Triangulations (2025) project, a work based on his drum tracks in collaboration with Luciano Margorani and Dario D'Alessandro. I talked about all this at length in the article "Henry Cow, pioneers of the Rock in Opposition (RIO) movement".
Unrest, released in May 1974, is one of the pinnacles of the Rock in Opposition (RIO) movement for its fusion of rigorous composition, free improvisation, and studio experiments.
Lindsay Cooper, a talented multi-instrumentalist who plays oboe and bassoon, joined Henry Cow for this album, replacing Geoff Leigh, bringing her classical training that gave a unique touch to the band's sound, bringing it closer to contemporary European art music.
In December 1973, after a tour of the Netherlands, Geoff Leigh decided to leave Henry Cow. His reasons? Musical differences and dissatisfaction with how the group was managed. Geoff liked high-energy free jazz, while the band was moving towards a more electronic, ambient style with more complex compositions. In short, music seemed to him "complicated for the sake of it". At first, Geoff wasn't keen on the contract with Virgin Records and only signed on so he wouldn't leave the group right away. He was unhappy, because he saw the choice as more political than musical. In a later interview, he admitted that it was difficult for him to work in large groups, because he suffered from creative claustrophobia with more than three musicians. He was the only one to play acoustic instruments, sax and flute, but he was also the loudest on stage, a situation that sometimes frustrated and limited him.
When Henry Cow set to work on "Unrest," they found themselves in the studio without enough material for a full album. Under pressure, they decided to use the studio itself as a composition tool. This choice was influenced by Faust, with whom they had just toured, and led them to experiment.
The sound of "Unrest" is a dense and uncompromising mix of Avant-Rock, Chamber Jazz and Experimental Electronic Music, and is considered the manifesto of Rock in Opposition (RIO). Unlike classic prog-rock, which is often inspired by the blues, Henry Cow was inspired by formal classical music. Tracks like "Ruins" use the Fibonacci sequence to define rhythms and harmonies, creating a sound that is both organic.
With the arrival of Lindsay Cooper, the winds (oboe and bassoon) shifted from jazz alone to textures closer to modern classical music, giving the band a cultured atmosphere, reminiscent of composers such as Stravinsky or Bartók.
The second part of the album is strongly influenced by Concrete Music. Once again, the experience of touring with Faust took its toll: they used tape loops, variable-speed recordings, and drastic tape cuts to turn improvisations into alien soundscapes.
While using a classic rock line-up (guitar, bass, drums), Henry Cow eliminated any trace of "swing" or blues-derived derivation. "Bittern Storm Over Ulm", for example, takes a riff by the Yardbirds and distorts it rhythmically until it is almost unrecognizable.
My version is by ReR Megacorp, Chris Cutler's label (ReR VHC2), released in 2017 and is a high-fidelity 180 gram vinyl reissue in a limited pressing of 1000 copies. The cover faithfully reproduces the original and the album respects the original 1974 tracklist without the addition of bonus tracks.
The music on the album oscillates between moments of ghostly quiet (such as the piano in "Half Asleep; Half Awake") and dense dissonant "attacks" of pure organized noise.
The album that is divided into two worlds, each with its own soul. Side A is a journey into composition, where each piece is a dense and well-structured work of art. "Bittern Storm Over Ulm" is an intricate reinterpretation, almost a "perversion" (Fred Frith's word!) of "Got to Hurry" by the Yardbirds. Then there is "Half Asleep; Half Awake", a delicate piece led by John Greaves' piano, which evokes almost romantic atmospheres. And let's not forget "Ruins", one of Frith's most famous compositions, built on the Fibonacci sequence for rhythms and harmonies.
Let's move on to Side B, where improvisation and study take over. Here we find songs almost entirely born from improvisation, then technically manipulated to create something unique. "Solemn Music" is a brief sampling of the incidental music written for Shakespeare's The Tempest. And then there are "Linguaphonie" and "Upon Entering The Hotel Adlon", two examples of "instant composition", with frenetic overdubs and distorted vocals that create a surreal atmosphere.
In short, an album that offers two sides of the same coin, a fascinating exploration between composition and improvisation.
The cover takes up the theme of the "sock" (sock-art) that characterized the debut "Legend", but this time in a gray-black version created by the artist Ray Smith.
The album is a tribute to two very important figures: Robert Wyatt, who at the time had suffered the serious accident that had left him paralyzed, and Uli Trepte, the bassist of Guru Guru and Neu!tag. In the recordings of "Ruins", in the same studio where he was working on "Hergest Ridge", Mike Oldfield also joined, who contributed as a sound engineer. A real meeting of creative minds.
This album is a perfect (and one-of-a-kind) mix of clutter and order together. Unlike the first album (Legend), which still had a bit of jazz-rock à la Soft Machine, Unrest throws away every rule. It's a challenging listen, full of ideas and cerebral, but with a dramatic tension that keeps you glued. I love him because he manages to combine the precision of modern cultured music with the rebellious energy of rock. Excellent!
My Version
Label: ReR Megacorp – ReR VHC2
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Repress
Country: UK
Release: 2017
Tracklist
1. Bittern Storm over Ulm (2:44)
2. Half Asleep; Half Awake (7:39)
3. Ruins (12:00)
4. Solemn Music (1:09)
5. Linquaphonie (5:58)
6. Upon Entering the Hotel Adlon (2:56)
7. Arcades (1:50)
8. Deluge (5:52)
Duration 40:08
LineUp
- Fred Frith - stereo guitar, piano, violin, xylophone
- Tim Hodgkinson - organ, piano, alto saxophone, clarinet, vocals
- Lindsay Cooper - bassoon, oboe, recorder, vocals
- John Greaves - bass, piano, vocals
- Chris Cutler - drums
With:
- Charles Fletcher - vocals
- Engineer, Parts Of Ruins – Mike Oldfield
Listening link on the main streaming platforms at the following links:
Bandcamp: You can listen to and buy the album (remastered version) directly on the official Henry Cow page on Bandcamp.
YouTube Music: The full album is available for free (with ads) on the official YouTube Music playlist.
Deezer: It is available for free listening (with restrictions for non-subscribers) on Deezer.
Apple Music: You can listen to the remastered version via subscription on Apple Music.
Amazon Music: Available with subscription on Amazon Music.
Note: All links to the musicians’ works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists"
