The group's fourth and final studio LP,
Western Culture
remained for a long time
Henry Cow
's hidden treasure. Two factors were instrumental to its occultation (and one more than the other): first, it was not released by
Virgin
like the other ones; second, it did not have the "sock" artwork common to its brothers.
East Side Digital
reissued it in the 1990s, giving the fans wider access to it, but they had to wait until January 2002 for a definitive CD reissue on
ReR Megacorp
, complete with extensive liner notes and three bonus tracks. Obscurity aside,
remains one of the group's strongest efforts in the lines of composition, especially since the unit was literally torn apart at the time. Side one of the original LP consists of a suite in three parts, "History & Prospects," written by
Tim Hodgkinson
. The opener,
"Industry,"
stands as one of
's finest achievements, the angular melody played on a cheap electric organ hitting you in the face so hard it makes an imprint in your brains. Side two features another suite, this one in four parts and by
Lindsay Cooper
. While
Hodgkinson
's music leans toward
rock
, energy, and deconstruction, her writing embraced more
contemporary classical
idioms. Filled with contrasting textures and delicate complicated melodies, these pieces showcased another aspect of the group's sound while foretelling her later works. Swiss pianist
Irene Schweizer
performed a cadenza of sorts in
"Gretel's Tale."
The
ReR
reissue adds
"Viva Pa Ubu,"
the only vocal track, a
song closer to the material found on
In Praise of Learning
, plus an alternate version of
"Look Back"
and the one-minute
"Slice."
~ Francois Couture