In Praise of Learning

In Praise Of Learning is a fierce album; the second with the Henry Cow / Slapp Happy merged line-up, it was also the last from this most quixotic of collaborations, and it’s tempting to suggest the fury of the music was simply too much for their combined stamina. “War” might be the album’s calling card, with Dagmar Krause’s voice at its most declamatory, but the core of the album is two extended songs – the rutting, scattered intensities of “Living in the Heart of the Beast”, and “Beautiful As The Moon – Terrible as an Army with Banners”, whose ferocity remains barely checked throughout its seven minutes. In Search of Learning is an object lesson in balancing the intricacies of art song with the exploratory dynamic of improvisation. It’s also never nervous to issue a challenge to its listener, whether casual or dedicated.