Henry Cow, Western Culture (side A)

1978's Western Culture seems to receive less attention than the first three Henry Cow albums, perhaps because it does not have a sock on its cover. While the earlier albums focus more on careful compositions, Western Culture emphasizes the group's chaotic performative style. It is hard to tell exactly where compositions intersect with improvisations, but one hint of increased emphasis on improvisation is a cameo by noted pianist Irène Schweizer. The album sounds pretty strange—the existence of lower-budget recording equipment by 1978 leads to a grainier and cheaper sound than was achieved on the earlier albums. Aggressive playing gives Western Culture recognizable references to rock music, and it also foreshadows some of the energy and abandon that Henry Cow's members would bring to some of their later projects outside of the group.