Desperate Straights

Desperate Straights is an album by British avant-garde rock groups Slapp Happy and Henry Cow, recorded at Virgin Records' Manor studios in November 1974. It was the first of two collaborative albums by the two groups and was released in 1975.

Almost all of the album comprises Slapp Happy composed material and it is for this reason that it is generally regarded as a Slapp Happy album with backing by Henry Cow. The music is an unusual blend of avant-garde music and nostalgic pop, and the success of this collaboration led to the two bands merging.

Track listing

1. "Some Questions about Hats" (Moore, Blegvad) – 1:49
2. "The Owl" (Moore) – 2:14
3. "A Worm is at Work" (Moore, Blegvad) – 1:52
4. "Bad Alchemy" (Greaves, Blegvad) – 3:06
5. "Europa" (Moore, Blegvad) – 2:48
6. "Desperate Straights" (Moore) – 4:14
7. "Riding Tigers" (Blegvad) – 1:43Side Two
8. "Apes in Capes" (Moore) – 2:14
9. "Strayed" (Blegvad) – 1:53
10. "Giants" (Moore, Blegvad) – 1:57
11. "Excerpt from The Messiah" (Handel, Blegvad) – 1:48
12. "In the Sickbay" (Krause, Blegvad) – 2:08
13. "Caucasian Lullaby" (Cutler, Moore) – 8:20

Personnel

• Dagmar Krause (credited as "Dagmar") – Voice, Wurlitzer ("In the Sickbay")
• Peter Blegvad – Guitar, voice
• Anthony Moore – Piano
• Tim Hodgkinson – Clarinet, piano
• Fred Frith – Guitar, violin
• John Greaves – Bass guitar, piano
• Chris Cutler – Drums, etc

Guests

• Geoff Leigh – Flute
• Pierre Moerlen – Percussion ("Europa")
• Muchsin Campbell – French horn
• Mongezi Feza – Trumpet
• Nick Evans – Trombone
• Lindsay Cooper – Bassoon, oboe

Sound and art work

• Slapp Happy – Producers
• Henry Cow – Producers
• Simon Heyworth – Producer
• Peter Blegvad – Cover art

CD reissues

• In 1993 Virgin Records reissued Desperate Straights together with Slapp Happy's Casablanca Moon on CD.
• In 2004 Recommended Records reissued Desperate Straights on CD by itself.

See also

• Henry Cow Box (2006)

External links

• Fred Frith discography