In response to a question in Quora asking which rock band had the most educated members, musicologist Alex Johnston answered with a fringe band that found success in the 1970s avant-garde scene. That band was called Henry Cow.
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Of course, he prefaced his answer by saying that many people would probably say Queen, and who wouldn’t?
Brian May, the lead guitarist of Queen, is a genius astrophysicist. Roger Taylor, the drummer, had studied to become a dentist, but shifted and attained a degree in biology instead. Their bassist, John Deacon has a degree in electronics. And Freddie Mercury studied graphic art and design, earning a diploma from Ealing Art College.
But Johnston argued, Henry Cow had the advantage of having more band members, most of whom, obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees, with one member, Georgina Born, even getting a PhD in anthropology.
The band was the subject of Cornell professor Benjamin Piekut’s book, Henry Cow: The World is a Problem, wherein he explored how the experimental band challenged not just themselves but also the audience through their music. The band’s members came from different musical backgrounds and interests, ranging from classical orchestra to free jazz, rock and electronic music.
From the time the band was formed in 1968 until their disbandment in 1978, they toured around Europe, was among the first groups to do free improvisation on stage and in the recording studio, and had collaborations in London’s avant-garde scenes. They continued to work with one another in various musical projects even after they disbanded.
(Image credit: Alex Johnston/Quora)
Source: neatorama