Lather - Frank Zappa

Advantages: First true orchestral outing since 200 Motels
Disadvantages: Slightly Muddy sound, Early synclavier sounds

...I've been a fan of Zappa for many years, and could probably bore you to tears with the minutiae of every song, every piece of music released over the last 40 years. BUT here is my unbiased view of this particular offering. This album is a collection of chamber works commisioned by the Ensemble InterContemporian, interspersed with some early works for Synclavier (here cited as the Barking Pumpkin Digital Gratification Consort). The Ensemble InterContemporian perform three works on the album - The Perfect Stranger being the only substantially new work (Naval Aviation in Art? dating from around 1975/1976 being released on Orchestral Favorites and later on Lather, and Dupree's Paradise dating from around 1972/1973, but not actually released in it's original form until after the Perfect Stranger!). The remainder - Girl in the Magnesium... Read review

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Advantages:
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...'If we can't be free, we can at least be cheap', said Frank Zappa. When you pick up a CD and the price label says £3.99, you expect it to be by some nobobdy who had one No.37 hit ten years ago. When it says Zappa on it you may as well buy it there and then. When you then look and see titles like 'Joe's Garage', 'The Torture Never Stops' and 'You are what you is' you must think that some 16 year old assistant has put the wrong sticker on it and it should be £13.99. However, the price is right and whether you buy it as a starter to get into Zappa, or as a quick addition to your bulging FZ collection, it will be the best few pounds you spend. From the Lennon voice on 'I could be a star now' to 'My guitar wants to kill your mama' it is pure quality of some of the more accessible Zappa. Used as a foil to something like The Yellow Shark... Read review

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Advantages: An insight into the great mind that was - Frank Zappa
Disadvantages: May be a little to wild for some people.

...Apostrophe was released in 1974 on the 'Zappa' label. Track One - Don't Eat the Yellow Snow '' Quite a famous track for Zappa, but at 2mins 7secs it doesn't really provide much of an insight into what the album is going to be like. Also, as you probably have already understood, the 'yellow snow' meaning. Track Two - Nanook Rubs It ' Another funny track from Zappa, but once again doesn't really show his great creativity. Track Three - St. Alfonzo's pancake breakfast '' From the title you can probably grasp that this track is going to be quite interesting... and you wouldn't be wrong. Very tight... Read review

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