Modern Art

About the Artist
Founding members Kelly Tharp (guitar and vocals) and Duke Patterson (bass) have been writing and playing music together for over a decade. They, along with the technical prowess which is Hemmington Foote (drums and keyboards), have been able to produce a record with a sound which is unparallelled in the world of power rock. Currently, they are working on the live show, which will feature their new drummer, Rico Garcia, as well as the keyboard parts being added to Duke's list of responsibilities via floor pedal keyboards, thus producing a completely unique stage performance.

Product Description
Unlike the majority of Texas releases, this "new sound of Texas rock & roll" offers the listener a wide variety of musical styles, including progressive power rock, jazz, reggae and some straight forward Texas rock and blues (and, if you get to the bonus track, you may swear you hear some rap influence). From the soulful sounds of "Love Is Blue" and "Understanding", on to straight ahead rockers like "Your Own Picture" and "The Jackal's Shadow", through slight dementia with "5/3", and over the edge with the earth-shaking finale "The Thrill Of Night", this musical rollercoaster absolutely defines the "new sound of Texas rock & roll".

Modern Art,Modern Art,Select-O-Hits, Inc.,Pop,Popular Music,Rock

Average customer rating:

Yes, folks, it's yet another great Frank Zappa album...are you gettting tired of the excellence?
Fabulous...
A favorite meal
W's for White, the P is for Port, L is the Lemon, the J is the Juice
Worth The Calories

Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention
Manufacturer: Zappa Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Grand Wazoo
Uncle Meat
Weasels Ripped My Flesh
Hot Rats
Waka/Jawaka

ASIN: B0000009S5
Release Date: 1995-05-02

Tracks:

WPLJ
Igor's Boogie, Phase One
Overture To A Holiday In Berlin
Theme From Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Igor's Boogie, Phase Two
Holiday In Berlin, Full-Blown
Aybe Sea
The Little House I Used To Live In
Valarie

Customer Reviews:

Yes, folks, it's yet another great Frank Zappa album...are you gettting tired of the excellence? .......2007-02-04

This is a sister album to Weasels Ripped My Flesh. Zappa had disbanded the Mothers by this time, and this album is left over material from the Mothers. Despite that, it has an incredibly coherent feel (much like Weasels), and the material here is superb. I love the song WPLJ, showcasing Zappa's love of doo-wop ballads. A lot of the songs here are really intricate, and would probably be fantastic in an orchestral setting (like Overture to a Holiday in Berlin and Igor's Boogie, probably named after Igor Stravinsky, a good buddy of Frank's who was his roadie in the 1960's, and one of Russia's foremost composers). I love the way Zappa handles a heckler in The Little House I Used to Live In (and the song is good too). The title is one of Zappa's most memorable as well. Another superb album in the cannons of Zappa.

Fabulous..........2006-09-21

The only Frank Zappa Recording I like better than this is Hot Rats...but this a very close second. Fabulous from start to finish...

A favorite meal.......2006-07-26

I've been a Zappa fan for a very long time. I've owned Burnt Weeny Sandwich (on LP) for a long time. The odd thing is that I didn't figure out until just recently that Burnt Weeny Sandwich is one of my favorite Zappa albums. I think that part of the problem is that I didn't really understand the album when I was a kid--although I certainly didn't dislike it. It was one of the last ones I picked up on CD, so that after not really hearing it for years, I mostly heard a song at a time in isolation with the disc in my CD changers on random shuffle.

But as someone else mentioned, this is really a concept album of sorts, and needs to be listened to in its entirety to "get it". It's an odd concept, because it's not linked by lyrics or music so much as it is by a structural meta-concept--that of a sandwich. The first and last tracks, two pseudo-doo-wop songs, serve as the bread. All the songs up to "Little House I Used to Live In" are the toppings, condiments, and so on, and "Little House I Used to Live In" is the meat . . . well, er, the big burnt weeny. What's remarkable is that the basic tracks consisted of Mothers of Invention "outtakes", but Zappa, being a skilled Dadaist/collagist, could turn "outtakes" into beautiful, cohesive, seemingly composed from scratch works faster than you can say "Max Ernst". At any rate, let's look at the tracks.

Track 1: "WPLJ" 5/5
This has been performed live on a number of occasions--it appears on the Does Humor Belong in Music? disc, for example--but without a doubt, this is my favorite version of the song. Zappa achieves an appropriate 1950s-sounding production, including the female backup singers, and the music has a great, grooving looseness, including the horns. Roy Estrada's falsetto makes it even better, as does the Cheech-Marin sounding chicano dialogue over the end.

Track 2: "Igor's Boogie, Phase One" 5/5
No one, not even Zappa, loves/loved Stravinsky more than I do, plus I love Zappa just as much, so this "L'Histoire du Soldat" tribute/spoof works brilliantly for me.

Track 3: "Overture to a Holiday in Berlin" 5/5
. . . and it leads beautifully to this severely bent-intonation wonder. God I love that brief sax solo. And the outtro melody is gorgeous and orchestrated gorgeously.

Track 4: "Theme from Burnt Weeny Sandwich" 5/5
It begins as a guitar solo track, but with an extension of the orchestration from the previous track creating multiple layers underneath. It segues to some tape-speed manipulation percussion, ala that heard accompanying the Bruce Bickford animation in Baby Snakes. There it piqued your interest, but here it grows perfectly, organically out of the composition until it consumes everything in its path. Something like a melodic Tony Williams-on-a-ton-of-acid-and-speed drum solo.

Track 5: "Igor's Boogie, Phase Two" 5/5
The bookend (within a larger bookended work) that matches Track 2. Shorter, but just as good, and not just because of the added honking, although that rocks.

Track 6: "Holiday in Berlin, Full Blown" 5/5
Later used again on 200 Motels. Here it's a bit like "Peaches en Regalia's" mellow cousin. Gorgeous melodies, wondrous orchestration, and an amazing soprano sax solo leading to more tape-speed manipulation percussion. It ties a lot of the elements of tracks 2 through 5 together very nicely, then moves to one of Zappa's more lyrical extended solos.

Track 7: "Aybe Sea" 5/5
Speaking of lyrical guitar work, this is a mostly delicate, almost kinda traditional classical piece for guitars, keyboards and a bit of percussion. Of course, there's lots of twentieth century stuff in there, too, and in a surprising change for this album, the piano solo that closes it gets pretty quiet, sparse, and not so surprisingly, increasingly "outside", as it segues to--

Track 8: "Little House I Used to Live in" 5/5
In a very smooth transition, the continuing solo piano is suddenly more jazzy--kind of a cross between Gershwin and Copland's (underrated) piano pieces. It's contemplative and moving. Then the whole band joins in a Zappa-ish fusion groove. After the drum break, there's a great 11/8 groove that turns into some wicked carousel orchestration. Then more complex, fusiony, uptempo 3/4 stuff becomes some extremely skilled interplay between Zappa and his drummer (probably Art Tripp) before the extended, burning and soulful Don "Sugarcane" Harris violin solo, interpolated by a typically odd Don Preston piano solo. There is a couple of short, interesting "stomping" vamps to listen for here--one halfway between 3/4 and 5/8, one halfway between 4/4 and 7/8. I love those kinds of "in-between" grooves. It's difficult to say how intentional they were here, but they work. The end of this track becomes composed 20th Century classical again. The transition between a melancholic hurdy-gurdy block chord structure and a spastic carnival-gone-haywire groove is primo. Although the ending pretty much remains in 4/4, there is a lot of creative rhythmic and playing-with-tempo stuff between the keyboards and drums. After the track is over, we get the Zappa's infamous quote, "Everybody in this room is wearing a uniform, and don't kid yourself".

Track 9: "Valarie" 5/5
This is the bottom piece of bread, the second pseudo doo-wop song. It has an appropriate and enjoyable lazy, sloppy--maybe even "skanky"--groove, enhanced by the guitar fluttering through Leslie speakers. Especially with the vocals, it sometimes sounds like we're trudging through molasses. In other words, holy cow we're pleasantly stuffed after eating all of that Burnt Weeny Sandwich!

W's for White, the P is for Port, L is the Lemon, the J is the Juice.......2006-07-11

This is my personal all-time favorite FZ album and makes a perfect one-two punch with the seminal "Hot Rats," which came out around the same time... those two together are almost the perfect showcase for Zappa's compositional skills ("The Little House I Used to Live In"), his guitar prowess (Hot Rats' "Willie the Pimp"), as well as the mind-shattering instrumental talents of reedsmith Ian Underwood and violin madman Sugarcane Harris.

I agree with the assessment that this one is more the classical side of FZ and Hot Rats is more the jazz-rock avenue, but there is ample crossover on each from one to the other in terms of style and compositional intent. Anyway you slice it this is top-drawer, truly Progressive Rock in every sense of the word, wherein many styles and forms are united under the inclusive rubric of Rock, making a whole that is, at its best, greater than the sum of its parts.

I love everything about this album, from the almost modern-classical feel of the instrumentals to the fantastic doo-wop numbers that are the bookends of this most tasty Sandwich, which manage that rarest of accomplishments in that they sound like parodies AND tributes to the genre at the same time. Perhaps best of all is the concert interlude near the end where Frank defends the cops providing security at the show from screaming, disapproving hippies, with the admonishment that "every one in this room is wearing a uniform, and don't kid yourself...".

Again, there is no excuse not to own both this and Hot Rats, they are FZ at his apogee and worthy contenders for his best recordings ever.

Worth The Calories.......2006-07-07

Collecting Zappa is treacherous business, even for the die-hard fan - for the uninitiated it is on a par with sticking your head into a bucket of piranha fish. Even his very best work, (Uncle Meat, Freak Out, Hot Rats, We're Only In It For The Money, and Weasels Ripped My Flesh, to name just a few), is replete with dreadful flaws and grandiose missteps. The best rule of thumb is to seek out the earlier material, steer towards the more musically oriented work, and avoid the infantile humor and curmudgeon-ish political rants. This is harder than it sounds.

Fortunately, you can save yourself a lot of pain by going straight to Burnt Weeny Sandwich, easily one of Zappa's best, and most musically satisfying efforts. You'll have to sit through WPLJ and Valerie, two short satirical bits of ersatz pop fluff. These numbers are intended to be funny but get lost on the way, something that happens rather a lot in the wonderland of Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention. But everything beyond that it smooth sailing.

The standout here is Little House I Used To Live In, 18:41 of mercurial magic that builds and builds, constantly switching gears, instruments, moods, and time signatures. The piece is a showcase for Ian Underwood and Don "Sugar Cane" Harris, whose virtuoso fiddling also appears on Hot Rats and Weasels Ripped My Flesh. Underwood, a musical prodigy, plays at a level of sophistication more at home in Carnegie Hall than in the dreadful arenas frequented by rock groups. His expressiveness and versatility are spellbinding. As is often the case with Zappa's better work, Little House I Used To Live In is a "movie for your ears," it seems to suggest a gallery of pictures you alone can provide. All other tracks are also orchestral and, though not as dazzling as Little House I Used To Live In, deliver the freight to the right address. Highly recommended because it's so darn tasty.

Average customer rating:

Meaty from beginning to end and just grabs ya!
My Favorite Zappa, the best of all the rest in one neat package
Uncle Meat
A sprawling journey through The Mothers' career...
Uncle Meat and Electric Aunt Jemima

Uncle Meat
Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention
Manufacturer: Zappa Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Weasels Ripped My Flesh
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Absolutely Free

ASIN: B0000009S1
Release Date: 1995-05-02

Tracks:

Uncle Meat
The Voices Of Cheese
Nine Types Of Industrial Pollution
Zolar Czakl
Dog Breath, In The Year Of The Plague
The Legend Of The Golden Arches
Louie Louie
The Dog Breath Variations
Sleeping In A Jar
Our Bizarre Relationship
The Uncle Meat Variations
Electric Aunt Jemima
Prelude To King Kong
God Bless America
A Pound For A Brown On The Bus
Ian Underwood Whips It Out
Mr. Green Genes
We Can Shoot You
If We'd All Been Living In California...
The Air
Project X
Cruising For Burgers

Tracks:

Uncle Meat Film Excerpt Part 1
Tengo Na Minchia Tanta
Uncle Meat Film Excerpt Part II
King Kong Itself
King Kong II
King Kong III
King Kong IV
King Kong V
King Kong VI

Amazon.com

The soundtrack for a film that remained incomplete for over a decade, Uncle Meat is one of the finest albums produced by Zappa and the original Mothers of Invention. Showcasing every facet of the band, Uncle Meat is filled with quirky Zappa instrumentals like the title track and the "Dog Breath Variations," rock staples like "Cruisin' For Burgers" and "Mr. Green Genes," and an epic suite of instrumental fervor centered around the jazz-rock forerunner, "King Kong". This double CD edition also contains audio excerpts from the movie and a later song called "Tengo Na Minchia Tanta." --Andrew Boscardin

Customer Reviews:

Meaty from beginning to end and just grabs ya!.......2007-07-28

I had heard so much buildup about Uncle Meat before I listened to it from the man sitting next to me at the Zappa plays Zappa show in Milwaukee last week he talked about this Uncle Meat as if it was the Best ever coming down from heaven and had to be listened to as soon as I got it.I also was told that of all Zappa albums Uncle Meat was the only one this other freind liked all the way thru the first time hearing it.Well I just finished my virgin listening experience of Uncle Meat and as i can attest it is a very strong and powerful work,very much likeable the first time hearing it(as opposed to Wer'e Only In It For The Money) which took repeated listens to grow on me!!Uncle Meat has a common good theme,humor(as always)but seems to lack a lot of music or tons of guitar jamming that I've come to expect from Frank I guess I'm just spoiled. This seems like its more termed towards the people and sarcasm and humor factors of the genius and not the all out musicianship of some of his other releases.I gave it 5 stars because I think for a 2 disc release this does have it all,but I guess I'm just spoiled by Franks guitar heroics on so many other albums.I'd still highly recommend it and towards the end of side 2 there is a lenghthy musical piece with a nice bass line that makes up for earl;ier misses.Enjoy Uncle Meat, I sure did!!

My Favorite Zappa, the best of all the rest in one neat package.......2007-05-17

Listening to this today, I began to go down memory lane a bit... why was I informed several years ago not to bother with Uncle Meat? Someone told me it was collage-type noise. Another time, I got the impression from some online article once that it was almost unlistenable. Neither is true. All the FZ fans I met in college (or in my life) seemed to overlook it. Or, at least, I never heard anyone play it and I never saw it lying around as part of anyone's collection. People talked about Joe's Garage a lot, the first three Mothers albums and some of the 70s and 80s live stuff, but I never heard much about Uncle Meat.

I can't figure it out, really. It's a classic FZ album. Apparently, Frank added some crappy dialog to the 2nd disc, but that can be skipped easily enough by simply going straight to track 4 on disc 2 (which I always, always do!)

As for the rest of it, it's fantastic. The sort of cool instrumentation that came out on later albums like Jazz from Hell and the classical discs is done here with a real live feel that sounds old and smokin' with the sort of production on old jazz classics and still-classic recordings of classical music of around the same time period. It certainly sounds better than many of the early FZ cd remasters! Or the plastic/dry sound of his early 80s albums. At times, this sounds downright ethereal. Looking at the liner notes, I see that this was a Zappa-approved master in 1993. I guess that is what people are talking about when they complain about the pre-93 remasters. I never bothered to look until just now. Maybe I'll replace some of my other FZ cds (although I doubt You Are What You Is was remastered after 93 and that features the dry/plastic sound I'm thinking about right now... I can't listen to that album anymore because the sound annoys me too much. The ultra-pristine sound of much of the live 80s stuff kind of annoys me, too, but not as much). Anyway, point being: this album has a cool sound which is not too ancient sounding and not too dry. It has the organic, warm feel of a 60s record without sounding like it was recorded in an oil drum.

It sure would be hard to pick a favorite FZ album, but this one certainly fills a lot of needs. You'd think it might be a bit self-indulgent since it's experimental, but the fact is these songs are really tight and focused. The only overdone thing on it are the added-for-cd-release first 3 tracks on disc 2... but, like I said-- just skip those. Very easy to do! Tje rest of disc 2 (King Kongs) is like a bonus _classic_ jazz record right up there with the funkiest avant jazz you can think of. But, this is probably cooler.

Thinking more about it, this one album was like the "key" to a whole bunch of other FZ albums I just didn't really like that much. Somehow, it made everything else take on a new light. In many ways, it's more accessible than even the early Mothers albums, which were more straight "rock"-- what Uncle Meat offers that those don't is less cynicism, less "music concrete" (aka "noise"), less doo-wop, less bad/meaningless storytelling/lyrics and more beautifully cool and utterly unique musicianship. When you see what Frank and his gang were capable here, it makes you wonder why they did some of the stuff they did later. I could appreciate 4 or 5 more albums like this.

Uncle Meat.......2007-04-03

WOW!!! nothing compares to the original MOI! Uncle Meat is probably the most under-rated Moi album. It focusses mostly on chamber music and avant garde instrumentals. There is also rock, jazz, experimental, and of course doo-wop!!! The only down side of the album is the first three tracks on disc two. The film excerpts are intensely boring and Tengo Na Minchia Tanta does not at all fit in the album, but the album is still a five! The album contains brilliantly written chamber music such as the two part Uncle Meat, The Legend Of The Golden Arches, Dog Breath Variations, Sleeping In A Jar,and Pound For a brown On The Bus. It also contains some fascinating avant garde, such as Nine Types Of Industrial Pollution, Zolar Cyskal, The Voice Of Cheese, Louie Louie, Our Bizarre Relationship, God Bless America, Ian Underwood Whips It Out, We Can Shoot You, If we'd All Been Living In California, And Project X. The album also contains some rock influenced chamber music such as Dog Breath: In The Year Of The Plague, Mr. Green Genes, And Cruising For Burgers. The album also has some awesome doo- wop songs like Electric Aunt Jemima, and The Air. The jazz songs are the intense multi part King Kong. The whole album is brilliant, there is plenty of songs, plenty of variety, most of it listenable but all of it extraordinary. Very high recommendation

A sprawling journey through The Mothers' career..........2007-02-21

This is one of the more bizarre records in popular music. The original release was four sides of vinyl, covering many genres and styles. The CD is expanded to include a long sequence from the film, the official release, and outtake sequences, which isn't really necessary, but it does help put the concept of the finished film into context. Despite the rambling nature of the complete release, if you listen to it in its entirety, you do have a sense of going on a journey through sound, compliments of contemporary music's true pioneers, the Mothers Of Invention. Even though Frank Zappa was the group's spear-head, it becomes obvious that this particular group's sound and image were unique, even in the Zappa catalogue. At the time, he needed these musicians, however much he may have since said otherwise, and I don't believe this would have the sound, mood, and appearance that it has if other players were involved. Proof of this would be one of the tracks on the later release, "Tengo Na Minchia." Not the original band, and there is a night-and-day difference between this and the rest of the soundtrack. I am one of the world's biggest fans of FZ and The Mothers, but I think he messed with an ideal-sounding and ideally-paced release by including this. Just an opinion.

There is typical Mothers-style humor here, as with them playing the Whiskey-A-Go-Go in Los Angeles, a kazoo-accompanied "God Bless America," and the treatment they gave to "Louie Louie" at the Albert Hall, desecrating the "mighty, majestic Albert Hall pipe organ" in the process. Some serious pieces offset this, such as "Project X," and "Legend Of The Golden Arches." You get the definitive treatment of "King Kong," and no later band has played it with the fire of the original band performing this.

It's odd, this is a band that sometimes plays badly on purpose, and it sounds RIGHT. Proper technique can sometimes be a detrimint, and "Uncle Meat" proves this. It takes a little concentrated listening, but once you enter, you probably won't want to leave.

:)

Uncle Meat and Electric Aunt Jemima.......2006-10-05

What I love about Uncle Meat is the unpredictability in the music and the collages of music and dialogue with Suzy Creamcheese and Ian Underwood. The music sounds like something from outer space. Zappa makes it seem easy the way he arranges collages and composes the jazz-rock masterpieces. Where does the music come from? Zappa is a genuis and should be compared to the greats like Mozart, Ravel, Beethoven, Grieg, John Cage, Schumann, Prokofiev, and Varese. Great listen!

Average customer rating:

Desperate third set
Prepare to be blown away!
Back With A Vengance

Hang Love
Burning Brides
Manufacturer: Modern Art
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000O77KZW
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Tracks:

Ring Around the Rosary
San Diego
She Comes to Me
Waring Street
Your Nation Will Die
Unglued
Poor House
Feel No Shame
Hang Love
And I'm Free

Customer Reviews:

Desperate third set.......2007-07-23

Burning Brides is one of those garage sounding type of bands. Not at all what you would call main stream but good solid rock none the less. Their second CD, "Leave No Ashes", was a great independent listen and to date, my favorite by this small group. Hang Love seems a bit like they took some of the more popular songs off the last CD and copied all their songs to sound like them. It's not a bad CD at all, but to me, most of the songs sound alike. Still, it's the kind of music I tend to play in my band. It's worth a listen, hey, you may just fall in love.

Prepare to be blown away!.......2007-06-25

Burning Brides have outdone themselves with this new album! I got goosebumps from the first strum of Dimiti's mighty axe! This band continues to produce new and amazing music. Each song on this album leaves an impression that will NOT be forgotten. What I feel is most different on this album, as compared to the first two releases, is an obvious L.A. feel to the sounds that I hear. It is almost as if the band has become more comfortable with themselves as artists...thank goodness for that ocean air! Props to Burning Brides for creating their best album yet!

Back With A Vengance.......2007-06-24

Hang Love is The Burning Brides 3rd record, and it is amazing. To me it takes all the best parts of their two previous records Fall of the Plastic Empire and Leave No Ashes, and then adds a whole heaping of Heavy. Having been a fan for a long time, its great to see them continuing to push themselves to make their songs better, and not rest on their laurels. My picks for top song are: Waring Street, Your Nation Will Die, and Poor House.

Average customer rating:

One of his best albums

Modern Times
Al Stewart
Manufacturer: Collector's Choice
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

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Orange
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24 Carrots

ASIN: B000MR9ENU
Release Date: 2007-07-31

Tracks:

Carol
Sirens Of Titan
What's Going On?
Not the One
Next Time
Apple Cider Reconstitution
The Dark And the Rolling Sea
Modern Times
Swallow Wind
A Sense Of Deja Vu
Willie the King

Customer Reviews:

One of his best albums.......2007-07-03

This album is sandwiched between the heavy historical content of "Past, Present and Future" and the more pop content of "Year of the Cat" and "Time Passages". Songs like "Carol" and "Apple Cider Reconstitution" could have been big hits but Stewart just wasn't that well known yet. There are still traces of history with "Sirens of Titan". This is an excellent album with a preview of the hits to come as well as a nod to his past. It's taken a long time for this to reach CD but this is definitely one of his best.

Average customer rating:

Choral work at it's finest.
Love it
Light and shadows
Cambridge Singers = Quality
American Gramaphone, please reissue this title.

Brother Sun, Sister Moon
Gregorian Chant , William Byrd , John Taverner , Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina , Samuel Scheidt , John Sheppard , Maurice Durufle , Robert White , Cambridge Singers , Gerald Finley , and John Rutter
Manufacturer: American Gramaphone
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Chants | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Lighten our Darkness

ASIN: B0000005MF
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Music Of The Morning Rite: a. Alleluia - b. Haec Dies
Music Of The Morning Rite: Easter Sequence
Dum Transisset Sabbatum
Sanctus
Exsultate Deo
a. Easter Acclamations b. Surrexit Christus Hodie
Music Of The Evening Rite: Before The Ending Of The Day
Music Of The Evening Rite: In Pace
Music Of The Evening Rite: Into Thy Hands, O Lord
Music Of The Evening Rite: Ubi Caritas
Music Of The Evening Rite: Keep Me As The Apple Of An Eye And Nunc Dimittisa
Music Of The Evening Rite: O Christ, Who Art The Light And Day
Music Of The Evening Rite: a. We Will Lay Us Down In Peace b. Libera Nos, Salva Nos

Amazon.com

A brief glance at the packaging for this recording might make you think New Age, and indeed this label normally offers recordings in that vein. The disc's cover tells nothing about the music inside--all we see are the ruins of an ancient abbey, the moon in the sky on the front, the sun on the back. But wait. If you get far enough to listen to the recording, you'll find one of the most beautiful and beautifully programmed choral recordings in the catalog. The compositions, organized into the categories "Music of the Morning Rite" and "Music of the Evening Rite," are mostly from 16th- century composers--Byrd, Taverner, Sheppard, White--with a few Gregorian chants and a gorgeous rendition of the 20th-century motet by Duruflé, "Ubi caritas." Conductor/choral music legend John Rutter has assembled a program that's both uplifting and restful; the performance is faultless. One could only complain about the short (39 and a half minutes) playing time. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Choral work at it's finest........2007-06-03

I really enjoyed this work. I was first introduced to this title through American Gramophone's website and was also my first introduction in the works of John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers. You do not have be religious to enjoy this work. I find the music uplifting and very sublime. I have listened to it many times, and I find that my favorite period to play it is in the morning hours. .

I have since purchased many other Rutter titles including "Images of Christ", and more recently "Lighten our Darkness"

Love it.......2007-05-02

13 years ago, I had the tape of brother sun, sister moon and as a teenager and I would play it every night as I slept, I loved it. I dont know what happened to it and I have ever sence been looking for it, and I just baught the CD and am so excited.

Light and shadows.......2003-07-29

Recorded in the Great Hall of University College School, London, the Cambridge Singers under the direction of John Rutter produced a true masterpiece in 'Brother Sun, Sister Moon' in 1988. The title derives from a famous prayer by St. Francis of Assisi, and is inspired by liturgical music from (or derivative of) the Middle Ages and Renaissance polyphony and Gregorian chant. The music is meditative, uplifting, and elegant in simplicity and stunning vocal quality.

--Brother Sun--
The first half of the disc is largely composed of pieces from the liturgical Morning Prayer cycle, concentrating on texts from Easter, the most important of Christian days. From the Alleluia to the Acclamations and Surrexit Christus Hodie (Christ is risen today), the flow from Gregorian Chant to compositions by Byrd, Taverner and Palestrina (giants of this type of music) in increasing energy and glory, as befits both a Morning service (time to wake up!) as well as a celebration of the resurrection of Christ. Perhaps of particular note here is the cantoring of bass Gerald Finley in the Easter Acclamations.

--Sister Moon--
The second half of the disc concentrates on music of the evening; in particular, the Compline service, a service of unwinding and sombre meditation with which monastic communities conclude their days of work and worship. Many churches have reincorporated Compline into a regular cycle of services; some have even done so as a result of exposure to this recording. The music here is softer and less energetic than that of Morning prayer. This includes music from Whyte and Sheppard (also masters of the Medieval-to-Renaissance liturgical polyphony) as well as a brilliant motet by twentieth century composer Duruflé for the Ubi Caritas.

--Liner Notes--
The notes for this recording include the titles and words, in both Latin and English, for each of the pieces recorded here. It has an excerpt from a prayer by St. Francis, and a basic introduction to the music relating it historically and liturgically. One thing conspicuously missing is any biographical information about John Rutter, or any descriptive information about the Cambridge Singers apart from the basic listing of singers.

--John Rutter--
Rutter was born in London and educated at Clare College, Cambridge. This was where his career as a composer, arranger and conductor began. His early work was with groups at King's College Chapel at Cambridge as well as the Bath Choir and Philharmonic Orchestra. He has worked for the BBC providing music for educational series such as 'The Archaeology of the Bible Lands', until in 1979 he began forming the Cambridge Singers, and has continued a remarkable career of performance and recording as their director ever since.

--The Cambridge Singers--
The Cambridge Singers are a mixed choir of voices, many of whom were members of choir of Rutter's college, Clare College, Cambridge. While they specialise in English and Latin liturgical pieces, they have a wide range of recordings that span from modern compositions (including a remarkable requiem by Rutter) to English folk songs of the Middle Ages. For this particular recording, the choir consisted of eleven sopranos, six altos, six tenors, and six basses.

Cambridge Singers = Quality.......2002-05-23

I do love this cd, but tend to play certain tracks as my first love is chant. I play the Victimae Paschali Laudes in the car and sing along - it is so very beautiful that this rendition of this Easter Chant is worth purchasing this cd alone. I love that one track so much, my only criticism of the cd is that I wish they'd centered the entire cd on chant - and I hope they will do one like that in the future because the quality of the voices is stunning.

American Gramaphone, please reissue this title........2000-03-30

I originally obtained this CD through Minnesota Public Radio. The first time I listened to the Ubi Caritus, I was moved to tears. The CD became my favorite to play at Christmas and other times. I gave the CD to a friend who has moved to Oregon, deeply regret that it is no longer in production.

John Rutter trains his singers to sing without vibrato, and blends their voices with such balance that they come together as a single instrument. The selection on this CD is perfect to demonstrate the clarity and richness of this ensemble. If American Gramaphone does reissue this title, I will be first in line to purchase it.

Average customer rating:

Modern Music on My Radio

Another Masterpiece

A Desert Island Album

Thirty years on, still great

This is the Best Be-Bop Deluxe Album Period.

Modern Music
Be Bop Deluxe
Manufacturer: Caroline
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000007URM
Release Date: 2004-12-14

Tracks:

Orphans Of Babylon
Twilight Capers
Kiss Of Light
The Bird Charmers Destiny
The Gold At The End Of My Rainbow
Bring Back The Spark
Modern Music
Dancing In The Moonlight (All Alone)
Honeymoon On Mars
Lost In The Neon World
Dance Of The Uncle Sam Humanoids
Modern Music (Reprise)
Forbidden Lovers
Down On Terminal Street
Make The Music Magic
Futurist Manifesto
Quest For The Harvest Of The Stars
Autosexual

Album Description

Import pressing of 1976 album from British rock group featuring Bill Nelson.

Album Details

Reissue of the Fourth Album from the 70's UK Power Rock Band featuring Bill Nelson. Modern Music Saw Be-bop Rely More on Sythesizers as Nelson Started to Explore a More Experimental Sound, as Evidenced on 'electricia Language' on the Harvest Label. Includes Original Tracks and Artwork plus Three Bonus Tracks. Originally Released in 1976; Includes Three Bonus Tracks.

Customer Reviews:

Modern Music on My Radio.......2007-05-14

This was the 4th album by BeBop Deluxe, a progressive rock outfit that was more popular in Europe than the US. The album came on the heels of Sunburst Finish, which found Bill Nelson, the mind behind the group, hitting his stride as a songwriter.

Bill Nelson has several recurring themes in his career that he has often utilized, and they are all evident here -- his fascination with American culture, science fiction, classic British romanticism (Shelly, Byron et al).

Side two of this album is a sort-of chronicle of Bebop Deluxe's tour of the US -- the loneliness of touring on the road in an unfamiliar land, the disillusion with America, the optimism of science fiction. For these reasons, it is likely as perfect a single side as any band has recorded, for it channels directly the psyche of the artist, it's all there if you listen.

--hal

Another Masterpiece.......2007-03-14

I can't decide which is better, this or Sunbirst Finish. Both albums are fabulous. This one has a concept style (side two on vinyl) where the songs run into each other. Play this first and get carried away in the dreamy lyrics and mesmerizing guitars from "Modern Music" to the haunting "Down on Terminal Street". Many metaphors describe this underated band best summed up by a British reviewer who said "it's rock music that paints pictures". I remember seeing them live with a big screen behind playing various sci-fi and other film clips during the set. The music brings memories rushing back.

A Desert Island Album.......2006-10-09

In the past, I've been somewhat perplexed on why critics favored earlier Be-Bop Deluxe albums, such as the previous SUNBURST FINISH, to this one. It is still my favorite of the band's studio releases. I was also alarmed that a band that came so close to breaking big, never did even after the release of MODERN MUSIC. (The irony of Bill Nelson singing "Modern Music on my radio" in the title song has never been lost on me.)

In hindsight, I realize that the concept album format here pretty much killed the album's chances, as the songs nearly all run together, and thus are difficult to isolate for radio airplay. This of course makes for a great whole-album listening experience as intended. But now with downloads and the ability to easily play albums out of sequence, concept albums like MODERN MUSIC become fragmented and incomplete, since the cadence of one song often serves as the opening phrase of the next. I imagine someone shuffling this album in their MP3 player could be in for a confusing, disconnected experience.

I'm afraid many of those classic 70's rock records (such as the Queen albums, QUEEN II and SHEER HEART ATTACK) will suffer the same fate. We don't sit down and listen to whole albums any longer; music is in the background of our lives now, carved up in nice 3 minute slices and served buffet style. I suppose it's the same effect as those classical compilation CDs (and vinyl records before them) which issue only excerpts of themes of the great composers' works, instead of movements or whole pieces, which listeners of the classics have had to suffer with long before the iPod generation.

So I'm doubtful that this Be-Bop Deluxe masterpiece will ever again be put in a context where it may be fully appreciated. This particular release even compounds the problem by including "bonus tracks", which had nothing to do with the original album. They might be nice for anyone who doesn't have them already (they're all from the last original Be-Bop Deluxe release, THE BEST OF AND THE REST OF, and so aren't special or unique tracks themselves); in truth they only remove us from the original musical atmosphere MODERN MUSIC creates. But since this is the only current release of the album available, I still must recommend it for those who haven't heard MODERN MUSIC before.

As for my "desert island" title: if you're picking one rock CD to bring somewhere that allows you to listen to music without interruption, MODERN MUSIC should certainly be a contender. Some believe it's a great collection of pop songs; others say it's a guitar master's album; still others believe it's progressive in its scope and more connected to the genre you'd find King Crimson or Yes. I think its brilliance is in crossing through all these genres and creating a whole greater than the interpretation of its parts. It is still modern music to me, some 30 years after its original release. When heard in its entirety, it is a marvel of musical ingenuity from a talented band which deserved much more success than they ultimately achieved.

Thirty years on, still great.......2005-08-23

Is it Be-Bop Deluxe's best record? Perhaps. I still can't decide if Sunburst Finish is their best. In the end, does it matter? Both are first-rate records.

What we have here is intelligent songwriting, great melodies, fine singing and exceptional guitar work. One of the great tragedies is that Be Bop Deluxe never got the recognition it so richly deserved.

By the way, the rest of Bill Nelson's catalog consists of work that's really worth listening to. The "After the Satellite Sings" CD from the mid 1990s is just as good as Modern Music, albeit in a more modern vein. In particular, Nelson's voice isn't as strong, yet he is still a fine singer and songwriter. His guitar work, however, has gotten even better. I'm in awe of this man's talent.

This is the Best Be-Bop Deluxe Album Period........2004-05-12

If you are going to buy only one Be-Bop Deluxe Album, this should be it. It has all the energy you would want out of a 1970s rock band, and all the soulfull quality you could expect out of any song in any era. Bill Nelson was at his peak in writing on this album. I don't feel he has done any better since judging by the massive output he has put out over the past 25 years since this album.

Tracks:

Mox Nix
Fair Weather
Darn That Dream
The Touch Of Your Lips
Jubilation
Like Someone In Love
I Love You
Cold Breeze

Album Description

Personnel: Art Farmer (trumpet), Benny Golson (tenor saxophone), Bill Evans (piano).

Customer Reviews:

Great Farmer quintet album.......2007-02-14

This is top-of-the-line Art Farmer, one of his best albums ever. Recorded in 1958 for United Artists, everything clicks to perfection: the tune selection is an excellent mix of exciting originals and standards, the tempos are varied, and the playing by the quintet is brilliant. Everyone seems juiced to play. Particularly impressive is tenor man Benny Golson whose Coltrane hat is very much in evidence; the notes come pouring out of his horn on many of the tunes - especially noteworthy on THE TOUCH OF YOUR LIPS. He can be both powerful and pretty. Junior Mance's JUBILATION is churchy for sure, but not fire and brimstone: it's very mellow instead. Pianist Bill Evans plays well throughout, taking perhaps his best and most introspective solo on I LOVE YOU. Farmer is a delight, whether playing beautifully muted (LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE) or tempestuously afire (COLD BREEZE). This album will delight listeners no matter how many times it's heard.

Wonderful combination of talents.......2003-12-26

Art Farmer Benny Golson and Bill Evans are just incredible together on this collection of originals and standards. Farmer and Golson went on to play together in the Jazztet but here the sound is a bit different primarily due to Evans remarkable piano playing. This is a truly fine CD and well worth checking out.

Don't Sell The Farm, Buy This!.......2000-07-13

Originally released by United Artists, and reissued on CD by Blue Note/Capitol, "Modern Art" is one of the classic Art Farmer albums. It also is an early look at the Jazztet, as future partner Benny Golson joins him on this recording. But it is Bill Evans who often steals the show. With his precise and concise piano solos it's too bad he didn't end up holding down the bench for the Jazztet. While the album boasts one original composition each from Farmer and Golson, it's the standards that shine here, particularly "Darn That Dream" and "The Touch of Your Lips." This is an essential purchase.

Average customer rating:

FZ Journal Entry #2
where the f*** does this guy get off??
Awesome.
Great mid-70s Zappa
Don't blame Frank for this

Orchestral Favorites
Frank Zappa
Manufacturer: Zappa Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Studio Tan
Sleep Dirt
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London Symphony Orchestra, Vols. 1 & 2
Francesco Zappa

ASIN: B0000009SX
Release Date: 1995-05-02

Tracks:

Stricktly Genteel
Pedro's Dowry
Naval Aviation In Art
Duke Of Prunes
Bogus Pomp

Customer Reviews:

FZ Journal Entry #2.......2005-06-08

Since the Moody Blues' Days of Future Passed, rock groups have been trying to fuse the orchestral soundscape with the rock idiom with varying degrees of success. Most of these projects have a pastiche approach, in that the two styles rarely intermingle directly. Instead, the orchestra fills in the blanks between rock statements. Orchestral Favorites differs from other cross-genre recordings in that it clearly and successfully shows the common ground between Frank's rock and orchestral sensibilities.

Too orchestral to be rock, and too rock to be orchestral, the five instrumental tracks on Orchestral Favorites contain some of Franks most compelling and memorable melodies. In particular, Strictly Genteel could almost be the School Song of some imaginary arts magnet school. The Duke of Prunes is also a favorite, featuring fantastic use of orchestral impact behind a blistering guitar solo that really shows Frank's mastery of electric guitar feedback. However, prepare yourself for the denser compositions Pedro's Dowry and Naval Aviation in Art?, which show his Stravinskyesque use of layers. The final track Bogus Pomp straddles the line between these extremes with an electrifying opening melody that pops up periodically during layered sections.

The Lowdown: Probably not a recording for the beginning Frank fan, it most certainly is one for the intermediate. It's a great look at the places where Frank's styles overlapped. It can be a little dense sometimes, but overall its quite memorable.

where the f*** does this guy get off??.......2004-08-17

briefly, i have real questions, at a cursory glance, as to what the h*** kireviewer, whatever his name is, speaks of when he's alluding to this being released in '74??!!?? his mere mention of this being released in 1974 discredits anything he has to say. recorded in '75, released in '79, this fellow is believing it was released in '76??? huh?? a top 500 reviewer??? sure he's not a programmer for clearview or mtv?
i was at this show. it was another great evening of zappa music. not to mention showcasing bozzio and an impromptu "louie, louie" featuring beefheart.

this release was part of a THREE lp release, Lather, and yes indeed, WB locked up and f***ed up almost all aspects of fz's music at this juncture in his development.

it's a great representation of where mr. zappa was in september of 1975. tween bands, a small electric symphony orchestra and a really nice evening of music better than, oh, almost anything else that was being spewed forth in the "rock" segment of musical society, circa 1975.

if you're this far into it, drop the bucks, add this to your collection and let it serve as another marker on the long highway zappa traveled in pursuit of the big note.

Awesome........2003-06-05

This cd has a lot of fun and enough classical traits to make it a gormet listening adventure. What is not so hot about the CD is the fact that it was hacked into conception by Warner Brothers. FZ didn't intend this release to be out in this fashion. Check out Lather release for the intentions and over all feel of where the songs would fit.... but these pieces are second to none. All good and Terry Bozzio rules.

Great mid-70s Zappa.......2002-10-11

One of his best collections of works. 40-piece orchestra and a few electrified instruments. Terry Bozzio on drums. But check out "review #1" for the broader picture and details!

Don't blame Frank for this.......2002-04-05

This album is one of three Warner Brothers releases that Frank didn't have much involvement in (thus, the horrid cover art). The other two are Sleep Dirt and Studio Tan.
These three, along with other material from In New York, were originally intended for release as a four-album boxed set called Lather. When WB refused to release them as a boxed set, Frank provided them with the three albums all at once to complete his contract. WB was required to release any material within 6 weeks, whether as a boxed set or individually. Not wanting to release all this material so close together, Warner balked, and re-arranged the material, and released them over the course of 9 months. This prompted a long-running lawsuit that was never resolved to the artist's satisfaction.
If you really want the material present on Orchestral Favorites presented in the context of the original play sequence, buy the Lather 3-CD set, which was eventually remastered and released by Ryco in 1996. Nonetheless, if you're the kind of person who appreciates Zappa only for his humor and rock/guitar material, you will undoubtedly be disappointed by these selections, in or out of context. If your musical tastes are broader, I agree with other reviewers that The Yellow Shark and The Grand Wazoo are better representations of the true symphonic genius of FZ.

Ohm: The Early Gurus of Electronic Music Special Edition 3CD + DVD

Average customer rating:

Excellent but uncomplete
Ohm... Ohm... Ohm...
This and...
The Standard Reference for Electronic Music

Ohm: The Early Gurus of Electronic Music Special Edition 3CD + DVD

Manufacturer: Ellipsis Arts
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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An Anthology of Noise & Electronic Music, Vol. 3: 1952-2004
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Anthology of Noise & Electronic Music, Vol. 4
Moog
Theremin - An Electronic Odyssey

ASIN: B000BDGVX6
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Tracks:

Valse Sentimentale - Clara Rockmore
Oraison - Ens D'Ondes De Montreal
Etude Aux Chemins De Fer - Pierre Schaeffer
Williams Mix - John Cage
Klangstudie II - Herbert Eimert/Robert Beyer
Low Speed - Otto Luening
Dripsody - Hugh Le Caine
Forbidden Planet: Main Title - Louis Barron/Bebe Barron
Elektronische Tanzste: Concertando Rubato - Oskar Sala
Poem Electronique - Edgard Varese
Sine Music (A Swarm Of Butterflies Encountered Over The Ocean) - Richard Maxfield
Apocalypse-Part 2 - Tod Dockstader
Kontakte - James Tenney/William Winant
Wireless Fant - Vladimir Ussachevsky
Philomel - Milton Babbitt
Spacecraft - MEV

Tracks:

Cindy Electronium - Raymond Scott
Pendulum Music - Sonic Youth
Bye Bye Butterfly - Pauline Oliveros
Projection Esemplastic For White Noise - Joji Yuasa
Silver Apples Of The Moon, Part 1 - Morton Subotnick
Rainforest Version 1 - David Tudor
Poppy Nogood - Terry Riley
Boat-Woman-Song - Holger Czukay
Music Promenade - Luc Ferrari
Vibrations Composees: Rosace 3 - Francois Bayle
Mutations - Jean-Claude Risset
Hibiki-Hana-Ma - Iannis Xenakis
Map Of 49's Dream The Two Systems Of Eleven Sets Of Galactic Intervals: Drift Study '31/69 c.... - La Monte Young

Tracks:

He Destroyed Her Image - Charles Dodge
Six Fants On A Poem By Thomas Campion: Her Song - Paul Lansky
Appalachian Grove - Laurie Spiegel
En Phase/Hors Phase - Bernard Parmegiani
On The Other Ocean - David Behrman
Stria - John Chowning
Living Sound, Patent Pending Music For Sound-Joined Rooms Series - Maryanne Amacher
Automatic Writing - Robert Ashley
Canti Illuminati - Alvin Curran
Music On A Long Thin Wire - Alvin Lucier
Melange - Klaus Schulze
Before And After Charm (La Notte) - Jon Hassell
Unfamiliar Wind (Leeks Hills) - Brian Eno

Album Description

OHM+ : the early gurus of electronic music

Special Edition 3CD + DVD

Leaps in technology: oscillators, generators, vacuum tubes, amplifiers, transistors, magnetic tape, integrated circuits, and the microchip— inspired new instruments: the telharmonium, theremin, ondes martenot, electronic sackbut, clavivox, electronium, moog synthesizer, and computers— and artists everywhere hungry for new modes of expression.

This collection is a humble but bold attempt to give form to the wonderful, multi-directional, inevitable birth of electronic music.

"Many of the ideas in this collection have now been so completely assimilated into popular listening that it may sometimes be hard to remember how surprising it all was on first outing. Some of it still sounds pretty exotic. These CDs are important as part of the story of how we got to where we are now-the cultural conversation so far-and as a still fruitful repertoire of future possibilities." —from the Foreword by Brian Eno

Three CDs—42 original music tracks from 1948-1980 112 Page Book—extensive artist interviews, commentaries, and archival photographs Special Edition DVD—over two hours of rare performances, interviews, animations, and experimental video.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent but uncomplete.......2006-11-12

Althought most of the music here is an excellent collection of electronic music history, this 3 CDs lack of the important contribution given by the RAI phonology studios of Milan, Italy in the 50s
(which was bigger than Koln's WDR studios) with Bruno Maderna, Luciano Berio and Luigi Nono.
This is a big mistake. Milans studios were the biggest of europe and produced many important electroacoustic pieces.
If the collection aim to describe faithfully electronic music history, it should include this artists too.

Ohm... Ohm... Ohm..........2006-04-01

Back in 2000, Ellipsis Arts released OHM: The Early Gurus of Electronic Music, a fantastic and essential three CD set tracing the evolution of "electronica" from Messiaen, Cage, and Xenakis to Schulze, Eno, and Hassell. This set was recently reissued (as OHM+) along with a bonus DVD (which is thankfully now available separately for those of us who already have the CDs.) You can read plenty of excellent reviews of the original 3CD set on Amazon (and elsewhere), so I'm going to focus on the new DVD in this review.

The OHM+ DVD is jam-packed with over two hours of archival and more recent footage that runs the gamut from engrossing to mildly interesting to unwatchably dull.

If seemingly endless "talking head" interviews with Milton Babbitt and Bebe Barron are your idea of video entertainment, you've come to the right place. An interview with John Cage digitally altered beyond all recognition? Check. Swirling psychadelic colored dyes right out of a Saucerful of Secrets-era Pink Floyd concert? No problem.

There are some tastier goodies to be found on this DVD, however...

The segments with Clara Rockmore and Leon Theremin have an appealingly amateurish home movie quality to them. It's also a real treat to see the 1978 footage of underappreciated minimalist guru David Borden and Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Company "on the road" hauling around their truckload of big old analog synthesizer equipment. Laurie Spiegel is fun to watch as she tinkers with a big grey metal box called a "Concerto Generator" with an extremely serious expression on her face. And Alvin Lucier's "Music for Solo Performer," where he hooks up wires to his head and produces sounds using his brainwaves and two tympani, simply must be seen to be believed.

The Pixar-ish computer animation accompanying Paul Lansky's "The Dust Bunny" is sort of cute, but it goes on for about 10 minutes too long. Surely most of the OHM target audience already has the DVD of Steve Reich's Three Tales, but it's nice that they included the best part - the ominous yet goofy "Dolly" segment. Many have also probably seen Hans Fjellestad's documentary Moog before, but the six minute excerpt provided here is really about all you need.

It's too bad there isn't a more interesting John Cage segment, and regrettable that there aren't any Stockhausen videos (those would certainly be a riot!)

Overall, though, while the OHM+ DVD is not as consistently engaging as the CD set of the same name, it is a worthy companion to it. And if you don't have either of them yet, the complete OHM+ 3-CD & DVD "special edition" box set is a no-brainer.

This and..........2006-01-06

An Anthology of Noise & Electronic Music, Vol.1 will probably have you set.

The Standard Reference for Electronic Music.......2005-11-03

This package is mind boggling. The DVD includes over 2 hours of rare footage too. If you want to know about the roots of electronic music, look no further.

Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention

Average customer rating:

It iz what it iz
Mixed Bag
Great!
My FIRST FZ purchase.
The Machine vs. Zappa's band?

Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention
Frank Zappa
Manufacturer: Zappa Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch
The Man from Utopia
Jazz From Hell
Broadway the Hard Way
The Perfect Stranger

ASIN: B0000009TD
Release Date: 1995-05-16

Tracks:

I Don't Even Care
One Man, One Vote
Little Beige Sambo
Aerobics In Bondage
We're Turning Again
Alien Orifice
Yo Cats
What's New In Baltimore
Porn Wars
H.R.

Customer Reviews:

It iz what it iz.......2007-05-21

Good later Zappa. It ain't Joe's GarageJoe's Garage: Acts I, II & III, but there's some classic Zappa here.

Mixed Bag.......2003-12-19

The impetus behind this album was, of course, the PMRC hearings on labelling/censoring offensive rock lyrics. The album is a mixed bag of material -- 5 studio tracks with a band, 3 synclavier compositions, and 2 collage tracks. They're somewhat hapharzadly thrown together, making the album extremely disjointed -- but there is a lot of great material on this album, nevertheless.

The opener, "I Don't Even Care," is a waste of 5 minutes. Its essentually a groove set down in studio by Zappa's band, with "I don't even care" sung in the background while Johnny "Guitar" Watson (not credited?) ad libs some lines. No solo, though you keep waiting for one. The song goes nowhere and is extremely repetitive.

Then follows 3 synclavier compositions, "One Man One Vote," "Little Beige Sambo," and "Aerobics in Bondage." These are pretty good. "One Man One Vote" is the least interesting, but the other two are extremely worthy compositions that measure up to the best material on Jazz From Hell.

The next 4 tracks are all Zappa classics that rank among his best work. "We're Turning Again" is a hilarious swipe at hippie culture, brilliantly arranged with a great hook. There's a great re-mix of this, and "Yo Cats" on the Have I Offended Somebody? compilation. "Alien Orifice" is a jaw-dropper. Get the Make A Jazz Noise Here album to hear the '88 band perform this sucker live! Zappa at his best.

"Yo Cats" is a great Ike Willis crooner, taking a shot at professional musicians. "What's New In Baltimore" is the best track on the album -- rarely can Zappa's work be desribed as "beautiful," but the opening guitar/percussion run on this song deserves the charge. The solo is one of Zappa's greatest.

"Porn Wars" and "H.R. 2911" (a bonus track) are both sound collages, mixing sound effects, synclavier, guitar, and looping the taped hearings of the PMRC in congress. Its amusing -- especially the extra clips from the people in the piano from the Lumpy Gravy album (one of my favorites!). Also, you'll get to hear Al Gore profess to be a Mothers fan, which is PRICELESS. But it drags on far too long.

Doesn't work as an album, since it has no cohesive direction, but some of the material on this album is great.

Great!.......2003-10-26

This cd is amazing, the only downside is "Porn Wars" which can get a little old after repeated listens. The other tracks hold up well though!

My FIRST FZ purchase........2003-06-07

Simply the greatest. Little Beige Sambo, Aerobics in Bondage, what's new in baltimore, We're turning again, alien orifice, and PORN WARS make this a verifyable GREATEST HITS package for the latter part of FZ releases. And it all on one release. I was totally blown away in 1986 when someone gave this to me to listen to. I just had to get more from this artist, then started my big chase to get them all.

This recording is just simply FZ full of passion, blasting ideas like a torch into steel. He was full of fire and ideas and it was most likely his last release of all new music until his death. Great stuff.

GET THIS CD.

The Machine vs. Zappa's band?.......2002-10-31

Whereas one of the very latest albums, "The Perfect Stranger", had seen Zappa's Synclavier music computer used "against" a chamber orchestra (Pierre Boulez's), here it meets Zappa's own electric band. Oddly - Zappa's highly brilliant musical companions-in-arms of the day certainly had little to fear of such competition - the gap seems wider here, for some reason. I have no problem with the alleged "coldness" of the Synclavier material, which might just be an irrelevant issue. I find just as much coldness in some of the humanly performed pieces from that era, whether by Boulez's group or FZ's, than in most of the Synclavier tracks from the Perfect Stranger album. However, in this here "FZ meets the M.O.P", most electronic pieces have a lot of passion, mystery and humor to them (esp. "Aerobics in Bondage" [one of Zappa's most beautiful and moving pieces ever recorded IMO], "H.R. 2911" and "Little Beige Sambo"), and this tendency was to continue with the next Synclavier album ("Jazz From Hell", 1986). Maybe I lack concentration power for the very abstract pieces from the previous one ("Love Story", "Jonestown", "Girl in Magnesium Dress"), but I find the newer electronic compositions somehow more focused, with better "hummable" themes.
Some of the rock band tracks are from the studio, others are apparently live stuff from the much acclaimed '81/'82 group, cleaned up of all audience noises. AFAIAC, same thing as always with the 80s Zappa's electric combo music: dangerously brilliant compositions (listen to the FZ solo spot in "Alien Orifice"!) share the space with very dated ("We're Turning Again") or barely relevant ("Yo Cats") satires. Pretty witty all right, but absolutely lacking any "meat" of any sort in the melody. Compare with "America Drinks and Goes Home", from "Absolutely Free", or better still, with the Zappa-produced Jean-Luc Ponty version!

Meditation Music:

Meditation Music

meditation music

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