OFF: Zorn (was Re: CYM and SA)

[Guido Vacano]

Dave says--

> I agree, the first Naked City album is excellent!  If you like the short
> (< 1 minute long) tracks on that album, it's also worth tracking down
> either Torture Garden, which is 42 tracks in the same ilk; or their
> third album, the name of which escapes me, which includes most of Torture
> Garden along with reworkings of some classical stuff.  After that they
> get a bit variable.  I have Heretic, which is mainly avant-garde-ish jazz.
> I've heard that Radio is along the lines of their first album.

I had Torture Garden a few years ago. I thought it was horrible (though
my tastes, or lack thereof, have "expanded" quite a bit since then).
Anyway, it struck me as just short bursts of noise and screaming. :-)

> News For Lulu is entirely different, but also very good.  I slightly
> prefer More News For Lulu, which is the same line-up doing the same
> sort of thing.  Spy Vs. Spy is along the same lines.

I've heard good things about NfL for a while now. Gotta check it out.

> The Big Gundown is does a similar treatment to the film soundtracks of
> Ennio Morricone, and some people think that it's Zorn's best work.  He's
> done lots of other stuff, including several "honk & squawk" type improvised
> jazz albums,  such as Cobra, that don't do anything for me.

I think The Big Gundown is amazingly good. The only other Zorn release I
have is Redbird. The first track is a beautiful percussion-only piece,
while the latter is nice, but a bit too repetitive for my tastes. If it
gets too random, or too repetitive, I start to lose interest.

BTW, I'd really appreciate any more thoughts on the subject from you, Andy
Gilham, or anyone else, but by private email. :-)

Guido

--
If nothing is done, then all will be well.  -- Lao Tse