London Symphony Orchestra, Vols. 1 & 2

Artist: Frank Zappa
Label: Zappa Records
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Original recording remastered
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 2

UPC: 014431054020
EAN: 0014431054020
ASIN: B0000009T8

Release Date: 1995-04-18

London Symphony Orchestra, Vols. 1 & 2

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Tracks:

Bob In Dacron (First Movement)
Bob In Dacron (Second Movement)
Sad Jane (First Movement)
Sad Jane (Second Movement)
Mo 'N Herb's Vacation (First Movement)
Mo 'N Herb's Vacation (Second Movement)
Mo 'N Herb's Vacation (Third Movement)

Tracks:

Envelopes
Pedro's Dowry
Bogus Pomp
Strictly Genteel

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The Perfect Stranger
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Customer Reviews:

hmm..........2006-10-04

First I should offer the disclaimer that I am not a Frank Zappa fan (though I do have Joe's Garage, and I really like it). Most of the people who buy this album will be fans, so it's important to recognize that I don't have an insider's perspective here. So, with that said...

These compositions demonstrate a considerable compositional virtuosity. Zappa had real skill. He combines the coloristic approach of his major classical music influence, Edgard Varese, with a rhythmic vitality and momentum that I would call Stravinskian if it were coming from anyone else; in Zappa's case, it probably comes more from his interest in rock music. Zappa has a good range and a lot to say... this is captivating, interesting music.

But it's also entirely free-form, freely atonal and dissonant (except for the aptly-named Strictly Genteel, which uses an extended tertian, dance-band sort of vocabulary harmonically), and not easy to follow. This is not a failure on Zappa's part, it's what he intended (why else would Pierre Boulez have been interested in his work?). Zappa's ethos here is aggressively Modernist; accordingly, the music is deliberately confusing and difficult to comprehend at the first hearing.

John Cage wrote an essay entitled, "Who Cares if You Listen?" Milton Babbit flatly dismissed audience comprehension as even a minor priority of the modern composer, and said, "I'm not running a restaurant here." It may also have been Babbit who asserted that modern composers must necessarily go as far over the head of the average person as modern physicists, or theoretical mathematicians.

Zappa doesn't take things quite to those extremes, but still, all of that is representative of his aesthetic ethos. So especially if you aren't a fan, this sort of music is difficult for most people to enjoy.

The Weakest Zappa Instrumental Album.......2006-04-08

disc one is composed of 3 classical compositions and only "sad jane" is the most memorable and that's not saying much.

"bob in dacron" and " mo 'n herb's vacation" are free-form pieces that sound very imporvised and that's probably what FZ had in mind. It echoes Varese & Stravinsky, both of whom were influences on Zappa. They are not bad pieces, just very forgettable.

*** WARNING : Around 2:20 into the 2nd movement of "mo 'n herb's vacation", very loud airhorns suddenly burst out of the speakers and startle you. This starts as a relaxing piece but then scares you half to death. You gotta admire that touch.

*** WARNING #2: Around 4:40 into the same movement, loud whistles somewhat come out of nowhere and give you a scare just to make sure you are still awake after the airhorns.

Disc 2 is infinitely better:

The best track on the album is the orchestral version of "envelopes" which surpasses in quality the original version found on the "drowning witch" album. both versions are good though. 2 stars for this alone!!!

"pedro's dowry" and "bogus pomp" were heard on the previously released album "orchestral favorites" and both of the original versions surpass these. (this "bogus pomp" runs almost 25 minutes....a little overkill if you ask me while the original is done in under 14 minutes and that's just enough before you get sick of it.)

"strictly genteel" was also on "orchestral favorites" and both versions are terrific.

the original is more upbeat and has a dominant piano section (& harmonica) in it while this version is more grandiose yet soothing and has a dominant horn section (no harmonica).

If it wasn't for the 34 minutes of experimental free-form on disc two and the long and uninvolving disc one, this would have gotten a higher rating.

Music great; recording awful........2005-02-03

I was really excited about these recordings for two reasons: 1). I am a Zappa fan and have long respected and enjoyed his classical compositions (check out "The Yellow Shark", for example), and I wanted to hear his pieces played by a full symphony orchestra, and 2). I am a recording engineer who frequently works with symphony and chamber orchestras and, given FZ's usually high standard of audio recording, I was interested to hear this material.

The good news is that the material really does have merit. While I think the chamber compositions on "Yellow Shark" represent him better on many levels, I enjoyed the compositions on these LSO CD's. The bad news is that the recording quality is so awful I can't listen to it. I won't get too geeky about this, but suffice to say that FZ used 40 or 50 PZM microphones--practically one for every instrument. This technique can work for rock music (though even in rock one would not choose the harsh quality of a PZM type microphone). However in classical music, from the listener's perspective it's like having every flute, every trumpet, every drum, etc. wailing away ten inches in front of your face. It's an assault. It's painful. This is the single most fatiguing recording I have heard in my life. I am a fan of FZ, and if you're reading this review, chances are good that you are too. So buy these recordings if you really want to hear these pieces of music, but for your sake I hope your ears are less easily offended than mine.

Kind of Suprising that the quality was not really there.......2003-06-07

the LSO apparently agreed to forgo their vacation after recording the star wars theme music (I think it was ROTJ)... anyway, after that session they had originally planned to go on a 30 days vacation. That was until the mighty FZ approached them and asked if they would take 400,000 in cash to do his material. Well, if it had been anyone else in Rock music, they most likely would have headed out to vacation.

then there were so many bad experiences between FZ and the orchestra. I have read where the musicians didn't understand why FZ took so much time arranging their chairs 'JUST SO'. These folks should have just shut up and let the master of sound and engineering (and rarely anyone rivaled FZ in this arena) do his thing. then the trumpet playing folks during a break in the sessions got loaded on brew at a pub and played flat on some numbers... which FZ obviously had a problem with.

Of all the interviews I have read from the folks in the orchestra, they seemed to forget that FZ paid for these sessions and wanted things done his way. But, FZ had very little influence on these musicians to be what they were reported to be, MUSICIANS. FZ stated in many interviews that 'The LSO can play most classical music with their eyes closed, but were not really all that good at reading music they didn't know 'by heart.' Which kinda, at the time, really suprised me.

After listening to other orchestras play FZ music (try national philharmonic on 'orchestral favorites' and bootleg berkley orchestra doing 'Sinister Footwear') and you will see just how stiff the LSO seems to be. Considering that the LSO has a reputation of being a 'swinging classical orchestra'. Maybe it was the tension between the master and the pupils.... who knows.

Now, that is not to say the LSO butchered every number, because they didn't. They did manage to do one song wonderfully, and that song was 'STRICTLY GENTEEL'. This is by far my favorite version of this material and WAY WORTH THE PRICE OF THIS SET ALONE. The LSO obviously liked this number a lot, cause they nailed it. And it is terrific. I was disappointed in the music until I heard that song.. and then I was okay with the output.

So, balance this information.. I would not buy this unless you have bought a good many other FZ recordings; and for his classical releases here is my list of ones to get before this one:

1. Yellow Shark. released early 90s. Ensemble Modern. wow.

2. Perfect Stranger. VERY GOOD, but keep in mind there are also synclavier pieces included.

3. Orchestral Favorites. EXCELLENT. Matter of fact this is the best of the four.

Have fun.

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