Läther [Box set]

Amazon.com
Recorded in 1976, this mythic three-CD opus finally sees the light of day to the joy of Zappaphiles. It almost goes without saying that there's a wealth of silliness, grotesque humor, and freeform genius in these three hours of wacked-out tunes about muffins, prunes, geese, and the legendary Illinois Enema Bandit. Abandon all logic ye who enter here--an all-too-rare warning at a time when Zappa still rates as a lone wolf howling against conformity. --Jeff Bateman

From the Label
Almost 20 years after its intended 1977 release, this previously unissued four-LP box set (now on three CDs) is now commercially available for the first time. With its mix of live rock performances, orchestral works, musique concrete, jazz compositions, guitar improvisations, sci-fi musicals, cartoon soundtracks and enema bandits, LÄTHER is a veritable smorgasbord of Zappa delights. As Simon Prentis, Zappa's semantic scrutinizer and LÄTHER liner note writer, observes, "Were it not for the characteristically incongruous twists lurking in the background, it would be hard to credit that so much music executed in so many different styles (and with such precision and panache) could be the work of one composer."

Produced by Zappa in 1977, LÄTHER (pronounced leather) features unreleased tracks, unreleased versions of familiar tunes and alternate mixes and edits of tracks that appeared on four separate albums in 1978 and 1979 (ZAPPA IN NEW YORK, STUDIO TAN, SLEEP DIRT and ORCHESTRAL FAVORITES). In addition to LÄTHER's two hours and 40 minutes of music, the staff at Zappa's recording studio, the Utility Muffin Research Kitchen (UMRK), has unearthed four nuggets from the Zappa vault and assembled them into a 20-minute bonus at the end of the program, bringing the total listening experience to three hours.

Legal hassles with Warner Bros., Zappa's record company at the time, prevented the original release of LÄTHER. Stories vary, but according to Gail Zappa, Zappa conceived LÄTHER as a four-album box set which Warner Bros. declined to release. The label then thwarted Zappa's attempts to release it elsewhere by threatening legal action. It was then that Zappa reluctantly reformatted some of LÄTHER's material into separate albums, and delivered them to the record company in an effort to fulfill his contractual obligations. Zappa alleged that Warner Bros. refused to pay him for the material, so he declared them in breach and the lawsuits began.

Zappa took matters into his own hands in December 1977 by playing the entire work on Pasadena's KROQ radio station and instructing listeners to tape it. He said, "This is Frank Zappa as your bogus temporary disc jockey making it possible for you to run your little cassette machine and tape an album which is perhaps never going to be available to the public at large." He was right. Until now.

The unorthodox radio broadcast, plus a few reviews of LÄTHER that found their way into the press at the time, helped to solidify the album's reputation as a masterpiece and made it the stuff of legend. "Ingenuity, poise, and audacity are stamped on all the compositions like a hallmark," says Prentis in the liner notes. The breadth and depth of musical virtuosity in evidence on LÄTHER makes it not only a top request from Zappa fans, but an important missing piece in the recorded history of one of modern music's most inspired and original composers.

Läther,Frank Zappa,Rykodisc,Album Rock,Comedy Rock,Experimental Rock,Hard Rock,Jazz-Rock,Pop,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Rock,Rock/Pop

Läther [Box set]

Average customer rating:

FZ's genius on display
COMO TANTA LOCURA, TALENTO E INSPIRACION PUEDEN CABER EN TRES DISQUITOS ????
There is plenty to glean
you need this
different versions of songs you know

Läther
Frank Zappa
Manufacturer: Zappa Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music

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Progressive | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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ASIN: B0000009TT
Release Date: 1996-09-24

Tracks:

Re-gyptian Strut
Naval Aviation In Art?
A Little Green Rosetta
Duck Duck Goose
Down In De Dew
For The Young Sophisticate
Tryin' To Grow A Chin
Broken Hearts Are For Assholes
The Legend Of The Illinois Enema Bandit
Lemme Take You To The Beach
Revised Music For Guitar And Low Budget Orchestra
RDNZL

Tracks:

Honey, Don't You Want A Man Like Me?
The Black Page #1
Big Leg Emma
Punky's Whips
Flambe
The Purple Lagoon
Pedro's Dowry
Lather
Spider Of Destiny
Duke Of Orchestral Prunes

Tracks:

Filthy Habits
Titties & Beer
The Ocean Is the Ultimate Solution
The Adventures of Greggery Peccary
Regyptian Strut ('93 remix)
Leather Goods
Revenge of the Knick Knack People
Time Is Money

Amazon.com

Recorded in 1976, this mythic three-CD opus finally sees the light of day to the joy of Zappaphiles. It almost goes without saying that there's a wealth of silliness, grotesque humor, and freeform genius in these three hours of wacked-out tunes about muffins, prunes, geese, and the legendary Illinois Enema Bandit. Abandon all logic ye who enter here--an all-too-rare warning at a time when Zappa still rates as a lone wolf howling against conformity. --Jeff Bateman

Customer Reviews:

FZ's genius on display.......2007-05-22

FZ at his finest. A must for any FZ fan!

COMO TANTA LOCURA, TALENTO E INSPIRACION PUEDEN CABER EN TRES DISQUITOS ????.......2006-10-04

SI ARRANCAMOS SABIENDO QUE EN REALIDAD ESTE DISCO, POR CAPRICHOS DE LAS COMPAÑIAS DISQUERAS, FUE DESMENUZADO EN VARIAS EDICIONES...SI TENEMOS EN CUENTA QUE ZAPPA EN REALIDAD LO CREO A MEDIADOS DE LOS '70, QUE LO DIFUNDIO POR RADIO ANTES DE QUE SALGA AL MERCADO...COMO UNA OBRA ASI PUEDE LLEGAR A SER TAN COHERENTE, TAN ORGIASTICA, TAN DEMENTE, TAN DESPROLIJA, TAN GENIAL..TODO A LA VEZ???????? AQUI LA GUITARRA DE ZAPPA ADQUIERE UNA EXPRESION Y LOCUACIDAD REALMENTE EXASPERANTE...filthy habits..the ocean is the ultimate solution...tenes hasta boogie!!! esta edicion puede parecer demasiado, incluso para fans de zappa....en mi humilde opinion es una obra bestial, arrogante , impredecible que por primera vez puede apreciarse como lo quiso el artista!BUY IT, BUY IT, BUY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is plenty to glean.......2006-09-24

Much has been made of the record company's trifling with this material. I agree with those who see Zappa as a great musician and composer who just happened to have a tacky sense of humor. The all-inclusive character of this album is therefore a mixed blessing, but there is plenty to glean. Most of the best material was released on Sleep Dirt and Orchestral Favorites. Those albums captured the artistic range, without subjecting me to such gems as "The Illinois Enema Bandit" (in which I found more embarrassment than amusement).

you need this.......2006-01-06

You can read the previous reviews to get the story on this album, so I won't repeat it. I will cut to the chase to explain why you should get this. There are some different versions of some songs, and some slightly different mixes of others, but basically they're songs available on 4 previously released albums. Those 4 were packaged by Warner Brothers thematically - live songs on one album, orchestral on another, instrumental on another, etc. From the very first one, Zappa's albums were more than a collection of songs. If you listen to 200 Motels or Uncle Meat, you get a wonderful mix of all kinds of different styles, live and studio recordings, and other juxtapositions, sometimes in the same song. He often diddeliberately harsh and abrupt edits. Zappa hated it when people tried to pidgeon-hole his music (good luck, anyway!). That is precisely the beauty of "Lather". As a whole, it is a masterpiece.

If you don't own this music in any form, buy this first, because you will get a clearer sense of what the artist intended to do. Eventually you will want the other albums because there is some music not on Lather. If you already own the other 4 albums, you are probably a big enough of a Zappa freak that you'll want to get it anyway, for the reasons I mentioned.

different versions of songs you know.......2005-07-25

this is a damn great c.d. get it dont wait buy it now and you will be happy happy joy joy for this is the zappa we know and love