Boulez Conducts Zappa: Perfect Strangers [Import, Limited Edition]

Frank Zappa | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 4, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Limited Edition
• Label: Vido Arts
• ASIN: B00006JL96
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #732,597 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Perfect Stranger

2. Naval Aviation in Art?

3. The Girl in the Magnesium Dress

4. Dupree's Paradise

5. Love Story

6. Outside Now Again

7. Jonestown

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good selection for hard core Zappa fans, April 21, 2007

By 

DTM "DTM714" (Hollywood, FL USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger (Audio CD)

The CD is a collection of pure classical music for the most part, with a few synthesizer tunes thown in for good measure. The classical stuff is what I would expect classical music to sound like if Zappa wrote it. Then he does his own synth stuff that sounds like Tron runs amok. Somehow, the two different styles blend together well and seem to fit in this presentation. The packaging is very detailed. The liner notes are presented in multiple languages besides English and all musicians are credited. I'm glad I bought it. But then again, I'm a Zappa nut. :)

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Good Zappa Instrumental Album....part orchestra/part synclavier, April 7, 2006

By 

William Caputo (Scranton, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger (Audio CD)

While this is not FZ's greatest instrumental album of orchestral or synclavier pieces, it is still a very good sample of some of Zappa's entertaining pieces that proved he could be just as good a composer of serious music as he could with comedy rock.

Tracks 1, 2, 4 are performed by a Frecnh orchestra conducted by Pierre Boulez while tracks 3, 5, 6 and 7 are performed without any human musicians on the "synclavier" machine.

The best piece on the album is track 4 (Dupree's Paradise). This "Dupree's Paradise" is the definitive version, surpassing the 24 minute version found on YCDTOSA vol. 2 and even the faster, big-band version found on "make a jazz noise here."
In other words, a beautiful, moving and relaxing piece.

Track 1 (The Perfect Starnger) makes its premiere here and is very experimental in the Stravinsky/Varese sort of way that Zappa occasionally emulated. Not a bad piece but nothing special either.

"Naval aviation in art?" is also heard here. However, this version is inferior to the original (and shorter) version found on the "orchestral favorites" album.

While "the girl in the magnesium dress" and "love story" are mediocre synclavier pieces, "Outside now again" is perhaps Zappa's most relaxing, yet simultaneously suspenseful, synclavier piece. ***A perfect track to put on "repeat" while reading or doing chores.

"jonestown" is a synclavier piece that would be the perfect composition in a very scary horror movie.

All in all, a great listen.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Boulez at his laziest..., February 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger (Audio CD)

The performances by Boulez' group, Ensemble Intercontemporain, sound as though they were prepared about an hour before they were recorded. They mostly come of sounding sloppy and misguided, but only occassionly get the 'visceral' energy needed from the players to play these pieces. This doesn't suprise me, as I would find it hard to believe that Boulez actually enjoys Zappa's music. The compositions are wonderful--and that is why I can give it 3 stars--but it is time to get the chamber orchestra pieces recorded again! Boulez does NOT do it justice.