Customer Reviews

Lather

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4 star:		(6)
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The story behind the creation of this collection is almost as legendary as the man who created it. Suffice to say, it was originally intended as a 4-disc vinyl release, ran into some complications, and was delayed by a mere 20 years. These complications resulted in Frank Zappa's suing a VERY LARGE RECORD COMPANY for about 3 million, the material being released across about 5 albums (three of them against his wishes), and, in an act of revolt, Frank's broadcasting of the album in its entirety on LA's KROQ, during which he actually encouraged listeners to record it.

Until RYCODISC's CD version came out around '96, the only way a person could hear the album as Frank had intended was if one could get ahold of the recording of this famous broadcast. Had it been released when it was supposed to, Läther would have qualified as the ultimate work of this sorely-missed musical innovator. Zappa's wildly diverse compositional capabilities are represented more comprehensively here than on any release; from live rock performances to symphonic and chamber works, from dialogue snippets to tape-manipulated musique concrete, this is the full spectrum of pre-digital FZ at the peak of his powers. Nobody could touch this man in the 70s.

As many of the songs were a bit new and rough at the time of these recordings, Frank produced more polished and extended versions in the later albums "Zappa in New York" and "Sheik Yerbouti", so his reticence to release this collection during his lifetime is certainly understandable. However, if you have not yet heard "Studio Tan", "Sleep Dirt" and/or "Orchestral Favorites", you can get them all in one tidy remastered package (without the annoying vocals that were added on "Sleep Dirt") and enjoy them in one seriously eclectic listening.

I'm a firm believer in cheating with Desert Island Picks, by choosing box sets. If I had the choice of one Zappa release to sustain me in isolation, I would not have to think for very long, because Läther has it all. The ultimate FZ representation, hands down.

Zappa had originally intended this album to be released as a four LP set back in 1977 but Warner Brothers decided not to release it for various reasons I won't get into here. Instead, they got Zappa to divide the original Lather album into four separate albums, often with different arrangements and mixes: Zappa in New York, Studio Tan, Orchestral Favorites and Sleep Dirt, and a few songs found their way onto Sheik Yerbouti too. Warner Bros. also decided not to pay Frank for his work. So Zappa played the entire Lather album over the radio airwaves from which countless bootlegs have been made. Ha ha Warner, you greedheads. So finally, years later we get an official release of Lather, Zappa's magnum opus and arguably his best album and it was worth the wait.

Every style Zappa ever did is on this record... from the stupid: T*tties 'n Beer, to the sordid: Honey, Don't You Want A Man Like Me?, to the sublime: RDNZL, from the idiotic, to the intelligent, to the indescribable. There are ridiculous comedy songs, social satire, bizarre and rocking instrumentals. Some of the comedy/satire like Trying To Grow A Chin or T*tties 'n Beer are puerile, and their power to amuse wanes with each play. Though I still get a big kick out of Punky's Whips, a story of drummer Terry Bozio's infatuation with a picture of Angel lead guitarist Punky Meadows mostly because I remember the poster from Creem magazine. Yeah it was a pretty girly picture, poor Terry;) But the best songs and especially the instrumentals, of which there are a great deal, are among the best things Zappa has ever done and reward repeated listenings. They range from 20th century classical serious, to silly, to jazz, to obscene rock guitar workouts a la Filthy Habits. Lather is all over the map and is utterly amazing. Could anyone not familiar with Zappa realize that one guy wrote all this widely varying material? I don't think they would guess. Anybody who says Zappa is not a genius, or composer worthy of note, or a great guitarist should be forced to sit through this album, it just might change their opinion. So Spike Jones, Edgar Varesse and Jimi Hendrix walk into a bar...

(...)Zappa neither walked on water nor was he the musical equivalent of a flasher. He was a serious composer who had some great moments, good moments, fair moments and downright godawful moments. And you can't get a better collection of all of the above than on this three-disc sprawling mass of....Zappa.

My own preference goes for his purely instrumental moments, whether they be classical, jazz(ish), rock-heavy guitar moments or sploches of musique concrete. Where he loses me here is where he always has lost me, which is in his "social commentary/satire" phases. Be honest, how many times are you actually going to LISTEN to "Legend of the Illinois Enema Bandit" or "Greggery Peccary?" They weren't that funny to start with and repeated listenings sure don't make them funnier! On the other hand, "Regyptian Strut," "The Ocean Is The Final Solution," "Pedro's Dowry" and the other instrumental/orchestral components of LÄTHER are truly subversive, clever and can hook ya good. But it's all here for whatever brought the listener to Zappa in the first place and whatever kept he or she there, and that's fine.

Personally, I'm glad we had Zappa the composer/musician as well as Zappa the social satirist because it's nice to be able to choose the former over the latter. And BOTH are preferable to Zappa the diety.

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 different mixes of others (most notably the "Sleep Dirt" stuff without the added vocals), 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 did deliberately harsh and abrupt edits. Zappa hated it when people tried to pigeon-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 found on Lather. If you already own the other 4 albums, you are probably a big enough Zappa freak that you'll want to get it anyway, for the reasons I mentioned.

Greetings. As the subject mentions, I feel this is the perfect introduction to the world of Frank Zappa. A little bit of his orchestral compositions, some amazing guitar work (heck, some amazing instrumental work all around), a healthy dose of sarcasm and irreverence, and that little "something" that made Frank's work so wonderful. Some of my favorites include: the entire first disc, the gloriously overcooked rendition of "Punky's Whips," "The Purple Lagoon," the twenty-minute eccentricity of "Greggery Peckary," and...well, the entire thing! Don't let the price turn you off. This album's the real deal.

Regarding the claim that Ryko screwed up the second disc track listing, this is most likely untrue. There's been some debate, but I believe that Spencer Chrislu (or somebody else in the Zappa camp) claimed when he opened the box for the third record's master tapes, he found what went onto the CD. Apparently, Frank either mislabeled the box or had another version of the album in mind at one point. In any event, this is what Frank played on a radio station many years ago when Warner Bros. stopped its release, so I think it's safe to assume this is the "ultimate" version of the album. Dig in!

This posthumous 3-CD release by the Zappa Family Trust - essentially, and I use that term advisedly, an amalgamation of Zappa_In_ New_York, Studio_Tan, Sleep_Dirt, and Orchestral_Favorites (...and yes, all 4 albums are worth purchasing even if one already owns Läther. Or vice versa, as the case may be) - is how Frank Zappa originally intended the aforementioned records to be heard. Unfortunately, due to a dispute with Warner Bros., his grandiose scheme of releasing an "8-sided album" was quashed. Therefore, in December 1977, Zappa went on a local radio station, told the audience to get their recording equipment ready, whereupon he broadcast the album, in its entirety to an unexpecting public. Some sound bites of the (inebriated?) "bogus temporary DJ" are interspersed within this remastered album. The liner notes, a 38-page booklet, includes synopses of the songs contained therein. An unequivocal masterpiece by a true visionary genius!

This album makes you wonder what it must have been like back in 1977 when FZ, after the frustration with the record labels decided not to release his megawork, to play the whole thing on the radio (ALL 8 SIDES!). Some call it a masterpiece, a freak out, or just what the (explitive). The fact is this is a perfect framework for displaying the mind of FZ. You could get this title and have what so many other FZ albums do, though Lather was split into other albums like Sleep Dirt and Studio Tan. So many examples of what FZ is capable of. In the liner notes, it says it's understandable that this album could have been composed by a multitude of writers. Lather ranges from his Varese inspired orchestral works, jazz fusion, experiments with tape speeds, live versions of "Broken Hearts Are..." and "Tryin To Grow A Chin" (found on "Shiek Yerbouti"), and other stuff from the kitchen sink. Yet somehow this eclectic collection is all held together with Frank's guitar work and humor. Yes, a few go overboard (I never really got "Gregory Peckory). But when you start disc 1 with the powerful instrumental "Regyptian Strut", you know you're in for something special. Think of it as going into a funhouse. You're never quite sure what you'll get, but it's one heck of a ride.

This album has it all! Rock satires, amazing guitar solos, funny and very obscene pop pieces, modern classical works. While some of the '70s humor seems dated (with the exception of "Honey, Don't you want a man like me?" which is still hilarious), the instrumental pieces pass the test of time. "Filthy Habits" is probably the best feedback guitar piece ever recorded, and "Leather Goods" is a just plain awesome virtuoso guitar.

My favorite piece on the album is probably "The Adventures of Greggary Peccary," the bizarre 20 minute sequel to "Billy the Mountain." "Greggary" is a farrago of rock parodies, jazz and modern classical styles. It's like Charles Ives on acid. Intermixed with the odd music is a charmingly absurd narrative about a white-collar pig and his surreal adventures among the world of trendy goods and flaky philosophers. Not to be missed.

Lather is one of Zappa's most ambitious creations, covering multiple continents of musical territory. There's tightly played hard rock, dopey little ditties, soaring guitar solos, moody orchestral pieces--and all segue into a single roller-coaster ride for the ears. I was lucky enough to have picked up test pressings of the original unreleased LPs of Lather years ago, and I'm happy to say that these CDs, lovingly remastered at Frank's own studio after his death, live up to the promise of Zappa's vision for this work. Plus there are several outtakes, including a lengthy and energetic guitar solo, "Lather Goods," excerpted within the album but also included in its original form.

This is absolutely essential stuff for any hardcore Zappa fan, but also a good introduction to the variety of Frank's work for those not familiar with the enormous FZ canon.

Finally a legitimate release on one of uncle Frank's most adventurous projects. Lather (pronounced Leather) was the
famous 4 LP set that Frank's former label at the time Warner Bros. refused to release in '77. Well as we all know the rest is history.
Frank brought LP's to a Pasadena radio station and told the audience to get their tape recorders ready and tape the records!
Well, lawsuits went back and forth and eventually snippets of the original 4 LP set turned up on later FZ records Zappa In
New York, Sleep Dirt, Studio Tan & Orchestral Favorites from '78 & '79. now we have the entire 4 LP set on a snazzy
little 3 CD set including 4 recently unearthed tracks from over the years related to the original LP project. These 4 oddities
"Regyptian Strut ('93)," Leather Goods," Revenge Of The Knick Knack People" & Time Is Money" are the bonus cuts that
close out the set bringing the total playing experience to 3 hours! Exceptional separate liner notes by both Gail Zappa and
Simon Prentis document the history of this missing masterpiece with articulate insight. Digitally overhauled for another excellent
sonic blowout!