Frank Zappa Lather CD

LATHER (pronounced "leather") was recorded in the 1970s and originally intended as a 4-LP box set. It was, however, never released that way; instead, the material from the project dribbled out over the course of 1978 and 1979 on the albums ZAPPA IN NEW YORK, SLEEP DIRT, STUDIO TAN, ORCHESTRAL FAVORITES and SHEIK YERBOUTI.
This 1996 release is the first issue of the full LATHER, and it features four previously-unreleased songs, along with previously-unreleased versions or mixes of many of the tracks.
Personnel includes: Frank Zappa (vocals, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, bass, percussion); Ray White (vocals, guitar); George Duke (vocals, keyboards); Eddie Jobson (vocals, violin, keyboards); Patrick O'Hearn (vocals, bass); Terry Bozzio (vocals, drums); Lou Marini (flute, alto saxophone); Mike Brecker (flute, tenor saxophone); Ronnie Cuber (clarinet, baritone saxophone); Randy Brecker (trumpet); Bruce Fowler, Tom Malone (brass); Andre Lewis (keyboards); Ruth Underwood (synthesizer, percussion); David Samuels (vibraphone, timpani); James "Bird Legs" Youman, Dave Parlato, Roy Estrada, Max Bennett (bass); Chester Thompson, Jim Gordon (drums); Emil Richards (percussion).
Recorded between 1973 and 1977. Includes liner notes by Gail Zappa and Simon Prentis.
The full saga of Läther (pronounced leather) is tangled enough to give a migraine to all but committed Zappaphiles. Basically, what you need to know is that this project was originally conceived of as a four-record box set. When record company politics prevented its release in that format, much of the material was spread over the albums Live in New York, Sleep Dirt, Studio Tan, and Orchestral Favorites. This three-CD set presents the album as it was originally conceived, with the addition of four bonus tracks at the end. It mixes previously available material, alternate mixes, and edits, and previously unissued stuff, though only the most serious Zappa fans will have a good grip on exactly what has appeared where (the liner notes are surprisingly unexact in this regard). And the music? It's almost like a résumé of Zappa's bag of tricks: Uncle Meat-like experimentation, intricate jazz-rock, straight hard rock, orchestral composition, and comedy. Some of those comedy tracks became some of his most notorious routines, like "Punky's Whips" and "Titties 'n Beer," which amounted to avant- rock for drunk frat boys and pot smoking, underachieving junior high school students. The juvenile humor, hamfisted parody of hard rock clichés, and the shaggy-dog opera of the 20-minute "The Adventures of Greggery Peccary" are outshone by the lengthy, more experimental instrumental passages. It's interesting, but exhausting to wade through all at once, and the avant-garde/composerly cuts are not as exceptional as his earlier work in this vein in the late '60s and early '70s. That means that this will appeal far more to the Zappa cultist than the general listener, though the Zappa cult -- which has been craving Läther in its original format for years -- is a pretty wide fan base in and of itself. [In 2005, Rykodisc made available the Japanese Mini LP replica version...which is a bit strange since Läther was never officially released on LP.] ~ Richie Unterberger
Recorded at various times with a revolving cast of characters, the huge mass of material known as LATHER was to be released in the late '70s when Zappa's record company refused to put it out. Instead, they insisted that he owed them four individual records. So, the unflappable Zappa chopped LATHER into four sections (released as LIVE IN NEW YORK, STUDIO TAN, SLEEP DIRT and ORCHESTRAL FAVORITES). He then went on a southern California radio station and played the whole project while encouraging listeners to illegally tape it. Finally, the entire collection is now available on one three-disc set in all of its legendary glory.
And just what is LATHER (pronounced "leather")? It is the ultimate amalgam of all that Zappa could be. FromRolling Stone (10/3/96, p.71) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "If...Zappa had released the four-LP set LATHER as intended in 1977, it would have been his most significant album since 1969's UNCLE MEAT....LATHER whips the length and breadth of Zappa's extensive musical concerns into a challenging froth, making this a particularly fine introduction to his work..."
Down Beat (12/96, pp.59-60) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...the music sounds absolutely fabulous here....it's a definite plus to hear Lather as a whole, warts and all."
Musician (11/96, p.85) - "...never-released gems and unexpected alternate versions, plus four bonus cuts to boot...bridged in the high Zappa style of short sonic salvos and surrealistically nutty dialog....a snazzy, all-embracing showcase for the more than eight sides of Frank Zappa."