Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman

...lol. honestly I liked it the more I listened. reading about the making of the record and John Zorn/ornette Coleman was interesting. don't consider myself a freeform jazz guy but this hit enough hardcore/punk buttons that it kept me engaged. I'll probably put this on at work when I remember to scare the hoes

I feel like I'm having a heart attack

To quote the youtube comment section where I had to listen to this today: "this is how every jazz album sounds to people not familiar with jazz" And another quote from a review: “Sounds like the drums are beating the shit out of the saxophones”

Man, this was a hard one to rate. First of all, it's not fucking techno or brit pop, thank Christ. There's a lot of noise here. A lot...and I like some experimental stuff. But around the 23-24 minute mark it settles into a groove that's pretty damn cool. Probably wouldn't listen to it again. Give me a whole album of the groove they find halfway through the album and we might have a different story. So...giving it a 3 because it's not electronic slop, it's not britpop and the musicians are really good even if it's not the easiest album to listen to.

Hahahah wat the fuck

Not available. I'll go digging on YouTube. I can't miss out on jazz punk ?grindcore! --------------- I do not know what to do with this and I think it will take multiple listens to even hope to digest it. There's some bops in here including chronology and enfants. There's masses of sound here making it a massively draining listen. The last four tracks are almost sane, the rest are grindcore transcribed to Jazz. I'm sure there's loads of references, in jokes and nods I'm no where near experienced to comprehend. This kind of reminds me of the first time I heard my favourite genre (black metal). Confused but interested. Maybe this will grow on me, but I think I need a jazz education first. It's way more preferable to big band and the jazz singers though. I will try a different album tonight from Zorn. **

Pretty sure my dog listens to this every night right about 8:30.

I'm amazed that every track on this album sounds as awful and identical to the previous one. This might be the toughest listen in the challenge so far. I was also frightened to see how many albums this artist (?) has released - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Zorn_discography (there should be some sort of legal limitation to prevent this from happening. Wikipedia states, "John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, producer, arranger and saxophonist who 'deliberately resists category.' This music sits squarely in the 'fucking awful' category for me. If I could give 0 stars, I would.

I pride myself on listening to every track of every album, I often try to listen twice through to get a proper feel for the music. 30 seconds into this I involuntarily started yelling NO NO NO! I paused and tried again. Again - NO NO NO. I'm not sure I can do it. If I can make it through, I know its a NO from me, so this is a preemptive rating and review - I will try again when I have some more patience.

Album #185: John Zorn – Spy vs Spy: The Music of Ornette Coleman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I just finished listening to this one, and I’ve done no research. I haven’t looked into the Wikipedia or anything about this album, as I don’t want facts and knowledge to poison my immediate opinion of this thing. This thing is absolutely bonkers. Totally bizarre, totally unique and totally worthwhile. I’m not a jazz fan. It’s a genre that leaves me cold. I’ve tried a few times to listen to jazz, and I’m hoping that the jazz in the generator will be more of an introduction to the genre itself. But I find the jazz pretty impenetrable, despite actually really wanting to enjoy it. But this avant-garde jazz stuff is just spectacular. There’s just so much drama going on in this thing. It’s the sound of two sets of instruments, the horns and the drums, absolutely kicking the shit out of each other for 45 minutes. It’s like they’re fighting in a snake pit for a knife to slit each other’s throats. It is just some of the most aggressive, pulverising music I’ve ever heard. And I’m obsessed with the low end of this thing. The low end is so deep. It’s subatomic. And it’s relentless from start to finish. I wasn’t necessarily going to pick out individual tracks, but there are these little moments of reprieve from the madness before everything just descends into chaos again. Around 25 minutes in, you get this song called Feet Music, and the dude just fucking basically goes post-punk for about two minutes and then abandons it altogether for more chaos. Just bizarre. I don’t know what the intention was behind this album or what meaning he’s trying to display. The whole Spy vs Spy thing makes me feel like I’m in some sort of psychedelic spy thriller, and maybe that’s what it was meant to be like. But to me, in the modern world, I find everything a bit scary. I find the news very anxiety-driven, and everywhere I look, everything is horrible most of the time, outside of my immediate family. Everything freaks me out. And I don’t think I’ve ever heard an album that resonated more with me in today’s age than this one, to be honest with you. This is not a good-time record. This is a bad-time record. And whether you like it or not, these albums are important. You need the bad-time records to really sum up the feel of the time, and I think this really does. Whether you love it or hate it, this is an album you need to hear before you die, because this is the kind of music that’s out there. For me, that’s the whole point of doing this album generator: being exposed to music this far outside my usual tastes and occasionally finding something that completely blows me away. I know this is one of the lowest-rated albums on the list. I’m not trying to be contrarian, but this is probably the best discovery I’ve had yet, and one of the best albums I think I’ve ever heard.

ar irtveba

Probably the best Jazz I’ve ever heard. 2.88

This was great jazz. Energetic. Made for excellent listening walking around the river in Bern

Hell nah

My dog hated this.

Får ikke hørt den

this was just straight noise tbh... had it on the lowest volume and still hated it

Some harshness, some elements of cacophony, but really enjoyable

Truly messed up. Did not enjoy this. Chaotic noise jazz for 40 minutes.

I'll be honest. 95% of this album sounds like infants developed sufficient fine motor skills to use instruments, but not any sense of musicality. But the remaining 5% is good enough to lock you in and think "Ah, this is true music." (until the babies kick back in).

jesus christ

3 stars

Number: 231 Familiarity: None (1) Rating: 3 Before: ======= IDK, Jazz maybe. During: ======= Wow, they don't waste any time. They just jump right in, balls a blazin', so to speak... I did not find this on my streaming platform so am listening to it on YouTube... About 40% of the way in now. This all sounds pretty much the same to me so far. I'll probably rate it a 3. I appreciate it for what it is and I think it's really good at showcasing what ever it is Mr. Zorn is trying to showcase. I just don't find it all that enjoyable to listen to. After : ======= So on the one hand it's a 4, but on the other hand it's a 2. If you asked me to describe this in one word I would say chaos...I am reminded a bit of black midi for some reason. I do enjoy listening to black midi's music very much. I can't say the same for this album.

It may have caused some anxiety but at least I knew where they were coming from

The fact that it is not available to stream on Spotify is not a good sign to start off. The fact that is just a bunch of Whoville style instrument noises is confirmation that this is going to be a slog. Well, the songs suck, but at least they are short. This is like the jazz equivalent of hardcore punk/metal. And I don't like those genres any better than this. Good Old Days started with some promise and now has devolved into a cacophony of annoying sounds. Listening to this on YouTube makes figuring out which "song" I'm listening to impossible. The end of this cannot come soon enough. Feet Music is the first song that feels like it isn't trying to make me think it sucks. I don't know if I need to listen to Ornette Coleman to get a taste of his music or if it would just be subjecting myself to more of this torture.

Can’t find it

It's something different and at the same time I can't tell the songs apart. Love the attitude

Couldn’t find it on streaming but heard snippets on you tube. Awful

My first thought about this album was "what in the name of all that is holy am I listening to?". Soon I was starting to get a slight headache and I had to turn the volume way down. On the surface this album sounds like pure chaos and cacophony, an unstructured assault on the senses in the form of a jazz record. The whole thing is played at breakneck speed. This is pretty extreme jazz, not something to relax to, which means it's not for me. I do have to give John Zorn props for making something so out of the ordinary. Special mention for the rad cover art.

Sort of a sludgy mush mixture of jazz sounds in a cauldron, being stirred by a powered mixer. Little blurry images of saxophone melodies flow by like a dream, while the drums settle on sounding soft but firm, a sort of texture like mashed potatoes. It kind of feels like they're constantly stuck in the middle of a drumroll and they can't get out. Like the intensity of a slow, progressively building jazz song reaching a chaotic fanfarous last minute or so, except that intensity is just this entire album A jazz album, inspired by the stylings of hardcore punk... but I'm over 800 albums in and really I'd take this for the day over a normal jazz album or a normal hardcore punk album. It's different. It's fresh. Nobody appreciates a bitter salad more than the person who's only eaten candy for a year (though I cannot confirm this from experience) It's refreshing, I think

Not on Spotify- but YouTube helped Not an easy listen and it does take some understanding, but overall it’s okay . Avant-garde syncopated jazz Weirdly the worst parts are the overly screechy saxophones. Odd as Zorn is a saxophonist

Classic

08/18 That was legitimate torture to listen to. Just bullshit noise on the same level as the fucking CrazyBus theme. HORRIBLE!

Did I think this was cool? Yes. Do I recognize that this took a lot of skill and mastery? Yes. Did I enjoy listening to this? No.

This is bold, surprisingly musical, and took a ton of skill, but it’s also an obviously difficult listen that borders on cacophony at times. I’m tempted to give it a 4 just to counteract its low global rating, but I’m not sure I liked it enough to do that. On another note, why this album and not anything by Ornette Coleman himself? I’m glad it’s here, it’s worth hearing, but Coleman’s The Shape of Jazz to Come is among the list’s most glaring omissions.

Can't say I eas ghe biggest fan, bit is has moments. But it's albums like this one that made me start this list and there are too few of them so can't rate it any lower. I'm here for this stuff

This is an assault on the senses. And i kinda like it. Im not going to get on my soap box and preach to the world that this is the best thing ever made but I see the vision and I do respect it. Its jazz obviously. But the pace and frantic nature is unlike anything ive heard in the space. Not that im a jazz guy all that much. I like what ive heard but its not my go to. It does calm down a bit after maybe the 1st six or eight tracks. But its still at a 10 rather than an 11. The way they layer like 3 different solos on top of each other and they have thos dissonance to them its a mind fuck for real. Just coll as hell if not a bit confusing. But I guess thats the point to be challenging at a mile a minute. And it succeeds 100%. Not sure how often im putting this back on but I get it. The energy is undeniable

ERM dit staat niet eens op tidal. het is echt crazy jazz crazy drum crazy saxophoon.. het verdient 2 sterren omdat ze commited zijn en t is lowkey impressive. live zou dit echt cool zijn maar ik zou dit niet nog een keer willen luisteren.

ik krijg hier migraine van.

I can appreciate what this does for music, jazz, and rising musicians. I can appreciate all of that academically and also kinda hate this.

The first half of this was just unrelenting noise, and the second half had some more typical Jazz fare. I didn't hate the first half like some, but I also wasn't that blown away. Favorite Songs: Enfant, Ecars, Feet Music

Damn that was a hard listen first thing on a Monday Sometimes Jazz artists just need to be told to shut the fuck up

Hectic sax jazz is basically always dogshit. The halfwit smashing at a drumkit on every track does not help. 1/5

LOUD NOISES not on Spotify what the fuck mad respect

Holy balls this was bad! I enjoyed Throbbing Gristle waaaaay more. This is the soundtrack to a panic attack. This sounds like a literal car crash. I wish there was a way to give this a negative rating.

Chaotic Jazz, interesting but not enjoyable to listen to. Anytime music requires a background theory discussion into why it's good, 1 track will give you the jist of the rest of the 40 minutes

-oh yes some good old free jazz.. people on here are gonna hate this one lol -as much as i enjoy the genre and the work of Ornette Coleman, this is a bit of a baffling choice for what is presumably one of the few free jazz albums on here. just kinda felt like a bunch of random stuff, which i suppose it is -appreciative of the insane talent it had to take to create this though -Favorites: Ecars, Mob Job

Starts miserable, becomes better

Sick whacky thrash fusion. So fun to listen to;

#212/1001 🇺🇸 I'm happy that i got to listen to this. I'll be honest 3 tracks in and i could absolutely see why there is so much hating here. It sounded like a drum full of angry wasps. But then after a while you start to listen deeper and appreciate that there is some serious playing on here. It would be amazing to hear this performed live. Its an assault on the senses and i get the same adrenaline rush from hearing this i did in my teens discovering post-hardcore bands like Jesus Lizard and Big Black. I can't justify a 5, as its not something that i would enjoy listening to on a regular basis but it absolutely deserves its place here. Best Tracks: Enfant, Feet Music, Broadway Blues, Mob Music.

What a tiring cacophony of sound.

3/10

Intense

Have you ever wondered what it would sound like if a group of monkeys with ADHD riding the biggest sugar high of their lives wailed on drums and saxophones for 40 minutes? Well look no further because somebody somehow captured exactly that on this album. There is no melody, no arrangement, no cohesive thought to the sounds that emanate from this record. It truly sounds like a garbled mess. The drummer must have lost 20 pounds from this insane workout.

Beautifully performed. Awful result

Frenetic.

Dream big sleep tiny🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪

ya like jazz?

QUE XUXA. No pude acabar de escucharla, mucho caos.

Is this acid jazz or jazz you listen to on acid?

Je suis agréablement surpris de trouver du John Zorn. Sur une liste qui semble décidée à nous faire écouter l'intégralité des albums de britpop sortis entre 1990 et 2005, c'est un choix étonnamment osé. Et c'est album... c'est quelque chose ! C'est un album de reprises. Et je n'ai pas un grand intérêt pour les albums de reprise. C'est fun, mais ça ne justifie par à mon avis l'inclusion dans une liste de 1001 albums à écouter. Mais là, on va dire que c'est... spécial ! Des reprises, donc. Et uniquement du Ornette Coleman. Je suis incapable de dire si connaître les originaux ajoute à l'expérience ou pas, mais je doute que les originaux sonnent comme ça (j'écoute un peu en ligne pour vérifier que je dis pas de connerie). John Zorn est connu pour son côté abrasif et c'est bien à ça qu'on a droit ici. Le free jazz, c'est de base un style de jazz pas accessible, qui peut sembler aléatoire et cacophonique. Et ben là, c'est la même chose sous coke. On a droit : - à deux saxophones qui joue chacun dans une oreille différente des mélodies rapides, déstructurées et, 90 % du temps, pas synchronisées, - une basse, souvent discrète, mais qui arrive parfois au premier plan, - non pas un, mais DEUX batteurs, qui tabassent impitoyablement leurs instruments, le tout bien mis en avant dans le mix, - des titres très courts qui s'enchaînent sans répit (17 titres en une quarantaine de minutes). C'est simple, c'est un gros bordel. Ou en tout cas, c'est la première impression qu'on en a. Sur cet album, il se passe constamment plein de choses à la fois, très vite. Sauf qu'une écoute attentive permet de se rendre compte : - que les saxophones ne jouent pas au hasard, se focaliser sur l'un ou sur l'autre révèle de vraies mélodies, - que la basse intervient peu au premier plan, mais est toujours présente, - que les batteries sont brutales et rapides, mais offrent un jeu varié et riche. Alors oui, au premier abord, ce qui est un foutoir monstre s'avère être... bon, d'accord un sacré foutoir. Mais pas du n'importe quoi, c'est ça la subtilité. On a affaire à des musiciens de talent qui savent ce qu'ils font et qui ne cherchent pas à plaire à qui que ce soit. Je sens que celui-ci va être très mal noté par les utilisateurs de ce site. Mais personnellement, j'aime beaucoup. Je devrais vraiment me pencher plus sérieusement sur la carrière de John Zorn.

Some albums are not easy to listen to, not for the subject matter, but simply because the form of the music is so far outside of your regular comfort zone. Extreme forms of thrash metal or avant garde experimental pieces are the usual examples, but in this case it’s a John Zorn with a blast of free jazz riffing off pieces by Ornette Colman as seen though the lens of thrashcore punk. These are all short tracks and the first impression is of a relentless sonic assault, but this definitely repays giving it your full attention so that you can make sense of what is happening. Listening on headphones is a must, not least because you will probably get some funny looks from anyone else who hears this, but also because there are two alto saxophones at work here on opposite sides of the sound stage - Tim Berne on the left channel and John Zorn on the right. The effect is a little bit like the classic duelling banjos piece, where they lay down challenges and try to top each other (or sometimes just see who can honk the loudest). Nice!

Holy shit. I was wondering how jazz compositions "performed in miniature" and Napalm Death could be coming together. OK, I get it. It's wildly, exuberantly noisy. Nearly incoherently noisy. It's actually pretty fun, though. If you happen to be a fan of extreme metal and you're curious about jazz, this isn't a bad place to start. I assume this has a terrible rating here. It's not as difficult as Trout Mask Replica but it's definitely a challenging listen. Absolutely phenomenal musicianship. Sort of a stunt, though I understand that's also kind of passing judgement on John Zorn's work overall, so maybe not a fair characterization. It's deliberately challenging and very successful at that. It's not a supremely pleasant listening experience (though it's not harsh or painful) but it's not meant to be (though Coltrane and many others have managed both challenging and enjoyable). It's a real workout for your ears and whatever you're listening on. 5/5 for execution, 3/5 for enjoyability. It's still way better than anything Morrissey has been involved with. I guess 4/5, though ratings are somewhat pointless with an album like this. You really, really should listen to it through.

It's jazz but it's.. punk jazz? Definitely one of the stranger, noisier records I've ever heard :D must have been a lot of fun to record, but makes for a pretty intense listen.

Nah bro, just stay with it! Give it more than 5 minutes! It gets good, honest bro. You're just not cultured enough dude, you're not in on the references, so you're missing the point. *sigh* Okay an actual review: Spy vs Spy is loud, abrasive, a wall-of-sound. It doesn't easily resolve into viable textures like shoegaze, but challenges with highly unexpected turns. While difficult to ingest the ~45 minutes in one go, it is more rewarding to do so as the full-speed cacophony of the first tracks does get a fraction less frenetic, like an explosion of noise filling a cavity and exploring the space. There is a cheeky nod to existing song structure on one track that teases more that it pleases. It's worth a listen to see what the fringe of one genre (jazz) can sound like.

the most accurate reproduction of what's constantly going on in my brain

Album #129: Spy vs Spy: The Music of Ornette Coleman - John Zorn (DNF) Genre (W): Avant-garde jazz, free jazz, punk jazz, thrashcore No singles. I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: Wow. This is absolutely atrocious. DNF. I guess the musicians know what they’re doing, but this sounds like pure audio torture. I got a headache at several places. What a horrible album. Favorite tracks: DNF.

5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background The opening brings back memories of the frenetic saxophone jam section in Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade's 'Whamola'. And for that...3 stars.

I seem to be made to suffer. It’s my lot in life.

Wow, this is one of the most unlistenable records I’ve ever heard. It literally is just a bunch of noise with maybe a hint of a melody here and there. There was maybe one redeemable song, but it was pretty much all junk.

The new downtown scene plays tribute to the old downtown scene. Zorn tackles the music of Ornette Coleman in a whirlwind of double saxes, bass and drums. Kind of interesting indeed but a bit much this morning at 6 a.m.

I was so locked in to this album that my elderly car began making a rattling noise about 20 minutes in and it took me until the end of the track to realize it wasn’t part of the percussion. I listened back to the track after I got home and thankfully it was just as good without the mechanical failure in the background. Honestly, I’d mosh in a circle pit to this and have a great time. Update: Another example of an album where I’m in the distinct minority of people enjoying myself. I’m actually a little surprised this time.

It's interesting that this album became more contemporary in the back half, it's almost like this were waiting to see who persevered through the audible assault that is the first half before really getting started. Regardless, although it was a frustrating listen it was at least also interesting.

Not sure when I'd listen to this again, but I'm glad it exists. Some songs sound like a nonstop rock and roll big finish. Some songs are surprisingly focused and melodic. It's very technically impressive, and the whole free jazz thing is kinda cool.

it's very "banging pots and pans together in the kitchen". i don't mean that explicitly in a bad way, but that has to be the authorial intent and it's certainly the feeling that is evoked. the first song was noisy and chaotic and abrasive in a way that didn't exactly sound good but was kind of cool and intriguing. but up until the last song it didn't feel the album had developed or breathed or done anything at all, it was just more noise that i couldn't be paid to differentiate into 17 seperate tracks. there's a saxaphone in your left ear making a funny noise, there's another saxaphone in your right ear making a different funny noise, there's a guy banging away on drums to the rhythm of a completely different album, and there's a hypothetical bass rumored to exist somewhere: that's the entire runtime. maybe in some parallel universe where i was born and raised a jazz guy this album will have done something cool and subversive or just like, recognizable? i don't think it's really bad i just don't think it has much value in any of the traditional ways i conceive of value. i am proud of myself for sitting through the entire thing and only checking "okay but seriously how much longer" a few times. favorite song is Feet Music which was for some reason accidentally structured like an actual song and, surprise surprise, sounded kinda good

Rating: 8/10 How can something so certifiably insane feel like such a breath of fresh air? I personally need more music like this on this list, I already know I'm probably not going to get a lot of my preferred extreme avant-garde metal, so this really acts as the next best thing, and even, I should say, an influence. It's possibly even more abrasive and chaotic than a lot of those, which just trade the maniacal saxophones for evil guitars. This is a metal band basically, honoring a classic jazz musician. Maybe I'm just a crazy person when I say the saxes are an absolute joy to see where they go next. The drums are an absolutely pulverizing display of technicality as well. The main criticism I have is that past the 30 minute mark it does start to feel like its run its course, if it wanted to fully land its intended effect it could have done so perfectly in a few less minutes. It did end on a fun note though.

Fun, noisy jazz

This kind of jazz is just not my thing. Give me some Louis Armstrong.

based actually

My ears want to reject this cacophony wholeheartedly but my brain cannot. It's too brave, too interesting: I've never heard anything like this, jazz produced with the aesthetics and tempo of hardcore punk and it's better than it's inspirations.

I am open-minded but sceptical.

I had to find this album on youtube as it wasn't on Spotify. For others, its (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCHB5LLPQ3s&list=RDzCHB5LLPQ3s&start_radio=1). This free from jazz is the type of jazz that makes people dismiss all of jazz because there doesn't seem to a leading melody and everyone seems to playing their own things. I know its all related and sometimes I don't get how, but I liked this. I don't know the exact setting is should be listened to though.

Makes Trout Mask Replica feel like easy listening

The drums on this album are so forward and primal. Would give 3.5 stars if I could.

Not on Spotify. Busy jazz

I really didn't like this. At first I thought, "Oh boy, this first track is kinda crazy and wild," but then the next track came on and I was like, "oh man... Is this the whole album?" And yeah. It is. Very tiring to listen to and not even like funny or head-bangable or pleasant to listen to. Outside of one moment I heard about halfway through where it sounded like they accidentally made a cool melodic and harmonic moment, I'm struggling to find any redeeming qualities to this work of art. The guys who made it are clearly gifted musicians, but most of the time it sounds like they each recorded their parts separately and thought it was always time for their solo and then mixed the tracks together and said, "TADA!" One star, because I can't give it zero. :(

I like Ornette Coleman. I like John Zorn. There’s some neat stuff on this album. But I do not see myself returning to this album. I heard it. Before I died.

A few things knock this one down a couple pegs. You can’t stream it anywhere but YouTube, and honestly it just runs together after awhile. But there’s some good stuff, and I mean Ornette Coleman is pretty great.

I found this on YouTube slipped around to confirm it was all the same thing, and. Posing listen to it.

Unnecessarily noisy

This album already has a high bar to entry for most of the users on this project, being a jazz album, and the first song on the album doesn’t help. I loved the album, but I’ll be the first to admit that it is NOT designed for the average listener. However, that’s why I respect it so much. There are a lot of debut albums on here that copy whatever is popular at the time and make no attempt at forming an identity. It is immediately obvious that this album does not do that. This album is an authentic expression of the soul of the performers that you do not come across often. It rewards you for sticking with it to the end by increasing the richness of the performance with each passing track. It’s a real shame so many people can’t seem to stand Jazz.

Вероятно, большое удовольствие играть музыку выдающиеся композиторов-исполнителей-новаторов. Не фанат Орнетта Коулмана. Но авторское исполнение считаю изящнее, и разнообразнее ремейка. Это как с фильмами: Фильм Игрушка Франсуа Вебера 1976 года - незабвенная классика, за комедией положений скрыта история об одиночестве, детстве, несправедливости. И ремейком 2000-х - беззубая пародия с голливудским хэппиэндом. Зато, делали с заделом на Оскар? Тройка. Всё одинаково и скучно. В отличие от оригинала. Тройка за то, что дали возможность вспомнить и послушать оригинал

I This album appears for me on a day I had to go to the airport. I was running late and had to speed to make up time. As I was anxiously weaving through traffic at 5 in the morning, this album became my internal monologue. Ball of messy nerves music, but it definitely fit the mood correctly.

I have just two words F*ck No

Hahahaha. Wild. 2/5.

My goodness! I cant wait to see the reviews. It is pretty awesome 5 *

Not on Spotify. Instant 1

holy moly Will I listen to again: 100%

John Zorn is out of his fucking mind. 5

63/100. John Zorn reimagines Ornette Coleman with some fast-paced avant-garde free jazz. Some of the tracks I find really good, while others were a little too messy for me. But I enjoyed it. I can imagine their arms burning after jamming so freaking hard. At the start of the album, I thought this would be a rough listen, but I enjoyed it more and more the longer it went on.

Mensen op deze site zijn echt zeikerds af en toe zeg. Ja het is wat buiten de gebaande paden, maar ook weer niet zo bijzonder. Je wordt er op den duur wel echt ingezogen en dan wordt het een, best fijne, waas aan geluid.

Haha, wat een onluisterbare zaad is dit zeg. Ik ga dit echt niet verdedigen in de naam van experimentatie. Ornette Coleman's 'The Shape Of Jazz To Come' (en meer van zijn werk) is fucking geniaal en staat niet op deze lijst maar deze waardeloze rendities wel??? Veel merkwaardige keuze's gezien in deze boeken, maar dit slaat echt als een lul op een drumstel.

Frazzled!

Day925 - i embraced the chaos and enjoyed the madness

Ow. That kinda hurt to listen to, I'm gonna be honest. Look, I enjoy things like experimental music, jazz, and crazy instrumentation a good deal, but this album just is not my thing. This is John Zorn's Spy vs Spy: The Music of Ornette Coleman. Now, Ornette Coleman is a very influential avant-garde jazz musician, which makes it all the weirder that this tribute album to him is on the list, but not any of his own albums. I think that's kinda dumb. But hey, it's all fine if the John Zorn album is good, right? Well, about that. I didn't really enjoy this that much. I didn't hate it, definitely not as much as the rest of this website, but I have problems. To be fair, I actually think that the second half of this album is solid. The last 6 songs are the kind of thing that I would've liked to hear from an album of this sort. They demonstrate a good blend of crazy experimentation with good jazz improvisation. I like the second half of this album. But the first half? It's just too much for me to handle. It sounds like if a saxophone player and a metal drummer fell down a 100-floor flight of stairs. I'm not a fan. Somehow, despite this album being only 40 minutes in length, I was waiting for it to end after just 20 minutes. Granted, I ended up enjoying the second half more than the first half as previously stated, but I don't think it makes up for the first half. I have... respect for the sheer ballsiness of an album like this existing at all, but it is not something that I ever want to listen to again. I'm not upset that I listened to this, but it's also not something that I get much pleasure from. It's just not my thing, okay? Strong 2/5.

I try to give every album a chance that this site recommends. I can’t believe these are deemed covers of the original works. As for the rating, I’ll let the first 30 seconds of the album speak for that. All I will say is; drum bad.

Bruh

Some albums are truly remarkable. Spectacularly composed, unbelievably creative and clever, once in a lifetime masterpieces. These are works of art at such a high degree that they inevitably bring a tear to your eyes and make sweet love to your ears from the very first note, all the way to the end of the final song. Something you could always go back to and instantly be transported to somewhere special that only you can enjoy. An album that can either demand your full undivided attention, or be enjoyed in any specific moment at the same time, breaking all standard conventions and blowing your mind listen after listen. Just the best possible thing you’ve ever heard. You can forgive it for not being on Spotify, and you’re definitely not mad you had to download something like it off of YouTube. That can easily be forgiven if it’s as spectacular as you know it is. An album of such high magnificence should only be heard by those brave enough to seek it out in the first place, after all. Only then, can it be called the best thing you’ve ever heard. It might not even sound like music to the untrained ears. It might sound like the work of an angel. To others, it might sound deliciously devilish. It doesn’t matter, everyone is going to hear it differently. Music is an experience meant to be open to interpretation. But you specifically know it’s perfect, and want it all to yourself. To divulge the essence of pure perfection to just anyone may bring fake fans into the scene, and they might ruin the album for you and other real fans. Even worse, if brands started marketing the album as the “next big thing”, it wouldn’t be even remotely special anymore, and might propel the band into the spotlight and into the mainstream, thus irrevocably and inevitably changing their sound into generic corporate slop for the hungry masses. It happens more often than you think. How many artists can you think of that started out as underground classics and then quickly got swept up by some corrupting record label?? Probably a lot. Regardless, it’s very hard finding an artist that hasn’t happened to, but they are out there. It isn’t my place to lead you to them, part of the fun is finding them by yourself. This site actually does have a few of them. More niche selections that have surprised even me, some of which I have given 4 and 5 stars to and dove into more of the artists albums because of it. By the way, this album is absolutely dogshit. I wouldn’t make my greatest enemies listen to this, and it has 0 redeeming qualities to it whatsoever. Fuck this album. 1 star.

Thank you YouTube add!!

Total chaos I love this album

Never before have I heard a record so full of itself. Borderline snobbish.

Chaotic

I'm going to have to check out Ornette Coleman now. Sometimes I got a bit of SEATBELTS vibes just messier but overall, this is the weird stuff I love.

I like the concept, kinda an auditory assault

fiquei com preguiça de ouvir o resto, só não é pra mim

Undeniably an assault, but also a bit like eating spicy food. At first you think you can’t take much more, but then once you keep going, the pain starts to be enjoyable.

This is the free form jazz spongebob and Patrick were listening to in that one episode

nicht in Amazon Music

0.5

Unavailable on Apple Music

Hardcore Punk Jazz, sounded exactly as chaotic as it sounds...

Amazing.

wow. zany. all over.

A thrilling listen, joyful, challenging, and a wonderful reset for ears tired of homogenised music. This is its own thing. FIVE stars, of course.

Lol. Lmao even.

I respect it for what it is. Great musicians. But not something I would choose to listen to again. It's a very low 3.

Feels like pure noise. Didn't like it at all

tried to listen fully but man that was stressful only i could only gone half way so chaotic

immediately no

He has over 200 albums available on Apple Music but not this one! The second half is a lot more listenable and I quite enjoyed it

I remember when someone "recommended" John Zorn to me - I think it was less a recommendation than just saying words out loud and hoping someone picked up on it, but I listened to Naked City and was like, "What the fuck is this shit?" It took me several years to come around, but the reason I even took the time is because it stuck in my head, because really, what the fuck is this shit? I still ask that question, but in a different cadence and from a different place. This is a lot more, uh, classic jazz, compared to Naked City. After developing something like a vocabulary, I came to the understanding that there's so much less cacophony than at first listen. There's something really exciting and lively here and it injects, at least for the modern (excusing almost 40 years since this album came out) ear, vitality that was supposedly present in jazz in the 50s that I've never really heard too much. Complaints that this is just noise have never heard noise. This shit goes. I would never recommend this to someone, at least not in a direct way, but maybe if I say it out loud, someone'll hear it and come around to the idea in several years.

“Experimental free jazz.” It’s a goddamn mess. What in the hell is going on here

WTF is this? That was absolute chaos!! But in some regards part of the reason I’m here - to listen to something different. This is like jazz on speed and acid or something. Glad I skipped around a bit because the songs got somewhat more coherent but holy cow was that album grating. DNF (2)

Haha, what is this? Feels like attack mode = on. Had to switch to the originals just to get a feel for what's being done here. It must have been great to be in the band, playing this music at this pace and volume.. from that perspective, I'd give it 5 stars. But since I cannot listen to it whitout holding on to that perspective… it goes down to 2.

I so want to like this type of music in my continuing battle to be cool but it was just tooooo much noise to me.

X-TREME Jazz And I'm here for it. Wow.

6.5/10

2 — didn’t locate it for streaming

One thing is for sure: this album is not boring. It's got everything in it I love about music.

I've heard some John Zorn stuff and also some Ornette Coleman stuff too. So I suppose I know enough to expect the unexpected. I don't believe I've ever heard of this album though. This was more musical than I expected and thus more enjoyable.

This is pretty wild but somehow I like it. It’s hard to listen to but this makes it more interesting.

3.5 I mean, this isn't something you could listen to regularly. I actually got a headache after listening (coincidence or not). But one thing that it accomplished was to engage my listening and to seek out a bit more information and seek to understand, which I guess is the point of decent art, is to engage thought. The stereo effect between the musicians was pretty cool. Also, reading some reviews, there was a recommendation to check out Coleman's Shape of Jazz to come. I think I do just that.

absolute insanity. for prep i listened to an ornette coleman record, and while "the future of jazz to come" is certainly a challenging listen in itself, the marriage of free jazz with agressive grindcore spirit here is next level. it does slightly overstay its welcome on first listen, but i can see myself considering this record perfect in the future. either way i want to delve into the crazy world of john zorn now

I remember someone once comparing Napalm Deaths music to a metal band falling down the stairs with their instruments for 30 seconds. That is exactly what came to mind when this album started so reading that the artist thanked them (amongst others) in the liner notes surprised me as much as I felt it was kind of expected. The album just never stops. It just keeps going and at no point did I hear anything that I would go back to and listen to again. I have heard worse albums on this list and I enjoy my occasional grindcore but as much as a jazz version of that is a new and a fun concept for me It didn't resonate at all. Perhaps its me knowing to little about jazz to understand why the playing is impressive like when others listen to technical death metal and cant understand it one bit.

1.8 все в принципе понятно но это для не для меня тут от музыки только звучащие инструменты это просто крайность слушать не интересно

I loved this album. It was funky, fun and unique. There were some great interesting sounds. So different. I really enjoyed listening to it.

That was pleasant.

Thoughts before listening: I really have no idea what this one will be. I know that John Zorn is a little out there but I thought he was more classical than jazz. I know that Ornette Coleman is definitely a jazz musician. So perhaps this is weird, classical interpretations of jazz music? Not really sure. Review: I mean its weird alright. Just straight avant-garde jazz that is basically a cacophony of sounds being played by drums, bass, and sax. Every once in a while you get a snippet of melody where everything coalesces...but thats few and far between. Its mostly just a racket. Its certainly interesting even if I don't necessarily find it to be "good". I'll give this 2-stars cause I at least know they're trying to be weird and succeeding at that. Also, I see all of you in the YouTube comments.

Ow! I got the brain pains.

Ecars

Insane. Side B is more accessible. I enjoyed this thoroughly. Elements of metal and hardcore punk throughout. Awesome.

no lo pude encontrar así q lol

WTF is happening!!! almost half of the songs felt they were just same but some of them OMG!! Enfant?- Goated track Word for bird?- goated track peace warriors? - fucking great Feet Music? groovy AF

Agreed, I needed to hear this. Not sure what to do with it now I have. Initially thought it was a monster battle of some kind between a rampant sax and drum kit, and then when got over the initial “shock” it was interesting (?) and did appear front loaded on the wild chaotic value, and did mellow into more noticeable “music” it, as I guess was meant, pushes what an album of music can be, while having the obvious technical abilities to play it, and real compositions at it’s centre. Guessing no record exec was dreaming double platinum though. But Not really into hardcore, in any form, so jazz through the lens of ain’t going to ever make my playlist but it does have at it’s heart Coleman’s Melodie’s so more to grab hold to than your usual hardcore punk/ metal. And the playing unlike said hardcore is spot in, the drums are quite something. And now at least I have heard. 2 Star

I love this record! It’s loud and fast and sounds chaotic but isn’t. It feels like what you might get if Bob Mould was a jazz composer.

My prior experience with John Zorn, 30 years ago, left me with the idea of his music that it is noisy, aggressive, interesting, and .... just not something I'm going to listen to for pleasure much (meaning, realistically, at all). Sometime, just not right now. This album fulfills that expectation. The musicians are skillful, there are moments here and there that I like, but ... I just don't want to listen to this. It is, in fact, an ordeal to be faced rather than something to be be enjoyed. I did try. I got through about 30 of its 40 minutes. But kind of waiting for it to be over the whole time. Watching it on YouTube increased the avant-garde surrealism as the ads would break in and disrupt the flow of the album. An inadvertent outbreak of John Cage.

This is a tough one. Firstly, I couldn't find this recording easily, so I gave up, and listened to Zorn's recent project--early music featuring my son's favorite guitarist, Julian Lage, and somebody else. (update: listening to it now) Personally, I love this incredible din. I loved Ornette Coleman's recordings back when, and I owned and repeatedly played a recording by John Zorn + Yamantaka Eye ca. 2000, which was another insane din, this time with more screaming. I find it enjoyable to get into Mr. Zorn's race car with no idea where we're going, and then try to follow where's he's leading. A musical rollercoaster with no brakes and no seatbelts--fun! I would gladly go to any and all John Zorn performances I could access, here in the desert Southwest... but I can't recall when he last came through. Mostly because I've not been looking for this kind of sonic deluge for a long while. But hell, I just went to a sludge-metal show played by super-high white dudes in silly shaman costumes wailing on hand-built oboes, so... heck, I'm game!

Interesting

I get that this is maybe brilliant but it's not my cup of tea.

17/06/2026 I have no idea what happened here with this album of noise. It was hard to tell when one song finished and the other started. Was it just one long song?! Spotify listeners: 6,235

There is no brakes, just pure chaos.

2026.06.29.

Yikes! Way too chaotic and repetitive for my tastes, although I am sure there is some brilliance hidden in the chaos... Honestly, was it just one long song?

I recently saw a band open up for Jon Spencer - just a drums and sax. This is better than that

Well, that cleared my ears out.

Chaos jazz. An auditory attack. For some reason, the name made me think this might be a movie soundtrack, but it's definitely not! Although it's not the easiest thing to listen to - seriously chaotic, and also somehow violent - it's actually pretty cool, and by no means completely unlistenable. It sounds like the musicians are fighting each other (like, physically, with their instruments), and then there will be a moment where it all comes together and everyone's on the same page for a few seconds. The short length of each track makes it easier to digest, but since they're all similarly harsh, the album as a whole is fatiguing. It's hard to imagine a scenario where one would listen to the whole thing in one sitting outside of a project like this. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find this album has very low rating here, and I can't fault anyone for hating it. When people say they hate jazz, is this the kind of thing they're thinking of? I have a soft spot for alto sax, so I appreciate the creative use of the instrument here. I also appreciate that it feels true to the heart of what jazz is - improvisational, free-form, yet somehow controlled beneath the apparent disorder. Honestly, I prefer something like this to smooth jazz. Still, I'd be much more onboard if it were a 20-minute album (and it's not long to start with). I came away from it feeling like I have a hangover. I'm looking forward to inflicting this upon friends/enemies in the car 2.5-3

barely contained chaos. absolutely incredible work, bouncing between the more-or-less organized head sections and the wholly unrestrained soloing.

Mad jazz but without an annoying jazz drummer. I don't know what it is, but I don't hate it. It's not an easy listen.

Hardcore chaotic madness. I love it, but you gotta be ready for a real one. Cathartic and cacophonous and thrilling and impenetrable

John Zorn is that crazy ass white boy

There are two types of album that are ranked in the bottom 10 of this list: the truly awful ones and the ones that are so challenging that they polarise the audience. This is definitely one of the latter. Did I enjoy it? At times, yes. Will I ever listen to it again? Maybe. Do I appreciate the fact it was on the list? Yes. I also like the fact that I listened to it with my 14-year old son and he felt it deserved a 4. Special kid.

Wasn’t able to find this on Spotify so had to look on YouTube instead. Greeted with the top comment of: “let’s be real, we’re all here from 1001 albums”. True. Interesting to hear that the influences on this album includes napalm death and surprisingly, some of that does come though. I can’t say I necessarily enjoyed it, it was so discordant throughout most of it, by the end it felt like my ears had been on some kind of out of body experience. That said, we need more of this kind of avant garde music around just to provide some grounding. Just by virtue of it not being more shit blues rock and that many other reviewers haven’t appreciated the importance of shade to make light shine that much brighter, it deserves much more than people have tended to give it to this point.

too dumm to appreciate it

Du meine Güte was ist das ? Organisiewrter Krach?

I enjoyed the first couple of minutes - because it was a surprise and a bit different. Then the second track is the same as the first. Then the third. I get the joke. This is a piss take right? The second half seems to have more structure and cohesion. But wait... no they've got bored and are doing their own shit again. I made it to the end. But I'm not going to tell you they are wearing wonderful new clothes - like the Emperor, they're stark bollock naked. Postscript : This might not have been my thing, but I'm glad I heard it.

Like a nonstop horn band whacking the crap out of their instruments. If the feeling of turning in an essay at the last minute had a sound, it’d be this album.

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Last weekend, Aaron said to me, "True freedom is frightening." And I think his maxim gets at what makes Spy Vs. Spy instantaneously and relentlessly repulsive (but no less interesting). The notes are dissonant, it's true. But the "music" is also completely unmoored from all structure and rule of law. Zorn gives us nothing to cling to. His album seems to blare, for over forty minutes, the message that "GOD IS DEAD, AND WE ARE ON OUR OWN IN THE VOID FOREVER." What could make us frantically kick our little baby feet more than that? This is like taking a ten-hour road trip with your parents while listening to St. Anger at full volume with a crappy pair of ear buds while simultaneously your dad plays Master of Puppets at full volume from the car speakers. The mash occasionally coalesces into an exciting new form, but generally, second by second, the whole experience pushes you closer and closer to bloody patricide. For whatever it's worth, I can now say, with the pomp of a foremost scholar of Medieval Italian poetry, *pushes glasses up* Lightning Bolt would simply not exist without the likes of John Zorn.

The 10th worst rated album on the website. Actualy, im kinda exicted to hear it instead of the 100th fucking british new wave album. Oh its not on apple music wtf. Nor spotify. Atleast its on YouTube. Ok just listened to the first song... Holy I dont think im ready for the rest of this album... This is the kind of shit that only pretensious music snob (force themself to) like. I saw a review saying it was "a beautifull chaos" but honestly, I would cut the second word. "Ecars" is the song that sounded the most like a song. I have no clue how to rate this. All the songs sounds the same. Its like they putted a toddler on the drum and bass, asked them to play whatever the fuck they want, while 2 saxophone are having sex. Its a mess! And if it was the goal, he succeded. Doesnt deserve such a low rating, I dont think its good but I cant say that I wasnt entertained by the weirdness. Wich makes it atleast a 2.5/5. Why am I not surprised that a collab between this guy and Lou Reed exist.

Ебать это что вообще нахуй такое))

this is super cool and crazy. it reminds me of john coltrane in that it's totally all over the place and kind of hard for your brain to grasp what's going on but still sounds great.

I have a very begrudging respect for this, for some reason. It's like being raped by someone who is actually very good at sex. or sax, in this case.

Ideal para mentes muy abiertas y artísticas, no como yo que soy recontra estructurada y lineal.

I respect it, but it is honestly just a bit too much for my taste. 2/5

The opposite of easy listening in both a good way and bad way.

What a bizarre fucking album. It starts out crazy and just stays that way the entire album through. It's very much out there Free Jazz and I love it for that. As it goes it seems to get more sane and normal, perhaps because eardrums have already been mangled by the start of the album. It takes some familiarity with Free and Avant Garde Jazz to enjoy this, but once you do it's quite enjoyable and novel.

Det her e nok et sånt tilfelle kor æ beundre konseptet, men ikke egentlig kan se for mæ en eneste situasjon i livet kor æ faktisk kunne tenke mæ å høre på det her? Det e hektisk og bråkate og egentlig ganske gøy, men det slit i øran og muligens også på pulsen, æ e drøyt halvveis og får lyst til å skru av mest for å gi øran en pause, ikke fordi æ synes det e dårlig, men fordi det konstante presset av trommer og saksofon(?) e utmattanes reint fysisk. Det finnes garantert dem som like det, åpenbart, og dem e nok av et anna humør enn mæ, eller har mer solide ører (eller treng nokka å bekjempe allerede eksisterende tinnitus med?), men æ e utmatta. Men æ likte kanskje "Feet Music" best, den hadde islett av nokka som va musikk æ kunne tenke mæ å høre på ellers også, sjøl om det trakk litt ut og blei slitsomt det også (og ikke slitsomt som i kjedelig, men slitsomt som i utmattanes).

there's no album on spotify, sorry Jhon

You know that scene from Tarzan where the apes bang on the pots and pans they find in the humans‘ camp?

I usually like experimental music and I have enjoyed both ornette Coleman and John Zorn but this album just feels kind of like stuff thrown together 5/10 Favourite: Ecars Least Favourite: Chippie

I gave it ten minutes, but I’m not going to be a martyr.

The drumming could have been toned down a bit, but other than that, this was awful. Favorite Track: "W.R.U."

Bit mad, but mad is good! First time listening to thrash jazz

# Album Name: Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman # Artist: John Zorn # Rating: 1/5 # Comments: Honestly, wtf have i just listened too. I appreciate the talent of these guys. You know they can rock their kit. But fuck me dead, listening is a different ball game. I need hard fucking drugs for this. # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? No

I was wondering what a comic strip from Mad magazine was doing being referenced here, but listening to this album, I get it, Spy Vs Spy had no speech bubbles so you had to interpret it by the pictures, here you have no words and the interpretation is largely your own. In fact, Zorn is known for deliberately resisting category. I really admire that but would not listen to this again as free-form jazz doesn’t move me. Side note: wished I liked this album so I could legitimately buy a t-shirt, great cover art.

the wikipedia description has me horrified. first minute? fuck you Would I listen again: this is hell Deserves to be on this list: the editor is a sadist 0

You don't realize how bad this is until you are relieved to just hear the noise of tinnitis in your head when it ends. 1 star or F.

Pure torture! This was really loud jazz. Also, it wasn’t on Spotify or Apple Music, so I had to listen to it on YouTube. I don’t think I should have to listen to albums that are so obscure they’re not on Apple Music.

Yo man, that was intense. As others have said the first half is chaotic AF, but it does open up. Still I feel stressed having listened to it.

cara q merda e essa.. voltando aqui depois do meio pro final.. legalzinho até kkkkkkk

чо МеЛоМаНы выкусили? это или всё-таки электрический стул? бл задумка ведь реально классная. это ж такой стёб. кто это блять всерьёз оценивает камон.

I am stressed. This was not a nice listen and it actually made my mens mental health worse during the day. It was like someone was sitting on my chest. However this is the sort of album I wanted to be exposed to during this list. Although it’s jarring and exhausting to listen to, it is really just an extreme, and without extremes, art is pointless. I won’t listen to this again, but John congrats on getting on the list. You have pushed my boundaries.

Feel conflicted on this, really like it's attempt to do something interesting and brave but it just is a difficult listen. Feels harsh to judge it on just one impression when there's lots of depth here. I appreciate doing something different but an album this challenging probably isn't suited to this bulk approach of blasting through the entirety of postwar popular music.

gibt's nicht...

PUNK JAZZ!

Fuck off with this

Noise jazz is just not my thing.

Well holy shit! May as well get this out of the way right now. Just stated in another review, I'm saving my 1's for offensive to my ears stuff. Let me introduce you to John Zorn. On top of the banging noise that gave me a headache, I had to find on youtube and got ads addressing old age, losing muscle mass and sex problems and I'm only about 20-25 minutes in. Not sure I can make it much longer, but at least I got an appliance ad just now. Yea.......offensive to the ears. 1

2 As someone who was a big fan of the Spy vs. Spy comics from MAD Magazine growing up, I was really curious to hear what an album seemingly drawing inspiration from them would sound like. I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this. If you’re not already familiar with this album, I don’t think anything can quite prepare you for your experience. Zorn goes for the sucker punch immediately, and before you can even process what’s happening, you’re jumped by an entire jazz band hellbent on beating the everloving shit out of you. Like, seriously, what the hell is this? Was creating an unlistenable mess the goal here? I couldn’t even tell you where one track ends and another begins, it’s just a non-stop assault of drums and sax. Who is this for? So, yeah, I thought this was godawful. But then, I read up on it a bit, gave another listen, and began to see the parallels to hardcore - a genre I actually quite f*** with. There’s definitely a sense of defiance and sardonism to be found in this, almost like the album is throwing up the middle finger to jazz as much as it’s paying tribute. In that way, I started to develop a mild sense of appreciation and respect for what Zorn is attempting to do here. I mean, have you ever heard anyone attempt anything like this before? This is probably the only guy in the world who could get a wall of death going at a jazz show. And honestly, the back half of this really isn’t so bad. It almost feels like a different album, to the point where I can only assume that the dichotomy is what inspired the Spy vs. Spy title (or maybe the other way around). As for which side is the Black Spy and which side is the White Spy, I have no idea. I’ll let you be the judge. But, let’s be real, no matter how you want to dissect this, it’s still very much an unlistenable mess. I respect the attempt, so I’m rounding up to a 2 for my boy John here, but respect doesn’t automatically translate into enjoyability. That said, as much as I want to say that I’ll never listen to this again, there’s this weird nagging sense in me saying that the chance of doing so is non-zero. So, who knows. An interesting album for sure.

Oh boy... A few days ago I described a John Coltrane jazz album as overstimulating. This is unbelievable. I'm beyond my limits. The jazz lover in the house described it as "a bit much"

Not on Spotify - just rated it to go along with average rating

This is actually an elaborate joke to see what's the worst music they could record and have critics fawn over it. I got this album right after Take Five and it's a good comparison of the worst album ever vs one of the best jazz albums ever.

jazz loquisimo super acelerado todo el rato, estresante

I generally enjoy listening to jazz, but I have my limits

Man... this is such a hard cacophony of sound. So much talent and such great playing, just put together in a crazy chaotic hard core way. Not sure I could listen to it again, but glad I did. Truly exploring the possible.

Complaining about list-critics’ taste is usually a bore, but this choice is so weird comment is unavoidable: rather than pick an album by Ornette Coleman, African-l American free jazz pioneer, they’ve selected a po-mo punk tribute album to Coleman by John Zorn, a stand-up guy, and a white punk who’s come in some time after the music this inspired was current, vital, volcanic and controversial. Where’s anything by Anthony Braxton or Don Cherry? Albert Ayler? Any of Coltrane’s late stuff (“A Love Supreme”, which is banging, doesn’t count)? Silly sods. This is a fun album and demonstration that this kind of material can party. I’m not petty enough to mark it down for the faults of the critics, and I’d guess Zorn would be embarrassed to know he’s displaced a pantheon. This has zip, the big band sound replacing the intensity of the originals with a comfy, muzak-adjacent bonhomie. Not great, but diverting. Not so much an injustice to the original as a diversion.

Quite exhilarating, much more entertaining than any "hardcore" punk itself. The saxophone tones were a bit '80s TV theme-adjacent, and this left an impression of Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly in a frenzied cage fight. Inspired me to seek out some actual Ornette Coleman for the weekend, which was also fun. Lighten up people, this is a good 'un.

Who knows when I’ll ever put this on again but it certainly deserves its place. A unique fusion of punk and jazz that sounds as you’d expect. It does feel close to the Contortions with the assaulting saxophone. I could see this being in a tense scene of Whiplash or the Bear. Rating: 2.6

This is a weird one in that I love when songs get crazy and cacophonous but many of the songs in this album are ONLY crazy and ONLY cacophonous. There's nothing tying many of the songs down to something more grounded to justify the outburst of sound. The first half of this album feels like the same song: drums wailing in the back and the sax going nuts for 3 minutes straight until the song resolves to a close. And again. And again. It's not until 'Ecars' comes around where the album finally comes around to something that you can follow along with and appreciate. There's a few more songs in the middle of the album that have a slower pace and are not full throttle which was appreciated... until the last third of the album blasts off again into that same wailing drums and whiny sax. This is one of those albums that takes incredible musicians to make but the end result is something that lacks any sort of theme or emotion. Unfortunately, this is my first 1 star album through my journey of about 130 albums so far.

2. This whole album could have been one track. Sounds like a bad '60s acid trip ala Austin Powers. It certainly has a recognizable sound, but I could remember a single part of it and I doubt they could play it again true to the recorded version.

Creo que podía morir sin haber escuchado esto

0/17

Made it through about ten minutes but it was too fast and loud for me.

Couldn’t access in Apple Music.

I don't see the point of this sort on music.

Wow this really is free jazz meets hard core. Interesting to see one of Napalm Death, one of my one star albums, listed on the wiki page as thanked in the credit. It's a tough listen no doubt and not necessarily one I'm adding to my playlist. Dischordant, chaotic, noisy, uncomfortable. 2 drums!! But this is what I'm here for. 4 stars.

Couldn’t make it all the way.

"Let's all play different songs!"

Dette er faktisk jævlig kult om man er i riktig mindset. Trøtt på en mandags formiddag er tydeligvis Zorn-hour. Nå skal det sies at kunnskapen min om John Zorn ikke går så mye lenger enn til første avsnitt av Wikipediaen hans, men skulle vel tro at om man skulle høre ett Zorn album før man døde så var det Naked City eller...?

Dette var helt jævlig

What a mess. Awful noise. The sound of the non-stop saxophones were grating. First album I had to skip through. It was all the same mess. No structure, nothing memorable, just a cacophony of caca. Even Tidal didn't want it on their platform so had to listen to it on YouTube. 1/5

An attack on my ears

The best collection of random noises since Houmous & Chutneys infamous album ‘Noisy Noise’ 1.4 12/17 Ecars

I came to have this record by pulling on a thread: Mr. Bungle to Naked City to Spy vs Spy. That said, it takes a lot of work to appreciate Spy Vs. Spy these days; the album is grayed out on Spotify and completely unlisted in Zorn's extensive catalogue on Apple Music. But I just so happen to be one of those losers who owns this CD. Yeah, that's right, John can't escape this review just like maybe you couldn't escape the shrill trilling of dueling saxophones over proto-blast beats by Joey Baron and Michael Vatcher. But why is SvS so hard to stream? While the CD is out of print, the fact that it was up song-by-song but unplayable on Spotify suggests a rights issue. Dear reader, you should go looking, get on the hunt! I found the whole record on YouTube, and you could too. Even if you last just a track or two, it's worth seeking out, even if ultimately it's not for you (although if it isn't, don't stop here with Zorn, he's both adventurous and prolific...you might prefer some of his quieter compositions?). Do give SvS at least 10 minutes or about a quarter of the record: it's a breakneck shot in the arm. Some say true jazz violence, some say a sonic crime. The playing is maximally chaotic but also so precisely timed — I think it's a madcap romp through Coleman's catalogue. For every section of complete improv spasms there's a synchronous movement to follow that is supremely satisfying; it's the coming together and the collapse into chaos and the coming together again, over and over, that's hypnotically rewarding even as the record challenges you. I think it's reverential towards Coleman in a way he'd have appreciated even if he didn't comment in print. To all the one-star ratings out there, I get it, the album is perhaps more important than it is pleasurable but I'll take this record any day of the week over another dull indie album or some sixties jingle-jangle on a list like the 1001.

Can’t listen, it’s not on Spotify

interesting... I guess this is how every jazz album sounds to people not familiar with jazz music in general. I like listening to Miles Davis, Weather Report, etc. but this is too much for me. also i am missing the "groove"... great musicians nonetheless.

Es lo mejor o lo peor que escuchaste hasta el momento?

fuck y'all

I had to find this one on YouTube. I went into it with an open mind because I'd already seen how divisive it is, and I was hoping I'd end up being one of the people who like it. I can absolutely appreciate the artistic merit and the talent on display here. These are clearly incredible musicians, and I don't doubt they know exactly what they're doing. The problem is that, for me, appreciating the musicianship didn't make it enjoyable to listen to. This honestly felt like a really long 40 minutes. It was so chaotic that after a while it all started to blur into one. I know people who are really into this style of jazz will probably hear loads of different ideas, but to my ears it felt like the same thing happening over and over again. I also just couldn't find any rhythm or structure to it. A lot of it just sounded like noise to me. That's not me saying it is just noise, because I know plenty of people love this album, but that's genuinely how it came across while I was listening. It honestly reminded me of that scene in Friends where Ross is showing everyone the different keyboard sounds and nobody knows what they're supposed to say. That's the closest comparison I could think of while I was listening. I do feel a bit harsh giving this one star because I genuinely respect the musicians and what they were trying to do. I'm glad I listened to it because it's so different from anything else I've heard on this journey, but I can't imagine ever wanting to put it on again.

I would’ve liked to hear this, but it wasn’t actually on Spotify. So I listened to some other John Zorn, which I liked a liked a good deal. Anyway, I have no idea if this record is any good, so I’ll leave it at an uninformed 3.

No aparece en youtube, no lo pude escuchar

yeah it really is experimental / free form jazz. it really starts off kinda jarring but u do kinda get use to it the more it goes on, it's something that i've personally never experienced before but i'm glad it's something i have. chaotic good.

That album was a lot, especially for the first twenty minutes. The idea of two drummers was cool, and the saxophone player was incredible. That improvisation stuff later was a lot more palatable and had some really great moments. Ultimately, I can't shake those first twenty minutes off my mind, so the score takes a hit because of it.

An assault on the ears and brain. The soundtrack to someone being on way to much cocaine. If you were to put a mile long train crash to jazz music. You can stop after the first 30 seconds. Thats the whole album

I had to go to YouTube for that?

Wow. I love jazz but this is cacophony

no esta en spotify y tampoxo es la gran cosa

Low expectations but holy fuck, this was impressive! I'd much rather listen to this than the real Ornette Coleman.

Who knew that avant-garde jazz would be annoying as shit? Everybody? Yeah, everybody knew that.

No va

Quel prolifique musicien que John Zorn. On adore Ornette Coleman.

On va se le dire... c'est tough le free. Je le mets dans le même panier que le hardcore punk ou que le gangsta rap. C'est du monde qui ont un statement à faire, mais le statement ne s'adresse pas nécessairement à moi. C'est quelque chose de plus conceptuel, qu'est-ce que l'art, comment devenir libre, etc. Je comprends la game, mais ça vient pas me chercher dans les tripes. Petite note intéressante ici, des passes sonnent vraiment metal avec ce qui semble être une double pédale sur le bass-drum (exemple première piste au début), est-ce qu'on se serait inspiré du thrash environnant?

Wow c’est quelque chose! Objectivement je trouve ça très cool mais subjectivement ça me créé de l’anxiété ben raide! Quelle cacophonie. La 2e moitié me semble plus controlée par contre

the reviewer who said it sounds like the drums are beating the shit out of the saxophones was exactly right

I appreciate this the same way I appreciate any other abstract art: I understand the level of mastery required to make this is probably tremendous, but I also accept that it definitely isn't something I enjoyed. It was sad because there were nuggets of decent songs at times, but it just felt like wild noise to me.

What?! I'm not really sure what that was but it was not good. It's like someone knocked over a drum kit while stepping on 20 cats at the same time. Don't get me wrong, I like jazz but I did not like this.

N/a on spotify

It’s just too much for me.

Not even I am pretentious enough to pretend to like this. Deserves 2 stars for extreme discomfort it brought me

This record is pure genius. It's basically grindcore played by a jazz band, and it works perfectly. As a big fan of both avant-garde jazz and extreme metal music, I feel like I'm in a candy store. The double drums are insane, and I even get to hear the underlying Ornette Coleman tunes I love - an artist whose absence from this list is just shameful, considering his huge impact on free jazz. It may not be the most accessible of albums, but it's far from being as crazy as people make it sound. I've had a John Zorn phase in the past, and this is certainly not the weirdest thing he committed. It's even rather harmonious compared to the sonic madness of some experimental jazzmen like Albert Ayler. Just open your mind, feel the waves of unrelenting energy, and the patterns will reveal themselves... Super happy to see this on the list ! Already listened twice today. 9/10

Any Mike Patton fan runs into John Zorn, he’s a huge influence on Mr. Bungle and a frequent collaborator. Jazz, hardcore, bits of Jewish folk, the mix is weird and rarely easy. Here, Zorn speed-runs Ornette Coleman. Chaotic, sharp, exhausting. Might be smart, but not that very pleasant to listen to after a while.

random bullshit go. this sounds like jazz music for furries or other breakcore fans. it's not good, it's not interesting it's not fun. honestly it might be good if i heard it live but otherwise it just doesnt speak to me.

great album, p much exactly what u want from a john zorn joint. zorn's taste for the hardcore punk scene plus these being iterations on coleman pieces help give everything an appreciable shape and direction even if its difficult to parse...an emphasis that once again nothing that makes this list is going to be the Most fundamentally out there thing youve ever heard, but while ive heard some great aimless free improv cacophony in my time , i do think there is a lot of worth to framing it as this subversive Twisting of musical language that already exists, a piece of ground for you to stand on so when u float up into space it means a little more. rly enjoyed the music, and i will try not to disproportionately punish it for the fact that it is the only representation of any kind given on the list to ornette coleman, one of the most important and brilliant jazz musicians of all time. i rly wanna emphasize Once Again i wouldnt be doing this project if i thought this list was totally worthless, but sometimes it really crosses the line from "haha funny british music rag taste" to "wait is this shit just blindingly fucking racist"

This is just...noise? No real rhythm or timing, zero sense of structure, just chaos. I get being "experimental" and that's fine, there's some things I enioy that follow a similar suit of being chaotic (Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction album I'm thinking of) but there’s still an underlying rhythm or melody of some sort to come back to. Not here. I'm sure they’re all great musicians, but this was just awful to listen to.

It's pure chaos, not sure I could get through it again

BRUHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

It is really difficult to understand why this album is here on this list. I, personally, am very happy about it because it is one of the very different albums from the mainstream of easy listening and mediocre UK/US pop/rock albums on this list. But the thing is, that you get the feeling that this is some kind of alibi action, just to be sure that this list is not only composed of that kind of music. The same thing is with other albums like the ones from Jacques Brel, Songhoy Blues etc. If this was really a list of important albums in the history of music, then it would have included a lot more of these kind of albums (also international). But - doesn't matter - this album is difficult. It is loud. It is not really background music. But it is also highest level musicians, unbelievable high level of feeling for rhythm and musical collaboration. And listening to it is work. Without active listening you will never be able to like this music. Never ever!

This is the strangest 1 star ranking I think I'll give. I don't hate it. There are moments in the second half of the album that I almost respect and understand. But so much of it is just noise to me. The research it forced me into, trying to understand where this sound is coming from, kept me interested enough. And I'll probably share this with a select group of friends. It is nothing if not a conversation piece.

After a glass of good Argentinian Malbec, this chaotic assault on the ears actually sounds very cathartic. I will give it a respectful 5 stars.

I appreciate what this album did and is doing with challenging conventions and pushing boundaries. But I think that's where my appreciation ends unfortunately. I don't play any instruments myself so I don't get that appreciation of how difficult or impressive something like this is to pull of - to me it mostly sounds like 5 people who were completely sound isolated from each other and had been told to play the craziest thing they knew how to using their instruments. It sounds like how I'd expect most bands sound on their first ever practice session. But that's probably just ignorance on my part. Unfortunately that still stands as not a great experience in the end because I don't "get it". But I will say that I'll probably remember this album for the rest of my life, something I can't say for a lot of the other albums on here Standouts - 1/5

This is the Napalm Death of jazz. No wonder this isn’t streaming anywhere.

This is the kind of wacky shit that I do this challenge for. What if John Coltrane did a grindcore record. Absolutely bonkers but somehow works amazingly.

Not a good album. Very chaotic, but not in a good way. I don't feel like my music experience is better for hearing it tbh. Much better jazz and anarchic music out there.

297/1001 John Zorn 'Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman' 1989 The musical equivalent of having your brain scrubbed with steel wool. Hardcore jazz punk, apparently, but too noisy for jazz purists, and too "intellectual" for punks. This makes Angine de Poitrine sound conventional. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ❌️ it was a struggle Revisit ❌️ ★★☆☆☆ (4/10) Total reviewed : 297 Already owned : 68 Purchased : 15 To buy : 3 Nope : 211

Oh man, this feels like a bad acid trip. It starts off rough, and about halfway through it settles into something closer to what most people would consider music. This is never something I’d choose to put on, and I’m not really sure what kind of absolute lunatic would. I however, can see how parts of it might be fun in a live setting, but as an album, it’s a tough listen.

I think I can give this five stars from the start. This is incredible. Tracked it down on YouTube. This album is insane. Like Primus and Zappa all picked up horns. The drummer is an absolute beast. All the players on this have to be top of their game. I love this record.

Blending two things folks generally take issue with musically: Grindcore and Free Jazz. What an audacious cacophony. I almost hate how this is recorded. Well, why not.

I read somewhere that this album sounds like an orchestra falling down the stairs and that's exactly right.

Not for me.

This album is exactly the kind of thing I would hope to find from competing this list. Completely chaotic free jazz that can be quite listenable once you embrace the chaos. Totally get why this one gets loads of One Star reviews, but I had a great time listening to this! Favorite Track - Feet Music Least Favorite Track - Good Old Days ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am an avid listener of black metal and I found this pretty interesting but in an experimental, yet absurd way. It is the ramblings of a mad man. It is bad, very bad.

now, you must acquire a taste for FREE FORM JAZZ *this entire album plays* this album become a lot better once you read about how it was made and the history of it, its really interesting. Although I can't blame anyone for not caring about especially considering how challenging of listen this is. i liked it though, cool stuff. will admit it did give me a little headache though, but i can forgive. god forbid music makes you feel something amirite

0.5 - Please Kill Me

Bottom 10?! A crime. This album is full force from the absolute jump and it’s fantastic.

1/5

✨🎄✨

Decent. Some interesting sounds.

Not on AM

Oh fuck off

This is the most violent jazz I have ever heard in my life. I don't know if it's cheating that I took a break in middle of listening. I get the feeling that John Zorn intended me to be battered for 40 minutes straight. Maybe that's why I consider this to be kinda brilliant. And insane. Much better than the 68th mediocre, 3/5 pop-rock album. I guess I just like jazz way more than I previously thought? Some of you have basically no sense of adventure, no desire to venture out.

Jesus H. Fucking Christ.. This fucking list, man.. Yesterday sucked (IRL), so I really could have used anything but this chaos. Absolute trash. It sounds like they recorded it in a garbage compactor and then put it through a wood chipper before pressing it into vinyl. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - No.. no, no no.

i don't really like the idea of John Zorn. This guy, that's a saxophonist doing a lot of performances, with chaotic and weird interpretations, with weird esoterica, mystical and even BDSM symbology in his works. With satanic and strange imagery. That has a following and a reputation of doing music that's relegated to fringe and niche communities of insufferable people on the corners of internet. But, this album is weirdly entertaining to me. It's my first intentional dive to some form of chaotic/free form jazz. And I liked it. Kind of helped me to tune out and don't overthink that much. At the same time, I don't think there's so much merit as people gives to this kind of stuff. I mean, you have to be talented and pretty good in what you do, to be able to perform something like this and make it somewhat cognoscible. But I don't think this is repeatable, or formally an album of songs. It's a personal gripe, but I think that music that falls in that "Theseus" category, where it can't be repeated to the exact bit, is part of a jamming/experimental/ interesting category or a bullshit category. And this album risks heavily on falling in the later one.

Does not exist

That’s garbage! No chance they can play it again… just vomiting randomly notes… 🤮

I had a hard time finding this album on my streaming service (Qobuz does Hifi), so I found it somewhere else. I can see why Qobuz doesn't have this album available. Anyone who gives this 5 Stars should seek psychiatric help, there's something not quite right going on there.

I’m glad I listened to one of the other reviews- the first half is pretty… aurally challenging. The second half was fairly enjoyable. Was it enough to balance it out? Absolutely not. But hey, I feel better for having stuck it out

auuufff

It seems a lot of people didn’t like this album, and I’d have to disagree with them. I’ll admit the beginning is a lot to take in, it’s very chaotic and over the place. But even the it fits the mood of the album, it’s meant to be chaotic and all over the place. The instrumentals are incredible especially the drums and sax. The second album Is a little easier to listen to if your not a jazz listener, but if you are I think you can find appreciation for the whole album

This was chaotic. The auditory equivalent of button mashing a keyboard. If anyone told me this was their favorite album, I would sideye them so hard. Grateful to never have to listen to this again. And that it’s not available on Spotify to possibly mess up my algorithm.

Avant garde jazz is just way too weird jazz for me. Initially this started out a a 1 star for all the noise jazz (for lack of a better term) but some of the playing near the end of the album wasn’t too bad so I gave it the benefit of a doubt with a 2 star rating.