Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Really really chaotic like an episode of little bill
Very surprising, it’s like they’re an instrumental jazz Slayer cover band. The 2x Sax and 2x drummers appear to be racing to finish the song first
Madness
Not available so gave it average rating
6/10. I was expecting much worse for one of the lowest rated albums on the list. I liked it overall, but it is definitely a bit too frantic to comfortably listen to in the background, and I am not really one for actively listening to stuff without lyrics, so there's not really a good niche for listening to this, but it wasn't bad.
Interesting but not very listenable, though I enjoyed a few tracks. This definitely doesn't belong near the bottom of the global rankings. 6/10
I didn’t think I’d like this but it was good. Very jazzy but better than I’d anticipated.
You know what this isn't that bad once you lean into it. Not on Spootify but there's some good youtube playlists with the full album, and making it to the end is definitely an achievement. Kinda like reading Ulysses, but with more squonking.
A song or two of this is good. You know, 3 to 5 minutes or so. But a whole album? The problem with free jazz is that because there is no structure, every song starts to run together. There is no contrast. By the time any song sounded different, I was about 20 minutes into the album. That's a problem. It's just... all over the place. Not something I need to revisit.
Nice.
A little tough to find online because it's not available on streaming but almost all of the songs are on Youtube and someone put together a playlist in tracklist order. This is so up my alley right now because I've actually been listening to a lot of Ornette Coleman recently while I write. He's an incredible jazz artist who essentially invented free jazz, where you deliberately play atonal notes and sometimes ignore the melody all together. (The album of his I've listened to the most is "Change of the Century" and it's a good intro to the style because it's mostly melodic jazz with some experimental stuff in the improvisations.) I think it's so cool that someone drew a line between free jazz and hardcore punk. I remember listening to the title track on "Change of the Century" and thinking, "This is crazy. This has such a punk rock attitude.” It still sounds wild in 2022 and must have been truly nuts in the late 1950's. But a lot of the songs that John Zorn and his band cover on this album are already so fast and chaotic that playing them even faster and louder and more chaotic turns them into more of an experimental curiosity than anything I'd actually want to listen to for fun. You have to be in the mood to be musically assaulted. Still, some songs really worked for me. "Good Old Days" has blasts of pure noise but breathes enough that you can follow the structure. (It was also one of the only songs I knew going into this so it was cool to hear.) "The Disguise," "Blues Connotation," "Ecars," and "Broadway Blues" stood out to me too. (Also, having two drummers is such a crazy, cool thing to do. I love that.)
So THIS is “death jazz”! It’s definitely an acquired taste, but I do love trying to pick up on melodies, only to be painfully wrong every time. The chaos almost puts you in a trance, and has a calming-ish affect…? But would also be good to put on loop if you were trying to torture someone…?
Pros: - Exciting free jazz! - While listening, I didn't realize that I had another chrome tab open that had a chess streamer talking in the background at a very low volume. She was talking about pawn promotion and when the songs finished I would hear that faintly and it enhanced the experience! - If you forget to grab a coffee in the morning, just put this on. It'll wake yo ass up! - In the big scheme of abstract music / modern music / new music, this is totally palatable. Cons: - While incredibly dynamic, I would love some dynamicity (had to google that to check) in the tempi! Let's get some slow jams in there. Misc: - John Zorn is a cool wild dude. One of my regrets from when I was in music school was not going to his music venue The Stone ever- which had an arrangement with my school program where we would get reduced/free tickets and then we would get school credit for attending a modern music performance. Friends went a few times and ended up meeting him, gah! the regret! - He's definitely a modern pioneer of free jazz, and the genre is so important to popularizing the idea that any type of music can be free and untamed. I'm speculating, but a large amount of people probably find it novel and/or interesting but maybe without seeing the value beyond a single listen through. But outside of that large amount there's probably a few people that find the concept of this kind of music really intriguing and love it. For that reason alone I think it deserves a place on the list. I genuinely feel that every musician who writes music has a little bit of a duty to do something new with their music that expands music as a whole, even if they are a 99% clone of their favorite artist, if they just do 1% of something new that allows a new younger musician to make something with that 1%, then that is fulfilling a duty to the worldwide community of music. John Zorn is probably more like 75% new ideas and 25% built on the backs of people like Ornette Coleman, so John Zorn is a real one.
a cleverly crafted mess
Not a huge fan of this one
Quick chaos
Couldn't find this specific album on Spotify but listened to a lot of Ornette Coleman. Great sax and stand up bass!
Please calm down.
pretty inessential zorn but still a pretty fun time.
This is so intense, I cannot concentrate. I respect this but I don't enjoy it. Does make me want to explore his music more though.
I couldn't access it on Spotify but had to find an incomplete Youtube Playlist. Boy, barrage indeed. I think I'd like it more if it were more noisy, ironically? If it were more of a single tonality it might create more interesting tones, but as it is there's just tooooo much going on.
so glad i’m hearing this before i die. dumb chaos kinda love it. can’t give it more than a 3 though
Noisy, not huge on it, but that's mainly a style thing rather than an objectively bad record.
listening to this on youtube like the old times. what an intro lol. chaotic as fuck, which is satisfying in a way lol. i've FELT like this. the album art is really appropriate. this is pretty new to me and idk if i'll come back to it but i'm certainly not bored atm. nvm i got bored at some point. they really did not stop one second until broadway blues lol.
Well, this sure is Jazz lol. Idk why but this just sounds chaotic to me. I know that's part of what Jazz is, but holy cow. Didn't listen to the whole thing cuz it's hard for me to find, but it was good. Hard to work to though.
Nicht zu finden daher auch nicht zu bewerten
ouf hardcore jazz, not my tempo.
Veel klonk hetzelfde, maar toch weer anders. Niet 100 % mijn ding, maar wel van genoten
This was a special album, chaotic jazz if I had to describe it. I liked it more then i excpected. 7/10
Jazzy
This is the free form jazz spongebob and Patrick were listening to in that one episode
wow. zany. all over.
Lol. Lmao even.
tried to listen fully but man that was stressful only i could only gone half way so chaotic
immediately no
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.
2 — didn’t locate it for streaming
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.
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
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.
I get that this is maybe brilliant but it's not my cup of tea.
There is no brakes, just pure chaos.
I respect it, but it is honestly just a bit too much for my taste. 2/5
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.
cara q merda e essa.. voltando aqui depois do meio pro final.. legalzinho até kkkkkkk
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.
Not on Spotify - just rated it to go along with average rating
jazz loquisimo super acelerado todo el rato, estresante
I generally enjoy listening to jazz, but I have my limits
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.
Made it through about ten minutes but it was too fast and loud for me.
Es lo mejor o lo peor que escuchaste hasta el momento?
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.
No va
the reviewer who said it sounds like the drums are beating the shit out of the saxophones was exactly right
Not even I am pretentious enough to pretend to like this. Deserves 2 stars for extreme discomfort it brought me
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.
It's pure chaos, not sure I could get through it again
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.
Does not exist
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.
There is virtually nothing musical or enjoyable about this. I read the brief... I don't care when it was released, and I don't care that it's supposedly a reference to other genres. This is people spending years learning how to prepare fine cuisine and then purposely giving everyone food poisoning. Maybe that's the point with its supposed punk references, but you just know they were enjoying sniffing their own farts when they made this. 2 stars instead of 1 for the sake of the people not playing brass.
This is a once in a while listen. Novel but also frustrating.
A lot of conflicting thoughts on this one. Did I like it? Not particularly. My son woke up this morning and chose maximum chaos, which fits this album to a tee, so I had to laugh at the juxtaposition. I’m never completely sure if this kind of avant-garde art is meant to be played straight or if you’re supposed to laugh at the pretentiousness of it, but I tend to lean toward the latter. There’s loads of talent here and this is much more of a fun listen than reviews would have you believe, but how am I supposed to not at least give a chuckle to a jazz quintet with 2 drummers?
Interesting.
Wow. That was completely bananas. I liked very little of it, but it did pick up structure and interest for me from Feet Music on. The drumming is unrelenting, messy soloing, mixed way too loud. I think that is supposed to make it punk, but I think it is just distracting. The bass is buried. I'm never going to be a fan of this music, but it is absolutely distinct and takes a position.
🎧It’s not for me
There is a reason why this is hard to find...
Heavy metal jazz. One extra star for the talent of the musicians
Sounds like someone strangling a goat made entirely of latex balloons, broken bag pipes and abstract noise. I am intrigued and also don’t want to listen all at the same time
Less spy antics, and more diplomatic music, please! ★★
What did I listen to? Having scanned some reviews, I was expecting to hate it, but even my luddite ears can decent there's "something" here. Not recommended whilst trying to spreadsheet though.
Not a jazz guy and this one contains all the jazz stereotypes.
"Man I could really listen to Feet Music" said no one ever.
Could have done without it.
Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman is easily one of the most chaotic albums i have ever heard. However, unlike something like War's The World Is A Ghetto, this one wasn't organized chaos, it's just chaos. Throughout the first half of the album, these people just didn't seem to know how to make proper compositions as they just wildly played their instruments with no rhyme or reason and it got extremely annoying. The second half was a bit more tolerable with them actually learning how to properly compose a song but they were still too noisy and abrasive to be anything that good. This album gets a 1.5, the extra 0.5 coming from the fact the second half was actually tolerable. Best Song: Feet Music Worst Song: C&D
I appreciate the energy but this album is for a very specific type of person that I am not.
Ornette Coleman is the perfect musical representation of how my household operates – moments of coordinated brilliance, followed by long stretches of unrelenting chaos.
"I have no kick against modern jazz. Unless they try to play it too darn fast."
Jazz is never my thing, and add experimental into the mix and it's an audio disaster, in my opinion. I did listen to the entire album and there were a few parts I did enjoy, the more structured parts, but in all honesty, I just don't like jazz.
Well. This was something. Not my cup of tea I don’t think but I can appreciate the talent. There were a few songs in the second half that I did enjoy but it’s a bit too out there for me as a whole.
Thrash jazz, eh? I didn't not know that was a thing. I can see why. Thrash metal and thrash punk at least tend to have a tune. This is mostly just scales played at high speed, loudly, with equally chaotic drumming. I guess it's innovative, but that doesn't make it enjoyable. I'm giving it one extra star due to creativity, but it still only gets 2 stars.
asik jazz lagi. but in the most conventional jazz way (agak amburadul). im sure this this someone's cup of tea, just not mine
Heard
I swear to god, this is what goes through the head of a school shooter. I've listened to quite a bit of breakcore isn't even half as chaotic or awful-sounding as this. The bottom part of the album says "JOHN ZORN [et al.] PLAY THE MUSIC OF ORNETTE COLEMAN." I'm pretty sure these instrumentalists were respected in their own rights, but coming together do bastardize the music of Ornette Coleman? That's a low blow. At least I know that they didn't do it intentionally. (if you want to know what breakcore sounds like, my personal favorite song is "1UZ-FE" by Blksmiith. They're on YouTube, so you'll have to deal with ads. Although, the ads can't even compare to the torture that was listening to 30 minutes of that album. )
I will say this- I have never heard anything like this. I’m 95% sure that’s derogatory, but that 5% is enough for a 2. It kind of gave me a headache
The first half of this album is the sound my mind made when Jamo threw the reverse pass for an interception against Washington, when the ball went off Kindle Vildor's face for a fifty yard Aiyuk bomb, and when Torii Hunter went hurtling over the wall at Fenway in Game 2 of the 2013 ALCS.
Audio experience: listening to talented musicians armed with their instruments being tossed down the stairs of the World Trade Center. I started clock watching ~ halfway through the album, continually adjusting the volume down to fight the oncoming migraine, a feat that not even the Bjork or Dizzee Rascal albums managed to accomplish. Exhausting.
Wow, I have never appreciated silence so much. Mad shit!
Super chaotic jazz. Most of the instruments are playing a similar melody, but the drums didn’t get the memo at times. This would be a good album to blast to prevent a group of people from sleeping; for hypothetical protest purposes. Keeping this in my back pocket. 1.8/5.0
When the album started, it STARTED. No slow intro, just a punch in the mouth of frenetic energy that never really stops. But shortly after that, it just feels like you gave two high school kids a few saxophone lessons and then just them hit whatever notes they wanted. Not a very good listening experience, but bonus points for being unique/creative. I can understand why an album like this would be included in this list.
ganz schönes Gedudel
this is what people who hate jazz think jazz is. it's compelling in its uniqueness but still not easy to listen to
I liked the original album much better than this sort of loud aggressive hard to listen to version
Unnecessary but i don’t mind that it exists
Not ininteresting. But I couldn't listen more than 2 songs.
Mocht je je afvragen hoe een bipolaire stoornis zou klinken als ze allebei een saxofoon zouden hebben? Dit album is het antwoord. Mijn god, dit is denk ik het lastigste album dat ik ooit heb moeten luisteren, ik heb meerdere pauzes nodig gehad om me hier doorheen te worstelen. Er zitten best wat momenten tussen die goed klinken, maar het is alleen wel jammer dat die momenten vaak tegelijk gebeuren en dat dan ondertussen 1 van de 2 drummers een heel ander nummer gaat spelen. Oprecht, het voelt alsof niemand weet wat ze gaan spelen, en afgaande op de Wikipedia beschrijving is dat ook wat hier gebeurde. Dit is muziek( denk ik?) die in elk geval een emotie tevoorschijn haalt. Ik voelde angst, druk en soms gewoon ook blinde paniek. Dat is wat dit is, een paniek aanval, met een saxofoon. Waarschijnlijk moet je dit album zo hard mogelijk aan zetten, maar ik kan het gewoon niet aan. Dit doet actief pijn aan mijn oren en ik ben nog niet eens een kwartier onderweg. Ok maar wacht eens even... Na 20 minuten voelt het alsof de verkrachting van 2 saxofoons is afgelopen??? Mijn hemel, ik heb medelijden met die arme spelers, ze klonken echt alsof er verschrikkelijke dingen met ze gebeurden. Maar vanaf Feet Music, jup na 23(!!!!) minuten, klinkt dit daadwerkelijk als een luisterbaar album. Ok er zitten nog steeds net ff iets te schelle saxofoons doorheen te tüteren, maar ik snap nu iets meer wat er word bedoelt. Poeh, ik ben doodop. Dit is denk ik het eerste album waar ik daadwerkelijk van kan zeggen dat het een uitdaging was om het af te maken. Er zaten wel wat mooie momenten in en absoluut kun je horen wat er bedoelt word, dit is duidelijk wel een stel goed getrainde muzikanten in plaats van 'we doen maar wat en zien wel waar het schip strand'. Daar krijgt het van mij een 2e ster voor, dit is absoluut een ervaring en een album dat me lang bij zal blijven, dat kan zeker niet van alles worden gezegd maar mijn god wat ben ik blij dat het voorbij is. FAVO: Feet Music
idk not available
The sound of a saxophonist playing while falling up the stairs lined with rubber chickens. But in a good way? I don't like or even really enjoy this (Honestly, what I've heard of Ornette Coleman I didn't care for, was already too experimental), but I respect it. The thought of playing jazz, but taking inspiration from hardcore punk and grindcore is interesting. Doesn't particularly "work", but I don't think that's necessarily the point. The experimentation and drive to push music "forward" is the point. It does hit moments of enjoyability from time to time (fleetingly) when there are portions where I can actually make out some sort of beat or repeated phrases to lock onto (That basically sounds like the soundtrack to Mario Kart 8, haha), but mostly it's just free jazz noise through most of it. Weirdly reminds me a bit of the later albums in Caretaker's Everywhere at the End of Time series. Where it's mostly noise, but once in a while a recognizable riff shows up. So yeah. I don't particularly like this, but I respect it. On the flipside, I've lost a shitton of respect for Dimery on his choices for this list. Why the hell is an Ornette Coleman cover album on the list and no actual Ornette Coleman? Are you telling me that this album is somehow more essential than the guy they're covering? This literally wouldn't exist without Ornette Coleman's music in the first place. Fuck man, just put The Shape of Jazz to Come on the list. No disrespect against Zorn, but honestly kinda insulting to Coleman to snub him but have this. I have no qualms with this being on the list, but without Coleman on as well is a bad look.
It's no shape of jazz to come or even out to lunch
Actually kind of fun. Not a fan of squealy sax, but the murderous drums add a nice sassy little nuance.
Super interesting but I don't need to listen to it again
This is really pretentious.
Weird shit
Hard to find a complete album. I think YouTube had 4 songs blocked. Loud aggressive jazz. Some was ok but most I just wanted off
If a jazz album was all the crash out chaotic song finale. Even so I was interested, so can’t go 1 star.
Yenno, I respect this... its kind of like one big middle finger to any and all structure of traditional music, they should call this fuck you jazz. The most inaccessible form jazz can take, if not of the most inaccessible forms of any genre. So in a way, that makes me kind of like it... gives me a smirk when I think of this pissing some people off. Finding joy in their momentary misery hahahaha. Was I miserable while listening to this? At first yes, and then I just sort of went along for the ride. Did it sound good? Definitely not. Did it make me smile at times? It did! So I have to give respect where respect is due in a way. Plus, there were no horrific vocals which honestly makes a big difference for me. 4/10
A certain chaotic vibe that I can't say I disliked
Not the worst ever, but not good
Interesting and fun but a bit too much!
I have has this on all morning. I have a weird fascination with experiments like this. OR I'm a glutton for punishment. So there are sections that aren't discordant noise. It's like a weird calm in a storm when they appear. During those moments you can tell these people have talent and if used for good could untie us all, instead they decided to fuck with us. I admire that in a weird sick way. Do yourself a favor, after you turn this off go look up Ornette Coleman and listen to his stuff. It's really good and his stuff should be on the list. It's a terrible oversight if he is missing.
Technically good and interesting but way too noisy for me. Can’t imagine what mindset I would have to be in to choose to listen to this again.
Bit of an endurance test, but pleased to have listened to it through
Deso pas mon style
I hated some bits of this, maybe most of it, but I actually enjoyed other bits of it quite a lot. "Ecars" was pretty great, for example. But on the whole, pretty hard listening.
#763. What's worse than jazz? Insane jazz. 2/5: jazz
Meh
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holy shit here we go this is awfully stimulating after listening to Tank Battles this is a walk in the park tbh it’s interesting, after a while it almost becomes ambient music… it’s something about our brains attuning to a certain level of stimulation so quickly. I found it actually reasonable as music for working. Had you presented this to me outside of that context, and asked if I would want to work with this on, I would say ‘fuck no’. but such is the nature of this 1001 albums challenge, we listen in whatever context we can manage certain times melodies do emerge and they are wonderful drums sound fucking huge and crazy for ostensibly a jazz record (product of the 80s) I wouldn’t listen to this again, but I didn’t hate it. I’m laughing inside mostly while listening to it. Is that the intent? Probably not, but it still makes it enjoyable.
4 Didn't have it on spotify so I just listend to a lot of Ornette Coleman while I walked around the mall. Is this what spies listen to? DId not really feel like James Bond but I didn't hate it either.
Absolutely mental. There was a bit around half way through where it resembled music. Not a good album but glad it was included on this list
Not for me.
It’s definitely jazz.
Mad!!
Not without musical importance and definitely had some flourishes. I'm a noob when it comes to jazz but not quite my thing. Definitely more of a miss than a hit. At least it wasn't boring. 3/10
Mostly cringe with specs of enjoyable parts.
I appreciate the creativity, but is a lot of overwhelmingness for me. Here's how ChatGPT said to enjoy: How to Enjoy Spy vs Spy by John Zorn (1989): This album is a violent, uncompromising blitz of sound. It’s free jazz played at hardcore punk speed, and unless you’ve already built up a tolerance for abrasive, high-velocity chaos, it can feel totally impenetrable. But there’s real structure and beauty inside the firestorm—if you know how to approach it. ⸻ 🎯 What is Spy vs Spy, really? • It’s John Zorn’s tribute to Ornette Coleman, but reimagined through the lens of 1980s New York no-wave, punk, and avant-garde experimentation. • The lineup is two alto saxophones, bass, and drums, with most tracks played in simultaneous takes—they literally recorded two versions of each song at once and mixed them together. • It sounds like a jazz explosion happening in a mosh pit. This isn’t about melody in the traditional sense—it’s about energy, freedom, and confrontation. ⸻ 🧠 How to Listen Without Losing Your Mind 1. Accept that it’s not chill background music This album demands your attention, like a boxing match in a hurricane. If you’re looking for something to relax to, walk away. But if you want pure catharsis, this is it. 2. Focus on the rhythm section first The bass (Mark Dresser) and drums (Joey Baron) are insanely tight, even when it feels like the saxes are tearing reality apart. Lock into the pulse, and the chaos becomes clearer. 3. Don’t try to follow both saxes at once Zorn and Tim Berne are blowing over each other like two people screaming in different languages. Try following just one horn for a track or two, then switch. It’s like tuning in to a different conversation in the same riot. 4. Listen in short bursts Each track is around a minute long, and there are 17. It’s not designed to be heard straight through unless you’re already deep into this world. Treat it like tasting a flight of extremely spicy cocktails—small sips. 5. Approach it as protest music This is jazz-as-destruction. Zorn was reacting against sterile jazz education, smooth fusion, and even the academicized free jazz of the time. This is revolt music—urgent, pissed-off, and alive. ⸻ 🔥 Recommended Listening Path Start with these three tracks: 1. “WRU” – Short, aggressive, a microcosm of the whole album. 2. “Peace Warriors” – Ironically titled; it’s war. 3. “Feet Music” – One of Ornette’s grooviest themes; here it’s turned into a weapon. Then try: • Listening to the original Ornette Coleman versions of these same tracks. • Return to Spy vs Spy and notice how Zorn honors the themes while exploding them. ⸻ 🗝️ The key to enjoying it: You’re not listening for beauty—you’re listening for ferocity, interaction, and freedom. Once your brain adjusts to the onslaught, it becomes thrilling. If Black Flag and Coleman had a baby and raised it on espresso and amphetamines, this would be it.
wtf that's just crazy
Experimental jazz. Whoo boy.
Not sure what to say besides its not something I would buy
Glad I was introduced to this and challenged to listen to avant garde jazz. It’s difficult to listen to and I don’t particularly care for it. I found myself marveling at the speed at which they are capable of playing, and the moments of sense that emerge in the music. A fatal flaw for me is the double drums which very often created an overwhelming wall of static. I could not perceive any individual drum hits - it was just interference. Maybe that was the goal and or maybe I just don’t understand that. And maybe that’s the point. Maybe that’s better live. I dunno.
Those saxophones never stood a chance.
That was a tough listen. Jazz with a heavy metal backbone? Glad I’ve heard it once, but I promise that will be the only time.
A simples junção dos nomes Ornette Colleman e Joh Zorn já causam apreensão. É difícil imaginar a desconstrução comumente promovida por Zorn para a obra de um músico cujo conteúdo já é anárquico. Mas os temas escolhidos são até um tanto quanto convencionais e estruturados, em suas versões originais e Zorn promove o caos com sua música aleatória e desconexa, facilitando um pouco as coisas para o ouvinte na segunda metade do disco, a partir de "Enfant".
Lots of noise, not much of it was good
it's something, something scary
It’s one of the most fascinating 2’s I think I will give. This is album 627. We’ve done a lot. I’ve never heard an album like this before, and I can’t say I want to listen to it again. However, I found myself utterly captivated by this thing as an experiment in what constitutes music. Oh, trust me; this isn’t good. I wouldn’t recommend it with headphones in (take it from me), but in a weird way, I think I would genuinely recommend listening to this before you die & I think its presence on the list is a wondrous experiment. My brain is imaginative at times, and for this album, once it revealed itself as a cacophonous mess of unstructured, yet structured chaotic jazz, my brain immediately went to Eric Andre’s intro where he just destroys his fucking set. Effectively, that chaos is this album. This is a rage room for session musicians, captured with full improvisation, in different audio channels, at different tempos & with reverb caked on top. It’s the type of chaos that you cannot truly put into words & only feel. In a weird way, I think this may be the most potent example of chaos ever put onto tape in an audio sense, at least from what I’ve heard. I’m sure there’s something else utterly baffling out there that qualifies as even better / worse, but I don’t think I’ll try to seek it out. Since I can’t put it into words, I can only say… give it a listen & just feel it. I found a comedy to it; beyond Eric Andre, I thought of the one scene in "Band Geeks" from SpongeBob (yes, the one with "Sweet Victory") where they decide to play loud & contort Squidward’s face to hell. It’s a baffling album, and I think it’s certainly taking a spot away from one that deserves it more, but it’s a fascinating 2, and one that I would recommend listening to, if only for the experiment of one’s reaction. This could be someone’s 5 if it clicks like that, and in some way, I can’t possibly argue with that. It’s also just as easy to give it a 1. It is a raw, unfiltered album, a complete mess, and yet there is JUST enough of a semblance of the typical jazz one might know that it clings onto a sense of normalcy that never truly arrives, but is always just pertinent enough in the background to keep a bit of a hook, if you can tolerate this thing for any more than the first 5 minutes. I didn’t hate it, and I almost have half a brain to give it a 3 just for the hell of it, but from a purely musical standpoint, I think I have to stay at a 2. P.S.: If nothing else, it makes for great noise to clean your ears out afterward. Literally. I used a Q-Tip (not the rapper) and it worked really, really well. Make of that what you will.
The drums were pretty phenomenal, so I am adding a star for that. Otherwise, meh.
kaos.
What in the actual fuck?! 2/5 only because I think is fair to say one needs to listen this before dying
chaotic and frantic and the kind of thing that sounds like it inspired a bunch of people to be like "what if i did some of that, but in a way that an A&R guy would enjoy" and pushed music forward in some way i'll never appreciate enough
I tried to sleep in today and at least succeeded in having a slow morning, so we had brunch today in a nice leisurely fashion. I thought by the cover and my best guess that this would be jazz but perhaps like a laid-back bossa nova type situation so I put the album on. What resulted is probably something that got registered with the Geneva Convention people and will result in me being tried at the Hague. My partner gamely participated in the first half and then politely cleared the dishes and suggested I listen to the second half on my headphones. Now, what's very frightening is that I did a couple minor tasks and got my headphones and came back to this album then, I guess, fell prey to some sort of Stockholm Syndrome for the back half. "Feet Music" and "Broad Way Blues" could almost be described as catchy and perhaps even toe-tapping. This is my 701st album, the 700th I've rated as I need to catch up on one, and I am in a state of deep terror that I have done something negative and irreversible to my brain. I found myself browsing through other works by John Zorn before my evening shower and had to put my phone in the hallway. I'm not going to act like I liked the entire album but it can have a second star.
Would I want to listen to again? No, Fuck You. What the fuck is wrong with you? As I say this, I don't hate it. When it finds its groove & rhythm, it can be quite good but unfortunately they rarely maintain that groove. It ends up sounding like a cacophony of frantic drums & saxophone noodling. I could compare it to a panic attack at times but that's mean. Or the sound of infinite toolchests falling down endless stairs while running over infinite cats. Just buckle up & enjoy the ride. The second half is much more coherent than the front. So stick with it. I want to give a 3 or even a one. But 2 feels like the right rating. I kinda get what Zorn is attempting to do here: compress Coleman's compositions. It just doesn't quite work.
should i be surprised i like feet music?
Imagine you’re on one of those d-day landing boats, the door of the boat lowers like a ramp to a full on assault, many fall immediately, others don’t last much longer. You move forward navigating this barrage; someone has lost their arm and picks it up….you hunker down behind anything you can find, ears ringing, as the assault continues with everyone just trying to survive. You continue to make progress but this is not the assault of heavy machine guns or artillery, it’s ***hardcore jazz***. In fact, if you can make it through the first 21 mins or so, this starts to become a little more accessible. If the first half of the album was more like the second half I’d probably be inclined to award an extra star. That first half is intense and challenging.
random collision of a bunch of dissonant sounds with random dentist noises in the background and whatever the hell else they recorded this with. chaotic, and weird, sometimes in a good way - mostly in a bad way. 4/10
Had to find this on streaming for some reason, so I ended up listening to an abbreviated version of the full album. Having not heard much of John Zorn's work prior to this, I wasn't sure what to expect. Good lord, that is some frantic, chaotic freeform jazz if I've ever heard any. It really never lets up, just an onslaught of sax, bass, and drums coming from every which-way. I can appreciate freeform jazz, but this thrashier sound was too jarring personally. A 2 for the musicianship displayed throughout the album, as I can imagine that's quite exhausting to perform. Not much else that redeems this listening experience, however.
Crazy album that I didn't hate but don't really want to listen to again. 5/10
Some good parts though very very rare
I’m the kind of person who enjoys the Avant-garde, but this was too much. I feel like the sax is screaming at me to make it stop.
I think one has to be in the right mood to give this a real shot. Otherwise it's very chaotic and hard to find the melody that's holding it together.
"Do you like Ornette Coleman?" I do! "Do you like John Zorn?" Mostly! Especially when he's going slow and steady! "Do you want to hear John Zorn play Ornette Coleman songs, only sped up and with a cacophony of instruments playing random notes?"
Wow this was an attack on the senses... I can't say I loved it though I do have respect for it
God help the people whose neighbours enjoy avant garde jazz.
intense. violent. avant-garde jazz is uncharted territory for me. perhaps too 'out-there' for my tastes. off to an interesting start.
Incomprehensible at the tempo it's played. Feels like showboating. Not for me.
An interesting concept on paper: Ornette Coleman’s classic compositions reimagined through a hardcore punk filter. But in execution, it’s 40 minutes of hyper-compressed chaos that borders on unlistenable without prior knowledge of the originals. Most tracks range between one and three minutes, with a few even longer — but they’re still delivered at breakneck speed, leaving little room for nuance or development. Without the emotional depth and melodic freedom of Coleman’s originals, these renditions feel more like abrasive stunts than meaningful interpretations. If you want to understand Coleman’s genius, skip this and go straight to 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘢𝘻𝘻 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦 or 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘐𝘴 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤. 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝟰𝟬-𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.
I don’t know what to do with this
feels like I need to be freebasing something to enjoy this
Couldn’t get hold of this one. From the reviews I’ve read that’s probably a blessing.
I know it shouldn't really be a mark against an artist or album, but it was *extremely* annoying to have to search for this album online and weed through playlists that either were missing some of the tracks on the album, or was just one long uninterrupted 41-minute "track", and ultimately having to settle on a YouTube playlist that had all of the tracks as separate tracks, but listed in reverse (and as far as I can tell didn't have the stereo separation that the original recording contained, sadly). It makes me think that either just this album or John Zorn isn't all that popular and/or accessible, and certainly listening to the unremittingly wailing, screaming, frantic versions of a similarly-unknown-to-me artist/composer wasn't the most pleasant experience, I'll admit. I give credit to this project's editors for including "thrash jazz" in the collection, and I admire the technical aspects of the performances by Zorn and his band members, but this is *definitely* not my idea of a good/fun listen, and I'm pretty sure I could have gone to my grave just as happy without having endured this.
Ok so this record is certainly...unique. It's also very inaccessible and a hard listen in all honesty. Maybe for the avant-garde/experimental jazz crowd it's a must listen, but at least for me, it was too much. The performances are technically good, they can certainly play well. The saxos are very much alive, and the drumming is on point while also very aggressive. But, the listening experience is pretty grueling, particularly the first half. It's super intense and feels disorganized, even though there is a structure behind, it's difficult to grasp. This makes it exhausting to listen to after a while. The first 15 minutes are particularly harsh, almost cacophonous. Around the middle, it gets a bit more "listenable", finding more stable grooves and adding the experimental sections a bit more sparsely. If the record had started from "C.&D." I feel it would've been much better, as it's much more understandable and the arrangements, improvisations are more discernible, without compromising on the ambitious nature of the project. I'm sure that for some people, this is probably a masterpiece. There is certainly ambition behind it, and skillful players. But Zorn fails to create an even remotely accessible album, and for me that's it's biggest sin. The way this record is sequenced fails to make it compelling and I feel it could've worked better with a different order. That being said, while I see the goal of the experiment, and where it pushes jazz towards, for me it still isn't such a great record.
This was just noise.
Every track starts with the same instrument and tempo. The recording is not good. Understandable as it’s quite old. It’s like sea anemone. It tries to go everywhere but can’t go far in any direction.
this was a... tough one. Advant-Garde jazz is a super acquired taste, and a whole album of it can be pretty rough. i get the artistry about it, and the idea that music should just be free flowing, but man does it make it not really accessible. I think the back half of the album saved this from being a one star, but honestly this was a kinda rough 40 minutes.
Is this jazz punk? Does the band also smash and destroy all their instruments at the end of every concert?
A little to chaotic for me. Might try again during the day instead of late at night. Probably not though.
Another jazz album that most would describe as noise.
I think I might just not be the biggest fan of jazz.
Just... wow. Chaotic calm!!
This kind of jazz is just too free form and random for me.
Tracks are not available at my region.
Sounded cool, not really a straight piano album though
Dad- 3 Mom- 4 Mike- NA Lori- 4 Michael- 4 Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg- 3.75
Last couple of tracks had some good bits. Otherwise not my jam.
That was crazy. I have to be honest, I didn't hate that as much as I thought I would going in. If you can make it through the first couple of songs, there's some interesting stuff here. I listened to this on a YouTube playlist so I'm not sure if all the songs were there or if they were in order. So, props to Zorn, he's clearly talented and can play sax with incredible speed. I was less impressed with the drums. A lot of this album seemingly formless noise, but there are some cool moments where everything comes together and sounds really good. This is my first foray into avant-garde jazz and it actually might be more my thing than your standard jazz, somehow. Notable tracks were "Good Old Days," "Ecars," and "Broad Way Blues." These actually had some good hooks and substance that you can come back to. It was an interesting listen and experience, but I wouldn't revisit. 2/5 for me.
Listened to a few of the songs. Interesting, but not my thing.
Couldn’t find this album but kind of cool, instrumental 2.5-3
An assault on the senses in the worst way possible, and I say this as a jazz guy
This is a stressful album. It was going to be one star, because it makes me feel like I've had too much caffeine for a solid week, but I'm going to up it to a 2, for the interesting things it does. Two drummers & two sax in a 5 piece band, and mixing one sax on each side? The influence of punk? The way I feel i went thru a battle? All something important to say.
As a huge fan of jazz, even this is a too avant-garde for me for most of the tracks. Most of it just sounds like repetitive, poorly executed bebop. My enjoyment picked up a bit at the end of the album, but the entire first half of tracks was very, very tough to get through
Pandemonium. Full frontal assault. Finds a more measured groove in the second half. Not really my cup of tea, but giving it two stars for talent and commitment.
Not my cup of tea
ummmmm...huh. Thrash-jazz, eh? I feel this is like modern art at the museum. It's meant to create a reaction, even if it is "WTF is this?" and I think it succeeds on that level. But is it music I will ever listen to again? Nope.
I see it more as an artistic statement than enjoyable music. I guess it needs to exist for greater things to be created afterwards. Dare I say some parts aren't THAT insufferable? Also, it reminded me of Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music.
Did not love it, did not hate it entirely either. On some level I can appreciate it. But it is not something I would listen to normally
Insane
This is WILD. Not entirely unpleasant but not particularly listenable either. I was trying to work and this was just far too distracting. Otherwise it's kind of 'neat' I guess - like everyone seemed to know what they were doing and moved together and made it sound a bit cohesive, though I couldn't really make out what they were up to.
Epileptischer Anfall für die ohren
Someone's drilling holes somewhere in my apartment complex and I think it really ties the whole thing together.
ermmm crazy weird jazz wth
Hard to get behind. I appreciate the concept. Don't have to like it.
I don’t know John Zorn or Ornette. While listening to this, I kept wondering if what I was listening to was categorized as acid jazz and also thinking that if it was, I do not like acid jazz. I didn’t listen to the whole album, probably only about 15 minutes of it so it could’ve gotten much better, but as it stands, this is my opinion
Wish I could appreciate this but it is just too much of a chaotic mess for me
First 20 minutes, nothing short of painful. After that there were some tracks where I could detect some rhythm, and tap my toes. I maybe gained some kind of education from this? Idk, definitely isn’t anything I would include in a “must listen” book. But it’s different from the dozens of Brit pop albums, so there’s that. 1.5 stars
This is just noise
Yeah, nah. I have already some troubles with getting into jazz but this? Like, it isn't offensive to my ears but it definitely goes on one of them and comes out of the other.
Okay so I had to find this on YouTube bc it’s not streaming which is fine, but reading the title of the album and a quick glance at what its background is, I’m obviously expecting pretty standard jazz. So I sit down, press play, and immediately hear the most aggressive, loud, explosion of sound I’ve heard in some time. It’s like an audio slap in the face. I think I literally sat back in my seat in disbelief. Then, a little over a minute later (because these songs are played as quickly as possible), the second song starts. It sounds exactly the same as the first. A minute or so later, the third song starts. It happens again. By the fourth or fifth track, I’m literally laughing because I know each track is going to start exactly the same and sound essentially the same. It’s like they knew they had to play a full concert but also had a movie to catch in like an hour, so we’re just plowing through as fast as they could. But at a certain point I got what they were doing. I can’t say I liked it, but I got into their wavelength enough to sit through the whole album and crack up of the audacity of recording this. So it certainly made me feel something! And for that, I will bestow it 2 stars.
I'm a little envious I wasted my life not becoming a famous jazz musician by banging on drums as loud and fast as possible for 40 minutes straight. Maybe there's still time.
I didn't like this one. I actually enjoy Ornette Coleman's music. Free jazz is an all time classic and I genuinely casually listen to it. But I don't get this one. Some of the hooks are nice, the Saxophones are quality players. But the mix doesn't make any sense. The magic of the original Coleman mixes it the space between the instrumentals that helps to listen to each of the individual lines that the musicians play. Here non of this is present. The drums are so fucking loud... and the bass so quiet. Not enough space between the Saxophones, i just don't get it... A bit of a let down. And why two alto saxes?? Ornette will always throw a trumpet or bass clarinet in the mix. Disappointed with this one. I'll had a point because Coleman's music here is showen love, and is played with passion.
Noisy chaos disguised as jazz. Had to use my fancy anxiety instead of the every day kind.
2,5
Zorn is certainly a provocateur – or troll, in today's parlance – and one has more than enough time to wait out exploratory, out-there and even the most atonal and non-traditional sort of jazz and art rock, but this too often feels a dissonance too far, which is no fault of OC's. The attack does now and then cohere into something recognizable as not noise, but it's still punishing in the main. Rounding up just because it's jazz and not metal.
I hear chaotic dueling saxophones and an occasional hint of a tune
Intense jazz. Hard for me to handle most of this, was exhausting.
I like jazz but this is too chaotic
Somebody tell Ornette her record collection is broken. This is the kind of music I fear people hear in their heads when I say I like Jazz.
This Jazz was too jazzy
A little too chaotic for me
Not mad I listened to it.
Not as good as the Beatles
Chaotic. Was fun at first, but lacks any kind of variation.
Manca una struttura che dia un senso non basta saper suonare bene
Bof
The Good: one of my favorite cartoons from the Mad Magazine era. The Bad: no madcap spy stuff... The Ugly: ... No clue who John Zorn is. No clue how I'm supposed to enjoy the music... though I tried, and will try again. From reading other commentary it seems this music needs additional listening, or maybe one of the million other albums which he's published
Experimental free jazz. Not an easy listen. Listened on YouTube for 10 mins then skipped through later bits. Art yeah. Great album nah.
Undeniable talent here, but not my genre. Punk jazz, frenetic and chaotic.
Moi: Générateur, il manque d’album Jazz dans ta liste Générateur: Il y a plein d’album Jazz dans ma liste Les albums Jazz dans sa liste être comme:
undeniably cool, but also tough to listen to so i can’t give it more than a 2. some quick snippets of relistenability but other than that doesn’t work in the context of straight up listening. i’m sure it’s perfect for the show
Not my jam, but I really appreciate Zorn being here.
This pace was stressful
I've dipped my toes in the Naked City/Torture Garden pool and know what this Zorn guy is about. Don't really get why this one makes the cut, it's not as dynamic or varied, nor does it have the "what just happened" factor as the more known releases that explore a similar concept. The "everyone overplaying all at once" gets to be a bit much after a few songs, so you get a respite in the beginning of tracks like "Enfant," but alas, after a minute we're off to the races again.
Kind of a lot of ruckus and this shouldn't effect the rating but it was hard to find this album.
Chaos. But I didn’t actually hate some of it. Simpsons: No
Mad music. It wasn't the worst but can't see myself listening again.
Not my favorite jazz album.
Not on spotify, probably technically amazing, but not doing it for me. Would rather listen to Ornette Coleman
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
очень сложно было добыть, но один раз насладилась (и хватит)
At least it’s funny
Not available on Spotify
A lot of nonsense, although the nonsense makes the great moments even greater 5/10
I watched "Whiplash," so I know how insane these people are. I'm glad someone out there is doing this kind of thing, but I don't want to have to listen to it. I read another review which said this is music for masochists. I agree, but, well, I'm no masochist. I like to enjoy my music as well as be challenged by it. This is the kind of jazz that makes me feel stupid for not liking it. Like I'm too much of a rube to appreciate it. Well, fuck you, free jazz! If you're so great, then why are you so terrible?! Two stars for technical merit only.
Maybe listening to 40 minutes in one sitting was too much for my brain, but in small doses, it may be manageable. Reserving final judgement for when I have the guts to give it another go
*laughs nervously* what the fuck?
1.5
That was a challenging listen, the sort of music they'd torture detainees with at Guantanamo Bay. If the band was there like 'hehe what if we played like a thrash metal band' for one track as a joke yeah fair enough, but leave it at that. The first half is purely the sounds of a jazz band falling down stairs, the second part lets up a little but still not exactly a relaxing listen. I'll give it 2 stars though cos I respect it for going balls to the wall lol.
The first… half? Two thirds? was so chaotic it made me feel stressed. But there were some better moments later on so it redeemed itself a little.
I have only quit on one or two albums on this list so far. This is borderline unlistenable noice. It's technically very impressive spastic jazz. I survived 20 mins and that was enough. It's so chaotic and unpleasant. The drums and woodwinds in particular started to injure my brain. 2 stars for it being impressive albeit awful.
2.5
Some parts of this are okay. Some parts are utterly unlistenable. If this was any longer it would be a 1 star
I feel kind of bad, because I simply do not understand the appeal. This might be the best album for those who can appreciate this free-form high-intensity jazz. I am not one of these people.
I don't get this. It's energetic I guess. And loud.
This is basically the thrash metal of Jazz. I was surprised that I didn’t hate it. That said, I don’t see myself listening to this again. But not the worst.
Another of the bottom 10 records on this generator... One of the reviews states that it "sounds like the drums are beating the shit out of the saxophones" and that may be the most accurate description I've ever heard. This dude created a genre called thrash jazz. It is exactly what it sounds like. Insanely fast drumming and sax parts. Just utter chaos. It's quite hilarious actually. John Zorn is clearly insane. Man, those horns are being abused. I guarantee that this album was influenced heavily by Miles Davis' album of the same caliber: Bitches Brew. Favourite songs: Feet Music, Ecars, Good Old Days Least favourite songs:... Most of the album 2/5
I had to listen to this on poor man's you tube as it's not on Spotify. Maybe the constant adverts were a blessing as this is some crazy confusing music. They're all good musicians yet the thread of consistency is thin. I've discovered thrash jazz but not in a massive rush to hear it again. If someone gave this 1 star or 5 stars I couldn't argue. I listened to it when I went to the shops and forgot what I was going in for. A very interesting listen. 5/10
Jazz as an extreme sport. Often painful but never boring. Probably won't listen again. A good album to get the bar emptied. 2.3
It is hectic, so if I'm listening for the notes that I can't hear, then I'm missing all the notes that I can't hear. I think this means I'm hearing a lot. More than I'd like to hear. The musicians are fabulous, especially the horn players. Not sure how they can handle all the frantic notes... but mostly, this isn't really for me.
Do I have the energy for this? Not as bad as I was expecting. A bit monotonous but it is avant guarde jazz after all, not as hardcore as it purports to be. Side two a bit more accessible.
This is what I imagine Jazz Maverick, Howard Moon, listens to
not for me
I liked the energy in this but there are two many instances where the improv devolved into noise for me.
very noisy!
This was unexpected. Wild stuff. Nigh unlistenable to my ear but jeez, the manic energy. Advanced level freaky business. I see its merit, I just don't want to have to listen to it.
well that was unexpected
Way too hectic for me
I’m all for experimental electronic jazz but wtf
I, uh, didn’t quite get it.
es un nivel de free jazz que no comprendo
Not for me
Parece a banda do chaves...
Spy vs Spy Firstly, I love that this exists. Although I may not want to listen to experimental deconstructed thrash jazz it’s important to me that people make this kind of stuff. Secondly, I love that I don’t have to listen to it. In actuality, despite being a difficult it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. It just sounds like a lot of free form and to be honest most normal jazz: lots of parping and daft drumming. As I listened on Youtube I have no idea of the individual tracks, and honestly it doesn’t matter as I don’t think discerning each track is the point. And one listen through is surely enough too. I’ve only given one star once and that was to Christina Aguilera. Despite that album being on the surface more listenable I still think it’s worse than this. At least this has intent, a sense of artistic purpose and doesn’t care if anyone likes it. That Christina album is so cynically conceived, produced and executed and so entirely limited in its worldview that it’s objectively awful. This may be significantly more on the unlistenable side of things but I believe it has artistic merit, and although it’s not for for me and I’ll never listen to it again I have a respect for it. Music can be many things for many people but context, intentions and ambitions matter beyond the response to the music itself, so I can’t just dismiss this as a one. Peversely tempted to go 3, but on my personal scale that would indicate that I might listen again, so it’s a 2. ⭐️⭐️ I also really like the album artwork.
I can see how someone might like this. Its just not for me.
Yeah i gave it a shot but i have to be at least three times as musically ascended to appreciate this
Ow, my freaking ears. You know, when I reviewed Trout Mask Replica, I quoted a YouTube comment that said "This sounds like an entire band falling down stairs, but they keep playing." Today I owe an apology to Captain Beefheart, because this is the album that truly sounds like an entire band falling down the stairs. This is all kinds of too much, but I kind of dig it conceptually anyway. Noisy and messy and totally nutso, but also creative and passionate and the absolute opposite of boring. It gets a 2 from me because it was not enjoyable to listen to on any level, but this is one a few of albums in this project that I'm never going to forget. Fave Tracks: None. Couldn't tell you my favorite tracks, because I heard it on YouTube and they all kind of run together. Couldn't keep up.
Gear: Hifiman Arya Mix: Lo-Fi ohne Charme Musik: Grindcore Punk Jazz. W.T.F. 👀 Wertung: 🕵️♂️🕵️♂️/5
Hmm. Hard to work to. Got better as it went through
It was good, but nothing to write home about.
I said “the streak continues” yesterday. And then the very next day the streak ended. I have claimed many times that there probably won’t ever be a jazz album I really dislike. And truthfully this album sort of proved me right, but it also proved me wrong. Initially, before I even started listening, I saw that this was listed as avant-garde jazz and grindcore. And I was confused as to how those two things could be even remotely related. I’ll go on record and say this is the single strangest album I have ever heard in my life. It’s avant-garde for sure. Possibly to the point where it’s almost unlistenable. Most jazz groups don’t have two drummers. This is the reason why. The first eleven songs of this record sound like the two drummers and all of the other band members are constantly fighting each other to see who can play faster and louder. It’s not the kind of sound you put on for enjoyment. It’s more often than not completely ridiculous. Then you get to the last 6 songs. Which fortunately takes a slightly less bonkers approach. It’s far closer to the jazz than I can actually appreciate. But I can’t say it really saves this album. I can recognize the skill it takes to play at that speed without it sounding totally amateurish. And even when the album is leaning more towards the normal side of jazz, it just moves too and randomly for my brain to process. Not a completely garbage album, but also not one that continues the streak in the way I would like it to. Rating: 4/10
First half is just noise
Very unique and chaotic take on jazz.
Noisy and thunderous drumming. Eventually the saxophones begin to play more obvious melodies. Feet Music even sounds like a proper jazz piece! Seriously though, this is not mess, but it just takes concentration and a love of hard jazz to get the feel.
Seems like too much going on at once. Like a car crash or a trainwreck.
chaotic.
Appreciate the chaos. Disappointingly calms down somewhat as it goes along. Wouldn't recommend listening on headphones.
Sounded like a ton of other stuff
Not streaming anywhere, I know there's a guy with a top review offering to send this if you email him, but thankfully it appears that someone has uploaded this thing to youtube. I'm listening, it's largely unpleasant. It's jazz, in a sense, if you took all the really cacophonous sections and strung them together without any of the necessary buildup or progression to make them narratively sensical or rewarding. Apparently this guy is some sort of mad scientist musician, dabbling in such genres as "thrashcore" and "grindcore." Here's a suggestion - maybe try "listenablecore." In reality, I feel like I understand what was attempted here, and I think being put off by it is kind of the point, it's deconstruction. But yeah, this isn't an album I enjoy or would want to listen to again. Not the worst thing I've heard because it does sort of achieve a concept, and I do actually respect it for being a complete departure from our usual fare. But, as a listening experience, it's pretty bad. Favorite tracks: Good Old Days. Album art: Best part about this one, surely. I remember seeing this title on the "worst albums" ranking, then seeing the cover and hoping I'd like it. It's some really great cartoons, man, such a fun variety of stuff going on that is not reflected in the music at all. Hell, they could've incorporated some actual Spy vs. Spy cartoons here too, that would've been neat. But at the end of the day, this album kinda sucks, so who cares? 2/5
It's interesting but I simply can not bear it
Why I love jazz. I have for a long time. I was in my high school jazz band (drums). I have listened to and appreciated jazz for the better part of two decades. I do not know what the hell this is or what it’s supposed to be. My biases are obvious to me. “Free jazz” has always been the butt of a joke, not just to me but to others. I’ve also, ignorantly, rolled my eyes at “thrashcore” and other overly-intense-sounding genres. So I admit I came into this as skeptical as can be. But I also know that I have been pleasantly surprised and happily proven wrong multiple times in this project and was ready to have that happen again. It did not. At all. This is straight up noise. I’m sorry. The first track was just noise. The second track sounded a lot like the first, which also was just noise. Whenever a track DID have some semblance of structure, it quickly went out the window and more chaos ensued. The only track that MAYBE avoided this entirely was “Broadway Blues.” One of the most astonishing things to me is that this was an album of an artist covering SOMEONE ELSE’S MUSIC. Which means someone created music that sounds like this and someone else thought “let’s cover that, that sounds great.” I’m sure there’s context I’m missing. I’m sure this genre and this album have homers (apologists?). I am not one of them. I could never be. The most telling thing about this album is that I had to find it on YouTube. It’s not on Spotify OR Apple Music. That’s because those platforms have music… 2 stars. Generously. Standout track: Broadway Blues
This is a silly album. Once you get past the first couple tracks it's a little less chaotic, but yeah. Good luck keeping your sanity on this listen.
Egads. This is a rough one. If you are subject to migraines, I'd seriously suggest skipping this one. I get that free jazz is supposed to be out there -- but this just doesn't work for me. I can't imagine putting something like this on just to listen to, or even try to appreciate. But if you like the idea of thrash metal saxophone, well, this is your huckleberry. Unexpected bangers: none. Ecars and Feet Music are at least listenable. The second half of the album is somewhat less screechy. If you do get through this, it's worth listening to this playlist to see what they were drawing from. So much better. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3giq4xcBIglHlE5suAQShL?si=ca98a0fbb10d4970
Nope. Not for me. I did not care for this. I enjoy jazz music. But this was way too much. Just wall to wall noise. The only thing that's saving it from a 1 star is the sheer uniqueness of the album. I haven't heard anything like this... Not that that's necessarily a good thing.
Wow this album art looks wacky. No idea what I'm in for here. JAZZ! JAZZ is what I'm in for. I'm here for jazz. I like jazz. But this, wow. This is a bit much. I recognize the chops required for this avant-garde style of music, and it is impressive, but boy howdy is it not for me.
There must be a deeper meaning to this album but not sure what it is. To me unstructured.
Woah. I don't think I'll ever be able to listen to this again. So much is happening. I can see how this could be considered good, but it's not easy or really enjoyable to listen to.
Fascinating! I can appreciate the lack of subtlety of these interesting free jazz compositions, as they are done in the style of Grindcore/ Thrash! I mean, who'd have thought Napalm Death style Jazz could possibly be a thing? I get it, but do I like it? It's very good for an improvised sonic attack. It gave me an immediate rush of adrenaline, so an emotional response which is always a huge positive for me. I shall have to give it a proper listen if I ever find a cheap copy of it. But I don't think it will ever become a regular fixture on my playlist. It's too odd (in an intriguing way) and not crap enough for a 1, so a 2.
I like jazz. I like some experimental music. I even like some experimental jazz. In fact, I like Ornette Coleman! This album, not really. Much like the Circle Jerks album I listened to right before this one, it’s not for me. I get it, but I’m fine with only listening to this once. But hey, you know what? I’m glad I read a couple of reviews first. I was ready to give up, thinking the whole album was going to sound like the first 10 minutes or so, but there ended up being a few tracks that had a bit of an actual groove to them. It’s not going to bring my rating up much but it’s a 2 with a caveat.
Yeah. Okay. Sure. I get it. This is the ultimate, "meta commentary on the state of music. We're saying 'fuck you' to genre and tradition while paying respects to a real master of his craft. We actually don't want you to like this music. We have no intention on catering to mainstream audiences." Or maybe it's not saying that. This whole album calls into question the idea of creating art for art's sake. Is it more important to create something that represents YOU and is 100% what you want, regardless of how accessible or listenable it might be, or do you need to respect that audiences require a base level of accessibility in order to enjoy your art? I think for me, while the former is certainly more important (great art is never made for someone else), an artist needs to realize that once they put something out into the world, it's no longer theirs. It's their audience's. And I also think there needs to be SOMETHING for the audience to grab a hold of. In this case, tempo, some semblance of melody or structure at least. And we DO get those things in spurts here. This isn't some mess devoid of anything you'd call "music," but it's pretty far from accessible. I don't want to hyper criticize this album, because I do relate to Zorn in a way here. He's a creator that tries very hard to not to fit in any mold. And we see too many artists find their niche and stick with it, which can be very limiting. I think this album needs to be on this list. I needed to hear this before I die so I could understand the depths of how batshit free jazz/hardcore could get. In all honesty, give it a few tracks. Let the initial wave wash over you and stick with it. The back half stabilizes quite a bit. I don't know if that does the album any favors, but I think there might be more here than what's presented on first listen. What that more is...I'll let you know when I figure it out.
I dont care for this type of jazz
Percebi mais como uma lista aleatória do que um disco concebido para ter unidade. Muito experimental e pouco agradável
orkade inte ens bry mig om att försöka hitta denna, den har inte särskilt bra betyg och jag tror inte att jag kommer gilla den ändå. Ger två stjärnor för en känns kanske lite väl...
Obviously, the predecessor to clown-core. Louis Cole and Sam Gendel have done the genre proud and carried on the sound. As an origin, this is "groundbreaking"?
not for me
This was something... not good. The first half was complete saxophone nonsense, but starting with Ecars, it became something somewhat listenable. It still wasn't great, but still beats out some things on this list. A hard 1 for the first half, but the second half is redeeming enough to get this to a low 2/5
One's def not a jazz purist but is effectively trolled, so mission accomplished if that was the intent. The few moments of tunefulness just get buried in the almost unvarying cacophony, and all the fast and fierce playing is to no real effect (to one's ears anyway) other than an aggregation of extreme sounds. It's an interpretation meant to overwhelm. And the overall obnoxiousness is certainly not Ornette's fault. As much as one admires out-there artists ready to push the boundaries, just because it can be done doesn't mean it should.
My first thought is “this is going to be interesting.” Then I read other commenters' comments (while trying to find files to listen to) and expected Ascension-level chaos. I was surprised how Zorn stayed faithful to OC's original intentions. Not my cup of tea, but Zorn deserves credit.