#81

Frank Zappa - Halloween 81 (2020) {6CD Set, Zappa Records ZR 20034}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 2.82 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 0.98 Gb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 103 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1981, 2020 Zappa Records / UMe | ZR 20034
Rock / Experimental Rock / Avant-Garde / Art Rock / Jazz Rock

By 1981, Frank Zappa’s Halloween shows in New York were already legendary – a rock and roll bacchanalia of jaw-dropping musicianship, costume-clad revelry, spontaneous theatrical hijinks and of course a heavy dose of Zappa’s signature virtuosic guitar workouts. Eagerly anticipated every year, fans never knew exactly what was in store but knew it would be of epic proportions and one-of-a-kind experience that only Zappa and his skilled group of musicians could provide. When Zappa returned to The Palladium in NYC in 1981 for a five-show four-night run from October 29 to November 1, the nearly-annual tradition was even more anticipated than usual as the 1980 concerts were cut short due to Zappa falling ill. Curiously there was no fall tour the previous year and thus no Halloween shows.

Though it may not seem like much time, the five short years during which they recorded for A&M Records marked the most consistent period of Y&T's unfortunate career. And though they would sign a new contract with Geffen thereafter, their subsequent, glam-drenched efforts would prove even less inspired. So while hardly all encompassing, Best of '81 to '85 will satisfy the curious fan better than any other package, save perhaps for their excellent live album, Open Fire. The band's drab studio technique notwithstanding, tracks like "Open Fire," "Hurricane," "Mean Streak," and "I Believe in You" make a strong, cohesive statement about the group's songwriting, if not their performance. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia

Written during Peter Racine Fricker’s tenure as professor of music at the University of California Santa Barbara campus, the Serenade No. 5, Op. 81 for violin and cello was written in 1980 and juxtaposes disquietingly atmospheric harmonies with an appealingly modern expression. James Dickenson and Nicholas Stringfellow have explored Fricker’s String Quartets on the Naxos album NX 1374.

With 80/81, Pat Metheny took one step closer to his dream of working with The Prophet of Freedom (a dream he finally achieved with 1985’s Song X), and what better company than Coleman alumni Charlie Haden and Dewey Redman, both fresh off the boat of Keith Jarrett’s newly defunct American Quartet and both welcome additions to the extended Metheny family. Along with the technical mastery of reedman Mike Brecker and drummer Jack DeJohnette, plus a dash of post-bop spice, the result was this still-fresh sonic concoction. The atmospheres of the opening “Two Folk Songs” invite us with that expansive pastoralism so characteristic of Metheny. This makes Brecker’s highly trained yet raw stylings all the more marked, bringing as they do a sense of presence that explodes into a million pieces.

Antonin Dvorak - Piano Quintet op. 81 & String Quintet op. 97
Leipziger Streichquartett & Christian Zacharias
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 302 MB | Full Artwork: 120 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: MDG "Gold" # 307 1249-2 | Country/Year: Germany 2004
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic, Quintet

"…MDG provides typically fine sonics, with the strings well balanced against a piano that turns a bit glassy in its upper register at higher dynamic levels. The real question is whether or not, with such fine versions already available from various Czech groups on Supraphon (Panocha Quartet) and Praga (Klánský/Prazák Quartet), you will want to spend premium price to acquire this newcomer, even if the coupling of these two particular works is somewhat unique. This is a decision you must make for yourself; if you ultimately opt to go for it, you won’t be sorry." ~classicstoday