One of Lather's shavings, "Sleep Dirt" is an instrumental record that revives
ZAPPA's "serious" side. There are some brilliant moments on here, from the musical
nightcrawler "Filthy Habits" to the mid-album achievement of a clarity of the surreal that
recalls the peaks of "The Grand Wazoo". And yet "Sleep Dirt" is ultimately too smart for
its own good. Melodies devolve into dissonant chaos, notes stacked atop one another
like tiddlywinks in an ungainly sculpture of obtuse art. As a classical jazz composer,
FRANK ZAPPA has juggled his balls better; only Jazz From Hell is more standoffishly
notey. Still it's important that "Sleep Dirt" (and the superior Orchestral Favorites) come
to light, if only to form a link between the classical jazz achievements of the early '70s
and the mathemental (i.e., mathematical/instrumental) music of the '80s. The absence
of any immediate followup to "The Grand Wazoo" created the impression that ZAPPA
had abandoned semi-orchestral arrangements for the time being, when in fact he was
just channeling it into a hidden reserve. The material here, drawn from 1974 through
1976, dates from a period when ZAPPA seemed to favor celerity over sound (no
wonder with weapons like Ruth Underwood and Chad Wackerman at his disposal). And
there are plenty of passages on "Sleep Dirt" that will please speed freaks or folks who
think jazz is supposed to scare people. What's missing is the warmth, the self-
deprecating humor that marked his most successful forays into classical/jazz/rock
hybrids. For that, you'll need to look into "Hot Rats", Weasels, Weeny, Wazoo, etc.
Only after you've sampled those albums should you venture into "Sleep Dirt". Note that
some of this music was originally conceived for an abandoned musical called
Hunchentoot, which may account for the album's uneven nature.
daveconn |3/5 |
MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE
As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.
You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).