Album of the Day

Frank Zappa: Lather. The story of Lather's birth, death, and resurrection is too long and convoluted to go into here. Suffice to say the only official release to bear the title, released after Zappa's death, is a 3-disc sampler of Frank's work. Almost every style he worked in during the 70s is represented here, from short rock songs to long jazzy instrumentals to bits of modern orchestral music. And doesn't even include the 20+ minute cartoon for the ears that is "The Adventures of Greggary Peccary." Or the interstitial weirdness that pops up between tunes. This would make a great Zappa starter kit. Take what bits you like and follow those paths into the Zappa wilderness. If you don't like any of it, chances are you won't like any of the rest of his stuff.

And with that, the 2004 edition of my A-Z run through my CD collection has come to an end. It began on 26 January and took four months to work my way through 567 albums spread across 635 CDs absorbing 23 days, 16 hours, 53 minutes and 5 seconds of my time. Tune in for more Albums of the Day, starting next January.