Mondo Bungle

Wanted to listen to this today so....

This is one of Zorn's most recognizable albums if I do say so myself. The first to come from his Naked City lineup, consisting of him on sax, Bill Frisell on guitar, Fred Frith with the bass, Joey Baron drumming, Wayne Horvitz on keys, and Yamantaka Eye with guest vocals. That lineup sounds like an experimentalist's wet dream, does it not? This album surely is. An overall jazz feel, often crossing into squealing hyperfast grindcore, along with elements of western and surf music, and whatever else you want in there. An essential album in my eyes.

This album pays homage to Zorn's influences including some renditions of works by Ennio Morricone and Ornette Coleman (and we know he'll be doing that some more), and some film music like "Chinatown" and "A Shot in the Dark".

After starting off with the cinematic and fun "Batman", a Morricone take is underway with "The Sicilian Clan". A very smooth and mellow track, with great keyboard work and a nice bassline. "You Will Be Shot" is the step into that grind territory. So much going on in only a minute and a half. Extreme bursts of blastbeats and radical sax squealing brought all together with a heavy surf riff. It even makes it's way into slow country styling after the mayhem. I think "Latin Quarter" was the first Zorn composition I'd ever heard, and I'll always love it. A great rocking jazz tune, with some excellent guitar playing from Frisell. One of the most accessible tracks on the album. Next is the band's take on A Shot in the Dark from film music legend Henry Mancini. This one makes good use of the keyboard and it's effects, opening up with some freaky psychedelic chaos, before reaching that surfy, jazzy Pink Panther sound. The next two tracks shift styles frantically and quickly, between the chaotic jazz grind we have moments of funk, downtempo guitar, free jazz, and rock. "I Want to Live" is another cover, pretty mellow jazz, I guess. I'm not very well versed in different styles of jazz to know what to call it. "Lonely Woman" is an Ornette Coleman song, with some cool keys added to the mix.

Bring on the grindcore! A series of "hardcore miniatures" featuring the outrageous screaming, growling, grunting, and gurgling of Yamantaka Eye. This is quite a blistering movement. The song titles here spawned two band names, Fuck the Facts and Blood Duster. An average grind fan would be happy with some variety here.

Phew, that was hardcore. Naked City does that though (see: Grand Guignol). "Chinatown" is another film song. Beginning with some quiet, slow avant-garde, before the smooth sax comes in. Another mellow track. The mood is broken however by the extreme cacophony of "Punk China Doll". This one is absolute chaos, for a minute. Genres on this album are shifting constantly. The second half of this song is an atmospheric piece from Horvitz. "N.Y. Flat Top Box" is a quick little western song, with half second blasting moments in there. "Saigon Pickup" is another favorite, and a beautiful piano melody. Pian, then loud sax attack, a surf riff, and more jazz, some loungey stuff, surf riff, piano melody. It sounds like a lot, but it's another one of the easy tracks on the album in my view.

Next is a fantastic and fairly straightforward cover of the James Bond theme, aside from a bit of harsh free jazz in the middle. "Den of Sins" starts with more unadulterated chaos, but moves on to something else entirely, and moves back into chaos. That's one thing about this album, it doesn't sit still. First time listeners should expect to be surprised often. I know I was. More film scores with "Contempt", this one's a bit heavy, with drumming that could be suitable on a doom metal album. The heaviness continues with "Graveyard Shift". There's a riff pretty early on, I swear it's a god damn mid-paced black metal riff. But funk takes over. Then jazzy dub. "Inside Straight" is a basic one, some good ol' jazz.

I can't stress this enough, this album is bipolar, genre splicing, mood shattering. I can't tell you what to expect going in, better to just jump in without expectations, as any you have would probably be destroyed from that very first radical genre shift.

Another one of my favorite Zorn albums though, highly recommended.

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