Lather Burley ID

Lather

Frank Zappa

Rykodisc Records, 1996

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 08/23/1999

This review is eighteen months overdue. Back around February1998, a reader (whose name I have unfortunately forgotten) asked meto review Läther from Frank Zappa, because he was seriouslyconsidering buying it, and wanted to know what I thought of it.

Problem number one: I was locked into reviewing the entire You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore series, and we had justreviewed the first volume a week prior. Problem number two: wedon't review an artist twice in a 60-day period, so it was going tobe some time before I got to this hot potato. Problem number three:I didn't own Läther... a problem I solved the other day when Isnagged a copy at Wherehouse Music.

I'm sure our reader has long since bought Läther for himself - and I'm sure he's satisfied withhis purchase. This is a lot to digest in one sitting, and thediehard Zappa fan probably owns many of these songs already, butit's still a welcome addition to your collection.

A bit of history: Läther was supposed to be released in 1978 as afour-record box set, but (depending on which story you believe)Warner Brothers would not allow Zappa to put it out, and theyrefused to release it. Instead, Zappa turned around and released aseries of albums that utilized a lot of the songs from Läther on them. These albums, Sleep Dirt, Studio Tan and Orchestral Favorites, we'll eventually get to. You'll alsohear elements on Zappa In New York and Sheik Yerbouti. Finally, in 1996 - three years after Zappa'sdeath, Gail Zappa and Rykodisc answered the prayers of many Zappadevotees and brought this set out, eighteen years after it wassupposed to be issued.