Released 1992 Length 62:00 Release date 1992 | Recorded 1989 and 1992 | |
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Genres Jazz, Grindcore, Free jazz, Punk jazz, Experimental rock Similar Naked City albums, Avant-garde albums, Other albums |
Grand Guignol is the second full-length studio album released by John Zorn's band Naked City in 1992 on the Japanese Avant label. The album followed Torture Garden, which was a compilation of "hardcore miniatures" from Naked City and Grand Guignol. The album is notable for the inclusion of cover versions of pieces written by classical composers, the guest vocal of Bob Dorough, and also, like Torture Garden, a selection of "hardcore miniatures" (tracks 9-41) which are intense, fast-tempo, brief compositions, which feature the wailing of Zorn's alto sax, and the screams of Yamatsuka Eye.
Contents
The album was also released as part of Naked City: The Complete Studio Recordings on Tzadik Records in 2005.
Naked city grand guignol
Reception
The Allmusic review by Ted Mills awarded the album 4 stars stating "Naked City's follow up to their self-titled album is a departure from the New York noir that they had perfected... A rewarding album".
Track listing
All compositions and arrangements by John Zorn, except where noted.- "Grand Guignol" – 17:41
- "La cathédrale engloutie" – 6:24 (Claude Debussy)
- "Three Preludes Op. 74: Douloureux, déchirant" – 1:17 (Alexander Scriabin)
- "Three Preludes Op. 74: Très lent, contemplatif" – 1:43 (Scriabin)
- "Three Preludes Op. 74: Allegro drammatico" – 0:49 (Scriabin)
- "Prophetiae Sibyllarum" – 1:46 (Orlande de Lassus)
- "The Cage" – 2:01 (Charles Ives) - Featuring Bob Dorough
- "Louange à l'éternité de Jésus" – 7:08 (Olivier Messiaen)
- "Blood Is Thin" – 1:02
- "Thrash Jazz Assassin" – 0:47
- "Dead Spot" – 0:33
- "Bonehead" – 0:54
- "Piledriver" – 0:36
- "Shangkuan Ling-Feng" – 1:16
- "Numbskull" – 0:31
- "Perfume of a Critic's Burning Flesh" – 0:26
- "Jazz Snob: Eat Shit" – 0:26
- "The Prestidigitator" – 0:46
- "No Reason to Believe" – 0:28
- "Hellraiser" – 0:41
- "Torture Garden" – 0:37
- "Slan" – 0:24
- "The Ways of Pain" – 0:33
- "The Noose" – 0:13
- "Sack of Shit" – 0:46
- "Blunt Instrument" – 0:56
- "Osaka Bondage" – 1:17
- "Shallow Grave" – 0:42
- "Kaoru" – 0:53
- "Dead Dread" – 0:48
- "Billy Liar" – 0:13
- "Victims of Torture" – 0:24
- "Speedfreaks" – 0:50
- "New Jersey Scum Swamp" – 0:44
- "S/M Sniper" – 0:17
- "Pigfucker" – 0:24
- "Cairo Chop Shop" – 0:25
- "Facelifter" – 0:57
- "Whiplash" – 0:22
- "The Blade" – 0:30
- "Gob of Spit" – 0:21
Personnel
Songs
1Grand Guignol17:41
2La Cathédrale Engloutie6:24
3Three Preludes - Op 74: I Douloureux - déchirant1:19