The story behind the creation of this collection is almost as legendary as the man who created it. Suffice to say, it was originally intended as a 4-disc vinyl release, ran into some complications, and was delayed by a mere 20 years. These complications resulted in Frank Zappa's suing a VERY LARGE RECORD COMPANY for about 3 million, the material being released across about 5 albums (three of them against his wishes), and, in an act of revolt, Frank's broadcasting of the album in its entirety on LA's KROQ, during which he actually encouraged listeners to record it.

Until RYCODISC's CD version came out around '96, the only way a person could hear the album as Frank had intended was if one could get ahold of the recording of this famous broadcast. Had it been released when it was supposed to, Läther would have qualified as the ultimate work of this sorely-missed musical innovator. Zappa's wildly diverse compositional capabilities are represented more comprehensively here than on any release; from live rock performances to symphonic and chamber works, from dialogue snippets to tape-manipulated musique concrete, this is the full spectrum of pre-digital FZ at the peak of his powers. Nobody could touch this man in the 70s.

As many of the songs were a bit new and rough at the time of these recordings, Frank produced more polished and extended versions in the later albums "Zappa in New York" and "Sheik Yerbouti", so his reticence to release this collection during his lifetime is certainly understandable. However, if you have not yet heard "Studio Tan", "Sleep Dirt" and/or "Orchestral Favorites", you can get them all in one tidy remastered package (without the annoying vocals that were added on "Sleep Dirt") and enjoy them in one seriously eclectic listening.

I'm a firm believer in cheating with Desert Island Picks, by choosing box sets. If I had the choice of one Zappa release to sustain me in isolation, I would not have to think for very long, because Läther has it all. The ultimate FZ representation, hands down.

Zappa had originally intended this album to be released as a four LP set back in 1977 but Warner Brothers decided not to release it for various reasons I won't get into here. Instead, they got Zappa to divide the original Lather album into four separate albums, often with different arrangements and mixes: Zappa in New York, Studio Tan, Orchestral Favorites and Sleep Dirt, and a few songs found their way onto Sheik Yerbouti too. Warner Bros. also decided not to pay Frank for his work. So Zappa played the entire Lather album over the radio airwaves from which countless bootlegs have been made. Ha ha Warner, you greedheads. So finally, years later we get an official release of Lather, Zappa's magnum opus and arguably his best album and it was worth the wait.

Every style Zappa ever did is on this record... from the stupid: T*tties 'n Beer, to the sordid: Honey, Don't You Want A Man Like Me?, to the sublime: RDNZL, from the idiotic, to the intelligent, to the indescribable. There are ridiculous comedy songs, social satire, bizarre and rocking instrumentals. Some of the comedy/satire like Trying To Grow A Chin or T*tties 'n Beer are puerile, and their power to amuse wanes with each play. Though I still get a big kick out of Punky's Whips, a story of drummer Terry Bozio's infatuation with a picture of Angel lead guitarist Punky Meadows mostly because I remember the poster from Creem magazine. Yeah it was a pretty girly picture, poor Terry;) But the best songs and especially the instrumentals, of which there are a great deal, are among the best things Zappa has ever done and reward repeated listenings. They range from 20th century classical serious, to silly, to jazz, to obscene rock guitar workouts a la Filthy Habits. Lather is all over the map and is utterly amazing. Could anyone not familiar with Zappa realize that one guy wrote all this widely varying material? I don't think they would guess. Anybody who says Zappa is not a genius, or composer worthy of note, or a great guitarist should be forced to sit through this album, it just might change their opinion. So Spike Jones, Edgar Varesse and Jimi Hendrix walk into a bar...

(...)Zappa neither walked on water nor was he the musical equivalent of a flasher. He was a serious composer who had some great moments, good moments, fair moments and downright godawful moments. And you can't get a better collection of all of the above than on this three-disc sprawling mass of....Zappa.

My own preference goes for his purely instrumental moments, whether they be classical, jazz(ish), rock-heavy guitar moments or sploches of musique concrete. Where he loses me here is where he always has lost me, which is in his "social commentary/satire" phases. Be honest, how many times are you actually going to LISTEN to "Legend of the Illinois Enema Bandit" or "Greggery Peccary?" They weren't that funny to start with and repeated listenings sure don't make them funnier! On the other hand, "Regyptian Strut," "The Ocean Is The Final Solution," "Pedro's Dowry" and the other instrumental/orchestral components of LÄTHER are truly subversive, clever and can hook ya good. But it's all here for whatever brought the listener to Zappa in the first place and whatever kept he or she there, and that's fine.

Personally, I'm glad we had Zappa the composer/musician as well as Zappa the social satirist because it's nice to be able to choose the former over the latter. And BOTH are preferable to Zappa the diety.

Greetings. As the subject mentions, I feel this is the perfect introduction to the world of Frank Zappa. A little bit of his orchestral compositions, some amazing guitar work (heck, some amazing instrumental work all around), a healthy dose of sarcasm and irreverence, and that little "something" that made Frank's work so wonderful. Some of my favorites include: the entire first disc, the gloriously overcooked rendition of "Punky's Whips," "The Purple Lagoon," the twenty-minute eccentricity of "Greggery Peckary," and...well, the entire thing! Don't let the price turn you off. This album's the real deal.

Regarding the claim that Ryko screwed up the second disc track listing, this is most likely untrue. There's been some debate, but I believe that Spencer Chrislu (or somebody else in the Zappa camp) claimed when he opened the box for the third record's master tapes, he found what went onto the CD. Apparently, Frank either mislabeled the box or had another version of the album in mind at one point. In any event, this is what Frank played on a radio station many years ago when Warner Bros. stopped its release, so I think it's safe to assume this is the "ultimate" version of the album. Dig in!

This posthumous 3-CD release by the Zappa Family Trust - essentially, and I use that term advisedly, an amalgamation of Zappa_In_ New_York, Studio_Tan, Sleep_Dirt, and Orchestral_Favorites (...and yes, all 4 albums are worth purchasing even if one already owns Läther. Or vice versa, as the case may be) - is how Frank Zappa originally intended the aforementioned records to be heard. Unfortunately, due to a dispute with Warner Bros., his grandiose scheme of releasing an "8-sided album" was quashed. Therefore, in December 1977, Zappa went on a local radio station, told the audience to get their recording equipment ready, whereupon he broadcast the album, in its entirety to an unexpecting public. Some sound bites of the (inebriated?) "bogus temporary DJ" are interspersed within this remastered album. The liner notes, a 38-page booklet, includes synopses of the songs contained therein. An unequivocal masterpiece by a true visionary genius!