The Art of Memory II (original) (raw)

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2008 live album by Fred Frith and John Zorn

The Art of Memory II
Live album by Fred Frith and John Zorn
Released May 2008 (2008-05)
Recorded January 1983 and July 1985
Venue P.A.S.S. and Roulette, New York City
Genre Experimental rock free improvisation
Length 57:11
Label Fred FRA 06
Fred Frith and John Zorn chronology
50th Birthday Celebration Volume 5(2004) The Art of Memory II(2008) Late Works(2010)
Fred Frith chronology
Back to Life(2008) The Art of Memory II(2008) To Sail, to Sail(2008)
John Zorn chronology
Zaebos: Book of Angels Volume 11(2007) The Art of Memory II(2008) Filmworks XX: Sholem Aleichem(2008)

The Art of Memory II is a live album of improvised experimental rock music by Fred Frith and John Zorn. It was recorded in New York City in January 1983 and July 1985, and was released on Frith's Fred Records label in May 2008. It is the second in a series of two Art of Memory albums recorded by the duo, the first being The Art of Memory, recorded in New York City in late 1993, and released on Derek Bailey's Incus Records label in 1994.

The Art of Memory II, recorded before The Art of Memory and described by Frith as "early 80s weirdness with John Zorn"[1] marked the beginning of a long and fruitful musical partnership between Frith and Zorn.[1] The concerts, recorded using a cassette recorder, were "on the borderline between music and chaos"[1] and featured Frith and Zorn playing a number of unconventional instruments.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [2]

AllMusic said "Sometimes they seem to be responding to each other's ideas, other times they're engaged in parallel but unrelated play like two toddlers side by side in a sandbox. Amazingly, there's hardly an uninteresting sound anywhere on this album. Highly recommended to all skronk fans."[2]

All tracks by Fred Frith and John Zorn.

  1. "The Heaven" – 17:37
  2. "The Wood" – 4:43
  3. "The Standard" – 8:46
  4. "The Wheel" – 5:44
  5. "The Painter" – 20:21
  1. ^ a b c Frith, Fred. "Fred Frith homepage". Fred Frith official website. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2008.
  2. ^ a b Anderson, Rick. "Art of Memory II". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 May 2016.