Cobra (album)

Cobra
Studio album by John Zorn
Released 1987
Recorded October 21, 1985 & May 9, 1986
Genre Avant-garde
Length 112:44
Label HatHut
Producer John Zorn
John Zorn chronology
The Big Gundown
(1986)
Cobra
(1987)
Spillane
(1987)
2002 Reissue Cover

Cobra is a double album featuring a live and studio performance of John Zorn's improvisational game piece, Cobra recorded in 1985 and 1986 and released on the Hathut label in 1987. Subsequent recordings of the piece were released on Knitting Factory (John Zorn's Cobra: Live at the Knitting Factory (1992)), Avant (John Zorn's Cobra: Tokyo Operations '94 (1994)) and Zorn's own label Tzadik Records, (Cobra: John Zorn's Game Pieces Volume 2)) in 2002.

Reception

The Allmusic site contains two disparate reviews of the album, the first by Brian Olewnick awarded the album 3 stars stating "one is left with the nagging (and correct) sense of something crucial being missed. As a document in Zorn's career, Cobra is essential. As a purely musical experience, it is, quite unfortunately, less so".[1]

The second review of the 2002 CD reissue by Steve Loewy rated the album 4½ stars calling it "A masterpiece of eclecticism... all presented in Zorn's wickedly demented style, which tends toward pastiche but fascinates with its energy and variety. For Zorn enthusiasts, this is a must-have release".[2]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Allmusic[2]

Track listing

  1. "Opening" - 0:59
  2. "Allegro" - 4:32
  3. "Largo" - 6:13
  4. "Moderato" - 7:41
  5. "Fantasia" - 3:44
  6. "Presto" - 1:39
  7. "Adagio Maestoso" - 2:39
  8. "Violento" - 4:16
  9. "Allegro Scorrevole" - 2:35
  10. "Capriccio Congusto" - 4:40
  11. "False Start/Giocoso" - 0:52
  12. "Scherzo" - 5:46
  13. "Maestoso Meccanico" - 1:21
  14. "Variations/Furioso" - 8:40
  15. "Epilogue" - 3:43
  1. "Prologue/Maestoso" - 6:05
  2. "Capriccio" - 13:23
  3. "Prestissimo" - 14:03
  4. "Lento/Mysterioso" - 9:29
  5. "Allegro" - 10:24
All compositions by John Zorn

Personnel

References

  1. 1 2 Olewnick, B. Allmusic Review accessed July 22, 2011
  2. 1 2 Loewy, S. Allmusic Review accessed July 22, 2011
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