John ZornBest John Zorn Albums Ranked

Chimeras

pitchfork

8.3

“There can really be no question at this point: John Zorn is the intellectual renaissance man of our age, the East Village Thomas Jefferson. One can easily venture that by simply researching the panoply of allusions that dot Zorn's liner notes, it's possible to be familiar with more cultural phenomena than you would gather in a lifetime at a university. Ennio Morricone, the avant-Jewish Masada, sou”

Madness, Love and Mysticism

pitchfork

7.6

“There was a time when the avant-garde seemed manageable. I don't mean to say that it's ever been inclusive. I don't even mean to say that you could listen to it. Sure, you could if you wanted to, but you'd risk being labeled "weird" or "academic" by your friends, and surely that wouldn't be worth getting exposed to a few, rare specimens of actual ingenuity. No, by manageable, I mean you knew what ”

Rituals - EP

pitchfork

7.5

“This operatic monodrama in five movements for mezzo-soprano and 10 instruments draws inspiration from the writings of Aleister Crowley.”

Masada Anniversary Edition Vol. 3: The Unknown Masada

pitchfork

7.4

“In the early 90s, John Zorn surprised a lot of people, and considering that he was a composer known for sudden, drastic stylistic shifts and pummeling noise-improv, it was a notable accomplishment. However, rather than shock his audience with sonic terror, Zorn took an alternate route: he grew up. His original Masada quartet was a markedly different project than he had ever been involved with befo”