I've been puzzling about this ever since it cropped up a few times in recent threads. I mean, we've always *not* talked about Zorn, haven't we? But I think it is true: we just haven't talked about Zorn very much. I think it's because this list is exhausted. Or maybe all the good Zorn threads are exhausted. Or, more likely, we're exhausted. At least I am. Part of it has to do, I think, with the glut of releases. How many of us, not including Patrice, still keep tabs on the amount of Tzadik/Avant releases that come out? There was a time when I used to buy anything that had Zorn on it; now I simply can't afford to. Especially considering their rather spotty quality control. Part of the problem has to do with Zorn's releases themselves. In my opinion (coming from someone with limited musical vocabulary), the releases of the last few years don't lend themselves to much discussion anymore. Comparing, say, the 3rd Masada album with the 8th is something I can't do; debating the merits of Middelheim versus Taipei -- well, I can't tell them apart anymore. (Okay, one wasn't recorded very well.) Even Cook and Morton gave up on reviewing Masada by the third edition of their book. Zorn's output of the last few years or so have been good, but not great (more on this later). Hardly any of them were discussed very much on this list, with the exception of "Taboo and Exile." "Aporias" was barely talked about; at least the sputtering threads on "IAO" produced the rather unproductive "Is Crowley a Satanist?" thread. (Someone wrote that Zorn is currently reading copies of the Equinox -- I am sure he can afford them =) -- does this mean that more Crowley-inspired work is on the way?) Don't get me wrong; I really enjoy listening to Zorn. But in my opinion, his current stuff just doesn't have the same electric energy of the Elektra/Nonesuch years, or the Painkiller albums, or the first three Masada albums (and the chamber arrangements), etc. Back then I would listen with the sensation that a whole new realm was being opened before my ears. It was as if Zorn was always saying, "You ain't heard nothing yet" with every album. But now it seems we've heard everything. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that Zorn simply works in too many genres that no one bats an eyelash anymore when he comes out with a surf/exotica album like "The Gift." Of course, I can't expect Zorn to reinvent the wheel with every release, much as I can't expect Tom Waits to release "Franks Wild Years" every time. But I think it really is a matter of exhaustion: another month, another Filmworks / Masada album. Later, Ben http://members.tripod.com/~tamad2/ ICQ: thewilyfilipino / Yahoo!: sunny70