HARRY PARTCH "DELUSION OF THE FURY" (collected on "Enclosure VI: Delusion of the Fury")
CD released in 1999 recorded from a performance in the 70's, Columbia Records
Forgetting the home made instruments and the uses of microtuning and the stories of a man willfully being a bum and so on and so forth... ignoring any kind of aesthetics associated with this kind of music... and just focusing on the music... all that other stuff's fascinating and amazing, but there are a lot of people who seem to enjoy the IDEA of Harry Partch more than his actual music. Which is a shame, because his music is just absolutely unbelievable. Imagine "classical" music if the Residents did it or something -- not the best description, I guess, but... very, very alien sounding, bizarre instrumentation but very competently played and arranged and full of a million different themes running throughout. This particular album was made for a play and it consists of two tales with an overture, interlude and extended coda that examines the nature of death and the release from suffering. It's very energetic, filled with bizarre rhythms, and does not appear to be random like a lot of "avant garde" stuff that this is usually lumped with. Basically, if you just want your mind to be blown, listen to this. My highest reccomendation....