| | Full Review | Ratings (596) |
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| 4.5 superb | Iai EMERITUS | June 26th 06 |
Quite frankly, I reckon people have only labelled this as jazz because free-punk-jazz-prog-metal-comedy-noise-core isn't as catchy. Yeah, Naked City's an insane, weird listen; everything you've heard is true. But what people don't focus on is how catchy it can be, too - aside from the cover of the James Bond theme (obviously), "The Sicilian Clan" is deceptively insiduous, while, amidts all the chaos, there's a gorgeous ballad to rival even Coltrane's "Naima" in the mighty "Chinatown". Don't be fooled by the 26 tracks, either - 9 of them are over in under 50 seconds, most included in a spastic frenzy that stretches from "Igneous Ejaculation" to "Speedball". Swinging wildly from one extreme to the other, while never feeling anything less than cohesive (in a fucked-up way, of course); few musical experiences are as provocative, powerful, disorientating, and potentially life-changing as Naked City.
6 Bumps | Bump |
| 0.0 | jagride | May 2nd 16 |
so this is better than most of the bunglecore whoa they're playing jazz one minute, polka and metal the next bands that probably look to it like a holy scripture, but still basically cheesy trash
4 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.5 superb | Potating | October 12th 13 |
What the actual fuck was this dude on when he wrote this?
3 Bumps | Bump |
| 5.0 classic | Veldin | April 29th 14 |
One of the most entertaining albums. Ever. Keep an open mind & ears.
2 Bumps | Bump |
| 5.0 classic | Britch2tiger | September 13th 15 |
The star of this album, or this group for that matter, is John Zorn. As much as I currently disapprove of the grind genre, this composer helped brew an album for any relatively new listener to delightfully ingest. The minor downside to this feat unfortunately was made only possible through Zorn's jazz background. This album for the majority sounds like a chaotic jazz album w/ the experimental incorporation of an industrial feel. Each song/composition has a unique realm w/ everything given to us provided by their title. For every new title, the song gives it's listener a unique sound. For every setting, a complementary tune of the environment. For every (tragic) event,, a high tempo structure w/ nearly all instruments blaring w/ an occasional screaming of horror, and near terrifying. Only this grind genre made this album possible, while complementary jazz composing made this album all so enthralling (or at least bearable enough to listen). All romanticizing aside, it's a definite listen for all industrial appreciators.
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| 5.0 classic | Jared Floryan | October 27th 14 |
Have you ever masturbated so hard that you somehow entered into this strange world where dinosaurs are into free jazz, and the most kindest of butterflies have acquired a taste for highly innovative grindcore? A fucked-up question, I know... But this doesn't change how Naked City was not only an unearthly album at the time of its release; Naked City's self-titled recording was also as lustful and original as it was abnormal. John Zorn's atrociously phenomenal saxophone playing combined with the schizophrenic instrumentation equaled something so bizarre, it must've been a dizzying crime committed by a junkie who spent his entire life without a torso. The grindcore-esque tracks in the middle never break the flat-out chaos, only adding onto it due to those indecipherable gurgles and screams provided by Yamatsuka Eye. If you want something catchy, you'll find it on this stunning piece of work; if calamity stirred by calculating misfits from NYC be your calling card, Naked City's got that as well.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 0.0 | RLWFormula | November 16th 16 |
Kickass record. An oddball yet wild blend of uptempo jazz and blistering grind. A ton of fun
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| 3.0 good | zaruyache | November 9th 16 |
Avant-jazz grindcore. So that's a thing. Definitely a "thing."
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| 4.5 superb | FirstStrikeIsDeadly | September 19th 16 |
I don't think I've ever heard anything quite like this before. It's pretty amazing, and VERY unhinged. Some of the sax squealing stuff gets annoying, and some of the really fast stuff just kind of blurs together, but when this album's good it's pretty damn great. The soft parts are beautiful, and the louder parts are energetic as hell! If there's one thing I could definitely say about this album, it's that it's very original.
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| 0.0 | Kusuriuri | May 10th 16 |
The problem with the "Grindcore" mode, is that they're not really playing grindcore - It's more accurate to say that they're playing an odd middle ground between the grushing aggression of grindcore and the looseness of free jazz but ultimately not being as effective as the best of either. Still, I'm going to say I like this record for one thing - I actually like it quite a bit when the album just calms the fuck down. The melodies might be somewhat generic and even cheesy at times, but it's hard not to get a feel for some of the tunes when they're at their smoothest. And sometimes they leave the grind pretentions aside for some genuine free jazz juices and it genuinely works like in the very brief segments of the covers they perform. -- Plus, it gets some slack for being a unique idea and being performed by many artists who I have a lot of respect for individually.
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| 4.0 excellent | TheManMachine | May 19th 15 |
Their collectively limitless virtuosity+versatility allows them to genre-weave with ease, often at times in the blink of an eye - in and out of jazz-rock both lavish and raunchy, refined hardcore-grind clamor, film score re-workings - bandleader John Zorn's trademark squawking-and-gurgling-like-a-flock-of-tortured-birds alto sax can just as easily be steadied into smooth+sweeping traditionalism. The mid-section turns the controlled chaos up a notch with a salvo of sub-minute ditties featuring Tazmanian-devil vocals from the Boredoms' Yamatsuka Eye, while towards the end a rip-roaring James Bond theme (with fake gunshots and all) is sure to gratify - particularly for those who took opener "Batman" as a red herring.
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| 0.0 | Lambda | April 28th 14 |
I absolutely love this album. It is daringly original, entertaining as hell, and produced and performed impeccably. Perhaps the most impressive thing about it, though, is how it mix and matches genres as diverse as jazz, grindcore, and movie themes and manages to remain, in its own bizarre way, extremely cohesive. A truly outstanding release.
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| 0.0 | Solbrave | January 12th 14 |
John Zorn's Naked City takes batshit insane and elevates it to a true art form.
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| 4.5 superb | mkamrass | July 5th 13 |
This is a beautiful sounding album. It is just a fun listen with all the styles
incorporated on it. It is simply awesome!
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| 4.0 excellent | Cuban Pete | May 12th 10 |
Sometimes, music is just boring. Despite there being a vast plethora of styles and structures, eventually you're bound to run into similarities. If you try real hard, you can predict most songs. John Zorn seems to have set out to demolish this cardinal rule with his band Naked City's self-titled romp of madness. This is like jazz, except without reserve - or boundaries, for that matter. At first, some of the more experimental sections will deter even the most versatile of music fans, but in due time and with repeated listens, these untamed musicians at work will have their way with you. Forget everything you know about music. Open your ears; this is what madness sounds like.
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| 3.5 great | stratfan7 | May 12th 10 |
I would've rated this album much higher, probably a 4.5, if not for the 8 "grindcore" songs in the middle. I just don't really get their inclusion on this album. The rest is some really fascinating jazz fusion though.
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| 4.5 superb | Plutonio | April 22nd 10 |
For most, John Zorn's opus Naked City will be a sort of extra-terrestrial glance into the experimental realm that is Zorn's mind; however, to those that can appreciate the irrational jazz and hostile grindcore mash that is this album, it seems like a near-masterpiece.
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| 4.5 superb | Kip | June 2nd 25 |
| 5.0 classic | Dizchu | November 28th 24 |
| 2.0 poor | doofy | September 19th 24 |
| 4.4 superb | Ryan P STAFF | June 26th 24 |
| 4.5 superb | Zakusz | April 4th 24 |
| 5.0 classic | Araz | February 4th 24 |
| 4.5 superb | tellah | October 6th 23 |
| 5.0 classic | Ah1 | July 7th 23 |
| 4.5 superb | Timmy | January 25th 23 |
| 4.5 superb | Rick64 | January 1st 23 |
| 4.0 excellent | Selver | August 18th 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | gschwen | March 22nd 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | KuyJuk | February 23rd 22 |
| 3.5 great | chwe | February 2nd 22 |
| 4.5 superb | Merlijn | January 21st 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | Roidv | August 4th 21 |
| 5.0 classic | Oobaloo | January 25th 21 |
| 3.0 good | Santet | January 4th 21 |
| 5.0 classic | ZIG | December 7th 20 |
| 4.5 superb | mmmonty | December 2nd 20 |
| 5.0 classic | bSmith | November 30th 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | IlNotta | November 10th 20 |
| 5.0 classic | SuzyC | September 15th 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | Spibby | September 23rd 19 |
| 4.5 superb | crab | February 20th 19 |
| 4.5 superb | kkarron | January 29th 19 |
| 4.5 superb | Erwann S. EMERITUS | January 23rd 19 |
| 5.0 classic | spchee | October 31st 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | NateMa | October 11th 18 |
| 5.0 classic | 1111ace | August 18th 18 |
| 3.0 good | 2ool | May 27th 18 |
| 4.5 superb | RAGG | April 20th 18 |
| 4.5 superb | Sapee | March 12th 18 |
| 4.5 superb | orakst | December 22nd 17 |
| 5.0 classic | KOZAKY | October 27th 17 |
| 5.0 classic | Hundt | August 15th 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | GazAldo | July 13th 17 |
| 4.5 superb | gilly | May 19th 17 |
| 5.0 classic | Jedaum | February 14th 17 |
| 4.5 superb | md5 | January 16th 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | Pheenix | December 28th 16 |
| 4.5 superb | El Olam | December 19th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | magicuba | December 15th 16 |
| 4.5 superb | Garjo | December 3rd 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | Jade | November 13th 16 |
| 4.5 superb | loulou | October 24th 16 |
| 4.5 superb | zrong | October 23rd 16 |
| 4.5 superb | Wolfe | October 22nd 16 |
| 5.0 classic | RobGHH | October 15th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | Meta123 | September 17th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | GMBass | July 31st 16 |
| 4.5 superb | BoJean | April 5th 16 |
| 4.5 superb | Yep321 | March 20th 16 |
| 4.5 superb | Tom R. EMERITUS | February 18th 16 |
| 5.0 classic | Henry | February 13th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | elch21 | January 5th 16 |
| 3.5 great | torts | December 9th 15 |
| 3.5 great | eskioma | November 22nd 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | btati | November 12th 15 |
| 4.5 superb | Feels | November 8th 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | "Tab" | September 20th 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | tjare | September 3rd 15 |
| 5.0 classic | Brabiz | May 25th 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | apert | May 14th 15 |
| 4.5 superb | cb123 | March 7th 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | FVS | March 2nd 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | Prole | February 27th 15 |
| 5.0 classic | Abraxas | February 21st 15 |
| 4.5 superb | Nigtwig | January 17th 15 |
| 4.5 superb | eissev | December 5th 14 |
| 5.0 classic | holy666 | November 27th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | JBull | November 11th 14 |
| 5.0 classic | Xar | September 20th 14 |
| 3.0 good | Greem | July 11th 14 |
| 3.5 great | adr | June 7th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | thejared | February 22nd 14 |
| 4.5 superb | Calebhp | February 2nd 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | Rudhira | January 15th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | akimbo | January 2nd 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | Zeg | December 20th 13 |
| 3.5 great | zundza | December 8th 13 |
| 4.5 superb | unkle | November 6th 13 |
| 4.5 superb | Phate72 | October 16th 13 |
| 5.0 classic | Sowilei | September 3rd 13 |
| 4.5 superb | bmelt | July 16th 13 |
| 5.0 classic | Ulshad | July 5th 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | tlhk | June 21st 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | Meshike | March 30th 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | Torii | March 6th 13 |
| 5.0 classic | kn2985 | January 24th 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | kb36 | January 22nd 13 |
| 4.5 superb | Yubanme | January 20th 13 |
| 4.5 superb | Cabrero | January 19th 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | Lenix | December 31st 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | ezba45 | December 28th 12 |
| 3.5 great | ZGP1992 | November 19th 12 |
| 5.0 classic | JSW88 | November 11th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | DABS | November 2nd 12 |
| 3.5 great | KILL | October 19th 12 |
| 4.5 superb | ejb | August 28th 12 |
| 4.5 superb | Ohmu | August 8th 12 |
| 2.5 average | Foaming | February 26th 12 |
| 5.0 classic | Gapwick | February 4th 12 |
| 5.0 classic | RRLeite | January 4th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | Blade86 | October 18th 11 |
| 5.0 classic | jerk001 | October 2nd 11 |
| 3.5 great | Olson | August 29th 11 |
| 5.0 classic | cuki92 | August 18th 11 |
| 5.0 classic | Bsloth | April 17th 11 |
| 5.0 classic | nkbr | April 9th 11 |
| 5.0 classic | nkbr | April 9th 11 |
| 4.5 superb | Curvely | February 11th 11 |
| 5.0 classic | Vanity | February 1st 11 |
| 5.0 classic | Kakz | December 13th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | Donchivo | December 12th 10 |
| 5.0 classic | Krictic | November 28th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | grotto | September 27th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | SadGonzo | September 17th 10 |
| 3.5 great | Enotron | September 1st 10 |
| 4.5 superb | IAJP | August 19th 10 |
| 5.0 classic | Nach0 | August 18th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | Smevin | July 18th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | EPacK | February 9th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | Wizard | January 6th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | RedSky | December 23rd 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | jk2two | December 22nd 09 |
| 4.5 superb | splurge | December 2nd 09 |
| 4.5 superb | aeuk | November 17th 09 |
| 5.0 classic | benhxc | September 30th 09 |
| 3.5 great | ziroth | September 29th 09 |
| 3.5 great | Lions | July 25th 09 |
| 4.5 superb | superae | January 27th 09 |
| 3.5 great | Glomp | January 9th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | kingsoby1 EMERITUS | December 1st 08 |
| 4.5 superb | engloa | November 17th 08 |
| 4.5 superb | gafel | September 30th 08 |
| 4.0 excellent | Bhima | July 22nd 08 |
| 4.0 excellent | Zebra | June 7th 08 |
| 3.5 great | Kodan | April 18th 08 |
| 5.0 classic | natey | April 8th 08 |
| 4.5 superb | Ficus | December 31st 07 |
| 4.5 superb | pnoom | November 18th 07 |
| 5.0 classic | EPacK | November 14th 07 |
| 5.0 classic | tuff | October 30th 07 |
| 5.0 classic | yeahboi | October 13th 07 |
| 5.0 classic | jk2two | September 5th 07 |
| 4.5 superb | maneva | August 3rd 07 |
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