Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger

Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger
Studio album by Frank Zappa
Released	August 23, 1984
Recorded	January – April 1984 at IRCAM (Paris) and UMRK
Genre	Electronic, classical
Length	36:53
Label	Angel
Producer	Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa chronology
London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 1 (1983) Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger (1984) Them or Us (1984)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic

Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger is a 1984 album featuring the music of Frank Zappa, conducted, in part, by Pierre Boulez. It is also known as, simply, The Perfect Stranger. It was issued on vinyl in 1984 and on CD in 1985 by Angel, and then in remixed and resequenced form on CD by Barking Pumpkin in 1991.

Boulez conducts three tracks — "The Perfect Stranger", "Naval Aviation in Art?" and "Dupree's Paradise" — which were recorded at IRCAM, Paris on January 10 and January 11, 1984, and are performed by Boulez' Ensemble InterContemporain. The title track was also commissioned by Boulez, and contains references to Zappa's 1971 film, 200 Motels. The remaining four tracks are credited to 'The Barking Pumpkin Digital Gratification Consort'; in fact, Zappa's Synclavier. "Outside Now Again" is a Synclavier performance based on a transcription of Zappa's guitar solo in the song "Outside Now" from the 1979 Joe's Garage album.

Track listing

Side one

1. "The Perfect Stranger" – 12:42
2. "Naval Aviation in Art?" – 2:28
3. "The Girl in the Magnesium Dress" – 3:27

Side two

1. "Outside Now Again" – 4:06
2. "Love Story" – 1:00
3. "Dupree's Paradise" – 7:53
4. "Jonestown" – 7:07

All Compositions by Frank Zappa

CD (Barking Pumpkin and Rykodisc editions)

1. "The Perfect Stranger" – 12:44
2. "Naval Aviation in Art?" – 2:45
3. "The Girl in the Magnesium Dress" – 3:13
4. "Dupree's Paradise" – 7:54
5. "Love Story" – 0:59
6. "Outside Now Again" – 4:06
7. "Jonestown" – 5:27

All Compositions by Frank Zappa

Please note that different track timings are probably due to mislisting. There are no reports of tracks being longer or shorter on the original vinyl

Personnel

• Pierre-Laurent Aimard – Piano
• Guy Arnaud – Clarinet (Bass)
• Lawrence Beauregard – Flute
• Pierre Boulez – Conductor, Direction
• Daniel Ciampolini – Percussion
• Antoine Curé – Trumpet
• Ensemble InterContemporain – Orchestra
• Péter Eötvös – Musical Director
• Jacques Ghestem – Violin
• Don Hunstein – Photography
• Marie-Claire Jamet – Harp
• The London Symphony Orchestra
• John Matousek – Mastering
• Paul Meyer – Clarinet
• Jerôme Naulais – Trombone
• David Ocker – Programming
• Bob Stone – Remixing
• Frank Zappa – Synclavier, Producer, Liner Notes

External links

• Album information
• Release details