THE CLASSIC GUIDE TO STRATEGY VOLS. 1 & 2 were originally released as two seperate LPs.

Solo performer: John Zorn (soprano & alto saxophones, clarinet, game calls).

Recorded at OAO Studio, Brooklyn, New York in 1983 and Radio City Music Hall, New York, New York in 1985. Includes liner notes by Even Parker, Ned Rothenberg and John Zorn.

THE CLASSIC GUIDE TO STRATEGY: VOLUMES ONE & TWO is a potent work by a formidable musician who's clearly immersed in his own world of sound. On these early solo excursions, which pre-date MASADA and NAKED CITY, John Zorn stakes out much of his musical territory. The results are strikingly inventive, and chaotic and humorous at once.

Given that many of the sounds that occur on this album are simulated bird calls, these compositions are harsh and playful. They allow for the introduction of melody only at infrequent moments. Zorn's use of silence to contrast his often startling use of saxophones, clarinets, and game calls is also clearly evident. Although the album is far from easy listening, it's a key page in Zorn's expansive and eclectic catalog of music.