Not sleeves

Perhaps the most authentic recording is that of Scubi with the Plovdiv piano players, accompanied by the Tomsk Tractor Drivers (on the pianoes – now sadly crushed). Their moving rendition (of the pianists) is well recorded, and the only complaint is the ungenerous lay-out of the recordings: for a piece 72' (more on weekdays) long, 3 CD's are used. This in itself would be bad value, but combined with the 2 "free" tractors and 5 hectares of rainforest, and retailing at $20001, this really is just a collector's item.

Lastly there is the radical version of Vladimir Vladikovsky with the Radical Symphony Auditor and the Ankara amateur accountants. This is certainly the most competitive recording, though is spoiled somewhat by the inexplicable garotting of the entire cast and crew only five minutes after the beginning. This has minimal impact on the interpretation, which is distributed on two CD's and a grapefruit (or a lemon in France).

The first choice thus remains the pioneering recording of the Orlando amateur party-goers, with its inspired coupling of the piece with Bluov's Concerto for vacuum cleaner da gamba and goat.

Sleeve notes

Show-wadi(wadi). Collected works for oboe and string vest.

Several versions of this ambitious and lengthy work have been brought out recently. The work was originally commissioned by the BBC for the signature tune for Come Dancing, but was drastically expanded to form a War Requiem, doubling as a fridge-freezer on weekends. Its first performance came on a Sunday night, unfortunately, and the disappointed audience reacted badly to gannets on sticks rather than a Requiem. Further revision of the work was undertaken until it emerged in its final form – a good four stone lighter and "fighting fit".

The most satisfactory version of this piece is that recorded by the LSO under Dorati, though it was recorded in 1956, four years before the final revision, and regrettably on a Sunday (q.v.). Hence this version can only be recommended to freaky ice-cream lovers. But it's still better than the music.

No one is sane

                 I
                 N
                 C
                GO
          SPAM  AH
      G   NICEHERENT
      A   IN COHBRNT
incohERENTF GARBLE
      B  BF   U ENT
 G   GLRABBLE B  T
 INCOHERENT   B
 B        R   IN COHERENT
 B  G     A   S    U
 E  A     S   H    M
 RUBBISHYFISHSTALKSU
    R     H        S
    E
    L

{A scroll, on which is written "MIND THE MIND".}

{Drawing of a stick person} <-- Gnomic Aorist
(or was he/she/it/them/quid).

IN A HOUSE LIKE 39 WILLIAM STREET
NO ONE IS SANE
{The O of NO contains a smiley face, the O of ONE contains a frowney face, and a tiny figure jumps a vast distance from the top of the S of SANE into a splash at the foot of the page.}

Smelly on wheels

The Garotid Artery {Arrow in archery target}

"ARTERIES AND ARTICHOKES – A VEGETARIAN COOKBOOK FOR CANNIBALS"
{author's name heavily crossed out} (nice mess)
by Paul D. Arthurwan.

{A large spotty frog crouches in the corner of the page, thinking the word MEGATHERIUM. The frog is labelled [Green].}

Stinkig
Smelly
Fetora
Odoreux

Good evening.
Here is the word SMELLY.

{It's written on the side of a trolley, from which an arrow points right, suggesting movement.}

{Now the word itself has wheels, and is hurtling down a hill towards a deep pit containing "R. Maxwell (dead)" and a substance that emits the words PONG, NIFF, WHIFF, POO and STINKY.}

Pong --> pong --> stinky --> stinkier --> stinkiest. Thank you.

Gnu gnows?

GNOME

{A gnome fishing. A large and viciously-toothed fish leaps from the water.}

Gnomore

{The fish has its jaws clamped around the gnome's head.}

Gnu gnows?

{An antlered beast with a glowing light bulb above its head.}

{Speech bubble:} INTERSTICES

Gno one gnows how gnus grows,
Gnohow.

Gnood bye.

Loose sprocket

TO BE KÓNTINUDE YANG CHOBS.

The parallel universe in which the above makes sense has a much impoverished kulchur.

The parallel universe in which the above makes sense and the Prime Minister of Albania is a loose sprocket with a robust nose may, in some time of space, have centrifugally imploded.

Nostradamus: No me gusta las naranjas.

¿Te gusta el tiempo?

Q-ogonek

The Dne

{mirror writing} ™2991 DAM GNIVAR ©

{An upside-down roadsign that says GIVE WHY. Speech bubbles around it say PTONG, PTING and PTERANODON.}

And finally on BBC2 this yawning, the gratuitous word "bladder". Thank you.

FX: Universe ignites.

QUIT {box, ticked}

d'ausgeherumbeaufαποφλέγματig

γαρβαγε

Q-OGONEK has returneδ! {a huge back-to-front cedilla attached to a capital Q}

{scribbly lines}

Oh dear
        I've gone insane
                When did it happen
        Some time from now

Niffly
Snibbledy hobbledy