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Carl Orff's "Schulwerk Vol. 1: Musica Poetica," on the Celestial Harmonies label. Some of the pieces were used in the 1973 movie "Badlands," starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek. It's exquisite stuff, but after listening to it, I get images of midgets having sex.

Music from the Body, by Roger Waters and Ron Geesin. Quite possibly the strangest album ever released."

Hollerin' (Rounder), a collection of stories and demonstrations of how hillbillies communicated before telephones. Interesting, humorous, and well-recorded.

A Mass for Mass Trombones by Wendy Mae Chambers for 77 Trombones (Centaur CRC 2263). The title may insinuate that this is a comedy CD, but it is not. Performed in a huge acoustical space, it is a spectacular live recording (imagine multi-tracking that many 'bones). If you are adventurous in your listening, give it a try.

Esquivel's "Space Age Bachelor Pad Music." Chicks dig it!

Devo's "EZ Listening Disc": Muzak versions of Devo's hits, performed by the Spud Boys themselves. Touted as "Devo even your mother would like."

During a weak moment of wanting to listen to something different during the late 70's, I purchased "Man Machine" by Kraftwerk. It is quite eccentric and quirky. After listening several times I really grew to like it and it certainly was a hit at parties. Another "strange" album was "Islands" by King Crimson. I also grew to like this one alot and still play it. It is definetly a psychedelic album with a plethora of instruments used including a bassoon. Though, it is a bit intense and not something you would listen to over and over.

Of all the odd stuff I've acquired over the years, a couple of profoundly weird records stand out from the crowd: "Silver Apples," the eponymous debut album by a couple of guys from NY: one called "The Simeon," on his synthesizer of the same name, which he built out of Army/Navy surplus electronics; the other chap on drums. Both vocalize. This is a SERIOUSLY screwed-up album that was re-released (!!) by a German label (!!!) a couple of years back. Originally issued about 1969, I think, on Kapp Records. The other is White Noise's "An Electric Storm." Like the Silver Apples LP, which it resembles, it's all electronic, this time by Brits. In fact, it can best be described as Silver Apples with better equipment crossed with Laurie Anderson, albeit without Laurie's wonderful sense of humor. Doubtless, back in '72 it was intended to be Art. For silly fun, find yourself a copy of Dean Elliot's "Zounds, What Sounds!"—tuned sound effects à la Spike Jones (yep, chattering teeth, water drops, car horns/crashes, squealing brakes, etc.) with big band. Grand silliness from Capitol, about 1962-62 and unlikely to be reissued.

Raymond Scott's "Music for Infants" or whatever it is called. That stuff is oddly intriguing and totally frightening at the same time. WHOA!

Frank Zappa's "Weasles Ripped my Flesh." I have many Zappa titles, which range from funny and quirky to downright "bizarro."

The one disc that I'm embarrassed to own is Smashed Gladys, a heavy-metal female group from the late '80s. But all of my friends think I'm crazy for purchasing your Stereophile Test CDs.

I have lots, but I "Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers" —aka Hot Rize—is one of the rarest. Of course, Don Ho, The Village People, and "The Sheffield Sound Test" can get bizarre for most people.

Ol' Yellow Eyes is Back by Brent Spiner

Without question, the strangest album in my Collection is Laibach's "Let it Be," which is a track-for-track mirror of the Beatles classic (with the curious exception of the title song). I do not have any of their other albums, and cannot comment whether they are routinely this strange, but it is fun to listen to.

Bootleg of Bob Dylan singing Ricky Nelson covers.

The Electric Amish! A joke band that does parodies of popular rock tunes to lyrics about Amish life. Very funny, but strange. http://www.electricamish.com/

I got hooked on Kate Bush and have about all of her records. Her early stuff is especially strange, but addictive. I often use it when testing prospective equipment, but I don't think I ever play it when I'm showing off my system to friends!

What is "strange"? Seems as though some of the questions (like this week's) presented for reader response are getting a bit strange.

I love my Harry Partch and John Cage records and . . .

Sometimes my wife says a lot of my music is bizarre! But really, I do have one or two! I picked up a Tammy Faye Baker 45 at a thrift store that was going out of business. Pretty crazy, hey! I have yet to clean it up and give it a spin—I think I'm afraid to! It even came with the cover! I better stop while I still have some sense left.

It's so stange that it is hiding. But I bought it because it was Czech folk dances played on a weirdly tuned guitar.

John Lennon and Elton John in concert together in Tokyo (Japanese LP)

LP with live recording of an experimental piece presented during the Warsaw Autumn modern music festival during the '70s. The piece consists of symphony orchestra members (Polish National SO) doing whatever they want for 20 minutes. The musicians read newspapers, eat snacks, wander around the stage, clean their instruments, etc. At one point my dad, who was the first violinist of that orchestra, goes to the microphone and whistles something silly into it. Cool stuff!—Martin Bruczkowski

Oh, yes, I've bought my share of audio oddities, sometimes not knowing what I was getting (into). Like when I decided to check out this newfangled "Gothic" stuff some of the kids dig nowadays. Other times, to revel purposefully in weirdness or wretchedness for a short time or once in a great while (e.g., Captain Beefheart). Still, the most strange item I have is my LP of "Black Mass" by Lucifer (MCA, 1971). Weighty synthesized electronica. Its tone and tenor can feel evil as heck one moment, oddly placid during the next passage or track, then confoundingly uncomfortable, then somehow congruently empty. Strange. Also strange and beautiful. (Don't worry, I'm a person of strong faith, much more likely to be corrupted by finding a long-sought CD or a bargain price on a length of delicious audio cable than to be swept up by anyone's forces of eternal darkness.)

The Pope Smokes Dope by David Peel and the Lower East Side.

Somewhere around here I have a quadraphonic 8-track by Harry Partch . . .

Self-titled album by Rubicon. Seems to be the only one they ever did. Can NOT find it anywhere; would love a CD. Has a picture of a minotaur kneeling on a rock in the middle of the ocean.

The Crimson Curse LP: one-sided LP on clear vinyl. The side that doesn't have music has bugs silk-screened on it so it shows through on the music side. San Diego hardcore at its finest.

Raymond and Peter—This is a recording of two grown men bickering, arguing, and fighting, as recorded by one of their neighbors. This is probably the strangest disc that I have ever heard!

Frank Zappa's Joe's Garage