How To Buy...Frank Zappa (Part Five Albums #81 - #100)

 How To Buy...Frank Zappa (Part Five Albums #81 - #100) by Rob H.

#81 "The Dub Room Special" Frank Zappa

A partial soundtrack to the video/DVD release of the same title containing live performances from 1974 & 1981. This is a bit of an odd one as many of the 1974 content was released later on as "A Token Of His Extreme" again a soundtrack to that released performance which happens to be one of my favourite Zappa releases. If you were just going for one out of the two then definitely choose that but as a completist "The Dub Room Special" adds two songs from 1981 and two songs from 1974 that aren't included on "A Token Of His Extreme" as well as different mixes and edits.

The 1974 band is wonderfully on form and in tune with with each other and it's a joyous performance which I'll expand on when I review "A Token Of His Extreme". The 1981 tracks we get are "Stevie's Spanking" with solos from Zappa and Vai although the later guitar duet has Vai very low in the mix and a great version of "Easy Meat". More of the 1981 performance is included in the DVD.

 

#82 "Wazoo" Frank Zappa

A live release of the final night of the 1972 Grand Wazoo tour with the running order slightly altered to accommodate fitting on to two discs. This is a wonderful release that gives a rare chance to hear an extended band that was only in existence for this one tour.

There are a few Zappa introductions and explanations but other than that this is an entirely instrumental performance which means we get to hear "The Adventures Of Greggery Peccary" without all the theatrical storyline vocal elements and "Penis Dimension" without the Flo & Eddie obscenities which help you appreciate the actual music without any distractions.

The band is tight but despite its size can still improvise at short notice as demonstrated in an amazing "Approximate" and the end of each of the various Movements in "Greggery Peccary". "Big Swifty" has an amazing groove to it whereas the 21 minute run of "The Grand Wazoo (Think It Over)" which opens the show really beds the band in whilst showing their capabilities.

If you're a fan of the jazz fusion Zappa style form "The Grand Wazoo" and "Waka/Jawaka" period then this is definitely one for you!

 

#83 "One Shot Deal" Frank Zappa

This is a hard one to categorise as it's compiled from a couple of different build reels that Frank had been working on but no notes had been left to know what he had intended to do with them. Nevertheless it's a great album featuring guitar solos and improvisations as well as some unreleased live performances.

"Bathtub Man" kicks things off with an improvised lyric from George Duke and Napolean Murphy Brock, it is actually a segment from a performance of "Cosmik Debris" and includes a piano solo from Duke as well as a guitar solo from Zappa. If you've been reading my daily reviews by now you'll know my love for this line up so of course this is a great addition!

"Trudgin' Across The Tundra" is a brass heavy improvisation from 1972. "Occam's Razor (On The Bus -Original Solo" and "Heidelberg" are both fantastic guitar solos whereas Steve Vai fans will love the 1981 version of "The Illinois Enema Bandit" which he is literally all over! "Australian Yellow Snow" from 1973 starts fast and funky before changing down during the "Nanook Rubs It" section to feature some wonderful Zappa guitar before the whole band deftly handle "St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast" with church organ from George Duke and faux preaching from Zappa about the "margarine".

 

#84 "Joe's Menage" Frank Zappa

A relatively short (45 mins) live release from late in 1975 documenting the line up that featured Norma Jean Bell on alto sax and vocals. This line up lasted just over a month so this is a nice glimpse into that time even though this is just a snippet rather than being a full set.

It's a familiar set list with the majority of vocals split between Zappa and Napoleon Murphy Brock running through "Honey, Don't You Want A Man Like Me?", "The Illinois Enema Bandit" & "Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy". There is a run of earlier material in "Lonely Little Girl", "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance" and "What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body?" but the real draw of this release is the 14 minute "Chunga's Revenge" featuring Norma Bell improvising some lyrics before her sax solo as well as an electronic melodica solo from Andre Lewis.

"Zoot Allures" closes the album which frustratingly fades mid track before returning do to a tape reel change which is a shame as it shatters the flow of one of Zappa's signature guitar pieces.

 

#85 "The Lumpy Money Project / Object" Frank Zappa

A three disc set which is basically broken down as :

Disc One - Original Capital Records version of "Lumpy Money" which is radically different to the one released by Verve and the original mono LP mix of "We're Only In It For The Money" which is a unique mix and not just a transfer of the stereo version.

Disc Two - the previously released 1984 UMRK mixes of the Verve version of "Lumpy Gravy" and "We're Only In It For The Money" with the controversially replaced/updated bass and drum parts.

Disc Three - Alternate takes, different mixes, instrumental versions and single edit of "Lonely Little Girl" as well as some interview snippets.

The second disc is interesting to have in this set but probably completely unnecessary as I wouldn't think that there would be many Zappa fans that hadn't already bought those (and then rebought them when the original bass and drums were reinstated) and it would have worked equally as well as a twin disc set.

The first disc speaks for itself and the Capitol Records version of "Lumpy Money" was a rarity most would be hearing for the first time here and is worth the price of the set on it's own! The third disc has a whole plethora of interesting things to explore but will be for the aficionado rather than the layman.

#86 "Philly '76" Frank Zappa

A live recording from October 1976 featuring another very short lived band including Bianca Thornton (aka Lady Bianca) on keyboards/vocals and Eddie Jobson on keyboards/violin. Even though this was recorded the same year as "FZ:OZ" only Terry Bozzio and Zappa himself appear in both line ups.

This is a wonderful album, the difference that Bianca brings cannot be overstated, check out the incredibly soulful version of "You Didn't Try To Call Me" if you need proof! She even provides vocal stylings to the sub 19 minute "Black Napkins" which also has a great violin solo from Jobson.

Looking at the tracklisting you might think that the run of Flo & Eddie tracks is out of place but they were originally meant to open the gig with their own band before joining Zappa for the encores, unfortunately their guitarist died suddenly days before the gig so they couldn't attend. The two tracks you might not recognise by name are "Chrissy Puked Twice" which is essentially "Titties & Beer" with an additional verse and "Stranded In The Jungle" which is a Jayhawks cover.

For me this flows much better than "FZ:OZ" and sounds very different as no one got a chance to really experience this line up that lasted about a month.

 

#87 "Greasy Love Songs" Frank Zappa

This is the original LP mix of "Cruising With Ruben & The Jets" with the original bass and drum parts which had been re-recorded on the previous CD release of the album.

There are some additional tracks including an extended "Stuff Up The Cracks", early versions of "Valerie" and "Love Of My Life" as well as the single version of "Jelly Roll Gum Drop". Also of real interest is Frank reading "The Story Of Ruben & The Jets" taken from a radio appearance and "Serious Fan Mail" an edit of two interviews where Zappa discusses the album and the radio play from some stations before they realised it was the Mothers Of Invention!

 

#88 "Congress Shall Make No Law" Frank Zappa

Possibly the most niche release in the vast Zappa catalogue, this is one for the completist only to be honest, recordings of various testimonies Zappa gave to Senate hearings in 1985 and 1986 around the time the PMRC were trying to place warnings on albums. There are also brief bursts of synclavier compositions and it's an interesting listen as a historic document of what was a fairly unbelievable situation but it's not something that you would choose to play that often.

 

#89 "Hammersmith" Frank Zappa

A triple live CD recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon, London during a run of shows in February 1978. The material here features a large amount of songs that would appear on "Sheik Yerbouti" albeit in different versions. Both "I Have Been In You" and "Bobby Brown" have extended spoken word intros to explain the subject matter.

Highlights include a guitar heavy "King Kong" and a delicate very early version of "Watermelon In Easter Hay". For all the musos there are plenty of great Adrian Belew moments and an interesting Terry Bozzio drum solo with syn drum effects in "Terry Firma".

There's also a rare chance to hear a vocal version of "Envelopes" which is normally performed as an instrumental and was released as such on "Ship Arriving Too Later To Save A Drowning Witch" a few years after this concert.

 

#90 "Feeding The Monkies At Ma Maison" Frank Zappa

A five track synclavier album developed from a three release that Frank had been working on. Like most things synclavier based it won't be to everyones tastes but at least these recordings are of the warmer nature and don't have the starkness of the earlier compositions.

"Buffalo Voice" and "Secular Humanism" were released as later and shorter versions on "Civilisation, Phaze III" but here are at least double the length which allows for the themes to develop more. "Worms From Hell" is interesting for it's more industrial percussive elements along side "plucked" strings making it very different to the rest of the album.

 

#91 "Carnegie Hall" Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention

This is an absolute gem especially for fans of the Flo & Eddie period. A four disc set capturing a single full performance with a band comprising of Zappa, Mark Volman, Howard Kaylan, Ian Underwood, Don Preston, Jim Pons and Aynsley Dunbar. Unusually the album starts with a short seven track set (including 3 medleys) from opening acapella band The Persuasions before the Mothers come to the stage.

The set list is very much balanced and you don't get an overwhelming amount of the more smut oriented material which can be the case during the Flo & Eddie era. There are so many noteworthy highpoints: an almost unrecognisable "Who Are The Brain Police?" which has a blues feel to it, a 30 minute "King Kong" that fans of Aynsley Dunbar will definitely want to hear, a great "Winderful Wino" with Zappa shreading through the guitar solo, a 50 minute "Billy The Mountain" with a 13 minute solos section and the "Divan" suite in full. "Divan" will be more familiar as "Sofa" but that was only part of the full story so here we get the story explanation in "Once Upon A Time", "Sofa #1", "Magic Pig", "Stick It Out" (7 years before it would be reworked to become part of "Joe's Garage") and the conclusion "Divan Ends Here".

The encore cost Zappa $600 in additional union fees for running over which he explains he is happy to pay so he can play an encore for the audience! What they get is a great 13 minute version of "The Mud Shark" including the audience participation Mudshark dance routine giving it a wonderful end of evening high.

This album is currently out of print but is due to be rereleased soon and is a must!

 

#92 "Road Tapes, Venue #1" Frank Zappa

The first in the "Road Tapes" series which sadly has currently only run to three releases so far. The premise of the series was to release "more primitive audio" documents capturing great live performances but don't let that put you off as the work that's been done on cleaning up the source material is quite remarkable and sounds great if a little raw.

This is the Mothers of Invention in August of 1968 a mere 10 days after vocalist Ray Collins quit the band. "Help, I'm A Rock / Transylvania Boogie" starts with a confrontational counter culture monologue in which Zappa offers $10 to any Hippie to come up on stage and have their hair cut, he didn't get any takers! Highlights are a 20 minute medley of "The Orange County Lumber Truck" which includes instrumentals of "Let's Make The Water Turn Black", "Harry, You're A Beast" and "Oh No", a very slow tempo "Trouble Every Day" replete with harmonica solo and a tribute to Edgard Varese, Zappa's musical hero, with a version of "Octandre".

There are some oddities not heard on other releases including the peculiar spoken word "The Rewards Of A Career In Music", "Oh, In The Sky" and a version of "King Kong" with a spoken intro. It's also interesting to hear Frank announce the up coming release of the "No Commercial Potential" album coming out in November as this became one of many unreleased albums that got changed, cannibalised and released across subsequent albums but knowing this got changed within two months of it's planned release is surprising.

 

#93 "Understanding America" Frank Zappa

A 2 disc compilation with tracks themed to "Understanding America" compiled by Zappa before his passing. Nearly all the tracks are the standard album versions but with some edits applied and are presented, more or less, in chronological order.

The only real stand out here for the dedicated fan looking for a reason to buy is "Porn Wars Deluxe" which is over double the length of "Porn Wars" from the "Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers Of Prevention" album version.

 

#94 "Finer Moments" Frank Zappa

Another unreleased album of The Mothers of Invention containing predominantly live performances which was originally planned for release in 1972. Approximately half of this album has been released on subsequent albums such as "Lost Episodes", "Mystery Disc", "Ahead Of Their Time" and in the "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore" series.

Despite the doubling up on material it actually works well hearing it compiled here in a more sympathetic setting. Amongst the many highlights are the guitar solo piece "Sleazette", the 17 minute medley of "King Kong" and "Uncle Meat" which even includes the vamp to "Call Any Vegetable" and is released here as "Uncle Rhebus" and some fine musique concrete on the second disc.

 

#95 "Baby Snakes The Compleat Soundtrack" Frank Zappa

Between 2006 & 2014 the Zappa family released 6 digital releases under the collective name of AAAFNRAA - Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For No reason At All which consisted of tracks by various friends, family and Frank himself. Only one of these was given an official release number which was the soundtrack to the live video/dvd/film "Baby Snakes".

Recorded over the run of Halloween shows at The Palladium in New York in 1977 it's a bit of a mixed bag as it's not just a straight concert recording you also get other snippets of things that featured in the film which makes the first half a little disjointed. My recommendation would be to get this on DVD to get the full experience and the sound mix seems to work better with the visuals than purely as an aural experience.

#96 "Road Tapes, Venue #2" Frank Zappa

A great addition to the Road Tapes series being culled from a run of gigs in Helsinki in August 1973. Not much has been previously released from this tour which focussed strongly on instrumentals but some vocal tracks still featured. Jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty featured in the band alongside Zappa, George Duke, Ian & Ruth Underwood, Tom & Bruce Fowler and Ralph Humphrey so almost the famed "Roxy" era band.

There are early versions of "Penguin In Bondage", "Echidna's Arf (Of You)" and "Village Of The Sun" the latter featuring an absolutely sublime vocal by Duke.

There's a fair bit of improvisation in this set and also some fairly different arrangements such as in "Dog Breath" and "The Dog Breath Variations" that account for Ponty's violin but the real highlight of this album is an incredible "Big Swifty" that needs to be heard!

 

#97 "A Token Of His Extreme (Soundtrack)" Frank Zappa

This is the soundtrack to the 1974 special that Zappa performed at the KCET-TV studios in Los Angeles and it is one of my favourite performances! The band is just brilliant - Zappa, Ruth Underwood, George Duke, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Chester Thompson and Tom Fowler - they are tight but it's obvious they are having a lot of fun and it shows!

Some of this performance had previously been released as part of the "Dub Room Special" soundtrack but what you get here are different mixes and more songs so worth doubling up if you do already have that but if not this is really the one to go for.

Napoleon Murphy Brock handles most of the vocals alongside Zappa with the exception of the George Duke "Inca Roads" and the "Earl Of Duke" improvisation piece. This leads to great performances of "Montana", "Florentine Pogen", "Stink-Foot" and "Pygmy-Twilight" the only song for me that Brock's vocals don't really work is "Oh No" here played as a medley with "Son Of Orange County".

Grab the DVD, watch the clips on YouTube or get the album, it's all great!

 

#98 "Joe's Camouflage" Frank Zappa

The last in the series (so far) of oddities and interesting releases from the vaults compiled by vaultmeister Joe Travers and it's an unusual one! Compiled from rehearsal tapes from 1975 for a line up that wouldn't tour as 3 members were let go prior to playing live and add into the mix that this was after George Duke had left and hadn't been replaced yet so you even have Napoleon Murphy Brock contributing some keyboards!

It's all pretty relaxed, lots of studio chat and direction and even a visit from a very young Dweezil and Moon! It's a relatively short album at 47 minutes but we get some very interesting things packed in to that time. Highlights include two unreleased songs "Phyniox" and "Reeny Ra" and a host of early versions in "Honey, Don't You Want A Man Like Me?", "The Illinois Enema Bandit" (including vocal direction) , "Black Napkins" (which has a bizarre keyboard effect running throughout) and "Any Downers?" a full six years before it's eventual release on "You Are What You Is" and in a much slower form here.

One of the most interesting albums in this five album run.

 

#99 "Roxy By Proxy" Frank Zappa & The Mothers

Returning to the fabled Roxy recordings from 1973 that spawned the classic "Roxy & Elsewhere" album these are master recordings featuring songs recorded on the 9th and 10th of December.

That information alone should tell you everything you need to know but it's obviously not that straightforward. The Roxy material after being under lock and key for so long demanded to be heard so not only do we have this album the soundtrack to the Roxy film was also released and to top it all off a seven disc box set containing all the shows from the 8th to the 10th and rehearsals followed shortly! So essentially this is a great album if you just want something more from the Roxy shows but to be perfectly honest the box set trumps this massively!

So if you only go for "Roxy By Proxy" some highlights are the almost scat style "Inca Roads", a wonderfully fragile vocal from Napoleon Murphy Brock on "Village Of The Sun" , percussion galore including an extended intro to "Cheepnis" and an astonishing "Dupree's Paradise". One thing that will sell the physical copy are the excellent sleeve notes from Ruth Underwood but please consider the box set as you really, really won't regret it!

 

#100 "Dance Me This" Frank Zappa

This is predominantly a synclavier album which is music designed to be used by modern dance groups. It is fairly unusual as it also features "Mongolian" throat singing from members of Huun-Huur-Tu.

A large portion of the album is made up with the five part "Wolf Creek" which sounds akin to Edgar Vareses's "Ionisation" but more percussive and without the sirens! Despite it being a synclavier album there is still a short guitar solo on the title track and the more percussive nature of the album and the presence of the throat singers make it sound less processed than earlier affairs.

This isn't one you'll listen to constantly but it is certainly a hidden gem in the vast Zappa catalogue.