How To Buy...Frank Zappa (Part Four Albums #61 - #80) by Rob H.
#61 "Ahead Of Their Time"
The Mothers Of Invention
A recording from 2 1968 shows at the
Royal Festival Hall and featuring members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. The
first part of this album is an improvised play which loses a little from not
having the visuals but there is some great music with the band and orchestra
even if you can't quite work out the story to go along with it.
The second half of the album is where things really take off starting with "King Kong" and proceeding through "Transylvanian Boogie" , "Pound For A Brown", "Sleeping In A Jar" as well as instrumental versions of "Let's Make The Water Turn Black" and "Harry, You're A Beast". The concert ends with the "Orange County Lumber Truck" with "Oh No" inserted in the middle. The only track that seems out of place is "Help, I'm A Rock" which nevertheless is great to hear live but it disrupts the flow of a fantastic instrumental set from a classic Mothers of Invention line up.
In my opinion this is the finest of
Franks classical releases. The Ensemble Modern were a chamber orchestra based
in Frankfurt who performed a series of 8 concerts in 1992 from which this album
is compiled from. As Frank by then was in poor health he only attended 2 of the
concerts in person which means we at least get his introduction which is a
bonus, "The Yellow Shark" would be the last album released within his
lifetime coming out just a month before his passing at the end of 1993.
The warmth of these recordings is
remarkable and for possibly the first time you had an Orchestra truly engaged
and wanting to perform the music before them.
They wanted to be challenged and so
the final track on the album is their take on "G-Spot Tornado"
previously only performed on synclavier due to it's complexity.
Early works such as "Dog Breath
Variations", "Uncle Meat" and "Pound For A Brown"
transcend from the Mothers of Invention classics into the classical realm with
ease and there are also new pieces here to enjoy such as " Pentagon
Afternoon" in which toy ray guns are added and "Welcome To The United
States". This is a narration of the nonimmigrant visa waiver declaration
form and is something that you could easily imagine the early Mothers playing,
it even has a snippet of "Louie Louie" thrown in!
If you only buy or stream one of
Franks classical works then make it this one!
#63 "Civilization, Phaze III" Frank Zappa
During Franks illness in his final
years he worked continuously on new projects and archive releases and this was
his first posthumous release. "Civilization, Phaze III" is viewed as
a continuation of "Lumpy Gravy" and features further recordings of
the "piano people" taken from the 1967 sessions as well as newer
recordings from 1991.
Musically it is predominantly
synclavier but also has some appearances from the Ensemble Modern. It is also
worth noting that the synclavier pieces now sound much warmer and less
mechanical. The actual concept of this was to have it performed as a pantomime
opera but the funding never worked to achieve this.
Unlike "Lumpy Gravy" there are no fast cuts and different musical styles coming thick and fast and it is much more expansive with the voices offered as standalone segments between tracks making them easier to hear. Because of it's content and style this is one that is likely to baffle newcomers but once you know what to expect then there are some wonderful moments to discover.
This is a rarities album that is
worth cherry picking from. There are a few firsts captured here including
Captain Beefhearts first recording "Lost In A Whirlpool" (he features
on multiple tracks on this collection as well as narrating "I'm A Band
Leader" & "The Grand Wazoo").
The earliest recorded version of
"Take your Clothes Off When You Dance", presented in a bossa nova
style, is preceded by the stomach churning story from brothers Ronnie &
Kenny Williams which explains the lyric to "Let's Make The Water Turn
Black" that you might have known for years without realising the subject
matter was a true story!
More alternate early versions such as
"RDNZL" with Jean-Luc Ponty, an instrumental version of "Inca
Roads", a blistering take on "Wonderful Wino" and a slower take
of "I Don't Want To Get Drafted". One absolute gem is the almost 12
minute album closer "Sharleena" with lead vocal and solo from Sugarcane
Harris which is just amazing to hear.
Some early oddities won't appeal to everyone (do we really need to hear the Police warning of noise complaints in "Cops & Buns"?) but there are many must hear moments for the avid fan.
Throughout Frank's career there were
many albums and sets that were rumoured, mentioned or compiled that never saw
the light of day. Some like "The History & Collected Improvisations of
the Mothers of Invention" and "Warts and All" would find partial
release on other albums but one of the most talked about and bootlegged was
"Läther" (pronounced leather).
"Läther" came about amidst
troubles with Zappa's relationship with his record label of the time Warner
Brothers. To complete his contractual obligations Frank still owed 4 albums
which he elected to deliver simultaneously - these were "Zappa In New
York", "Studio Tan", "Sleep Dirt" and "Orchestral
Favorites". Warners were then contractually obligated to release all
within a set time period which is something they did not resulting in legal
action for this and miscalculated royalties on past releases.
During this time Frank compiled the
material on these 4 unreleased albums, re-sequenced the running order, used
some alternate versions and added other songs with the intention of releasing a
multi disc set via a new record company. Contracts were drawn up with Capitol
which fell through on the day they were do to be signed due to shared business
connections with Warner Brothers.
A frustrated Zappa took to the radio
and played the entire "Läther" set on air encouraging fans to record
it resulting with it being oft bootlegged over the years. Some songs would
appear on subsequent albums but in very different versions such as "Broken
Hearts Are For Assholes" which would appear on "Sheik Yerbouti"
and "For The Young Sophisticate" on "Tinsel Town
Rebellion".
Listening to "Läther" is a
very different experience than listening to the 4 albums that Warners would
eventually release and sounds like a very different entity despite it's
familiarity. It's a great addition to the Zappa catalogue and it's a shame it
took so long to officially see the light of day.
Fun fact : Upon release the original intended cover concept which was a photo of Frank after having a pie shoved in his face was changed to a picture of a cow with the Zappa trademarked moustache on his face and a map of Italy on his side. When the album was re-released after the RYKO deal had ended and rights reverted back to Zappa Records the original cover was reinstated.
#66 "Frank Zappa Plays The Music of Frank Zappa : A Memorial Tribute" Frank Zappa
A Dweezil compiled tribute featuring
his fathers three signature guitar pieces "Zoot Allures", "Black
Napkins" and "Watermelon In Easter Hay". The concept here is
simple; each track is represented by the originally released version as well as
an earlier previously unreleased live performance.
Needless to say all the unreleased
versions are significantly different to the ones that were released and are
superb (they are after all the signature tracks for a reason!) and it's nice to
have the later versions for comparison although there would be an argument to
have another unreleased version instead. There is also the lure of the blues
jam "Merely A Blues In A" if you weren't already sold on the concept
and wanted to hear something new.
Fun Fact! The lettering on the albums
cover was done by Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons and lifelong Zappa
fan!
This is a compilation of songs that
may cause offence to various people or groups which was overseen by Frank
before his passing. At first glance long term fans may think that this is aimed
at casual or newer fans but the majority of the songs on here have been remixed
or contain edits that will make it worthwhile for the die hards too!
There are 2 previously unreleased
live versions of "Dumb All Over" and "Tinsel Town
Rebellion" although the latter had appeared on the video release of
"Does Humor Belong In Music" this is the first time it was available
on album.
To note 2 tracks that have
significant edits for those wanting to dip into the album and check the
differences then there is a shorter edit of "Titties And Beer" which
removes much of the dialogue between Frank and The Devil streamlining it into a
more traditional song structure. The other edit of real note is the extended
"Dinah-Moe Humm which now has about a minutes worth of lyrics referencing
"Montana".
Don't dismiss this one as it is more than it seems!
When Zappa released the first two
"Old Masters" vinyl box sets he included a "Mystery Disc"
of rarities (he didn't include one with the third "Old Masters" set).
This is a collection of both mystery discs but without the early single
"Big Leg Emma" and "Why Don'tcha Do Me Right?" which had
already been released as bonus tracks on the "Absolutely Free" CD.
Some of these songs appear on
"The Lost Episodes" and "Ahead Of Their Time" sometimes
with different edits or takes and sometimes as is.
Like any rarities album there is
material you will crave and others that you could live without and for me the
gems to be had on "Mystery Disc" include a live version of
"Plastic People", an early "How Could I Be Such A Fool?",
more from the soundtrack of "Run Home Slow" and tracks from the rock
opera "I Was A Teenage Malt-Shop".
This is one for the completists.
This was an archive find which no one
knew was there! "Everything Is Healing Nicely" is recordings of Frank
rehearsing the Ensemble Modern prior to the "Yellow Shark"
performances, rehearsing in the same way a rock band would, working on musical
cues that could be inserted into the main body of a track on a whim as well as
the main programme.
Whilst nowhere near as essential or
as cohesive as "The Yellow Shark" it is an interesting insight and
does provide additional Ensemble Modern recordings for those that craved more.
Shankar also appears on violin on a few tracks but the real draw has to be
Frank soloing on "Roland's Big event - Strat Vindaloo" but
"Master Ringo" needs a special mention for the heavily German
accented deadpan narration of readers letters about genital piercing from an on
hand piercing magazine.
A live recording from Sydney,
Australia 1976 with some material spliced in for when the reels were being
switched mid song - these are mostly taken from a show in Japan with one
exception when an audience source bootleg recording had to be used in
"Kaiser Rolls". A rehearsal version of this track is added as a bonus
at the end of the album so you can hear it in better clarity.
It's a nice set which while not
exactly ground breaking has some fine moments such as a 13 minute take on
"Zoot Allures" and a version of "Chunga's Revenge" which
Napoleon Murphy Brock is all over until Zappa closes it with a fine solo.
There's an early version of "The
Illinois Enema Bandit" which isn't as joyous as the version that would
appear on "Zappa In New York" just 2 years later and an interesting
pseudo reggae flavoured "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance" not
heard elsewhere. Vocals are mainly shared between Zappa and Napoleon Murphy
Brock which can highlight the limits to Brock's range especially during the run
of ""How Can I Be Such A Fool", "I Ain't Got No Heart"
& "I'm Not Satisfied" but mostly he is on form.
While it's always nice to hear complete concerts rather than the cut and paste of other releases there is little to entice the casual fan here but as with all things Zappa there's an awful lot that the aficionado will pick over and enjoy!
Frank's Halloween shows were renowned
for great shows and merriment and this album is culled from 4 of the run of 6
New York Halloween shows in 1978. It may have been a sign of the times that we
only get a very edited down version of what was a long show and subsequent
Halloween releases (1973,1977 & the 1981 shows) have all been
released as elaborate multi disc sets.
Violinist L.Shankar again guests and
delivers a fine solo in "Conehead" as well as a duet with Zappa in an
extended "Black Napkins - Deathless Horsie". Frank also delivers a
fantastic solo in "Easy Meat" which runs for half of the track
followed by a tight version of "Magic Fingers".
The fun is all here as you would
expect in tracks such us "Dancin' Fool", "Don't Eat The Yellow
Snow", "Stinkfoot", "Dinah-Moe Humm" and
"Camarillo Brillo" some with added audience participation.
There are a couple of bonus tracks
with the Saturday Night Live performance of "Dancin' Fool" and a
Denny Whalley vocal on "Suicide Chump".
It's a shame that we don't have a fuller set as the other Halloween releases are all vastly superior to this one.
Since Frank's passing Joe Travers had
been placed as "Vaultmeister" cataloguing and sorting the huge
collection of recordings and finding interesting "nuggets" for
release. This is the first of what has become known as the "Joe's
Corsaga" series which now features five titles all based around puns on the
Joe's Garage name. The full series is "Joe's Corsage", "Joe's
Domage", "Joe's Xmasage", "Joe's Menage" and finally
"Joe's Camouflage".
Each volume is different and this is
a great start to the series with it focusing on recordings from late 1965 &
early 1966 which formed demos for the "Freak Out" album. There are
short insightful interview snippets relating to the name and how Frank came to
join and also cover versions of The Righteous Brothers "My Babe"
& Marvin Gaye's "Hitch Hike".
The Zappa/Mothers of Invention
originals are all in very different forms and contain alternative lyrics or
arrangements which is very noticeable in opener "Motherly Love" as
well as the version of "Plastic People" done to the tune of
"Louie Louie".
This series to me is more cohesive
than both "Mystery Disc" and "The Lost Episodes" and is
recommended.
#73 "Joe's Domage" Frank
Zappa
This is one for the real hardcore
fan, it's rehearsals from 1972 just prior to the recording of "The Grand
Wazoo" & "Waka/Jawaka" albums.
It's stop/start with plenty of studio
chat/direction from Zappa which is interesting to a point but it won't be to
all. What is interesting is that "New Brown Clouds" was rehearsed
which would become part of "The Adventures of Greggery Peccary" that
would be released on "Studio Tan" a few years later.
Just a word of warning to be careful about the song titles on here thinking that there are lots of new tracks that haven't been released as many are well known songs. Examples of this are that "Frog Song" is actually "It Might Be A One-Shot Deal" and "Think It Over" became "The Grand Wazoo".
An album of quadrophonic mixes
featuring different edits of previously released material as well as some
unreleased tracks. This was only released on DVD-A and contained 3 different versions
of the audio (DVD-Audio Surround, DTS digital surround and stereo).
Played on the right set up these sound rich and the layers are much more pronounced, just check out the vocals on "Wild Love" for an example of this. Highlights include a fierce guitar solo on "Rollo" and the earliest released version of "Chunga's Revenge" presented here as the 12 minute "Chunga's Basement". There is also a spoken word track with Frank discussing the conservative nature of record companies in the wonderfully titled "Drooling Midrange Accountants On Easter Hay".
A pre-Mothers of Invention collection
of sound recordings and music from the early 60's which should really be viewed
as for hardcore collectors only.
There are some things you'll want to
hear for example the early version of "Why Don'tCha Do Me Right?",
"Mr Clean (Alternate Mix)" and the live recording of "The
Muthers/Power Trio" but for each of these you have something that you
probably won't such as nearly 12 minutes of "The Purse" which is
someone going through the contents of a girls purse narrating what is in there!
"The Uncle Frankie Show" that closes the disc is a radio appearance where Zappa talks about his ongoing plans with "I Was A Teenage Malt Shop" which also has a brief rendition of "Charva" which is interesting enough but overall this is probably an album to avoid!
Recorded live on the 1972 Petit Wazoo
tour across various venues. This is brass heavy and entirely instrumental apart
from a few announcements and contains some absolute gems.
Stand out moments include a brass and
woodwind version of "Rollo", a 16 minute "Farther
O'Blivian" and "D.C.Boogie" so named as Frank asks the audience
how they would like the track to end and the majority went for with a boogie!
Despite it being brass heavy there
are plenty of guitar moments to keep you happy especially on the title track
which features some great soloing from Frank.
The Making Of Freak Out An FZ Audio
Documentary - released as a 4 disc set (#77) and a 2 disc highlights edition
(#78). The first disc on both releases is the original stereo mix of the album
from 1966.
The 4 disc set gives you a lot of
basic tracks, vocal overdubs, incomplete takes etc all of which the completist
will paw over for hours noting differences and comparing to the released
versions. There is an unreleased song in "Groupie Bang Bang" which is
set to the Bo Diddly beat as well as a short opening set from when the Mothers
of Invention opened for comedian Lenny Bruce as well as a whole host of
interview snippets all of which are pretty interesting.
The 2 disc version has ten tracks from the 4 disc version as well as 7 tracks that are not.
Another release of guitar solos
lifted out from their respective songs and presented as their own entity much
like the "Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar" series and the simply named
"Guitar" album.
The album opens and closes with guest
spots from Dweezil with "Chunga's Revenge" opening and rousing duet
of "Bavarian Sunset" bringing the album to a close.
Most of "Trance-Fusion" was recorded on the 1984 & 1988 tours with a couple of 70's recordings also included. Again it will be a Marmite release but is a wonderful album showing the diversity in Franks soloing.
A live set from Buffalo (kind of
obvious that!) 1980 and for those Steve Vai fans out there yes he is in the
band for this one!
"The Torture Never Stops"
clocks in at a whopping 23 minutes including guitar, keyboard and drum solos.
"Andy" lacks any real subtlety but is dominated by an intense solo by
Zappa and ends with a much shorter but no less intense solo by Vai leading to a
wonderfully laid back version of "Joe's Garage". As "Dancin' Fool"
ends but the band continue the riff as Frank recounts the 9 minute spoken word
segment "The "Real World" Thematic Extrapolations" which is
a crowd pleaser.
Just like "FZ:OZ" it's great to have a full concert and to be able to hear the flow of the set and performances of that one band. It's a fantastic document to have!
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