How To Buy...Frank Zappa (Part Seven Albums #121 - Ongoing)

 How To Buy...Frank Zappa (Part Seven Albums #121 - Ongoing) by Rob H.

#121 "The Mothers 1971" The Mothers

An eight disc set primarily based around the complete Fillmore East tapes that provided the album "Fillmore East - June 1971". We get four complete shows including the previously released John Lennon & Yoko Ono encore jam from Show 2 on June 6th combined with the previously mentioned album as well as the odd appearance on the "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore" series there is certainly some material you will already have. Where this set really works is by providing the full sets from the Fillmore Shows, whereas the original album focussed heavily on the smut element with Flo & Eddie hearing those same tracks within the context of the original performance works much better and is a bit less grating. There's also the question of how many versions of "Billy The Mountain" do you need in one place - the answer appears to be five! It all works though as you are unlikely to listen to the set in one sitting! In addition to the Fillmore shows we also get the earlier "hybrid" show made up of combining the June 1st Scranton and the June 3rd Harrisburg shows which preceded the Fillmore run. One of the big draws here for die hard fans will be the infamous December 10th show from The Rainbow Theatre in London, the show that followed the destruction of the majority of the bands equipment in a fire that burnt down the Casino in Montreux and inspired Deep Purple to write "Smoke On The Water". The Rainbow show is best know for when Zappa was attacked and pushed offstage at the end of the encore (all captured on tape), the resulting injuries left Frank wheelchair bound for a year and the dissolution of The Mothers. The band are obviously struggling in places including and extended opening where the monitors are feedbacking as there wasn't time to complete the soundcheck and the set is noticeably different from the earlier shows in the set. Like the 1970 set there is a lot to recommend this one.

  

#122 "Zappa/Erie" Frank Zappa

Whereas most of the Vault releases seem to have a theme or a purpose "Zappa/Erie" is pretty much three shows (plus bonus tracks) performed in Erie, PA and the surrounding area dating from 1974 and 1976. As this is where vaultmeister Joe Travers grew up that seems to be the only reason that he hunted out the shows for this release which seems a bit tenuous and unlike some of the sets with more discs this one came with a high price tag (unless you go digital or stream). Musically of course it more than justifies it's existence with three different bands and feels. For the first 1974 show the band features the three Fowler Brothers (Walt, Tom & Bruce), Ralph Humphrey, Chester Thompson, Jeff Simmons, George Duke, Don Preston and Napoleon Murphy Brock but noticeably no Ruth Underwood. Highlights include a brilliant "Inca Roads" and a whole host of early material that Napoleon Murphy Brock adds his voice to. By the time of the second 1974 show here approximately six months later the band had slimmed down leaving just Napoleon Murphy Brock, Tom Fowler, Chester Thompson, George Duke and the returning Ruth Underwood. Zappa also had a bad case of the flu on this show which you can here in his vocal delivery and there are some great guitar moments to enjoy on songs such as "RDNZL" and "Montana" as well as a sax laden "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow". By the time of the 1976 show we have an entirely different band, one that was very short lived so it's always interesting to hear, consisting of Terry Bozzio, Patrick O'Hearn, Eddie Jobson, Ray White and "Lady" Bianca Odin. The real highlight from the 1976 show has to be the near nineteen minute "Black Napkins" with extended guitar soloing but also vocal passages.

#123 "Zagreb/Ljubljana" Frank Zappa

A double album taken from two Yugoslavian shows (the only time Zappa played there) with another rare and short lived line up featuring Napoleon Murphy Brock, Terry Bozzio, Roy Estrada, Andre Lewis and Norma Jean Bell. Amongst the highlights here are a prototype heavy fuzz instrumental version of "Wind Up Working In A Gas Station", Terry Bozzio solos from both nights, a nineteen minute solo laden "Chunga's Revenge" and a "Black Napkins" with some great sax lines. It's definitely a completists show but there's plenty of nice moments to enjoy.

#124 "Waka/Wazoo" Frank Zappa

A five disc set focussing on the "jazz" period of "Waka/Jawaka" and "The Grand Wazoo" containing outtakes and alternate versions as well as presenting both albums in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound and Hi-Def Stereo mixing on a blu ray disc (disc five). Also included is a disc of George Duke demos and sessions outtakes produced by Zappa and a full "Petite Wazoo" gig from Winterland 1972 which is an interesting gig as it features none of the tracks from either "jazz" album instead we are treated to instrumentals "Little Dots", "America Drinks", "Farther O'Blivion" and closer "Chunga's Revenge" along with vocal versions of "Montana" and "Cosmik Debris". If you are a fan of the source albums then this is definitely one you'd want to explore and as they are both perhaps underappreciated releases this is a great way of rediscovering them!