How To Buy...Frank Zappa (Part Six Albums #101 - #120)

 How To Buy...Frank Zappa (Part Six Albums #101 - #120) by Rob H.

#101 "Frank Zappa : 200 Motels - The Suites" Frank Zappa

A live recording of an orchestral performance of 200 Motels by the Los Angeles Philharmonic & Los Angeles Master Chorale from 2013. What you don't get is any of the rock band tracks which gives this a very different feel than the original "200 Motels". Musically it feels smoother but it will take you a while to get used to some of the vocals as this is very hard to listen to without expecting the absent defining vocals of Flo & Eddie.

As a live performance it would have been great to attend and as an album it does offer something different as a listening experience especially as the original can feel quite harsh at times but it will never take it's place!

 

#102 "Roxy - The Soundtrack" Frank Zappa & The Mothers

The hallowed Roxy performance that had been filmed but then abandoned after technical issues meant the sound and picture were out of sync. Even after the announced release of the movie it would still take another 15 years for it to be released!

This came out in various formats either as a DVD or Blu Ray or as a DVD with CD and as such you won't find the soundtrack on streaming sites. As previously stated my advice would be to get the "Roxy Performances" box set for the music and the Blu Ray for the film - casual fans please note the film is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

 

#103 "Road Tapes, Venue #3" Frank Zappa

The last in the Road Tapes series to date features two complete shows from the Mothers in 1970. Despite both shows being on the same day (early and late shows) there is little duplication between them and even when a song features in both the performance is very different such as the early show version of "Call Any Vegetable" which is largely performed as a guitar solo whereas the late show leans more towards the electric piano.

Sound quality again is of a more rough and ready nature so the real audiophiles out there may want to give it a miss.

Highlights include "Mother People", a twenty minute "King Kong / Igor's Boogie" medley which starts into "It Can't Happen Here" which Frank decides to conclude quickly in favour of explaining the restrictions of a band like The Mothers writing a more mainstream "hit" like "Sharleena".

Flo & Eddie are both featured but this is before the material became profoundly sexualised instead you get great performances on "Let's Make The Water Turn Black", "Harry You're A Beast" and

"Mom & Dad" as well as the obligatory "Wonderful Wino" that would still take another five years to release on album and go through a complete transition in the meantime!

 

#104 "Crux Of The Biscuit" Frank Zappa

A Project/Object release based around the "Apostrophe (')" album which is wrongly numbered on the sleeve as release #102 rather than #104!

This contains various early versions, alternate takes and mixes as well as some live and interview material. In "The Story Of "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow/St. Alphonzo's Pancake Breakfast"" Frank explains some of the more baffling parts of the lyrics so you can finally realise the source of "Good Morning Your Highness"! The live version that follows is a real highlight especially for the George Duke vocal which Zappa would deliver on the album version.

There are a few early versions of the title track one of which doubles the length to just under ten minutes but for me the real surprise of the album is "Cosmik Debris (Basic Tracks-Take 3)" which offers a rare chance to hear an instrumental version of the song.

This isn't as in-depth as some of the other Project/Object releases but is a worthy addition!

 

#105 "Frank Zappa For President" Frank Zappa

Compiled for the American election year that gave the country the most divisive President in modern history!

Frank had often expressed an interest in a career in politics which ultimately wasn't pursued due to his worsening health. He was briefly appointed by Vaclav Havel as the Special Ambassador to the West on Trade, Culture and Tourism in the Czech Republic post the velvet revolution until U.S. Secretary of State James Baker threatened to withdraw economic aid if they continued their association with Zappa.

The album itself is an odd mix of a few synclavier pieces including a Napoleon Murphy Brock vocal version of "Amnerika Goes Home". "If I Was President..." has Frank laying out how he would tackle running for office over a synclavier backing, a remix of "Brown Shoes Don't Make It" and two live tracks from 1988 both with political themes complete the album .

 

#106 "ZAPPAtite - Frank Zappa's Tastiest Tracks" Frank Zappa

Considering how long a career Zappa had there are surprisingly few "best of" albums and just how would you go about compiling such an album?

"ZAPPAtite" is an 18 track career spanning collection that tries to offer something for everyone, it's a good attempt and would serve a fairly good introduction for newcomers. All tracks are the standard album versions with the exception of "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow" which is the single version.

 

#107 "Meat Light - The Uncle Meat Project/Object Audio Documentary" The Mothers of Invention

A great addition in the Project/Object series which contains the original vinyl mix of the "Uncle Meat" album along with the original sequence and a host of bonus archive material including the single version of "Dog Breath".

The bonus material is interesting enough and clocks in at about 50 minutes but most will be attracted to the original vinyl mix which loses the reverb that was added when the album was released on CD. The difference in the original sequence provides a radically different listening experience especially with the placement of "King Kong" in the middle of the album instead of the end.

Due to the time constraints of CD's the original release was split on to a second disc which was then bulked out with audio from the "Uncle Meat" movie as well as a track recorded for the project "Tengo Na Minchia Tanta" which always seemed out of place and both have now been removed for this release.

 

#108 "Chicago '78" Frank Zappa

A full show from Chicago in 1978 (hence the name!) starting with the guitar solo piece "Twenty One" which would evolve over the years into "Trance-Fusion" and closing with the signature guitar piece "Black Napkins".

Highlights are a slow tempo "Village Of The Sun" with an amazing Ike Willis vocal, "Paroxysmal Splendor" which begins as a lounge track referencing "The Adventures Of Greggery Peccary" then teases a fledgling "I'm A Beautiful Guy" before ending with a boogie version of "Crew Slut"! "Yo Mama" is a little less fluid than the version that would appear on "Sheik Yerbouti" but as it's not often heard so having another version is still welcome.

A quick run through of "Magic Fingers" leads in to an eighteen minute "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow" suite which builds to a vocal coda based around "Nanook Rubs It". For the fans of Franks instrumental work you have the aforementioned guitar tracks as well as "Little House I Used To Live In" and a delicate "Strictly Genteel".

 

#109 "Little Dots" Frank Zappa

More from the short lived Petit Wazoo band recorded live in 1972 and in many ways a companion to the "Imaginary Diseases" album.

"Little Dots" features early versions of "Cosmik Debris" and "Rollo", the former wonderfully relaxed and the latter a rare chance to hear it performed vocally rather than as an instrumental.

The other three songs showcase the improvisational skills of the band with "Little Dots" showcasing the guitar and percussion whereas "Columbia, S.C." allows the brass to shine on part one and the guitar on the 16 minute part two. The other improvisational track is "Kansas City Shuffle" which is a pretty obvious description of what to expect!

 

#110 "Halloween 77" Frank Zappa

The full recording of the 1977 Halloween show which was filmed for the "Baby Snakes" film and partially released on the album of the same name. This full set however runs for over 3 hours and captures everything from that night although some tracks suffer from not having a visual to connect with such as "The Demise Of The Imported Rubber Goods Mask".

There are a few oddities including an instrumental version of "Conehead", an extended improvised "Pound For A Brown" and a fast run through of "Big Leg Emma". The real standout for me is the absolutely stunning 30 minute "Wild Love" with great soloing throughout.

"Halloween 77" was released in different ways, you had the 3 hour Halloween night set or for those who wanted more there was a box set of the six show run released on a USB memory stick and packaged alongside a Zappa mask, quite interestingly the streaming sites have these sets listed separately so you can pick and choose which of them you want.

 

#111 "The Roxy Performances" Frank Zappa & The Mothers

Seven discs containing every note played during the fabled 1973 Roxy run that produced the "Roxy & Elsewhere" album. By now you already know the high regard I have for this band and period and it will come as no surprise that this is an epic release full of incredible performances.

Some of the more unusual inclusions apart from the concerts themselves are the soundchecks and rehearsals which are amazing to hear as well as recording sessions where performances are still being constructed and honed. As an added bonus for the passionate fan is the unreleased "That Arrogant Dick Nixon" which is a reworking of "The Idiot Bastard Son".

 

#112 "Zappa In New York - 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition"

A five disc expanded set featuring the original vinyl mix of "Zappa In New York" plus over three hours of unreleased live material from the NYC Palladium shows.

Be careful when looking at tracklistings as many of the between song introductions and chats have been given names so may appear like unreleased songs. There's plenty here to justify the expanded set including an instrumental version of "Penis Dimension", a nearly 30 minute brass heavy version of "Black Napkins" and "Chrissy Puked Twice" which evolved in to "Titties & Beer" but with different lyrics - it's an odd inclusion as both tracks feature here.

 

#113 "Orchestral Favorites 40th Anniversary Edition"

A remaster of the original "Orchestral Favorites" album plus a two hour concert from Royce Hall in 1975.

The real draw here is the concert material which is wonderful especially for Frank's between track interaction often setting the scene for the piece that follows. Despite it being an orchestral performance there are still a couple of great guitar solos in both "Rollo" and "Black Napkins".

 

#114 "Halloween 73" Frank Zappa

This is an interesting one for many reasons. It's the fabled "Roxy" band barely a month in to their existence and a month away from that legendary run. The tempo of many of the songs is much slower than it will be a month later so some of the urgency heard on "Roxy" recordings is missing but it allows the songs to breathe which is very evident on "Inca Roads".

This album was released in two different formats, one was a four disc set with the early and late sets from Halloween night plus a disc of rehearsals from ten days previous and the other a highlights disc of the Halloween night. To be fair in this case you probably want the box set (or maybe not the physical box set unless you really want a FRANKenZAPPA mask and gloves!) as the rehearsal disc is a really interesting musical document, maybe not something you'll play all the time but well worth having.

Due to the fledgling nature of the band its repertoire at this time was limited so there is some duplication between the two sets but the versions are by and large different enough to avoid repetition.

"Halloween 73" is perhaps less "Halloweeny" than future shows played on that holiday (although you do have "Cheepnis" and "I'm The Slime" here) but it's knowing what this band would deliver in just another month of being together and hearing that progression that makes it remarkable!

 

#115 "The Hot Rats Sessions" Frank Zappa

To mark the 50th anniversary of Frank's most successful album the Zappa Family Trust pulled out all the stops to create a six disc ultimate box set documenting the recording sessions that lead to the album's release.

Sadly this really is a case where less is more would be better as for most people there is simply far too much repetition. Some fans will love hearing 8 versions of the same track all slightly different and with some studio chat but this could have been pulled into an essential alternate album on a single or double disc, there is zero point including the "Hot Rats" album in this set (but they do!) as if you are enough of a fan to invest £100 or more in this set then you sure as hell already own that album and probably more than once!

Needless to say there are plenty of great moments to discover but there is simply too much to work through to truly appreciate them!

 

#116 "The Mothers 1970" Frank Zappa & The Mothers

A four disc set celebrating the line up that would last until the recording of "200 Motels" at which point bassist Jeff Simmons quit.

The first disc is studio recordings made in London from which only one track was issued when "Sharleena" was released on "Chunga's Revenge" although here it is given a remix. The standouts from these sessions are multiple takes on "Wonderful Wino" including vocals by Zappa and alternate guitar solos, the guitar and bass driven "Red Tubular Lighter" and "Lola Steponsky" which wouldn't sound amiss on the "West Side Story" soundtrack before it progresses in to a drum work out that is!

The other three discs are live recordings taken from different sources including the "Piknik" recording for Dutch Radio and a couple of incomplete shows spliced together to make a hybrid show that works. The final disc is taken from Frank's own live recordings which also include some candid backstage moments. Sound quality on all of the live discs are more akin to the raw nature of the "Road Tapes" series but include some fantastic performances that are definitely worth hearing!

 

#117 "Halloween 81" Frank Zappa

A six disc set featuring the run of three Halloween shows from the Palladium, New York City with a band that included "stunt guitarist" Steve Vai.

The material largely draws from the "Ship arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch", "Sheik Yerbouti", "Tinseltown Rebellion" and "You Are What You Is" albums although other eras are represented. There is plenty of duplication in the three different sets but the versions are different enough and it's unlikely you'll be sitting down to listen to it in one seven hour sitting anyway so it shouldn't be an issue!

Vai fans won't be disappointed as he is all over this and his playing style is very different to Frank's so it is easy to identify which one of them takes the solo or in the case of "Stevie's Spanking" they trade solos.

Highlights are of course numerous from the high energy rendition of "Flakes", the guitar heavy "Illinois Enema Bandit" and probably the most peculiar version of "King Kong" you've ever heard played over a reggae beat!

There is a separate highlights disc for those not wishing to go for the six disc set which may be worth considering but of course every minute of the six disc set is worth it! The packaging of the box set proved controversial with fans as it again featured a Halloween themed mask similar to the one from the "Halloween 73" set but this time a Count Frankula mask and cape which drove the price up to over £100 whereas you can pick up the download for about £30.

 

#118 "Zappa - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack"

The soundtrack to the labour of love film directed by Alex Winter (yes that Alex Winter, Bill from Bill & Ted!). This is very much one for the completist as most songs are standard album versions with the allure of some unreleased live material including three songs from a 1968 show at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go as well as the documentary score by John Frizzell which is pretty good in it's own right.

#119 "Zappa '88 : The Last U.S. Show" Frank Zappa

The "Broadway The Hard Way" tour ended abruptly as infighting lead Zappa to disband what was an incredible band of musicians and cancel the remaining dates of the tour meaning that the later planned American leg after the European shows would never happen. It's another full show with the exception of the two songs that Dweezil performed on as special guest on the night which he requested not to be used, however performances without Dweezil from an earlier night have been spliced in to keep the setlist complete and it's seamlessly done. There's so many great moments, the sublime guitar solo in "Inca Roads", extended solo heavy versions of "City of Tiny Lights" and "Pound For A Brown" as well as lesser played songs like "Packard Goose" and the first release of both "The Beatles Medley" and "I Am The Walrus" the former being reworked lyrically to feature the televangelist scandals whereas "I Am The Walrus" is faithful to the original. If you enjoyed "The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life" and "Make A Jazz Noise Here" then you will want to add this to your collection.

#120 "200 Motels 50th Anniversary Edition" The Mothers of Invention and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

To mark the 50th anniversary of the "200 Motels" film not only was a remastered version of the two disc set released but also a six disc box set. The two disc version is a sonic upgrade on the previous but if you are a big fan of the music or the film there is a lot to appreciate on the fuller set including demos, outtakes and alternate versions as well as dialogue reels from the film. Unlike the expansive "Hot Rats" set there is less repetition but the nature of the set itself will only be attractive to collectors as most will be fine with the standard album.