How To Buy...Frank Zappa (Part Three Albums #41 - #60) by Rob H. For Part One click HERE! and for Part Two click HERE!
#41 "Thing Fish" Frank
Zappa (Original Cast Recording)
Firstly do NOT buy this if you are
easily offended!
"Thing Fish" was conceived
as a Broadway musical about an Evil Prince creating a disease to wipe out all
"highly rhythmic individuals and sissy boys". I kid you not.
Unfortunately the funding amount was not raised so it never did get to Broadway
but we do have this amazing document (including full libretto and stage
directions) to imagine what could have been!
To make sure the disease works they
arrange to test it on the inmates in San Quentin as they had already tested
them with syphilis but something goes wrong and the inmates mutate in to Mammy
Nuns, potato headed with duck bills who wear Catholic clothing and are rendered
incontinent. Lots of previously released songs are given fresh makeovers to fit
in to the story line ("The Torchum Never Stops", "You Are What
You Is", "Mudd Club", The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing",
"No Not Now" and more) as well as dialogue and audience interaction.
Add in to the mix the husband and wife theatre goers Harry & Rhonda (played
by Terry and Dale Bozzio) who are get more than they bargained for. The whole
story takes a massive lurch into the sexual realm with Harry embracing his
repressed gay leanings and Rhonda pleasuring herself with her business
briefcase (during which Frank even manages to get a dig in at Warner Brothers!)
There's lots of serious parallels
with the AIDS crisis and genetic engineering and Ike Willis is absolutely
fantastic in the title role. It seems that Whoppi Goldberg had expressed an
interest in making a film adaptation but that came to nothing with Franks
passing.
This really is like nothing else in
the Zappa catalogue, yes you need to approach with caution and an extremely
open mind but it's worth it!
#42 "Francesco Zappa" Frank
Zappa
This is the first solely synclavier
album and is "performed" by the Barking Pumpking Digital
Gratification Consort. It is also the only Zappa album not to feature any of
Frank's music.
Francesco Zappa was an eighteenth
century Italian composer and cellist that Frank's wife Gail discovered when
looking up something about her husband. The entire album is some of his work
"played" by the synclavier and is 100% entirely dispensable unless you
want to listen to some fairly obscure eighteenth century chamber music but as a
Frank Zappa album it's one you don't need!
Fun Fact 1 - This was the third album
cover to feature Patricia the dog as painted by Donald Roller Wilson, the
others were "Boulez Conducts Zappa - The Perfect Stranger" and
"Them Or Us".
Fun Fact 2 - "Francesco Zappa
was released on the same day as "Thing Fish"
A vinyl only re-release of the early
albums which at the time were out of print and hard to find. Alongside
"Freak Out", "Absolutely Free", "We're Only In It For
The Money", "Lumpy Gravy" and "Cruising With Ruben &
The Jets" buyers also received a "Mystery Disc" of rarities.
Rather than review that here I'll wait and review the eventual separate release
which was made up of tracks from both mystery discs (the other was in "The
Old Masters, Box Two").
#44 "Frank Zappa Meets The
Mothers Of Prevention" Frank Zappa
This actually was two different
albums which have now been merged in the digital age, it's part synclavier and
part band. The title relates to the proposed bill in America that would make
bands have to display warning stickers on their albums in a huge censorship
battle with the so called Washington Wives lead by Tipper Gore on one side and
Frank on the other with notable musicians such as John Denver and Dee Snider on
the other, not to mention Jello Biafra who was prosecuted in a test case for
including a poster of HR Giger's artwork "Penis Landscape" in the
Dead Kennedys "Frankenchrist" album.
Zappa appeared at the senate hearing
(you can hear more on the "Congress Shall Make No Law" album) and
parts of this were sampled in the track "Porn Wars" along with other
non sympathetic participants. Other tracks relate to connected issues such as
"H.R. 2911" which was the bill that promised a tax levy on blank
tapes that would be given to record companies in exchange for them backing the
labelling bill. Because Frank thought these themes would not be of interest
outside of America he released a version removing the political tracks and
replacing them with alternative songs.
Vocal wise you have Ike Willis on
"Yo Cats" and a shared vocal with Frank on "We're Turning
Again" which name checks high profile characters from the 60's music scene
such as Hendrix, Cass Elliot, Keith Moon and Jim Morrison and those fans that
adored them. Johnny "Guitar" Watson returns for another guest spot on
"I Don't Even Care" but for me the real stand outs are two of the
instrumentals. "Alien Orifice" with it's complex percussion patterns
and the guitar solo throughout "What's New In Baltimore".
Not an essential release but it's
worth dipping into to hear some of the tracks listed above.
#45 "Does Humor Belong In
Music?" Frank Zappa
This is a great live album that
despite it's title and cover art is not the soundtrack to the video/dvd of the
same name.
With so many live albums in the Zappa
catalogue it's got to be special to stand out and that's something "Does
Humor Belong In Music?" doesn't do. You have some interesting takes on old
tracks including a faster version of "Tinsel Town Rebellion",
"Trouble Every Day" with lyric change critical of MTV, or rather the
music on it, a vocal version (of sorts) of "What's New In Baltimore"
and a "Whippin' Post" complete with guest solo from Dweezil.
Probably the most interesting track
is the solo heavy "Let's Move To Cleveland" which clocks in at just
under 17 minutes without ever over staying it's welcome. Special mention also
to "Hot Plate Heaven At The Green Hotel" which again dispenses with a
"comedy" lyric quickly before leading into a fantastic guitar and
band work out.
It's definitely a contender for an
extended collection addition but it shouldn't be high on your list when
starting out.
The second of the three vinyl only
reissues of the early out of print albums and the last one to feature a bonus
"Mystery Disc". Albums included in this box are "Uncle
Meat", "Hot Rats", "Burnt Weeny Sandwich", "Weasels
Ripped My Flesh", "Chunga's Revenge", "Fillmore East, June
1971", "Just Another Band From L.A." and the aforementioned
"Mystery Disc".
The two mystery discs would be combined as official release #68 minus a couple of songs but I'll get to that in due course!
Almost entirely an instrumental
synclavier album with the exception of the live track "St.Etienne".
Frank embraced the synclavier as it allowed him to achieve things that real
musicians would struggle to and there are some wonderful compositions here that
demonstrate that appeal. To me though the synclavier just lacks
"warmth" and sounds alien and by the time "St.Etienne"
appears you realise that you miss that.
Zappa would finally find an ensemble
that could interpret this level of complexity shortly before his passing and
comparing "G-Spot Tornado" on "The Yellow Shark" played by
the Ensemble Modern to the version on "Jazz From Hell" will have you
wishing he had found them earlier.
For fans of the synclavier and in a much more extended collection.
More from the LSO recordings and
available now with both volumes combined with a rearranged running order.
Originally "Vol II" featured just 3 tracks, an extended version of
"Bogus Pomp" (a whole nine minutes extra compared to the
"Orchestral Favorites" version), "Bob In Dacron" and
"Strictly Genteel". It's a great example of the larger orchestra
arrangements but this side of Frank's work doesn't appeal to everyone, if you
love it then go for it but if you want to dip your toe in the water of the
classical works then I'd suggest "The Yellow Shark" instead.
#49 "The Old Masters, Box
Three" Frank Zappa
The last of the vinyl only set collecting together the early albums that were out of print at the time. This was the only one of the Old Masters releases not to contain a "Mystery Disc". The albums included were "Waka/Jawaka", "The Grand Wazoo", "Over-Nite Sensation", "Apostrophe(')", "Roxy & Elsewhere", "One Size Fits All", "Bongo Fury" and "Zoot Allures".
#50 "Guitar" Frank Zappa
Not content with already having
released 3 albums of his guitar solos with the "Shut Up 'N Play Yer
Guitar" series Zappa returned to the format in 1988 with the double album
"Guitar".
32 guitar solos taken from various
songs and various shows across various years. For the musos amongst you some of
these solos were played on a sunburst Stratocaster that had belonged to Jimi
Hendrix who had burnt it on stage.
This is another marmite release, you
either love the diversity and improvisation in Franks playing and the little
musical nods in them as well as the titles given to the solos such as
"In-A-Gadda-Stravinsky" and "It Ain't Necessarily The Saint
James Infirmary" or you prefer to hear them as complete songs.
Fun fact - this wouldn't be the last
guitar solo release as official release #79 "Trance-Fusion" delivers
even more of Franks playing!
#51 "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol 1" Frank Zappa
The first of six double CD's that
were compiled to highlight various different line ups and interesting versions
of songs performed across the years. Sometimes the song was as performed and
sometimes it's an edited hybrid of various different bands performing the same
song.
The series is fantastic and has many
standouts on each volume. Highlights on Vol 1 include the Mark Volman intro to
"Sofa #1" "Once Upon A Time", a 20 minute "Don't Eat
The Yellow Snow" suite from 1979 and some excellent soloing on "The
Torture Never Stops". Each volume has it's own distinct character as well
as great sleeve notes on the first four releases.
A definitive essential for extended
collections but best enjoyed when you are familiar with the source material and
can appreciate the nuances and differences.
This one is something special! The
only one of the YCDTOSA series that is the same band and although it is culled
from a couple of dates it is presented as a complete gig. The band is George
Duke, Ruth Underwood, Tom Fowler, Chester Thompson, Napoleon Murphy Brock and
of course Frank himself.
There's lots of interplay between the
band, secret words and in jokes. This is also the concert where someone shouts
out for the band to play "Whipping Post" by the Allman Brothers Band
something that Frank would do many years later on the "Them Or Us"
album. Instead of the requested song on this occasion the band play
"Montana (Whipping Floss)" with altered lyrics and several false
starts.
There's fantastic versions of
"Cheepnis", "Stinkfoot", "Inca Roads" ,
"Village Of The Sun" and the pure brilliance of this band can really
be heard in the instrumentals especially on "Uncle Meat",
"Dupree's Paradise" and an incredible stop start version of
"Approximate".
This line up is one of the classic
ones and is fondly remembered so having this document is an amazing thing and
one you'll want!
The 1988 tour would produce a total
of three live albums starting with this one (the others being "Make A Jazz
Noise Here" & "The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life".)
This is possibly Frank's most overtly
political album featuring many songs concerning politicians and religious
figures such as Jimmy Swaggert and Jesse Jackson. After saying that this is far
from preachy and both main American parties are challenged with equal disdain,
on the American tour each concert featured voter registration opportunities
which explains the lyrical themes on much of this album. The religious element
also stretches to a cover of "Murder By Numbers" by The Police with
vocals by Sting who denounces Jimmy Swaggert in his introduction. The
televangelists Jim & Tammy Bakker amongst others come under fire in album
closer "Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk" which points out the many self
serving contradictions in their beliefs and links to prominent politicians.
There are of course a couple of older
tracks included with "Outside Now","Dickie's Such An
Asshole" and "Hot Plate Heaven At The Green Hotel" all featuring
as well as "Tell Me You Love Me" radically reworked into the barbed
Michael Jackson themed "Why Don't You Like Me?".
As an album it's more focused on
vocal tracks but the band still shines with lots of changing musical
"cues" to be discovered throughout most tracks. Overall it works well
and offers something different from the tours two subsequent releases.
#54 "You Can't Do That On Stage
Anymore, Vol 3" Frank Zappa
This will always be my go to Volume
of the YCDTOSA series. Not only is it a lot of fun with the band inserting
random "secret word" phrases enough to make Frank abandon the song
they are playing as he is laughing so much but you have some great historic
gems too.
Things kick off with a Dweezil guest
spot on "Sharleena" before a uptempo version of "Bamboozled By
Love" which includes Frank soloing around the "Owner Of A Lonely
Heart" riff by Yes. "Joe's Garage" is very well represented on
this set with "Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up", "Keep It
Greasey", "Joe's Garage" & "Why Does It Hurt When I
Pee?" all featured.
The "Secret word" based
around the Lone Ranger routine of Lenny Bruce is just joyous in "Bobby
Brown Goes Down" with Ike Willis randomly inserting shouts of "Hi Ho
Silver", Frank initially plays along adjusting lyrics as he goes but his
laughter gets to the stage that they have to start the next song early! It
doesn't help much as Willis continues the theme and you can hear Zappa let out
a stifled "Oh, God" as he tries to compose himself!
We get a fantastic hybrid version of
"Drowning Witch" from the '82 & '84 touring bands doing their best
to nail the tracks complexity. "Cocaine Decisions" and "Nig
Biz" are both from the infamous Palermo show in Italy from 1982 where the
Army and Police started firing tear gas in to the crowd, indeed you hear the
shots during "Cocaine Decisions", Zappa brings the band down while an
interpreter tries to restore calm before Frank makes an appeal himself. After
the appeals the band launch into "Nig Biz" with Ray White singing
while having his eyes wiped with a wet towel as tear gas drifts across the
stage!
Another multiple era track of note is
a 24 minute "King Kong" that includes parts recorded at the Rainbow
Theatre, London in 1971 shortly before Frank was pushed off stage that resulted
in him being wheel chair bound for the best part of a year!
There is much of note on this volume
and deserves your attention so you can discover all the wonderful moments for
yourself! If you want to dip in to the YCDTOSA series then this is the one to
start with!
The second of the 1988 tour releases
with the title relating to how the band imploded before the end of the tour
forcing Zappa to cancel the remaining dates. Long time bassist Scott Thunes had
been tasked with rehearsing the band prior to the tour which lead to some
animosity which escalated on the tour leading to the band airing their
displeasure to Frank. Some random acts of pettiness grew so Zappa asked each
member of the band if they could complete the tour with Scott, all except
guitarist/keyboardist Mike Keneally said that they could not. With the vast
repertoire that was rehearsed and a different set each night the cost and time
to replace Thunes was unfeasible so the band was dismissed and the remaining
dates cancelled. Only Thunes and Keneally remained on the payroll. This
explains the odd wording of the albums title, the best band you NEVER heard in
your life....and what a band they were!
There's a lot on this album and the
musicianship is faultless throughout, the seventies era is well featured with
"Cosmik Debris", "Find Her Finer", "Zomby Woof",
"Zoot Allures", "Andy", "Inca Roads", "Sofa
#1 & "The Torture Never Stops" all present. The
political/religious slant of the previous album is here to a lesser degree with
the tongue in cheek spoken word voter registration piece "A Few Moments
With Brother A. West" and Jimmy Swaggert themed versions of "Lonesome
Cowboy Burt" & "More Trouble Every Day".
What will strike a lot of people is
the shear amount of cover versions included on the album. A reggae style cover
of the Johnny Cash classic "Ring Of Fire" (Cash had been due to guest
but his wife was ill), "I Left My Heart In San Francisco", soundcheck
versions of "Purple Haze" and"Sunshine Of Your Love",
"When Irish Eyes Are Smiling", "Godfather Part 2 Theme" and
even the "Theme From Bonaza". The unlikely inclusion of Ravel's
"Bolero" would cause issues with his estate for years to come with it
having to be removed from some releases in certain countries, it is now public
domain and is thankfully available again. The album closes with "Stairway
To Heaven" which may annoy Zeppelin purists but to hear the entire brass
section play Page's guitar solo note for note is truly something else!
This was to be Franks last tour and
it produced some amazing music, it's a shame it ended as it did and you can't
help but wonder what might have been if it hadn't.
If you would like to read more about
the tour then pick up the book "Zappa The Hard Way" by Andrew
Greenaway.
More of a mixed bag than previous
volumes but with some interesting moments including a fantastic "The
Torture Never Stops" with a Captain Beefheart vocal and for Jazz fans
Artie Shepp can be found guesting on "Let's Move To Cleveland solos".
There are some great folklore moments
leading to "Stevies's Spanking" complete with solos by Steve Vai and
FZ but the stranger tales are to be had in the George Duke lead "Smell My
Beard" and "The Booger Man". It's also good to hear some of the
"Thing Fish" tracks in a live setting with "Brown Moses"
and "Evil Prince" both present although out of context of the main
story I wonder what audiences thought of them!
There is less here to enthuse about
than previous volumes but a worthy addition to the YCDTOSA series.
#57 "Make A Jazz Noise
Here" Frank Zappa
The third and final album to come
from the 1988 "Broadway The Hard Way" tour. Unlike the previous
releases "Make A Jazz Noise Here" features predominantly
instrumentals allowing you to enjoy and marvel at the musicianship of the band.
There are some new tracks such as the
soundcheck solos improvisation "When Yuppies Go To Hell" and
"Star Wars Won't Work" alongside early material like the medley of
"Let's Make The Water Turn Black", "Harry, You're A Beast",
"The Orange County Lumber Truck", "Oh No" and "Theme
From Lumpy Gravy". The version of "Black Napkins" is absolutely
sublime with the brass section replacing the normal guitar parts and for guitar
lovers there is plenty to shout about, check out the solo in "Alien
Orifice" for example!
There are many well known tracks from
throughout Zappa's career here, "King Kong", "Dupree's
Paradise", "Strictly Genteel", "Eat That Question",
"Big Swifty" and a new age version of "Black Page" but as
with all of Frank's releases each band bought something different and with a
band this accomplished it's wonderful to hear.
There are some vocal tracks including
"Stinkfoot", "City Of Tiny Lights", "Stevie's
Spanking" and "Advance Romance" but this album is one that you
will come to for the instrumentals.
The penultimate volume in the YCDTOSA
series was actually released simultaneously with Vol.6 both in a reinforced
case designed to house the complete series.
This is a bit of an oddity as disc
one is devoted to the early Mothers of Invention and disc two focuses on the
1982 band. The Mothers material is interesting for the completest featuring
unreleased tracks such as "The Downtown Talent Scout" which is in the
same vein as "Trouble Every Day" and also a couple of tracks from the
Zappa composed film soundtrack "Run Home Slow" which are nice to hear
in a live setting. Another interesting rarity is a drum duet between Zappa and
Jimmy Carl Black imaginatively called "FZ/JCB Drum Duet".
The 1982 disc is solid enough with
the highlight being "Dead Girls Of London" a track written by Frank
that appeared on the Shankar "Touch Me There" album which Zappa
produced. The closer "Geneva Farewell" hears Frank bringing a concert
to an early end after fans insisted on repeatedly throwing things on to the
stage.
You can live without this volume but
of course the deeper you get into Zappa the more you will want this and the
more you will get out of it!
The final volume in the live YCDTOSA
series, the first disc has a lose theme of sex and the second a bit more
variety.
Like any volume in the series it has
it's gems: "The M.O.I. Anti-Smut Loyalty Oath" was in response to Jim
Morrison being charged with lewd behaviour on stage, "The Poodle
Lecture" , played over the vamp to "Stinkfoot", gives good
insight in to "Dirty Love" which it leads into & "Is That
Guy Kidding Or What" explains the reasoning behind "I Have Been In
You" although oddly that track appears later on the same disc and not the
more logical flow of straight after.
There are some live events captured
that will be of limited appeal such as "The Madison Panty-Sniffing
Festival" and "Make A Sex Noise Here" which you can both live
without.
There are a few appearances from
violinist L.Shankar most notably on "Thirteen" which is half him
soloing and half Frank soloing. Lisa Popeil who did the operatic vocal on the
"Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch" track "Teenage
Prostitute" tells us more about her life switching from spoken to faux
operatic style in "Lisa's Life Story". "Lonesome Cowboy
Burt" gets a reworked hybrid version with "Lonesome Cowboy
Nando" with the lyric change reflecting a marine biologist naming a newly
discovered species of jellyfish after Zappa. The mid section switches back to
the traditional Jimmy Carl Black vocal seventies version but it would have been
nice to have a complete version of the marine biologist lyric as the band are
having a lot of fun with the theme and are running with it.
The whole run on this six volume 12
disc set were fantastic for the established Zappa-ite until you consider
yourself one you will probably be best served dipping in to the series with
volumes 2 & 3 but after that you'll spend hours listen to these discs
enjoying the seamless edits between different bands and decades!
An archive release consisting of
"field recordings" of the Mothers of Invention on tour in 1970 &
1971 as well as live recordings from concerts that had spawned the
"Fillmore East, June 1971" & "Just Another Band From
L.A." albums as well as from the infamous show where Frank was pushed from
the stage at the Rainbow in London.
Frank and other band members had
portable tape recorders with them on tour so all manner of road life was
documented anything from booking into a hotel, preparing for a photo shoot,
rehearsing lines for the filming of "200 Motels" to dressing room
jams. Of particular note are the interview with the front office manager at the
Edgewater Inn in Seattle which would provide the basis for "The Mud Shark"
and Jeff Simmons quitting the band during the rehearsals of "200
Motels". These recordings will be of interest to some and not to others
and are pretty short but do account for approximately a third of the album.
Musically what appeals the most are a 30 minute "Billy The Mountain", a full 6 minutes longer than the version on "Just Another Band From L.A.", and the John Lennon & Yoko Ono guest spot during the encore at the Fillmore east. Lennon had released these years earlier as part of his "Sometime In New York City" album but the mix here is far superior and some tracks have been re titled so "Au" is now "A Small Eternity With Yoko Ono".
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