Record Reviews

FRANK ZAPPA ~ AHEAD OF THEIR TIME ZAPPA 3887 (Barcode: 824302388723) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1968 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 61st album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, originally released in 1993 (the one before last album released before his untimely demise). The music was recorded live in concert at the Royal Festival Hall, London, on 28 October 1968 by Zappa and the Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist. The album presents twenty tracks, all composed by Zappa, divided into two parts, each consisting of ten tracks: part one, entitled “Progress?” features also fourteen members of the BBC Symphony OrchestraFind albums by this artist and part two is performed by Zappa and the Mothers. The lineup of the Mothers includes, in addition to Zappa on guitar and vocals, saxophonists Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, Bunk GardnerFind albums by this artist and Jim SherwoodFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Don PrestonFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and drummers Art TrippFind albums by this artist and Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist. The album’s title of course precisely describes Zappa’s musical vision, which was light-years ahead of all his contemporaries. The Avant-Garde piece of music / humor presented in the first part of this album is completely innovative and far beyond anything happening at the time musically, not only on the Rock scene, but in American music in general. The second part of the concert is a “usual” Mothers performance, which of course is also absolutely brilliant, even though restricted to Rock / Jazz instrumentation. Although not one of the most popular or revered Zappa’s albums, it is, surely in retrospect, still a masterpiece of Avant-Garde music / comedy / satire / social parody and musical genius all mixed together. Overall, although this music is now almost fifty-five years old, it sounds as fresh as it did when first heard and lost absolutely nothing of its power and everlasting beauty. This album remains an absolute Classic in every respect, which stands proudly as an icon of superb music, which still shines brighter than almost anything else recorded since. Side Note Frank Zappa created a vast recorded legacy during his lifetime, which is continuously being expanded using music recorded and stored in his extensive vault. The albums officially released and approved by Zappa are numbered sequentially in the "Official Release" series, from #001 to the last release so far #126. The albums between #001 to #062 were released during Zappa's lifetime and all the others were released posthumously. There are countless unofficial / bootleg releases on the market as well. Zappa's catalogue was remastered for CD release twice: in 1995 for the RykodiscFind albums on this label releases and again in 2012 for the ZappaFind albums on this label Records / UniversalFind albums on this label releases. The Zappa / Universal program includes 60 releases, which cover the entire catalog released during his lifetime (62 releases, except #013 "200 Motels" and the three Box Sets #043, #046 and #049 called "The Old Masters vol.I / II / III"), and 6 posthumous releases (#064, #065, #067, #068, #093 and #094), which were also included.

Updated: 22/09/2022Posted: 19/01/2022

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ CRUISING WITH RUBEN & THE JETS ZAPPA 3838 (Barcode: 824302383827) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garge Pop Recorded: 1967 - 1968 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 5th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist and his group The Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist, originally released in 1968. The album presents thirteen original songs, all (except two) by Zappa, with all of the material recorded in the studio. This album was the third installment of the “No Commercial Potential” project, which also included “We`re Only In It For The MoneyFind albums with this title”, “Lumpy GravyFind albums with this title” and “Uncle MeatFind albums with this title”. The Mothers, who recorded this music included, in addition to Zappa who played guitar and sung, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, keyboardists Don PrestonFind albums by this artist and Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, woodwinds players Bunk GardnerFind albums by this artist and Jim SherwoodFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and drummers Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist and Art TrippFind albums by this artist. The music is a loving tribute by Zappa and the Mothers to the Doo-wop strain of American Rhythm And Blues music, which was very popular in the 1940s and 1950s and immensely influenced the Pop and Rock scene in years to come. Of course, as usual with Zappa’s treatment of any music, the result is quite extraordinary, full of brilliant vocal harmonizing, humor and satire, with purposely almost moronic lyrics, to emphasize the trivialization of music by the music industry. The arrangements, however, include many highly sophisticated tricks, like outlandish harmony, odd rhythmic patterns etc. As the result this album is often considered as the most “straightforward” album Zappa ever recorded, despite its hidden layers. Zappa shows on this album that he is able to write music, which amalgamates anything between Avant-Garde Pop and Rock, Jazz, including Free Jazz and Jazz-Rock Fusion and contemporary orchestral Classical Music. His guitar playing and the elaborate arrangements he wrote for the music are equal to none and he appears as the first “total musician” on the Pop / Rock scene, a status he was able to hold till the day he died. From day one his extravagant personality and brilliant intelligence marked him as an outsider, a fate shared by most geniuses. Ironically, despite the album’s Avant-Garde nature, it was exceptionally well received at the time of its release and even charted on the album list. This could have only happened in the late 1960s, when the last evidence of Human intelligence was still present on earth. Overall, although fifty-five years passed since this music was recorded, this album remains an absolute Classic in every respect, which stands proudly as an icon of superb music, which still shines brighter than almost anything else recorded since. Zappa’s genius, not only as a musician, but also as a visionary and a brilliant observer of the human condition and American folly and deceit, remain completely relevant and are even more actual today than ever. Side Note Frank Zappa created a vast recorded legacy during his lifetime, which is continuously being expanded using music recorded and stored in his extensive vault. The albums officially released and approved by Zappa are numbered sequentially in the "Official Release" series, from #001 to the last release so far #126. The albums between #001 to #062 were released during Zappa's lifetime and all the others were released posthumously. There are countless unofficial / bootleg releases on the market as well. Zappa's catalogue was remastered for CD release twice: in 1995 for the RykodiscFind albums on this label releases and again in 2012 for the ZappaFind albums on this label Records / UniversalFind albums on this label releases. The Zappa / Universal program includes 60 releases, which cover the entire catalog released during his lifetime (62 releases, except #013 "200 Motels" and the three Box Sets #043, #046 and #049 called "The Old Masters vol.I / II / III"), and 6 posthumous releases (#064, #065, #067, #068, #093 and #094), which were also included.

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: 13/05/2022

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ GREASY LOVE SONGS ZAPPA 20010 (Barcode: 824302001028) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1967 - 1968 Released: 2010 This is the 87th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2010, This album is also the 3rd release in the Project/Object Audio Documentary series, which reexamines / expands original Zappa albums with previously unreleased material, in this case the “Cruising With Ruben & The JetsFind albums with this title” album originally released in 1968. The Project/Object series also includes the following albums: “MOFOFind albums with this title” (2006), “The Lumpy MoneyFind albums with this title” (2009), “The Crux Of The BiscuitFind albums with this title” (2016) and “Meat LightFind albums with this title” (2016). The “Cruising With Ruben & The Jets” album was recorded between December 1967 and February 1968. The lineup of The Mothers Of Invention that recorded the album includes Zappa on guitar and vocals, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, drummers Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist and Art TrippFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Don PrestonFind albums by this artist, multi-instrumentalists Bunk GardnerFind albums by this artist and Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, and saxophonist Jim SherwoodFind albums by this artist. This version includes the original stereo mix of the album (thirteen tracks) and eight bonus tracks, mostly previously unissued. The previous CD reissues of the album presented the infamous 1984 remix of the album, which had re-recorded rhythm section parts, and this is the only CD with the original rhythm section. The music is a loving tribute by Zappa and the Mothers to the Doo-wop strain of American Rhythm And Blues music, which was very popular in the 1940s and 1950s and immensely influenced the Pop and Rock scene in years to come. Of course, as usual with Zappa’s treatment of any music, the result is quite extraordinary, full of brilliant vocal harmonizing, humor and satire, with purposely almost moronic lyrics, to emphasize the trivialization of music by the music industry. The arrangements, however, include many highly sophisticated tricks, like outlandish harmony, odd rhythmic patterns etc. As the result this album is often considered as the most “straightforward” album Zappa ever recorded, despite its hidden layers. Zappa shows on this album that he is able to write music, which amalgamates anything between Avant-Garde Pop and Rock, Jazz, including Free Jazz and Jazz-Rock Fusion and contemporary orchestral Classical Music. His guitar playing and the elaborate arrangements he wrote for the music are equal to none and he appears as the first “total musician” on the Pop / Rock scene, a status he was able to hold till the day he died. From day one his extravagant personality and brilliant intelligence marked him as an outsider, a fate shared by most geniuses. Ironically, despite the album’s Avant-Garde nature, it was exceptionally well received at the time of its release and even charted on the album list. This could have only happened in the late 1960s, when the last evidence of Human intelligence was still present on earth. Overall, although fifty-five years passed since this music was recorded, this album remains an absolute Classic in every respect, which stands proudly as an icon of superb music, which still shines brighter than almost anything else recorded since. Zappa’s genius, not only as a musician, but also as a visionary and a brilliant observer of the human condition and American folly and deceit, remain completely relevant and are even more actual today than ever.

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: 07/06/2022

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ MEAT LIGHT ZAPPA 20024 (Barcode: 824302002421) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1967 - 1968 Released: 2016 This is the 107th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2016, This 3CD album is also the 5th release in the Project/Object Audio Documentary series, which reexamines / expands original Zappa albums with previously unreleased material, in this case the “Uncle MeatFind albums with this title” album originally released in 1969. The Project/Object series also includes the following albums: “MOFOFind albums with this title” (2006), “The Lumpy MoneyFind albums with this title” (2009), “Greasy Love SongsFind albums with this title” (2010) and “The Crux Of The BiscuitFind albums with this title” (2016). The lineup of The Mothers Of Invention that recorded this music between October of 1967 and February 1968 includes Zappa on guitar and vocals, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, drummer Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Don PrestonFind albums by this artist, multi-instrumentalists Bunk GardnerFind albums by this artist and Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, percussionist Art TrippFind albums by this artist, drummer Billy MundiFind albums by this artist and a couple other musicians play on selected tracks. The music is a brilliant assemblage of anything between Pop and Avant-Garde Rock, with contemporary Classical and Jazz influences, light-years ahead of its time. The complexity of the music is staggering, especially in retrospect, where Zappa’s contemporaries were mostly creating quite simplistic music. As usual in his case it presents a pastiche, but sometimes also a loving tribute, to other songwriters and music genres. Zappa also proves his amazing abilities as a recording studio wizard, creating orchestral effects by enormously time consuming overdubbing of dozens of tracks. Overall, although almost fifty-five years passed since this music was recorded, this album remains an absolute Classic in every respect, which stands proudly as an icon of superb music, which still shines brighter than almost anything else recorded since. Zappa’s genius, not only as a musician, but also as a visionary and a brilliant observer of the human condition and American folly and deceit, remain completely relevant and are even more actual today than ever.

Updated: 05/06/2022Posted: 12/12/2021

CD 3 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ ROAD TAPES VENUE #1 VAULTERNATIVE 20122 (Barcode: 824302012222) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1968 Released: 2012 This is the 92nd album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2012. This 2CD album was released on the VaulternativeFind albums on this label label and is the first of three “Road Tapes” releases, which document entire live performances by Zappa and The Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist. This performance was captured at Kerrisdale Arena, Vancouver BC, Canada on August 25, 1968. The album presents fourteen tracks, all composed by Zappa, except one track by Edgar VareseFind albums by this artist. The lineup includes, in addition to Zappa, who plays guitar and sings, woodwinds player Bunk GardnerFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Jim SherwoodFind albums by this artist, keyboardists Don PrestonFind albums by this artist and Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and drummers Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist and Art TrippFind albums by this artist. The live material reflects the highly experimental / improvisational character of the music, as well as the Avant-Garde approach to composition and Free Form improvisation, which characterized Jazz, but was unheard of in Rock music at the time. Comparison between the live versions on this album, which are up to twenty minutes in duration, with the studio albums, prove how unique every concert by Zappa and his groups was and how important it is for all that material to be available on records, which of course is possible only due to Zappa’s passion and dedication to document his performances. Overall, although almost fifty-five years passed since this music was recorded, this album remains an absolute Classic in every respect, which stands proudly as an icon of superb music, which still shines brighter than almost anything else recorded since. Zappa’s genius, not only as a musician, but also as a visionary and a brilliant observer of the human condition and American folly and deceit, remain completely relevant and are even more actual today than ever.

Updated: 30/09/2022Posted: 11/08/2022

CD 2 Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ THE ARK RHINO / FOO-EEE 70538 (Barcode: 081227053826) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 1969 Released: 1991 This is a bootleg album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released officially by Zappa in 1991 as part of the "Beat The Boots!Find albums with this title" Box Set, which included eight bootlegs. The LPs in this Box Set (edition of 600 copies) were not available individually, but the the CD versions were made available individually on the Rhino / Foo-eeeFind albums on this label label as catalog numbers 70537 to 70544. In the UK these CDs were released on on the Essential / Foo-eeeFind albums on this label label as catalog numbers 956 to 963. This is the second album of the set. The music was recorded at The Ark in Boston on July 1969 and the lineup of the Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist includes Zappa on guitar and vocals, Don PrestonFind albums by this artist, Jim SherwoodFind albums by this artist, Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist, Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist, Bunk GardnerFind albums by this artist, Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist and Art TrippFind albums by this artist. The sound quality is quite reasonable in view of the illegal circumstances surrounding the recording process, often done on inferior equipment. It is of course an invaluable historic document of Zappa’s Genius. It is also valuable not only for its musical content, but also as an authentic document of the Music Industry bootlegging phenomenon and the attempts to fight it. Zappa pioneered (as he did in many areas) the idea of releasing the bootlegs on his own label, following the “if you can’t beat them, use them” formula, which later on became known as “The Official Bootleg” phenomenon still popular today.

Updated: 16/02/2023Posted:

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ UNCLE MEAT ZAPPA 3839 (Barcode: 824302383926) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1967 - 1968 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 6th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist and his group The Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist, originally released as a 2LP album in 1969. The album presents thirty-one original songs, all (except two) by Zappa, with most of the material recorded in the studio but several live performances are also included. This album was the fourth installment of the “No Commercial Potential” project, which also included “We`re Only In It For The MoneyFind albums with this title”, “Lumpy GravyFind albums with this title” and “Cruising With Ruben & The JetsFind albums with this title”. The Mothers, who recorded this music included, in addition to Zappa who played guitar and sung, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, keyboardists Don PrestonFind albums by this artist and Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, percussionist Ruth UnderwoodFind albums by this artist (still known at the time as Ruth KomanoffFind albums by this artist) woodwinds players Bunk GardnerFind albums by this artist and Jim SherwoodFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and drummers Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist, Art TrippFind albums by this artist and Billy MundiFind albums by this artist. The music was initially intended as a soundtrack for a movie of the same title, which was based on a script as zany as the music, mixing Sci-Fi elements and biographical experiences by the band members, which was never actually realized, until released in 1987 as a “making of” documentary, and the expanded CD edition of this album was released. Zappa was always interested in cinematography and he tackled several other movie projects during his career. Zappa shows on this album that he is able to write music, which amalgamates anything between Avant-Garde Pop and Rock, Jazz, including Free Jazz and Jazz-Rock Fusion and contemporary orchestral Classical Music. His guitar playing and the elaborate arrangements he wrote for the music are equal to none and he appears as the first “total musician” on the Pop / Rock scene, a status he was able to hold till the day he died. From day one his extravagant personality and brilliant intelligence marked him as an outsider, a fate shared by most geniuses. Ironically, despite the album’s Avant-Garde nature, it was exceptionally well received at the time of its release and even charted on the album list. This could have only happened in 1969, when the last evidence of Human intelligence was still present on earth. Overall, although over fifty-five years passed since this music was recorded, this album remains an absolute Classic in every respect, which stands proudly as an icon of superb music, which still shines brighter than almost anything else recorded since. Zappa’s genius, not only as a musician, but also as a visionary and a brilliant observer of the human condition and American folly and deceit, remain completely relevant and are even more actual today than ever. Side Note Frank Zappa created a vast recorded legacy during his lifetime, which is continuously being expanded using music recorded and stored in his extensive vault. The albums officially released and approved by Zappa are numbered sequentially in the "Official Release" series, from #001 to the last release so far #126. The albums between #001 to #062 were released during Zappa's lifetime and all the others were released posthumously. There are countless unofficial / bootleg releases on the market as well. Zappa's catalogue was remastered for CD release twice: in 1995 for the RykodiscFind albums on this label releases and again in 2012 for the ZappaFind albums on this label Records / UniversalFind albums on this label releases. The Zappa / Universal program includes 60 releases, which cover the entire catalog released during his lifetime (62 releases, except #013 "200 Motels" and the three Box Sets #043, #046 and #049 called "The Old Masters vol.I / II / III"), and 6 posthumous releases (#064, #065, #067, #068, #093 and #094), which were also included.

Updated: 22/09/2022Posted: 03/04/2022

CD 2 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ WHISKY A GO GO, 1968 ZAPPA 20045 (Barcode: 602458671568) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1968 Released: 2024 This is the 128th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2024. As the title suggests, it compiles all the material recorded live with his Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist at the iconic LA club Whisky A Go Go on July 23, 1968. The 3CD album offers almost three hours of music (32 tracks), carefully re-mixed and restored, and a couple of bonus vintage mixes. Most of the music is previously unissued, except a few tracks / fragments that “sneaked in” on other Zappa albums. The recordings feature the following lineup: Zappa on guitar and vocals, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, Bunk GardnerFind albums by this artist and Jim SherwoodFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Don PrestonFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and drummers Art TrippFind albums by this artist and Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Kim FowleyFind albums by this artist guests on four tracks and the all-girl group GTOsFind albums by this artist guest on one tracks. The music is absolutely sensational and shows Zappa’s untamed brilliance at its wildest, incorporating anything between Free Rock Improvisation to Doo-wop, spaced with unadulterated humor and pure musical Genius. The entire show is an orgy of musical ideas and sparks with the pleasure of performing, unabridged by conventions and pseudo-ethical rules. Although Zappa obviously developed over time as a composer and musician, changing his focus and stylistic preferences on the fly, these early recordings already clearly exemplify his out of the box musical attitude and openness, as well as moral and social ideology, which always steered his career and made him such a fascinating figure. Overall, this is an absolutely essential piece of the Frank Zappa legacy and a fitting tribute to his brilliance. These early Avant-Garde Rock recordings are a perfect example of the emerging idiom and are brilliantly executed by the ensemble. Considering that all this happened over fifty-five years ago clearly proves that Zappa was a visionary / prophetic Genius.

Updated: 26/09/2024Posted: 26/09/2024

CD 3 Mini-Sleeve Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend