Record Reviews

FRANK ZAPPA ~ ZAPPA IN NEW YORK ZAPPA 3856 (Barcode: 824302385623) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1976 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 23rd album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, recorded live during a series of concerts at the NYC Palladium in December 1976 and originally released as a 2LP album in 1978. A much expanded 5CD edition, including the original release and hours of bonus material, all previously unreleased, was released in 2019 as the 112th album, called “Zappa In New York (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)Find albums with this title”. All the music was composed by Zappa. The group / orchestra accompanying Zappa, who plays guitar and sings, includes an incredible assemblage of musicians: rhythm guitarist / vocalist Ray WhiteFind albums by this artist, keyboardist / violinist Eddie JobsonFind albums by this artist, bassist Patrick O`HearnFind albums by this artist, drummer Terry BozzioFind albums by this artist, percussionist Ruth UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist David SamuelsFind albums by this artist and a brilliant brass section comprising of saxophonists Lou MariniFind albums by this artist, Michael BreckerFind albums by this artist and Ronnie CuberFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Randy BreckerFind albums by this artist and trombonist Tom MaloneFind albums by this artist. The material includes some compositions, which appeared on earlier Zappa’s releases, but most of the material was completely new at the time. The music, as I have already stated repeatedly, is beyond categorization, being first and foremost the idiosyncratic creation of Zappa’s musical Genius. Obviously at the time Zappa was emphasizing the Jazz elements in his music, as the Jazzy brass section certifies, creating his very own Jazz-Rock Fusion, but these terms are highly inappropriate to describe the full scope of this incredible music. Every new piece of reissued vault material by Zappa expands the portrait of one of the paramount musical Geniuses of the 20th Century. As far as live albums are concerned, this gem certainly finds its place in the Pantheon of the finest live recordings of all time. Listening to these 5 CDs in a row is definitely a life changing Zappaorgy. Overall, this is an absolute must have album for all Zappaoids, but in truth every true music lover should find this music outstanding in every possible and impossible way… beyond recommendation… 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: 01/04/2022

CD 2 Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ ZAPPA IN NEW YORK (40TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION) ZAPPA 20029 (Barcode: 824302002926) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1976 Released: 2019 This is the 112th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, recorded during a series of concerts at the NYC Palladium in December 1976 and originally released as a 2LP album in 1978. This expanded / remastered edition includes 5 CDs worth of music, including the original release and hours of bonus material, all previously unreleased. All the music was composed by Zappa. The group / orchestra accompanying Zappa on this album includes an incredible assemblage of musicians: rhythm guitarist / vocalist Ray WhiteFind albums by this artist, keyboardist / violinist Eddie JobsonFind albums by this artist, bassist Patrick O`HearnFind albums by this artist, drummer Terry BozzioFind albums by this artist, percussionist Ruth UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist David SamuelsFind albums by this artist and a brilliant brass section comprising of saxophonists Lou MariniFind albums by this artist, Michael BreckerFind albums by this artist and Ronnie CuberFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Randy BreckerFind albums by this artist and trombonist Tom MaloneFind albums by this artist. The material includes some compositions, which appeared on earlier Zappa’s releases, but most of the material was completely new at the time. The music, as I have already stated repeatedly, is beyond categorization, being first and foremost the idiosyncratic creation of Zappa’s musical Genius. Obviously at the time Zappa was emphasizing the Jazz elements in his music, as the Jazzy brass section certifies, creating his very own Jazz-Rock Fusion, but these terms are highly inappropriate to describe the full scope of this incredible music. Every new piece of reissued vault material by Zappa expands the portrait of one of the paramount musical Geniuses of the 20th Century. As far as live albums are concerned, this gem certainly finds its place in the Pantheon of the finest live recordings of all time. Listening to these 5 CDs in a row is definitely a life changing Zappaorgy. Overall, this is an absolute must have album for all Zappaoids, but in truth every true music lover should find this music outstanding in every possible and impossible way… beyond recommendation…

Updated: 01/04/2022Posted: 22/09/2021

CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend