Record Reviews

FRANK ZAPPA ~ CHUNGA`S REVENGE ZAPPA 3844 (Barcode: 824302384428) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1969 - 1970 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 11th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released originally in 1970. The music was recorded in the studio and live in 1969 and 1970. The album presents ten tracks, four of which are instrumentals, all composed by Zappa. The lineup, in addition to Zappa on guitar, vocals and other instruments including even drums, includes for the first time the two ex-TurtlesFind albums by this artist vocalists Howard KaylanFind albums by this artist and Mark VolmanFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Flo & EddieFind albums by this artist), multi-instrumentalist Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, keyboardist George DukeFind albums by this artist, bassists Jeff SimmonsFind albums by this artist and Max BennettFind albums by this artist, drummers Aynsley DunbarFind albums by this artist and John GuerinFind albums by this artist and violinist Don Sugarcane HarrisFind albums by this artist playing organ on one track. The album presents an eclectic amalgam of Jazz improvisations, Jazz-Rock Fusion, Blues, Rock and Pop songs, with sarcastic lyrics dealing with subject matter about Rock Culture, sex and other social issues. It is one of the most seemingly incoherent Zappa’s musical constructs, but of course it does make perfect sense as far as showing the diversity of his musical interests and his ability as a composer. Overall, although this music is now over fifty 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: 23/02/2022

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ ERIE ZAPPA 20039 (Barcode: 602445394661) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1974 - 1976 Released: 2022 This is the 122nd album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2022. The 6CD Box Set presents music recorded live in Erie, PA and surrounding area between 1974 and 1976 and offers over seven hours of previously unreleased (except for one track) performances of music, as usual almost entirely composed by Zappa. The recordings are presented chronologically and offer three complete concerts and bonus material from other performances. The music was recorded by three lineups, which includes Zappa on guitar and vocals and the following musicians: George DukeFind albums by this artist on keyboards, synthesizer and vocals, Tom FowlerFind albums by this artist on bass, Jeff SimmonsFind albums by this artist on guitar and vocals, Don PrestonFind albums by this artist on synthesizer, Bruce FowlerFind albums by this artist on trombone and vocals, Walt FowlerFind albums by this artist on trumpet, Napoleon Murphy BrockFind albums by this artist on saxophone, flute and lead vocals, Ralph HumphreyFind albums by this artist on drums and percussion and Chester ThompsonFind albums by this artist on drums and percussion, who play on CD1 and CD2 and the first two tracks of CD3. George Duke on keyboards, synthesizer and vocals, Tom Fowler on bass, Ruth UnderwoodFind albums by this artist on percussion, Napoleon Murphy Brock on saxophone, flute and lead vocals and Chester Thompson on drums and percussion, who play on the rest of CD3 and CD4. Bianca OdinFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Lady BiancaFind albums by this artist, who played with Zappa for just one month, which makes this a rare appearance) on keyboards and vocals, Ray WhiteFind albums by this artist on guitar and vocals, Eddie JobsonFind albums by this artist and keyboards and violin, Patrick O`HearnFind albums by this artist on bass and vocals and Terry BozzioFind albums by this artist on drums and vocals, who play on CD5 and CD6. It is truly amazing to discover the depth of the Zappa Family Trust vault and the fact that so much previously unreleased material is still available. Zappa’s Genius is revealed in every piece of recorded music he left behind, and the passing time makes us realize how pioneering and groundbreaking his work was at the time and in many respects continues to be so also today. Overall, although this music is now almost fifty years old, it sounds as fresh as it did when first heard and lost absolutely nothing of its power and everlasting beauty. This album is a valuable addition to Zappa’s incredible recorded legacy and is an absolute must for his many followers, who are always delighted to hear some previously unreleased material.

Updated: 19/12/2022Posted: 18/12/2022

CD 6 Digibook Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ FREAKS & MOTHERFU*#@%! ESSENTIAL / FOO-EEE 958 (Barcode: 5017615515824) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1970 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 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 the Essential / Foo-eeeFind albums on this label label as catalog numbers 956 to 963. This is the third album of the set. The music was recorded at the Fillmore East on November 13, 1970 and presents ten tracks. The lineup of the Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist includes Zappa on guitar and vocals, vocalists Mark VolmanFind albums by this artist and Howard KaylanFind albums by this artist, keyboardists George DukeFind albums by this artist and Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, bassist Jeff SimmonsFind albums by this artist and drummer Aynsley DunbarFind 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: 13/03/2023Posted: 18/02/2023

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ PLAYGROUND PSYCHOTICS ZAPPA 3886 (Barcode: 824302388624) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1970 - 1971 Released: 2012 This is the reissue / remaster of the 60th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released originally as a 2CD album in 1992, less than a year before Zappa’s demise. The album was recorded between late 1970 and late 1971 and includes another rare live recording of “Billy The Mountain”, lasting over thirty minutes. It includes numerous dialog fragments capturing the members of The Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist on tour and during the recording of the “200 MotelsFind albums with this title” soundtrack. It also offers alternative mixes of the live encounter between the Mothers and John LennonFind albums by this artist and Yoko OnoFind albums by this artist on the Fillmore East stage. The staggering fifty-seven tracks are and incredible testimony of the greatest Rock band ever, carefully assembled by Zappa, in a form he wanted the band to be remembered. Almost all the music was composed by Zappa. The musicians participating on this album include, in addition to Zappa who played guitar and sung, also vocalists Mark VolmanFind albums by this artist and Howard KaylanFind albums by this artist, woodwinds and keyboards player Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, keyboardists Don PrestonFind albums by this artist, George DukeFind albums by this artist and Bob HarrisFind albums by this artist, bassists Jim PonsFind albums by this artist, Jeff SimmonsFind albums by this artist and Martin LickertFind albums by this artist and drummer Aynsley DunbarFind albums by this artist. By the time this album was recorded Zappa and his Mothers Of Invention were a perfectly synchronized music machine able to play just about anything. Zappa’s sense of humor knew already no limits, as the “Billy The Mountain” track shows, being a hilarious pastiche of the Rock Opera genre, which thrived at the time. They produced some of the finest Pop / Rock oriented material, which was heavily spiced with hysteric and often outrageous satire and ridicule of American politics, religious radicals, sex, drugs, corruption and many other issues, which in Zappa’s opinion were eating the American society from within. As accurate as his view of the situation was, it did not have any impact on the state of matters, which obviously continuously worsened, effectively disintegrating the so called “American Way of Life”. Framed within brilliant music and some of his greatest guitar playing, this album is often considered as a great summary of the early Zappa period. Overall, although over fifty 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: 24/09/2022Posted: 24/09/2022

CD 2 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ ROAD TAPES VENUE #3 VAULTERNATIVE 20161 (Barcode: 824302016121) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1970 Released: 2016 This is the 103rd album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2016. This 2CD album was released on the VaulternativeFind albums on this label label and is the last 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 Tyrone Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, MN, USA on July 5, 1970. The album presents twenty-six tracks, all composed by Zappa, except one track by Igor StravinskyFind albums by this artist. The lineup includes, in addition to Zappa, who plays guitar and sings, vocalists Mark VolmanFind albums by this artist and Howard KaylanFind albums by this artist, keyboardists Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist and George DukeFind albums by this artist, bassist Jeff SimmonsFind albums by this artist and drummer Aynsley DunbarFind albums by this artist. This recordings capture one of the first of the (then) new lineup of the Mothers. None of the material included here is included on the “The Mothers 1970Find albums with this title” Box Set released in 2020. 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 over fifty 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: 03/10/2022Posted: 30/09/2022

CD 2 Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ ROXY & ELSEWHERE ZAPPA 3852 (Barcode: 824302385227) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1973 - 1974 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 19th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released originally as a double LP in 1974. The music was recorded live in concert mostly at the Roxy Theatre, Hollywood, on 8, 9 & 10 December 1973 by Zappa and the Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist. It is a companion release to the albums “Roxy By ProxyFind albums with this title”, “Roxy: The MovieFind albums with this title” and finally “The Roxy PerformancesFind albums with this title”. The album presents ten tracks, all composed by Zappa. The lineup of the Mothers includes, in addition to Zappa on guitar and vocals, saxophonists Napoleon Murphy BrockFind albums by this artist, trombonist Bruce FowlerFind albums by this artist, keyboardists George DukeFind albums by this artist and Don PrestonFind albums by this artist, percussionist Ruth UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, guitarist Jeff SimmonsFind albums by this artist, bassist Tom FowlerFind albums by this artist and drummers Ralph HumphreyFind albums by this artist and Chester ThompsonFind albums by this artist. Despite the fact that the music recorded at the Roxy appears on several albums, each and every track on these albums is completely unique, either being a different version or different mix or overdub. Considering that this lineup of the Mothers was one of the greatest, as was the material, every last note of these recordings is worth its weight in gold. The music is one of the most Jazz oriented Zappa projects, which this team manages to perform brilliantly. As usual with Jazz oriented music, the instrumental improvisations are very diverse on each version of the same tune played during the different shows, and they are always delightfully brilliant. Overall, although this music is now almost fifty 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: 01/03/2022

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ THE MOTHERS 1970 ZAPPA 20033 (Barcode: 824302003329) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1970 Released: 2020 This is a wonderful archival Box Set, which collects the recordings by the short lived lineup of the MothersFind albums by this artist, led by Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist between May and December of 1970 and celebrates its 50th Anniversary. The material includes studio and concert recordings from the Zappa vault and most of the material is previously unreleased. This particular lineup of the Mothers included the two ex-TurtlesFind albums by this artist vocalists Mark VolmanFind albums by this artist and Howard KaylanFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Flo & EddieFind albums by this artist), Jazz keyboardist George DukeFind albums by this artist, who arrived via Jean-Luc PontyFind albums by this artist and the brilliant “King KongFind albums with this title” album from 1969, multi-instrumentalist Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist (the only original Mother), bassist Jeff SimmonsFind albums by this artist and British drummer Aynsley DunbarFind albums by this artist. Shortly before Zappa disbanded the original Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist, he released the seminal solo album “Hot RatsFind albums with this title”, was involved in cross-genre meeting with Zubin MehtaFind albums by this artist and in parallel started to produce the “Uncle MeatFind albums with this title” movie, a typical Zappa mayhem, emphasizing his feverish creativity. The music is, as always, completely Zappaesque, with brilliant melodic contents, weird polyrhythmic approach, which was always his forte, a Rock oriented rhythm section and Jazz oriented instrumental layers, topped with superb vocal harmonies and Zappa’s angelic / devilish guitar work, which remains unparalleled. As the time moves on and Zappa’s music is now well into its sixth decade, it becomes more and more apparent that he was an absolute singularity on the 20th Century music scene. No other musician managed to create such a vast body of music so diverse and aesthetically perfect as Zappa. He was also one of the very few musicians with an outlook on the world politics and the sickness of American society, and surely the only one that was not afraid to publicly mock it. His sharp sense of humor cut deeply like a surgeon’s scalpel, but the political establishment managed to present him to the public as a weirdo rather than a sage. One of the few things that I regret in the course of my musical adventures is the fact that I met Frank only a couple of times over the years, as I’d love to have talked with him in depth. It was not to be and his premature death closed the window of opportunity forever. For the many Zappa fans this Box Set is of course a must, as everything else that emerges from his vault. It is absolutely blissful that his vault is so well looked after and new material emerges from it periodically and continuously, especially in times were new music is hardly worth any attention. Pass the word and enjoy!

Updated: 19/01/2022Posted: 30/05/2021

CD 4 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ UNMITIGATED AUDACITY RHINO / FOO-EEE 70540 (Barcode: 081227054021) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1974 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 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 the Essential / Foo-eeeFind albums on this label label as catalog numbers 956 to 963. This is the fourth album of the set. The album presents thirteen tracks, which were recorded at Notre Dame University on May 12, 1974. The lineup of the Mothers Of Invention includes Zappa on guitar and vocals, George DukeFind albums by this artist, Bruce FowlerFind albums by this artist, Tom FowlerFind albums by this artist, Ralph HumphreyFind albums by this artist, Napoleon Murphy BrockFind albums by this artist, Don PrestonFind albums by this artist, Jeff SimmonsFind albums by this artist, Walt FowlerFind albums by this artist and Chester ThompsonFind albums by this artist. The music is a typical selection of Zappa’s advanced Jazz-Rock Fusion and political / social satire. 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: 31/03/2023Posted: 30/03/2023

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ ZOOT ALLURES ZAPPA 3855 (Barcode: 824302385524) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1973 - 1976 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 22nd album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released originally in 1976. The music was recorded mostly in the studio in 1976 except for a couple of tracks originating from earlier sessions and one track was recorded live. The album presents nine tracks, all composed by Zappa except one co-composed with Jeff SimmonsFind albums by this artist. The lineup that recorded most of the of tracks includes, in addition to Zappa on guitar, bass, keyboards and vocals, drummer Terry BozzioFind albums by this artist, percussionist Ruth UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, bassist / vocalist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and harmonica player Captain BeefheartFind albums by this artist. The live track features also keyboardist Andre LewisFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Napoleon Murphy BrockFind albums by this artist. The two earlier tracks feature brass players: saxophonist Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, trombonist Bruce FowlerFind albums by this artist and trumpeter Sal MarquezFind albums by this artist. The album includes several tracks, which would become Zappa’s signature pieces in the following years. Some of the music recorded during the sessions for this album and not included on it were about to resurface of the “Sleep DirtFind albums with this title” album. Stylistically the album is significantly different from the series of Jazz-Rock Fusion albums that preceded it, and presents a caricature of such diverse musical styles as Heavy Metal and Disco, which dominated the scene at the time. The sarcastic lyrics are sharp and cynical as usual, with a tendency towards absurd and ridicule. Overall, although this music is now over forty-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: 04/03/2022

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend