Record Reviews

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:

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