Record Reviews

FRANK ZAPPA ~ FILLMORE EAST - JUNE 1971 ZAPPA 3845 (Barcode: 824302384527) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1971 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 12th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released originally in 1971. The music was recorded live at the legendary NYC Fillmore East venue in 1971. The album presents twelve tracks, all (except one) composed by Zappa. The lineup, in addition to Zappa on guitar and vocals, includes members of the then current version of Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist, which comprises of lead vocalists Mark VolmanFind albums by this artist and Howard KaylanFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Flo & EddieFind albums by this artist), multi-instrumentalist Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Bob HarrisFind albums by this artist, bassist Jim PonsFind albums by this artist and drummer Aynsley DunbarFind albums by this artist. Keyboardist Don PrestonFind albums by this artist appears on one track, which was probably recorded at other live concert. The album presents a comic / bitterly satirical concept “story”, which depicts the “behind the scenes” of the music business and Rock groups touring / concerts, with all its absurdity and deviation, which sadly was for many years a part of the scene, before it spread into the general public and created the insane “celeb” scene omnipresent in today’s non-culture. Musically the album is somewhat less Jazz-Rock Fusion oriented, but still offers lengthy instrumental improvisations and some of the best-ever guitar soloing by Zappa. The only track not composed by Zappa is a parody of the song “Happy Together”, which was a mega hit for the TurtlesFind albums by this artist, the group Volman and Kaylan originate from. 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: 12/02/2022

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend