Record Reviews

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