Record Reviews

FRANK ZAPPA ~ `TIS THE SEASON TO BE JELLY ESSENTIAL / FOO-EEE 961 (Barcode: 5017615516128) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1967 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 sixth album of the set. The album presents ten tracks (on the European releases, like this one, one track is missing for copyright reasons), which were recorded at Konserthuset in Stockholm on September 30, 1967. The lineup of The Mothers Of Invention includes Zappa on guitar and vocals, Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist, Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, Bunk GardnerFind albums by this artist, Don PrestonFind albums by this artist, Jim SherwoodFind albums by this artist, Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist, Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist and Billy MundiFind albums by this artist. The music is a typical selection of Zappa’s advanced Avant-Garde Rock and Jazz-Rock Fusion. 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: 22/04/2023Posted: 22/04/2023

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ ABSOLUTELY FREE ZAPPA 3835 (Barcode: 824302383520) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1966 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 2nd album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist and his group The Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist, originally released in 1967. The album presents fifteen original songs, all by Zappa, two of which are bonus tracks not present on the original album and taken from a single also released at the time. For this album The Mothers were expanded to an octet and included, in addition to Zappa who played guitar and sung, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, guitarist Jim FielderFind albums by this artist (uncredited as he left the band before the album was released), keyboardist Don PrestonFind albums by this artist, woodwinds player Bunk GardnerFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and drummers Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist and Billy MundiFind albums by this artist. Ten other musicians took part in the recording adding string and brass section arrangements and other contributions. In order to fully understand the significance of this album, one would have to take a time travel trip back fifty-five years and compare the Pop / Rock albums that were released in 1967, for example “Sgt. Pepper`s Lonely Hearts Club BandFind albums with this title” by The BeatlesFind albums by this artist, “Between The ButtonsFind albums with this title” by The Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist or “Smiley SmileFind albums with this title” by the Beach BoysFind albums by this artist, and see that already on his sophomore album Zappa was light-years ahead of the time, writing a brilliant pastiche about the music business and American politics, which was not only hilarious but more importantly shockingly perceptive, whereas his contemporaries (with a few exceptions) were still writing love songs. Zappa shows on this album that he is able to write Pop songs in any style he wants, with results as god or better than anybody else at the time. His guitar playing and the elaborate arrangements he wrote for the songs are equal to none and he appears as the first “total musician” on the Pop / Rock scene, a status he was able to hold till the day he died. From day one his extravagant personality and brilliant intelligence marked him as an outsider, a fate shared by most geniuses. Zappa, who followed the Jazz scene closely, was of course aware of the Free Jazz scene reaching its peak at this time, and he prophetically tried to move the conceptual musical freedom also into Rock, to which the title of this album obviously hints. Overall, although over fifty-five 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: 22/09/2022Posted: 25/03/2022

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ CRUISING WITH RUBEN & THE JETS ZAPPA 3838 (Barcode: 824302383827) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garge Pop Recorded: 1967 - 1968 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 5th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist and his group The Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist, originally released in 1968. The album presents thirteen original songs, all (except two) by Zappa, with all of the material recorded in the studio. This album was the third installment of the “No Commercial Potential” project, which also included “We`re Only In It For The MoneyFind albums with this title”, “Lumpy GravyFind albums with this title” and “Uncle MeatFind albums with this title”. The Mothers, who recorded this music included, in addition to Zappa who played guitar and sung, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, keyboardists Don PrestonFind albums by this artist and Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, woodwinds players Bunk GardnerFind albums by this artist and Jim SherwoodFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and drummers Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist and Art TrippFind albums by this artist. The music is a loving tribute by Zappa and the Mothers to the Doo-wop strain of American Rhythm And Blues music, which was very popular in the 1940s and 1950s and immensely influenced the Pop and Rock scene in years to come. Of course, as usual with Zappa’s treatment of any music, the result is quite extraordinary, full of brilliant vocal harmonizing, humor and satire, with purposely almost moronic lyrics, to emphasize the trivialization of music by the music industry. The arrangements, however, include many highly sophisticated tricks, like outlandish harmony, odd rhythmic patterns etc. As the result this album is often considered as the most “straightforward” album Zappa ever recorded, despite its hidden layers. Zappa shows on this album that he is able to write music, which amalgamates anything between Avant-Garde Pop and Rock, Jazz, including Free Jazz and Jazz-Rock Fusion and contemporary orchestral Classical Music. His guitar playing and the elaborate arrangements he wrote for the music are equal to none and he appears as the first “total musician” on the Pop / Rock scene, a status he was able to hold till the day he died. From day one his extravagant personality and brilliant intelligence marked him as an outsider, a fate shared by most geniuses. Ironically, despite the album’s Avant-Garde nature, it was exceptionally well received at the time of its release and even charted on the album list. This could have only happened in the late 1960s, when the last evidence of Human intelligence was still present on earth. Overall, although fifty-five 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: 08/05/2023Posted: 13/05/2022

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ FREAK OUT! ZAPPA 3834 (Barcode: 824302383421) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1966 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 1st album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist and his group The Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist, originally released in 1966. The album presents fifteen original songs, all by Zappa. It was one of the first 2LP Pop / Rock albums ever released and the first debut 2LP album. The Mothers were a quintet and included, in addition to Zappa who played guitar and sung, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, guitarist Elliot IngberFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and drummer Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist. At least two dozen other musicians took part in the recording adding string and brass section arrangements and other contributions. The recording took just four days, which at the time was considered as “almost unlimited” studio time. In order to fully understand the significance of this album, one would have to take a time travel trip back fifty-five years and compare the Pop / Rock albums that were released in 1966, for example “RevolverFind albums with this title” by The BeatlesFind albums by this artist, “AftermathFind albums with this title” by The Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist or “Pet SoundsFind albums with this title” by the Beach BoysFind albums by this artist, and see that already on his debut Zappa was light-years ahead of the time, writing a brilliant pastiche about the music business and American politics, which was not only hilarious but more importantly shockingly perceptive, whereas his contemporaries (with a few exceptions) were still writing love songs. The album also included a twelve minutes long track with completely Avant-Garde Rock music at the time. Zappa shows on this album that he is able to write Pop songs in any style he wants, with results as god or better than anybody else at the time. His guitar playing and the elaborate arrangements he wrote for the songs are equal to none and he appears as the first “total musician” on the Pop / Rock scene, a status he was able to hold till the day he died. From day one his extravagant personality and brilliant intelligence marked him as an outsider, a fate shared by most geniuses. Overall, although almost fifty-five 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: 14/07/2022Posted: 03/12/2021

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ GREASY LOVE SONGS ZAPPA 20010 (Barcode: 824302001028) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1967 - 1968 Released: 2010 This is the 87th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2010, This album is also the 3rd release in the Project/Object Audio Documentary series, which reexamines / expands original Zappa albums with previously unreleased material, in this case the “Cruising With Ruben & The JetsFind albums with this title” album originally released in 1968. The Project/Object series also includes the following albums: “MOFOFind albums with this title” (2006), “The Lumpy MoneyFind albums with this title” (2009), “The Crux Of The BiscuitFind albums with this title” (2016) and “Meat LightFind albums with this title” (2016). The “Cruising With Ruben & The Jets” album was recorded between December 1967 and February 1968. The lineup of The Mothers Of Invention that recorded the album includes Zappa on guitar and vocals, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, drummers Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist and Art TrippFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Don PrestonFind albums by this artist, multi-instrumentalists Bunk GardnerFind albums by this artist and Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, and saxophonist Jim SherwoodFind albums by this artist. This version includes the original stereo mix of the album (thirteen tracks) and eight bonus tracks, mostly previously unissued. The previous CD reissues of the album presented the infamous 1984 remix of the album, which had re-recorded rhythm section parts, and this is the only CD with the original rhythm section. The music is a loving tribute by Zappa and the Mothers to the Doo-wop strain of American Rhythm And Blues music, which was very popular in the 1940s and 1950s and immensely influenced the Pop and Rock scene in years to come. Of course, as usual with Zappa’s treatment of any music, the result is quite extraordinary, full of brilliant vocal harmonizing, humor and satire, with purposely almost moronic lyrics, to emphasize the trivialization of music by the music industry. The arrangements, however, include many highly sophisticated tricks, like outlandish harmony, odd rhythmic patterns etc. As the result this album is often considered as the most “straightforward” album Zappa ever recorded, despite its hidden layers. Zappa shows on this album that he is able to write music, which amalgamates anything between Avant-Garde Pop and Rock, Jazz, including Free Jazz and Jazz-Rock Fusion and contemporary orchestral Classical Music. His guitar playing and the elaborate arrangements he wrote for the music are equal to none and he appears as the first “total musician” on the Pop / Rock scene, a status he was able to hold till the day he died. From day one his extravagant personality and brilliant intelligence marked him as an outsider, a fate shared by most geniuses. Ironically, despite the album’s Avant-Garde nature, it was exceptionally well received at the time of its release and even charted on the album list. This could have only happened in the late 1960s, when the last evidence of Human intelligence was still present on earth. Overall, although fifty-five 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: 08/05/2023Posted: 07/06/2022

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ JOE`S CORSAGE VAULTERNATIVE 20041 (Barcode: 824302004128) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1964 - 1966 Released: 2004 This is the 72nd album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2004. This album is the 1st release in the series of albums compiled by Zappa’s vaultmeister Joe TraversFind albums by this artist, which also includes “Joe`s DomageFind albums with this title” (2004), “Joe`s XMASageFind albums with this title” (2005), “Joe`s MenageFind albums with this title” (2008) and “Joe`s CamouflageFind albums with this title” (2014), all released on the VaulternativeFind albums on this label label. The album presents twelve tracks, some composed by Zappa and the rest covers, recorded in mid-1960s before the recording of the debut album by The Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist “Freak Out!Find albums with this title”. The lineup includes Zappa on guitar and vocals, guitarist Henry VestineFind albums by this artist, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and drummer Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist. The opening and closing tracks are excerpts from Zappa’s interviews and the rest are early versions / demos / live recordings of some the songs which will later appear on the debut album and others that appear only here. The material included on this album was never intended to be heard by “regular” listeners, and is a reflection of Zappa’s documenting passion, which prompted him to record every second of his performances in the studio and on stage from day one. It does, however, offer an incredible glimpse into the inner makings of music under Zappa’s guidance and shows the meticulous process involved in creating the music, starting with very basic ideas and developed slowly during these rehearsals. As such it shows Zappa’s genius at work and explains the ability of his musicians to perform the unspeakably tricky parts on stage later on. This is another piece of the puzzle of the Frank Zappa Genius.

Updated: 17/03/2023Posted: 17/03/2023

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ MEAT LIGHT ZAPPA 20024 (Barcode: 824302002421) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1967 - 1968 Released: 2016 This is the 107th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2016, This 3CD album is also the 5th release in the Project/Object Audio Documentary series, which reexamines / expands original Zappa albums with previously unreleased material, in this case the “Uncle MeatFind albums with this title” album originally released in 1969. The Project/Object series also includes the following albums: “MOFOFind albums with this title” (2006), “The Lumpy MoneyFind albums with this title” (2009), “Greasy Love SongsFind albums with this title” (2010) and “The Crux Of The BiscuitFind albums with this title” (2016). The lineup of The Mothers Of Invention that recorded this music between October of 1967 and February 1968 includes Zappa on guitar and vocals, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, drummer Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Don PrestonFind albums by this artist, multi-instrumentalists Bunk GardnerFind albums by this artist and Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, percussionist Art TrippFind albums by this artist, drummer Billy MundiFind albums by this artist and a couple other musicians play on selected tracks. The music is a brilliant assemblage of anything between Pop and Avant-Garde Rock, with contemporary Classical and Jazz influences, light-years ahead of its time. The complexity of the music is staggering, especially in retrospect, where Zappa’s contemporaries were mostly creating quite simplistic music. As usual in his case it presents a pastiche, but sometimes also a loving tribute, to other songwriters and music genres. Zappa also proves his amazing abilities as a recording studio wizard, creating orchestral effects by enormously time consuming overdubbing of dozens of tracks. Overall, although almost fifty-five 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: 05/06/2022Posted: 12/12/2021

CD 3 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ MOFO (2CD EDITION) ZAPPA 20005 (Barcode: 824302000526) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1966 Released: 2006 This is the 78th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2006, This album is also the 1st release in the Project/Object Audio Documentary series, which reexamines / expands original Zappa albums with previously unreleased material, in this case the “Freak Out!Find albums with this title” album originally released in 1966. The Project/Object series also includes the following albums: “The Lumpy MoneyFind albums with this title” (2009), “Greasy Love SongsFind albums with this title” (2010), “The Crux Of The BiscuitFind albums with this title” (2016) and “Meat LightFind albums with this title” (2016). The “Freak Out!” album was recorded in March 1966. The lineup of The Mothers Of Invention that recorded the album includes Zappa on guitar and vocals, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, drummer Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and guitarist Elliot IngberFind albums by this artist. At least two dozen other musicians took part in the recording adding string and brass section arrangements and other contributions. The recording took just four days, which at the time was considered as “almost unlimited” studio time. This 2CD edition of the “MOFOFind albums with this title” album includes the original stereo mix of the album (fifteen tracks) on CD1 and seventeen bonus tracks on CD2, mostly previously unissued. Seven of the bonus tracks are unique to this release and do not appear on the 4CD edition of the “MOFO” album, which includes more bonus tracks from the recording sessions of the “Freak Out!” album and earlier recordings. In order to fully understand the significance of this album, one would have to take a time travel trip back fifty-five years and compare the Pop / Rock albums that were released in 1966, for example “RevolverFind albums with this title” by The BeatlesFind albums by this artist, “AftermathFind albums with this title” by The Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist or “Pet SoundsFind albums with this title” by the Beach BoysFind albums by this artist, and see that already on his debut Zappa was light-years ahead of the time, writing a brilliant pastiche about the music business and American politics, which was not only hilarious but more importantly shockingly perceptive, whereas his contemporaries (with a few exceptions) were still writing love songs. The album also included a twelve minutes long track with completely Avant-Garde Rock music at the time. Zappa shows on this album that he is able to write Pop songs in any style he wants, with results as god or better than anybody else at the time. His guitar playing and the elaborate arrangements he wrote for the songs are equal to none and he appears as the first “total musician” on the Pop / Rock scene, a status he was able to hold till the day he died. From day one his extravagant personality and brilliant intelligence marked him as an outsider, a fate shared by most geniuses. Overall, although fifty-five 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: 13/01/2025Posted: 14/07/2022

CD 2 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ MOFO (4CD EDITION) ZAPPA 20004 (Barcode: 824302000427) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1966 Released: 2006 This is the 77th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2006, This album is also the 1st release in the Project/Object Audio Documentary series, which reexamines / expands original Zappa albums with previously unreleased material, in this case the “Freak Out!Find albums with this title” album originally released in 1966. The Project/Object series also includes the following albums: “The Lumpy MoneyFind albums with this title” (2009), “Greasy Love SongsFind albums with this title” (2010), “The Crux Of The BiscuitFind albums with this title” (2016) and “Meat LightFind albums with this title” (2016). The “Freak Out!” album was recorded in March 1966. The lineup of The Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist that recorded the album includes Zappa on guitar and vocals, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, drummer Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and guitarist Elliot IngberFind albums by this artist. At least two dozen other musicians took part in the recording adding string and brass section arrangements and other contributions. The recording took just four days, which at the time was considered as “almost unlimited” studio time. This 4CD edition of the “MOFOFind albums with this title” album includes the original stereo mix of the album (fifteen tracks) on CD1, nineteen bonus tracks on CD2, fourteen bonus tracks on CD3 and twenty-four bonus tracks on CD4. These bonus track include a plethora of studio outtakes and alternate takes, radio interviews, live performances, and other goodies, which shed light on the atmosphere and circumstances surrounding the recording of the epic debut album. In order to fully understand the significance of this album, one would have to take a time travel trip back fifty-five years and compare the Pop / Rock albums that were released in 1966, for example “RevolverFind albums with this title” by The BeatlesFind albums by this artist, “AftermathFind albums with this title” by The Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist or “Pet SoundsFind albums with this title” by the Beach BoysFind albums by this artist, and see that already on his debut Zappa was light-years ahead of the time, writing a brilliant pastiche about the music business and American politics, which was not only hilarious but more importantly shockingly perceptive, whereas his contemporaries (with a few exceptions) were still writing love songs. The album also included a twelve minutes long track with completely Avant-Garde Rock music at the time. Zappa shows on this album that he is able to write Pop songs in any style he wants, with results as god or better than anybody else at the time. His guitar playing and the elaborate arrangements he wrote for the songs are equal to none and he appears as the first “total musician” on the Pop / Rock scene, a status he was able to hold till the day he died. From day one his extravagant personality and brilliant intelligence marked him as an outsider, a fate shared by most geniuses. Overall, although almost sixty 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: 13/01/2025Posted: 13/01/2025

CD 4 Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ MOTHERMANIA ZAPPA 3840 (Barcode: 824302384022) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1966 - 1968 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 7th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist and his group The Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist, originally released in 1969. The album presents eleven original songs, all by Zappa, all of which we released on the first three albums by Zappa and the Mothers, “Freak Out!Find albums with this title”, “Absolutely FreeFind albums with this title” and “We`re Only In It For The MoneyFind albums with this title”, being a sort of “best of” compilation, but since the concept of “best of” was an anathema to Zappa, he used this opportunity to offer unique and different mixes and edits of these songs, which resulted in an entirely new album, which became anything but redundant, like in the case of most “best of” albums. The Mothers, who recorded these three albums included, in addition to Zappa who played guitar and sung, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, guitarists Jim FielderFind albums by this artist and Eliot IngberFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Don PrestonFind albums by this artist, woodwinds players Bunk GardnerFind albums by this artist, Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist and Jim SherwoodFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and drummers Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist and Billy MundiFind albums by this artist. Many other musicians took part in the recording of these three albums adding string and brass section arrangements and other contributions. Zappa shows on these albums that he is able to write Pop songs in any style he wants, with results as god or better than anybody else at the time. His guitar playing and the elaborate arrangements he wrote for the songs are equal to none and he appears as the first “total musician” on the Pop / Rock scene, a status he was able to hold till the day he died. From day one his extravagant personality and brilliant intelligence marked him as an outsider, a fate shared by most geniuses. 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: 22/09/2022Posted: 30/03/2022

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ UNCLE MEAT ZAPPA 3839 (Barcode: 824302383926) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1967 - 1968 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 6th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist and his group The Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist, originally released as a 2LP album in 1969. The album presents thirty-one original songs, all (except two) by Zappa, with most of the material recorded in the studio but several live performances are also included. This album was the fourth installment of the “No Commercial Potential” project, which also included “We`re Only In It For The MoneyFind albums with this title”, “Lumpy GravyFind albums with this title” and “Cruising With Ruben & The JetsFind albums with this title”. The Mothers, who recorded this music included, in addition to Zappa who played guitar and sung, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, keyboardists Don PrestonFind albums by this artist and Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, percussionist Ruth UnderwoodFind albums by this artist (still known at the time as Ruth KomanoffFind albums by this artist) woodwinds players Bunk GardnerFind albums by this artist and Jim SherwoodFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and drummers Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist, Art TrippFind albums by this artist and Billy MundiFind albums by this artist. The music was initially intended as a soundtrack for a movie of the same title, which was based on a script as zany as the music, mixing Sci-Fi elements and biographical experiences by the band members, which was never actually realized, until released in 1987 as a “making of” documentary, and the expanded CD edition of this album was released. Zappa was always interested in cinematography and he tackled several other movie projects during his career. Zappa shows on this album that he is able to write music, which amalgamates anything between Avant-Garde Pop and Rock, Jazz, including Free Jazz and Jazz-Rock Fusion and contemporary orchestral Classical Music. His guitar playing and the elaborate arrangements he wrote for the music are equal to none and he appears as the first “total musician” on the Pop / Rock scene, a status he was able to hold till the day he died. From day one his extravagant personality and brilliant intelligence marked him as an outsider, a fate shared by most geniuses. Ironically, despite the album’s Avant-Garde nature, it was exceptionally well received at the time of its release and even charted on the album list. This could have only happened in 1969, when the last evidence of Human intelligence was still present on earth. Overall, although over fifty-five 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: 22/09/2022Posted: 03/04/2022

CD 2 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ WHISKY A GO GO, 1968 ZAPPA 20045 (Barcode: 602458671568) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1968 Released: 2024 This is the 128th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2024. As the title suggests, it compiles all the material recorded live with his Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist at the iconic LA club Whisky A Go Go on July 23, 1968. The 3CD album offers almost three hours of music (32 tracks), carefully re-mixed and restored, and a couple of bonus vintage mixes. Most of the music is previously unissued, except a few tracks / fragments that “sneaked in” on other Zappa albums. The recordings feature the following lineup: Zappa on guitar and vocals, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, Bunk GardnerFind albums by this artist and Jim SherwoodFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Don PrestonFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and drummers Art TrippFind albums by this artist and Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Kim FowleyFind albums by this artist guests on four tracks and the all-girl group GTOsFind albums by this artist guest on one tracks. The music is absolutely sensational and shows Zappa’s untamed brilliance at its wildest, incorporating anything between Free Rock Improvisation to Doo-wop, spaced with unadulterated humor and pure musical Genius. The entire show is an orgy of musical ideas and sparks with the pleasure of performing, unabridged by conventions and pseudo-ethical rules. Although Zappa obviously developed over time as a composer and musician, changing his focus and stylistic preferences on the fly, these early recordings already clearly exemplify his out of the box musical attitude and openness, as well as moral and social ideology, which always steered his career and made him such a fascinating figure. Overall, this is an absolutely essential piece of the Frank Zappa legacy and a fitting tribute to his brilliance. These early Avant-Garde Rock recordings are a perfect example of the emerging idiom and are brilliantly executed by the ensemble. Considering that all this happened over fifty-five years ago clearly proves that Zappa was a visionary / prophetic Genius.

Updated: 26/09/2024Posted: 26/09/2024

CD 3 Mini-Sleeve Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend