Record Reviews

FRANK ZAPPA ~ SHEIK YERBOUTI ZAPPA 3859 (Barcode: 824302385920) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1977 - 1978 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 26th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released originally as a double LP in 1979. The music was recorded live in 1977 and 1978 and later extensively overdubbed in the studio. The album presents eighteen tracks, all composed by Zappa except one co-credited to two members of the band. The lineup that recorded most of the of tracks includes, in addition to Zappa on guitar and vocals, guitarist Adrian BelewFind albums by this artist, keyboardists Tommy MarsFind albums by this artist and Peter WolfFind albums by this artist, percussionist Ed MannFind albums by this artist, bassist Patrick O`HearnFind albums by this artist, drummer Terry BozzioFind albums by this artist and several others on backing vocals. Stylistically the album continues the path that started with “Zoot AlluresFind albums with this title”, which presents more Pop and Rock oriented compositions, concentrating on the sarcastic, satirical lyrics, which are sharp and cynical as usual, with a tendency towards absurd and ridicule. The album includes some of the most controversial Zappa’s social statements, which were than often twisted and distorted by the media. The instrumental work is of course as brilliant as always, dominated by guitar and keyboards, as opposed to the brass sound on the earlier recordings, which brought Zappa a strong concert following and even chart success, which he found hilarious and incomprehensible. Overall, although this music is now over forty 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: 06/03/2022

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend