The Real Frank Zappa Thread

[Egyptian Feast]

Demonoid torrents seem to turn up on public search sites very quickly.

Ahh, OK then. Cheers!

[Lfbarfe]

The version of King Kong on the BBC2 compilation is just under 10 minutes. It cuts very suddenly.

[Don_Preston]

The Late Show concert footage is up on Youtube in 12 installments. Currently on a 74 version of Cosmik Debris, where George Duke performs a hilarious keyboard solo

[trotsky assortment]

Not seen that for ages, but without going to YouTube, I'll wager it's not as hilarious as the width of his hair on the Stanley Clarke/George Duke clip from 'The Best of The Tube: Volume 1'.

[Don_Preston]

New album on offer:

One Shot Deal CD



$16.00

All Titles Produced by FZ
Just when you thought it was safe
to go back in the water . . .
Makes its own sauce!
Shocking summer surprise for no reason at all!

Apparently this is the tracklisting:

1. Bathtub Man (5:43)
2. Space Boogers (1:24)
3. Hermitage (2:00)
4. Trudgin' Across the Tundra (4:01)
5. Occam's Razor (9:11)
6. Heidelberg *1987 (4:46)
7. The Illinois Enema Bandit (9:27)
8. Australian Yellow Snow (12:26)
9. Rollo (2:57)

[trotsky assortment]

I'm in the middle of revisiting Frank Zappa's extensive catalogue of music.  Actually, in some instances I'm about to hear some stuff for the first time.

I've just read this comment:  'Have any of you played 'Ya Hozna' backwards?  I won't spoil the fun for you!'

Has anyone heard an mp3 of 'Ya Hozna' running backwards (or should that be forwards)?

[trotsky assortment]

I've just acquired a bunch of Zappa stuff.  I have a couple of questions.

If any huge fans out there could help, I'd be greatful (Don Preston, I'm looking at you).


Is the mix of 'Hot Rats' different on the current RYKO issue compared to the 90s ZAPPA Records issue?

My folder marked 'Lumpy Gravy' has two versions of 'Lumpy Gravy' in it:  The 'Lumpy Gravy folder has two tracks 'part 1' and 'part 2' (how I expected it to be).
There's also a folder called 'Lumpy Gravy (Capitol Version).  That one has the following tracks:

01 Sink Trap
02 Gum Joy
03 Up and Down
04 Local Butcher
05 Gypsy Airs
06 Huchy Punchy
07 Foamy Soaky
08 Lets Eat Out
09 Teenage Grand Finale

I've not had the chance to listen to them properly, but I noticed that none of the 9 tracks listed above begin the same way as the more regularly available version.  Is it a completely different record, as opposed to a different mix?

Lastly, my 'Fillmore - June '71' has an extra folder called 'Fillmore '71: Just Another Band Disc 2'.  I can't find any mention anywhere of 'Just Another Band From LA' ever having a second disc and sound quality wise, it really doesn't sound like it belongs with the Fillmore release.  Where's it from?  Was it meant to be included with either of those releases, or is it a bootleg?
Here's the non-descript tracklist:

Don Preston
Ian Underwood
Aynsley Dunbar
FZ
Studebaker Hoch
FZ Again


If anyone could provide any info, that'd be great.

[The Region Legion]

The Capitol Records version of Lumpy Gravy comes from a hideously rare 8-track tape that is just the orchestral music from the album, and none of the band or spoken word stuff, as that was Zappa's original intention for the album. You should definitely upload that to a rapidshare link or something for the rest of us as it's pretty hard to come by even as a download (at least, as far as I'm aware). The track titles are likely just fan-made titles (much like the various titles Aphex Twin's music gets given).

Don't know much about the second disc of Another Band but it's likely another traders-only item - pretty sure that album was originally going to be 2 discs, hence the title.


For future reference to you and to anyone else, there's a great website called ]Return Of The Son Of The Vinyl Vs CDs FAQ that details a lot of these collectors queries, definitely worth a look.

[trotsky assortment]

Thanks for that link.  Looks to be lots of great reading there.

[trotsky assortment]

Cor.  Bugger. 
Disc 2 of the CD version of 'Uncle Meat' is horrible.  Can't see me playing it very often, largelt due to the three bonus tracks (see link above).

I can understand why Frank added the bonus dialogue tracks to the CD reissue, but does anyone have any info on why he decided to add 'Tengo Na Minchia Tanta'?  It's really jarring to hear something recorded in the mid/late 80s in the middle of an album recorded in 1969.

[NoSleep]

Cor.  Bugger. 
Disc 2 of the CD version of 'Uncle Meat' is horrible.  Can't see me playing it very often, largelt due to the three bonus tracks (see link above).

Doesn't King Kong end CD 2? Please don't neglect it.

[trotsky assortment]

It does, yes.  The high point of both 'Meat' discs, for sure, but it doesn't have the great impact after being into submission by verious other clanky dirges and over forty minutes of dialogue.  So far on my long on-off journey with FZ, 'Uncle Meat' has to be my least favourite disc.

I'll be playing them in approximate order over the course of the next few weeks.  As you can tell, if I've just played 'Uncle Meat', I've got a very long journey ahead*.  Still, 'Hot Rats' coming up very soon, so that's a really bright spot on the horizon.


*I realise in an above post I said I was in the middle of (re)visiting, but that's because I'd spent a couple of days watching some DVD footage, followed by cherry-picking some bits at random.  Now, I'm doing it properly.  From beginning to end.

[trotsky assortment]

Sad news from Jimmy Carl Black's website.

Seems ex-Mothers man Jimmy passed away on 31st October, coincidentally one of FZ's most celebrated of days.

If you can, mark his passing with a spin of whichever Mothers album you feel fits the bill.

[The Region Legion]

Sad news from Jimmy Carl Black's website.

NO, NOT THE INDIAN! FUCK.

Absolutely Free going on the record player as we speak...

[Bingo Fury]

Shit, no. I shook his hand once. In fact, I shook his hand twice.

Completely unexpected and saddening news.

[trotsky assortment]

I had an important previous engagement last night, so I'll be spinning a Mothers album or two tonight.  I may even do it this afternoon.

[trotsky assortment]

I decided to spin 'Weasels Ripped My Flesh'.  I'd not played it from beginning to end for a while.  It was a sharp reminder of how, despite generally good reports, it's never been one of my favourites.  That said, 'The Orange County Lumber Truck' is great.

The studio minute and a half at the beginning of 'Toads of the Short Forest' is beautiful, in a 'Hot Rats' style.  I'm always disappointed when that segues into the live, clunky part of the track.  Do any longer recordings of the studio jazz part exist?

[Don_Preston]

No, but I did have the bootleg where the clunky live second half came from. Segued into from the end of the Orange County Lumber Truck

[trotsky assortment]

It's Don Preston!  Been a while - good to see you! 

So, do you have any idea about the bootleg disc I ended up with? (mentioned above, in my post about 'Fillmore '71); what is it, exactly?  Is that disc of jams the same disc of jams said to be recorded on tour with Lennon and band?

[Don_Preston]

No I'm afraid. I've looked around the usual search engines and fan sites, but can't make head nor tail of it. What specifically are the songs behind the band members names, if you can recognise any of them?

[trotsky assortment]

I've not listened all the way through, but as far as I can tell, it's just live solos.

[Don_Preston]

Flicking through a magazine at a motorway service station this afternoon, I came across a review of a documentary all about the Mothers of Invention that's due for release. I'm hoping some footage, including the full King Kong at the BBC, might be included as an extra or something.

[trotsky assortment]

Wonder if it includes any of the stuff from the 'Total Music Theater' boot?

[Don_Preston]

I suspect it's slightly unofficial [IE not affiliated with the Zappa Trust] and therefore won't have much material. Along the lines of the Critical Review DVDs released about prog rock groups.

[trotsky assortment]

I won't hold my breath for anything classic, then.

[The Region Legion]

As for Reuben, the only way to listen to it untampered would be the vinyl. Or bootleg CDs that contain the vinyl rip.

This from the other Zappa thread that someone started who was shy of the search function.

Despite the fact that I'm sure it's very easy to come by on the usual sites...



...I decided to do a rip of my original US vinyl copy for the listening pleasure of the boards various Zappa fans. For those who haven't heard the original version before, you'll notice the difference within the first few seconds. Zappa really changed a lot in 1984.

I've done some remastering of it myself - a bit of limiting, some EQing to pull out the treble as well as a touch of harmonic exciter. The result is basically just a slightly clearer version of the original vinyl, not any actually difference in the mix.

It's all 160kbps mp3s I'm afraid, just to save on the download time for people. I've kept some WAVs so if anyone desperately wanted FLACs or something I can probably do it. Just ask. Will only work for the first 10 people, I imagine there's not many more than that here that'll be interested anyway. Enjoy!

http://rapidshare.com/files/228860651/_1968.12__Crusin__With_Ruben___The_Jets.rar.html

[Don_Preston]

I had a strange feeling the Zappa thread would be bumped. It's been around four months since Lumpy Money was released, and that's usually the average time it takes for the ZFT to release another album, so I've been diligently checking the Zappa homepage for any updates. None thusfar, but I'm hoping it won't be long for a new release (hopefully live material from a particular era).

[Famous Mortimer]

I downloaded what appears to be everything he ever did the other day, one of those things I've been promising I'd do for ages. Since then, I've been discussing him with a few people, and while they love the things Zappa was attached to (Beefheart, Wild Man Fischer) they found his stuff a bit rubbish. But, I am my own man, and all that. I'll probably start at the beginning, I've seen a concert video of him in the 1980s sometime and I didn't find it all that good, but I hope there's gold in the early stuff.

[NoSleep]

It's almost pure gold from Freak Out! until Hot Rats - my favourites are Uncle Meat (remember that long track I started my Rocky Jazz/Jazzy Rock evening with? That was King Kong from Uncle Meat) and We're Only In It For The Money.

[Don_Preston]

Well I was right, kind of. The newest purchase is, frankly, extremely disappointing. A digital download of previously unavailable on C.D compilation Mothermania. Bah!

Hopefully the ZFT will pull their finger out and release something interesting again (such as the case of the Grand and Petit Wazoo tour material).