RELEASES #14-27 (1972-1979)
14. Just Another Band From L.A. (LP, Bizarre/Reprise MS 2075, March 26, 1972)
There is no incarnation of any Zappa band that did not incorporate large doses of FZ-humor into its regular repertoire. However, over the years, this band has come to be known as "Zappa's Comedy Group." They appear only on #11-14 (and a few posthumous releases). If the hard-core early Zappa fans stubbornly refused to give this band a chance -- they missed out on a quite a bit of incredible music!
Everything on this disc was recorded on August 7, 1971 at Pauley Pavilion (UCLA).
"Billy the Mountain" is a classic (CC: compare the versions on Release #60 and 91).
"Call Any Vegetable" gets a unique treatment with a Gustav Holst quote thrown in for good measure, which cleverly segues into an historic high-octane guitar solo.
15. Waka/Jawaka (LP, Bizarre/Reprise MS 2094, July 5, 1972)
With good reason, FZ put the words "HOT RATS" on the faucet handles. This is a sort of follow-up to the '69 masterpiece; it is an all-studio album, but it is also quite different than Hot Rats. There is no Ian Underwood, no Ponty or Sugarcane Harris.
Zappa had been thrown off a stage in London by a crazed fan and was severely injured. He recuperated by creating two new masterpieces.
"Big Swifty" (17:22) features an amazing five-piece band (FZ, guitar & percussion / Tony Duran, slide guitar / George Duke, ring-modulated & echoplexed electric piano / Sal Marquez, many trumpets & chimes / Erroneous [Alex Dmochowski], electric bass / and Aynsley Dunbar, drums) with tons of overdubs. The initial melody, stomps out an insistent seven, dissolving into long -- but never boring -- solos by Marquez and FZ.
"Your Mouth" (3:12) is hilarious. By now, Zappa's producing abilities were enhancing his compositional skills -- like the weird little musical snippets which accompany the vocals here -- and creating an end product that sounds both slick and shockingly original.
"It Just Might Be a One-Shot Deal" (4:16) features FZ on "electric bed springs." The lyrics -- something about a frog with a satchel -- are partially recited with a Russian accent. This is wonderfully obtuse.
"Waka/Jawaka" (11:19). Nine musicians make this track sound like a full big band! Masterful music with never a dull moment, despite the track's length.
16. The Grand Wazoo (LP, Bizarre/Reprise MS 2093, November 27, 1972)
As Zappa's injuries healed, he rehearsed this large ensemble from his wheelchair, and began pondering the idea of taking this current band on the road -- which he ultimately did for two very brief tours at the tail end of 1972 (see Charles Ulrich: Big Band Projects of 1972). The five tracks on this record are all suberb -- the final one "Blessed Relief" (about pain meds, I heard once -- but it might have referred to the time when he could finally stop taking the pills -- he hated taking drugs in any form, other than coffee and cigarettes) has become something of a jazz standard, with its lilting 3/4 melody and rich 9th-chord harmonies.
17. Over-Nite Sensation (LP, DiscReet MS 2149, September 7, 1973)
Many people believe -- and sales would probably verify -- that the next four releases constitute the finest period in the entire oeuvre. It would be hard to argue otherwise. These are four slickly produced studio albums (Roxy is live, of course) played by some of the finest studio musicians in the world.
This seven-track release is stitched together like a thousand-dollar suit. What sound like relatively simplistic "pop songs" are carefully tailored charts, using Zappa's sophisticated musical language in new and unusual ways (for example: the dirty blues feel he achieves with syncopated flat-sevens; the cute musical fills in tight rhythmic spaces, etc.)
Well, I was born to have adventure /
So I just followed up the steps
Zappa orchestrates the next bar with rising and falling triplets, giving an amazing musical impression of climbing stairs. He was so good at that sort of thing.
"I'm the Slime" (3:34) is notable for Zappa's stinging guitar sound and his creepy sprechstimme narration. Tina Turner does the back-up vocals. The last 60 seconds is an FZ guitar solo of some amazement, transcribed here (Hal Leonard book) right down to the last note before the seque to
"Dirty Love" (2:58) Poodle time. Guitar solo in the middle this time! Short but potent!
"Fifty-Fifty" (6:10) features the incredible voice of Ricky Lancelotti and long, gorgeous solos by both Jean-Luc Ponty and FZ, based on a Phyrigian riff (half-step), which is nicely modulated down a Major Third during the jams, producing an open and natural sonic landscape.
"Zomby Woof" (6:10) perhaps best exemplifies the marriage of FZ's masterful studio production combined with his typically complex music. Here -- 40 years before the current zombie craze -- Zappa sings:
I got a great big pointed fang
Which is my Zomby Toof
My right foot's bigger than my other one is
Like a reg'lar Zomby Hoof
If I raid your dormitorium
Don't try to remain aloof . . .
I might snatch you up screamin' through the window all nekkid
An' do it to you on the roof, don't mess with the
ZOMBY WOOF
Try to feel the effect Zappa achieves in the four bars immediately before the lyrics begin -- the meter is 15/16 -- a sixteenth-note is chopped off the fourth beat of each measure -- i.e., 4+4+4+3. (Something similar occurs in the magnificent "Little House" from #09.)
"Dinah-Moe Humm" (6:02) -- "You gotta play 'Dinah-Moe Humm' a lot of times to make that much money," Frank once famously told Arthur Barrow, referring to the millions of dollars Zappa spent on his home studio. For many tours and many years, this song was the big, final extravaganza-filled moment of many a concert. As the years went by, the tempo got faster and faster -- FZ succeeding in whipping the audience into one final frenzy...
"Montana" (6:33) is unquestionably one of Frank's greatest "songs" -- funny, complex, a chart diffused with creamy trombone, dreamy vibes and a sharp, cutting guitar solo which slides back into the vocal with smeary, dripping triplets -- and Tina Turner singing one of Frank's most unforgettable, complex lines:
I'm ridin' a small tiny hoss
(His name is MIGHTY LITTLE)
He's a good hoss
Even though
He's a bit dinky to strap a big saddle or
Blanket on anyway
He's a bit dinky to strap a big saddle or
Blanket on anyway
Any way
I'm pluckin' the ol'
Dennil Floss
Even if you think it is a little silly, folks
I don't care if you think it's silly, folks
I don't care if you think it's silly, folks
18. Apostrophe (') (LP, DiscReet DS 2175, March 22, 1974)
Whatever commercial success FZ may have enjoyed during this period, even his die hard fans could not claim that he had ever "sold out" to radio and cheapened his music in any way. The fact that this album did in fact produce a "hit" for Frank had nothing to do with any effort on Zappa's part.
"Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" -- the first track of a continuous suite ("Nanook Suite") -- was peeled off the LP by a Pittsburgh DJ who had thought he might have a modern-day "novelty" track on his hands. The single brought new fans into the fray, who devoured the entire album, and began insisting that Zappa play the entire suite in concert (see #51).
In any case, the 31 minutes will fly by --
Well then Fido got up off the floor an' he rolled over
An' he looked me straight in the eye
An' you know what he said?
Once upon a time
Somebody say to me
(This is a dog talkin' now)
What is your Conceptual Continuity?
Well, I told him right then
(Fido said)
It should be easy to see
The crux of the biscuit
Is the Apostrophe(')
Rykodisc released this CD in a 24-carat gold-plated Au20 version. It's almost as good as the vinyl!
19. Roxy & Elsewhere (2LP, DiscReet 2DS 2202, September 10, 1974)
I was fortunate enough to attend one of the Roxy concerts which was the basis for this record: here is a chronicle of that magical evening!
Identically dressed in black tee-shirts, this astonishing ensemble (FZ, Ruth Underwood, Napoleon Murphy Brock, George Duke, two drummers: Ralph Humphrey and Chester Thompson + three Fowler brothers: Tom [bass]; Bruce [trombone] and Walt [trumpet]) played this music from memory -- not only flawlessly, but with a sense of joy and ease that captivated the audience -- both then and now.
The "Village of the Sun" suite is one of the miraculous wonders here.
Originally a double-album, this release is a massive success on all fronts -- and the cream between the cookies that are Apostrophe (') and One Size Fits All.
20. One Size Fits All (LP, DiscReet DS 2216, June 25, 1975)
Let me make this simple.
You are God. You are telling me that I may pick three, and only three, Frank Zappa records for my eternal listening pleasure.
This is easily one of the three. Gun-to-my-head other two: #08 and #63, but that changes from time to time. This release is simply a MUST MUST-HAVE! Steve Vai, in the Forward to the Hal Leonard score for this masterpiece, writes:
" . . . The album has that warm, fat analog sound that just feels good on the ears. All the instruments and vocals are masterfully arranged and recorded so that you can hear (and fetish) every little vibrational morsel."
"Inca Roads" (8:45)
From the first moment, the energy, musical excitement, and obvious production values -- not to mention the bizarre and interesting lyrics -- captivate the ears. George Duke sings the lead vocal in this magnificent classic Zappa excursion:
Did a vehicle
Come from somewhere out there
Just to land in the Andes?
The first 12-bar verse segues into one tricky bar of marimba thrills (Ruth Underwood), followed by a three-way conversation (beautifully notated in the score):
George: So white, Don, I ain't never seen nothin' like that in my entire life! Oo. Little round ball, I could ... couldn't ... What's that white thing doin' up there?
Napoleon Murphy Brock: Whose python boot is that? Hey, rush it. What? Ja-ee-zus! Wait a minute.
FZ: Why don't you sharpen it then? Mother Mary and Jozuf!
[see this thread about the origin of the last line!]
The verse returns, with increasingly bizarre little syncopations, as Duke soars into a perfect falsetto (high E-flat!). An insistent transition leads to one of Zappa's greatest guitar solos -- with an "inside story" that makes this one of the most amazing things to happen on a Zappa record to date!
All of the basic tracks for "Inca Roads" were recorded at KCET-TV on August 27, 1974 for a television special (today, released on CD [#81] and DVD). For a fascinating comparison, listen to this track on #81 and you will hear the guitar solo recorded on that occasion.
But here -- Zappa strips off his solo from a live concert in Helsinki, Finland, recorded shortly after the TV special (September 22-23, 1974) and substitutes it for the original 79-1/2 bar solo. The result is stunning.
As Duke asks the question for a third time (Did a vehicle / Come from somewhere out there), Zappa pulls out all the stops and in music somewhat reminiscent of the "Village of the Sun" suite, cascades through a series of odd meters -- culminating in a rushing torrent of 7/16 -- to 6/8, briefly -- and then back to 7/16 for a George Duke piano/synth solo.
By the fourth verse, things get pretty crazy:
Did a booger-bear
Come from somewhere out there
Just to land in the Andes?
Was she round
And did she have a motor
Or was she something different
Guacamole Queen
Guacamole Queen
Guacamole Queen
At the Armadillo in Austin Texas, her aura,
Or did someone build a place
Or leave a space for Chester's Thing to land
(Chester's Thing . . . on Ruth)
Zappa honors Underwood's contribution with one final flourish:
On Ruth
On Ruth
That's Ruth
It is also worthwhile to seek out the trippy clay animation "Inca Roads" video.
"Can't Afford no Shoes" (2:38)
Nice circle progressions (moving around the Circle of Fifths) and tasty guitar work.
"Sofa No. 1" (2:39)
Zappa's fondness for 3/4 -- traceable to the very beginning -- manifests itself here in a lovely instrumental, somewhat reminiscent of "Strictly Genteel" (#13).
"Po-Jama People" (7:39)
Re: getting what you wish for ...
Zappa had always dreamed of a band of "readers" -- musicians who could sightread his charts, classically-trained -- pure inspiration for his ever-expanded musical palette. But as his traditional secret observations of the other band members tended to find them indulging in a quiet chess game after the show, rather than a night of debauchery and blow-jobs with groupies and champagne corks, FZ found his usual "backstage" material wanting!
Perhaps he wrote this song with certain band members in mind.
"Florentine Pogen" (5:27)
"Evelyn, a Modified Dog" (1:04)
Harpsichord (or "tack piano")
"San Ber'dino" (5:57)
Zappa's personal experience with the criminal justice system. Shower optional.
"Andy" (6:04)
The opening chime-filled 4/4 is underpinned with a crazy, pointillistic drum part. On top of that, repeats a tight little guitar lick which introduces the lyric in insane, angular odd meters:
Is there anything good inside of you
If there is, I really wanna know
Suddenly, Zappa slows it down to a 50's 6/8 groove, followed by development of the previous guitar-lick motif. A pedal "A" takes us to a chorus in C#m:
Show me a sign
If you don't mind
This leads to a breakdown, restatement, more odd meters, short guitar solo, and finally
Andy de vine (de vine)
Had a thong rind (rind)
It was sublime (sublime)
But the wrong kind
A gutsy outro spills into laughter, which segues directly into:
"Sofa No. 2" (2:42)
Lyrics in English and German.
21. Bongo Fury (LP, DiscReet DS 2234, October 2, 1975)
Taken primarily from a live show in Austin, Texas, May 1975 (except for a few short "studio" additions), this audio document of the short-lived reunion of FZ and Captain Beefheart is a somewhat uneven release. There are, nevertheless, some real gems here ... and this album marks the first appearance of drummer Terry Bozzio -- one of Zappa's most important band members ever!
Beefheart's growling is only enhanced by FZ's fluid arrangements ("Debra Kadabra") -- but things seem to fall a bit flat on the two "Van Vliet compositions."
The rest of the album is pretty memorable. "Carolina," "200 Years Old," and "Advance Romance" all became a standard part of the repertoire in coming years.
"Muffin Man" became the standard big "guitar solo" encore number in later years.
22. Zoot Allures (LP, Warner Bros. BS 2970, October 29, 1976)
Zappa was entering the most distressing period in his entire professional career, business-wise. He sued and was sued by both his manager and his record company -- the legal proceedings taking about three years before Zappa was again free to record.
This strange release features two fellows on the cover who don't even play on the album. FZ plays almost everything here -- guitars, synths, keyboards, bass -- and Bozzio plays drums.
Zappa's only release on the actual Warner Bros. label!
23. Zappa In New York (2LP, DiscReet 2D 2290, March 13, 1978)
The next four releases (#23, 24, 25 and 27) were all problematic for Frank.
The corporate hissy-fit regarding this splendid document of a New York City concert revolved around a song called "Punky's Whips" (10:50) -- a real tour-de-force which begins with a short Don Pardo narration:
"In today's rapidly changing world, musical groups appear almost every day with some new promotional device . . . Some of these devices have been known to leave irreparable scars on the minds of foolish young consumers . . . One such case is seated before you . . . live on stage . . . yes, Terry Bozzio . . .
Terry: That's meeee!
Don Pardo: That cute little drummer . . . Terry recently felt in love with a publicity photo of a boy named Punky Meadows, lead guitar player from a group called ANGEL . . . In the photo, Punky was seen with a beautiful shiny hairdo in a semi-profile which emphasized the pooched out succulence of his insolent pouting rictus . . .
Terry: Ooh, Punky . . .
Don Pardo: The sight of which drove the helpless drummer mad with desire!
The rest of the composition involves Terry insisting that he
"AIN'T QUEER
(NO NO NO NO)
I AIN'T GAY
(NO NO NO NO)
(He's a little fond of chiffon in a wrist array-he-he-he-hey)
A wrist array-hey"
Apparently Punky Meadows and ANGEL all thought the joke was funny. Warner Bros., however, fearing a lawsuit, immediately pulled the track off the record, and re-issued the double-LP without it (shortening the timing considerably!)
(The few copies of the double-LP that made it to the stores with "Punky's Whips" intact are worth a fortune today!)
"Titties & Beer" (7:36) is Zappa's version of Stravinsky's "L'Histoire du Soldat," with some unique alterations.
"Cruisin' for Burgers" (9:12) gets a rousing treatment here -- well-played by a very tight band.
"The Illinois Enema Bandit" (12:41) is unique among all the other tracks in the Zappa canon. You just have to experience it. He performed it live frequently -- perhaps in an attempt to annoy and offend as many people as possible -- particularly women!
The two "Black Page" tracks are extremely important -- and Zappa brilliantly shows the method of his madness in transmutating a drum solo into such a fabulous little disco ditty!
"Purple Lagoon/Approximate" (16:40) is from the Saturday Night Live appearance with Belushi going nuts the whole time. Some amazing music here.
24. Studio Tan (LP, DiscReet DSK 2291, September 15, 1978)
Warners demanded product; Frank gave them a 4-LP set entitled Läther (now Release #65). Warners released the remaining three single LPs; the mix, the cover art, the liner notes -- all done without any final approval on Zappa's part.
It is doctoral-level thesis type stuff when it comes to comparing these versions with the Zappa-approved mixes on #65 (released after his death, '96). But it is worth owning both versions. Except for Orchestral Favorites (#27), all of the mixes are quite different.
The jewel here is the 20-minute suite, "Greggery Peccary."
25. Sleep Dirt (LP, DiscReet DSK 2292, January 12, 1979)
Once again -- just like Money and Hot Rats -- we have two separate releases here!
The original 1979 LP, released by Warners during the lawsuit with Zappa, is entirely instrumental.
In 1991, FZ asked Thana Harris to add vocals to three songs. Zappa had originally envioned "Flambay," "Spider of Destiny," and "Time is Money" as part of his abandoned 1972 musical, Hunchentoot, and thus, these songs were originally intended to be sung.
Chad Wackerman also overdubbed drums on "Flambay," "Spider of Destiny," and Regyptian Strut." Wackerman's parts replaced the original drum tracks. The first Barking Pumpkin CDs retained the original version of "Regyptian Strut," but this was changed for later releases. Both versions of the track can now be found on the Läther CD. Wackerman did not overdub drums on "Time is Money" even though he is credited for this in the CD notes. The 2012 Universal Music reissue reverts to the original vinyl version of the album.
26. Sheik Yerbouti (2LP, Zappa SRZ-2-1501, March 3, 1979)
Free at last! Zappa Records debut release is a raw, extremely loud punky kind of rock & roll record, polished to gleaming perfection. It is -- to date -- the biggest-selling Zappa record in his entire catalog!
Zappa sings about love songs and the cute English boys who sing them ("I Have Been in You"); LA plumbers ("Flakes"); Assholes ("Broken Hearts") and Cuteness ("I'm So Cute").
"Bobby Brown" was banned on US radio, of course -- but for some bizarre reason became a huge hit in various European locales, esp. Germany and Scandanavia.
"Jewish Princess" caused stupid controversy, as people in high places tried to pretend that there was really no such thing as a "Jewish Princess." Riiiiiiiiight ....
That leaves "Wild Love" (4:09) and "Yo' Mama (12:35) to close things out (originally Side Four!) ... the former has some terrific close-miked vocals and the latter features some absolutely incredible writing and playing, all stitched together from several different performances.
Tommy Mars (keyboards) confesses:
"... Frank wrote that song at the very beginning of the '77 European tour, and it has a personal relevance to me. We were doing this rehearsal in London and Frank was getting very tense. He expected certain things to be there when we got to rehearsal, and certain things were not there. We were gonna do the song 'Zoot Allures,' and he started playing this 11th chord and got very angry at everybody because nothing was happening right. I got fined because I hadn't memorized this little piece called 'Little House I Used to Live In.' I hadn't realized he wanted it totally memorized. So this rehearsal ended in a total fiasco. The next day, he came in with these lyrics:"
Maybe you should stay with yo' mama
(Mama!)
She could do your laundry 'n cook for you
Maybe you should stay with yo' mama
(Mama!)
You're really kinda stupid 'n ugly too
Well
Maybe you should stay with yo' mama
She could do your laundry 'n cook for you
Maybe you should stay with yo' mama
You're really kinda stupid 'n ugly too
On "Rubber Shirt" (2:43), Zappa experiments with xenochrony -- mixing a drum track with a bass track, both recorded independently. Taking the "Inca Roads" guitar-solo-graft one step further, Zappa would continually advance his work this sort of technique.
And -- finally -- pay attention to the "musical grout" which cements the various tracks together -- the strange, sped-up music and bizarre conversation. Some of these transitions can be seen in the film "Baby Snakes". This chart shows where they appear on four separate albums and the film itself.
27. Orchestral Favorites (LP, DiscReet DSK 2294, May 4, 1979)
The final piece of the "Lawsuit Releases" puzzle.
Performed by a large group of classically-trained LA studio musicians, this was recorded on September 18-19, 1975 in Royce Hall at UCLA.
Most of these tracks re-appear on Läther in the exact same mixes -- except with the stereo image reversed -- left and right switch places.
With music not nearly as "challenging" as the upcoming LSO and Boulez releases (#38 and 39), this album nevertheless provides a nice sense of Zappa's growth and progress into his real first and true love: modern orchestral and chamber music.
Thanks for this - very enjoyable read.for a longtime Zappa fan like myself. Your brother Alan referenced it on the Beefhheart discussion group. FWIW, I've always believed the title "Blessed Relief" related to a back-of-the-magazine ad that appeared in the 1960s featuring those words as a headline. The product promised hemorrhoid relief, though I don't recall if it was a cushion or an ointment. This would seem consistent with Zappa's somewhat puerile sense of humor. Unfortunately, I can't find anything on the Internet to substantiate this recollection.
Looking forward to the rest of your review!
Posted by: Bob DeBorculo | June 17, 2013 at 05:10 PM
I, too, am indebted to you as a Zappa man. Suzy Creamcheese, yes. The satire hits the mark. Not sure about Jewish Princesses and Catholic Girls: is his intent to show that he is an equal opportunity offender, or that everything is fair game? Because the words and the intentions are important, not just the music, incredible as it is.
Posted by: John Vincenzo | June 18, 2013 at 09:42 PM
thnx John. "Princess" and "Girls" are just two hysterical songs about real people. I'm Jewish and I know *exactly* what he's singing about there! As far as Catholic girls -- don't have that much experience - but it sounds like it could be true enough! :)- (Zappa wrote songs about stupid GUY things, too!)
Posted by: Lewis Saul | June 18, 2013 at 10:37 PM
I love Waka/Jawaka soooo much....http://frankzapppa.blogspot.com/2014/10/discography-wakajawaka.html
Posted by: klemenn | October 28, 2014 at 06:08 PM