*** Frank Zappa ***

[Д.Д.]

With the expiration of the FZ/Ryko deal the whole catalog is to be reissued on Universal this year. Some titles are to be remastered, I am anxiously waiting for the first batch because Hot Rats and Uncle Meat badly need it.

http://www.msopr.com/press-releases/zappa-family-trust-regains-control-of-iconic-musicians-extensive-catalog-global-licensedistribution-deal-signed-with-universal-music-enterprises/

[Big Wheel]

What are the odds that we'll actually see the original mix of Cruisin' With Ruben and The Jets rather than the horrendous 1980s mix with overdubbed bass and drums? Had Zappa already wrecked it before he issued it on Barking Pumpkin, or was that done for some later version?

While this is far from Zappa's best or most original work, this is still his most inexplicable decision to me by far. It would be like if Shakespeare went back and, say, "fixed" The Merry Wives of Windsor by deciding that Falstaff definitely needed to be shadowed in every act by his doppelganger Fartstaff, Ye Olde Walking Fart Joke.

As an aside, I happened to be on a road trip through the Southern California desert 3 years ago and had a chance to do a bit of poking around in Palmdale and Lancaster, where Zappa went to high school. The whole valley that contains both towns is one weird place, unadulterated desert (on multiple levels). Even in LA you sometimes get the sense that people were not meant to live in this area, but the feeling is about 10x as strong in the Antelope Valley.

Today there are lots of random junkyards and stuff around; it's one of the places Hollywood stores its props for blockbusters and where retired airplanes go to die. In Frank's day it must have been almost 100% families affiliated in some way with Edwards Air Force Base, and until you got old enough to know someone with a car who could drive you over the mountains through Santa Clarita to LA, it must have felt like living on a different, barren planet.

Edited June 14, 2012 by Big Wheel

[Д.Д.]

What are the odds that we'll actually see the original mix of Cruisin' With Ruben and The Jets rather than the horrendous 1980s mix with overdubbed bass and drums? Had Zappa already wrecked it before he issued it on Barking Pumpkin, or was that done for some later version?

While this is far from Zappa's best or most original work, this is still his most inexplicable decision to me by far. It would be like if Shakespeare went back and, say, "fixed" The Merry Wives of Windsor by deciding that Falstaff definitely needed to be shadowed in every act by his doppelganger Fartstaff, Ye Olde Walking Fart Joke.

Get "Greasy Love Songs" : http://globalia.net/donlope/fz/lyrics/Greasy_Love_Songs.html

[Big Wheel]

Wow, thanks, hadn't heard of that issue. Kind of shocked that Gail greenlighted that.

[7/4]

http://harmonicsdb.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/frank-zappa-and-barking-pumpkin-are-back/

[jostber]

Zappa wiki:

http://wiki.killuglyradio.com/wiki/Main_Page

http://wiki.killuglyradio.com/wiki/Ship_Arriving_Too_Late_To_Save_A_Drowning_Witch

[Д.Д.]

The first batch of reissues is available for preorder on amazon. I will order Hot Rats and Uncle Meat - probably two albums most butchered by the old remastering.

[Quincy]

The first batch of reissues is available for preorder on amazon. I will order Hot Rats and Uncle Meat - probably two albums most butchered by the old remastering.

I'm not brave enough to preorder as the info from Gail & Co. has been puzzling as usual, but I'm crossing my fingers and tuning in for reviews.

[7/4]

Uncle Meat may be the only one from the first 12 that I'm interested in.

I never bought Hot Rats on CD, maybe it's time to get a copy.

[mjzee]

Will these be the original recordings, or the '80's remixes?

[Quincy]

Will these be the original recordings, or the '80's remixes?

There's this from Gail. I'll leave it up to you to figure it out.

"Q: Should I sell or junk my `95 Ryko CDs, or keep `em as collector’s items?

A: I would keep them for the moment – but you decide. None of the new releases are “sourced” from the Ryko releases and although many represent the digital masters mostly as you have come to understand them, many do not! Each package will identify the actual source so you will be able to plan your collection accordingly. We think everything sounds better but I am sure you will let us know."

Regarding Hot Rats:

"Q: The Hot Rats CD has always been a 1987 re-mix, not the original 1969 mix. Is this new CD the `69 mix, or the `87 re-mix? I prefer either.

A: Technically none of the above – this is the 2008 Bernie Grundman re-master – which mostly resembles the original 1969 mix. You will love it."

Edited June 25, 2012 by Quincy

[mjzee]

Lucille has already messed my mind up...I don't need Gail to complete the process.

[Д.Д.]

Lucille has already messed my mind up...I don't need Gail to complete the process.

Uncharacteristically, in the Hot Rats case this is more or less clear - the master to be used for the new CD reissue is the one that was prepared for the Classic Records Vynil reissue from 2009: http://classicrecords.com/item.cfm?item=RS%206356-150G . I have not heard it, but the reviews are very positive, and it is apparently indeed very close to the original 1969 LP mix and sound.

[Afric Pepperbird]

Does he really "ram it, ram it, ram it up" her poop chute??

[mikeweil]

Uncharacteristically, in the Hot Rats case this is more or less clear - the master to be used for the new CD reissue is the one that was prepared for the Classic Records Vynil reissue from 2009: http://classicrecord...=RS%206356-150G . I have not heard it, but the reviews are very positive, and it is apparently indeed very close to the original 1969 LP mix and sound.

That would be a reason to buy this - I sold my LP before getting the CD and was disappointed by the remix.

[7/4]

Art Jarvinen aka While You Were Art.

[JETman]

For someone new to Zappa, which of the first 12 being released are "must haves"?

[mjzee]

For someone new to Zappa, which of the first 12 being released are "must haves"?

For me, Hot Rats, Uncle Meat, Burnt Weeny Sandwich, Weasels, Absolutely Free (for nostalgia's sake; I was 12 when I first bought it), and Fillmore East (absolutely brilliant satire). If you want to narrow it down to one or two, Hot Rats and Uncle Meat.

[JETman]

For someone new to Zappa, which of the first 12 being released are "must haves"?

For me, Hot Rats, Uncle Meat, Burnt Weeny Sandwich, Weasels, Absolutely Free (for nostalgia's sake; I was 12 when I first bought it), and Fillmore East (absolutely brilliant satire). If you want to narrow it down to one or two, Hot Rats and Uncle Meat.

Thanks. What about the other live one -- band from LA or somesuch?

[JSngry]

For someone new to Zappa, which of the first 12 being released are "must haves"?

For me, Hot Rats, Uncle Meat, Burnt Weeny Sandwich, Weasels, Absolutely Free (for nostalgia's sake; I was 12 when I first bought it), and Fillmore East (absolutely brilliant satire). If you want to narrow it down to one or two, Hot Rats and Uncle Meat.

Thanks. What about the other live one -- band from LA or somesuch?

Just Another Band From L.A....Billy The Mountain (Side One) is EPIC. I'm sure Side Two was good, but frankly, I can no longer remember it.

[mjzee]

For someone new to Zappa, which of the first 12 being released are "must haves"?

For me, Hot Rats, Uncle Meat, Burnt Weeny Sandwich, Weasels, Absolutely Free (for nostalgia's sake; I was 12 when I first bought it), and Fillmore East (absolutely brilliant satire). If you want to narrow it down to one or two, Hot Rats and Uncle Meat.

Thanks. What about the other live one -- band from LA or somesuch?

Just Another Band From L.A....Billy The Mountain (Side One) is EPIC. I'm sure Side Two was good, but frankly, I can no longer remember it.

My reaction's the opposite: BTM tries to make some sort of point, but comes off as scattershot satire. But side 2 has a lot of energy and plays really well...a killer Call Any Vegetable into Eddie Are You Kidding (wonderful Flo & Eddie on this one) into Magdalena (lyrics not for the squeamish, however) ending with some powerful Dog Breath.

I didn't recommend JABFLA because many people consider the Flo & Eddie band to be low-level satire and sex jokes. Of the two albums in this batch (3 if you include Chunga's Revenge), I think Fillmore's the strongest and most consistent. My guess is that JABFLA might not have been released if it wasn't that Zappa needed money to pay medical bills following his fall.

I'll be curious about Chunga, because the original LP sounded very muffled; I wonder if they'll be able to improve it.

[JSngry]

"Billy The Mountain", to me, IS L.A. in all it's glory, perverse and otherwise. Or so I've been convinced by those who are from there.

By the same token, the Flo & Eddie band IS low-level satire and sex jokes in all it's glory, perverse and otherwise. It's the last Zappa band I could enjoy w/o any reservations at any level. Perhaps not coincidentally, it's also the last Zappa band, chronologically, before I began to transition out of adolescence.

I forgot about "Magdalena", though, yet, that one was hot! And "Eddie Are You Kidding" (another "pure L.A. thing. or so I've been convinced by those who are from there), that was another good one. "Call Any Vegetable", though, didn't really care for that one, sounded like a "rock parody" of the orginal (my first Mothers album was We're Only In It... then went back and bought the catalog in release order...in 1969-70, that was pretty easy!)

[7/4]

I'll be curious about Chunga, because the original LP sounded very muffled; I wonder if they'll be able to improve it.

I guess I'm curious about that as well, but I'm in no hurry to check it out.

[Chuck Nessa]

Hmmm....

In late 1967 or early 1968 when the Mothers were first breaking on the scene, someone in the Zappa management team, working for Tom Wilson suggested I take Lester Bowie and Roscoe Mitchell to meet Frank when they came to town for a gig. It took a bit of convincing to get them to drive to the North side for this meeting. Frank came out from the dressing room and dismissed me as a white guy exploiting black artists and dismissed Lester and Roscoe because they were my n...ers. I have never been able to take him seriously or listen to his music. He was an ASSHOLE of the first order.

Edited June 27, 2012 by Chuck Nessa

[mjzee]

It's the last Zappa band I could enjoy w/o any reservations at any level. Perhaps not coincidentally, it's also the last Zappa band, chronologically, before I began to transition out of adolescence.

Yah, once the hero worship wore off, I saw more of the man behind the curtain... On the other hand, if the material remained strong in the late '70's & '80's, the hero worship may have continued.