What does it sound like?:
After a European tour that ended in September 1973, ever-moving Frank Zappa decided to liven up the band with a few new musicians. These included George Duke, Chester Thompson, and the rest of the chaps who became the “Roxy and Elsewhere” team. The band took a jazzier, funkier direction, with rather less skronk and snorks, and a a looser, more musical feel. Halloween, Zappa’s favourite holiday was an excuse for him to do some special gigs where audience participation, on-stage shenanigans, and long sets were favoured, and he always seemed to be in a good mood, which makes for a warmer feel to his music, staggeringly intricate and intelligent though it us (behind the pervert songs and irreverence). On Halloween 1973 these shows were performed in Chicago, and they were really quite something.
This CD set comprises two gigs, the second marginally longer and with some different tracks (and of course different solos and stage banter), and a disc of the rehearsals (where you can hear them trying to nail the new tracks without the anxiety of the performance or the unpredictability of the fans and equipment (at the gig Ruth Underwood’s marimba lost the E note, which will have ruined some people’s night)); also available is a best of both nights single disc available for the cheap skates. Said cheapskates miss the “cheepnis” which is the packaging (not with the download) of the “Frankenzappa” mask with nasty green monster hands. There is also am extensive booklet to read. So plenty for your money. The Frankenzappa mask and gloves will certainly liven up a night of love, though I doubt many of the WAGS of Frank Zappa fans will appreciate the gesture.
Some of the material here is new for the band, though of course highly familiar to the Zapparians amongst us. This means the pace is marginally slower at points, but that makes it all the better to hear what is going on. A number of pieces have codas and bits that were eventually lost, and generally add additional musicality and show the swing this band had, as well as the lovely melodies of his instrumental work. RDNZL, “Tmershi Duween” and “Big Swifty” allow plenty of jamming. Zappa’s stage comments about groupies in the rehearsal of “Magic Fingers” will give woker listeners a frisson of disapproval, so play the rehearsal disc more quietly and not upset the neighbours (unless this is your intention).
Some older material is performed also, sometimes in melodies that must have kept the band on their toes (e.g., “Son of Mr Green Genes/ King Kong/ Chunga’s Revenge”). “Dupree’s Paradise”, “Uncle Meat”; and “The Dog Breath Variations” race along, and must have left the audience breathless. Plus “Inca Roads”, “I am the Slime”, “Father O’Blivion”, “Penguin in Bondage”, “Cheepnis” (the Halloween anthem), and many more favourites from that era. After 3 years Zappa moved on, and the smuttier, more guitar oriented “Zoot Allures” emerged, and by 78 he sometimes had 3 guitarists. I prefer this earlier phase, myself.
What does it all *mean*?
Frank Zappa’s bands were the tightest musical education both the musicians and the audience could imagine, and this was functioning in a rock idiom. What the more addled audiences made of the breakneck instrumentals or bizarre digressions, one can only imagine. You really “don’t get that kind of thing on stage anymore”. Are teenage boys (and their bored girlfriends) going to a relatively mainstream rock concert and getting this kind of thing opening up their ears to a broader ranges of sounds, rhythms, and styles now? I worry they do not.
Goes well with…
Typing and reviewing student work, eating cheap Haribos left over from Halloween, Tea and carrot cake.
Release Date:
out now, fun seekers
Might suit people who like…
Frank Zappa, Parliament, flashy musical ensemble playing, jazz-rock, being outraged
Thanks @Vincent. First time I saw Frank was in 1973 as a callow 16 year old.
How is the overall sound. Are they soundboard recordings?
That must have been a memorable deflowering, Junior,
. Yes, the sound is pristine and straight from the mixer. I think subsequent bands could be muddier, so this is a treat for the ears, as the intricate playing can be heard perfectly.
Deflowered by Frank 😱
Correction.
George Duke was a constant presence on keyboards right from the formation of this touring/recording version of the Mothers, in February ’73, to their final demise in December ’74, as was Tom Fowler on bass.
Without having heard it yet, the lineup for this looks to have been Zappa, George Duke, Tom Fowler, Ralph Humphrey and/or Chester Thompson* (drums), Bruce Fowler (trombone), Ruth Underwood (percussion) and Napoleon Murphy Brock (vocals, sax, flute). Ian Underwood and Jean Luc Ponty had recently departed for pastures other.
*Sometimes one or the other, sometimes both, depending on availability.
I can see I will have to wear my Zapparian learning less lightly, as higher standards are required (and rightly so).
Am I right in thinking this is the same band (give or take) as on Bongo Fury?
Bongo Fury features a cut-down version of the final ’74 lineup. Minus Ruth Underwood and Ralph Humphrey, plus Captain Beefheart on harmonica and vocals and Denny Walley on slide guitar. And with Chester Thompson replaced by Terry Bozzio on drums on all of the ’75 live tracks. i.e. all tracks but 200 Years Old and Cucamonga, which are studio tracks from a year earlier featuring Chester. The intros to Muffin Man are also from the earlier studio session, spliced in.
Crappiest cover art of all Zappa’s albums. As if he regarded it as a throwaway.
It was Chester Thompson that was throwing me – I remembered Zappa’s band intro towards the end of the album but was sure that name wasn’t in the list.
One of my favourite Zappa things. Goodnight Austin Texas wherever you are.
A 6cd Hot Rats is coming out soon for … erm … £108.62.
Mind, I saw an £80 Baby Snakes/New York (from the late 1970s, truly awful) down to £40 in HMV so …
Seems Zappa’s people have clocked the financial shenanigans of Pink “ker-ching” Floyd and surmised, not unreasonably, that they might as well ask for a bit more in the fiscal department.
The good news is that:
(a) all the really cheap 60s, the great stuff, reissues (Uncle Meat 3cd for £8.99 etc.) seem to still be available and that (b) Hot Rats is the worst album in the run from Freak Out! to Weasels Ripped My Flesh anyway.
“Zappa live in New York” followed by “Overnite Sensation” and “Zoot Allures” were my gateways to the man’s music, so all the puerile smut in a baroque and rock late-70s framework is part of the charm for me. OOAA.
At the time, Uncle Meat, Weasels Ripped My Flesh, Hot Rats, Fillmore East-June 1971 and Overnite Sensation were “my” Zappa albums, but when I returned to him in the ’90s I found I thought rather less of Hot Rats, Fillmore East and Overnite Sensation and discovered Waka/Jawaka, The Grand Wazoo, Roxy & Elsewhere and One Size Fits All.
I briefly admired his late ’70s-mid ’80s albums but later became bored with the general sound of them and still am. This was also the time when he needlessly buggered about with his back catalogueoverdubbing and replacing bits and pieces and released mostly-inferior-sounding glossed-up CD versions.
His two ’88 swansong tours showed a lot of promise but that big unwieldy band exploded rather acrimoniously before the second outing concluded and he swore never to tour with a band again.
The Yellow Shark concerts and album could have been the basis of something completely amazing but sadly, he was a dying man by then and was soon gone.
Hmm, you getting away with that, Deram? Perhaps the only album listenable to those who otherwise don’t/can’t/won’t like the others, perchance thus a bit like Kind of Blue? I shamelessly adore Hot Rats and don’t and can’t find much to love elsewhere. I come here not to troll the rest of his output, just to apply some perspective.
I would contend that Hot Rats only had two “great” tracks, i.e. “Peaches En Regalia” and “Son Of Mr. Green Genes”. The rest are merely “O.K.” to “quite good”, apart from Willie The Pimp which is “rather crap” on reflection.
A front-loaded album.
I agree about WtP, but only during the vocals, but disagree about the rest, but then, for about a year, aged 14 or something, it was all I played. I can hum along with it all, smiling in anticipation. Listening to other Zappa has never been quite the same, much as I have tried.
I am off to see the boy Dweezil recreate it next month.
Me too
“Pervert songs and irreverence” = new AW strapline
Certainly mine here. Also defines aspects of my working role.
I quite like Frank Zappa. You’re not supposed to are you? According to his fanbase you’re either supposed to love or hate him. When I was a teenager I went through a brief phase of thinking he was a genius, but then that’s teenagers for ya.
I tend to keep up with the ZFT reissue programme via ahem “nefarious means”, just for old time’s sake. One thing I have found is that the amount of quality control he was exerting (adding anachronistic bass and drums and extra tracks which were VERY annoying notwithstanding ) was vastly superior to what is found on unedited full concerts such as the ones dubbed “Hallowe’en.” There are solos by various sidemen (Tom Fowler’s bass on this, Tommy Mars keyboards on 77) which are just poor.
This dull filler is rife on the box sets (see also the Gong one) you get nowadays so caveat emptor. Stick to the originals unless you are a Zappapologist nerd (in which case nothing I say could dissuade you.)