Advantages: An insight into the great mind that was - Frank Zappa Disadvantages: May be a little to wild for some people.
Apostrophe was released in 1974 on the 'Zappa' label.
Track One - Don't Eat the Yellow Snow
''
Quite a famous track for Zappa, but at 2mins 7secs it doesn't really provide much of an insight into what the album is going to be like. Also, as you probably have already understood, the 'yellow snow' meaning.
Track Two - Nanook Rubs It
'
Another funny track from Zappa, but once again doesn't really show his great creativity.
Track Three - St. Alfonzo's pancake breakfast
''
From the title you can probably grasp that this track is going to be quite interesting... and you wouldn't be wrong ...
Advantages: Easy to read and very informative Disadvantages: May be difficult to track down
ISBN 0-330-31625-7. This is an important number. It's the ISBN of "The Real FrankZappa Book" published by Picador. I bought this, read it, loved it, lent it, never got it back, forgot about it , then saw it in Fopps in Glasgow for a paltry £3.50, bought it, read it again, and now I'll tell you about it.
FrankZappa died of cancer about 1992/3 and was a great loss to the art world. He hd been making music since the early sixties , with the Mothers of Invention, and as a solo artist, and also became a respected classical composer. His work "The Yellow Shark" stayed on the classical charts for over twelve months following its release.
THe book is a series of recollections about Zappa's early life and how he became who he is and the aquaintances he made along the way.
The most fascinating part of this book, and the one that gives ...
Advantages: a brilliant 1974 concert with a top notch Zappa band Disadvantages: not quite the whole gig and the instrumentals may be a little off putting to newcomers
YCDTOSA volume 2 is culled from two concerts In Helsinki in 1974, expertly mixed together and presented as one complete set.
The band included keyboard wizard George Duke, sax player and vocalist extraordinaire Napoleon Murphy Brock, Chester Thompson on drums (later to be in Genesis) Tom Fowler on bass and Ruth Underwood on all manner of percussion. This ensemble, small by Zappa's standards, is arguably the best he'd ever work with.
The show opens with the band vamping on "Tush Tush Tush" as George and Nappy discuss backstage goings on.
As soon as Zappa appears he swiftly introduces the band and we're off into "Stinkfoot", one of FZ's preferred opening numbers. A squalling guitar solo at the end and it's straight into "Inca Roads".
Now listeners familiar with the studio version of "Inca Roads" on 1975's One Size Fits All will ...
LATHER (pronounced "leather") was recorded in the 1970s and originally intended as a 4-LP box set. It was, however, never released that way; instead, the material from the project dribbled out over the course of 1978 and 1979 on the albums ZAPPA IN NEW YORK, SLEEP DIRT, STUDIO TAN, ORCHESTRAL FAVORITES and SHEIK YERBOUTI. This 1996 release is the first issue of the full LATHER, and it features four previously-unreleased songs, along with previously-unreleased versions or mixes of many of the tracks. Personnel includes: Frank Zappa (vocals, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, bass, percussion); Ray White (vocals, guitar); George Duke (vocals, keyboards); Eddie Jobson (vocals, violin, keyboards); Patrick O'Hearn (vocals, bass); Terry Bozzio (vocals, drums); Lou Marini (flute, alto saxophone); Mike Brecker (flute, tenor saxophone); Ronnie Cuber (clarinet, baritone saxophone); Randy Brecker (trumpet); Bruce Fowler, Tom Malone (brass); Andre Lewis (keyboards); Ruth Underwood (synthesizer, percussion); David Samuels (vibraphone, timpani); James "Bird Legs" Youman, Dave Parlato, Roy Estrada, Max Bennett (bass); Chester Thompson, Jim Gordon (drums); Emil Richards (percussion). Recorded between 1973 and 1977. Includes liner notes by Gail Zappa and Simon Prentis. Recorded at various times with a revolving cast of characters, the huge mass of material known as LATHER was to be released in the late '70s when Zappa's record company refused to put it out. Instead, they insisted that he owed them four individual records. So, the unflappable Zappa chopped LATHER into four sections (released as LIVE IN NEW YORK, STUDIO TAN, SLEEP DIRT and ORCHESTRAL FAVORITES). He then went on a southern California radio station and played the whole project while encouraging listeners to illegally tape it. Finally, the entire collection is now available on one three-disc set in all of its legendary glory. And just what is LATHER (pronounced "leather")? It is the ultimate amalgam of all that Zappa could be. From unabashedly comical novelty songs ("The Legend Of The Illinois Enema Bandit") and cynical observations of human behavior ("Titties And Beer") to complex instrumentals ("Re-Gyptian Strut," "Pedro's Dowry") and epic swathes of nonsensical madness ("The Adventures Of Greggery Peccary"). In addition, there are several bonus tracks, including a remixed version of "Re-Gyptian Strut," the solo guitar track "Leather Goods," a bizarre "Revenge Of The Knick Knack People" and the classic Zappa sound of "Time Is Money."
Album Reviews
Rolling Stone (10/3/96, p.71) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "If...Zappa had released the four-LP set LATHER as intended in 1977, it would have been his most significant album since 1969's UNCLE MEAT....LATHER whips the length and breadth of Zappa's extensive musical concerns into a challenging froth, making this a particularly fine introduction to his work..." Musician (11/96, p.85) - "...never-released gems and unexpected alternate versions, plus four bonus cuts to boot...bridged in the high Zappa style of short sonic salvos and surrealistically nutty dialog....a snazzy, all-embracing showcase for the more than eight sides of Frank Zappa." Down Beat (12/96, pp.59-60) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...the music sounds absolutely fabulous here....it's a definite plus to hear Lather as a whole, warts and all."
Titles on disc 1
1.
Re Gyptian Strut
2.
Naval Aviation In Art
3.
Little Green Rosetta
4.
Duck Duck Goose
5.
Down In De Dew
6.
For The Young Sophisticate
7.
Tryin' To Grow A Chin
8.
Broken Hearts Are For Assholes
9.
Legend Of The Illinois Enema
10.
Bandit
11.
Lemme Take You To The Beach
12.
Revised Music For Guitar And Low
13.
Budget Orchestra
14.
RDNZL
15.
Honey Don't You Want A Man Like Me
16.
Black Page No 1
17.
Big Leg Emma
18.
Punky's Whips
19.
Flambe
20.
Purple Lagoon
21.
Pedro's Dowry
22.
Lather
23.
Spider Of Destiny
24.
Duke Of Orchestral Prunes
25.
Filthy Habits
26.
Titties 'n' Beer
27.
Ocean Is The Ultimate Solution
28.
Adventures Of Greggery Peccary
29.
Re Gyptian Strut
30.
Lather Goods
31.
Revenge Of The Knick Knack People
32.
Time Is Money
Titles on disc 2
1.
Honey, Don't You Want A Man Like Me? (live)
2.
Black Page #1, The (live)
3.
Big Leg Emma (live)
4.
Punky's Whips (live)
5.
Flambe
6.
Purple Lagoon, The (live)
7.
Pedro's Dowry
8.
Lather
9.
Spider Of Destiny
10.
Duke Of Orchestral Prunes
Titles on disc 3
1.
Filthy Habits
2.
Titties 'N Beer (live)
3.
Ocean Is The Ultimate Solution, The
4.
Adventures of Greggery Peccary, The
5.
Re-gyptian Strut (1993) (bonus track)
6.
Leather Goods (bonus track)
7.
Revenge Of The Knick Knack People (bonus track)
8.
Time Is Money (bonus track)
Ciao
Listed on Ciao since
04/11/2002
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