In recent times, my admiration for Frank Zappa's music has come bubbling back to the surface. As with certain artists, my love of Zappa comes and goes from the top of my priority list, mainly because I listen to such a wide variety of music and there aren't many new Zappa releases showing up, legal or otherwise, to divert my already compromised attention. I'm not very into digging through live tapes because while there are tons of incredible recordings in circulation, I've heard most of the really good ones and not much has shown up since that particularly blows me away. I have a wish-list of releases I'd love to see, but that's mostly a pipe dream since I don't have any connection to the Zappa Family Trust and fan requests don't seem to have sped things up greatly, although I reaffirm my belief that this is mostly because the ZFT isn't a huge organization and are limited to releasing only so many projects a year. So, while I'm in another Zappa phase, that doesn't mean I have to make all of you go through it with me, and I keep this in mind whenever it comes to an artist for which I have lots of rare or unavailable material from. So, there may be additional Zappa posts in the future, but this will be the last one for the time being. Arf arf.
This is basically a Zappa rarities mixtape from throughout his career. If you're an avid Zappa rarities collector I'm sure you've heard all these tracks before, but if not I hope you're entertained. Enjoy.
Frank Zappa - Conceptual Continuity Can Really Be A Pain in The Ass
UPDATE: Sorry guys, this download is no longer available. You can read why here.
01 Two On The Town
This was an improvised theme song for a non-existent television program. Cute for an intro. Yeah, I wanna go to Hong Kong too! I'm serious here.
02 I'm The Slime (Single Version)
This version is from the same sessions as the album version, but the mix is a little different and there is a completely different guitar solo at the end. Pretty cool.
03 Cruising For Burgers (Live 1976 Rough Mix)
This is the same performance as featured on the double disc reissue of Zappa In New York, but this version features no overdubs. Totally bitchin'!
04 Dead Girls Of London (Original Version feat. L. Shankar and Van Morrison)
This should actually be credited as an L. Shankar performance. Shankar was a pal of Zappa's and Frank donated this song and produced it for him. This version does indeed feature none other than Van Morrison on lead vocals, although he was deleted from the released version due to then record label conflicts.
05 200 Years Old (Extended Version)
Pardon the terrible hiss on this one, it's sourced from a radio show hosted by Zappa and Beefheart. This is a significantly longer version of the song from Bongo Fury.
06 Rollo (Rough Mix)
This track, sometimes named Rollo Interior or Son Of Saint Alphonzo, was recorded for the Orchestral Favorites album which also includes Läther stuff. A version of this recording was eventually released on the QuAUDIOPHILIAc DVD-Audio album, but this is a longer edit. It's a little muddy sounding but this is an awesome track!
07 RDNZL (Alt. Version Rough Mix)
A version of this recording was released on The Lost Episodes, but this mix features less brass and an unreleased Zappa guitar solo. Jean Luc Ponty is on this track which dates it back to early 1973.
08 Dong Work For Yuda (Acapella Version)
Frank explains a little about this one in the intro, but John Smothers was his bodyguard and was known for messing up words in conversation quite frequently. In turn, Frank wrote this ditty which features Terry Bozzio doing an impersonation of Mr. Smothers. The intro and outro are apparently featured in or were outtakes from the Baby Snakes film. I've assembled this from a slightly different source which should explain why the ending dialog continues a little further than certain circulating edits.
09 Remington Electric Razor (feat. Linda Ronstadt)
An unreleased commercial for the aforementioned product featuring narration from Frank and multi-tracked backing vocals from Linda Ronstadt. Yes, that Linda Ronstadt. This is sourced from the bootleg album of the same name.
10 Randomonium
Parts of this recording are featured in Dwarf Nebula from the Weasels Ripped My Flesh album. Nice and noisy and random. Insert bizarre quote here: "Have you been there too?"
11 Five Five Five (Extended Version)
This is taken from an acetate for the Shut Up and Play Yer Guitar album.
12 Bognor Regis
An unreleased b-side for a single version of Sharleena from the Chunga's Revenge album. Apparently this is an outtake from the Hot Rats sessions. I can't believe this hasn't been released officially, it's that good!
13 The Black Page #1 (Synclavier Version)
From a flexi-disc, it's just what it says it is.
14 Dumb All Over (Alternate Mix)
Significantly longer version of this song from You Are What You Is featuring none of the effects on Frank's voice and long, unreleased guitar solo. Very nice.
15 Junier Mintz Boogie
This b-side is mighty rare, and to makes things more complicated it exists in two slightly different edits. This is the UK version which cuts off abruptly at the end as opposed to the US version which fades out but isn't any longer.
16 Outside Now (Demo)
Exactly when this demo was recorded isn't known for certain, but the percussion track, performed by Terry Bozzio, was extracted and combined with a bass performance by Patrick O'Hearn to create the track Rubber Shirt from the Sheik Yerbouti album.
17 My Guitar (Extended Stereo Mix)
This is the single version of My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama which is completely different from the album version featured on Weasels Ripped My Flesh. The released, shorter version of this track somehow made it's way onto one of the You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore compilations despite not being a live recording, but this is an unreleased, longer and true stereo version of the track. The sound here is a bit muddy but this is a great track which I prefer over the Flesh version.
18 Revenge Of The Knick Knack People (True Speed Edit)
Okay, this one is complicated. Frank recorded a number of bizarre improvisations with the early Mothers line-ups, edited them together, sped them the hell up and used small bits of them throughout his career, making this more of his conceptual continuity grouting. An edit of the sped-up version of this recording was released as a bonus track on Läther, although a slightly longer edit exists as well as a significantly longer edit. This is the slightly longer edit played at normal speed so you can hear the weirdness in a less compressed manner.
Thanks again to all the fine folks at Zappateers and The Dangerous Kitchen for their help and kindness throughout the years, especially when it comes to all the stupid questions I've had to ask.
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