Frank Zappa - Entire Catalogue Remastered and Reissued (part2)

Sad, but true!

 

I just noticed on the BestBuy website that some of the titles to be released on 8-28 are priced, as a pre-order, at $9.99 now. I hope the remaining ones for that date also drop from $13.99.

Still no word on the sources for these upcoming titles ?

 

Patience. The release date is 8/28. For the first batch, info started leaking out about a week before release when people working at record stores and other insiders had a chance to look at the discs before street date. We also have extrapolated some things from the UK Amazon samples that you can read about at the end of the earlier thread, and a bit in this thread.

 

^ I shall learn to take a deep breath and exhale slooooowly !!

From what I've read on the Zappa website, Waka Jawaka definately seems to be coming from the analog source and I've read some of what you refer to above, but call me cautioned....I won't order till I have confidence with a confirmation. I only want stuff that's been sourced from the original analog tapes !

Thanks for attempting to pass on some temperance.

 

This for the tip above on the BB preorder.
I ordered a few but I am holding off on Apostrophe until I get word about the mastering.

 

I'm just gonna buy all of them anyway.

I'll check with my local indie and have them show me the disc before street date. Maybe I can pass on some useful information in the next week or so.

 

Since there isn't much about the second batch in this thread, a recap of what we can gather from the UK Amazon samples:

Waka Jawaka - very good reviews of the samples. Very likely analog sourced.
Grand Wazoo - has track order matching the 95 Ryko rather than the LP, so possibly not analog sourced. Good reviews of the samples though.
Overnite - good reviews of the samples
Apostrophe - very good reviews of the samples
Roxy - not sure (not possible to verify from samples whether they used "Cheepnis" remix or original mix). Ryko CD was fine though.
OSFA - good reviews of the samples
Bongo Fury - good reviews of the samples
Zoot Allures - some debate about this one, but "Disco Boy" appears at the LP length rather than the slightly edited Ryko version, so that is a good sign
ZINY - track list matches the 2 CD Ryko. May not be analog sourced.
Studio Tan - in original LP sequence. Probably analog sourced.
Sleep Dirt - original instrumental version. Certainly analog sourced.
Sheik Yerbouti - has the full "I'm So Cute" rather than the edited Ryko version. Very likely analog sourced.

 

Either way, it is confirmation that this major Zappa/Mothers reissue programme is also subject to a hap hazard distribution process.

 

Perhaps. It's a lot of titles and it is Zappa, at all; I can forgive the players for not anticipating the possibility of ravenous demand in brick and mortar outlets.

 

^ Ravenous ?

All it takes is for a second person to want the entire batch after the first has scooped them all up ! There hasn't been a store I've been to with mulitple copies at all.

And thanks Apple-Richard...PLEASE DO post source info as soon as you read it.

 

Hey, if they made it through Freak Out and Money AND Billy The Mountain I'd say they're cool.

Love it!

 

Does Weasels tack on the extra minute or so that first appeared when the first CD was issued? The song in question is the first one, Didja get any on you.

 

No.

 

Good. Always found it annoying. Love the album and want to hear it that way on CD.

 

A friend just sent me a "re-constructed" Lumpy Gravy, with the stereo section re-inserted (from the '86 CD) and the transition before the "round things are boring" line lengthened slightly to match the original Verve LP.

Great to finally hear this album as it was meant to sound, without shelling out for an original (crappy sounding!) LP.

 

I used to own a 70s UK pressing and it sounded great! (dynamics and quiet vinyl) Realy too bad I had to sell that one to make ends meet...

 

No, European copies are "Made in EU".

 

I just got Fillmore East, Hot Rats, and JABFLA.

I need to spend more time with Fillmore East, in that I only ever listened to a personal ND of this one.

But for Hot Rats:

DR10 ... 01 Peaches En Regalia Ryko
DR11 ... 01 Peaches En Regalia UMe 2012

DR11 ... 06 It Must Be A Camel Ryko
DR12 ... 06 It Must Be A Camel UMe 2012

I am really digging the original mix that the new one has, and I think both are keepers.

For JABFLA, however:

DR11 ... 01 BtM Ryko (1st 10 min)
DR9 ..... 01 BtM UMe 2012 (1st 10 min)

DR10 ... 05 Dog Breath Ryko
DR8 ..... 05 Dog Breath UMe 2012

Brickwall freakin' Bob strikes again. He had no reason to compress this, but he did anyway. Too bad.

One thing I noticed, and I'm still comparing, and I can't quite figure out why this would be, but the multi-vocal parts at the beginning of Vegetable sound more recessed for the new one. More forward for the '95 (the one I have).

In general, the older CD sounds more balanced to me than the new one for JABFLA. The new one seems to have the (mid?) bass boosted some vs the older CD.

 

Hmm....??? Just saw this via youtube [banner ad]. The link (click on image) is intact; maybe it's early?!?

 

Didn't the old CD have the digital reverb added? DR values can be skewed by EQ and reverb differences. The new CD is a major upgrade just based on the fact it's free of Frank's tinny 80's EQ and reverb.

 

Could this not be due to the radically different EQs between the sources? The Ryko version is fairly heavily processed, while the UMe is, for lack of a better term, "duller."

 

This is all well and nice to get Franks music back in stock, but it wastes time that could be put to better use releasing more stuff like OZ and Buffalo, Carnegie Hall, etc. So many shows on tape, lets get them out!

 

21?

We've had...

1 - Absolutely Free
2 - Weasles
3 - Chungas
4 - BWS
5 - Filmore
6 - JABLA

7? - Hot Rats [might not count as it's not a new analogue transfer]

So there's 14 (or 15) to go out of a possible 24 titles. I think everything from the 4th wave (MOP onwards) was only ever digital so here are the 24 of which 14 (ish) might be analogue.

Any bets?

27th August (12 titles)

Apostrophe(')
Bongo Fury
One Size Fits All
Overnite Sensation
Roxy & Elsewhere
Sheik Yerbouti
Sleep Dirt
Studio Tan
The Grand Wazoo
Waka/Jawaka
Zappa in New York
Zoot Allures

24th September (12 titles)

Baby Snakes
Joe's Garage Acts 1,2 & 3
London Symphony Orchestra 1 & 2
Orchestral Favourites
Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch
Shut up 'n' Play Yer Guitar
The Man from Utopia
The Perfect Stranger
Them or Us
Thing Fish
Tinseltown Revellion
You Are What You Is

 

I would guess they'll use the Au20 masters for Apostrophe and OSFA, and the '98 remasters for YAWYI and TTR. So that's probably four you can cross off there.

It's been reported up thread somewhere that Sheik Yerbouti is a new master. And you'd hope that Waka Jawaka and Zoot Allures are too.

 

Oh, and here are my guesses....

27th August (12 titles)

Apostrophe(') [ANA]
Bongo Fury [ANA]
One Size Fits All [ANA]
Overnite Sensation [ANA]
Roxy & Elsewhere [DIG]
Sheik Yerbouti [ANA]
Sleep Dirt [ANA]
Studio Tan [ANA]
The Grand Wazoo [ANA]
Waka/Jawaka [ANA]
Zappa in New York [DIG]
Zoot Allures [ANA]

24th September (12 titles)

Baby Snakes [DIG]
Joe's Garage Acts 1,2 & 3 [ANA]
London Symphony Orchestra 1 & 2 [DIG]
Orchestral Favourites [ANA]
Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch [DIG]
Shut up 'n' Play Yer Guitar [DIG]
The Man from Utopia [DIG]
The Perfect Stranger [DIG]
Them or Us [DIG]
Thing Fish [DIG]
Tinseltown Revellion [ANA]
You Are What You Is [ANA]