Frank Zappa - Entire Catalogue Remastered and Reissued (part3)

The REMASTERED TITLES:
Absolutely Free
Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Weasels Ripped My Flesh
Chunga’s Revenge
Fillmore East, June 1971
Just Another Band From L.A.
Waka / Jawaka
The Grand Wazoo
Over-nite Sensation
Apostrophe(‘)
One Size Fits All
Bongo Fury
Zoot Allures
Studio Tan
Sleep Dirt
Sheik Yerbouti
Joe’s Garage Acts 1, 2 & 3
Tinseltown Rebellion
Shut Up ‘N Play Yer Guitar
You Are What You Is
Them or Us

 

If you aren't familiar with Zappa at all, my recommendation would be to start with content, not sound quality.

 

Thanks, and which ones are musically the best ones?

 

Sorry, forgot Hot Rats. Officially is not considered remastered, because it was first remastered on vinyl.

From the remastered bunch, my favs in order:

Hot Rats
Joe’s Garage Acts 1, 2 & 3
Zoot Allures
Absolutely Free
Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Apostrophe(‘)
Sheik Yerbouti
Shut Up ‘N Play Yer Guitar
The Grand Wazoo
Over-nite Sensation
One Size Fits All
Waka / Jawaka
Weasels Ripped My Flesh
Chunga’s Revenge
Them or Us
Sleep Dirt
Bongo Fury
Studio Tan
You Are What You Is
Tinseltown Rebellion
Fillmore East, June 1971
Just Another Band From L.A.

 

I would suggest Hot Rats or Burnt Weeny Sandwich if you want FZ's "serious" instrumental music, Sheik Yerbouti if you want his comedic rock music, or One Size Fits All if you want something with elements of both of those.

Although not newly remastered for this year's reissue series, We're Only In It For The Money is also an important Zappa record and a good starting point.

 

The hottest ever Zappa and the tastiest ever Mothers!

 

Ok...having read these three threads, I am taking the plunge and buying all 56 in one fell swoop

I still have the FZ approved Ryko's from the mid 90's...I got those all at once too, direct from Ryko back in 1998.

I am looking forward to comparing If nothing else, we finally get the original
mixes for Ruben & Hot Rats, among others.

*No, I am not selling those old Ryko's

 

Since you are new to Zappa I would suggest holding off on the remasters and pick up Lather which gives you an excellent cross section of his different styles of music. Then if you like a particular style (funny smutty Frank, jazzy Frank, avant garde/orchestral Frank, rocking Frank) you can pick up a remaster that includes the style you like.

 

You are not getting the original mix of Ruben

 

Oh no, how did I miss that one?! That's ok, because it's already out there (Greasy Love Songs).

 

A bit off-topic, but I picked up today my first Zappa record: "The best of Frank Zappa" on Rykodisc from 2004. It sounds fine, but there's nothing from his 60's stuff on this comp (save for a single from Hot Rats, Peaches en Regalia): is Freak Out a must buy or not?

 

Zappa had many sides to him...it depends on which style you are interested in

 

Anyone explain the release numbers on the back of the remasters..
There is no # 7 or #13.

Thanks Glen

 

I wanted to chime in at this bit but you said it like I would have done: File it under Z. I wouldn't understand why one would have some of the early MOthers under M and others under Z. The naming of the groups was after all a necessity, not reflecting who was the driving force. To me, it's been Zappa all along.

 

Albums sorted by their release date.

#7 Mothermania
#13 200 Motels

 

One vote here for No... "Trouble Every Day", from your comp album, is not very representative of "Freak Out!" as a whole. FO has its legions of fans. But as much as I really love most of his music, the first album has never clicked with me. It features several novelty-ish, half-sincere do-wop/bubble gum style songs, and a long aimless and noisy "happening" track... If you like the other selections from the Best Of like you say, FO includes none of that style.

 

Without a doubt. Not only is it a good album in its own right, it's also the blueprint of all things Zappa, and I'd say it helps understand where a lot of the later stuff comes from.

 

On MOFO...YES !

 

Zappa

I have always thought Uncle Meat was his best album. It has a wide range of styles, but it works well, and damn funny in spots (if you take out the added nonsense that doesn't belong on the CD from the film and the song that has nothing to do with Uncle Meat). Stick to the original LP lineup.
The music is like a Rondo or a theme and variations, where the LP starts with the title theme, and then comes back in various ways throughout the record. The music is very sophisicated, jaw dropping IMO.
In one place the harmony seems to be quartal, melody is in 7/8, drums are in 4/4. The great little falsetto voice at the end of The Air is beautiful, but you have to listen for it, at the very end. The running sixteenth notes in the xylophone in the Main Title theme, just lots and lots of little nice touches here and there, stands up to repeated listening quite well, but it is very different, and not an "easy" record. It would have been nice if rock could have followed that lead, but it takes a lot of damn hard work to put all of that together.

I love classical music, and I like to think that two albums take a classical music approach and apply to rock. Uncle Meat (sounds like it was put together just like a symphony is put together, line by line, I remember seeing a score of one of the pieces in a Frank Zappa songbook and it looks like an orchestral score) and Eno's Discreet Music, which leans more towards an avante garde kind of feel, but works.
If you listen to the Zappa early albums, and then Uncle Meat, it is giant leap in the writing. It is a different ball game (though I really like We're In It for the Money almost as much)
There is also the band version snippet in Lumpy Gravy (or Weasels) of a slightly slower King Kong that is really cool, though it is too short, and I always want more, kinda wizzzes by and then disappears.

 

Almost through my second listen of the Zappa/Mothers "Roxy & Elsewhere" CD after getting it from Amazon this afternoon and what is my reaction? Just wow!!

Does anyone think that One Size Fits All will get a Project/Object release or can I jump on that ASAP?
I'm guessing Hot Rats will get one so I will have to wait on that one....

 

Thank you for all your input....

 

I don't think there's been anything so far to suggest that Hot Rats will get a Project/Object release.

Besides, the three P/Os we've gotten so far have all contained exclusive material that wasn't, and still isn't, available anywhere else. MOFO and Greasy Love Songs had the original mix of their respective album because they weren't on the regular CDs. Likewise, Lumpy Money featured only alternate mixes of Lumpy Gravy and We're Only In It For The Money because the original stereo mixes for those albums were already released on the 1995 CDs.

So, going off the logic used so far for P/O releases, we can be almost certain they'll be ones for Uncle Meat, Roxy, and New York, all with the original mix. Otherwise they would have used the original master tapes for this 2012 series.

Also going off that logic, I assume a Hot Rats or One Size Fits All P/O would skip the original mixes. Hot Rats would probably have the 80s remix and a bunch of out-takes. OSFA might have the unreleased Quad mix on a DVD with out-takes and live stuff on CD.

So my advice would be; buy the albums with the original mixes without worry about having to pay for that material again.

Thanks for the picture! I was wondering what they all looked like lined up. Yes, very pretty.

 

Excellent take on Uncle Meat! I think it's his best as well.

 

I'm a big fan of Funny Frank Music so I picked up my first 2012 Zappa remaster, Sheik Yerbouti. It was the first time I heard the album. I cranked up the volume and had a blast listening to it. It sounds superb, instruments and vocals sound lifelike, and its just a warm,analog sounding release.

My next Zappa remaster purchase will be Over-Nite Sensation.

 

Been really digging these reissues! So far I have only picked up the ones sourced from the original tapes. For the ones sourced from the mid-90's digital masters, are they bit-identical to the Ryko releases, or are they just sourced from the same masters and then remastered (re-eq'ed) in any way?