Frank Zappa - Entire Catalogue Remastered and Reissued

Mothers' Day in July: Frank Zappa Reissues On The Way

From the New York Times:

By BEN SISARIO


Coming soon to record stores both real-world and digital: a wave of Frank Zappa reissues.

The Zappa Family Trust, which is controlled by Frank Zappa’s widow, Gail, announced on Monday that it had regained control of his catalog and had struck a licensing and distribution deal with Universal Music Enterprises to release his entire catalog of some 60 recordings in coming years. The first batch of 12 albums — including “Freak Out!,” “We’re Only in It for the Money” and other classics by Zappa’s 1960s band, the Mothers of Invention — are due out on July 31, with another dozen to be released by the end of the year.

Most surprising, the deal apparently covers both physical and digital releases of the albums. The Zappa estate has fiercely guarded the digital rights of Zappa’s music, and only a handful of his original albums are available in that format. (You have to go to zappa.com for most of those; most of the Zappa albums on iTunes are live recordings and other official “bootlegs.”)

Zappa died in 1993. Until recently the rights to his albums had been controlled by Rykodisc, which made a $20 million deal with his estate in 1994; Gail Zappa, the sole trustee of the Trust, sued the company to prevent it from releasing digital versions of the albums, among other issues. (Rykodisc, also known was Ryko, was acquired by the Warner Music Group in 2006.)

In a statement Gail Zappa said of Universal: “They made us the offer we couldn’t refuse — for all the right reasons. It is a win-win for all of us, but mostly for Frank Zappa. Long may his baton wave. We are so ready to go.”

 

I got the email from Zappa.com this morning and I was excited, then I thought to myself, will they use the original version, tapes, mastering etc. or the later Frank Zappa revised and approved remasters?

I look forward to seeing in what form and presentation Uncle Meat turns up in for example as it and Hot Rats are my favourites.

I guess we will have to wait and see and until then speculate, worry and jump to conclusions like we usually do!

 

Bonus material? or straight reissues?

 

A Question about "We're Only in it for the Money" for Zappa fans: In the 80's we Frank released an uncensored version but with modern overdubs. The 90's version is the "sort of" censored version. So, if Frank had the raw tracks for an uncensored version, then does an original 1968, no-overdubs, uncensored master still exist?

 

X2 and downloads as well!

X2 and Downloads as well!!!

 

I know the Barking Pumpkin version had the modern overdubs. But I thought the Rykodisc version that came out later was the original mix. I wasn't aware of anything being censored. What is it in the Rykodisc version that's altered from the original 1968 release, if anything? I'm especially interested in this not just for "We're Only in it for the Money", but "Freak Out" as well (those are my two favorites).

 

This should set you up!

http://www.lukpac.org/~handmade/patio/vinylvscds/money.html

 

No. The master tape is censored, as are all the safety copies distributed worldwide back in '68. The uncensored segments had to be re-edited back in when he created the 1984 Frankenstein version. If UMG want to issue an uncensored original version now, it would have to be re-created edit by edit.

The world would be a better place if every album could have all the multi-track build reels handy and available, but Frank was creating the master for this one with a razor blade and a single reel of tape. Once word came down from Verve that it would have to be censored, he did it on the master tape itself. No one had the luxury or money (or spare tape) to keep anything around in hopes of a deluxe 44th anniversary edition in a world where a naughty word or casual reference to the Velvet Underground would not be considered immoral.

 

Nobody really knows.

As far as I have been able to surmise, there were three versions with different levels of censorship released in 1968. The least censored version was released in Canada. Then, there was the standard international version, which is represented on the 1995 Ryko CD. Finally, there is the heavily censored version that some idiot at Verve cut up.

Joe Travers has not indicated that he has ever found a completely uncensored 1968 master or, even, the master used for the Canadian LP.

Keep in mind that the original uncensored master would not contain the backward line from "Mother People" in "Hot Poop". It would just be whispering and a snork.

 

They would probably have to find all of the original multis and prepare a new stereo mix of the album, just as FZ did in the 80's, except with the original bass and drums. It would be nice if some sort of assembly reel existed in the vault from that 80's project but I don't know how likely that is.

 

Has there been any word if these new remasters will also be made available in vinyl as well as cd?

 

On the Zappa.com site there's a "Gail Sez" post to the effect that some of the albums will be made available in vinyl ... so clearly not all.

 

It takes money to run a "trust". What do you expect her to do, just give everything away for free?

 

Absolutely.

 

Yeah, I don't get people's objections to Gail. The main objection seems to be "she doesn't communicate well with fans or put enough stuff out." In other words -- she doesn't live up to MY expectations. But to say she's in it for the money or whatever? Bologna. Were you guys not happy with the Lumpy Money box or the Freak Out box or Greasy Love Songs? To me, that's the very DEFINITION of how to do a reissue of a record, you know? There've been a few products that have been a bit baffling, but so many that have been terrific. I think she's doing a great job handling the legacy.

 

...hopefully the first 12 will be!!

 

Hmm ... Universal and Zappa ... SHM-SACDs, anyone?

 

It's a long time ago I've heard something from Universal that I really liked. I'm going to stick with the Ryko's I have.

 

any speculation if these will be ruined by the loudness war?

 

WHY did she skip Absolutely Free with the deluxe editions damnit! That's the one I want especially the mono mix!

 

Isn't the mono mix just a folddown of the stereo? Are there any bonus tracks available for a deluxe edition?

I just hope the new version actually includes the libretto. Both the 87 and 95 editions claim to include it, but neither do.

 

Freak Out!, Absolutely Free, and We're Only In It For The Money have dedicated mono mixes. The other Verve mono albums are folddowns.

 

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I agree.

 

Some are available for pre-order on Amazon for $18.95 a pop!

Can't justify re-buying the whole catalog at that price.