New Zappa releases

[unclemeat]

Coming July 15!

1) "The Crux of the Biscuit was created in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of Frank Zappa's 1974 album Apostrophe('). As part of Zappa Records' ongoing Frank Zappa Project/Object Audio Documentary Series, it contains rare alternate mixes, live performances, and studio session outtakes."

1. Cosmik Debris
2. Uncle Remus (Mix Outtake)
3. Down In De Dew (Alternate Mix)
4. Apostrophe’ (Mix Outtake)
5. The Story Of Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow/St. Alphonzo’s Pancake Breakfast
6. Don't Eat The Yellow Snow/St. Alphonzo's Pancake Breakfast (Live)
7. Excentrifugal Forz (Mix Outtake)
8. Energy Frontier (Take 4)
9. Energy Frontier (Take 6 with OD’s)
10. Energy Frontier (Bridge)
11. Cosmik Debris (Basic Tracks Take 3)
12. Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow (Basic Tracks- Alternate Take)
13. Nanook Rubs It (Basic Tracks- Outtake)
14. Nanook Rubs It (Session Outtake)
15. Frank's Last Words.....

2) "Frank Zappa for President ? You betcha! We know at various times he wanted to run for office. In the spirit of the dramatic 2016 presidential election adventures comes a release that gives us a glimpse into what could have been. This album is comprised of unreleased compositions realized on the Synclavier, along with other relevant tracks mined from the Vault, with a political thread tying it all together. Don't forget to register and vote!"

1. Overture to “Uncle Sam”
2. Brown Shoes Don’t Make It (Remix)
3. Amnerika (Vocal Version)
4. “If I Was President…”
5. When the Lie’s So Big (Live)
6. Medieval Ensemble
7. America the Beautiful (Live)

And also... (June 24)

3) "EAT THAT QUESTION: Frank Zappa in His Own Words, Thorsten Schütte's documentary which premiered at 2016 Sundance will be released by Sony Pictures Classics.

The film is an energetic celebration of Zappa and his extraordinary musical and political legacy, told entirely through a treasure trove of archival footage culled from the performer's 30-year career in entertainment. Weaving together rare TV interviews and performances from around the world, the film explores Frank Zappa's bravura musicianship and eccentric charisma--his outspoken and outrageous combination of slicing acerbic wit, righteous indignation, and anti-authoritarian irreverence.
Through archival film material of Zappa live, once buried in oblivion and unearthed by Schütte, EAT THAT QUESTION portrays the essence and landmarks of a unique career and creates an eclectic portrait of one of the most original composers and cerebral minds of the 20th century. Zappa's provocative music and ideas cut across generations, while his goal of freeing the listener from conformity still resonates today. "

Avuncular interjection : since the crux of the biscuit may, under certain circumstances, denote ownership, I say : me wantey !

[walt]

No need to wrap these, i'll eat them here.

[Trane]

.must.squeeze.every.last.drop.

[Steve F.]

.must.squeeze.every.last.drop.

If they don't interest you, you don't have to buy them.

There are many Zappa (and Crimson and XTC and Soft Machine and Henry Cow and Art Zoyd and etc) fans who are grateful for the opportunity to get previously unreleased stuff.




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[Trane]

If they don't interest you, you don't have to buy them.

There are many Zappa (and Crimson and XTC and Soft Machine and Henry Cow and Art Zoyd and etc) fans who are grateful for the opportunity to get previously unreleased stuff.

well given the internal feuds in between the Zappa clans (you started that thread, I believe) and the fact that the contents of these new products are remixes and alt versions for the most part, I most likely won't

Somehow the Zappa œuvre is slowly starting to look like the Hendrix estate's exploitation of Jimi's least second of jamming on tape... IMHO, of course

[rcarlberg]

Somehow the Zappa œuvre is slowly starting to look like the Hendrix estate's exploitation of Jimi's least second of jamming on tape...

Well Jimi had a few songs in the can when he died that had never been released, and some live recordings of course -- but nothing like the ARCHIVES of unheard tapes in the Zappa, and for that matter Prince, vaults.

[jkelman]

If they don't interest you, you don't have to buy them.

Absolutely. Dunno why some feel the need to get cynical. I got the Crux of the Biscuit, after grabbing the other Project/Object releases, and for someone who loves process, they've all been pretty darn revelatory. Even the Ruben & the Jets P/O set.

There are many Zappa (and Crimson and XTC and Soft Machine and Henry Cow and Art Zoyd and etc) fans who are grateful for the opportunity to get previously unreleased stuff.

Damn straight! Count me as one of 'em!

[Mister Triscuits]

[rcarlberg]

At least this is unreleased material, rather than another archival re-issue or worse, remix.

[Reid]

At least this is unreleased material, rather than another archival re-issue or worse, remix.

The archival releases are not re-issues for the most part. I'm going for Road Tapes #3 at the moment. Crux is going to be available from general retailers at a good price.

[polmico]

Oh my. Yes, please.

[Conti]

I want it. Curious to know what is this "Energy Frontier" thing.

[pb2015]

I want it. Curious to know what is this "Energy Frontier" thing.

It is another track from the session with Jack Bruce.

[zombywoof]

Looks like they've decided to release just the bonus disc instead of making us all buy Apostrophe (') again. Cool!

[GuitarGeek]

I just wish they'd put out the Ritz show from November 81 already. The Drowning Witch/What's New In Baltimore/Moggio suite from that show features some of the best guitar work I've heard from Frank. I still think he made a colossal mistake by breaking up that suite when he put those three pieces of music out on separate albums (and also by moving Envelopes so that it occurred after Drowning Witch on Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch, instead of preceding it, as it does on at least some of the shows of that 81 tour). There's probably a half dozen or more other shows I'd like to see issued, but that's the Ritz (and in particular that one LP side's worth of music) is right there at the top of the list.

[pb2015]

"Envelopes" preceded "Drowning Witch" throughout the 1981 tour. In 1982 they played "Envelopes" after "Drowning Witch" as it was on the album.

[GuitarGeek]

"Envelopes" preceded "Drowning Witch" throughout the 1981 tour. In 1982 they played "Envelopes" after "Drowning Witch" as it was on the album.

Yes, I know. That was my point. I know my armchair record producer opinion doesn't mean anything but I still say side two of Ship Arriving Too Late To Save a Drowning Witch should have been Envelopes/Drowning Witch/What's New In Baltimore?/Moggio.

[chalkpie]

Yes, I know. That was my point. I know my armchair record producer opinion doesn't mean anything but I still say side two of Ship Arriving Too Late To Save a Drowning Witch should have been Envelopes/Drowning Witch/What's New In Baltimore?/Moggio.

Probably couldn't fit all of those on one LP side, yes?

[pb2015]

Probably couldn't fit all of those on one LP side, yes?

The tracks as released total around 20-21 minutes so it's possible, although Zappa tended to favor 15-17 minute LP sides in the 80's.

[GuitarGeek]

Probably couldn't fit all of those on one LP side, yes?

I ran a stopwatch on that part of the Ritz show, and it timed out to about 22 minutes, which is well within the limits of LP side length. Of course, if one was to nitpick and say "Oh, we're gonna lose bottom" then I would say drop Envelopes, and have the LP side start with Drowning Witch, just like on the Thigh bootleg.

[chalkpie]

then I would say drop Envelopes

No thanks. I personally love it the way it is.

[wilcox660]

Looks like some fun stuff!

[unclemeat]

Click on titles for details.

http://frankzappa.asf.acsitefactory....c/crux-biscuit

[zombywoof]

Where's my Uncle Meat Project Object?!

[GuitarGeek]

Where's my Uncle Meat Project Object?!

I think it was released under the titles Weasels Ripped My Flesh and Burnt Weeny Sandwich.

Seriously, I remember years ago reading that those albums were originally supposed to be part of a big box that Frank wanted to put out in 1970, I believe called No Commercial Potential: The History And Collected Improvisations of The Mothers Of Invention. Warners kept nixing the project, then the oil shortage hit (which meant the price of actually manufacturing records went up), and then you had the recession, which Frank felt meant that it would be too expensive for most fans to afford.

Also, Frank said Warners only wanted to count the archival release (which got downsized a couple times) as one album, whereas he wanted each disc in the set to count as an album, as per his contract. In other words, Frank's contract with Warners stipulated he owned them a certain number of albums, with them coming out about every 12 months or so. Frank felt that, say if the box ended up being five LP's, he wanted that to count as five albums delivered to Warners, and Warners said "No, that's just one album". I gather that if said box had come out, say in 1972 or whenever, Warners would have still expected him to deliver an album or two of new material with the current band that same year.

I've also heard it suggested that a lot of the stuff that would have been on that box ended up being released as part of the You Can't Do That Onstage Anymore set. At some point in the 70's, Lowell George did an interview where the topic was apparently brought up, and he said one of the things was a skit that they did where he plays a German border guard, and if I recall correctly, such a recording appears on YCDTOSA Vol. 5 disc 1. Supposedly, Gail was asked about it at some point after Frank died, and she said that the material got dispersed in such a fashion across various releases, that it'd be unlikely for them to attempt to recreate the original package Frank had conceived back in 1970 or whenever it was.

So your Uncle Meat Project/Object is probably scattered across Burnt Weeny Sandwich, Weasels Ripped My Flesh, and YCDTOSA Vols. 1 and 5, I think.