I discovered progressive music in 1987, when I was 14 years old. I'd been going through my dad's record collection...he had a big one, easily 300 to 500 LPs, 99% of which were traditional or then contemporary country. However, in digging through the collection, I found a few titles that didn't look like they could possibly be country. I put them aside, however, as my eyes caught an even more gaudy cover...some weird looking guys with long hair and beards, looking like a greasy bunch of hippie biker gang members, and the cover was all posterized and freaky looking. There were no songs listed on the back...just some strange letter written by a high school student. And inside...references to all sorts of weird things...and the song titles..."Return Of The Son Of The Monster Magnet?" "Help, I'm A Rock?" "Who Are The Brain Police?" What the hell is all this about?
The album, in case you hadn’t figured it out, was Freak Out!, the first full length effort from a band named the Mothers of Invention, led by future musical groundbreaker Frank Zappa. My life was never the same again. The MOFO project/object is a 4-CD boxed set celebrating the 40th anniversary of that seminal double LP set. 73 tracks are spread across the 4 CDs, with the majority being previously unreleased material from the sessions that produced the 1966 release. Alternate takes, demos, basic tracks and more are interspersed with a wide range of interview material from 1966 through 1993, placing the album contextually in the time that spawned it.
CD 1 is likely of most interest to the less completist Zappa listener, as it offers, for the first time ever, the original 1966 stereo LP mix on CD. This is the album as I grew up hearing it, warts and all. Interestingly, despite the narrower frequency response possible in 1966, the material holds up well sonically. Freak Out! was never a densely orchestrated album; with the majority of the material being pastiches of early to mid-1960’s pop, super-wide frequency response was perhaps not necessary. This mix features none of the tinkering that FZ did on the 1987 mixes that became the standard for most all CD releases to date, and finally having this original mix on CD should be reason enough for the Zappa-phile to pony up for a purchase.
The set gets most interesting on discs 2 and 3.
CD 2 is primarily drawn from material that would make up most of LP 1. This is the poppier material (as far pop as Zappa got, really). Alternate takes, vocal tracks, basic backing tracks drawn from in-studio mono cassette recordings, and the like fill out this disc. Amazingly, the mono cassette sourced material sounds pretty impressive...easily listenable, considering the age and source. Hardcore Zappaphiles will go ga-ga over this, as it offers unique insight into the creative process that crafted these tracks, sometimes apparently from whole cloth. CD 3, on the other hand, offers a similar insight into the sessions that developed the three longer tracks on LP 2. Loads of percussion sessions from “Return of the Son of the Monster Magnet,” vocal overdub sessions, and some enlightening studio chatter (“Please, I have to ask you to hurry and clear the room. The studio time is costing us a fortune every minute, and we've gotta finish it off, 'cause we're still a low budget rock & roll band. We haven't worked for six fucking weeks. Please leave the room.”) are a highlight, but most interesting is the inclusion of 5 tracks culled from a June 1966 concert performance by the original Mothers of Invention from the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. The band rips through the selection of tracks as if possessed. Would that more of this material were available...
CD 4 compiles some alternate mixes of Freak Out! material as released on the Mothermania compilation, as well as a few 1987 alternate mixes never before released. The rest of the disc is composed of interview material as referenced above. If anything, the interviews show how dichotomous Zappa’s memory could be when discussing his work in the present and past tenses (early interviews chiding the Beatles for ripping off Freak Out!, vs. later interviews where he stated that the album had no influence on music or society at all). Zappa was a musician who was only concerned with his material in the present tense; the disc and set closes with an enlightening response from the man when asked how he wanted to be remembered:
“I don't care whether I'm remembered. As a matter of fact, there's a lot of people who would like to forget about me as soon as possible, and I'm on their side! You know? Just . . . hurry up and get it over with. I do what I do because I like doing it, I do it for my amusement first, if it amuses you . . . that's fine. I'm happy that you'll participate in it. But, uh, after I am dead and gone, there is no need to deal with any of this stuff, because it is not written for future generations, it is not performed for future generations. It is performed for now. Get it while it's hot, you know? That's it.”
Thankfully, there are people who want to remember Zappa and his work.
Hardcore Zappaphiles will likely plump for the deluxe 4 CD edition of The MOFO project/object, available in all it’s spiffnificence with an interesting and informative 48-page booklet, a fold out Freak Map, and packed in a unique soft vinyl case. Less obsessed collectors may find the readily available in retail stores 2-CD version to be more palatable. The original 1966 mix is available as CD 1 in both sets, while the abridged 2-CD version features a selection of material from the other three discs (and, sadly, 7 tracks not included on the massive 4-CD version). Either/both sets are indispensable, and offer the Zappa fan a unique look into one of the most important double LP releases ever.
Track List:
CD 1
1. Hungry Freaks, Daddy 3:32
2. I Ain't Got No Heart 2:34
3. Who Are The Brain Police? 3:25
4. Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder (FZ/Ray Collins) 3:43
5. Motherly Love 2:50
6. How Could I Be Such A Fool? 2:16
7. Wowie Zowie 2:55
8. You Didn't Try To Call Me 3:21
9. Anyway The Wind Blows 2:55
10. I'm Not Satisfied 2:41
11. You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here 3:41
12. Trouble Every Day 5:53
13. Help, I'm A Rock 4:42
14. It Can't Happen Here 3:59
15. The Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet 12:22
CD 2
1. Hungry Freaks, Daddy - Vocal Overdub Take 1 3:47
2. Anyway The Wind Blows - Vocal Overdub 2:54
3. Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder - Vocal Overdub Take 2 (FZ/Ray Collins) 3:48
4. I Ain't Got No Heart - Vocal Overdub Master Take 2:37
5. Motherly Love - Vocal Overdub Master Takes 3:09
6. I'm Not Satisfied - 2nd Vocal Overdub Master, Take 2 (Rough Mix) 2:38
7. You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here - Vocal Overdub Take 1 (Incomplete)/Take 2 (Incomplete) 1:58
8. You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here - Basic Tracks 3:40
9. Who Are The Brain Police? - Basic Tracks 3:42
10. How Could I Be Such A Fool? - Basic Tracks 2:24
11. Anyway The Wind Blows - Basic Tracks 2:48
12. Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder - Basic Tracks (FZ/Ray Collins) 3:43
13. I Ain't Got No Heart - Basic Tracks 2:36
14. You Didn't Try To Call Me - Basic Tracks 3:00
15. Trouble Every Day - Basic Tracks 7:11
16. Help, I'm A Rock - FZ Edit 5:48
17. Who Are The Brain Police? (Section B) - Alternate Take 1:15
18. Groupie Bang Bang 3:51
19. Hold On To Your Small Tiny Horsies . . . 2:08
CD 3
1. Objects 4:32
2. Freak Trim (Kim Outs A Big Idea) 5:14
3. Percussion Insert Session Snoop 3:18
4. Freak Out Drum Track w/ Timp. & Lion 4:04
5. Percussion Object 1 & 2 6:01
6. Lion Roar & Drums From Freak Out! 5:36
7. Vito Rocks The Floor (Greek Out!) 6:09
8. "Low Budget Rock & Roll Band" 2:14
9. Suzy Creamcheese (What's Got Into You?) 5:49
10. Motherly Love 3:12
11. You Didn't Try To Call Me 4:06
12. I'm Not Satisfied 2:53
13. Hungry Freaks, Daddy 3:37
14. Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder (FZ/Ray Collins) 2:31
CD 4
1. Wowie Zowie 3:02
2. Who Are The Brain Police? (Section A, C, B) 4:32
3. Hungry Freaks, Daddy 3:37
4. Cream Cheese (Work Part) 8:18
5. Trouble Every Day 2:39
6. It Can't Happen Here (Mothermania Version) 3:19
7. "Psychedelic Music" 2:34
8. "MGM" 1:54
9. "Dope Fiend Music" 2:06
10. "How We Made It Sound That Way" 5:08
11. "Poop Rock" 0:46
12. "Machinery" 1:00
13. "Psychedelic Upholstery" 1:44
14. "Psychedelic Money" 1:34
15. Who Are The Brain Police? 3:39
16. Any Way The Wind Blows 2:58
17. Hungry Freaks, Daddy 3:33
18. "The 'Original' Group" 1:29
19. "Necessity" 1:18
20. "Union Scale" 1:47
21. "25 Hundred Signing Fee" 1:12
22. "Tom Wilson" 0:33
23. "My Pet Theory" 2:18
24. "There Is No Need" 0:43
Band members:
Frank Zappa--Musical director, guitar & vocals
Ray Collins--Lead vocalist, harmonica, tambourine, finger cymbals, bobby pin & tweezers
Jim Black--Drums (also sings in some foreign language)
Roy Estrada--Bass & guitarron; boy soprano
Elliot Ingber--Alternate lead & rhythm guitar with clear white light
The Mothers Auxiliary:
Gene Estes--percussion
Eugene Di Novi--piano
Neil Le Vang--guitar
John Rotella--clarinet, sax
Kurt Reher--cello
Raymond Kelley--cello
Paul Bergstrom--cello
Emmet Sargeant--cello
Joseph Saxon--cello
Edwin V. Beach--cello
Arthur Maebe--French horn, tuba
George Price--French horn
John Johnson--tuba?
Carol Kaye--12-string guitar
Virgil Evans--trumpet
David Wells--trombone
Kenneth Watson--percussion
Plas Johnson--sax, flute
Roy Caton--copyist
Carl Franzoni--voice
Vito--voice
Kim Fowley--(Featured on hypophone)
Benjamin Barrett--contractor
David Anderle
+
Motorhead Sherwood--noises
Mac Rebennack (aka Dr John)--piano
Paul Butterfield
Les McCann--piano
Danny Hutton
Cory Wells
Mike Clarke
P.F. Sloane
Bobby Beausoleil--vocals
Terry Gilliam
Jeannie Vassoir--(the voice of Cheese)
Since last month’s confirmation of the September 19th date for Baltimore City’s dedication of a bust of Frank Zappa, community support has been growing for a concert and festival in tribute to the legendary musician, composer and social icon, whose birthplace is Baltimore. The bust, donated by a Lithuanian fan club, will be placed at the Enoch Pratt Free Library Southeastern Anchor Branch in Highlandtown, and plans now include an outdoor concert featuring Zappa Plays Zappa (fronted by Frank’s son Dweezil), and various events at the library and nearby Patterson Theatre in support of the dedication ceremony.
The date itself is especially significant as September 19th is the anniversary of Zappa’s 1985 testimony on Capitol Hill in favor of free expression by Recording Artists at the Senate hearing instigated by certain congressional wives (members of the PMRC) concerning record labeling. Frank Zappa’s widow Gail commented on the remarkable coincidence, stating, “Frank’s legacy rests in his uncompromising defense of the First Amendment and his uncompromising pursuit of excellence clearly demonstrated in the standards he set in all areas of Music and the arts and sciences associated with it. He was self-taught and self-realized. It is hard to imagine how that is possible except for the 4 cornerstones he had going for him: a talent for music, a hard-core curiosity, a keen sense of humor and access to a library. He was a cheap date for History.”
The broader scope of events, being developed by Clearpath Entertainment in collaboration with the Zappa family, the Southeastern Community Development Corporation, Enoch Pratt Free Library, and the Creative Alliance, are intended to help anchor the new Highlandtown Arts and Entertainment District and plans now include a library exhibit, symposiums, and after party in addition to the dedication and concert. Sean Brescia of Clearpath stated, “Baltimore has a rich entertainment heritage dating back to its iconic theatres and jazz ballrooms, and opportunities like this are a chance to re-capture that spirit. We wanted to build an event that was a truly fitting tribute to the Zappa legacy, but also something that can grow into a signature cornerstone event for the Highlandtown Arts and Entertainment District, and Gail [Zappa] has shared that vision from the beginning.” In the interest of what the events could mean for the community, Brescia reached out to a broad group of community organizations to help plan and raise support for the events.
Echoing that sentiment of community interests, Chris Ryer of the Southeast Community Development Corporation added, “The bust coming to Highlandtown and these events are high-profile, flagship opportunities to position the Highlandtown Arts and Entertainment District as major reasons for visitors to come to Southeast while they’re in Baltimore. We’re excited to work with Clearpath and the Zappas to leverage this year’s events as a catalyst for great things to come.”
Remarking on the concert lineup, Clearpath’s David Christensen said, “Frank Zappa’s musical genius and influence is undeniable and it has always been a must for us that Dweezil headline this show in the ultimate tribute to his father. This is going to be Zappa Plays Zappa, next to Zappa’s statue, on Zappa’s street, on Zappa’s day; it couldn’t be more fitting.”
A few days ago I posted a review of the new Ayreon boxed set, Timeline. It got me to thinking about boxed sets in general. A bunch of progressive rock bands have released (in some cases, several) boxed sets, with varying degrees of success.What do I mean by success?That can be measured in so many ways. Certainly commercial sales is one way, but come on…this is prog. More importantly are artistic degrees of success and content. A label can repackage an artist’s catalogue, but if the artist him (or her) self is involved, the results are often superior. Related to that would be the contents of the set…is it a simple collection of previously released material, or is it filled up with interesting stuff that we may never have heard before?The following is a smattering of boxed sets that I’ve found to offer very good value for one reason or another.King Crimson – Epitaph, The Great Deceiver. Sure, they released one of the better career retrospective boxed sets in Frame by Frame. But save for the fourth disc of live material and a few curious edits (re-recording vocals and bass on "Cadence and Cascade" and "Bolero" respectively, among others), FxF doesn’t offer a huge amount to the hardcore Crimhead. Better to look at Epitaph, a 4-CD set of material from the first incarnation of the band (including some awesome BBC session stuff), or The Great Deceiver, 4 discs of concert material from 1973-1974. Both are well nigh essential…the first really allowed people to re-evaluate the first band and what they were capable of, while the second showed the 1973-1974 band for what they were…perhaps the first progressive metal band, and one who could jam as well. Awesome stuff all the way around.Genesis – Archive 1968-1975. Full Lamb Lies Down concert? Check. Another disc of live material from the Selling England period, along with some hard to find B-sides? Sure, why not? An entire disc of material from the Genesis to Revelations era? Well…interesting, to be certain. It’s a shame the band didn’t visit this idea for the second boxed set (1976-1992)…if they had, I’d recommend both. Add in some excellent liner notes and recollections from all parties involved, and I am more than willing to overlook the re-recorded bits (yes, it was hard to mic Gabriel when he was in the Slipperman costume, but…). Now, all we need to find is a previously unknown high quality professionally filmed Lamb show and release it on DVD…that sound you hear is the sound of 500,000 devoted Genesis fans combusting spontaneously in thought…Magma – Trilogie au Triannon. It’s tempting to say you need no more Magma than this. This is the essence…the first trilogy from Christian Vander and his Kobaian band mates. MDK, Wurdah Itah, Theusz Hamtaakh…Orff-ian, minimalistic, orchestral, intense. You get lyrics! You can sing along! It sounds like I making fun of this, but…I’m not. Magma is one of my favourite bands ever, and this boxed set is one of the best ways to discover what this underrated band has to offer. Not many groups can claim to have created a whole genre of music…Magma did just that. Essential. Essential in extremis.Frank Zappa – The MOFO Project/Object. Zappa’s had a bunch of things that could be considered a boxed set. Lather is one, one might consider the YCDTOSA series as one, especially if you have the road case to put the volumes in. But that one was released in 6 individual releases, while Lather is more a repackaging than anything else. MOFO is…more. Yes, you have the original Freak Out! Album, but it’s a mix no one has heard in almost ever. Plus loads of studio sessions, outtakes, interviews…it gives the listener a great look into Zappa in 1966, the Mothers of Invention at their early onset, and it smokes to boot. I am not too keen on the packaging (the plastic seems to stick a little bit), but it’s an impressive looking thing, to be sure. And the music matches it.Echolyn – A Little Nonsense. Yes, I wish the debut release were in print by itself. Same with …and every blossom, or When the Sweet Turns Sour. But we get all of them here, along with some remakes of older songs, some outtakes, and so on. 3 discs, a bugger of a package (yes, it looks all nice, but the discs can be a beast to get out carefully), and a nice booklet that offers up some historical background to the music in hand. If you’ve got everything else the band released and are missing these, get the box. It’s less expensive by far than trying to dredge up an original pressing of the debut, which at one point was selling for $200 or more.Renaissance – Da Capo. A bit slight at only 2 CDs, this set is, however, what the old Sire released Tales of 1001 Nights dreamed it could be. More inclusive by far, it covers the old Keith Relf era of the band up through unreleased material from the Time Line/Camera Camera era band. The booklet is informative, there’s some great photos of the band from throughout the life of the group, and over all, it’s the best package a Renaissance fan has right now. It serves as a great intro to the band for those unfamiliar with their glorious classically influenced progressive rock. And really…you can never have too much Annie Haslam.Emerson Lake and Palmer – Where do I go here? I don’t have the most recently released boxed set, so I am limited to looking at The Return of the Manticore and the 3 Bootleg Boxes. The original 4 CD boxed set really only offered up one disc of interest to hardcore fans…the first, with some reworkings of songs from each band member’s past (i.e., a Crimson cover, a Nice cover, an Arthur Brown cover), as well as a reworking of Pictures at an Exhibition. There’s a few previously unreleased live tracks tossed in to spice things up, but overall, this is pretty much a career retrospective and not much more. The bootleg boxes are illuminating, and occasionally offer up some great sounding live recordings (the pair from 1992 and 1993 specifically), but in the end they are for absolute die hard fans only, the ones who can handle listening to a recording that is muffled or imperfect in order to hear the band taking risks.I have a hard time with Yes. All I really have is the old YesYears set. I do not have In a Word, nor do I have The Word is Live. So I can’t recommend either of those. And YesYears…out of print, out of date (only covers up to Union), and some curious selections in tracks. Not a lot of unreleased goodies either…and very unessential now that Rhino has repackaged and re-released all the original studio albums with a plethora of bonus tracks and stuff.I'll probably revisit this subject in a few days as well, once I've had a chance to mull over a few other boxed sets and artists...watch this space!
Article HERE.Some highlights:The Zappa Family Trust will kick off a comprehensive campaign to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the late Frank Zappa's albums next month. "Lumpy Money," a three-CD "audio documentary" due out Nov. 25, is the first offering in the series -- and, according to Zappa's widow Gail, the most unique.The "Lumpy Money" package will feature two separate mixes of each album, done by Frank himself. It will include feature the first official release of the instrumental, Igor Stravinsky-influenced orchestral "ballet" version of "Lumpy Gravy" that Zappa recorded in 1967 for Capitol Records but decided to revamp, adding rock musicians and eventually releasing it on MGM/Verve four months after "We're Only in it For the Money" in 1968. Gail Zappa says a "sister" project will be released shortly after "Lumpy Money" that will contain more music from those sessions.
Other releases in the series will be treated "more as individual albums," drawing material from the Sequin Mines vault underneath the Zappa family home. A new version of "Cruising with Ruben and the Jets," Frank Zappa's third 1968 release, is also being prepared, while the Zappa Family Trust is working on other projects such as a vintage live album from the Roxy in Los Angeles and a set of Zappa's renditions of the compositions French composer Edgar Varese.
Last week a press release from the Zappa Family Trust teased the imminent release of a new title in the Joe's Corsaga series, this time under the Joe's Menage aegis. No other info save for the fact that it was 1975 material was given in the press release, resulting in a bit of uproar amongst the Zappa faithful.Fortunately this has been rectified.
Press release from this location:
Vaulternative Records has announced the Friday, September 26, 2008 release of the concert CD Joe's Menage, continuing the Zappa Family Trust's mission to celebrate and protect the legacy of Frank Zappa. Joe's Menage was recorded in concert at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA on November 1, 1975. This is all previously unreleased material.
Joe's Menage continues the Corsaga series, with prior releases Joe's Corsage, Joe's Domage, and Joe's Xmasage currently available. "While it is the Zappa Family Trust's mission to celebrate and protect the legacy, many of its releases, particularly the Corsaga, are meant to educate the listener and to give them an inside view of Frank Zappa's working process and other aspects of his creativity," said Gail Zappa, who heads the Trust.
The album first germinated when Frank Zappa gave friendly fan Ole Lysgaard several cassette tapes, including this one, in 1978. In 2004, Lysgaard sent the tapes to Gail Zappa and she decided to release the 1975 music, which was restored and mastered by John Polito.
While the concert is anchored by Frank Zappa's guitar and vocals, the other performers on Joe's Menage represent an unusual lineup for Zappa. Norma Jean Bell contributes alto saxophone and vocals. Longtime Zappa sideman Napoleon Murphy Brock plays tenor saxophone and sings; Andre Lewis plays keyboards and sings; former Mother of Invention member Roy Estrada lends bass and vocals; and Terry Bozzio drums. (Bozzio and Brock have played with Dweezil Zappa as well.)
The album is available exclusively via mail order at Zappa.com.
Frank Zappa, American composer, was born in 1940 and died in 1993.
'Joe's Menage' Track Listing
1. Honey, Don't You Want a Man Like Me?
2. The Illinois Enema Bandit
3. Carolina Hard-Core Ecstacy
4. Lonely Little Girl
5. Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance
6. What's The Ugliest Part of Your Body?
7. Chunga's Revenge
8. Zoot Allures
(From zappafan.net)The Open Fist has announced that it will present the world premiere of a stage adaptation of Frank Zappa’s classic rock opera Joe's Garage. This production is adapted for the stage by Pat Towne and Michael Franco, will be directed by Towne and feature musical direction by Ross Wright and choreography by Jennifer Letteleir. The production, produced with permission from the Zappa Family Trust, will run September 18 through November 22.
Joe's Garage tells us the story of Joe, a simple guitar player in a garage band, as he is drawn into the dark and nightmarish world of the music business. As Joe deteriorates from betrayal, disease, and madness, our narrator, the Central Scrutinizer asserts that music is responsible for his demise, and is therefore evil. The piece uses the simplicity of a high school musical to focus on myriad issues from governmental surveillance of its own citizenry to the sexual escapades of the Catholic Church to the avarice of the music business.
Towne recently directed an award-winning production of Gorey Stories, a theatrical adaptation with music of the works of Edward Gorey, for the Sacred Fools Theater. A founding member of the Zoo District Theatre Company, Towne has directed and performed in several of its productions including the world premiere of Bulgakov’s Heart of a Dog at the Ivan Franko National Theatre in Kiev, Ukraine. Among his other credits, The Real Live Brady Bunch Off-Broadway.
Franco has received LA Weekly, LADCC, Ovation and Garland Awards for his work on such productions as The Room, The Swine Show, Gorey Stories, Heart of a Dog, Uppa Creek, The Master and Margarita and Nosferatu for The Zoo District, The Sacred Fools and The Open Fist Theatre Companies.
Performances of Joe's Garage will be Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm Sundays at 7pm at The NEW Open Fist Theatre (6209 Santa Monica Blvd. -former home of The Actor’s Gang) in Hollywood. Tickets are $15-$25 and can be purchased by calling 323-882-6912 or by visiting www.openfist.org.
No mention of sources, dates, studio or live, or what have you. But...here's the tracklist for the new FZ release One Shot Deal:
01. Bathtub Man 5:43
02. Space Boogers 1:24
03. Hermitage 2:00
04. Trudgin' Across The Tundra 4:01
05. Occam's Razor 9:11
06. Heidelberg *1987 4:46
07. The Illinois Enema Bandit 9:27
08. Australian Yellow Snow 12:26
09. Rollo 2:57
More as I find it...
I've been really quiet of late (loads of stuff happening IRL), the end result of which is that I have been pulled increasingly from posting here.
Without making excuses or getting into any of the reasons, here's some stuff for y'all:
My interview with Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings has now been posted and can be read HERE. A brief excerpt:
BK: Good. You guys are gonna be playing the inaugural Three Rivers Prog Fest, out in Pittsburgh. And I know Pittsburgh is where Inside/Out USA used to be based out of. Is there something special about that festival, you know, the idea that you're gonna be playing at the first one, or is it the fact that you're gonna be able to sort of route shows around it that makes it attractive?
RS: Well, in fact, we were asked to, because obviously we know a couple of people in Pittsburgh, because we had our record company there and we had people that we'd been working with in Pittsburgh for quite a while. So, we were asked to play this festival maybe some...4, 5, 6 months ago, I think.
BK: Long before it was actually announced.
RS: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. And I waited, and one of the reasons was of course that we had to cancel ROSfest. I didn't want that to happen again, you know what I mean. I wanted to be really, really, positively sure that we were gonna play the festival before I said OK. Anyway, so we were asked to do this, and I didn't know what other bands were gonna play, and then they came back to me a couple of weeks ago, and said "this is what the festival is gonna be, these are the other acts," and some of them are not announced yet. But they're really good acts, definitely. So, just looking at the lineup, I said "this looks interesting," and I think we can even attract some of the non-prog audience for this festival. So, that was one of the motivations for playing.
Secondly, my interview with Andy Tillison of The Tangent has also been posted, and you can read it HERE. Again, a brief excerpt:
BK: Is the European scene that much more vital for live progressive music, that a tour like this can happen over there? Here in the States it seems the entire progressive music scene is almost subsidized and supported by three or four festivals over the course of the year. Bands will come over and play one or two shows around the festivals and that's the only chance you get to see them.
AT: Yeah. Well...that's right. It has to be remembered that although the festivals are very impressive in America...we loved when we played ROSfest...it also has to be remembered that America actually has one of the smallest progressive rock markets, so that...you know...I think that for example there are more people into progressive rock in South America than there are in the United States. And there are certainly more people who are into it in Europe than there are who are into it in America. So the problem is the American vastness, it means that we can come over...we can play one of the festivals, but then we have to transport ourselves miles away to the next show to keep from interfering with that festivals bookings and play a gig on the other coast. The problem is...we've already discussed this with other bands who have done the same thing and they find nobody goes to the next gig because they've already gone to the festival! So these big festivals in America are sort of like, everybody goes and you see the same people or core at all festivals. So it is a bit difficult, of course, and the American market is...it's difficult to get over there to start with, and all the instrument hire, and...
So yeah...we can do the festivals, but unfortunately putting a tour together over there is almost impossible. We're not big enough yet...we haven't got enough people who could make a tour pay, and, you know...it is terrible that you have to think of money like this, but...unfortunately we do. We can't come home having to pay for our own performance.
Finally, those of you on the Frank Zappa merch mailing list know that there is a new Zappa DVD being released from the vaults, titled The Torture Never Stops. This is an apt title for a lot of long-suffering Zappaphiles who have been waiting patiently for the ZFT to finally released the long coveted Roxy DVD, which has been announced and promised for many years now (a trailer for this appears on the Baby Snakes DVD).
I am not going to get into the politics of the way releases are being made from the archives...there have been some strange choices, to be sure, but at the same time, several things have come out that are genuinely very interesting (Wazoo, the live Grand Wazoo release...the MOFO project (which has its own share of controversy)...Imaginary Diseases from the Petit Wazoo tour, et cetera).
But...
The Roxy era band has been considered by many to be the peak of the early post-MOI Zappa groups...I mean, how can you complain about this as a band to play with:
Napoleon Murphy Brock – flute, saxophone, tenor saxophone, vocals
George Duke – synthesizer, keyboards, vocals
Bruce Fowler – trombone, dancer
Tom Fowler – bass guitar
Walt Fowler – trumpet, bass trumpet
Don Preston – synthesizer
Jeff Simmons – rhythm guitar, vocals
Chester Thompson – drums
Ruth Underwood – percussion
And yes, we have Baby Snakes on DVD, and The Dub Room Special, and Does Humour Belong in Music?, and now TTNS...but no Roxy.
And we wait.
Just like we've been waiting for...
Dance Me This
The Rage & The Fury
200 Motels (on DVD and/or CD)
A release of Uncle Meat without the 'penalty tracks'
I've long since given up trying to understand how releases get decided upon and scheduled. I'd just like to see Roxy before I die...
