Who IS Frank Zappa

darkshade wrote: HolyMoly wrote: darkshade wrote: I'm missing those 3 albums in my collection, though I've heard The Lost Episodes before; but is Mystery Disc worth getting? Mystery Disc is quite similar to Lost Episodes, and there is a little bit of overlap between the two.  Mystery Disc focuses almost exclusively on the 1960s Mothers (and prior). I actually prefer it to Lost Episodes a little bit, but that may just be because I don't like the Lost Episodes artwork.  Mystery Disc feels more rough and bootleggy, which is how it should look/sound.   Mystery Disc compiles the two different "Mystery Albums" originally included in the Old Masters Vol 1 and Old Masters Vol 2 sets. I thought The Lost Episodes had some great gems on it, and some funny dialogue bits (Cops & Buns). The ratings on PA don't help Mystery Disc's case, it has a terrible rating, whereas TLE has a good rating. I know the ratings are a little off sometimes when it comes to Zappa's music (honestly, I think he should have more 4-5 star ratings than he already has here), but I sense there's too much dialogue on the Mystery Disc and not enough music. HolyMoly wrote: When I think about it, most of what I ever hoped Zappa would release has been fulfilled.  Maybe a Petit Wazoo-era live album would be nice (maybe the '73 Ponty thing you mentioned).  But come to think of it, I kind of miss the You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore series.  Those six volumes were always a lot of fun, I wouldn't mind a continuation of that, even if it was a Joe Travers job instead of Frank's own work. We did get a Petit-Wazoo album, "Imaginary Diseases" (2006). Are you saying you want another one? That would be cool to have another batch of the YCDTOSA series. Volumes 7, 8, and 9. I don't know if Joe Travers has the editing skills that Zappa had, I mean, besides the quick segues between tracks that are a Zappa trademark, many songs were edited from different performances, both from the same tour, and from other tours. However, I don't remember if it was mentioned here or not, but someone said that Zappa had a proto-type Stage album back in the early-mid 70s, or something like that, and that that album may see a release soon, but I don't remember any of the details...

Well then, here's a quick capsule review of MYSTERY DISC:

1. Theme From Run Home Slow (1:23) - SAME AS LOST EPISODES
2. Original Duke Of Prunes (1:17) - MORE MOVIE MUSIC, VERY NICE
3. Opening Night Party At StudioZ (1:34) - COLLAGE OF MUSIC & DIALOGUE, FUNNY
4. The Village Inn (1:17) -- MC INTRODUCTION OF ZAPPA'S LOUNGE BAND IN THE 50S
5. Steal Away (3:43)   --  SONG BY THIS LOUNGE BAND
6. I Was A Teen-Age Malt Shop (1:10) -- BRIEF MUSICAL THEME FROM THE STUDIO Z BEEFHEART DAYS
7. The Birth Of Capt. Beefheart (0:18) -- BRIEF SPOKEN INTRO BY BEEFHEART
8. Metal Man Has Won His Wings (3:06) -- ZAPPA/BEEFHEART STUDIO Z SONG
9. Saint´s ´N Sinners Segment (0:34) -- I THINK THIS WAS S BRIEF MUSICAL CUE FROM THE WORLDS GREATEST SINNER?
10. Bossa Nova Pervertamento (2:15) -- COOL INSTRUMENTAL
11. Excerpt - Uncle Frankie Show (0:40) -- FRANK AS RADIO DJ, DEMONSTRATING 1-4-5 PROGRESSION ON PIANO
12. Charva (2:01) -- SAME AS LOST EPISODES
13. Speed-Freak Boogie (4:14) -- COOL SPED UP GUITAR SOLO
14. Original Mothers at Broadside (0:55) -- VERY EARLY MOTHERS JAM
15. Excerpt MONDO HOLLYWOOD (1:54) -- VERY EARLY MOTHERS JAM
16. Original Mothers Rehearsal (0:22) -- SELF EXPLANATORY
17. How Could I Be Such A Fool? (1:49) -- EARLY VERSION OF FREAK OUT TRACK
18. Band Intros - The Fillmore (1:10) -- BILL GRAHAM INTRODUCING THE BAND
19. Plastic People (1:58) -- LIVE AT THE FILLMORE
20. Orig. Mothers At Fillmore East (0:50)
21. Harry You´re A Beast (0:30) --- LIVE EXCERPT
22. Don Interrupts (4:39) --  TRACKS 22-26 ALSO APPEAR ON AHEAD OF THEIR TIME, BUT THEY'RE EDITED HERE.
23. Piece One (2:26)
24. Jim / Roy (4:04)
25. Piece Two (6:59)
26. Agency Man (3:25)
27. Agency Man (Studio Version) (3:27) -- GREAT SONG FROM THE ABSOLUTELY FREE ERA
28. Lecture From Fest. Hall Show (0:21) -- CAN'T REMEMBER THIS ONE
29. Wedding Dress Song (2:36) -- SAME AS LOST EPISODES
30. Skweezit Skweezit Skweezit (2:57) -- ALSO KNOWN AS "RIGHT THERE" ON YCDTOSA 5, AMAZING CRAZY ROY ESTRADA FREAKOUT FEATURE
31. The Story Of Willie The Pimp (1:33) -- SPOKEN
32. Black Beauty (5:23) -- ALSO KNOWN AS "UNDERGROUND PSYCHEDELIC FREAKOUT MUSIC" ON YCDTOSA 5, BUT LONGER HERE i THINK
33. Chucha (2:47) -- CAN'T REMEMBER
34. Mothers At KPFK (3:26) -- RADIO INTERVIEW
35. Harmonica Fun (0:41) -- RANDOM SILLINESS

So really, I think it compares favorably to Lost Episodes, I'm not sure why the latter has much higher ratings.  Maybe because it includes some key early 70s demos like "Inca Roads" and "Wonderful Wino".  But there's plenty of great stuff here too.

darkshade wrote: and a new '88 band album, preferably one that contains much new material not heard on the previous 3 albums.

I don't think there's much material left that hasn't already been released from that tour.

darkshade wrote: I'm missing those 3 albums in my collection, though I've heard The Lost Episodes before; but is Mystery Disc worth getting?

Only for historical curiosity really. Unlike The Lost Episodes, I would say there's very little worthwhile music on it that can't be found somewhere else (although the original "Duke of Prunes" is nice). Except similar stuff to Joe's XMASage, if you have that one. Ahead of Their Time is awesome though.

darkshade wrote: That makes sense, though if you look at that link, the two albums seem to have been known about through interviews since the early 90s, Zappa mentions that Dance Me This should be "released by next year" (1994).

Yeah, I don't know why those two haven't been released already.

darkshade wrote: We did get a Petit-Wazoo album, "Imaginary Diseases" (2006). Are you saying you want another one?

Gail Zappa did mention at some point that there was another one.

darkshade wrote: However, I don't remember if it was mentioned here or not, but someone said that Zappa had a proto-type Stage album back in the early-mid 70s, or something like that, and that that album may see a release soon, but I don't remember any of the details...

Was it by any chance called Finer Moments?

Frank Zappa is my f**king hero

Also, something interesting I found

Here's another one:

I remember hearing on zappa.com that the next volume in the Stage series would be the Roxy Shows.... Maybe that's what "Hollywood Concerts" means???

Evolver wrote: darkshade wrote: The PA page for Lumpy Gravy lists Patrick O'Hearn as performing bass and wind on the album. That can't be right. Could it be representing an 80s remix of the album? I thought that only happened to WOIIFTM, and with Arthur Barrow on bass anyway.   The original CD issue of Lumpy Gravy did have overdubs.  And it was Art Barrow.

No, it didn't. A remix was made but never released until 2009 on the Lumpy Money boxset. The Patrick O'Hearn thing is a mistake though.

Ahhhh bootlegs. 

HarbouringTheSoul wrote: Evolver wrote: darkshade wrote: The PA page for Lumpy Gravy lists Patrick O'Hearn as performing bass and wind on the album. That can't be right. Could it be representing an 80s remix of the album? I thought that only happened to WOIIFTM, and with Arthur Barrow on bass anyway.   The original CD issue of Lumpy Gravy did have overdubs.  And it was Art Barrow. No, it didn't. A remix was made but never released until 2009 on the Lumpy Money boxset. The Patrick O'Hearn thing is a mistake though.

I feel like some work needs to be done with Zappa's PA page. Lots of new info and data that needs to be updated to represent the 2012 reissue campaign, as well as mistakes that need to be fixed.

OK, I listened to the disk.