THE ROXY PERFORMANCES

Drum roll please, maestro... For my money, this - and nothing else - is the Holy Grail of 1970s live progressive rock. Oh, I'll gladly admit I've cherished YESSONGS, GENESIS LIVE, BURSTING OUT, King Crimson's USA and even WELCOME BACK MY FRIENDS TO THE SHOW THAT NEVER ENDS for many and many a year, but this glorious box set tops them all. Honestly, I just don't understand why so many proggers call HOT RATS their favourite Zappa album when the band you can hear on THE ROXY PERFORMANCES (featuring George Duke, Bruce Fowler, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Tom Fowler, Ruth Underwood, Chester Thompson, Ralph Humphrey and FZ) accomplished far greater miracles than can be heard on that rattish album. What have we here, for example? Classic Zappa tunes such as 'Penguin in Bondage', 'Cheepnis', 'Inca Roads', Village of the Sun' and 'Montana' receive pristine performances. The players' enthusiasm is palpable and their virtuosity is second to none, especially on breath-taking instrumentals like 'Echidna's Arf', 'RDNZL' and 'Big Swifty'. But wait, should you worry about duplication? If you're NOT a massive Zappa fan, you can probably do without this set; you'll be very happy with the one-disc ROXY BY PROXY, which features some of the best bits from the same gigs, as well as superb (i.e. highly detailed and illuminating) liner notes by percussionist Ruth Underwood. But if you do have money to spare, or if you have the time to listen to this music on streaming platforms, just don't hesitate - give the set a go and ENJOY!!! Why, the 21 minute performance of 'Dupree's Paradise' from December 10th's first show ALONE is worth your money and/or attention! That particular performance (which was not included in ROXY BY PROXY) showcases George Duke as one of prog's keyboard supremos. I simply don't understand why he's not more appreciated, as he's obviously in the same league as, for example, Patrick Moraz and Tony Banks... Just one caveat, maybe: I could have done without three separate performances of the annoying 'Dickie's Such an Asshole' and I suspect that many Zappa fans will agree. But in such a long set, let's not focus on a minor defect; let's just be grateful for all the riches we've received.