Frank Zappa in New York

Frank Zappa - Zappa In New York (2019) {5CD Box Set, 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition ZR20029 rec 1976}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 1.88 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 724 Mb
Full Artwork @ 200 dpi (jpg) -> 152 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1976, 2019 Zappa Records / UMe | ZR20029
Rock / Experimental Rock / Avant-Garde / Art Rock / Jazz Rock

Of all the Zappa live albums out there (and there’s a lot, so we have to be careful what we say), the double album rendering of his December 1976 New York shows has always occupied a prominent position in the fan club’s “best of” ratings. There are misgivings, of course. The omission of the showstopping “Punky’s Whips”; the mass of edits and rearrangements that went into the final running order; the fact that close to two years elapsed between concert and LP…. But, if you stopped worrying about what could have been, and focus simply on what you got, it was a fabulous album.

Frank Zappa - Zappa In New York (1976) {2CD Rykodisc RCD 10524/25 rel 1995}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 704 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 242 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 444 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1976, 1995 Rykodisc / The Zappa Family Trust | RCD 10524/25 (LP March 3rd 1978)
Rock / Experimental Rock / Jazz Rock

Official Release #23. Zappa in New York was recorded in December 1976 at the Palladium and originally intended for release in 1977. It was held up due to arguments between Frank Zappa and his then-record label, Warner Bros. When the two-LP set finally appeared in March 1978, Warner had deleted "Punky's Whips," a song about drummer Terry Bozzio's attraction to Punky Meadows of Angel. When Zappa reacquired the album and released it as a double CD in 1991, he restored "Punky's Whips" and added four bonus tracks.

This March, Universal Music will issue a five-CD, 40th anniversary deluxe edition of Frank Zappa‘s 1978 live album Zappa in New York.

By 1981, Frank Zappa’s Halloween shows in New York were already legendary – a rock and roll bacchanalia of jaw-dropping musicianship, costume-clad revelry, spontaneous theatrical hijinks and of course a heavy dose of Zappa’s signature virtuosic guitar workouts. Eagerly anticipated every year, fans never knew exactly what was in store but knew it would be of epic proportions and one-of-a-kind experience that only Zappa and his skilled group of musicians could provide. When Zappa returned to The Palladium in NYC in 1981 for a five-show four-night run from October 29 to November 1, the nearly-annual tradition was even more anticipated than usual as the 1980 concerts were cut short due to Zappa falling ill. Curiously there was no fall tour the previous year and thus no Halloween shows.

This new deluxe reissue covering Frank Zappa’s 1972 ‘electric orchestra’ period features amazing new 5.1 Surround & Dolby Atmos remixes of the studio albums Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo.

Frank Zappa - Philly '76 (2009) {2CD Set, Vaulternative Records VR20091 rec 1976}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 898 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 322 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 49 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1976, 2009 Vaulternative Records / ZFT | VR 20091
Rock / Experimental Rock / Art Rock

Official Release #86. Another in the ongoing series of releases drawn from Frank Zappa's extensive archives of live recordings, Philly '76 contains a concert held at the Spectrum in Philadelphia on October 29, 1976. This period in Zappa's career is otherwise documented by the album Zoot Allures, which actually was released on that day, and by Zappa in New York, drawn from shows recorded two months later. But the lineup of Zappa's band is not exactly the same as that on either of those albums. The core unit is identical, with Ray White on rhythm guitar, former Roxy Music member Eddie Jobson on keyboards and violin, Patrick O'Hearn on bass, and Terry Bozzio on drums.

Zappa ’80: Mudd Club/Munich combines two historical performances from the spring/summer 1980 band. The first is from a set at FZ’s favorite NYC nightclub – the famous Mudd Club. Presented from a hi-res transfer of the original master tape. The second, from Olympiahalle in Munich, is the first ever live direct to digital stereo recording of Zappa. Mastering by Bernie Grundman, 2022.