Frank Zappa 1968

Civilization Phaze III is the sixty-third album by Frank Zappa, released posthumously as a double album on October 31, 1994. It was the first studio album of new material from Zappa since 1986's Jazz from Hell. The album marks the third part of a conceptual continuity that started with We're Only in It for the Money (1968), with the second part being a re-edited version of Zappa's 1967 album Lumpy Gravy. Zappa described the album as a "two-act opera", but in lieu of traditional recitatives and arias, it alternates brief spoken word passages with musical numbers created on a Synclavier using a combination of sampled and synthesized sounds. Much of the sampled material in the second half of the album was originally recorded by Ensemble Modern and other musicians to Zappa's specifications.

Cheap Thrills is designed for the curious listener who has always wanted to explore Frank Zappa but was intimidated by his overwhelming catalog. Of course, so is Strictly Commercial, which contains all of Zappa's most familiar songs, but Cheap Thrills has the advantage of being cheap, plus giving an idea of the weird diversity of Zappa's catalog, since it's filled with cult favorites, live tracks, smutty jokes, and assorted album tracks. It's not necessarily the most accessible introduction to Zappa – again, that would be Strictly Commercial – but it's more accessible than the average album while giving a sense of what the albums feel like. And you can't ask for much more than that from a budget-priced introduction.

Frank Zappa - From Straight To Bizarre: Zappa, Beefheart, Alice Cooper and LA's Lunatic Fringe (2012) [DVD9] {Sexy Intellectual}
DVD9 -> 7.23 Gb | All Regions | NTSC 4:3 | English (Dolby AC3, 2 ch) | ~ 161 m | ISO Image | Artwork
© 2012 Sexy Intellectual | SIDVD568
Rock / Experimental Rock

Desperate to remove himself from his original deal with Verve Records, in 1968 Frank Zappa he set up the Bizarre and Straight labels in league with manger Herb Cohen, and so began a string of releases which remain extraordinary in the extreme. This film revisits and reviews the astonishing music that came out on Bizarre and Straight, and reveals the background, operations and, crucially, the lives of the musicians, performers and management who made these labels the legendary reality they became. Includes rare footage, archive interviews and of course the music that made it all worthwhile.

Frank Zappa - Lumpy Gravy (1968)
EAC rip | FLAC + CUE + LOG -> 177Mb | MP3 @320 -> 74Mb
Full Artwork @300 dpi -> 10Mb (tiff)
Rykodisc (USA) / (Frank Vincent Zappa, May 1968)

Ranked #23 in Mojo's "The 50 Most Out There Albums Of All Time" - "Apparently Frank's favourite, LUMPY GRAVY is certainly a masterpiece. Of sorts."

Was it that Zappa's music was so far ahead of its time, or was it just not what we thought a weirdo genius like him should be doing? Either way, since his death, his stature as a serious composer has grown. Lumpy Gravy missed most by a mile because it was the first of Zappa's 'challenging' orchestral pieces, and not what his audience had come to expect. Performed by the Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, it was a lengthy instrumental suite broken up by equally 'challenging' dialogue. On the back cover, Frank looks out and asks, 'is this phase 2 of We're Only In It For The Money?'. No, we don't think so.

Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention - Freak Out! (1966) + Absolutely Free (1967) {1995 Ryko Remaster Complete Series}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 657 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 248 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (tiff) -> 297 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1995 Rykodisc / The Zappa Family Trust | RCD 10501 / RCD 10502
Rock / Experimental Rock

In 1966, when even the Doors and the Grateful Dead were still at a garage band level, Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention took great pride in being the ambassadors of freakdom. The hippie/flower power culture was just getting under way, but the Mothers' debut album found them already taking great delight in turning Aquarian imagery inside out. No starry-eyed rainbow people, the Mothers were the living incarnation of underground comics such as R. Crumb's Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers: nasty, ugly, and downright dirty.

Frank Zappa - Greasy Love Songs (2010) {Zappa Records ZR 20010}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 408 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 161 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 17 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2010 Zappa Records / ZFT | ZR 20010
Rock / Experimental Rock / Doo Wop

Another Anniversary Frank Zappa Audio Documentary project/object celebrating Zappa's Cruising With Ruben & The Jets. The Doo Wop and Pachuco references mark this as Zappa's homage to the music and culture of his teenage world in 1950's Southern California. Contains Original 1968 Vinyl Stereo Mix, Interviews and Related Rarities.

Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention - Carnegie Hall 1971 (2011) {4CD Box Set Vaulternative Records VR 2011-1}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 878 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 515 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 541 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1971, 2011 Vaulternative Records / The Zappa Family Trust / Zappanese | VR 2011-1
Rock / Experimental Rock / Avant-Garde / Art Rock / Jazz Rock

Official Release #91. In October 1971, Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention played two shows in one night at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. The album, Carnegie Hall, celebrates that night's marathon – two shows (7:30 and 11:30 p.m.) with ticket prices ranging from $3.50 to $6 – featuring Zappa (lead guitar, vocals) with Mark Volman (vocals, percussion), Howard Kaylan (vocals), Ian Underwood (keyboards, alto sax), Don Preston (keyboards, gong), Jim Pons (bass, vocals) and Aynsley Dunbar (drums).