Stage Right

This string quartet tribute to Rush delivers 12 instrumental versions of the Canadian power trio's material, focusing mainly on their breakthrough years of 1975-1981. Given the band's penchant for grandiosity, their material lends itself particularly well to the violin, viola, cello, and bass. Of course, Neil Peart's drum fills aren't replicated, nor are his lyrical flights of fancy. But hits like "Tom Sawyer," "Spirit of Radio," and "Freewill" retain their resonance, while the melodies of "A Passage to Bangkok," "Xanadu," and especially "Red Barchetta" only seem to get stronger in this format. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide

Frank Zappa - You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore. Vol. 1-6 [Purple Box] (1995) {Rykodisc}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 5.40 Gb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 186 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1995 Rykodisc / The Zappa Family Trust | RCD 10561~72
Rock / Experimental Rock

To simplify my life considerably, I'm going to combine the "reviews" of all six Stage releases into a single entry, even though they were released individually. Also, to save a lot of time and effort, I'm not going to give complete track listings of the twelve discs, or do song-by-song reviews (hey, we're talking over 800 minutes of music here, give me a break). If you need to know the track listings, they're probably available through an on-line music sales site like CDNow, or an information site like the All Music Guide. There's probably a few other Zappa sites that list them as well. Maybe one day when I have the time, I'll come back and expand this section to really cover all twelve discs in detail. Until then, I'll just give some general facts and opinions, focusing on highlights and material unique to the Stage series.

On March 23, THUNDER will release the brand new live album, "Stage", through earMUSIC. "Stage" features hits from right across the band's career and includes fan-favorite classics, like "Backstreet Symphony", "Low Life In High Places" and "Love Walked In", and brings things right up to date with tracks from the 2017-released, Top 3 U.K. chart album "Rip It Up", like the storming title track and "She Likes The Cocaine".

Frank Zappa - You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol. 6 (1992) [2CD] {1995 Ryko Remaster Complete Series}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 941 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 328 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 312 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1995 Rykodisc / The Zappa Family Trust | RCD 10571/72
Rock / Jazz Rock / Experimental Rock / Art Rock

Official Release #59. The last volume of the series You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore is one of the strongest, especially for those who prefer Frank Zappa's sex-oriented songs. There is not much complex material or instrumental pieces in this collection, but catchy humorous songs abound, along with more of that stage craziness the series tried to capture. Live incarnations of Zappa's band from 1970 up to 1988 are represented (the original Mothers had a whole disc devoted to them on Vol. 5).