Zappa 81

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.

Frank Zappa - Halloween 81 (2020) {6CD Set, Zappa Records ZR 20034}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 2.82 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 0.98 Gb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 103 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1981, 2020 Zappa Records / UMe | ZR 20034
Rock / Experimental Rock / Avant-Garde / Art Rock / Jazz Rock

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.

Frank Zappa – The Dub Room Special! (2007) {Zappa Records ZR 20006}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 495 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 155 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 46 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2007 Zappa Records / ZFT / Universal | ZR 20006
Rock / Jazz Rock / Experimental Rock / Art Rock

Official Release #81. The Dub Room Special is an album by Frank Zappa, released in August 2007. It is a soundtrack for the film of the same name, and combines recordings from a TV-show performance on August 27, 1974, and from a concert in New York City on October 31, 1981. The album, originally prepared for vinyl release by Zappa, was first sold at Zappa Plays Zappa shows in the United States during August 2007. Shortly thereafter, it became available for mail order.

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.

Frank Zappa - Dub Room Special! (1982) [CD+DVD9] {Zappa Records}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 502 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 159 Mb | Full Artwork -> 72 Mb | 5% repair rar
DVD9 -> 5,42 Gb | All Regions | NTSC 4:3 | PCM Stereo | ~ 100m | Subs: English | ISO Image
© 2005, 2007 Zappa Records / Eagle Rock | ZR 20006 / EV30138-9
Rock / Experimental Rock

Directly from the Vault and for a limited time, your actual 'recorded tape' souvenir from UMRK. First come, first served. Originally produced for Vinyl by Frank Zappa. Liner notes by John Frusciante. Close your eyes and imagine how listening to an album used to be. The first reported copies were sold during the ZPZ shows around August 3rd 2007. There are no sound effects on the CD (as opposed to the video/DVD). All tracks are previously unreleased on CD and with the exception of the Token Vamp which appeared for the first time in The Dub Room Special. "The basic tracks from Inca Roads & Florentine Pogen were recorded live at KCET during the production of our TV special", writes FZ on One Size Fits All (1975). This equally thoroughly rejected television program is know as A Token Of His Extreme.