We are learning photoshop, and here is my test. Couldn’t be less subtle

We have quite a bunch of surround mixes now of Frank's classic albums: Freak Out!, Waka/Jawaka, The Grand Wazoo, Over-Nite Sensation, Apostrophe ('), One Size Fits All, Bongo Fury, and soon Zoot Allures.

What are your favourites so far and why? I don't have any yet, I'm still quite new to Dolby Atmos. I bought a soundbar compatible with Dolby Atmos with built-in subwoofer mainly because I wanted to hear these surround mixes.

Nothing but Hot Rats material. I took the CDs and put them in double jreel cases. The actual box is on a shelf with other oversized Zappa boxes.

I've often wondered if the band would zone out and think about where to go eat after the show or the plumbing job that still has to be done when they return home during Zappa's lengthy solos, night after night.

This week I finally got hold of The Last U.S. Show and

Chad Wackerman gave me the answer in the liner notes:

"We were ready to hit the road. And that meant: Be prepared. And keep an eye on Frank at all times. Frank's motto was "Anything can happen on stage for no reason whatsoever" so you had to learn to stay present and in the moment in stage and ready for anything.

...

Eyes on the man."

That's just making this whole circus even more impressive. All those nights, all the statistical density, and still hyper focus. Crazy band. Still in love and awe.

I know a bunch of you probably already know this one but I am ashamed to say I only learned about it yesterday. Band is an old Canterbury outfit led by Steve Hillage called Khan, album Space Shanty. This stuff takes itself a lot more seriously than FZ ever did but it has me hooked already.

Sorry if this is not a hidden gem to you guys, I just wanted to share for those like me who hadn't come across it yet.

Maybe everyone already knew this but me! Maybe I missed a post. But some of these tracks are already available on Spotify

I just scored pristine original copies of Lumpy Gravy and Absolutely Free for $55 in total.

Other than Burnt Weeny Sandwich, 200 Motels, Grand Wazoo & Joe’s Garage, they’re all originals!

To anyone in/around Boston, Music Research Library has it all!

Thank you to my boyfriend for introducing Frank Zappa to me so that I no longer only draw cute anime girls

Best rock opera of the 20th century?

One of my favorite solos of all time. Trying to learn the whole song but here’s the beginning.

Hey everyone I just listened to the packard goose from Halloween 1978 and it’s amazing!! Is there any other jams that feature electric violin and guitar going back and forth? Thank you in advance

Happy Halloween! (Before anyone asks, find it here: https://adelaide.casa/babysnakes/)

Released in 1979, Baby Snakes is Frank Zappa's concert film documenting his Halloween 1977 run at The Palladium in New York City. The original theatrical cut interleaves live performances with Bruce Bickford's hand-crafted claymation sequences and backstage footage, frequently splitting songs across these inserts or trimming them entirely. While the animations are a celebrated part of the film's identity, the result for viewers interested primarily in the music is a concert experience that never fully arrives — performances begin, get cut, and resume across long detours.

This fan edit of Frank Zappa's Baby Snakes focuses entirely on the live concert portion of the original film, trimming away animations, backstage footage, and interruptions to present a more cohesive and uninterrupted concert experience. At 122 minutes long, this version restores the concert's flow and brings the full musical performances to the forefront, creating a more immersive and engaging experience for Zappa fans.

The original film often cuts or splits live songs, leaving some tracks incomplete. My goal was to restore the full performances wherever possible, and in some cases, reconstruct the concert to match the original setlist flow. I used the newly remixed, high-quality audio from the Halloween 77 box set, syncing it with the film's visuals to replace the lower-bitrate AC3 audio found on the DVD. Extensive audio work was required, as many parts of the original film were overdubbed or edited in a way that disrupted the music. The result is a far more polished and authentic sound.

I hope this edit provides a fresh way to experience Baby Snakes, focusing solely on the incredible live performance from Zappa and his band during their legendary 1977 Halloween run. Enjoy the show.

Frank was once quoted as saying his favorite punk song was Gidget Goes to Hell by Suburban Lawns. Here is Su after the punk years, before she disappeared. Su Tissue, What Got Into You?

https://youtu.be/GpExU--YDnY?si=ZCHLp5cgiiZZTZbg

I searched in a variety of places for this . Can anyone let me know if there is a version of this floating around anywhere?

If so, do we know if it is the same mixes as the final releases, or are they all different?

Thanks yall :)

I wanted to know how they met, and where Bobby Martin went after they left. What are some songs Bobby takes a big role in?

Also I’m curious how Zappa finds the people he works with. I believe in the overnite album he’s working with the ikettes or similiar name. How do they know they are done collaborating. I guess im asking about the music industry a little bit. Zappa seems to just have so many different types of folks he’s worked with.

I want to hear more Bobby Martin vocals like he did in the closer you are. But I can seem to find him anywhere.

it was a good album i really enjoyed every song on it and i somewhat get like the themes of like racism and shit but i didnt understand much of what was going on in the story. idk im prolly just stupid

I've never questioned it until now. Why does the cow have Italy on it? Is there a deeper inside joke than it is just referencing Italian leather?

But when I’m in the car with my friends he’s just too much. I like to sneak some Zappa in there to test their tolerance. But even im the slime and Camarillo Brillo just stands out too much, but I love the instruments towards the end of Camarillo Brillo, the drums, and the background singers in I’m the slime after the 2 minute mark that song is just so good.
Does anyone know any artist that has has the instruments sound like that? Anything similar?
I usually just end up playing stuff more like Eddie hazel with everyone and it’s more universal.
But Zappa has just got these really good wind related instrument artists that I want to hear.

Side note. Does anyone know who is in th back of “the closer you are”? That guy is just so impressive and I want to hear more, where has has he shown up with just killer vocals like that

I've been a fan for a long time and own maybe a dozen albums, but this year I thought I'd listen to all Zappa's stuff (tho it's October and I'm only up to 1978...), and put together an loose Top 100 of my favourite songs along the way.

Normally when I do these lists and deep dives I stick to just studio versions of songs, but with Zappa that rules out a huge chunk of his output, and listening to all the live and posthumous stuff is pretty vital. Even albums like Weasels and Sheik that are essentially live but with enough overdubs to make them feel like studio tracks blur the lines a bit.

This got me thinking, so I'm curious about what everyone's favourite Zappa songs are that never made it to one of the 30-odd studio albums? Either a studio track that made it way to a mainly live album or compilation, or ones that only exist as live recordings. What ones would be amongst your favourite of his songs?