Dweezil Zappa just hit the “Post” button on the latest Z-newsletter. In case you’re not subscribed, some choice quotes:
The [ZPZ] DVD is available at last in stores now and will be available as a 2 disc set and as a special fan pack that includes both DVD discs plus audio (3) CDs of the same material. A single compilation audio CD will also be available separately.
Wonderful, but I think I’ll just stick with the double DVD…
Public television affiliates will be airing a special One Hour show from the ZPZ DVD as one of their highly acclaimed pledge shows in dozens of markets across the US. The first market to take the leap will be Southern California.
An effort to support public TV, well that’s kinda cool…
[...] an exciting opportunity to pledge your best support of your local public station in exchange for the deluxe version that includes Trance-Fusion (FZ’s final Guitar Recording) as well as “One Shot Deal”, the Exciting and New (and Official #83) Frank Zappa release available on CD
Emphasis mine. “One Shot Deal” is said to become available on the ZPZ Tour de Frank and eventually online at Barfko-Swill…
After London & Rome, Paris welcomes the third international conference dedicated to Frank Zappa. A great weekend of debates, spectacle and concerts (special things will happen)
Will have to see if we can make it there! Oh, and I have it on good authority that Thomas Dippel of the Arf Society will be present “to discuss Gail’s actions” — wearing one of these.
The two CDs I ordered from the German label, Promising Music, on April 20th, arrived this afternoon. Talk about speedy delivery. I was expecting 4 to 6 weeks. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least.
To start, everything they say about their reissues is correct: the CD packaging does resemble the gatefold albums of the era, right down to the grooves in the CD, and the vinyl record sleeve itself. Even the liner notes have been recreated and translated from the original German into English for us uni-lingual folks. In the final analysis, though, it’s not what they look like that matters, but how they sound.
Promising Music explains their re-mastering philosophy as such:
Restauration of the basic material as close to the original as possible. We give the integrity of the original sound top priority. By that we rather turn down an extreme reduction of tape noises (e.g. we feel, in case of doubt, leftovers of tape hiss less disturbing than a limitation of the sound transparency), and we edit the acoustic patterns carefully on the basis of original aesthetics (i.e. no “pseudo stereo” sound, no artificial reverbs, no additional compression, no superimposed “modern” sound scapes).
We remastered the original MPS master tapes digitally on a 24bit/88,2kHz level. By this we feel to reach, in comparison to a sampling rate of 96kHz, a more transparent and smooth sound, as the down sampling to the regular 44,1kHz Compact Disc standard runs much more plain and straight.
By this we produce pristine, true-to-original listening pleasure of these precious recordings at highest possible quality — not high tech sterility.
While neither are vinyl records, I use the same test with these CDs as I do with all the vinyl records I purchase: do they possess a deep, warm enveloping sound as opposed to a sound which is harder and more artificial?
Both CDs are excellent remasterings of these early MPS titles. While, admittedly, this was my first listen to Don ‘Sugarcane’ Harris‘ Sugar Cane’s Got the Blues, the electrifying performances recorded at Berlin’s Philharmonic Hall from November, 1971, were rendered richly and vibrantly. I have heard digital copies of vinyl rips of George Duke’sFaces In Reflection, though, and this CD blows those mp3s out of the water. It’s like listening to a brand new album (which it is, in many respects). A joy in any language.
Though I haven’t had time to play around with it, Muxtape looks to be loads of fun. I’ll just let the tag line do the talking. Muxtape is:
a simple way to create and share mp3 mixtapes
Have any of you created muxtapes you wish to share? If so feel free to put a link in the comments — after you’re done gazing in awe at my incredibly clever title for this post, of course.
The last time I entered an independent music store and asked if they had anything by George Duke in stock, the response I received was a very long, dull, blank stare followed by: “George who?” The same goes for the many of the Zappa alumni from the early to mid-70s. It’s as though they’ve been completely forgotten by the present music store owners and their databases. One cannot completely fault them, though, as much of the music from that period is out-of-print, or has never been issued on CD.
Luckily, a small German label, Promising Music, has gained access to a range of more than 400 titles of the MPS catalogue (which is owned by Universal Classics & Jazz, a division of Universal Music GmbH, Berlin/Germany). They have reissued Don ‘Sugarcane’ Harris’s classic Sugar Cane’s Got The Blues and George Duke’s Faces In Reflection, (both of which I have already gleefully ordered) with intentions of reissuing other Duke classics such as ‘I Love the Blues, She Heard My Cry’, ‘Feel’, and ‘Liberated Fantasies’.
All promising music releases are as close to the vinyl original as a CD format can be.
All discs have black vinyl design (with a groove!)
All CDs are packaged in downsize replicas of original LP, incl inner sleeves
All CDs feature an extra booklet with legible reprints of liner notes and all original informations, as well as additional retrospective comments
The subtle re-mastering is trying to get as close as possible to the warmth of the vinyl originals
Until the CDs arrive, in particular the Sugarcane reissue, I can satisfy myself listening to the five RealAudio excerpts of Don ‘Sugarcane’ Harris available for free download here.
It’s been a bit of a busy week for me, fellow fen! However, here’s some stuff that didn’t pass by my radar unnoticed:
In Japan, this and that hits the streets. Says Thomas Marrot: “the plot happens in Frank Zappa Street where human and animal characters live together in a “funky & pop” city.”
Soundpainting: “the live composing sign language created by New York composer Walter Thompson for musicians, dancers, actors, poets, and visual artists working in the medium of structured improvisation.”
A bunch of clips, again via Thomas:
Does humor belong in music? Course it does!
I have received just yesterday Ween’s last release “La Cucaracha” as a present from Barry (thanks honey!)
Once again, the band at its best, taking the shit out of almost any genre (including: house!) and delivering impeccably.
However I must warn you, this is one of those “either you get it or you don’t” sorta things.
Unlike other petulant musicians, Gene and Dean don’t mind about fansites offering online a bunch of unofficial mp3’s. They know that’s how people get hooked to their music! If you are completely new to them, pick for instance “The Golden Eel”, “Bananas and Blow”, “Flutes Of The Chi”, “The Mollusk”, “These Nuts” to have a taste.
The band’s official website is regularly updated by Dean Ween, who also keeps a weblog: Brownietroop -have to sign up to be able to read- with a personal diary and fishing report. By the way, they are currently producing a fishing show where you can enjoy their exquisite music: SKUNKED.
I love these guys!
I was recently arranging and updating my personal MySpace profile page when I came across these two video gems: Frank Zappa’s “Watermelon in Easter Hay” live with Mike Keneally and the rest of the 1988 band, and The Mike Keneally Band live performing “My Dilemma”.
It’s Wednesday, hump-day, and you are no doubt in need of something special to get you through those mid-week doldrums (perhaps brought on by a certain vaultmeister’s recent non answer). So, here’s Jim Dandy to the rescue, so to speak, with Black Oak Arkansas‘ “Hot ‘n Nasty” followed by “Lord Have Mercy On My Soul (Halls of Karma)”. I don’t think anyone can possibly view these two videos, the first especially, without realizing where Van Halen got much of its stage act.
