What’s new? I’ll tell you what’s new:
Zappa — Buffalo: Vaulternative Records is proud to present another scintillating sojourn in the tour itinerary of stages past. Live 1980 concert. 2 Discs. Replete & Complete. All you need is ears!
$28 a pop. Apart the major site update (made to fit the looks of the ZPZ mini-site), be sure to check the details of the freshly released Buffalo 1980. The barfie-speak email announcement is archived here.
Update: the site’s makeover brings with it quite an interesting video section.
A new release ! Yesssssssssssssss…. :)
Keep clicking; there’s more ‘new stuff to get’ than what greets the eye…
The Uncle Frankie Show, and a chunk of Roxie – if the news is true.
I’ve – uh – not verified it, m’self…
Nice to see 1980 (and Upstate New York, for that matter!) getting some love from the Mothership. Honestly, the more Tommy Mars the better. And what’s this? A full concert? Hopefully this will not result in the visissitudes of ZFT (as opposed to FZ) tune selection (i.e., Halloween, hello?)
Dan, NYC
80 autumn!! Great!!! Barry! Have you crossed any borders latrely?… :-)
Anyone else had a look at the ZPZ dates page? There’s one date announced (10,000 Lakes Festival) and more coming soon. Fingers crossed that they do more UK dates.
Over here in Europe we do a lot of releases on 1st april. Mostly jokes and ” verzenderkes”.
A late-1980 document from the last leg of the tour – i.e two songs elevated to “monster song” status. Have the ZFT got something right for the first time in years?
April Fool jokes aside, the weekend announcement reminds me of the White House press releases made Friday afternoon when George hopes no one notices until it’s too late. Perhaps ZFT HAS finally got someting right, just can’t bring itself to admit it, and will depend on the fans to find out for themselves…
…here’s one for humility (and mother!)
I will be interested to hear folks’ comparison to the Friday Boot previously available here!
Ah, ’tis the piquant bouquet of HOT POOP … on All Fools’ Day twothousandfuckingseven, no less.
Another amazing production from out of the digital goo, courtesy of the one, the only – Zack Glickman!!!!!!!!!!
We got a little more Cheepnis: thanx!
Here’s an anecdote about this topic:
I ran into Joe “the vaultmeister” Travers at the ZPZ show on Halloween and we chatted about how amazing Vinnie and the rest of the ’80 band was! “The Keep it greasy is amazingly FAST isn’t it?”… He was like “dude, we have to release something from that era.”
Next thing I know, I’m standing in front of Gail Zappa and Joe goes, “Hey hipbone, tell Gail what should be released next!” Joe obviously meant for me to say the ’80 band but instead I froze! I started thinking about all the things I’d REALLY want to hear released and just managed to mutter out “uh, the roxy dvd followed by some stuff from the ’76 band with Bianca, Bozzio, O’ Hearn..”
Joe was like “aw, give me a fuckin’ break!” “you were supposed to say ’80!” band. I then backtracked and agreed ’80 was a good choice.
Can’t wait to hear it!!!
80s band is OKAY by me.
My wife contributed a bra for the quilt.
I was at the Santa Monica Civic for that show.
80/12/11 It was the best Zappa show I ever saw.
Frank had two guitar speakers hanging at
either side of the stage. Each one had different
guitar effects BLARING and SEARING themselves into
my BRAIN!
Tommy Mars, Vinnie Coliuta, Ike, Ray, Frank
We chanted “OTRA, OTRA!” before the intermission.
A great night, so long ago.
Glad to see the switch up from the earlier material that was being issued. I prefer the early stuff (60’s to mid 70’s) over the later because later bands like the 80 tour didnt get to do much improv. IMHO. That being said, always good to have something to supplement Tinseltown Rebellion…
I gotta recant on the website change being shitty. It was a nice touch to the good news regarding the new release.
Bah, humbug…Once fooled, twice shy…Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me…I’ll believe it (Buffalo, Roxy) when I see it. And, yes, Dan DiPaolo, one can never get enough Tommy Mars!
This makes me VERY HAPPY.
:O)
I didn’t really pray for it. But circa one week ago I intensively thought about how nice it would be having a regular and complete Fall 80 show. So I requested one for the “friday boot” session.
Power of suggestion! ;-)
Yeah it took more than a couple of phonecalls with Gail but here we are! :)
sounds to me like Barry and hipbone are connected…
ehm..sorry, “the torture never stops” is 23 minutes long!
it must contain something or is just a LONG guitar solo?
:)
1980 Oct-Dec
A true Monster on this tour. The song begins in the majestic manner of the YCDTOSA Volume I “Torture”- slow yet powerful, with Tommy playing a dominate role. The first two verses proceed as normal, with the band playing along more actively than on any other versions. A manic Vinnie, weird little bass fills, random Mars and Harris action- a lot of little extras that give this version a jumpy, hyperactive feel, despite the typically slow speed. We get the “sprechstimme” version of verse three (i.e. “The Dangerous Kitchen” effect), before returning to a normal chorus. Then, we get the Solo Section. Frank starts things off with a typically break neck and quite out of control guitar solo. This is not your typical, epic-sounding “Torture” solo. This is a beast of an almost heavy metal nature. After Frank solos at length, we get a keyboard solo- courtesy of Tommy Mars- which eventually dissolves into an always interesting and quite funky drum workout. Then, to top off this already too delicious dessert, Frank takes another solo, starting from scratch a la “Yo Mama”, allowing the band to slowly pick up steam behind him. Then, in a more “Torture”-like fashion, Frank slowly builds a more patient guitar solo, before heading back into “Torture” proper once he’s left us stunned and reeling. An excellent reworking of a classic tune, and possibly the highlight of the tour.
Ok, answer found,
thanks Foggy G!
Hey, there is no DVD-Song from ZPZ on it. i wonder. How is it about some cupcakes with Frank and a buffalo or a t-shirt with the tourlist of ZPZ? Or a bottle of Franks favorite drink, beer? A Coffeecup with his
mustache and a buffalo? Only as a gift for buying.
Got my copy this morning. Haven’t had a chance to give it a thorough listen yet.
From the liner notes so you wiki people can just copy and paste
—-
This was recorded Live at the Memorial Auditorium on 25 October, 1980, Buffalo, NY.
“Oh,” says George Douglas, “the panties and bra tour.” On the phone he is suddenly right there right now 26 years later. George recalls it as particuarly brutal experience – “it was snowing like crazy, the coldest place I’ve ever been.” And that mixing from the set up onstage(!) was “pretty rugged.” And yet, for him touring with Frank Zappa remains a highlight in his lifelong career in Sound – an “amazing adventure with FZ totally all abou the Music.” In order to put the concert together in its entirety we (UMRK) went “warts ‘n all” style with the 3 sources that George had available to cover the show” 2″ 24 Track Machine / 1″ 8-Track Machine / one cassette board tape. All the multi track master tapes had to be baked in the Utility Muffin Research Kitchen convection oven prior to transfer. All of the transfers were done at UMRK. We then sent everything on a hard drive to Frank Filipetti in New York.
UHMMMM….Tender Buffalo meat in my ears!
Just one thought: as in the case of FZ:OZ, Buffalo is also a whole show – which is really fine. But in both case Joe Travers had to make some trick because of the different sources (different tapes – or even bootlegs). My question: if the “whole show project” is such a problematic thing, why not releasing “tour-projects” instead? Like “The ’76 band” instead of OZ, and a “80 autumn” disc instead of Buffalo?…
Hey, I’m not complaining, just thinking about it, and wondering why Joe has this “one whole show” fanatism in his mind. So what if one part, one segment, one song comes from the next day – as long as it’s good and fits in the context?
Well, it’s just a thought, that came into my mind.
Too expensive. More listening. More decisions to be made. More tape-bakening/transfers. More editing. And people would still complain.
Been listening to it for a few days. Only one curious thing. Why no “flambe vocals” on the out chorus to “You Are What You Is”. Ray White was right there do do them. Oh well, that’s my only very minor issue.
Forgive my previous comment. Having finally listened to Buffalo, there’s enough raw energy to in those discs to clean the bitterness out of this ole fool. Sometimes the ZFT can get something right, praise be! What’ll be next, I wonder, New Jersey (or, The Son of Buffalo)? Damn, there’s that bitterness again…shoo…shoo…