Category: Zappa News

Mama MOFO Update

In case you didn’t receive the zappa.com email:

Our best information at this time is that MOFO Deluxe could ship as late as the week of FZ’s birthday. Sadly, unless you and Santa have a special relationship with FedEx, you might not get it by Christmas. But maybe you’re a Curmudgeon. Once the holiday joints and snouts is soon dispersed you can revel in the excellence that is the 4 Discs of the MOFO of your dreams.

Mo’ Little MOFO

Ned (thanks Ned!) informs me of this post made by Gail on the Zappa.com forums:

Re Little MOFO – We are informed that the release date is officially 5 December and you could easily see it in the stores that week in the U.S. As for the Mother of Freaking Out, we think it could start shipping as early as the following week but there will be an Official Update at Zappa.com sometime this week when we confirm real information. Just so you know, we did just get a little MOFO in our hot little hands but not the MAMA. One more thing – the baby MOFO is not a prequel or a sequel (should it come out either before or after MOFO Deluxe) – it is of course geneticaly related but was brought into the world with its own material as well. We did not want to leave anyone out over a budgetary concern. We deemed it a necessity to make this an all inclusive release option, given that FZ’s Music (et al) is the world’s finest optional entertainment.

The Making Of MOFO

So the ZFT just sent out another newsletter (which I didn’t receive, thanks Rob!), announcing that “Trance-Fusion is out at long (fill in the blank) last”. The 2-CD version of MOFO is reported to have at least a two week delay (originally set for release on November 7), whilst the 4-CD Limited edition is “a Monster with BIG TEETH and is madly chomping its way through the calendar” — new estimated release date December 4. Oh, and we get thrown a new bone to chew on: a live CD/DVD (?) of Zappa Plays Zappa compilations to be released next year…

MOFO Trance-Fusion Confusion

I noticed Maroual has updated the Trance-Fusion page over at Zappa Wiki Jawaka to include cover art and a track list. Kewl! The wiki has grown immensely in the past couple of months by the way, courtesy of some very dedicated contributors — be sure to check it out.
Meanwhile the ZFT has had a good look at the calendar:

Remember when we said the 2 disc MOFO would be in stores before Halloween? That was a mistake… we meant Trance-Fusion. Trance-Fusion will be in stores before Halloween and the little MOFO will be in stores about 2 weeks later.

Wherein Barry Blatantly Copies The ZFT Newsletter

… for those who didn’t receive the Zappa Plays Zappa email…

Starting now, you have a chance to bid on premium seats, a tour poster, and access to sound check the night of the show. Starting Wednesday, Sept 27th, ALL Shows (except for Vancouver, which is on-sale at a later date) will run a pre-sale. You can get your tickets for that here. The New Orleans and Cabazon shows will not have auctions – instead, for $100, you will have access to the Zappa Plays Zappa soundcheck, as well as tickets to the show. These tickets are very limited and only available through the Front Gate presale, starting on Wed, Sept 27th.

Auction info & links at ticketmaster.com:

Special guests for all shows are Napoleon Murphy Brock, Steve Vai and Terry Bozzio — although Terry will not be performing at the December 30 show. For full tourdates, check the official site.

The Making Of Freak Out!

Being the only one who mysteriously didn’t receive the Barfie’s email I am a bit late with this, but on to the news:

zappa MOFO

  • the release of MOFO’s limited edition (4 discs + 60 page booklet) has been postponed to “just in time for Halloween”
  • the “regular” MOFO release (2 discs + 30 page booklet) is planned for 11 November and will be available in stores
  • only Disc 1 of both releases are the same ( ! )
  • today zappa.com should be streaming a few samples of the album. Update: yup, #77 and #78.

Oh, and tickets for all ZPZ December shows should be on sale as of 29/30 September. For details, keep an eye on the tourdates page which has yet to be updated. (Yes: I did get that email!)

Tehran Dog Breath Variations

“It’s a good life when you are trying to get things started that are impossible,” he said. “Such as the Tehran Symphony Orchestra playing Frank Zappa.”

Nader Mashayekhi, the orchestra’s new leader, takes it all in stride. In fact, he took the job leading the 80-member ensemble in the Iranian capital “because it’s impossible”.

(via David Ocker via email)

More On The Freak Out! Anniversary Release

This just in via Marco over at the Dutch Zappa-list. I haven’t been able to track down the following Gail Zappa quote on the zappa.com site which if you ask me suffers from a severe case of mystery meat navigation, but anyway here goes:

Yes, there is a certain manifestation of Freak Out! but there are 3 other discs – approximately 3 hours of alternate tracks from the sessions for the most part, some crazy surprises, and a little bit of FZ talking about. There are a few FZ edits here and there. You will enjoy the disc/overy I am sure, almost as much as we did. And then there is the packaging which we are also very excited about. This is truly one for the fervent and devout…it is good to know that some of what I say makes sense to some of the people who read it. So just so you heard it from me, there is nothing on the discs, 3 of which are about an hour of mostly (MOSTLY!) UNRELEASED materials, that is me talking for 30 minutes – why would I do such a thing to you or to FZ!!!! But we do have him in his own words too. And yes, it is all about Freak Out! What more do I really have to say.

Update: Andrew aka The Idiot Bastard says: “This is actually two quotes taken from the Zappa Forum that I edited together (and spell-checked!) for my website.”

Freak Out! Turns Forty

Quoth the zappa.com newsletter:

In commemoration of the FOURtieth Anniversary of a World That Contains Freak Out! we are so very pleased to present the FZ Audiography and Documentary Evidence (for the first time this century) of those certain recording sessions that occurred in Los Angeles between March and April of 1966. Who Could Imagine??? Well, we all know the answer to that question. This exciting and Deluxe, Limited Edition contains FOUR historically magnificent discs for your Audio Gratification. And a Gorgeous booklet – with the original art and lots of special surprises – and your name too.

Yes you heard right: four discs.