TJR and Robert Kinsler discuss their favorite albums of 1973

On their latest video, TJR and Robert Kinsler each discuss their favorite albums of 1973. They also provide a wide ranging overview of the slew of memorable albums released that year. Watch the video HERE.

'Almost Famous' expanded soundtrack out now!

 Now this is what I call an expanded reissue! Robert Kinsler

'Almost Famous' expanded soundtrack in a limited-edition collectible Uber Box Set via UMe out now!

ADDITIONAL FORMATS INCLUDE 6LP SUPER DELUXE IN BLACK AND COLORED VINYL, A 5CD SUPER DELUXE

"Look under your bed—it'll set you free."

 

With those enticingly enigmatic words, an empathetic, hip older sister bequeaths to her hyper-smart but nerdy 11-year-old brother her Rosetta Stone to life in the late-'60s: a prized trove of expertly curated rock, pop, and folk albums that set into chaotic motion young William Miller's eye- ear- and mind-opening journey in director Cameron Crowe's quasi-autobiographical 2000 ode to rock 'n' roll fandom, Almost Famous.

 

Two decades later, the Oscar/BAFTA/Golden Globe Award-winning film remains one of the sweetest love letters to the genre, one that deftly captured the look, the sound, the feel, the attitude of what rock 'n' roll meant to its creators, its most fervent adherents, its hangers-on and its worried parents during a golden era of pop music. The movie's legacy is celebrated with the first-ever release of all the music that so powerfully fueled Crowe's story, based on his own power chord-driven odyssey from wide-eyed music-loving kid to respected rock journalist to celebrated filmmaker.

 

UMe has compiled multiple iterations of the film's Grammy® Award-winning  soundtrack, augmented comprehensively in the limited-edition Uber Box set that encompasses an expanded soundtrack with five CDs, seven 180-gram black vinyl discs, and a brand new 7-inch for Stillwater's "Fever Dog." The expanded soundtrack includes songs from The Beach Boys, Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, The Who, and Yes, plus all the songs created for the film's fictional aspiring rock group Stillwater, most written for the movie by Cameron Crowe, Heart's Nancy Wilson and Grammy Award-winning guitarist, Peter Frampton.  The Uber Box includes bonus items such as a 40-page photo book and memoir housed in a film-prop-replica of William Miller's high-school notebook complete with writings by Cameron Crowe, Nancy Wilson, along with cast and crew members; the first-ever complete William Miller cover story on Stillwater as a 1973 Rolling Stone newsprint; two replica ticket stubs from Stillwater's San Diego and Cleveland concerts; and a Stillwater tour poster. Exclusively available only in the Uber Boxset is a Stillwater Cleveland concert poster and a backstage poster; six film-prop-replica backstage passes (some seen throughout the film); three film-prop-replica business cards for Dick Roswell (Stillwater road manager), Lester Bangs (Creemmagazine), and Ben Fong-Torres (Rolling Stone magazine); and three photo prints of cast members. Pre-order the ALMOST FAMOUS EXPANDED SOUNDTRACK now and listen to Stillwater's Bonus Track "Love Comes And Goes," HERE.

 

Among the 103 audio tracks are numerous clips of dialogue released for the first time: including the promise from William's sister Anita that "One day you'll be cool," and crackling exchanges between William and vaunted Creem magazine rock critic Lester Bangs, the real-life mentor who offered early encouragement to then-teenaged rock fan Crowe to pursue his desire to write about the music he loved.

The box set points out how exceptional the Almost Famous soundtrack was and remains. Crowe arranged for a dedicated remix & edit of the Who's "Amazing Journey/Sparks" instrumental from their rock opera "Tommy" and live album "Live at Leeds." For another scene, Crowe had grabbed a bootleg live recording out of his stash for Neil Young's "Cortez the Killer" from a 1999 show, which Young recently unearthed from his extensive archive and newly mixed from the original multi-track analog tape for this release. The set is also highlighted with the inclusion of Elton John's iconic "Tiny Dancer," newly mixed with the cast members singing alongside the song as featured in the film.

 

Crowe found supremely qualified collaborators by drafting Wilson to compose the score and to team with Frampton to help write credible rock songs for Stillwater. For the new release of the soundtrack music, all of Wilson's brilliant score music is included, along with 14 score outtakes that didn't make the final film.

Along with the thirteen-disc Uber Deluxe box, Universal is issuing two six-LP editions—one on black vinyl, the other with colored vinyl discs; a five-CD Super Deluxe set including 102 tracks, 36 of them previously unreleased songs; a separate 12-inch vinyl EP with all 6 of Stillwater's songs; a Record Store Day exclusive with the 7 original demos of the Stillwater songs, five performed by Wilson the other two by Frampton; a two-LP vinyl version of the original soundtrack album; a two-CD Deluxe Edition of the original soundtrack.

 

"We are extremely proud to revisit ALMOST FAMOUS with a very special bounty of goodness," said Cameron Crowe. "For the first time, we've created a Deluxe Soundtrack that features nearly every song from the film, along with Nancy Wilson's wonderfully evocative score. We're also thrilled to finally preserve both versions of the film, along with a collection of rare new bonus features, on these beautiful new 4K and Blu-ray releases as part of Paramount Presents.  Long live physical media!"

 

To complement the expanded soundtrack, Paramount Home Entertainment will release the film for the first time on 4K Ultra HD, in a limited-edition Steelbook, as well as in a new limited-edition Blu-ray in the Paramount Presents line on July 13, 2021. Meticulously remastered from a new 4K film transfer under the supervision of Cameron Crowe, ALMOST FAMOUS is presented in stunning 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision® and HDR-10 for ultra-vivid picture quality.**  The limited-edition 4K Ultra HD Steelbook includes both the original theatrical cut (plus access to a digital copy) and the beloved Bootleg cut (aka "Untitled"), along with new bonus content offering a backstage pass into the creative process through a new interview with Crowe, extended scenes, rock-school sessions, a look at the casting and costumes, and more.  ALMOST FAMOUSwill also be available in a limited-edition Blu-ray Disc™ in the Paramount Presents line.  With collectible packaging featuring a foldout image of the film's theatrical poster and an interior spread with key movie moments, the release includes the remastered versions of the theatrical cut for the first time on Blu-ray (plus access to a digital copy) and the Bootleg cut, along with bonus content. The film has become a touchstone not just for music lovers who came of age in the swaggering early 1970s rock era that Almost Famouscelebrates, but subsequent generations of music fans who connect with its timeless portrait of how music can offer solace, insight, and joyous release from whatever challenges life throws. Pre-order the Almost Famous film HERE.

 

Throughout this rock 'n' roll juggernaut,  William Miller, Stillwater, and the film's other players soak in the music of the day, all curated by Crowe using his knowledge of and connections to many of the biggest and most influential rock acts of the era. This manifests onscreen perhaps most memorably in the full-band bus singalong with Elton John and Bernie Taupin's "Tiny Dancer," the duo's tribute to their own groupies—or as William is quickly corrected by Stillwater's female fans when he uses the term, "We’re Band-Aids!”—emphasizing the distinction between those who crassly latch on to rock stars simply for their celebrity versus those who try to get closer because of their love for the music.

 

“In the late sixties, adventuresome and modern directors like Mike Nichols began moving away from traditional orchestral score in their movies,” Crowe writes in an essay accompanying the new project. “The Graduate, with its deft and emotional use of Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Sounds of Silence,’ changed the landscape.”

 

It surely did in Almost Famous: Led Zeppelin approved the use of five songs for the film—unprecedented at the time. When Crowe showed the film to Zeppelin singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page during his pitch to persuade them to grant use of the songs he wanted, Plant raised a question: “Was your mother really like that?” after taking in Frances McDormand’s endearingly taut performance as William’s over-anxious, over-protective college professor mom, Elaine. Cameron told him, “That and more.”

The original release of the film’s soundtrack included only Zeppelin’s “That’s the Way,” while the new set adds in “Misty Mountain Hop,” “The Rain Song,” “Bron-Yr-Aur” and “Tangerine,” the latter employed so effectively during the film’s finale as Stillwater’s tour bus trundles off into the sunset.

 

Actor Jason Lee, whose performance as Stillwater vocalist Jeff Bebe nailed a combination of bravado and underlying insecurity, says, “Every time I watch the movie…every time the bus is pulling away as Led Zeppelin’s ‘Tangerine’ plays at the end…it kind of crushes me a little bit. That song is a … killer. And with the dust kicking up as the bus is driving away…that moment for me, watching it as an audience member? Perfect. Watching it as a cast member and an audience member? It’s bittersweet.”

 

As Crowe puts it about finding the right music for each scene in a film, “Something magical happened when the actor and the scene and the music worked together. Often it’s a shotgun marriage, but every once in a while, everything clicks. That’s when a movie can sear your soul.”

 

He had experienced that power while directing his debut film, Say Anything…, and again in his 1992 romantic comedy Singles as well as in 1996’s Jerry Maguire. “By the time we got to the next one,” he said of approaching Almost Famous, “I was ready to put the music at the center of the movie.”

 

For any Almost Famous fan, this is the ultimate collection, a vibrant, reverberating reminder of the ways rock ‘n’ roll can break your heart and bust your chops--but also the music’s power to set you free.

 

Tracklists for all soundtrack formats can be found HERE

 

View full details of Paramount Home Entertainment’s Almost Famous limited-edition films, click HERE

 

UBER BOX TRACKLIST - *Previously unreleased

CD 1

01. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late) – Alvin & The Chipmunks

02. The Oogum Boogum Song – Brenton Wood

03. America – Simon & Garfunkel

04. “One Day You’ll Be Cool”

05. Amazing Journey / Sparks (Almost Famous Version) – The Who*

06. Search And Destroy – Iggy & The Stooges

07. “Rock N’ Roll It’s Over”

08. It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference – Todd Rundgren

09. “Don’t Take Drugs”

10. Teacher (U.S. Version) – Jethro Tull

11. “We Are Band Aids”

12. Roundabout – Yes

13. “Incendiary”

14. I’ve Seen All Good People: a. Your Move, b. All Good People – Yes

15. Feel Flows – The Beach Boys

16. “This Is Penny Lane”

17. River – Joni Mitchell

18. “Piggyback Ride (San Diego)”

19. Fever Dog – Stillwater

 

CD 2

01. Every Picture Tells A Story – Rod Stewart

02. Small Time Blues (Acoustic) – The Hyatt Singers

03. Something In The Air – Stillwater*

04. Easy To Slip – Little Feat

05. “Rolling Stone Magazine”

06. Go All The Way – The Raspberries

07. Farmer – The Seeds

08. One Way Out (Live) – The Allman Brothers Band

09. “Don’t Forget The Rules”

10. Albert Flasher (Live) – The Guess Who

11. Simple Man – Lynyrd Skynyrd

12. “Just Make Us Look Cool”

13. Love Thing – Stillwater

14. That’s The Way – Led Zeppelin

15. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere – Neil Young & Crazy Horse

16. Future Games – Fleetwood Mac

17. Burn – Deep Purple

18. You Had To Be There – Stillwater

19. “I Am A Golden God”

20. Dear Jill – Blodwyn Pig

21. Tiny Dancer (Almost Famous Version) – Elton John, Stillwater & Cast*

 

CD 3

01. Looking At You – MC5

02. Reeling In The Years (Live) – Steely Dan*

03. Lucky Trumble – Nancy Wilson

04. Untitled – Jeff Bebe*

05. I’m Waiting For The Man (Live) – David Bowie

06. “Your Mom Kind Of Freaked Me Out”

07. “Please Welcome Stillwater!”

08. Love Comes And Goes – Stillwater

09. “You Gotta Take What You Can, When You Can”

10. The Wind – Cat Stevens

11. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) – The Jimi Hendrix Experience

12. Slip Away – Clarence Carter

13. Misty Mountain Hop – Led Zeppelin

14. Wishing Well – Free

15. “Cover Of The Rolling Stone”

16. Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters – Elton John

17. Colour My World – Jefferson High School Band

18. My Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder

19. Cortez The Killer (Live) – Neil Young*

20. “You Made Friends With Them”

21. The Rain Song – Led Zeppelin

22. “We All Know What You Did To Him”

23. Bron-Yr-Aur – Led Zeppelin

24.“What Do You Love About Music?”

25. Tangerine – Led Zeppelin

 

CD4

STILLWATER

01. Fever Dog

02. Love Thing

03. You Had To Be There

04. Hour Of Need

05. Chance Upon You

06. Love Comes And Goes

 

STILLWATER DEMOS

01. Love Comes And Goes (Early Version)*

02. Fever Dog*

03. Love Thing*

04. Chance Upon You*

05. Love Comes And Goes*

06. Hour Of Need*

07. You Had To Be There*

 

STILLWATER BACKSTAGE JAMS

01. That’s The Way (Acoustic) – Larry Fellows & Ed Valencourt*

02. Down By The River (Acoustic) – Larry Fellows & Ed Valencourt*

03. Fever Dog (Acoustic) – Stillwater*

 

CD5

ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SCORE

01. Prefunction*

02. Cabin By The River*

03. Lucky Trumble

04. Dapple Tree*

05. Cabin In The Air*

06. Dear Peggy*

07. Bye Bye Now*

 

ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SCORE OUTTAKES*

01. Cabin (Outtake 1)

02. Moody

03. Morocco

04. Aurora

05. Mood Swing

06. The Teenager

07. Borealis

08. Strummy

09. Tiny Dancer Intro

10. Mando Swagger

11. Cabin (Outtake 2)

12. Love Stomp

13. Function

14. Aaron’s Real Room

 

LP 1 – SIDE A

01. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late) – Alvin & The Chipmunks

02. The Oogum Boogum Song – Brenton Wood

03. America – Simon & Garfunkel

04. “One Day You’ll Be Cool”

05. Amazing Journey / Sparks (Almost Famous Version) – The Who*

06. Search And Destroy – Iggy & The Stooges

 

LP 1 – SIDE B

01. “Rock N’ Roll It’s Over”

02. It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference – Todd Rundgren

03. “Don’t Take Drugs”

04. Teacher (U.S. Version) – Jethro Tull

05. “We Are Band Aids”

06. Roundabout – Yes

 

LP 2 – SIDE C

01. “Incendiary”

02. I’ve Seen All Good People: a. Your Move, b. All Good People – Yes

03. Feel Flows – The Beach Boys

04 “This Is Penny Lane”

05. River – Joni Mitchell

 

LP 2 – SIDE D

01. “Piggyback Ride (San Diego)”

02. Fever Dog – Stillwater

03. Every Picture Tells A Story – Rod Stewart

04. Small Time Blues (Acoustic) – The Hyatt Singers

05. Something In The Air – Stillwater*

 

LP 3 – SIDE E

01. Easy To Slip – Little Feat

02. “Rolling Stone Magazine”

03. Go All The Way – The Raspberries

04. Farmer – The Seeds

05. One Way Out (Live) – The Allman Brothers Band

06. “Don’t Forget The Rules”

07. Albert Flasher (Live) – The Guess Who

 

LP 3 – SIDE F

01. Simple Man – Lynyrd Skynyrd

02. “Just Make Us Look Cool”

03. Love Thing – Stillwater

04. That’s The Way – Led Zeppelin

 

LP 4 – SIDE G

01. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere – Neil Young & Crazy Horse

02. Future Games – Fleetwood Mac

03. Burn – Deep Purple

04. You Had To Be There – Stillwater

 

LP 4 – SIDE H

01. “I Am A Golden God”

02. Dear Jill – Blodwyn Pig

03. Tiny Dancer (Almost Famous Version) – Elton John, Stillwater & Cast*

04. Looking At You – MC5

05. Reeling In The Years (Live) – Steely Dan*

 

LP 5 – SIDE I

01. Lucky Trumble – Nancy Wilson

02. Untitled – Jeff Bebe*

03. I’m Waiting For The Man (Live) – David Bowie

04. “Your Mom Kind Of Freaked Me Out”

05. “Please Welcome Stillwater!”

06. Love Comes And Goes – Stillwater

 

LP 5 – SIDE J

01. “You Gotta Take What You Can, When You Can”

02. The Wind – Cat Stevens

03. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) – The Jimi Hendrix Experience

04. Slip Away – Clarence Carter

05. Misty Mountain Hop – Led Zeppelin

06. Wishing Well – Free

07. “Cover Of The Rolling Stone”

 

LP 6 – SIDE K

01. Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters – Elton John

02. Colour My World – Jefferson High School Band

03. My Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder

04. Cortez The Killer (Live) – Neil Young*

 

LP 6 – SIDE L

01. “You Made Friends With Them”

02. The Rain Song – Led Zeppelin

03. “We All Know What You Did To Him”

04. Bron-Yr-Aur – Led Zeppelin

05. “What Do You Love About Music?”

06. Tangerine – Led Zeppelin

 

LP 7 - STILLWATER EP*

Side A

01. Fever Dog

02. Love Thing

03. You Had To Be There

 

Side B

01. Hour Of Need

02. Chance Upon You

03. Love Comes And Goes

 

FEVER DOG 7-INCH

Side A

01. Fever Dog

Side B

01. “Piggyback Ride (Cleveland)”*
02. Fever Dog (Acoustic)*

*  Previously unreleased

Jack Russell's Great White return to their roots on new studio recordings of Led Zeppelin songs

Check out new of the upcoming Led Zeppelin tribute from Jack Russell's Great White. I am loving the advance track "No Quarter"...Robert Kinsler

Jack Russell's Great White return to their roots on new studio recordings of Led Zeppelin songs!

Los Angeles, CA - The year was 1998 when hard rock icons Great White released Great Zeppelin: A Tribute To Led Zeppelin, an electrifying live album that found GW frontman Jack Russell stepping into the vocal shoes of Zeppelin singer Robert Plant for a phenomenal full-length celebration of that British band’s long lasting influence on Russell & company. The album quickly became a fan favorite and proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that Russell possessed one of the most powerful voices in rock music.

Since that time, over 20 years later, fans have been clamoring for a follow-up and now Jack Russell’s Great White is ready to deliver! Great Zeppelin II: A Tribute To Led Zeppelin is the long-awaited sequel that rocks even harder than its predecessor and includes all-new covers of “Kashmir,” “Houses Of The Holy,” “Misty Mountain Hop” and more! Russell, of course, remains in top form and he’s ably backed by stellar guitarists Robby Lachner & Michael Olivieri along with bassist Dan McNay & drummer Dicki Fliszar. The full album gets officially released on August 13, 2021 but you can hear the advance track "No Quarter" now via the link below.

Stream/download "No Quarter": https://youtu.be/x4iG4uxTeoA

Speaking about the project as a whole, Russell proclaims, “I’m really excited about Great Zep 2. We had such a great time recording it and took the opportunity to choose songs we hadn’t covered on the first one. The band played beautifully and the sound, I believe, is first class. I’m hopeful everyone will enjoy listening to it as much as we did playing it.”

Great Zeppelin II: A Tribute To Led Zeppelin will be available on both CD in a deluxe digipak and on colored vinyl in a gorgeous gatefold jacket!

Pre-order the CD & Vinyl: https://cleorecs.com/store/?s=jack+russell%27s+great+white+great+zeppelin+ii&post_type=product

Pre-order/pre-save the digital: https://orcd.co/jack_russells_great_white_great_zep_ii

Track List:
1. Whole Lotta Love
2. Good Times, Bad Times
3. Misty Mountain Hop
4. Dancin' Days
5. No Quarter [CD ONLY]
6. Kashmir
7. Houses Of The Holy
8. Trampled Underfoot
9. Moby Dick [CD ONLY]
10. The Rover [CD ONLY]
11. Stairway To Heaven [CD ONLY]
12. Heartbreaker
13. Livin' Lovin’ Maid [CD ONLY]
14. Communication Breakdown

DEADLINE MUSIC, a division of Cleopatra Records, Inc.
Facebook @DeadlineMusicRecords
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CLEOPATRA RECORDS, Inc.
11041 Santa Monica Blvd #703
Los Angeles CA 90025
www.CleopatraRecords.com

Frank Zappa's Final American Show to be released for first time ever as "Zappa '88: The Last U.S. Show" on June 18 via Zappa Records/UMe

 It has truly been a big day in terms of music-related major news announcements. Count this as the latest media release worthy of sharing! Robert Kinsler

FRANK ZAPPA’S FINAL AMERICAN SHOW TO BE RELEASED FOR FIRST TIME EVER AS
ZAPPA ’88: THE LAST U.S. SHOW

 

LIVE CONCERT ALBUM ALSO INCLUDES PERFORMANCES FROM ADDITIONAL SHOWS FROM THE ’88 TOUR AND FIRST OFFICIAL RELEASE OF “THE BEATLES MEDLEY”

 

AVAILABLE JUNE 18 VIA ZAPPA RECORDS/UMe

 

STREAM/EMBED “I AIN’T GOT NO HEART”

 

 

LOS ANGELES – APRIL 23, 2021 – Nobody knew, not even Frank Zappa, as he led his 11-strong band through a celebratory version of “America The Beautiful” to close out his show at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY on March 25, 1988, that it would be the last time he’d ever play in the United States. Days later, the '88 band would trek to Europe for a multi-country tour, only to implode on the road before they could make it back to the States for another round of scheduled shows. Despite the growing tensions in the band, the ensemble was considered one of the best Zappa ever put together, a skilled mix of extremely talented musicians made up of both longtime members that had played with The Maestro from the early days alongside exciting new additions, bolstered by his favorite new instrument, the Synclavier. A well-oiled machine armed with an extensive 100-song repertoire, the adroit band were equally as adept at playing Zappa’s complex and challenging, genre-defying songs as they were performing classical compositions by the likes of Bartók, Ravel and Stravinsky.

 

On June 18, Zappa’s historic, final American show will be released for the first time as the new live album, Zappa ’88: The Last U.S. Show via Zappa Records/UMe. The first posthumous archival release  from the ‘88 touring band, the album features 29 unreleased performances including two additional performances from the same tour: Zappa’s wild interpretations of the Allman Brothers Band’s “Whipping Post” from the March 16 show in Providence, R.I. and Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” from the March 23 Towson, Md. show. The record is also notable for containing the first official release of the much talked about “The Beatles Medley.”

 

Zappa ’88: The Last U.S. Show will be released digitally, on 2 CD or as a 4LP 180-gram vinyl box which will be available on both black vinyl or as a limited edition 180-gram purple vinyl variant, exclusively via the official Frank Zappa online store or uDiscover. Fully authorized by the Zappa Trust and produced by Ahmet Zappa and Zappa Vaultmeister Joe Travers, the recordings have been newly mixed by Craig Parker Adams in 2020 from the 48-track digital master tapes. The shows were recorded using two Sony 3324 DASH PCM 24 track tape recorders synced together using a Lynx Time Code Module, thus providing 48 track recording capabilities. The album is rounded out with detailed liner notes by Travers and Zappa ’88 drummer Chad Wackerman, who celebrated his 28^th birthday on stage and is serenaded by Zappa and the crowd, as well as photos from the tour by Peder Andersson.

 

Pre-order for all configurations is available now and will come with a download of the first single, the previously unreleased performance of “I Ain’t Got No Heart,” available to stream now. First appearing in 1966 on Zappa’s Mothers of Invention debut album, Freak Out!, then later in 1981 with an updated faster arrangement on Tinsel Town Rebellion, the ‘88 version takes the song to another level with the addition of a 5-piece horn section.

 

Stream “I Ain’t Got No Heart”

Pre-order Zappa ’88: The Last US Show

 

As Travers writes in the liner notes, “Start with the fulcrum of the 1981-1984 touring bands (Robert, Scott & Chad), bring back Ike Willis, add the Synclavier digital workstation, a 5-piece horn section with multi-instrumentalist Mike Keneally and you have what FZ famously described as “The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life.” While saying “never heard” might have been a bit of hyperbole, it wasn’t far off as the short-lived band (four months of rehearsal in 1987/1988, followed by a tour from February through June 1988) only played a few dozen shows on the East Coast and Europe before disbanding. Nonetheless, the shows they did play together were electrifying and a masterclass in musicianship.

 

With Zappa on lead guitar, vocals, and wielding his new obsession the Synclavier, he led the proceedings through a career-spanning set, backed by a stellar cast of veteran band members and newly added members: Mike Keneally (guitar, synth, vocals), Scott Thunes (electric bass, Minimoog), Ike Willis (rhythm guitar, synth, vocals), Chad Wackerman (drums, electronic percussion), Ed Mann (vibes, marimba, electronic percussion), Robert Martin (keyboards, vocals) and the cracking horn section of Walt Fowler (trumpet, flugel horn, synth), Bruce Fowler (trombone), Paul Carman (alto, soprano and baritone sax), Albert Wing (tenor sax) and Kurt McGettrick (baritone and bass sax, contrabass clarinet). The band prepped nearly 100 songs and the sets were wide ranging, spanning tunes from the first Mothers of Invention albums, but with characteristically updated and often times ever-evolving arrangements (“I Ain’t Got No Heart,” “Love Of My Life,” “Who Needs The Peace Corps?”), to new compositions created for the ‘88 tour (“Jesus Thinks You’re A Jerk” and “When The Lie’s So Big”) as well as classical compositions (Bartók, Ravel, Stravinsky) that Zappa liked to play to expose his audiences to music he appreciated. In addition to the inclusion of the 5-piece horn section and it being Keneally’s only tour, the concerts also included extensive use of sampling through the then current machine, the Synclavier, which Zappa took on the road for the first time, as well as percussionists Mann and Wackerman’s use of electronic sounds in their set ups.

 

Zappa ’88: The Last U.S. Show includes all of this and many more highlights such as fan favorites, “Peaches In Regalia,” “The Black Page” “Inca Roads,” “Sharleena” “Sofa #1” and “Pound For A Brown.” It also includes a horn-laden cover of The Beatles’ “I Am The Walrus,” and the first official release of the highly sought after “The Beatles Medley,” which features the band performing the music of The Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood,” “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” and “Strawberry Fields Forever” with the lyrics completely changed to reflect the then-recent sex scandal of televangelist Jimmy Swaggart. The bawdy lyrics poke fun at the hypocritical minister and was part of Zappa’s agenda to demystify televangelists.

 

Just how Zappa felt it was important to rail against toxically prude self-appointed culture protectors and whatever hypocrisy or hypocrite rankled him that day, he was also a motivator of positive action, passionate about causes, especially voting rights, making it his mission to get his audiences to register to vote. With a presidential election looming, Zappa offered voter registration on the tour, aided by The League of Women Voters. Fans were encouraged to vote before the show or during a special 20-minute intermission in the middle of the two-hour plus concert, which would start with Zappa triggering the Synclavier to play a piece of music. In Uniondale it was “One Man, One Vote.” Notably, the version here is a different mix than the studio version released on Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers Of Prevention. Zappa 88: The Last U.S. Show kicks off with Zappa extolling the importance of voting and encouraging the unregistered to sign up at the show by registering someone live on stage. It was followed by a representative from Governor Mario Cuomo’s office reading a message congratulating “Mr. Zappa for the important work you are doing encouraging your audiences and others to register and vote.”

“Sadly after the European run was over,” as Travers pens in the liners, “Frank Zappa chose to disband the group and cancel the rest of the tour, reportedly forfeiting $400,000.00 in revenue and depriving additional audiences the opportunity to witness how special this group really was. With all of the time and money spent to prepare and promote the tour, not to mention the potential within the talented band and crew, now in 2021, it’s an even more historic loss considering FZ was to never tour again.”

 

Fortunately, Zappa’s final U.S. show, like so many others of his, was documented and can now be experienced in its glory more than three decades later.

 

FRANK ZAPPA – ZAPPA ’88: THE LAST U.S. SHOW TRACKLISTING

 

2CD/DIGITAL

 

DISC 1

1. “We Are Doing Voter Registration Here”

2. The Black Page (New Age Version)

3. I Ain’t Got No Heart

4. Love Of My Life

5. Inca Roads

6. Sharleena

7. Who Needs The Peace Corps?

8. I Left My Heart In San Francisco

9. Dickie’s Such An Asshole

10. When The Lie’s So Big

11. Jesus Thinks You’re A Jerk

12. Sofa #1

13. One Man, One Vote

14. Happy Birthday, Chad!

15. Packard Goose Pt. 1

16. Royal March From “L’Histoire Du Soldat”

17. Theme From The Bartok Piano Concerto #3

18. Packard Goose Pt. II

19. The Torture Never Stops Pt. I

20. Theme From “Bonanza”

 

DISC 2
1. Lonesome Cowboy Burt

2. The Torture Never Stops Pt. II

3. City Of Tiny Lites

4. Pound For A Brown

5. The Beatles Medley

6. Peaches En Regalia

7. Stairway To Heaven

8. I Am The Walrus

9. Whipping Post

10. Bolero

11. America The Beautiful

 

4LP VINYL

 

LP1
SIDE 1

1. “We Are Doing Voter Registration Here”

2. The Black Page (New Age Version)

3. I Ain’t Got No Heart

4. Love Of My Life

 

SIDE 2

1. Inca Roads

2. Sharleena

3. Who Needs The Peace Corps?

4. I Left My Heart In San Francisco

 

LP2
SIDE 3

1. Dickie’s Such An Asshole

2. When The Lie’s So Big

3. Jesus Thinks You’re A Jerk

4. Sofa #1

5. One Man, One Vote

 

LP2
SIDE 4

1. Happy Birthday, Chad!

2. Packard Goose Pt. I

3. Royal March From “L’Histoire Du Soldat”

4. Theme From The Bartok Piano Concerto #3

5. Packard Goose Pt. II

6. The Torture Never Stops Pt. I

7. Theme From “Bonanza”

8. Lonesome Cowboy Burt

 

LP3
SIDE 5

1. The Torture Never Stops Pt. II

2. City Of Tiny Lites

3. Pound For A Brown PT. I

 

LP3
SIDE 6

1. Pound For A Brown PT. II

2. The Beatles Medley (Lennon/McCartney)

3. Peaches En Regalia

 

LP4
SIDE 7

1. Stairway To Heaven

2. I Am The Walrus

 

LP4
SIDE 8

1. Whipping Post

2. Bolero

3. America The Beautiful

 

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