WE'RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE TOURING 1968 BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Roy Estrada (bass, noises, screaming), Jimmy

Carl Black (drums, ethnicity), Arthur Dyer Tripp III (percussion, drums), Ian Underwood (horns, woodwinds), Don Preston (keyboards), Bunk Gardner (horns), Motorhead Sherwood (horns) DATES- January 27th through December 7th SHOWS- 50 / CITIES- 43 COUNTRIES- 9 (US and Europe) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- Really, who knows. I have included below all the titles that appear on the circulating tapes, 48 of which refer to actual compositions. AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- I have no friggin' clue!! Hardly any of the tapes are complete, the sound quality is consistently poor, Frank is playing guitar all the time, what qualifies as a solo and what qualifies as rhythm, etc., etc. SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Holiday in Berlin, Hungry Freaks Daddy, King Kong, Little House I Used to Live In, My Guitar, Oh No/Orange County Lumber Truck, Pound for a Brown, Transylvania Boogie, plus some guitar here, and some there, and some just about everywhere. COMMENTS ON SOLOS- Sadly, it is Frank's guitar playing, or more specifically, his lengthier guitar solos, that are some of the repeated low points of this tour (not bad points, mind you, just not-as-great-aseverything-else points). I think it is safe to claim that Frank's guitar playing got better over the years, and thus, as such a claim naturally suggests, it is back in the '60's, with only a couple of years of live playing under his belt, that Frank's playing is at his weakest. It is still undeniably Frank, and more interesting at this stage than most guitarists would ever become, but it just is not Frank at his best. A portion of the blame rests squarely on the rhythm section, whose manner of support consists of one repeated groove played ad nauseum. This obviously limits the lengths to which Frank can explore, and having not yet reached a level of true confidence, Frank simply does not push the envelope too often. He does have his moments of brilliance, however, and occasionally shows glimpses of the genius that would erupt years later. In such tunes as "Little House I Used to Live In" and "King Kong", there are moments where Frank solos in a style similar to the first solo from the

YCDTOSA III "King Kong", I.e. with either no or very minimal rhythmic accompaniment. In these moments, Frank has more room to explore his guitar, and the results are more interesting and more musically challenging. Also, during his shorter, more conventional solo spots ("Hungry Freaks Daddy", "My Guitar"), Frank's guitar bursts with rock 'n' roll enthusiasm, and the intensity rises to a much higher level. The tour is not a complete loss as far as Frank's playing goes, and thankfully there are hints of the guitar monstrosities that would be unleashed in later years; it does leave the listener wanting more, however, and induces a thirst for more interesting and challenging Frank Zappa guitar solos. SONGS FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- Huh? "Cruisin' for Burgers" is probably the only song not yet affected by a guitar solo. Everything else usually evolves into a solo of some sort. NEW SONGS ON TOUR- Anybody want to compile this list for me? :-) MONSTER SONGS ON TOUR- Damn near everything, though "Little House I used To Live In" and "King Kong" are the guaranteed mind blowers. OVERVIEW- Please indulge me for a minute- My first Zappa album was the somewhat standard first album "Joe's Garage". Unlike many of you, I did not immediately enter the camp of rabid Zappa fans upon digestion of this album. Yes, I was intrigued, but the album did not blow me away as other Zappa eventually would. While the release of YCDTOSA Volume II would be the release that would forever change my experience with music, it was the triple combo of "Uncle Meat", "Weasels Ripped My Flesh", and "Burnt Weeny Sandwich" that forever reeled me in to Zappa's Universe. The music contained on those four pieces of vinyl was unlike any music I had ever heard before, and the many late nights I spent with headphones on, discovering and rediscovering every note of those masterpieces, will forever be etched in the high school portion of my mind. It was during this time- when I sought out the rest of Frank's music, plus every word ever written about the manthat I mentally joined that camp of Zappa fanatics who believe that the only Frank Zappa music that really matters is the Frank Zappa music of the '60's. If those early Mothers' were not playing it, then it simply was not the same. For me, the world of Frank was divided into two eras- the Great Years (1965-1969), when he was in peak form, and the Remaining Years (1970 on), when he was simply better than everyone else, but not as great as he once was. I eventually changed my opinion on this matter (thanks largely to the appearance of live tapes), and forever changed my mind when I heard the Fall '74 band. But regardless of all this, I am trying to say is that during

1968 and 1969, there is no doubt that Frank Zappa's live music contains the most outrageous, inventive, provocative, daring, idiosyncratic, beautiful, contradictory, exhilarating, etc, etc, etc, performances that any single musician ever produced. In terms of sheer unpredictability, there is no topping these years. In the space of twenty minutes, these Mothers would go from rhythm and blues to "Bitches Brew"type jazz to Motown to classical to surf to simply indescribable chaos, all without missing a beat or taking a breath. Truly magical music. That said, any page of mine would not be complete without some complaints (not really complaints, but a mention of some of the weaknesses I feel this tour had). One, as I have already mentioned, Frank's guitar playing is not all that great. From 1970 on (with the possible exception of '88), Frank is the best soloist in the band, and the songs and concerts are constructed in such a way that Frank and his guitar have the final say. Yes, everyone gets a chance to solo, but it is clear that it is Frank's guitar that is really in control. In these early years, however, many of the more intense and satisfying moments come at the hands of the supporting players, and it is pretty clear from the resulting music that Frank is not the top musician here. In fact, I personally find Frank's guitar solos to be the low points of many of the jams, and find the remaining Mothers to be the more inspired and revelatory players. Two, while there are many great tunes and some enjoyable vocals throughout each performance, these concerts owe most of their success to the musical chances that are taken and the insanity that ensues. These shows do not succeed on the basis of the song writing and/or tight performances of the band. The longer, instrumental tunes are simply vehicles for extensive improvisation, while the shorter, more conventional tunes serve their purpose by providing contrast and relief (once again returning to YCDTOSA criterion number 7). While this is not in any way a major downfall of this tour, it is a small factor that prevents this tour, and these years, from being perfect (and is also one of the reasons why I prefer the Summer/Fall '74 tour better- the only tour I like better than this one; for my tastes, that band had the perfect balance of well written compositions, highly accomplished performances, insane guitar solos, and healthy spontaneity). Ignoring all that, let's just say that this is one hell of a great year. I am continually amazed at the music I find on these tapes, and find myself discovering things I have never heard before on tapes I have been listening to for years. If you like your music without boundaries, and love the sense of hurling blindly through musical space, with no idea whatsoever of where you are going or what you will find when you get there, then this is the tour for you. THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED

ABSOLUTELY FREE- You have to listen real carefully, but if you do, it is there, and it is real cool. During the opening chaos of the 4/20 show, the Mothers perform a brief snippet of this WOIIFTM tune- an instrumental take of the last 30 seconds or so of the album track. The show begins with a rather chaotic medley of "Rite of Spring" and "Blue Moon", which eventually coalesces into this quick little snatch of music. There is not much to this piece itself, but the way the band comes together into this out of the aforementioned medley, and then gracefully segues into the following "Duke of Prunes", is one of those great moments in live music. AHEAD OF THEIR TIME- I have not listed any of the tracks that appear on "Ahead of Their Time", other than the more "normal" performances that appear on the second half of the album. The songs which comprise the first half of the album- the "psychodrama" portion- appear only as a part of that particular show, so if you want to know more about them, listen to the album. ALL NIGHT LONG- One of the simple, cheesy, yet sincerely played R 'n' B numbers that seasoned the set lists from this era. A short song, consisting of Frank repeatedly singing "All Night Long" while the band chugs along. AMERICA DRINKS AND GOES HOME- Simply beautiful in all its cheesy splendor. This often ignored classic pops up at least once this year (on 4/10), and apart from the slightly improvised lyrics, essentially appears as on "Absolutely Free". Sandwiched between a healthy dose of energy called "Hungry Freaks Daddy" and the tour-de-force musical monster of "King Kong", this lounge act homage provides the perfect contrast and relief, and highlights one of the most enjoyable tapes from this tour. BABY LOVE- This charming little piece appears several times in the 60's as part four of the ridiculous little medley that appears on "Tis the Season to Be Jelly". The medley consists of "You Didn't Try To Call Me"-> "Petroushka"-> Bristol Stomp"-> "Baby Love"> Big Leg Emma", and the '68 version is essentially performed as on that Beat the Boots track. BACON FAT- Essentially performed as on "Our Man In Nirvana" from Beat the Boots Volume II. BIG LEG EMMA- Essentially performed as on "The Ark", from Beat the Boots Volume I. Note that Jimmy Carl Black does the vocal chores there. This song appears solo, and also appears as part five of the ridiculous little medley that appears on "Tis the Season to Be Jelly". The medley consists of "You Didn't Try To Call Me"-> "Petroushka"-> Bristol Stomp"-> "Baby Love"-> Big Leg Emma", and the '68

version is essentially performed as on that Beat the Boots track. BLUE DANUBE- Essentially performed as on "Electric Aunt Jemima" from Beat the Boots Volume II, which represents the single documented performance of this tune from this year. During the instrumental madness of the post-"Little House" jam, a couple of the horn players begin playing the melody to this tune, while the rest of the band continues doing their own thing ("So that's what doing your own thing is!"), while Frank begins playing the melody to "Hungry Freaks Daddy". Just your typical Mothers' chaos. BLUE MOON- During the opening chaos of the 4/20 Fillmore East show, the Mothers whip out an odd little medley consisting of "The Rite of Spring" into this. The piece opens with what sounds like instruments being tuned, followed by instruments being randomly played, before a rather hazy version of "Rite of Spring" emerges. Shortly after this is established, one of the horn players begins blowing a low and sultry version of "Blue Moon". The remainder of the band continues doing its own thing, a very out-ofplace "Blue Moon" emanates from the horn section, and the listener checks his ears to make sure he's hearing things right. Another one of the great examples of Frank's mix-and-match attitude towards music, and the startling results it creates. [Charles Ulrich adds: "I know all bridges sound alike, but I think they are actually playing the bridge of "I'm In The Mood For Love" in the middle of "Blue Moon".] BRISTOL STOMP- This charming little piece appears several times in the 60's as part three of the ridiculous little medley that appears on "Tis the Season to Be Jelly". The medley consists of "You Didn't Try To Call Me"-> "Petroushka"-> Bristol Stomp"-> "Baby Love"-> Big Leg Emma", and the '68 version is essentially performed as on that Beat the Boots track. CRUISIN' FOR BURGERS- As during the Flo 'n' Eddie period, this tune appears at the tail end of "Holiday in Berlin". Performed as an instrumental, this version sounds more like the overdone Xmas '76 version (as heard on the CD release of ZINY) than the "Uncle Meat" track. The music has a more dramatic feel to it, and lacks the innocent simplicity of the studio release. There is no guitar solo, as we simply get the instrumental rendering of the composed portions. DIDJA GET ANY ONYA- While this is not an actual song, this track off the "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" album is a good sample of what much of the improv from this tour sounds like. The slice of music showcased on the album is actually from the Spring

1969 tour, but subtract Lowell George's German spiel, and you have a fair representation of the '68 band. DOG BREATH- Essentially performed as on "Uncle Meat", but without the vocals. The opening vocalsthe screams- are present, but the remainder of the tune is performed as an instrumental. This tune pops up both as a stand alone song, and as part of a "Little House I Used To Live In" performance where half the band performs "Dog Breath", and the other half performs "Little House". DUKE OF PRUNES- While this tune usually disintegrates into the chaotic improv that this band performs so well, its majestic beginning brings a sense of calm and brief tranquillity into these usually cacophonous shows. As on "Absolutely Free", these performances begin with the peaceful and slow opening chords, which unhurriedly carry us to the ridiculously over sung lyrics. We get a verse or two of singing, before the madness typically sets in, and we are once again off into instrumental la-la land. During the 4/20 Fillmore East show, this vocals abandon us to a repetitive "Charles Ives" type jam, over which Frank, on guitar, squeezes out a twisted version of the "Duke of Prunes" theme, before the music veers off into unforeseen directions. ENGLISH TEA DANCING INTERLUDE- I am not sure to what this title refers. It appears on set lists for the February Denver show- documented on "Electric Aunt Jemima"- and supposedly occurs before "Plastic People". Where it is labeled on the actual bootleg, we get the tail end of an improvisational section prior to "Plastic People", to which this Tea Dancing title might refer. Who knows? Anyone? FEET LIGHT UP- "Be careful of the cables on the floor over there so that your feet don't light up". No guitar, no drums, no bass- just those simple and heartfelt words spoken by Frank prior to the start of the 8/11 performance (as heard on "Our Man In Nirvana" from Beat the Boots Volume II.) GAS MASK- The actual "Gas Mask" track from the "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" album is a sample of the improvisation common during this tour. Originally taken from a Fall '68 performance, the title "Gas Mask" has come to mean any improvisational music highlighted (or possibly tainted?) by Roy Estrada's tortured and painful "singing". At the beginning of shows, during such Monster tunes as "King Kong" and "Little House", and liberally sprinkled through many a show, this type of improvisation pops up and provides that unique Mothers flavor to the music. GO CRY ON SOMEBODY ELSE'S SHOULDERThis tune does not appear on any tapes from this

tour, but during the February Denver performance, Frank can be heard reciting the spoken introduction found on the "Freak Out" album. At this point the tape cuts to another tune, but I am assuming that the band went ahead and actually performed the song. Obviously, I may be wrong, but hey... HARRY YOU'RE A BEAST- Essentially performed as on "Ahead of Their Time"- the instrumental version. HAWAIIAN EYE- I do not know what the title "Hawaiian Eye" refers to apart from Zappa, but in the context of the particular Fillmore East show, this title refers to an instrumental interlude that links "King Kong" to an early rendition of "Holiday in Berlin". Over a heavy and invasive drum beat, Frank starts playing some Hawaiian sounding guitar lines, flirting with a tango, and creating a short little passage reminiscent of the later "Sheik Yerbouti Tango". Frank's guitar lines hint at a recognizable melody (possibly the unknown "Hawaiian Eye"), but it is obvious that he is purposefully tweaking with the melody. This impromptu jam eventually leads into a short R&B flavored jam, complete with lyrics ("Let's Go Downtown"), with Frank superimposing the Hawaiian theme over this R&B passage. Eventually, led by Frank's guitar, this improvisation leads into "Holiday in Berlin". [Douglas O'Neill writes-> "Hawaiian Eye was a TV show starring Robert Conrad and Connie Stevens (Wednesday, 9:00 ABC - October 1959 - September 1963 ). Most of these shows had a distinctive Theme Song to open the show, that is probably the tune Frank is playing. See http://www.tvparty.com/action2.html more info on the show."] HELP I'M A ROCK- Essentially performed as on "Ahead of Their Time", with the standard deviation coming in the somewhat improvised lyrics. HOLIDAY IN BERLIN- This tune premieres on this tour in a rather hesitant and somewhat incomplete version. While it possibly premieres at an earlier date, the first available performance of this tune appears on the 4/20 Fillmore East tape. Arising out of an improvised R&B jam, the tune first coalesces around the lone sound of Frank's guitar, who ventures into this unknown territory while the rest of the band remains in rhythm and blues land. Frank establishes the melody, at which point the horn section joins the song and begins playing along with Frank. Finally, the rhythm section joins the groove, and we find ourselves in an early sounding instrumental version of "Holiday in Berlin". The written portion is much shorter here than it is on "Burnt Weeny Sandwich", with the transition into the solos coming after only one full band run through of the main theme. Frank solos first, followed by one of the horn players. These solos are quite lengthy, and tend to bore quickly due to the very repetitive nature of the rhythm section.

After the second solo, the music slowly falls apart before quickly reforming and heading into an instrumental version of "Cruisin' for Burgers". This is not as majestic as later versions would be (including the awesome Flo 'n' Eddie with-vocals renditions), but it is still nice to hear. HUNGRY FREAKS DADDY- This is probably the most straightforward music performed this year. This is essentially performed as on "Freak Out!", complete with guitar solo, and overflowing with attitude. No messing around, no random instrumental noises, no weird musical intrusions (well, actually, there is an unreleased, short "sanitized" take on the main theme following the guitar solo, which somehow adds to the overall force of this tune) - just the mean spirited "Hungry Freaks Daddy". Frank, of course, cannot refuse throwing some random chaos into the closing chords, but that is par for the course and does not distract from the straightforward honesty of this song. IGOR'S BOOGIE- Essentially performed as on "Burnt Weeny Sandwich", with the horns carrying the meat of the melody. I'M THE MEANY- Exactly performed as on "Our Man In Nirvana", which sadly may be the only performance of this sadistic classic. Will there ever be another Wild Man Fischer? IMPROVISATION/INSTRUMENTAL- What can I say? The improvisation and instrumental jams of this tour cover every aspect of the musical terrain. We get loud, drum heavy jams consisting of every band member soloing their hearts out. We get mellow, keyboard based melodies which float through the air on a light bed of percussion. We get slowly building volcanoes of instrumental fury, complete with Preston induced keyboard noises and random instruments contributing to the madness. We get firmly established rhythms over which Frank and the boys display their more straightforward soloing abilities. We get random noises (mostly from Roy). We get pure chaos. And, as always, we get Frank's completely random and typically inane commentary. If you like to be confused, and like your music without any firm grip on reality (yet alone a straightforward beat), then this is the tour for you. As much as I like many of the other tours from Frank's career, I must admit that sadly, Frank would never again achieve the sense of pure randomness that he achieves in this and the following year. IN THE SKY- This amusing little '50's piecereminiscent of some of the greasier Ruben tunesconsists of your typical cheesy love music accompanied by a painfully high Roy Estrada falsetto. The music is simple, and the lyrics consist of two verses, the first of which contains the words "in

the sky" sung over and over, and the second of which contains the words "all night long" sung over and over. The final line, a brilliant combination of the two verses, consists of the words "in the sky, all night long". Simple, to the point, and hilariously entertaining. THE JELLY- This is a classical piece of composed music, found on the popular 4-CD "Apocrypha" boot. It is very similar to "Some Ballet Music" (found on "The Ark"), highlighting the ensemble playing of the horn section and the percussionists. KING KONG- "King Kong" represents the more straightforward of the Monster songs of this year. While "Little House I Used To Live In" frequently contains the more random and unpredictable improvisation, "King Kong" contains a more standard parade of conventional solos. As on "Uncle Meat" and "Ahead of Their Time", the songs begins with the main theme, and then proceeds into a long line of solos. Horn solos, keyboard solos, guitar solos- we get them all. The solos are typically interesting, but unfortunately the rhythm section typically is not. Throughout these lengthy jams, the drums lock into one groove, and ride the thing to death. There is very little rhythmic variation, and as a result, the solos suffer. Frank conducts the band through a variety of different rhythms during these extended outings, but within each rhythm, there is little variance and thus very little for the soloists to feed off. There are some excellent solos throughout the tour, do not get me wrong, but on the whole, the rhythm section proves to be a detriment in these Monster performances, and prevents this tune from rising to truly great heights. LET'S GO DOWNTOWN- This R&B flavored number briefly pops up during the "Hawaiian Eye" improv from the 4/20 Fillmore East show. After the Hawaiian jam dissolves into blankets of noise, the rhythm section eases into this tune, with someone other than Frank providing the "Let's Go Downtown" lyrics. Frank then adds his two cents, overlaying the whole affair with the mutated melody from "Hawaiian Eye". This live xenochrony continues for about a minute, before Frank leads the band into an early version of "Holiday in Berlin". LET'S MAKE THE WATER TURN BLACKEssentially performed as on "Ahead of Their Time"the instrumental version. LITTLE HOUSE I USED TO LIVE IN- Essentially performed as on "Burnt Weeny Sandwich", with the standard deviation coming in the myriad of solos and in the random conducting thrown at the band by Frank. While "King Kong" is the springboard for a parade of more straightforward jazz solos, this tune is the springboard for a variety of random and typically

chaotic improvisation. After the main theme is performed, as on "Burnt Weeny Sandwich", the music quiets down and sets the stage for the madness that ensues. While the music jumps from calm to riotous, with a variety of soloists adding their say throughout, these instrumental excursions are marked by a continual presence of Frank's guitar. Compared to the typical "King Kong" solos- where each soloist flew alone- these outings are more jumbled affairs, with soloists fighting each other, invading each other's space, and trying to overcome the typically manic rhythm section. Thus, as part of this madness, Frank's guitar is consistently involved in the happenings, by either adding chorded textures or rolling along with the flow. LOHENGRIN- A common musical quote found in Frank's music over the years, this Wagner piece receives due homage in this tour also. During the one well documented performance from this year (10/6), this FZ/Preston performed rendition arises out of a "Gas Mask" type jam, which itself arises out of the ashes of an "Uncle Meat". Frank begins toying with the melody while the band is involved in a percussion heavy jam. The percussion slowly dies out, at which point both Frank and Preston continue teasing the tune. This continues for a short while, with this classical tease culminating in a typically deranged vocalization of the melody. (For those of you unsure about what this title refers to, check out the 2:55 mark of "Big Swifty" on your readily accessible "Make A Jazz Noise Here" CD). LONELY LONELY NIGHTS- This is another of the short, cheesy, yet sincerely played '50's numbers that adds such diverse flavor to this tour. Running about two and half minutes in length, Frank has enough time to take a short repetitive solo, Preston has enough time to take a short repetitive solo, and whoever is singing has enough time to spit out several lines of lyrics. MELLOW LOUNGE MUSIC- The title says it all. During the 4/20 Fillmore East show, the Mothers play some cheesy lounge music while Frank tells the story of La Mar Bruister and tosses non-sequitors at the audience. Hilariously sincere yet obviously mocking in a way that only Frank could do. [Charles Ulrich adds: "Mellow Lounge Music includes "Easter Parade". ] MR. GREEN GENES- Rather surprisingly, this 4/10 performance sounds more like the 1972/73 versions of this tune than the 1968 "Uncle Meat" version. Or for you without a tape of said live version, this sounds a lot more like "Son of Mr. Green Genes" then the actual "Mr. Green Genes" itself. Performed as an instrumental, this bouncy, upbeat musical jaunt is one of the better straightforward showcases of the band's improvisational talents, and contains a lengthy, no-

nonsense solo section. After a short version of the head, we get a parade of solos-horn, keyboard, and guitar- none of which are in any way "weird", and all of which are great. The intensity of these solos surprises, especially considering the lighthearted nature of the arrangement, and the relative simplicity of the accompanying rhythm section. While I have never been a great fan of the early '70's performances of these tunes- all skill but no passionI find this performance to be one of the highlights of a year filled with many. A must hear (despite the fact that, as Franks says after the performance, they "are sadly not in tune".) MY GUITAR WANTS TO KILL YER MAMAEssentially performed as on "The Ark", complete with guitar solo. This tune popped up frequently throughout the year, usually performed as mentioned above, but one time (Miami, 3/??) possibly as an instrumental. There are no vocals on the tape during this show opening performance, but that could be due to poor tape quality or early-show mic problems. Nevertheless, this performance follows that same format as the vocal-versions, with a FZ guitar solo climaxing the affair. OH NO- The instrumental version , complete with guitar solo, essentially performed as on "Ahead of Their Time". (There is at least one performance from this tour- captured on tape- that features vocals. The date escapes my mind right now, but I know its there). ORANGE COUNTY LUMBER TRUCK- Essentially performed as on "Ahead of Their Time" PETROUSHKA- This charming little piece appears several times in the 60's as part two of the ridiculous little medley that appears on "Tis the Season to Be Jelly". The medley consists of "You Didn't Try To Call Me"-> "Petroushka"-> Bristol Stomp"-> "Baby Love"> Big Leg Emma", and the '68 version is essentially performed as on that Beat the Boots track. PLASTIC PEOPLE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, , with an extra round or two of "You Gotta Go's" thrown in at the end for good measure. Once the tune proper is complete, the music veers off into your typical random improvisation- heavy on the guitar- with the rhythm section keeping things somewhat sane by frequently returning to the main "Plastic People" groove. POUND FOR A BROWN (ON THE BUS)- Essentially performed as on "Ahead of Their Time", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's guitar solo. RITE OF SPRING- During the opening chaos of the 4/20 show, the band plays a bizarre medley

consisting of this classical piece and "Blue Moon". This is one of those instances where part of the band plays one tune, part of the band plays the other, and the rest of the band does their own thing (so that's what doing your own thing is!). Its chaotic, its noisy, but its your typical Mothers, and damn is it beautiful. SHOTGUN- This title is found on set lists for the 4/20 show, and I must say I have no idea to what it exactly refers. The lengthy musical passage that the title refers to consists of "Hawaiian Eye" and "Let's Go Downtown", both of which I have discussed on this page. I am assuming that one of these musical passages is actually "Shotgun", but since I do not know what the original "Shotgun" is, I really cannot say. [Charles Ulrich with this correction: ""Shotgun" was a hit for Junior Walker (tenor sax, vocals) on Motown in 1965. Among the more decipherable lyrics Ray sings are "Do the jerk, baby", "Put on your red dress", and the title itself. I'm afraid this is what you have erroneously labeled "Let's Go Downtown".] SLEEPING IN A JAR- Essentially performed as on "Ahead of Their Time" SOME BALLET MUSIC- "Music that is better for you in the long run", or so says Frank to introduce this minimalist composed piece from "The Ark". Full of percussion and wind instruments, but with lots of space and taken at a very unhurried pace, this piece is a precursor to the mad sound of "Greggary Peccary", and contains parts that would later appear, though quite a bit more cartoonish, in that later piece. STATUS BACK BABY- Essentially performed as on "The Ark". This is one of those pieces that would pop up in the strangest of places, say after a whacked out "King Kong-> Wedding Dress Song" jam. The amazing thing is, whether its played as a stand alone piece, or in the midst of twenty minutes of musical chaos, this whimsical little piece always fits. Yet another example of how well Frank understood the concept of contrast and relief. STRING QUARTET- The original stage name for the unbeatable one-two combination of "Pound for a Brown" and "Sleeping in a Jar". TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF WHEN YOU DANCE- I have two different tapes of the 4/10 show in which this song purportedly appears, but it does not appear on either one. Possibly my tapes are simply missing this performance, but I have a feeling that this is simply a mislabeling of a tape somewhere in the past twenty years. [There is, however, a "Wedding Dress Song" in this show which I have never seen on a set list, and maybe the TYCOWYD titles actually refers to this other overlooked instrumental.]

TOADS OF THE SHORT FOREST- This track from the "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" album comes from the Miami show in March. At the tail end of this show's "Big Medley", the jam evolves through several different musical styles, before developing into the portion of live music released under the title "Toads of the Short Forest". The improvisation continues after the officially released portion ends, and eventually slides into an unknown Dixieland-esque instrumental. TRANSYLVANIA BOOGIE- Essentially performed as on "Ahead of Their Time". When this song popped up in the latter half of the year, it typically segued out of "Help I'm A Rock" as it does on the aforementioned album. TROUBLE COMING EVERY DAY- I have tried to attain a '68 version of this song for some time, but every tape I get which purportedly contains this tune either does not contain it, or contains an instrumental jam in its place. Somebody help me here? UNCLE MEAT- Essentially performed as on "The Ark" from Beat the Boots Volume I. VALARIE- The kind of song "that should have limited type of appeal in the pure grease market". Essentially performed as on "The Ark" from Beat the Boots Volume I. WEDDING DRESS SONG- During the 4/10 performance, this tune pops up in a transcendent passage of music consisting of "King Kong-> Wedding Dress Song-> Little House I Used to Live In-> Status Back Baby". At the tail end of "King Kong", the music slowly dissolves into a reflective piano solo, from which the band delicately builds the basis of the "Wedding Dress Song". They are hesitant at first, but Frank steps up and with a solid stroke of the guitar, leads the band into a jazzed out version of this tune. After a short take on the main theme, we get a flute solo, followed by a horn solo which liberally teases the tune's melody. During this latter solo, Frank begins playing the melody line to "Little House", which eventually brings about a seamless transition into a shortened version of that tune. Simply beautiful. WILD MAN FISCHER STORY- Essentially performed as on "Our Man in Nirvana". WIPE OUT- This song is briefly quoted at the chaotic end of the February Denver "King Kong", which is captured and can be heard on the "Electric Aunt Jemima" boot from Beat the Boots Volume II. YOU DIDN'T TRY TO CALL ME- This charming little piece appears several times in the 60's as part one of

the ridiculous little medley that appears on "Tis the Season to Be Jelly". The medley consists of "You Didn't Try To Call Me"-> "Petroushka"-> Bristol Stomp"-> "Baby Love"-> Big Leg Emma", and the '68 version is essentially performed as on that Beat the Boots track SUMMER/FALL '70 BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Howard Kaylan (vocals, beer), Mark Volman (vocals, tape recorder), Jeff Simmons (bass, vocals, featuring his hurt), Aynsley Dunbar (drums), Ian Underwood (horns, keyboards, vocals), George Duke (keyboards, vocals, trombone) SPECIAL GUEST- Jean-Luc Ponty (violin), Grace Slick (memories of Woodstock) DATES- June 13th through December 17th SHOWS- 48 CITIES- 43 COUNTRIES- 10 (US, Canada, and Europe) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 33 AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 105 minutes AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 5 SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Call Any Vegetable, Chunga's Revenge, Dog Breath, Holiday in Berlin, King Kong, Pound for a Brown (on the Bus), Sharleena (closing solo), Sleeping in a Jar, Who Are the Brain Police?, Willie the Pimp, Wonderful Wino [FZ is the only guitarist on this tour, and because he hardly ever sings, he plays guitar- both rhythm and lead- throughout each show. Hence, there are bursts of guitar in the majority of the tunes, but the titles above represent the lengthier, more "official" solo spots.] COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- While Frank's guitar playing is nowhere near the frenzied peaks it would reach by the end of the decade, his solos are still highly enjoyable on this tour for several reasons. One, the solos provide a welcome relief from the highly vocal-oriented material which comprises the majority of the sets. Two, they arrive in somewhat interesting and underplayed songs. His "Holiday in Berlin" solos are classics, rising out of the "Inca Roads" theme and then riding an excellent wave of rhythmic support from the entire band, before frequently transforming into an instrumental "Easy Meat". These are some of his lengthier solos, along with his "Pound for a Brown" and "King Kong"

workouts, all of which are made even more interesting by the excellent support of the band. The remainder of his solos are quite a bit shorter, but coming in such tunes as "Wonderful Wino" and "Who Are the Brain Police?", they arrive with a healthy dose of energy and quite a bit of rock 'n' roll attitude. Finally, one of the continual delights of the tour is that Frank's guitar is everywhere. He plays rhythm guitar throughout- during solos and written parts- and fills many a song with some rather tasty fills. His constant presence gives many of the tunes a more rock feel, and helps keep the energy levels high. SONGS THAT FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- Cruising for Burgers (no solo until '76) NEW SONGS ON TOUR (1st time performed live)The Air, Bwana Dik, Concentration Moon, Daddy Daddy Daddy, Do You Like My New Car?, Easy Meat, Happy Together, Latex Solar Beef, Lonesome Cowboy Burt, Mom and Dad, Mother People, Mudshark, What Kind of Girl Do You Think We Are?, What Will This Evening Bring Me This Morning?, What Will This Morning Bring Me This Evening? MONSTER SONGS- King Kong. In one of the longest Monster appearances in FZ history, this tune roared for 30 plus minutes in Paris on the last date of the tour. Thanks to two somewhat impressive solos by special guest Jean-Luc Ponty, some dueling improv with Ian and Duke, and some Flo 'n' Eddie harmonizing, this performance once again proved "King Kong's" worth as a Monster tune. Throughout the tour, it occasionally terrorized setlists, providing the hungry fans with Duke solos, Flo 'n' Eddie wailing, and FZ masterpieces, all accompanied by the manic Ansley on drums. It also appeared as short little outros and mid-set instrumentals, with nothing more than its main theme popping up before Frank steps in and either declares the show to be over or moves on to the next tune. Disappointing, yes, but an interesting occurrence once you know what to expect. Overall, not a great tour for Monster improvisation due to the infrequency of the full blown "King Kongs", but worthwhile when they are happening. OVERVIEW- It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Dickens gives us a perfect description for this tour- the first of the three Flo 'n' Eddie vaudevillian outings. The Best of Times- a healthy rock 'n' roll attitude, excellent rhythmic section, some extended Frank workouts, and most notably, the long forgotten "Holiday in Berlin" extravaganza. And then, unfortunately, the worst of times- the not yet fully developed Opera, the desecration of classic "We're Only In It For the Money" tunes, and WAY too much Flo 'n' Eddie.

THE BEST OF TIMES- While Flo 'n' Eddie ultimately prove to be more annoying than anything, they do get to demonstrate why it is that Frank hired them in the first place. They can sing. While the "Burnt Weeny Sandwich" version is damn near perfect as it is, the vocal filled "Holiday in Berlin" extravanganza that graces so many setlists from this tour is undoubtedly Frank's most accomplished piece of music from this era. While the tale is a rather dull take on the exciting events of Berlin '68, Flo 'n' Eddie give the lyrics their all, taking the vocals to soaring heights and providing intrigue to Frank's surprisingly uninspired words. Higher and higher we go, before sliding effortlessly into a vocal heavy version of what would later become the classic "Inca Roads" guitar theme. Upon finishing this theme, the music retreats into a quiet yet powerful vamp, setting the stage for Frank to step up and take off into the six-string stratosphere. Spine tingling music. While this grand, rather epic piece of music easily serves as the highlight of this tour, the more mainstream rock 'n' roll energy that infuses much of the remainder of the music provides an excellent boost to the material, and keeps the interest levels high in the face of Flo 'n' Eddie's sophomoric humor. Which leads us to... THE WORST OF TIMES- There is WAY too much Flo 'n' Eddie on this tour. Adventures of Palladin and Hay Boy, the Sanzini Brothers, El Porko the Magnificent, Penis Dimension, the Opera- they are everywhere. Destroying old tunes, failing to liven up new tunes, providing pathetically unfunny routines during the "slow" parts of the shows. For some reason, Frank feels that we would rather see and hear our beloved Turtles do the Sodomy Trick than spend a minute in silence while the band tunes their instruments. Boy, was he ever wrong. Fortunately, for the reputations of Flo 'n' Eddie, they are not everything that is wrong with this tour. The Opera material (i.e. the groupie related songs from "Fillmore East, June 1971", plus a couple others) debut on this tour, and for the most part, are not as well developed as they would be the following year. True, they would never become masterpieces, but in the course of gaining live experience, they do become musically more interesting and funnier. For this tour, they are simply painful at times. "Concentration Moon" and "Mom and Dad" are given a treatment this time round, and once again thanks to Flo 'n' Eddie, thoroughly ruined (though Frank did let them do it, so...). Overall, it all boils down to how much Flo 'n' Eddie your can handle, as to whether or not you could enjoy this tour. There is some excellent music performed throughout this tour, but it is well hidden among piles of moronic humor. It is like eating Lucky Charms. Each box contains all those delicious marshmallows, but are you willing to pick through all that other cereal just to get them? Well, are you?

THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED ADVENTURES OF PALLADIN AND HAY BOY, THESome moments of comedic brilliance courtesy of Flo 'n' Eddie. Sean Gaffney gives us an explanation of what all the hilarity is about- ""Have Gun Will Travel" was a late 50s-early 60 western starring Richard Boone, I believe, as Paladin. Hay Boy was his Chinese assistant. The basic plot had him hanging around the Carlton in San Francisco, after the Civil War, waiting for a response to his card: "Have Gun, Will Travel.Wire Paladin, San Francisco." That's it. Typical Western. The card was a big selling point, as it had a big white knight (chess-like) on it. Truly a card filled with lust, romance, danger, and adventure." Armed with that knowledge, we can now all laugh along with Flo 'n' Eddie. AIR, THE- Essentially performed as on "Disconnected Synapses" from Beat the Boots Volume II. BWANA DIK- Essentially performed as on "Tengo Na Minchia Tanta" from Beat the Boots Volume II. This song serves as the third song of the seven song "Opera". CALL ANY VEGETABLE- Essentially performed as on "Freaks and Motherfu*#@%!" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo, and in his post-solo "lecture". CHRISTMAS STORY- Well, its not from a Christmas show- December 6th to be exact- and I have yet to hear it. Could it be another hilarious Flo 'n' Eddie routine? Just imagine the humor they could create with Christmas as a subject. Oh, is nothing sacred anymore? CHUNGA'S REVENGE- Essentially performed as on "Chunga's Revenge", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This tune is apparently only performed once on this tour. CONCENTRATION MOON- Essentially performed as on "Freaks and Motherfu*#@%!" from Beat the Boots Volume I. This is one of those really poor choices that Frank makes every so often- letting Flo 'n' Eddie destroy this WOIIFTM classic. You do not realize how much you like, and appreciate, the original version of a song until you hear Flo 'n' Eddie destroy it. Shame on everyone involved. CRUISING FOR BURGERS- Essentially performed as on "Freaks and Motherfu*#@%!" from Beat the Boots Volume I.

DADDY DADDY DADDY- Essentially performed as on "Tengo Na Minchia Tanta" from Beat the Boots Volume II. Personally, I find this to be one of Frank's most endearing little pop numbers, and thus, must reserve a spot in my heart for this band, the Fall '76 band, and the '84 band. They were all kind enough to perform this little sucker (and amazingly enough, I like the '84 version the best). For this tour, this song typically appears as the fifth song in the seven song "Opera". DOG BREATH- Essentially performed as on "Disconnected Synapses" from Beat the Boots Volume II. Note that this is the short version, with vocals, but without the guitar solo and then reprise. DO YOU LIKE MY NEW CAR?- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I (i.e.The Groupie Routine), though at this point in the songs history it is not yet the full-blown affair that it would be by the following year. This song typically appears as the sixth song in the seven song "Opera". EASY MEAT- "I was singing 'Easy Meat' or something", and by golly, he actually was! This concert staple of Frank's later year's premieres on this tour, and amazingly enough, it sounds almost exactly as it would 8 years later when the Fall '78 band would revive it. The lyrics are all here- three verses, all the same. There's a lengthy guitar solo spot, with the Fall '78 opening riff used as the accompanying vamp. The only real differences in this version are, one, the song starts immediately with the vocals (i.e. no opening riff or setup), and two, due to the particular instrumentation of the band, the overall effect of the tune is that of psychedelic circus music (hey, that's what it sounds like). Special praise to the guitar solos, which sounds similar to the "Call Any Vegetable" solos from this tour. They start off slow, with rather casual rhythm accompaniment, and gradually work their way into a musical frenzy before returning us to the tune proper (which is more than we can say about the typical Fall '78 solo). This tune is also performed as a short musical snippet essentially serving as the closing riff to Frank's "Holiday in Berlin" solos. This is essentially an instrumental version of the eventual chorus, and can be heard on "Freaks and Motherfu*#@%!" from Beat the Boots Volume I. HAPPY TOGETHER- The Bullet! Essentially performed as on "Freaks and Motherfu*#@%!" from Beat the Boots Volume I. Sadly, this is not the full length Turtles version but simply the first verse and chorus. These performances come complete with audience sing alongs, making us all feel like we are at the Big Rock Shows. This song typically appears as the seventh song in the seven song "Opera", and makes us all feel happy together, knowing that Frank

might now play something that does not feature Flo 'n' Eddie so prominently. HOLIDAY IN BERLIN- Essentially performed as on "Freaks and Motherfu*#@%!" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. As the song appears here and on other officially released boots, it is actually the vocal version of "Would You Like A Snack?" combined with the vocal version of "Holiday in Berlin". The instrumental combination of these two tracks constitute the tune we all know as "Holiday in Berlin, Full Blown" from "Burnt Weeny Sandwich". Frank included the first portion of this tune on "200 Motels" along with a set of vocals, and this portion thus became "Would You Like A Snack?". Upon the release of this album, the name "Holiday in Berlin" actually only refers to the tune that begins with the lines "Look at all the Germans". For this tour, upon completion of the lyrics, the band smoothly eases into the melody line of the post- guitar solo "Inca Roads" theme, which is accompanied by a singing Flo 'n' Eddie. This would then lead us into Frank's solo. To further confuse matters, this tune also contains the instrumental chorus to what would eventually become "Easy Meat". Upon finishing his solo, Frank and the band would jump into this short musical theme, and then Frank would conclude the proceedings with a short burst of guitar. While Frank's solos during this tune are some of the highlights of the tour, the band's performance is also particularly noteworthy, with each member providing some excellent support for Frank's playing. IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE- Though he claimed it couldn't, it did- once- and I have yet to hear it. Has anyone? Don't worry- you're safe. JAM- Sporadically throughout the tour, Frank would throw somewhat lengthy instrumental jams into the repertoire. Essentially serving as guitar solo vehicles, with the occasional Duke solo, these musical excursions are excellent examples of this band's ability to simply jam. While Frank's guitar playing is undeniably the center of each such jam, the remainder of the band is providing excellent support, and is doing more than just supplying the vamp. These are some of the loosest and most relaxed improvisational numbers that Frank and cohorts ever produced. KING KONG- The Monster Song of the tour. While the most monstrous of these performances did not come until the final date of the tour, this song frequently raised some eyebrows in the preceding dates. Essentially performed as on "Disconnected Synapsses" from Beat the Boots Volume II, this song provides us with the typical solos, coming from Duke, Ian, Frank, and unfortunately, Flo 'n' Eddie. Dunbar and Simmons are, of course, excellent throughout.

For the 12/15 performance, Ponty sits in for this song, providing us with two rather tasty solos, made even better by the inspiring support provided by the Mothers. As I note above, this song also appears in a condensed version, wherein nothing but the main theme is played, with Frank then stepping up and annoncing the end of the show or a segue into another song. Nothing monstrous occurs in these short musical jaunts, but the theme is enjoyable nonetheless. LATEX SOLAR BEEF- Essentially performed as on "Tengo Na Minchia Tanta" from Beat the Boots Volume II. This tune is far from the state it would be in by June '71, and barely resembles the guitar based beast that we would get on the Fillmore album. This song typically appears as the fourth song in the seven song "Opera". LITTLE HOUSE I USED TO LIVE IN- Essentially performed as on "Freaks and Motherfu*#@%!" from Beat the Boots Volume I. This song serves as a musical link to several other numbers in the repertoire, containing either vocal and/or musical references to "Penis Dimension", "Bwana Dik", and "Mudshark". MOM AND DAD- Essentially performed as on WOIIFTM, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. These performances seem to be taken at an even slower pace than the aforementioned album version, with the only real instrumental bonus being Duke's eerie keyboard backing. I personally think that Frank does a better job of relating the suburban horror of this tale better than Flo 'n' Eddie, and I am having trouble finding it in my heart to forgive Frank for letting Flo 'n' Eddie have at this. I ask again- isn't anything sacred anymore? MOTHER PEOPLE- Essentially performed as on "Disconnected Synapses" from Beat the Boots Volume II. MUDSHARK- Well, the story is the same, and so is the music, though, of course, we do get some slight variation in Frank's retelling of this ocean-sweeping phenomena. The majority of these setlist references, however, refer to the end of "Little House I Used To Live In", where the song is used as a sort-of Secret Word, and not to the full-blown affair, as heard on the "Fillmore East" album. OPERA, THE- The suite of songs telling the story of the band's attempts to pick up groupies, which consists of the following songs- "What Will This Morning Bring Me This Evening?", "What Kind of Girl Do You Think We Are?", "Bwana Dik", "Latex Solar Beef", "Daddy Daddy Daddy", "Do You Like My New

Car?", and "Happy Together". Way too much Flo 'n' Eddie in way too short a span of time. PENIS DIMENSION- Essentially performed as on "Disconnected Synapses" from Beat the Boots Volume II. This is essentially a rocked-up version of the "200 Motels" track, and is another excellent example of Frank's penchant for ruining good instrumental tunes with completely inane lyrics. PORKO THE MAGNIFICENT- This is Flo 'n' Eddie (with poor Simmons foolishly getting involved) doing the lounge singer bit. Complete with cheesy lounge music. I won't say anymore. POUND FOR A BROWN (ON THE BUS)- Essentially performed as on "Tengo Na Minchia Tanta" from Beat the Boots Volume II, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. As a bonus treat, Frank's solo segues into "Sleeping in a Jar", providing an even longer break from the vocal inanities of the Flo 'n' Eddie experience. RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD- In the latter dates on the tour, a short instrumental version of this song frequently appeared in the closing meltdown portion of "Sleeping in a Jar" . An example of this can be heard on "Tengo Na Minchia Tanta" from Beat the Boots Volume II. SANZINI BROTHERS, THE- For some reason, Frank believes that instead of listening to him tune his guitar, or instead of watching the roadies fix his amp, we would rather have Flo 'n' Eddie turned loose on us. Doing stupid tricks. Screaming. Yelling. Complete with cheesy circus music. Maybe doing the Pyramid Trick, if we're lucky. Guess what, Frank? You were wrong. SHARLEENA- Essentially performed as on "Tengo Na Minchia Tanta" from Beat the Boots Volume II, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's end of song guitar solo. This is not a full-blown FZ guitar experience, but is long enough and contains enough energy to warrant being called a solo. Plus, it is an excellent way to end this tune. SLEEPING IN A JAR- Essentially performed as on "Tengo Ne Minchia Tanta" from Beat the Boots Volume II, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's short guitar bursts. This song segues out of Frank's "Pound for a Brown" guitar solo, and thus prolongs the time we get to spend in this instrumental heaven. WHAT KIND OF GIRL DO YOU THINK WE ARE?Essentially performed as on "Tengo Na Minchia Tanta" from Beat the Boots Volume II. This song

typically appears as the second song in the seven song "Opera". WHAT WILL THIS EVENING BRING ME THIS MORNING- This is one of the few reasons why Ryko needed to release "200 Motels". This song from that overrated soundtrack album appears as a regular climax to the Opera during the Summer '71 shows. During the 11/29 show from this tour, however, the song appears as part of the amusing finish to an extended, twenty-plus minute "King Kong". After Aynsley's drum solo, Frank instructs the band to play this tune- which they do- and then allows them to somehow find their way into "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" once this song is finished. Pretty interesting. It is essentially performed as on "200 Motels", with the occasional live flourish throughout. WHAT WILL THIS MORNING BRING ME THIS EVENING?- Essentially performed as on "Tengo Na Minchia Tanta" from Beat the Boots Volume II. This song typically appears as the opening tune to the seven song "Opera". WHO ARE THE BRAIN POLICE?- Essentially performed as on "Disconnected Synapses" from Beat the Boots Volume II. This tune simply rocks. Completely revamped and rocked up, this version barely resembles the ominous original, and instead serves as a show closing, audience pleasing rocker. Frank's ferocious guitar begins the proceedings, with Flo 'n' Eddie doing a more than adequate job of being rock 'n' roll singers. Frank takes a particularly nasty and quite lengthy solo after the second chorus, before the song returns to the final verse/chorus section , and the typical arena rock-type ending. One of the repeated highlights of the tour, and another live gem conspicuously absent from the YCDTOSA series. WHO NEEDS THE PEACE CORPS?- Only performed once on this tour, and I personally have yet to hear it. Anybody out there coherent enough who remembers hearing this and can fill us all in, while we take care of our hair? WILLIE THE PIMP- Another one of the W-tunes that I have not yet heard. Only performed once, in what appears to be only the second performance of the tune. Anybody out there got any info on this? [Jon Naurin sez..."I have the tape, but I'm not able to provide much information - due to an utterly annoying cut, just the very end of the song is there. From what I can hear, it sounds very much like the Fillmore East version."] WONDERFUL WINO- Another tune that simply rocks. With Simmons on vocals, Dunbar frantically thrashing away in the background, Flo 'n' Eddie

relegated to background vocals, and Frank playing the role of rock 'n' roll guitar player, this song infuses a high dose of energy into the nightly proceedings. It is essentially performed as on "Freaks and Motherfu*#@%!" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. The Dr. John routine is not a nightly event, however, even though it manages to successfully entertain in its single occurrence. WOULD YOU LIKE A SNACK?- This track from "200 Motels" originally appeared as the opening instrumental portion of "Holiday in Berlin, Full Blown" from "Burnt Weeny Sandwich". For this tour, however, and the album it eventually appears on, this instrumental track acquires a set of lyrics, and thus becomes its own song. It is still entrenched as the opening moments of "Holiday in Berlin", and appears as an unlisted track on both "Freaks and Motherfu*#@%!" and "Tengo Na Minchi Tanta" from the Beat the Boots series.WOULD YOU LIKE A SNACK?- This track from "200 Motels" originally appeared as the opening instrumental portion of "Holiday in Berlin, Full Blown" from "Burnt Weeny Sandwich". For this tour, however, and the album it eventually appears on, this instrumental track acquires a set of lyrics, and thus becomes its own song. It is still entrenched as the opening moments of "Holiday in Berlin", and appears as an unlisted track on both "Freaks and Motherfu*#@%!" and "Tengo Na Minchi Tanta" from the Beat the Boots series. YOU DIDN'T TRY TO CALL ME- Essentially performed as on "Disconnected Synapses" from Beat the Boots Volume II. PUT YOUR .02 HERE John W. Busher sez... I am new to the internet and I am astounded at the frequency of people who loathe Flo and Eddie. I NEVER had a problem with Flo and Eddie. Why do so many Zappa fans feel the need to criticize Frank's artistic decisions? The '84 band, the remixes, David Logeman, Flo and Eddie...the list goes on and on. I think that the 1970 band was definitely embryonic, but I don't feel that Flo and Eddie "ruined" ANY of the material. Why so VICIOUS about the "Sanzini Brothers" routine? Jeeez....

Sugarcane Harris (violin, keyboards, vocals- 3/7 show only) DATES- 2/28/70 San Diego, CA; 3/7/70 Los Angeles, CA; possibly 3/?? USC, and 3/20 Hollywood (see APPENDIX below for more info on the confused nature of the actual dates) SHOWS- 2 (that we have tapes of, possibly 2 or maybe 3 more. See APPENDIX below)) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 11 (counting both versions of "Chunga's Revenge",and "Interlude"; not including "Unknown Jam" from 2/28)) AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 50 mins. AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS- 6 (2/28); 6 (3/7); possibly two more on 2/28 SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Blues Shuffle in Key of C, Bolero in G, Chunga's Revenge, King Kong, Pound for a Brown, Sharleena, Twinkle Tits, Willie the Pimp COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- These two shows contain Frank's best solos of the early '70's (he would not play this passionately on a regular basis until '74). For some reason- the almost entirely new repertoire, the relaxed atmosphere, the insanely high quality of the musicians- Frank steps up and produces a collection of solos that all stand in the upper echelon of his collected guitar improvisations. Alternating between lyrical, jazzy outings and more aggressive, bluesy workouts, Frank runs the gambit in these two short shows, managing to thrive amongst the series of insane solos offered up by his band mates. While Frank's solos were no slouches in the tours previous to this, these two shows are the first real instance of Frank demonstrating his true guitar playing abilities. Sadly, he would retreat to calmer waters for the majority of the next couple years, but at least Frank gives brief exposure to his true skills, and helps prepare us for the onslaughts of the late '70's. NEW SONGS ON TOUR- Blues Shuffle in Key of C, Directly from My Heart to You, Sharleena, Twinkle Tits, Willie the Pimp MONSTER SONGS- King Kong, Chunga's Revenge; With the exception of "Directly from My Heart To You" and "Sleeping in a Jar", every song in these two shows is essentially an excuse for extended solos. In their respective shows, "King Kong" and "Chunga's Revenge" are the true monster songs, containing multiple solos from all involved, and evolving into musical beasts a ways removed from their origins.

WINTER '70 (Hot Rats band) BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Ian Underwood (keyboards, saxophone, tour genius), Max Bennett (bass), Aynsley Dunbar (highly underrated drummer),

OVERVIEW- There is not much to say about this tour, er, these two shows, other than the fact that I really, really like them. The first show is essentially one long jam, broken up by occasional pieces of previously composed music. From the opening "Blues Shuffle" to the closing jam, the first show parades before us a string of diverse, intense, always interesting solos. Not a slouch performance in the entire show. The second show is slightly more structured, thanks to the jaunty "Sharleena", and the passionate "Directly from My Heart to You", but Frank still manages to squeeze in a plethora of solos. If I had to make a complaint about either of these shows, it would be that they are too short. Two fifty minute shows of music of this caliber is simply not enough. We need a whole year's worth. Hot Rats, indeed. THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED San Diego, 2/28 BLUES SHUFFLE IN KEY OF C (6:48)- Frank had this wondeful habit in the early seventies of performing impromptu blues jams during those moments of a show when "technical difficulties" were preventing him from performing his normal routine. When Frank walks on stage for this show, he announces that some of the mics are not working properly, so instead of just standing there, the band will perform a "blues shuffle in the key of C". And so they do. The shuffle begins with a piano heavy intro, before Frank steps up and takes his first solo. Ian follows with a keyboard solo, Frank takes another guitar solo, and Bennet concludes the whole affair with a soulful bass solo. As Bennet puts the finishing touches on his effort, the band continues to shuffle along. Ian then steps up and propels us into a monster performance of... KING KONG (19:14)- These two shows represent in my mind Frank's version of Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew" period- concerts consisting of simply structured songs which essentially serve as vehicles for extended jamming. While Frank (because he is Frank) ends up with a more structured whole, this performance of "King Kong" represents just how exciting his music can be when he allows himself and the others to just play (Frank would adopt a similar attitude during the two '72 Wazoo tours, but those shows took on an even more structured atmosphere than these two shows.) After Ian ushers in this monster performance with the hastily played theme, he takes off on his first of many solos. It is a short one, but it allows the song to pick up momentum before Frank steps up and delivers his first effort of the song. This is a good solo- melodical and upliftingyet with that typical Frank intensity. Ian's second keyboard solo emerges out of Frank's guitar composition, before we get an abrupt tempo shift that changes the musical landscape. Ian continues to solo

over this new, slow blues vamp, returning to the main "King Kong" theme and basing his solo on many variations of the theme. Frank gives Ian lots of room here, and is content to sit back and play rhythm. As the keyboard solo progresses, Frank's rhythm work heightens in intensity, challenging Ian and pushing the solo to greater heights. The rest of the band follows Frank's lead, and eventually swallow Ian's solo, leading to several minutes of a solid, full band groove. Underwood's saxophone soars out of this musical stampede, with Frank answering this new challenge by taking his rhythm work into a more jazzy, "Chunga's"-esque direction. Frank finally steps forward, and whips out his second solo of the song. This second one is harder edged than the first, with a hint of "Transylvania Boogie" running through his angular lines. Dunbar gets a little once Frank is finished, giving all involved a chance to rest before returning to the main theme and ending this affair. Nineteen minutes of pure improvisation, and not a second wasted. BOLERO IN G (Chunga's Revenge) (7:04)- Having first appeared late in the '69 tour, this is the second performance of what would one week later be "Chunga's Revenge". While the "Chunga's" theme is easily recognizable, here it is slow and slightly tweaked. Sounds like the album version with the pitch and tempo misadjusted. Interesting, and competent, just a little jarring. Frank plays the main theme, followed by the abrupt intro (meaning the riff that opens the album version), while Dunbar plays much more actively than in your typical "Chunga's Revenge". Frank takes a solo- nothing great but not bad- before returning to the main theme. Riffing off the main theme, Ian takes a short solo which is abruptly interrupted by Frank's guitar heavy intro to... POUND FOR A BROWN (3:47)- This is your typical "Pound for a Brown", performed as it is essentially performed from the '60's up through the Fall '71 tour. We get the head- the two thematic sections surrounding the "avant-garde" middle- before heading off into Frank's solo. This is also your typical "Pound for a Brown" solo, lyrical and calm, with occasional flourishes of aggression. And, as is always the highly enjoyable case with the shows of this era, Frank leads us into.... SLEEPING IN A JAR (2:22)- This is essentially performed as on "Ahead of Their Time", with occasional guitar embellishments throughout. Always a treat. UNKNOWN JAM- On the end of my tape for this show, there is a jam [consisting of a guitar solo (joined in mid-flight), a sax solo, a bass solo, and a second FZ solo] that sounds as if it could be from this show. The sound quality is nearly identical, and the band sounds like this band. The track is unlabelled,

which I assume means the trader I got it from believes that the track is part of "Sleeping in a Jar". It most definitely is not. Fred Tomsett's "T'Mershi Duween", in its "Touring Can Drive You Crazy" series, lists the track as "Guitar Solo". There is more to the jam than just a guitar solo, with traces of both "Willie the Pimp" and "Chunga's Revenge" throughout the many solos. Whether this is an actual song, or simply a post-"Sleeping in a Jar" jam, is unknown to me. (BTW, this entire jam is sweet. Loose and carefree, but with a tight enough groove to lift the solos to another level.) [David Lynch adds: "After "Sleeping In A Jar": It doesn't sound like there's a splice in my copy. At the end of "Sleeping" the band goes on to jam and Zappa starts up a solo, followed by a sax solo by Ian that heavily quotes the "Chunga's" theme (further evidence that this is part of the same tune), followed by about three notes of a bass solo before my tape cuts."] This, of course, only adds to the confusion. Los Angleles, 3/7 SHARLEENA (9:31)- This premiere performance of this eventual guitar solo classic appears essentially as it would on "Lost Episodes". This version, or at least this recording of this version, has a harder guitar edge, but nevertheless bounces along at the same frantic pace. Harris and Frank both take solos, with Frank contributing some heavy rhythm support during Harris' violin workout and during a short fullband jam in the midst of these solos. Harris takes the longer of the two solos, though Frank's wah-wah tinged effort still satisfies. This is a worthy performance, and just as enjoyable as the revelatory "lost episode". TWINKLE TITS/INTERLUDE (9:57)- This one-time only performance- a waltz!- resembles a light-hearted version of "Little House I Used To Live In". While actual pieces of "Little House" are found in this extended instrumental, new pieces of music are found in the opening theme. After the short intro, Frank takes a one minute solo, after which the song begins toying with the borrowed themes as noted above. Approximately two and a half minutes into the song, we enter the solo zone, with Harris, Underwood, and the rhythm section getting an opportunity to display their chops. Again, Frank's rhythm work is awesome throughout (this is the great fault of FZ shows from the mid-70's on-> no Frank playing rhythm). Frank eventually takes a second solo, during which there is an interesting cut in the tape. At 7:29 into the song, the tape edits out of the solo into a composed piece of music known as "Interlude", previously performed by the '60's Mothers. This tune is reminscent of "Little House" but is an entirely new piece of music. After the cut, the remaining portion of this track consists of "Interlude", without returning to the "Twinkle Tits" theme. While

these are definitely two different tracks, it is possible that they were joined together here as a medley. [David Lynch, who helped with info on this track, writes: "The coda was performed by the '69 Mothers under the title "Interlude". I have two separate '69 recordings of this piece, which is more or less complete on the Hot Rats recording. That having been said, they may still have been performed together during this concert, as the Hot Rats were wont to run together tunes in medleys, and Zappa mentions the Hot Rats band knowing "three tunes, maybe five" at the beginning of this concert."] DIRECTLY FROM MY HEART TO YOU (5:40)Without a doubt, the greatest cover song Frank ever performed. There is honest emotion in this piece (a Frank rarity!), thanks to some impassioned playing and singing by the why-couldn't-he-have-stayedaround-longer Harris. This is essentially performed as on "Weasels Ripped My Flesh", with an intesity that only comes with performing live. Excellent. CHUNGA'S REVENGE (24:12)- In seven days, Frank took a mangled piece of music known as "Bolero in G" and transformed it into the instrumental powerhouse known as "Chunga's Revenge". This performance is as powerful as always, with the strong opening theme, followed by a series of equally strong solos. Frank extends this early performance beyond its solo-vehicle expectancy, and churns out some thoroughly exciting and spine- tingling music. The first series of solos runs about 13 minutes, containing an Underwood saxophone solo, a Harris keyboard solo, and a jazzy, melodical Frank solo. These solos are all great, and made even more so by Bennet's ever-shifting bass lines, and Dunbar's thunderous drumming. After the obligatory drum solo, Bennet returns to the "Chunga's" theme with a slow, death march take on the main riff. Frank abruptly enters the scene, with a full-blown psychedelic mangling of the theme. The bass player continues with his methodical plodding, leading the jam with a slow, walking bass line, gradually building in intensity thanks to the impetus of Frank's rhythm. Over this, Harris whips out the violin solo of his life, producing musical blasphemy for four exhausting minutes. The sounds Sugarcane wrangles out of his violin must be heard to be believed. The whole band eventually coalesces back into one, before Frank takes off for yet another solo, exploring the stratosphere for three more minutes. Finally, 24 minutes after the insanity began, the music stops, and everyone scrambles to find their minds. Heaven. WILLIE THE PIMP- Unfortunately, my tape of the 3/7 show does not contain this song; thus, Charles Ulrich will describe this for you-> "My copy of 3/7/70 has "Willie The Pimp" after "Chunga's Revenge". There is no edit between the songs. FZ introduces the song as "Willie The Pimp", regrets that Beefheart isn't

there to sing it, and recites some of the lyrics. Sugar Cane Harris plays violin on it. There's a guitar solo, an organ solo, a bass solo, then an edit to the ending. The whole thing is about twelve minutes long (plus whatever has been edited out, of course)." David Lynch adds: "I have a tape of the March 7 show that DOES include Willie the Pimp. It's an instrumental run-through of the tune, comparable in quality to the rest of the recordings of this band, that lasts 11 and a half minutes- after the opening theme, Frank lets loose with a 2 1/2 minute solo, followed by a 2 minute 21 second violin solo, followed by a three minute keyboard solo, followed by a bass solo that lasts for 1 minute 21 seconds before there's a splice to the closing theme. The "Willie the Pimp" vamp is heard prominently throughout the performance." APPENDIX So exactly how many shows did this band play? We will let Charles Ulrich, Biffy the Elephant Shrew M.D., and Bill Lantz sort this out (and further confuse y'all)> Biffy writes: Charles Ulrich sent me two quotes from a Max Bennett interview at http://www.pd.nettuno.it/lama/dk/benuk.htm (this is the dog talkin' now):>> ... gradually the music changed at rehearsals to the point that it was too avant/garde for my tastes and taking up too much of my time so I had to leave the group...(That didn't sound like a band that played two gigs a week apart)... we played for several months in and around L A and rehearsed at nite ... (That *really* doesn't sound like two gigs a week apart.) Biffy continues: The book "The Art Of The Fillmore" shows a poster for a Berkeley Community Theatre show on 4/19/70 advertising "Frank Zappa and the Hot Rats." The $64 Question is, was this really a late Hot Rats show, or could it have been the preContempo Mothers lineup incorrectly advertised under the previous band's name? Bill Lantz thinks it was an MOI show. I'm not so sure. (Bill's rationale is that there was hardly enough time to regroup and rehearse the Mothers between 4/19 and the known 5/8 show. But since the band contained only two "new" members, Duke and Simmons, both of whom already had experience playing with FZ, I don't find this a strong objection--20 days seems like plenty of time to get 'em up to speed for the tour, and the tour itself was just "rehearsal" for the Contempo '70 show.) So Bill Lantz writes: I think my line of reasoning extends to the material that the re-formed Mothers were doing, even though it was basically the same each night, was so vastly different that the material being done by the Hot Rats lineup. The reformed

MOI unit was doing a Call Any Vegetable/Duke of Prunes medley, Stavinsky's Agon, Lumber Truck, several old Mothers tunes so Ray could sing - it just seems hard to imagine 2 weeks being enough time to rehearse these and do them segue like Frank had them do it. Many of older songs were seeing new arrangements for the first time as well. To complicate (or possibly clarify the existence of the poster Biffy saw) the matter even more, there was apparantly a power quartet around right before this time too. It was Frank, Jeff Simmons, Ian Underwood and ArtieTripp. This is according to Tripp who also stated that they played only one show. He said that he hated Jeff and stopped going to the Zubin/rehearsals in April for the upcoming Philharmonic gig in May because of him. Duke had only played with Frank before on the Ponty King Kong sessions and this was also Jeff's first time in the Mothers even though he had worked with Frank on Lucille. I have to doubt either of them were like Keneally and walked right into the material. I'm sure it took some time - more than two weeks anyways. So, I guess if I had to really make a SWAG here, April was spent rehearsing for the May 1970 New York, Philly and Chicago mini-tour with time-out forone power quartet gig billed as the Hot Rats on 4/19 in Berkeley. I added, further complicating matters, that I have run across a tour list that includes a 4/26 show in London, 12 days before the known Mothers' show in NYC. Huh? Biffy later writes, in a valiant effort to further elucidate matters: "Rolling Stone announced the Contempo '70 concert in their 4/16/70 issue,stating that FZ would "collect his disbanded Mothers" for the performance. The next issue states: "Frank Zappa and the Mothers, reconvening for the May 15th concert with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra, have announced a couple of other gigs--'obscure warm-up engagements,' Zappa calls them, 'strictly to get our chops up to the LA concert.' The extra Mothers concerts will be at Fillmore East May 8th and 9th and at the Philadelphia Academy Of Music on Mothers' Day, May 10th." This only further confuses the issue of who exactly played the 4/18/70 "Hot Rats" concert, as that would have taken place at leasta week and a half *after* the news item was written (printing date 4/8/70 for issue dated 4/30/70). Unsupported theory time: could that "power quartet" with Tripp and Simmons (thanks, Bill, I'd *never* heard of that!) have been an ad-hoc jamming ensemble put together specifically to honor a booking made before the MOI reunion?

FALL '71

BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Mark Volman (vocals, sofa), Howard Kaylan (vocals, concertina, beer), Aynsley Dunbar (the most passionate drummer FZ ever had), Ian Underwood (keyboards, horns, vocals), Don Preston (mini-moog, intensity), Jim Pons (bass, vocals) DATES-October 6th through December 10th SHOWS- 28 CITIES- 24 COUNTRIES- 9 (U.S., Canada, and Europe) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 34 AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 100 minutes AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 5 (many of the set lists are incomplete, and two shows were cut short by disasters, so...) SONGS THAT FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Billy the Mountain, Call Any Vegetable, Dog Breath, King Kong, Pound for a Brown (on the bus), Sleeping in a Jar, Who Are the Brain Police?, Willie the Pimp, Wonderful Wino [FZ is the only guitarist on this tour, and because he hardly ever sings, he plays guitarboth rhythm and lead- throughout each show. Hence, there are bursts of guitar in the majority of the tunes, but the titles above represent the lengthier, more "official" solo spots.] COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- Frank's guitar playing on this tour (and on all Flo 'n' Eddie tours) is interesting and very worthwhile for two reasons. One, it provides a welcome relief from the vaudevillian antics of the majority of the repertoire. When Frank picks up his guitar and begins soloing in "Pound for a Brown", the sound of his playing appears like an island amidst a sea of smothering vocals. While you will discover below that I actually like most of the vocals, I still understand that there is nothing like a straightforward, no-nonsense guitar solo, and the "Pound for a Brown" excursions are classic examples of this. The second reason for the success of Frank's playing on this tour is that the majority of the solos arrive in very interesting and somewhat underplayed songs. "Billy the Mountain" contains an excellent Frank/Preston mini-jam, "Who Are the Brain Police?" simply rocks, and "Willie the Pimp" is thankfully still vocal less, giving the tune a sleaziness that mere words cannot convey. Best of all, the Monster Song"King Kong"- contains a truly monstrous Frank showcase, as can be heard on the YCDTOSA Volume III version. Finally, while Frank does not solo all that frequently in each show, he is present on

rhythm guitar for the duration of the activities, and this adds greatly to the sound of each performance. He inserts random spurts of guitar throughout the majority of the songs, which seems to infect the overall sound with a much more "rock" atmosphere this time round. Frank's playing is nowhere near the degree of insanity that he would achieve by the end of the 70's, but he is still Frank, and that is more than enough for these ears. SONGS THAT FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- None. NEW SONGS ON TOUR (performed for 1st time live)- Anyway the Wind Blows, I Wanna Hold Your Hand MONSTER SONGS- King Kong. This song is so monstrous on this tour, that the heat from Preston's mini-moog solo ignited the rafters during the 12/4 performance, causing the place to burn to the ground. Right? Actually, no, but we do get some mighty "King Kong's" this time round, which do a more than adequate job of filling the Monster shoes for this tour. What with Preston's mini-moog solos, Ian's blistering saxophone workouts, and Frank's carefully played and sonically sweeping guitar creations, these ferocious "King Kong's" help us forget the repetitive and mostly vocal nature of the rest of the show, and let us find solace in this insane improvisation. And let's not forget that Aynsley is drumming all the while in the background, filling every sonic inch with fury, but never overpowering the rest of the band. The sax solo and first guitar solo on the YCDTOSA Volume III "King Kong" are from this tour. OVERVIEW- This is not one of Frank's most popular tours, and it constantly battles the 1984 tour for the unfortunate title of Least Favorite Era of Frank's Career. The nature of the material being performed ("The Groupie Routine" "What Kind of Girl?", etc), the limited set lists, and the simple presence of Flo 'n' Eddie are all aspects of this tour that have not been treated kindly over the years. While I understand the numerous complaints that have been made, I cannot say that I agree with them. To begin with, Flo 'n' Eddie do not bother me. If they did, I would probably not be able to tolerate this tour. I think they have excellent voices, however, and more so than on the previous couple tours, they do more singing than goofing around. Yes, there are still several instances when I wish they would simply shut up ("Peaches en Regalia", "Dog Breath"), but they usually redeem themselves with stellar vocal performances elsewhere in the show. Also, by this point in their Mothers' stint, both they and the band have become comfortable with the material that they are performing, and thus even the Groupie songs (i.e. the "Fillmore East" material) have an energy to them that casts the tunes in a new light. Plus, there are a

handful of tunes that are simply great, that either would not appear or would be radically different on subsequent tours. "Call Any Vegetable", "Magdalena", "Wonderful Wino", the instrumental "Willie the Pimp", and the outrageously rockin' "Who are the Brain Police?" frequently appear throughout the tour, infecting each show with energy and humor. Heck, that last song alone practically redeems this entire outing by itself. Again, there are still some complaints ("The Sofa Suite" and "Billy the Mountain"- two very looong complaints), but even these songs are not without their high points. Finally, the band is phenomenal. Frank on lead and rhythm guitar, Jim Pons on bass and godlike vocals, the highly experimental Don Preston on mini-moog, Ian Underwood on anything he wants to be on, and the energetic Aynsley Dunbar providing the most frantic drumming any tour has witnessed (and unfortunately overlooked on many Best of... polls). When these guys really get a chance to play, as on the Monster "King Kongs", memory of all other music and tours fade away, and one experiences some of the twentieth centuries most versatile musicians doing nothing more than creating incredible music. I wish they could have done it a lot more often, but I will take what I can get. I hate to admit it, but I like this tour. THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED 200 MOTELS FINALE- I love this tune on YCDTOSA Volume VI, and sadly, I have not heard any performances from this tour. For some reason, I always assumed it was a one-time only event, but obviously not. Anyone with any info? ANYWAY THE WIND BLOWS- Essentially performed as on "Swiss Cheese" from Beat the Boots Volume II. BILLY THE MOUNTAIN- Essentially performed as on "Playground Psychotics", with the standard deviation coming in the Zappa/Preston jam during the "Studebaker Hoch" movement. I personally enjoy the JABFLA version better, as it is from later in the tour and hence is a little more lively. Unfortunately, Frank chose to edit the "Studebaker Hoch" jam out of that release, and thus the "Playground Psychotics" version becomes essential (unless you own "Apocrypha", but then you lack the continuity given by a complete performance). Also, Flo 'n' Eddie are given some leeway in their routine, and supposedly they actually "researched" the local area around each concert in an attempt to "personalize" each performance of this monster tune. BWANA DIK- Essentially performed as on "Fillmore East, June 1971".

CALL ANY VEGETABLE- Essentially performed as on JABFLA, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo, and in the post-solo "lecture" given by Frank. Like Flo 'n' Eddie's routines, Frank usually caters his speech to the audience, throwing in local references and giving each performance its own flavor. Flo 'n' Eddie's "where can I go?" segment also changes nightly, and typically reflects the locale of the concert. CRUISIN' FOR BURGERS- Essentially performed as on "Playground Psychotics". Notice the excellently placed "me" in the opening bars- a lingering lyric from the previous tune ("Sharleena"), which somehow links these two songs together and provides a neat sense of continuity. Don'tcha agree? DIVAN- Essentially performed as on "Playground Psychotics", and originally part five of the overlong five part "Sofa Suite". An example of this tune in its actual context can be found on the "Fire" boot from Beat the Boots Volume II. DOG BREATH- Essentially performed as on JABFLA, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. DO YOU LIKE MY NEW CAR?- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I ("The Groupie Routine"), with the standard deviation coming in Flo 'n' Eddie's side-splittingly funny routine. (I hope the sarcasm is obvious.) ELEPHANT BEER, THE- No idea what this refers to. Probably a Flo 'n' Eddie skit (which, of course, would be hilarious). Anybody out there know? [Biffy the Elephant Shrew knows, and thus writes: "Elephant Beer" is a long boogie/shuffle performed at the Copenhagen show. I don't know if it was performed more than once. The (possibly impromptu) lyrics are relevant only to Denmark, home of Carlsberg "Elephant Beer." It includes conceptual continuity with "Sofa," as Kaylan sings :Elephant Beer is gonna be the death of my guts/ Elephant Beer gwine to be the death of my guts[??]/ drink that Pilsner/ And all that "dein geheime Schmutz"! The song features a short Underwood sax solo and longer solos by Zappa and Preston.] Now we know. HALF A DOZEN PROVOCATIVE SQUATSEssentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, and which appears as the untitled part two of the three song "Shove It Right In" suite. On "200 Motels", the three songs that make up this suite are separated by classical interludes, but live, they are joined at the hips to form a raging beast. HAPPY TOGETHER- The "Bullet!" Essentially performed as on "Fillmore East, June 1971",

complete with an "audience sing-and-clap along", just like at all those big rock shows IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE- But it did. And I have yet to hear it. But don't worry, we're safe. I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND- Ah, the Turtles sing the Beatles! The beauty (of which I have yet to hear), the majesty (of which I am not sure I want to hear), the morbid curiosity (which means eventually I will force myself to hear). But for now, a simple description- possibly by you?- will suffice. [Biffy the Fall '71 Shrew writes: "I Want To Hold Your Hand" was a completely straight rendering of the song, with no perverted lyrical or musical content added. The one tape I have with this song (Dusseldorf) has it as the very first song after the intro jam. A bit ragged vocally, but fun and spirited. The story of the Rainbow assault suggests that it was also used as an encore.] And yes, it was used as an encore in at least two of the Eurpoean shows. KING KONG- The Monster Song of the tour, and a welcome relief from the tightly structured vaudevillian nature of the rest of the repertoire. The standard "King Kong" jam consists of an intense Preston minimoog solo, a blistering Underwood saxophone solo, and a rather deliberate and slowly building Frank Zappa guitar creation (allowing for obvious differences in the performances marred by spontaneous disasters). As good as all these solos are (what a trio of musicians!), it is Dunbar's drumming that is truly insane. He is simply all over the place, yet somehow never manages to overshadow the soloist. The mark of a true drummer. The saxophone and guitar solos on the YCDTOSA Volume III "King Kong" are extracts from this tour. (Oh yeah, let's not forget the incredible vocal "soloing" by Flo 'n' Eddie. Wait- maybe we should?) LATEX SOLAR BEEF- Essentially performed as on "Fillmore East, June 1971", with the awesome segue into "Willie the Pimp" managing to remain for the duration of this tour. MAGDALENA- Essentially performed as on JABFLA, with the standard deviation coming in Howard's endof-the-song rantings. While Howard frequently uses many of the same images and lines in his tirade, he also incorporates daily events and local themes into his vocals, as can be heard on "Fire" from Beat the Boots Volume II. MUDSHARK- Essentially performed as on "Fillmore East, June 1971". ONCE UPON A TIME- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, with the standard deviation coming in the dialogue amongst the band members.

This is the opening portion of the overlong five song "Sofa Suite". ONCE UPON A TIME REPRISE- This appears as part three of the overlong five part "Sofa Suite", following hot-on-the-heels of "Sofa #2". It is basically a return to the "Once Upon A Time" theme- with different words and dialogue- and essentially serves the purpose of forwarding the story onwards to "Stick It Out". OPENING JAM- This refers to the opening "avantgarde" music that the Mothers typically used to begin these shows. Frank refers to these jams as nothing more than "soundchecks with the audience in attendance"- which may actually be the case- but they make for an interesting start to a concert, nonetheless. Preston typically begins each affair, infecting the air with a constant drone. Underwood joins the fun, and the two of them provide us with a variety of keyboard noises (Dom DeWild type stuff), with the other band members eventually entering the "jam". The "Swiss Cheese" performance is excellent, beginning with over 6 minutes of uninterrupted keyboard randomness, before the always impassioned Dunbar enters the scene and justs starts thrashing away. Flo 'n' Eddie start wailing (Yoko Ono impressions?) and muttering in what sounds like French. Finally, Frank enters the scene (tuning his guitar to start off), teases what sounds like "American Woman" by the Guess Who, and then just starts soloing. Some 14 minutes after the whole thing begins, the music calms to a near silence, and Dunbar tears into "Peaches". Stunning!! "Zanti Serenade" from "Playground Psychotics" is another example (though edited) of such an opening jam. PEACHES EN REGALIA- Essentially played as on "Fillmore East, June 1971", with Aynsley's ferocious drumming lifting this song to even more intense levels. POUND FOR A BROWN (ON THE BUS)- Essentially performed as on "Fire" from Beat the Boots Volume II, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Another welcome relief from the vaudevillian antics of the majority of the repertoire. Here we get just simple music- the perfectly composed theme, followed by a sinewy Frank guitar solo and some awesome Dunbar accompaniment. As a bonus treat, we still get the "Sleeping In A jar" segue, which allows Frank to smoothly bail out when he is done soloing. A little slice of instrumental heaven. SANZINI BROTHERS- Ah yes, the Sodomy Trick. Thankfully, I was not around to ever see a live Flo 'n' Eddie performance, and thus I have no idea what the Sanzini Brother's Sodomy Trick is or what it looked like. Frank-20 years later- claimed that he had no

memory of what it was, but that it involved an oversized drum stick. Let us use our imaginations, ladies and gentlemen... SHARLEENA- Essentially performed as on "Playground Psychotics", with some bursts of guitar throughout, and Dunbar's hyperactive drumming (listen to that bass pedal) bubbling underneath. Note the excellently placed "me" in the first bars of the following "Cruisin' for Burgers", and how that delayed vocal does such a fine job of linking the two songs together. SHE PAINTED UP HER FACE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, and which appears as the untitled part one of the three song "Shove It Right In" suite. On "200 Motels", the three songs that make up this suite are separated by classical interludes, but live, they are joined at the hips to form a raging beast. SHOVE IT RIGHT IN- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI. As this song appears on YCDTOSA Volume VI, it is actually three separate songs joined together. These songs- "She Painted Up Her Face", "Half A Dozen Provocative Squats", and "Shove It Right In"- are separated by classical interludes on the "200 Motels" album, but live they become the beast that appears here. SLEEPING IN A JAR- Essentially performed as on "Fire!" from Beat the Boots Volume II, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. SOFA #2- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, and always appears as part two of the overlong and multifaceted "Sofa Suite". SOFA SUITE, THE- This refers to the five part suite which contains these parts: 1) Once Upon A Time, 2) Sofa #2, 3) Once Upon A Time Reprise, 4) Stick It Out, 5) Divan. Please see each title for more details. [To be fair, I now give you an opposing view to my obvious dislike of this suite, as noted above-> Biffy the Elephant Shrew writes: I object strongly to your dismissal of "The Sofa Suite" (actually my understanding from Society Pages was that "Divan" was the correct title for the overall suite)! IMO one of the very biggest mistakes FZ made in his archival releases was never giving us a complete, "official" version of the suite (not counting the semi-official one on BTB#2). The first FZ boot I ever heard was Poot Face Booogie, and I was ASTOUNDED by the existence of such an epic...of course that was before "Sofa" or "Stick It Out" were released.] I disagree. STICK IT OUT- Yes, the "Joe's Garage" song, in all its multi-lingual glory. This song appears here as part four of the five part "Sofa Suite", and somehow

manages to be relevant to the whole God and Sofa story, and still, ten years later, manages to fit into the whole Joe and Music is Evil story. It is essentially performed as on "Joe's Garage", allowing for some major differences in instrumentation, and with the added bonus of Flo 'n' Eddie moaning in sexual pain?/ecstasy? during the closing strains of the tune. This tune has quite a bit more energy than the later performances, and manages to save the Sofa Suite from being an utter bore. TEARS BEGAN TO FALL- Essentially performed as on "Fillmore East, June 1971". This straightforward and simple pop song is one of the greatest byproducts of the Flo 'n' Eddie era. WHAT KIND OF GIRL DO YOU THINK WE ARE?Essentially performed as on "Fillmore East, June 1971", with the standard deviation coming in the slight changes that Flo 'n' Eddie made to the routine nightly. WHO ARE THE BRAIN POLICE?- Does this tune rock or what? Completely revamped and rocked up, this version barely resembles the ominous original, and instead serves as a show closing, audience pleasing rocker. Frank's ferocious guitar begins the proceedings, with Flo 'n' Eddie doing a more than adequate job of being rock 'n' roll singers. Frank takes a particularly nasty and quite lengthy solo after the second chorus, before the song returns to the final verse/chorus section , and the typical arena rock-type ending. With plenty of screams from the boys, and some chaotic playing from the band, the song appears to conclude in typical orgiastic rock style, before Frank throws his usual curve ball and tacks on 30 seconds or so of the slow, ominous "Who Are the Brain Police?" that we all have grown to love. An excellent and very energetic way to end any show, and yet another of those "Why wasn't this on the Stage series?" candidates. And did I mention that this version is really rockin'? WILLIE THE PIMP- Essentially performed as on "Fillmore East, June 1971"- as an instrumental jam arising out of "Latex Solar Beef"- with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. While I find the original version to be an almost perfect Frank Zappa creation, this version ranks up there as another of Frank's true classics. The manner in which it creeps out of "Latex Solar Beef", slowly inching its way into the spotlight before appearing in its full sleazy gloryis one of the greatest segues of all time. Plus, without the vocals, the tune adopts an even more lurid feeling, and manages to convey the essence of Mr. Pimp better than any lyrics could ever do. WONDERFUL WINO- Essentially performed as on "Playground Psychotics", with the awesome "Bringing

in the Sheaves" introduction setting up Frank's ferocious opening chords and riffs. This is simply one of Frank's better straightforward rock songs, and I have always been a fan of this tour simply for this tune (and the one reason why I continually dig up my "Playground Psychotics" album). Another case of a potentially big mainstream hit sabotaged by Frank's lyrics ZANTI SERENADE- This song is an example of one of the opening "jams" that Frank and the Mothers used to open the shows on this tour. While Frank refers to these works as nothing more than soundchecks, they manage to stand on their own as songs in themselves (though quite "avant-garde" songs, at that), and are great openings to each show. Sadly, Frank chose to edit this song as it appears on "Playground Psychotics", and does not present it in its actual length. PUT YOUR .02 HERE Sean Gaffney sez... Great things about the 71 tour: 1) Don Preston. Has there ever been a more underrated keyboardist? If anyone ever typified the Mothers going "out there", it was Don. His keyboard solos every night were amazingly weird, and yet never boring. Don's influence is in need of much reevaluation, IMO. 2) Jim Pons. Now, I loved Jeff Simmons. In fact, I think the '70 version of Wino Man is better than the '71 version. But Jim and his bass voice added a new dimension to the singing that blended beautifully with Flo and Eddie's vocal gymnastics. And he made a great God, too. 3) Call Any Vegetable. One of the things I may never forgive Frank for is editing out the cool part of CAV on "Just Another Band from L.A." I mean, where Frank does his free-form monologue, taking in band events of the day, and then suddenly slides into "Muffins! (YEAH!) Pumpkins! (YEAH!!) Wax Paper! (YEAH!!!) Caledonia, Mahogany and Elbows...". I just love that bit. Great guitar solo, too. A real tour treat. 4) Sofa. Am I the only one who thinks that the F&E version of Stick It Out is the best? It just kicks major butt. PLus, this series of songs isn't as plot-oriented as Billy the Mountain, so it can be taken in a little easier. 5) Humor. Just as much fun as the 84 band, and they didn't laugh so hard they couldn't sing the lyrics.

Negatives: Um...I love this tour. I suppose one negative could be F&E's dynamics. Let's face it, they had loud. They were always a little unconvincingon the quiet songs. Specific songs: Billy the Mountain: The first of the two epic story songs, and by farthe most interesting. Frank's Studebaker Hoch solos were very experimental,proving to be interesting listening. (PP & Apocrypha have two examples). Wino Man/Sharleena/Cruising for Burgers: Nice medley, though I liked Wino Man better with Jeff. But Sharleena sounds great, especially inMontreaux. Who Are the Brain Police?: WHY WASN'T THIS RELEASED??? WAAAAAAAAHHH!!!(Thank god for Disconnected Synapses...) Pound for a Brown/Sleeping in a Jar: The segue between these two songs is one of my favorites, and Pound on this tour is another guitar barnburner. Soundcheck: As I said, practically a monster song. Start with Don, Ian strolls in, then Jim and Aynsley, then Flo and Eddie, and finally Frank,building up noise until we get a nice opening solo and into Peaches. King Kong: Don Preston, ladies and gentlemen! This was a monster, as always. Out there time. Kip Brown sez... I am afraid I have say that the Flo And Eddie years of Frank Zappa music are my least favorite of everything FZ ever did! I find this period to be his least creative, where he seems to be relying on the sophmoric (or sophmoronic) penis humor that is very juvenile, in my opinion. Frank himself once said that there were very few of his fans who liked his orchestral pieces, his guitar albums, and Dinah Moe Humm. The same can be said of this period. You either love it or you hate it. I personally don't like it. The Flo And Eddie crotch-level humor was funny when I was 13 years old, but it doesn't wear well today. Sorry Flo And Eddie fans, there's nothing wrong with you liking this stuff, but I don't. Fast Frank sez... I saw the Mothers on this tour in Portland, Oregon on 28-August-71. I know a lot of FZ historians tend to not care much for this line-up or the tour, it will always be near and dear to my heart. Arriving at the

venue three hours early, I waited patiently by the long row of doors fronting the place. I noticed some people walking toward me from across the parking lot and didn't think anything of it until I noticed that one of them was Mr. Zappa himself! I ran up and nearly shook his hand off as I blathered something about what a big fan I was. He smiled and said "Thin Q" and was gracious enough to autograph a piece of paper I happened to have in my back pocket. Back then they had "festival seating" in which everyone sat on the floor where ever they wanted, and I sat right under Frank's famous honker. The audience had a great time, and the band was obviously having a blast. Aynsley Dunbar played the living shit out of his drum kit, Flo and Eddie had everybody in stitches, and Mr. Zappa earned my deepest respect as a jawdroppingly awesome guitarist. I even got to see Don Preston and Ian "Yes I Play All Those Instruments" Underwood from those nostalgic days of the old MOI. I saw FZ each time he returned to Portland, each time with a finer-tuned and more technically perfected show and band, but that 1971 show will always be my fave. You don't suppose I'm being a little biased, do you...? FALL '72 (The Grand Wazoo) BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Malcolm McNab (d-trumpet), Sal Marquez (b-flat trumpet), Tom Malone (b-flat trumpet, tuba), Bruce Fowler (trombone), Glenn Ferris (trombone), Kenny Shroyer (trombone), Jay Migliori (flute, tenor sax, and others), Mike Altschul (piccolo, bass clarinet, and other wind instruments), Ray Reed (tenor sax, clarinet, and others), Charles Owens (soprano and alto sax, others), Joanne McNab (bassoon), Earl Dumler (oboe, sarrusophone, others), Jerry Kessler (electric cello), Ian Underwood (piano and synthesizer), Dave Parlato (bass), Tony Duran (slide and rhythm guitar), Jim Gordon (drums), Tom Raney (vibes and percussion), Ruth Underwood (marimba and percussion) DATES- September 10th through September 24th SHOWS- 8 CITIES- 7 COUNTRIES- 5 ( US and Europe) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 14 AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 85 AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 2

SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Approximate, Big Swifty, Blues for a Minute, Chunga's Revenge, Improvisation, The Grand Wazoo COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- Frank did not solo all that much this tour, averaging a measly two solos per show, one in "Big Swifty" and one in "The Grand Wazoo", with only an occasional "Approximate" and only one performance of "Chunga's Revenge". Of the solos I have heard, none of them are that great, but they are not what I would call bad. Interesting outings, and serving as a nice contrast to the parade of horn solos that we get, but nothing special. SONGS THAT FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT NOT ON THIS TOUR- none NEW SONGS ON TOUR- Approximate, Big Swifty, For Calvin and His Next Two Hitchhikers, The Grand Wazoo, Greggary Peccary, Low Budget Dog Meat, New Brown Clouds, Regyptian Strut MONSTER SONGS- When you have a band this big, you do not want to go anywhere near full-blown improv. While the results could possibly be interesting, I doubt they would be very musical. With this in mind, Frank tries some full-blown improv nonetheless, commencing the 9/15 exercise by saying, "Let's hope that its musical." And surprisingly enough, it is, having a laid-back, middle eastern feel to it, highlighting an exotic Frank guitar solo, a spacey Ian keyboard outing, and the talents of several other band members. A worthy excursion into the heart of pure improvisation. Apart from this, the only other possible Monster Song we get is the 9/23 performance of "Approximate", which contains the "Grand Wazoo Comic Book Extravaganza", plus a diverse and fully satisfying parade of solos. This is without a doubt the greatest performance of "Approximate" ever, though I am not sure that it qualifies as a true Monster song. Definitely worth hearing, though. OVERVIEW- I am not sure how to evaluate this tour. I love to listen to the shows that I have, along with the miscellaneous filler I have here and there. "The Grand Wazoo" is hands down my favorite Zappa album, and I love to hear this ridiculously huge band tackle the title tune and "Calvin and His Next Two Hitchhikers" (the 9/16 "Wazoo" has one of the sickest horn solos I've ever heard). But as a tour, it's really hard to judge these set of shows. To begin with, there are only 8 of them. Frank determined the setlist for each show prior to the tour, and essentially the band rehearsed the 11 songs Frank had chosen. Ultimately, we end up with one extra tune thrown in ("Chunga's Revenge"), plus some random improvisation and humor. For the most part, however, we get these 11 songs, with three of them only

appearing sporadically throughout the tour. Frank's guitar playing is here, but not in anyway essential, and I personally find the majority of the horn solos to be much more interesting than Frank's playing. But I love the horn playing, I love the songs, and I love the arrangements of the tunes (the instrumental "Penis Dimension-> Regyptian Strut" encores I find to be both interesting and hilarious). Personally, I love these shows, but I understand that as a tour, it does not really measure up as being great. Too short, too narrow a selection of songs,and no better than average Frank guitar playing. If you really like "Waka/Jawaka" and "The Grand Wazoo", you will probably love this tour. If not, you could probably do without it. Does any of this help? THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED APPROXIMATE- This is what this song should sound like. As we all know, there is no actual "song" here, just an approximation of a tune denoted by the places where the musicians play the pitch of their choice, with certain pitches being predetermined for the sake of contrast. But as we all now, every performance of this song has always sounded the same, and thus essentially served as a competely written song. On this tour, however, we get the organized chaos that Frank was aiming for, and it is quite different, though easily recognizable. After the approximated head, we get a somewhat mellow solo section, which includes horn solos, Ian on keyboards, a rather lengthy percussion/drum duet, and the occasional Frank solo. All of this includes some random orchestrating by Frank, who injects healthy doses of the main theme throughout the solos. This theme is also returned to and played once through after the solos, and serves as the ending to the tune. During the 9/23 performance, we get an extra bonus "Comic Book" section, in which the band members read from random sections of previously distributed comic books, while accompanied by Frank-led audience noises and randomly orchestrated band parts. BIG SWIFTY- This is the "spiffed up a little bit" version. What we get here is the head of the tune, essentially as it appears on "Waka/Jawaka", with some additional woodwind and percussion parts (the "spiffing up"), followed by an extended solo section. Unlike the album version, however, we do not get the "Bitches Brew" type jam that graces "Waka/Jawaka". Instead, we get your standard rotating solo format, over a more hyper, upbeat vamp. We get several horn solos and a Frank guitar workout before returning to the closing theme, which is essentially performed as on the album, minus the ending improvisation. BLUES FOR A MINUTE- A slow blues jam, centered around a restrained Zappa guitar solo, that serves as a short prelude to the "Penis Dimension" encore from

9/15. Would probably be more aptly titled "Blues for Two-and-a-half Minutes." CHUNGA'S REVENGE- Essentially performed as on "Chunga's Revenge", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's quite lengthy guitar solo. Frank chose to use a smaller band for this encore treat, and thus we get the leaner, meaner "Chunga", played without the brass and woodwind sections. DOG MEAT- This is the medley consisting of "Dog Breath Variations" and Uncle Meat". It is esentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume II, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and minus the opening guitar riff from "Dog Breath". Originally, this was conceived as a three part medley, with "Low Budget Symphony Orchestra" comprising the first part. This original medley, however, only lasts for the first two performances. FOR CALVIN AND HIS NEXT TWO HITCHHIKERSEssentially performed as on "The Grand Wazoo", with the standard deviation coming in the occasional random blowing, and a somwhat lengthy horn solo in the middle of the tune. GRAND WAZOO, THE- "There is no scientific explanation for this, it is simply a shuffle". Thanks, Frank. Essentially performed as on "The Grand Wazoo", with the standard deviation coming in the solos. The tune begins with the opening riff and solo as found on the album, only this time we get a horn solo and no FZ. After the solo, the tune proceeds as normal, with Duran's slide solo still intact. In the lengthy solo section, we get a couple of horn solos, and a Frank solo, before arriving at the second half of the tune. This half is also performed as on the album, with a short Underwood keyboard solo in the appropriate spot GREGGARY PECCARY- This is basically an instrumental version of the "Studio Tan" track, minus one key musical section. As it is performed on this tour, Frank has divided it up into 4 movements- 1) GP going to work; 2) GP inventing the calendar (Bruce Fowler claims that this music does not appear in the studio version of "Greggary Peccary". I must admit to a dislike of this studio track, and a laziness in not doing an A/B with this version and the album version. Does anyone know if Bruce knows what he is talking about?); 3) GP being attacked by henchmen; and 4) GP meeting the greatest philosopher known to man (that Quentin guy). This fourth part is titled "New Brown Clouds", and appears as its own song, separate from the other parts, at the first two shows. According to the program Frank wrote for this tour, "New Brown Clouds" was intended to be used as the show opener at each show (with GP the show closer), but this only lasted 2 shows. All 4 parts

basically correspond to their respective parts from the studio version, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in the short solo in part 3. During each performance, Frank would narrate the story between the different parts, typically telling the audience to "Shut up!" while doing so :-). Note the conspicuous absence of the Steno Pool/Big Swifty section, possibly the best music in the song. Oddly enough, this music would not premiere until the following tour, when it would appear as part one of the "Farther O'Blivion" medley. IMPROVISATION- On 9/15, Frank decides that he and the band are simply going to make something up, hoping "that it is musical". Amazingly enough, they succeed in their endeavor, creating a relaxed, rather exotic sounding tune showcasing the soloing talents of Frank, Ian, and several of the other band members. As the jam nears its end, the playing increases in its intensity. Several horn parts flavor the ending solos, the rhythm section begins picking up speed, and the tune builds to a frenzied, near chaotic, guitar laced ending. An excellent foray into the dangerous world of full-blown improv. LOW BUDGET DOG MEAT- "Just like all big bands, we have a medley." And yes they do, comprised of the FZ written Ponty tune "Low Budget Symphony Orchestra", "Dog Breath Variations", and "Uncle Meat". I have purposely avoided the Ponty album in my life, and thus cannot testify to the similarities of these tunes. I do, however, recognize the majority of the composition as being from "Revised Music for Guitar and Low Budget Orchestra". The remainder of the tune is essentially performed as in the "Dog Meat" medley from YCDTOSA Volume II, allowing for the obvious differences in instrumentation, and minus the opening guitar theme from "Dog Breath". This medley only lasts two performances, before the "Low Budget" portion is dropped and only the "Dog Meat" remains. NEW BROWN CLOUDS- This tune appears as the closing segment of the "Studio Tan" version of "Greggary Peccary", and represents the fourth part of GP as it is performed on this tour. According to the program Frank wrote for this tour, this song was originally intended to be used as the opening number of each show, with the remaining three parts of GP being used as the closing number. This only lasts two shows, however, from which point on "New Brown Clouds" appears as part four of the four part "Greggary Peccary". The tune is essentially performed as on "Studio Tan", with what I believe are added parts throughout the tune. I have yet to do an A/B with the different versions, so I am not sure. PENIS DIMENSION- "A nice subdued waltz." This is a condensed, instrumental version of the "200

Motels" track. As it is arranged here, the song is only around 3 minutes long, with a short horn solo in the middle section. REGYPTIAN STRUT- Taken at a ridiculously brisk pace, this version is essentially performed as on "Sleep Dirt", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. We get some random spurts of horn throughout the tune, but no guitar. ROOM WHO DID IT ACTS 1-3- A little bit of the Frank randomness sneaks into a show. Prior to the beginning of the show on 9/23, Frank prepares the audience for an upcoming song by teaching them three cues and the corresponding sound effects. Then, during "Approximate", Frank has the band members read random sections from previously distributed comic books, while the audience responds to Frank's cues. This occurs in the middle of the solo section of "Approximate", and the "Room Who Did It" title refers to this random madness. THINK IT OVER- The early name for "The Grand Wazoo", referring to the lyrics that Frank originally conceived for this tune. VARIANT PROCESSIONAL MARCH- The early name for "Regyptian Strut", which would probably be more appropriate as "Variant Processional Stampede" since the tune is taken at such a fast pace. FALL '72 (Petit Wazoo) the "And Who Said 'Waka/Jawaka' Was Never Played Live?" tour BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Gary Barone (trumpet), Earl Dumler (oboe, sarrusophone), Malcolm McNab (trumpet), Tom Malone (trumpet, trombone, sax), Bruce Fowler (trombone, early signs of greatness), Glenn Ferris (trombone), Dave Parlato (bass), Tony Duran (slide guitar), Jim Gordon (drums) DATES- October 27th through December 15th SHOWS- 24 CITIES-19 COUNTRIES- 2 (US and Canada) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 19 (including improvisations and jams) AVERAGE LENGTH OF SHOW- 75 minutes

AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 5 SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Boogie, Chunga's Revenge, Cosmik Debris, Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?, Duke of Prunes, Farther O'Blivion, Imaginary Diseases, Little Dots, Montana, Son of Mr. Green Genes, Waka/Jawaka, Willie the Pimp COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- Frank's solos are consistently interesting throughout this tour. He varies his sound from song to song, sounding relaxed and laid back at times, vicious and nasty at other times (the "Cosmik Debris" solos are particularly dirty). The vehicles in which his solos come are quite diverse, ranging from the standard guitar solo vehicles such as "Montana" and "Cosmik Debris", to the more straightforward blues jams as found in the created-on-the-spot "KC Blues" and "'A' Minor Blues", to some more jazz infected tunes, such as "Imaginary Diseases". Whatever the vehicle though, Frank frequently takes his time in creating his solo, exploring a variety of ideas and seeming to pay close attention to the colorings of the rhythm section. His guitar playing does not, in and of itself, rank as some of his best over the years, but combining the above factors, with the simply incredible and enthusiatic rhythm section (including Duran on guitar), one should not be disappointed with the final product. SONGS THAT FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- I'm Not Satisfied NEW SONGS ON TOUR- 'A' Minor Blues, Cosmik Debris, Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?, Farther O'Blivion, Imaginary Diseases, KC Blues, Little Dots, Montana, Rollo, Waka/Jawaka MONSTER SONGS- As I originally envisioned them, the title "Monster" referred to songs that contained a high degree of improvisation, going beyond the realm of "solos" and frequently into the limits of complete unpredictability. While a song did not have to actually reach these limits each performance to qualify for Monster status, the potential for such musical outer limits needed to be present. For this tour, I do not feel that any songs actually qualify for Monster status. Yes, they almost all contain solos- and some brilliant ones at that- but these solos never veer off into a completely new direction. Frank has predetermined a vamp and/or structure for each solo, and this set-up is not deviated from. Plus, in comparing different performances of the same song, one finds that the only difference between them is the solo itself, with all other aspects of the song being essentially the same. So while I highly enjoy this tour for the wonderful soloing that occurs within each tune, I find that the tour is lacking in any real "far out" improvisation, and thus there are no Monster Songs.

OVERVIEW- This tour ranks as one of my top 5 Frank tours. Even though there are no real high quality tapes circulating from this tour, I still find myself listening to these shows as often as I can, and immensely enjoying the music each time. The band is excellent- Frank, an astounding bass/drum combo, a slide/rhythm guitarist, and 6 horn players. Obviously, the make-up of this band makes for some great arrangements, with even "Cosmik Debris" and "Montana" sounding fresh (which they were at the time, but definitely are not to these ears). The repertoire is rather small, but considering that almost every song contains at least one quite lengthy solo, and many of them contained several, each show is essentially a whole new experience. We get oboe solos, tuba solos, trombone solos, sax solos, frantic drum and bass solos, scorching slide solos, and a plethora of diverse and quite inspired Frank solos. The material that we are all sick of due to years of overexposure appears in a new light, and a handful of tunes make their only appearance during this short stint. All of these factors make this a tour that offers many reasons for listening. One, the variety of different material that is interesting to hear simply because of the novelty and/or reworking of the tunes. Two, unlike say the Spring '80 tour, these "interesting" listens also contain some excellent music, and thus the shows can bear repeated listens. Finally, the band is top notch, with all members playing their parts as required, while pushing the music to higher levels with inspired solos. I do not have much to say about this tour other than it is one of Frank's more interesting and musically unique tours, and one of the horrible omissions in his officially released catalog. THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED AMERICA DRINKS AND GOES HOME- An instrumental, busily arranged version of the "Absolutely Free" track, with some random jazz madness thrown in just to be safe. Running at about 4 minutes in length, this upbeat tune basically consists of a series of themes and motifs- heavy on the horn arrangements- interspersed throughout with short horn solos. 'A' MINOR BLUES- Sometimes you just got to play the blues. This midtempo blues performance opened up the second show on 12/2, providing the audience with an early glimpse into the jamming capabilities of this band. With some heavy rhythm guitar accompianment, we get a short FZ solo to open up the festivities, followed by a sax solo, a Duran slide workout, a trombone solo, and a full length Frank jam. Running about 12 minutes in length, this blues jam is a great way to the show, warming up both the band and the audience.

BIG SWIFTY- This song appears on several setlists, but as Charles Ulrich dutifully points out, does not actually appear during any of the shows it is supposedly on. So, sorry people- no "Big Swifty" this time around. BOOGIE- This title refers to the closing jam of a lengthy instrumental performed during the 11/11 early show. Towards the end of the instrumental, Frank lets the audience choose how they want the song to end by having them applaud for various musical styles, i.e. boogie, ballad, waltz, etc. Boogie receives the loudest applause, so the band segues into a ZZ Top style boogie groove, with Duran and Frank each taking a turn soloing. An excellent ending to an excellent series of solos. CARAVAN- At the request of a hip audience member, the band performs a short rendition of this tune at the 11/11 early show, complete with drum solo. After the drummer gets a little, the band jumps headfirst into a very festive and somewhat chaotic rendition of "When the Saints Go Marching In." CHUNGA'S REVENGE- Essentially performed as on "Chunga's Revenge", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in the solos. For this tour, we get at least two solos- first a horn solo, a return to the opening riff, and then the standard Frank solo. This is the standard progression of this tune, though occasionally Frank would give an additional member of the band a chance to wreak his revenge. COSMIK DEBRIS- Essentially performed as always, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. There are some minor changes in the lyrics, in the second chorus and in the closing vocals, but overall the song is exactly as it would remain for the next 16 years. DON'T YOU EVER WASH THAT THING?- As it appears here, this song more closely resembles a jazz composition than the FZ monster that would later appear. The main theme is played once through, though a lot less staccato, and with a much busier feel to it. Some additinal horn parts are played after this opening, which build up speed and lead us into a very hyper jam centered around a feedback laden FZ solo. The drummer gets a short moment in the spotlight next, before the tune is concluded as on "Roxy and Elsewhere". While this is not the same beast that we know and love from the '73 and '74 tours, it is nonetheless an interesting version. The overarranged horn parts in the beginning give the music quite a different feel, and Frank's guitar solo is typically one of the more aggressive of each show.

DRUM SOLO- Come on, people, think. Think! DUKE OF PRUNES- Essentially performed as on "Orchestral Favorites", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. Instead of Frank's dramatic and effectively drawn out guitar solo, this tour provides us with a rather mellow oboe solo, followed by a more lyrical, flowing FZ guitar solo. This version is great, majestically arranged and almost perfect sounding with the horns. FARTHER O'BLIVION- This tune consists of what would eventually be three distinct musical compositions, namely the Steno Pool section from "Greggary Peccary", the head of "The Bebop Tango", and "Cucamonga". As it appears on this tour, it is essentially performed as on "Piquantique" from Beat the Boots Volume I, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and minus the opening musical flurry. During the opening "Steno Pool" section, we get a tuba solo, along with an occasional Frank solo. Also, during the written parts, we get random blowing and some subtle FZ soloing underlying the complex melodies. During "Bebop Tango", Fowler takes what would eventually be his calling card solo, once again amazing all those within earshot with the feats that his lips can perform. After this spectacular trombone solo, the drummer would get a little, before the band concluded the affair with a "Cucamonga" run through. These performances averaged about 14 minutes in length FOR CALVIN MEDLEY- Sorry to disappoint you all, but there is no "For Calvin Medley" on this tour. The songs performed in this mistitled slot are actually "Farther O'Blivion" and "Imaginary Diseases" (unless the date is mislabelled on my tape, then ...?) IMAGINARY DISEASES- This instrumental tune resembles many of the other jazz influenced tracks performed on this tour. The song starts off with a heavily composed theme, with some busy horn parts, and some Frank guitar slithering around the proceedings. After about two minutes of written music, the band settles into an active shuffle groove, over which Frank gives us an intense and somewhat mean sounding guitar solo. After Frank complete's his solo, we return to the main theme, which is again played once through before the tune ends. I'M NOT SATISFIED- How did this song sneak into the repertoire? Amidst the jazz and blues trappings of the majority of the material, this short, vocal oriented ditty about longing and love (or lack of it) pops up, races through its due course in no time, and disappears about two minutes later. While it is essentially performed as on "Freak Out", some nice twists are added with the horn section playing the opening guitar riff, and a saxophone playing the

melody line along with Frank's vocals. Unfortunately, we only get the first half of the song, with no guitar solo and the tune ending coldly after the second chorus. Nevertheless, a nice treat. IMPROVISATION- This spur-of-the-moment jam (titled "Little Dots" on most set lists) comes from the 11/11 early show, and is essentially a series of solos accompanied by a Middle Eastern vamp. Frank announces that the next tune is so new "that we do not even know what it is". The band starts playing, in a very organized and seemingly rehearsed fashion, establishing a slow riff that sets us up for a steady stream of solos. We get several horn solos, and a concluding Frank workout, one of his best of the tour. The riff itself is not that interesting, but the solos are all enjoyable. For the conclusion of the tune, Frank lets the audience vote on how they would like it to end, with the choice of "Boogie" receiving the loudest applause. The band the segues into a ZZ Top type boogie, both Duran and Frank then solo, and this jam finally ends. To my ears, this song most closely resembles the long jams that the 60's Mothers frequently indulged in, with the repetitive JCB drum beat. INSTRUMENTAL- Found in many setlists from this tour, this title usually refers to the unreleased instrumental songs "Imaginary Diseases" or "Little Dots". For the 12/3 show, the opening instrumental tune is a spur-of-the-moment blues jam that Frank begins in order to kill time while the tenor saxophonist is getting ready. This short jam contains a short saxophone and a short Frank solo. KC BLUES- Like I said before, sometimes you just got to play the blues. This midtempo blues performance is from the early show on 12/2, and is essentially nothing more than a solo vehicle. Running at about 11 minutes in length, this jam starts off with a short blues vamp, establishing the groove before giving us a plethora of solos. Duran goes first on slide, followed by sax, trumpet, and then FZ's guitar. Nothing more than musicians jamming to their hearts content, and an excellent addition to any show. LITTLE DOTS- While this tune is often compared to "Approximate", it has always reminded me more of an Ornette Coleman tune, sounding quite like the socalled "free jazz" of the early sixties. The tune begins with some abrupt horn parts, interspersed with active improvising by the rhythm section. Once this short head is played through, the bass player takes a solo, accompanied only by a manic Gordon and the band's well-timed screams. As this frantic soloing fades away, Tony begins playing one of Frank's most beautifully written progressions on rhythm guitar, creating a very folkish atmosphere. The bass and drum dueling then picks up speed again, wailing away over this newly established rhythm, before once

again settling down and returning our attention to Duran's playing. Over this wonderful progression, we get a variety of solos, with different band members stepping up and soloing at different shows. At least one horn solo, an occasional slide guitar solo, and occasional Frank workout, with each solo once again providing the listener with some very impressive playing. Then, as with most typical jazz numbers, we return to the head of the tune, which is played once through before the song ends coldly. This is a great tune- an excellent precursor to the madness that would be "Approximate", sandwiching one of Frank's most reflective and seductive pieces of music. MONTANA- For the most part, this song is essentially performed as always, with the added pleasure of the horns, and some very minor changes in the lyrics. The only markedly different aspect of the song is the opening vamp- a fast, hyper riff played on drums and bass over which the main theme, as we know it, is played. This riff only lasts several bars, before disappearing with the appearance of the pre-vocal drum flurry. Also, after Frank's typically impressive guitar solo (which overlays some even more impressive drum and bass work), the riff returns along with the opening theme. There is no high vocal section in this version, with the song immediately jumping to the "I'm going to find me a horse" line after Frank's solo and the reprise of the opening theme. Oh yeah- the tweezers are chrome plated. ROLLO- Another of the many treats that this tour provides us. As many of you know, a song by this title popped up as the final part of the "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" suite in the late 70's, which can be heard on YCDTOSA Volume I. That song originated in this number, though the lyrics in the latter version are not present in this version. As it appears here, that later, revised version comprises the last several minutes of this musical monster, minus the lyrics. This version, running about 11 minutes in length, starts with a whole new musical theme, heavy on the horns, complete with lyrics (see below). We get the main theme, verse, quiet chorus, return to the main theme, verse, quiet chorus, and spoken part. After this spoken part, we get a somewhat tweaked version of what would later become "St. Alphonso's Pancake Breakfast". This leads into a short, new horn arrangement, which drops us off in a Duran slide solo. This is quite a lengthy solo, with the rhythm section once again practically stealing the thunder from the soloist. Towards the end of the solo, the horn section slowly reenters the scene, before a calm and reflective horn part provides a segue out of Duran's solo into the instrumental performance of the "Rollo" that we know and love. Obviously, my weak attempt at describing this tune does not do it justice, but take my word for it when I tell you that this song is quite a treat, and is a worthy addition to the Frank Zappa musical library. THE LYRICS- Verse I: There

was a man and a dog, squatting on a log, he had him biting on a stick, until the bark was all gone, Chorus: hey little fella, get up and beg, open the jaws, lift up the leg, and that little doggie's name is Rollo, and his little doggie dealie is hollow. Verse II: A little while later on, further down the road, there was a lady and a man, about to get blown, Chorus: hey little fella, get up and beg, open the jaws, lift up the leg, and the husband's name was Rollo, and his old ladies name was Swallow. Spoken Part: Now Rollo if you love me, do what I told you, and fetch onto me, a baroque magnolia. [Thanks to Charles Ulrich for help with the lyrics (and no thanks to Frank's, ahem, singing)] SHIT ONSTAGE- This is not a song, nor a musical event, yet it still continues to pop up on setlists. During the 12/2 late show, some guy yells "Shit onstage!", to which Frank replies "Go see Alice Cooper." That's about it. There's some more FZ comments, some visual tomfoolery, but nothing all that crazy. Frank does make one other interesting comment, however. Before playing the next song "Cosmik Debris", Frank announces that the title of the tune is "Cosmik Debris", which "is as good as shitting on stage." So, for those of you who do not like the song, there you go. SON OF MR. GREEN GENES- A rather dull and simplified version of the "Hot Rats" track. Running at about 10 minutes in length, this version starts off with the uptempo version of the main theme, played through twice before depositing us in the solo section. We get several horn solos, and a Frank workout, all over the same rather listless vamp. The only real highlight of this song (and a highlight throughout the tour) is the excellent drumming and rhythm work, both by the bass player and the rhythm guitarist, who manage to salvage this rather dull solo fest. WAKA/JAWAKA- They said it would never happen. They insisted for years that it never did. They drooled over "Zappa's Universe" because it contained a live performance of this long-ignored classic. And now, do they feel like fools, or are they dancing in the streets over this joyous discovery? Yes, boys and girls, the Petite Wazoo did it. At least once, on 10/31, they performed "Waka/Jawaka". And here, with a description six long months after we first discovered this treat, is Mr. Sean Gaffney-> "The head is very horn heavy, and sounds incredibly cool. The piece is played with a lot of energy, as if the musicians sensed this might be a rare piece. We then get a short FZ fill, before we're off to the first of the two solos. This is on trumpet, I believe, and is just gorgeous. About 4 minutes long, and Barone gets to use a variety of styles. After a short bit of musical randomness, FZ gets to solo, and again takes a fairly lengthy one, about 3 minutes, with the first minute or so being very low, smooth notes. After that, we get a

return to the head, FZ plays a few more tasty licks, and the song ends. 11 minutes or so of coolness." And yes, that's about it. Now, everyone pray (find your god now) that Gail sees fit to include this on the "will it really happen?" Petite Wazoo release. [For those of you who are here just for this, AND who have a sincere interest in the Xmas '76 page, this is your chance. I really do appreciate the interest and response I have received for these pages, and am genuinely motivated by it. SO, if you really want to read what I have to say about the Xmas '76 shows, drop me a line and let me know because that WILL spur me to get my butt in gear. And, if you do not care, I will let you know that I already have several others committed to adding their comments, as mine will probably not be 100% positive. So, e-mail me below and let me know what you think. Thanks!!!!] WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN- After tearing through a quick performance of "Caravan (with a drum solo)" at the 11/11 early show, the band dives into a festive and chaotic rendition of this tune. It lasts approximately a minute, before Frank conducts the band into a noisy frenzy and then ends the tune coldly. WILLIE THE PIMP- I was really looking forward to hearing this band's performance of this songapparently only performed on 10/31 early- as I figured the arrangement would be somewhat different, and that this band would give it a sleazy and sultry feel that they accomplished so well on other tunes. Sadly, upon first hearing the song, I was greatly disappointed. The intro and main theme of the song- performed as an instrumental- were rather lifeless, and even managed to make the '84 version sound down and dirty. I was very disappointed, and was about to give up on the song, when the structured part ended, and we were off into solo land. While the vamp itself is not that inspired, the guitar solo is worthy of being heard, while the two horn solos are simply great. Not that dirty- not as vicious as they could be- but just all around, solid performances. Good enough to redeem the miserable beginning, and chalk this one up as a keeper in my book. Interestingly enough, during the solo section, Frank announces the segue into the next song, which is "Montana". A hint of things to come 12 years later, when once again the composed section of the tune would suck.

SPRING/SUMMER '73 BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Tom Fowler (bass), Ralph Humphrey (drums), Ruth Underwood (percussion), Ian Underwood (horns, keyboards), George Duke (keyboards, vocals), Bruce Fowler (trombone), Jean-

Luc Ponty (violin, vibes), Sal Marquez (trumpet, vocals, Frank Sinatra) SPECIAL GUEST- Barry Leef (vocals, the blues), Don Preston DATES- February 23rd through July 8th SHOWS- 51 CITIES- 44 COUNTRIES- 3 (US, Canada, and Australia) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 30 AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 120 minutes AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 6 SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- 50-50, Big Swifty, Camarillo Brillo, Chunga's Revenge, Cosmik Debris, Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?, Dupree's Paradise, Eat That Question, I'm the Slime, Montana, Pygmy Twylyte, Road Ladies, Willie the Pimp, Zomby Woof COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- If I had to pick one aspect of this tour that I enjoy more than anything else, it would have to be Frank's guitar work. NOT his solos, mine you, but his rhythm work. Throughout this tour, the one thing that pops into my ears and continually makes me sit up and go "yeah" is Frank's active and long-overlooked rhythm guitar playing. While this aspect of his playing is essentially nonexistent from '76 on, it is a contributing factor in the tours of the early '70's, and it is on this tour where it simply excels. For the best example of Frank's excellence in this field, pop in any "Mr. Green Genes" medley from this tour, and just listen to Frank go. He is everywhere. Especially in the monstrous "King Kong" variations, in which Frank takes the most pedestrians solos and lifts them to exhilarating levels. Quite a treat. On the other side of the fence- out in front leading the pack- Frank is no slouch. He takes a couple lengthy workouts each show, frequently letting loose and turning in some wicked solos. Unfortunately, the rhythm section tends to be rather non-descript (excellent musicians, just bland), and thus the success of any given solo rests heavily on Frank's shoulders. For this reason, the lengthier and more spontaneous solos tend to work better (i.e "Dupree's Paradise", the rare "Willie the Pimp" and "Eat That Question") since they either allow Frank to more fully develop his ideas or prove to be more inspiring, while the shorter solos ("Cosmik Debris", "Montana") tend to be rather one dimensional. I

would not rank this as one of Frank's greatest guitar outings (solo wise), but it definitely has its moments. SONGS THAT FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- Inca Roads, King Kong, RDNZL NEW SONGS ON TOUR (1st time performed live)50-50, Camarillo Brillo, Dupree's Paradise, Don't Eat the Yellow Snow, Eat That Question, Exercise 4, Father O'Blivion, I'm the Slime, Inca Roads, Mar-juhrene, Nanook Rubs It, Pygmy Twylyte, RDNZL, St. Alphonso's Pancake Breakfast, Uncle Remus, Zomby Woof MONSTER SONGS- Dupree's Paradise, Big Swifty, King Kong. While all three of these songs appear in Monster form throughout the tour, it is "Dupree's Paradise" which is undoubtedly the resident Monster of the tour. As it would do for the next two years, "Dupree's Paradise" terrorizes setlists, taking the listener on a musical journey through every crevice of the musical landscape. Duke's funk, Ponty's violin fury, Underwood's soaring majesty, Fowler's sheer trombone brilliance, Frank's epic guitar solos- all this and more arrive during the extended workouts of "Dupree's Paradise". "Big Swifty" sadly only appears a couple of times, but it arrives in its usual stretched out form, chock full of solos and inching its way into Monster territory. Finally, "King Kong", which only appears in the "Mr. Green Genes-> King Kong-> Chunga's Revenge" medley, does not quite attain the madness of "Dupree's Paradise", but it does contain some blistering improvisation throughout the tour, and thus on mostly sentimental grounds, manages to retain its Monster title. OVERVIEW- This is one of those tours I do not frequently find myself in the mood to listen to; when I throw on a tape, however, I usually end up enjoying myself. While this tour has a great band, and some great playing throughout, it is rather limited in the song selection, which, for me at least, proves to be the Achille's heel of this potentially great tour. THE BAND- The band is great. Without a doubt. There are 6 excellent soloists, each capable of turning in a monster performance at any given time. The world's greatest percussionist resides in the back, along side a solid bass player and equally capable drummer. But with all this talent, we still have some problems. One, Frank is essentially the lone singer, with Marquez stretching his vocal chords very infrequently, and Duke not yet recognized as a vocal force. This forces Frank to steer the material in an instrumental direction, which is not bad in itself, but does contribute to a lack of diversity in the musical pallete. Two, as talented as the rhythm section is, they are rather faceless, and do not contribute any

real personality to the improvisation (of which there is a lot). Imagine this band supported by the highly stylized teaming of O'Hearn/Bozzio or Barrow/Colaiuta, and you get a sense of what the possibilities might have been. Third, Ponty just gets too much solo time, and seems to rarely play anything other than the same, overly dramatic solo. On the whole, this band is not a failure. They turn in some excellent performances repeatedly throughout the tour, and frequently do some serious musical damage. It just seems that when all is said and done, the potential is greater than the output. THE SETLISTS- This is where this tour fails. Over the course of the tour- 51 shows in 5 plus monthsFrank manages to whip out only 30 songs, with the large majority of them appearing in seemingly every show. Again, this is nothing new to the world of Frank tours, but on this tour it seems to have a rather numbing effect. For one, a number of these tunes are extended instrumentals, with various band members being required to improvise over the same vamps repeatedly over the duration of the tour. They manage to produce some wicked solos nonetheless, but all too often (especially in Ponty's case), the solos seem a little too "by the numbers", with some rather repetitive support being given by the rhythm section. It is when rare numbers are thrown into the mix, or when Frank delves off into unknown territory, that things ignite. The "Willie the Pimps", "Big Swiftys" and "Eat That Questions" are both rare and thus quite inspired outings. Likewise with the pure "Improvisations" which inhabit much of the tour- they frequently result in some breathtakingly insane music. Even when they fail, they are never outright dull. Secondly, a number of tunes are exactly the opposite of those above, I.e. they are almost completely lacking in improvisation, and grow rather tired after repeated listens. Finally, the "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow Suite" is simply too long, and never seems to inspire much more than the occasional good Frank joke. Overall, this tour is more disappointing than anything. Yes, there are some great shows throughout the tour (the inspired and chock-full-of-rarities 5/9 Passaic show jumps out at me), and there tends to be at least one inspirational moment each show. But on the whole, there tends to be a repetitiveness about these shows that does not lend itself to repeated listenings, THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED 50-50- This is an instrumental version of the "Overnite Sensation" track, essentially performed as on that album, with the standard deviation coming in the solos. The tune begins with Duke only, who gets the song started with a heavy dose of keyboards. The violin and horns carry the melody, leading us to the solo section where Duke, Ponty, and Frank all get a

chance to stretch out a little. While I personally feel that Ricki's vocals are the best part of the "Overnite Sensation" track, these instrumental performances are quite enjoyable, having a loose yet highly charged feel to them. BIG SWIFTY- This mini-Monster is essentially performed as on "Waka/Jawaka". First we get the head, sounding beautiful with this band's particular instrumentation, followed by a series of solos. Marquez gets a chance to repeat his wonderful album performance, Fowler the bass player struts his stuff, and then Frank works his wonders as usual. Sadly, the song only appears a couple of times throughout the tour, with the 5/9 performance being particularly noteworthy. During his solo, Frank fiercely tears into "Eat That Question", which the band picks up and energetically plays. Once the song is firmly established, Frank is off soloing again, bringing his playing up another level from where he was at during "Big Swifty". An excellent segue, and one of the better moments of this tour. Frank would do the same thing during the 6/29 "Big Swifty"- tearing into "Eat That Question" minutes into his solo- only this time the Frank would concede the stage to the band as they emphatically pound "Eat That Question" home before returning to the closing "Big Swifty" theme. Not as powerful as the 5/9 performance, but a pleaser nonetheless. CAMARILLO BRILLO- The second and last performance of this tune from this tour is edited off my tape of the 5/9 show, and the first performance is not in my possession, so... I have know idea how this one turns out. Does Frank end up going in this time? Or is he already busy at this point? Someone- fill me in! [Here comes Mr.Naurin-"These performances resemble the "Overnight Sensation" version more than any other band's. The jam session at the end is quite cool, with George getting a little more chance to shine than he would later on, and FZ delivering a short solo, seeming a bit uncomfortable with the chords or beat or whatever. Frank turns down the gray-green skinned woman's offer this time too, though he doesn't inform us whether it was because he was busy, or if he had other excuses." And the David Lynch adds- "Camarillo Brillo is played like it's always played. A bone to toss to the audience who want to hear rock and roll and are getting distressed by the amazing far out improvisational jamming they were playing that night. As a special bonus Frank doesn't tune his guitar so it's REALLY rock and roll."] There's more than you ever wanted to know. CHUNGA'S REVENGE- Played as part of the "Mr. Green Genes-> King Kong-> Chunga's Revenge-> Mr. Green Genes" medley. As far as the main theme goes, all we get is the abrupt guitar intro as it appears on the album, followed by a Frank Zappa guitar solo played over the "Chunga's" bass line. Upon

completion of his solo, Frank would segue into the melody of "Mr Green Genes", at which point the band would follow suit and ease into the medley closing tune. COSMIK DEBRIS- Essentially performed as always, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo, which is not restricted to the sixteen bars as it is in later years. DOG BREATH- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume II, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in the ridiculously brisk pace in which this tune is frequently performed. DON'T EAT THE YELLOW SNOW- Of the four parts of the "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" medley present on this tour which would make it onto "Apostrophe", it is this part which appears in its most different form. Instead of the appropriately plodding nature of the official version (which does a wonderful job of musically conveying the sense of walking through snow), this version is taken at a rather hyper pace, with an extended, busy intro, and some funky, Duke keyboards underlying the vocals. The vocals are not as fully developed as they eventually would be, and the whole tune comes off as rather messily composed. Not the best of debuts, but an interesting look at the working mind of Frank. For this tour, this song always appears as part one of the five part "Don't Eat" medley (including part two "Nanook Rubs It", part three "St. Alphonso's Pancake Breakfast", part four an extended "Father O'Blivion", and part five the this-tour-only "Mar-juh-rene"). DON'T YOU EVER WASH THAT THING?- This tune appears here as it did on the Petit Wazoo tour of late '72, more closely resembling a jazz composition than the FZ monster that would appear on later tours. The main theme is played once through, though a lot less staccato, and with a much busier feel to it. Some additional horn parts are played after this opening, which build up speed and lead us into a very hyper, extended instrumental foray. Practically everyone gets a chance to solo here, with Frank concluding the improvisations before turning things over to the drummer, who takes a lengthy solo. The tune is then concluded as on "Roxy and Elsewhere", with the composed outro-section. While this is not the same beast that we know and love from the late '73 and '74 tours, it is nonetheless an interesting version. The overarranged horn parts in the beginning give the music quite a different feel, and the solos are typically some of the more interesting of the particular show. DUPREE'S PARADISE- This is the premiere tour for what would eventually be a very successful two year run for this ultimate of Monster songs. As would be

the case for its entire '70's run, this improvisational showcase begins with Duke and his keyboards. George gets a chance to strut his stuff, showing off both his piano skills and his assortment of keyboard toys. Once George sets the scene, Frank puts on his conductor's hat and slowly brings the rest of the band into the proceedings, inevitably steering the music into new directions. We get short solos, a variety of musical styles, some occasional Frank commentary, and all this before the song actually starts. Typically, at around the nine minute mark, the song properly begins, with the majestic opening chords and the beautifully composed theme. Once this is finished, we are off into Solo land, with a horn player, Ponty, and Frank all giving us their all. EAT THAT QUESTION- This is another tune that is sadly played only a couple of times before inexplicably being thrown by the wayside. It is essentially performed as on "The Grand Wazoo", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's and George's solos. A particularly noteworthy performance comes along on 5/9, when during his "Big Swifty" solo, Frank tears into "Eat That Question", leading the band into a full-blown and energetically performed version of this tune. Easily, this qualifies as one of the better moments of the tour. Interestingly enough, the song also pops up during the 6/29 performance of "Big Swifty", with Frank once again leading the charge during his song closing solo. EXERCISE FOUR- Essentially performed as on "The Yellow Shark", allowing for the quite obvious differences in instrumentation. For this tour, this piece is performed as a prelude to the "Dog Meat" staple. FARTHER O'BLIVION- This montsrously composed piece consists of three distinct sections which would later appear as parts of three separate Frank songs. "The Steno Pool" section from "Greggary Peccary" (plus the flurried music that immediately precedes it) comprises part one, the main theme of "The Bebop Tango" comprises part two, and an instrumental rendition of "Cucamonga" concludes the affair and serves as part three. Throughout these proceedings, we get a handful of solos, with Ponty typically taking a lengthy and interesting one during the first part, and Bruce and Ian taking theirs during the extended and frequently jammed-on part two. While these "Bebop" performances come nowhere near the ridiculous extravaganzas of the Fall '73 tour, they do contain some exceptional solos, and occasionally veer off into improvisational madness. In the midst of all thisfollowing the madness that is the "Bebop Tango" and proceeding the climactic ending that is "Cucamonga", the drummer gets a chance to get a little, giving the rest of the Rockin' Teenage combo a much deserved rest. As far as Frank's involvement goes, his guitar is

present throughout, inserting tasty licks here and there, and he also, of course, has a major hand in the direction of the "Bebop Tango" festivities. FATHER O'BLIVION- This song as we know it from "Apostrophe" essentially appears on this tour in its entirety, with Marquez on vocals, and with the song arriving in its typical spot after "St. Alphonso's". For this tour, however, things proceed a little differently after the "Good Morning, Your Highness" section- the section which either serves as the end of the studio version, or as the segue into "Rollo" in the YCDTOSA version. In these performances, the band returns to the beginning of "St. Alphonso's Pancake Breakfast" after the "Good Morning" section, performing the opening motif before Frank steps forth and says something to the effect of "Play it really really fast". At this point, the band then repeats the vocal section of "St. Alphonso's", slowing down and leading into "Marjuh-rene" at the end of the lyrics. IMAGINARY DISEASES- This does not refer to the instrumental tune that the Petit Wazoo performed in the Fall of '72. Instead, it refers to a lecture Frank gives during the 3/11 improvisational jam that the band performs. [Biffy the Elephant Shrew writes: "This was not a one-time-only event. I can bear witness that Zappa gave an "imaginary diseases" lecture at the San Diego Sports Arena, March 24, 1973." See review of show below.] IMPROVISATION- This is improvisation in the strictest sense of the word. Throughout the US portion of the tour, Frank would instruct a particular band member to begin playing something (anything?), and based on what that band member played, Frank and the rest of the Rockin' Teenage Combo would play along. While Frank has a very heavy hand in deciding how these improvisational treats proceed, the band members are still given plenty of room to shine, and shine they do. I'M THE SLIME- Essentially performed as on "Overnite Sensation", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo, and minus the opening guitar rave-up. Frank's singing is rather awkward for this tune, sounding as if he does not really know what sort of attitude he wants to convey. INCA ROADS- Essentially performed as on "The Lost Episodes", with the standard deviation coming in the solos. For the lengthy solo section, we typically get two solos, with Ponty, Marquez, Fowler, and Underwood taking turns as to who gets to solo. While I am not a big fan of Ponty, his solos during this tune are typically pretty intense affairs. For the Australian portion of the tour (and on through the New Year), the song gains its lyrics, though not in the form we have come to know and love. Instead, to open the

tune, we get a cocktail lounge-type ditty, in which Marquez does a wonderful Frank Sinatra impersonation as he croons the "Inca Roads" lyrics. Once the lyrics are finished, we get a short little percussion display, before dropping directly into the lap of the aforementioned, full-blown "Inca". KATHRYN'S THEME- I do not know who Kathryn is, nor am I familiar with her theme. This titles appears once- on 5/16- immediately following a "Dupree's Paradise"- which makes me think it may actually be a part of that tune. But, then again, I may be wrong? Kathryn- can you help? [Catherine, as you will find out, is long dead, so she is of no help. But Raymond Ricker has this to say- "Catherine (not Kathryn) has been dead since 1796. This is a song performed during the 05/16 show in Chicago. It is about Catherine II (or better known as Catherine the Great) who ruled Russia from 1762 to her death. She was married to Peter the Great who was deposed as emporer in1762 by a group of conspirators who were extremely unhappy with his socia lprograms. Catherine, who was friendly with the conspirators, was pronounced empress. During her reign she further strengthened the nobility and put in a system of provinces which remained in effect until the Russian Revolution of 1917."] KING KONG- Performed as part of the "Mr Green Genes-> King Kong-> Chunga's Revenge-> Mr. Green Genes" medley. It appears here in its fast version (similar to the "Uncle Meat" take, but without the opening vamp, and also as performed on the Spring '78 tour), and consists of the main theme followed by a torrent of solos. Ponty goes first, followed by the bass playing Fowler, the trombone playing Fowler, the keyboard playing Duke, and the trumpet playing Marquez. While these solos are quite good, it is Frank's active rhythm guitar that really stands out in these forays, providing support for the soloists while being interesting in its own right. MAR-JUH-RENE- This title refers to part five of the "Don't Eat" suite as it is performed on this tour, and is the source for the track "Farther O'Blivion" from YCDTOSA Volume VI. When the band finishes playing the first half of "St. Alphonso's" for the second time (see "Father O'Blivion"), Frank launches into this spiel about the wonders of mar-juh-rene (margarine). He usually begins by singing "I stole the mar-juhrene, I admit it, I did it", then goes on about rubbing it on, etc. Then, bringing the band on down behind him, Frank proceeds to spell "mar-juh-rene", stopping at each letter and telling the audience what it stands for. Example: M stands for the Majesty that is the Marjuh-rene, A stands for the Agony that is this sound system, R stands for Repeat, which is what I keep having to do so I can hear myself in the monitor, etc. He even designates meanings for the dashes. Throughout the tour, we get monitor jokes, sex jokes,

local references, and the occasional solicitation from an audience member as to what a particular letter should stand for. This bit is amusing the first time, but tends to wear very thin on repeated listens. After Frank finishes spelling "mar-juh-rene", the band picks up the groove and shifts into an uptempo shuffle, with Frank throwing out guitar riffs. It is from this section that the YCDTOSA Volume VI "Farther O'Blivion" track is taken, with the section serving as the finale to the "Don't Eat" suite. After Frank says "Join the March and Eat My Starch", the band jumps headfirst into the epic "Farther O'Blivion" (which is NOT the one from YCDTOSA Volume VI). MONTANA- Essentially performed as on "Overnite Sensation", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. The post-solo "tiny little horse" section is strictly instrumental at this point in time. MR. GREEN GENES- Performed as part of the "Mr. Green Genes-> King Kong-> Chunga's Revenge-> Mr. Green Genes" medley. The first portion of the song is a rather fast run-through of the "Hot Rats" take, heavy on percussion, having a very bouncy, light feel. Once the melody is played twice through, we get some breathing room for a short Underwood horn solo, before heading off into a breakneck-paced "King Kong". Then , later in his guitar solo during "Chunga's Revenge", Frank returns to the melody of "Mr Green Genes", leading the band into a short instrumental version of this tune, similar to the latter half of the song as it appears on TBBYNHIYL. MUDSHARK- Yes, it returns, sweeping the Pacific ocean this time round, washing ashore on the coast of Australia one fateful July afternoon. An audience member requests it, Frank performs it, nothing changes, and everyone goes home happy. The End. NANOOK RUBS IT- This tune appears in essentially the same form as it would on "Apostrophe", complete with some tasty Frank guitar riffs which save this section from being a complete bore. As always, it appears as part two of the "Don't Eat" suite. PYGMY TWYLYTE- Another rare performance that I have yet to hear. Apparently only performed once, before disappearing until later in the year. Anyone? [David Lynch sez- "Pygmy Twylyte is sung by Sal Marquez and played a good deal slower. A fairly interesting version, but nothing spectacular like, for instance, the fall '74 versions." And then Jon Naurin sez- "And, may I add, it features a Dummy Up-like solo section, where FZ delivers some wah-wahdrenched tones and Duke plays some characteristic funk. After that, Sal sings another verse, before he starts ad-libbing some Dummy Up-ish vocals. FZ then gives a little speech on the topic of chemical alteration, and finally we get one more verse.]

RDNZL- Essentially performed as on "The Lost Epsiodes", with the standard deviation coming in Fowler's or Ponty's opening solo, and Duke's end-ofthe-song solo. ROAD LADIES- This tune pops up sporadically throughout the early 70's, and everytime it does, the results are excellent. For this tour it pops up twice, with the mysterious Barry Leef doing two guest vocal stints, and Frank getting down and dirty, tearing off those blues licks that he plays way too infrequently. One performance results in a sweet blues jam that sees Ponty putting down his violin and doing something else for a change (playing the vibesRuth's vibes!) ST. ALPHONSO'S PANCAKE BREAKFASTPortions of this tune actually premiered as part of the tune "Rollo" from the Fall '72 tour. For this tour, Frank has taken these parts, tidied them up musically, added a set of lyrics, and given us the tune we know and love from the "Apostrophe" album. While the tune is essentially arranged as on the album, there is one slight difference which, for me, makes this The Version-> after the line "...like a queen", there is a lone cymbal crash that simply thrills me to the bone. I do not know why I like it so much, but I do. Just one of those Tiny Little Moments. UNCLE MEAT- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume II, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in the ridiculously brisk pace in which this song is frequently performed. UNCLE REMUS- This is another tune which premieres early in the tour, is performed once, and then promptly disappears. During his keyboard extravaganza that opens "Dupree's Paradise", George segues into an understated yet powerful version of this tune, playing it in its entirety once through as an instrumental, and then repeating the performance but this time with vocals. Upon the conclusion of this seemingly impromptu performance, we return to "Dupree's Paradise" proper, and are soon off into improvisational heaven. WILLIE THE PIMP- Apparently only performed once this time round, "Willie" pops up on 5/9 in a ferocious instrumental version, heavy on the guitar and finely accented by some melodic horn riffing. Frank leads the way through the opening theme, heavily chording a short run-through of the verse section, before calming down and making way for a fine Ponty solo. Frank's rhythm work is excellent throughout, but it is when he steps up and starts to solo that the he and the song really take off. Frank runs through a variety of flavors in his lengthy solo, managing to keep a healthy head of steam going for the duration of his

journey. Unlike the boring wank-fest "Willies" of the Spring '77 tour, this instrumental rocker does not disappoint. ZOMBY WOOF- Essentially performed as on "Overnite Sensation", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Frank performs all the vocals himself this time round, which definitely lessens the effect of many of the sections. Also, several lines of lyrics are missing throughout the song, either not having been written at this point, or due to Frank realizing that he just cannot sing them. PUT YOUR .02 HERE Jon Naurin sez... This is one of my absolute favourites, always in my Top-3. Many of the songs are performed in their ultimate versions here, and the musicianship is excellent. I could care more for Ponty's solos, but I like the addition of a violin in the composed parts. I might agree that the rhythm section is a little faceless during the "pure" improvisations, but for the regular solo sections, Fowler & Humphrey provide some of the grooviest accompaniment ever to be performed anywhere. Small repertoire, yes, but as in the case of the Wazoo tours, this doesn't bother me that much, since the setlists lean heavily on jamming rather than "songs". I could think of many other tours where the word "repetitive" fits better. Of course, the band lacks a few things, most obviously good singers and onstage personalities (if I want these elements, I listen to a 1974 or 80s show). Sometimes, I might miss the R&R ingredient a little, but this is very well compensated by the greatness with which they handle other styles. Biffy the Elephant Shrew, M.D. sez.. It was Saturday, March 24, 1973 at the San Diego Sports Arena (everybody go write that date into your copy of the Miles book). The Sports Arena holds about 16,000; it was NOT filled that night. According to a newspaper review the following Monday, the crowd numbered only 5,000. Opening acts were Ruben & the Jets (who sang "Dedicated to the One I Love"--that's about all I remember from their set) and the insufferably lame Doobie Brothers. The Doobies were not too well known at the time (even though "Listen to the Music" had already been a hit), as evidenced by the people near me who said "This is the Doobie Brothers? I thought that other group was the Doobie Brothers..." Finally, it was time for the main event. The band was FZ, Ruthie, Duke, Ponty, Ian Underwood (clarinet & sax, no keyboards), Sal Marquez, Bruce & Tom Fowler, Ralph Humphrey...and DON PRESTON, who sat in for the second half of the show, sharing George's keyboard

setup. Frank began by welcoming us to "the Sports Aroma" and asking: "Are you the kind of audience who likes 'THE SHOW'...or would you rather hear SOMETHING WEIRD?" After a big cheer for the latter, Zappa replied, "Good...that's the kind of audience I like." The music began with a medley of "Exercise Four," "Dog/Meat" and "50/50" (instrumental). This medley included the ONLY previously released music that was played all night! [Note: maybe they did the usual Green Genes/Kong/Chunga encore and I forgot.] The performance was primarily instrumental, heavy on improvisation. At one point FZ conducted the audience. The sounds we were told to make included "your favorite note in an Eric Clapton guitar solo--you know, the real high one that goes WEEEE" and "a sound of great gastric relief...yes, this is a farting noise, ladies andgentlemen!" At another point, Frank went off into an improvised rap about the laboratories where they create "imaginary diseases." I also remember Frank joining Ruth on percussion. The only actual songs that I can remember were "Montana" and "Cosmik Debris." It was such a disappointment when Overnight Sensation came out later that year, with the same band, but slick comedy music instead of daring improvisation and convoluted instrumentals. I sure wish I had a tape of that show...the Dupree's Paradise boot is nice, but San Diego '73 was MAGIC... FALL '73 BAND MEMBERS- FZ, George Duke (keyboards, vocals, tiny little notes), Napoleon Murphy Brock (vocals, saxophone, flute), Tom Fowler (bass), Ruth Underwood (percussion), Bruce Fowler (trombone, dancing), Chester Thompson (drums), Ralph Humphrey (drums) SPECIAL GUESTS- Jeff Simmons (vocals, drugs, Roxy shows), the assortment of Roxy crazies (dancing, singing, etc), Bruce ? (breast lecture) DATES- October 23rd through December 12th SHOWS- 36 CITIES- 23 COUNTRIES- 2 (US and Canada) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 27 AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 85 minutes AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 5

SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Bebop Tango (outro), Big Swifty, Cosmik Debris, Chunga's Revenge, Dickie's Such An Asshole, Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?, Dupree's Paradise, I'm The Slime, Montana, Penguin in Bondage, RDNZL COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- Other than on "Dupree's Paradise", and the occasional exceptional solo, I do not find Frank's playing to be all that interesting on this tour. For one, I do not like his sound (see "I'm the Slime", "Big Swifty" and "Dickie's Such An Asshole" on the YCDTOSA series). It's not bad, its just very nondescript. Same with the majority of his solos. Not bad (they are still Zappa), just rather plain. Not much personality to them, in my opinion. The only exception would be the "Dupree's Paradise" solos, as it is here where Frank really seems to take his time and create something that really matters. On the whole, this is not a tour you go to for great guitar. SONGS FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- Inca Roads (no guitar solo until following tour), King Kong (no solo/ Duke and Fowler solos), NEW SONGS ON TOUR (1st time performed live)Babette, Cheepnis, Dickie's Such An Asshole MONSTER SONGS- Dupree's Paradise. This tune continues to be the only Monster Song present in this era of Zappa. We get the Duke keyboard intro, a plethora of solos, Frank's most adventurous outings on guitar, and the expected randomness. One of the continual highlights of tour. OVERVIEW- I am not a big fan of this tour. I know I stand in the minority on this one, as I have already received a number of comments praising this tour. But before I go on to say why, I want to announce my bias to the world. I LOVE the Fall '74 tour, which is undeniably (or is that arguably?) the best tour Frank ever embarked on; and as far as I am concerned, every show from March '73 through May '74 is nothing more than a warm-up for that monster Fall '74 tour. Nothing can compare to that tour for me, and thus, this one does not. That's not to say I do not have positive things to say about this Fall '73 outingbecause I do- but I feel that overall, the disappointments outweigh the surprises. To begin with, this is a great band. The same band we would get a year later, with the addition of another drummer, and the most gifted horn player to ever grace the same stage as Frank. But a great band does not automatically mean a great tour. For one, I personally do not feel that this band really has the chance to stretch out and display their abilities as they deserve. Yes, they perform some technically amazing tunes, but unfortunately there is not any really daring improv to balance these shows. Bruce

gets the occasional solo, never disappointing, but does not really get the chance to freak as he did on the "Improvisation" tunes from Spring '73. Duke still has his "Dupree's Paradise" spotlight, and we get the standard solos in that tune, but again, they are not as "out there" as this band is capable of going. Second, Frank is not all that hot on guitar either. He has his occasional moments of transcendence, but I find that these are too few and far between. The set lists are okay (Frank does an excellent job of mixing up the limited number of songs that are performed), but many of the versions are by now such second nature to this band that unless something truly inspiring is happening, the band and the songs do not ignite. Thus, for the most part, I think this tour is the first really disappointing tour of Frank's career. The caliber of musicians is amazingly high, but the resulting music sadly is not. [If you disagree, please send me your comments so I can include them on this page. These pages are not about my views on Frank, but are an attempt to provide an overview of Frank's touring career. I really am not trying to be objective (that would be no fun), so I need your help in keeping this thing honest. So, I await your comments, detractors!] THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED BABETTE- I have not heard the single performance from this tour, but Jon Naurin has, and he says: ""Babette" sounds as on YCDTOSA #1, and segues very smoothly into "What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body" - which is sung more or less over the Babette accompaniment." ] BEBOP TANGO (OF THE OLD JAZZMEN'S CHURCH)- Up until this tour, "Bebop Tango" existed as part two of the three part medley known as "Farther O'Blivion". The first part consisted of the Steno Pool section from "Greggary Peccary", part two was the head of "Bebop Tango", and part three was an instrumental version of "Cucamonga" (an example of this medley can be heard on "Piquantique" from Beat the Boots Volume I). For this tour, however, "Bebop Tango" comes in to its own, developing tiny little notes, a desire to dance, and occasional audience participation. The original "Farther o'Blivion" medley is only performed once- on 10/26- yet even within the context of "Farther O'Blivion", "Bebop Tango" now resembles the monster we have on "Roxy and Elsewhere". After this performance, it truly becomes its own song, essentially performed as on "Roxy and Elsewhere", with the standard deviation coming in Fowler's trombone workout, Ruth's short but typically brilliant percussion showcase, and the "why-was-this-fadedout-on-the-album?" feel good outro. We also get our standard audience participation, which not only involved dancing but also the challenge to actually sing all those tiny little notes.

BIG SWIFTY- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, with the standard deviation coming in Duke's and Frank's solos. Apart from the improvisational solos, this version is also interesting for the random orchestrations that Frank would impose during the latter half of George's solos. As can be heard on the YCDTOSA release, Frank had a variety of hand gestures that corresponded to different musical themes and motifs, and he would liberally sprinkle these musical flourishes throughout George's solo. The abruptness of these intrusions, and the smoothness at which the band segued from these riffs back into the solo proper, has never failed to amaze this reporter. One of those fun, tiny little moments that make's Frank's music so unique.. CHEEPNIS- At this early stage in its all too brief career, this song appears as a shortened version of the "Roxy and Elsewhere" performance. The tune starts off as always, and continues on the usual path through the "Nuclear Force" section. At this point, the tune then jumps to the "go to the shelter" buildup, we get the Ruth percussion lick, and then the tune concludes with the closing verses as they are found on "Roxy and Elsewhere", i.e. with the Horrible Eye line included. Without the middle portion of the song, whether it be the Roxy, the Spring tours, or the YCDTOSA Volume II version, this song seems ridiculously short. I still find it a treat, but its not as filling as it would be by the end of the following year. [Jon Naurin adds: "- a noteworthy version is the drums/percussion duet (or trio?) one, which was played at least twice."] CHUNGA'S REVENGE- Played as part of the "King Kong-> Chunga's Revenge-> Mr. Green Genes" medley. As far as the main theme goes, all we get is the abrupt guitar intro as it appears on the album, followed by a Frank Zappa guitar solo played over the "Chunga's" bass line. Upon completion of his solo, Frank would segue into the melody of "Mr Green Genes", at which point the band would follow suit and ease into the medley closing tune. COSMIK DEBRIS- Essentially performed as on "Overnite Sensation", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Duke's and Frank's solos. For this tour, we get the keyboard funk "price of meat" section, with bursts of horn thrown in for good measure. CUCAMONGA- Up until this point in the year (i.e. for the spring and summer tours of '73), this song appeared as part three of the unreleased instrumental "Farther O'Blivion" (with parts one and two being the Steno Pool section from "Greggary Peccary" and the head of "Bebop Tango" respectively). For this tour, however, this instrumental version of the "Bongo Fury" tune only appears once in the "Farther O'Blivion" medley, and once on the tail

end of an early "Bebop Tango" excursion. An earlier version of this tune can be heard on "Piquantique" from Beat the Boots Volume I. DICKIE'S SUCH AN ASSHOLE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, with the standard deviation coming in George's and Frank's solos. DOG BREATH- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume II, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. DON'T YOU EVER WASH THAT THING?Essentially performed as on "Roxy and Elsewhere", with the standard deviation coming in Bruce's, George's, and the occasional Frank solos. After George's solo, we get the drum/percussion workout, which, as on the above album, is followed by some improvised musical weirdness. Frank conducts the band through a variety of themes, before eventually leading them into the closing theme, performed as on the album. DUMMY UP- Premiered early in the tour, with a Frank guitar solo in its place prior to its arrival. While this is not apparent on "Roxy and Elsewhere" due to the fadeout, this song is actually a jam found within "Pygmy Twylyte", and is not a song in and of itself. For this tour, the song resembles the instrumental portion of the official release (i.e. a full band funk jam), with some improvised singing by Nappy. DUPREE'S PARADISE- This song continues its reign as the Monster Song of this era, providing some of the most inspired and noteworthy performances of the tour. This version begins with the by-now standard George keyboard workout. Lots of experimentation from George, with Frank keeping himself busy (and George on his toes) by conducting the band through the most random of noises. This eventually leads us into the main theme, which is followed by the lengthy solo section. Brock is typically first (on sax or flute), followed by the bass playing Fowler, the always impressive trombone playing Fowler, and finally Frank, playing his most unhurried and slowly building solos of the tour. As in "Big Swifty", Frank inserts a variety of musical motifs and riffs throughout this tune, both as segues between the solos and within them. Also, in true "Dupree's Paradise" fashion, the unexpected should always be expected, as we even get a lecture about the use of sheep to find a way to make bigger breasts (11/9). While these performances are not as monstrous as the ones that would come a year later, they are still some of the most impressive of the tour. Frank's guitar playing is especially noteworthy, as it takes on an entirely different feel during these solos than in the majority of the others.

ECHIDNA'S ARF (OF YOU)- Essentially performed as on "Roxy and Elsewhere". FARTHER O'BLIVION- Essentially performed as on "Piquantique" from Beat the Boots Volume I, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in the solos. This song consists of three parts- the Steno Pool section from "Greggary Peccary", the head of "Bebop Tango", and "Cucamonga"- all performed instrumental. ( Naurin points out that the one difference in this version is that "the Spring/Summer version - as heard on "Piquantique" - starts with the frenetic little melody right after "using all the frightening little skills that science made available" in "Greggary Peccary", while the 10/26/73 skips this bit and starts with "Steno Pool".") There is only one known performance of this tune on this tour- from 10/26- with the first section containing a Brock solo, and the second containing the typically insane Fowler trombone workout, a Ruth percussion display, and a very short drum solo. Unlike versions found on earlier tours, however, the "Bebop Tango" has now become the full-blown spectacle that we get on "Roxy and Elsewhere", complete with dancing and all those tiny little notes. Thus, early in the tour, "Bebop Tango" becomes its own song apart from the year old "Farther O'Blivion" medley, and "Farther O'Blivion"- as it appears herebecomes a thing of the past. IDIOT BASTARD SON- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume II, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. I'M THE SLIME- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I. For the majority of the tour, this song immediately segues into "Big Swifty" after the conclusion of the lyrics, and hence there is no guitar solo. For the Roxy shows, however, Frank steps up and solos, as is documented on the aforementioned release. (Thanks Naurin). INCA ROADS- Swank! The infamous cocktail lounge version, which sadly has not seen the light-ofofficially-released-day. The tune starts off with a very cheesy cocktail lounge atmosphere, slow and sultry, like the kind of tune America would listen to before they drink and go home. George sings the lyrics, low and sexy, paying homage to the great lounge acts of our time. Towards the conclusion of the lyrics, we get a burst of Ruth (ah, that Inca sound!), a return to the cocktail lounge groove, and some over dramatic concluding flourishes, both vocal and musical. At this point, we get another burst of Ruth, and an awesome and powerful segue into the "Inca Roads" we know and love. From this point on, we essentially get the song as it is performed on "The Lost Episodes", which is essentially the post-guitar solo section (but complete with lyrics as on OSFA), with the standard deviation coming in the Duke and Bruce Fowler

solos. While this version is not the complete classic that we would eventually get on OSFA, it is still a force to reckon with. The meat of the tune is still here, and the sleazy opening is hilarious, serving as an excellent contrast to the remainder of the tune. My only complaint is that Duke cannot hold a candle to the Frank Sinatra inspired renditions that Marquez gave us on the Australian tour months earlier. But then again, this version does not have Ponty, so I guess that even things out. KING KONG- Performed as part of the "Mr Green Genes-> King Kong-> Chunga's Revenge-> Mr. Green Genes" medley. It appears here in its fast version (similar to the "Uncle Meat" take, but without the opening vamp, and also as performed on the Spring '78 tour), and simply consists of the main theme followed by a Fowler and a Duke solo. A far cry from the Monster "King Kong" of other tours, though Fowler does provide some interesting moments. KUNG FU- Essentially performed as on "The Lost Episodes", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. LOUIE LOUIE- Need I explain everything? (Only performed once.) [Well, I guess I should explain everything, so Jon Naurin adds..."...with alternated lyrics, a la "Ruthie Ruthie". This time it's about the sound engineer Brian (i.e "Brian, Brian" - cf. YCDTOSA #1 just before "Babette" - nice CC there!). The echoey hall prevents me from hearing the words though."] MONTANA- Essentially performed as on "Overnite Sensation", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. During the infamous Roxy performance, Fowler the bass player puts on a stunning display of technique as he successfully plays the melody line, using all the high notes, to the post-solo "tiny little horse" section. MUDSHARK- Yes, again this craze sweeps the nation, despite (or due to?) the fact that the Bebop Tango is threatening to take its place in the heart of millions. The story has not changed, neither has the music, and everybody enjoys it as always. Apparently only performed once on this tour, but isn't that enough? [Jon Naurin adds- "This is the best version I've heard, though. The band is hot this night, and the Mudshark developes into a good guitar solo, which soon turns into another round of "Louie Louie"/"Brian Brian"."] PENGUIN IN BONDAGE- Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL (the "Roxy and Elsewhere" version is edited), allowing for obvious differences in

instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. PYGMY TWYLYTE- Essentially performed as on "Roxy and Elsewhere", although instead of the fullblown "Dummy Up" routine, what we get is a full band funk jam with some improvised singing by Brock. Early in the tour, however, instead of the segue into this funk jam, we get a short and rather nondescript Zappa solo. In both instances, this middle section is followed by a return to the main "Pygmy Twylyte" theme, which is then typically followed by "Idiot Bastard Son". The segue between the two is the same one as heard on YCDTOSA Volume II. RDNZL- From the post-solo written section on, this songs essentially appears as it would later be performed on YCDTOSA Volume II. The first half of the tune, however, is quite a bit different. The short, quick opening section is present at this point, but Ruth's brilliant display of percussion technique is not yet ready for consumption. Instead, we cut straight to a short Fowler trombone solo, followed by a longer yet not quite filling Frank guitar solo. At this point, we then receive the typical post-solo RDNZL action, with the "We Can Share A Love" segment being the only element absent from this version. In its place, we get several bars of frantic Brock blowing, which serves as the segue into Duke's solo. While roughly only half the tune is different, this version creates quite a different feel. Without Ruth's mesmerizing solo, and Frank's own full-length, sweeping display of talent, the tune loses a lot of its power. An interesting early version, worth hearing but not necessary. SAN CLEMENTE MAGNETIC DEVIATION- The early title of "Dickie's Such An Asshole", as announced by Frank in several early performances. This title refers to a strange effect that pilots felt when flying over San Clemente, the home of Tricky Dicky (and hence the relevance to Nixon). SON OF MR. GREEN GENES- Performed as part of the "Son of Mr. Green Genes-> King Kong-> Chunga's Revenge-> Son of Mr. Green Genes" medley. The first portion of the song is an abbreviated run-through of the "Hot Rats" take, heavy on percussion, having that very bouncy, light feel. Once the melody is played twice through, we get some breathing room for a short Brock solo, before heading off into a breakneck-paced "King Kong". Then , upon completion of his guitar solo during "Chunga's Revenge", Frank would return to the melody of "Son of Mr Green Genes", leading the band into a short instrumental version of this tune, similar to the latter half of the song as it appears on TBBYNHIYL.

T'MERSHI DUWEEN- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume II, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. UNCLE MEAT- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume II, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. VILLAGE OF THE SUN- This version is essentially the same as the overproduced "Roxy and Elsewhere" performance, though somewhat slower, and with the addition of a new, rather out-of-place intro and outro. For the majority of the tour, the tune begins with a melodic instrumental section very reminiscent of the opening theme to "Down in de Dew" off the "Lather" album. I would not be surprised if this intro actually served as the inspiration for that tune, as the two pieces are remarkably similar. This theme, appearing in a somewhat mutated version, also serves as an outro for several shows early in the tour, before the tune ends coldly. Eventually, this outro is dropped, and we get the Roxy segue into "Echidna's Arf". Both Duke and Brock handle the vocal chores WHAT'S THE UGLIEST PART OF YOUR BODY?This single performance occurs during the same show as the single performance of "Babbette", and as Jon Naurin points out in the latter's song description, the words to WTUPOYB are essentially sung over the music of "Babette". SUMMER '73 #2 BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Tom Fowler (bass), Ralph Humphrey (drums), Ruth Underwood (percussion), Ian Underwood (horns, keyboards), George Duke (keyboards, vocals), Bruce Fowler (trombone), JeanLuc Ponty (violin) DATES- August 18th through September 14th SHOWS- 21 CITIES- 21 COUNTRIES- 12 (all European) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 29 AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 110 minutes AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 5 SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Chunga's Revenge, Cosmik Debris, Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?, Dupree's Paradise, Farther O'Blivion, I'm the Slime, Montana, More Trouble Every Day (?), Penguin in Bondage, RDNZL, Willie the Pimp

COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- For some reason, this short little European outing seems to bring out the best and most interesting guitar playing of 1973. To my ears, his solos from the earlier portion of this year tended to be rather non-descript, and frequently fell into a rather predictable and uninspired competence, while his solos from the Fall tour suffered from a trite guitar sound and Frank's least diverse guitar playing. This tour, however, seems to be from a different world guitar-wise, with Frank playing the guitar like a whole different person. His more standard solos, such as in "Montana" and "Cosmik Debris" are wonderfully inventive, his "Dupree's Paradise" workouts are masterpieces of patience, and his surprise guitar treats ("Willie the Pimp", "Farther O'Blivion") shimmer with inspiration. While the shows tend to be somewhat repetitive, Frank's guitar work raises even the most standard setlists to great heights, making this my favorite tour from this heavily toured year. SONGS FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT NOT ON THIS TOUR- Inca Roads, King Kong NEW SONGS ON TOUR- Bebop Tango (by itself), Echidna's Arf (of You), Kung Fu, Penguin in Bondage, T'Mershi Duween, Village of the Sun MONSTER SONGS- Dupree's Paradise; As is standard fare for 1973 and 1974, this instrumental classic once again terrorizes setlists, challenging us with its zany mix of George Duke keyboard madness, random Frank conducting, and blistering solos. OVERVIEW- While I respect the other two tours from this year- the poorly documented Spring and Summer Tour, and the "Roxy and Elsewhere" Fall Tourneither of them have a particularly strong effect on me. This short little tour, however- 21 European shows in less than a month- is absolutely captivating. The band is essentially the same as on the previous tour, with the only difference being Marquez's absence (you say you want a per diem? Ha!) Yet for some reason, these performances seem consistently more inspired, and have a warmth to them that the earlier shows lacked. Even Ponty, who is more annoying than anything earlier in the year, can do no wrong here. The song selection is slightly more limited this time round, but the addition of several new songs- some lost classics, some newly written gems- help brighten the landscape. "Penguin in Bondage", "Echidna's Arf (of You)", and "T'Mershi Duween" are several of the new songs that help display this band's talents, while "Brown Shoes Don't Make It" and "Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbeque" are two long forgotten favorites which triumphantly return, bringing a major grin to this reporter's face. More than anything, though, it is the individual playing of each band member which lifts this tour to another level. The older tunes are handled with a steady

confidence, and one can sense that this is a unit that has been together for awhile. In fact, the band becomes so comfortable with the material that towards the end of the tour, several of the songs"Exercise Four", "Dog Meat", "T'Mershi Duween"- are frequently played at ridiculously brisk paces. The band seems on the verge of musical chaos during these rampant workouts, yet somehow manages to hold things together and triumphantly avoid a major train wreck. As individuals, their solos are consistently adventurous, and seem to have a sense of urgency that seemed to be lacking in the previous months. And last but not least, Frank's guitar playing is in its adventurous mode, and seldom does Frank settle for a run-of-the-mill solo. He pushes the envelope throughout each show, varying both his sound and his style to give us an interesting variety of solos. No, this tour is not without its faults. The setlists are all fairly similar, with a relience on songs which are played the same nightly; and the vocal abilitites of the band are quite limited. These factors included, though, this tour still has a lot going for it, and at least for this opinionated reporter, is the strongest suit in Frank's 1973 touring hand. THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED BEBOP TANGO- During the final show of the tour, Frank announces that the band is going to play "Part 2 of 'Farther O'Blivion'", and minutes later, "The Bebop Tango" makes it solo debut. It is essentially performed as on "Roxy and Elsewhere", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in the parade of solos that we get. Bruce goes first, taking his "let me blow your mind with my trombone" solo, followed by a "damn is he good on this tour" Ponty solo, and concluding with the dynamic Ruth. We do not get an ending this time round, only a smooth yet odd segue into "Cosmik Debris". BEBOP TANGO REPRISE- During the drum/percussion duet of "Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?" at the final show of the tour, the band begins playing the opening "Bebop Tango" vamp. The drummers continue to fight it out for awhile, with the rest of the band maintaining the "Bebop" vamp. After approximately a minute of this, the band reprises the main theme of the "Bebop Tango", which eventually dissolves into yet another drum/percussion duet. Finally, in a continuation of the madness, this duet evolves into the "T'Mershi Duween" drum intro (which is not present on any released recording), which then leads right into a "T'Mershi Duween" reprise. Simply great! BROWN SHOES DON'T MAKE IT- One of the treats of this short European jaunt. The song is eesentially performed as on "Absolutely Free", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with

smoother transitions between the many "movements" (a la the Spring '79 version). Unlike either of those other two versions, however, these performances are taken at a much brisker pace, with the post-vocal ending especially taking on a hectic and rather rushed feel. Nonetheless, the song is great to hear, and serves as a major plus in this tour's positive column. CHUNGA'S REVENGE- Played as part of the "Mr. Green Genes-> King Kong-> Chunga's Revenge-> Mr. Green Genes" medley. As far as the main theme goes, all we get is the abrupt guitar intro as it appears on the album, followed by a Frank Zappa guitar solo played over the "Chunga's" bass line. Upon completion of his solo, Frank would segue into the melody of "Mr Green Genes", at which point the band would follow suit and ease into the medley closing tune. At the final show of the tour, Frank begins the medley with "Chunga's Revenge" (not actually making it a medley, but...), and gives Ponty a short solo before beginning his own. Then, as always, Frank segues into "Mr. Green Genes" upon finishing his solo, and we get the normal ending for this truncated performance. COSMIK DEBRIS- Essentially performed as always, with the standard deviation coming in the middle-ofsong solo fest, which typically features Duke on keybooards and Frank on the axe, with an occasional Underwood solo thrown in for good measure. For the "price-of-meat" section, we get the rather laid back, keyboard funk groove. DOG BREATH- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume II, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in the ridiculously brisk pace in which this tune is frequently performed. DON'T YOU EVER WASH THAT THING?- After hanging around setlists for two tours with a more "jazzed up" appearance, this instrumental powerhouse finally makes its transformation into the classic we know and love. It is essentially performed as on "Roxy and Elsewhere", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in the solos. Ponty typically takes the first solo, while Fowler and occasionally Duke (making it 3 solos total) take solos in the second spot. As on the "Roxy" release, we get the drum/percussion duet, followed by the composed ending. Unfortunately, Frank does not entertain us with his "Watch Ruth!" commands in the middle of the song. DUPREE'S PARADISE- Once again, this Monster Song staple of the '73 and '74 tours provides the listener with many an incredible musical experience.

As would be the case for its entire '70's run, this improvisational showcase begins with Duke and his keyboards. George gets a chance to strut his stuff, showing off both his piano skills and his assortment of keyboard toys. Once George sets the scene, Frank puts on his conductor's hat and slowly brings the rest of the band into the proceedings, inevitably steering the music into new directions. We get short solos, a variety of musical styles, some occasional Frank commentary (the "It's so fucking cold up here, everybody clap along" rant from "Piquantique" may be one of the funniest, and funkiest, things Frank ever produced on stage), and all this before the song actually starts. Typically, at around the nine minute mark, the song properly begins, with the majestic opening chords and the beautifully composed theme. Once this is finished, we are off into Solo land, with Ponty, Trombone Fowler, an occasional Bass Fowler, an occasional Underwood, and finally an-always Frank giving us their all. ECHIDNA'S ARF (OF YOU)- Referred to as "Excentrifugal Forz" at this early stage in its career, this is one of those Frank classics that emerges on the scene fully developed and damn near perfect from the start. It is essentially performed as on "Roxy and Elsewhere", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. The early performances are somewhat rickety and do not flow as nicely as they eventually would, but by the end of the tour the band sounds completely comfortable with this tune. ERIC DOLPHY MEMORIAL BBQ- One of the nice little treats of this short European jaunt. This version essentially consists of the main theme, followed almost immediately by a seamless transition into "Kung Fu". Allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, the theme is performed as on TBBYNHIYL, without the wickedly fast riff which comes about half way through the composed section. Very enjoyable nonetheless. EXERCISE FOUR- Essentially performed as on "The Yellow Shark", allowing for the quite obvious differences in instrumentation. For this tour, this piece is performed as a prelude to the "Dog Meat" staple. FARTHER O'BLIVION- This montsrously composed piece consists of three distinct sections which would later appear as parts of three separate Frank songs. "The Steno Pool" section from "Greggary Peccary" (plus the flurried music that immediately precedes it) comprises part one (and begins with the leftoverfrom-the-previous-tour "Join the March and Eat My Starch" command, which makes absolutely no sense taken out of context); the main theme from "The Bebop Tango" comprises part two; and an instrumental rendition of "Cucamonga" concludes the affair and serves as part three. Throughout these proceedings, we get a handful of solos, with Ponty

typically taking a lengthy and interesting one during the first part, and with Bruce, Ian, Ponty, Frank, and yes, even Ruth, taking theirs during the extended and jammed-on part two. While these abbreviated "Bebop" performances come nowhere near the ridiculous extravaganzas of the Fall '73 tour, they do contain some exceptional solos, and occasionally veer off into improvisational madness. In the midst of all this- following the madness that is the "Bebop Tango" and proceeding the climactic ending that is "Cucamonga", the drummer gets a chance to get a little, giving the rest of the Rockin' Teenage combo a much deserved rest. As far as Frank's involvement goes, his guitar is present throughout, inserting tasty licks here and there; he also, of course, has a major hand in the direction of the "Bebop Tango" festivities. IDIOT BASTARD SON- This song appears on setlists for the 9/13 show, which not only I have not heard in its entirety, but is unfortunately only available in atrocious sound. Anyone have any info on this "Money" classic? I'M THE SLIME- Essentially performed as on "Overnite Sensation", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo, and minus the opening guitar rave-up. Frank's singing is rather awkward for this tune, sounding as if he does not really know what sort of attitude he wants to convey. INCA ROADS- Swank! The infamous cocktail lounge version, which sadly has not seen the light-ofofficially-released-day. The tune starts off with a very cheesy cocktail lounge atmosphere, slow and sultry, like the kind of tune America would listen to before they drink and go home. George sings the lyrics, low and sexy, paying homage to the great lounge acts of our time. Towards the conclusion of the lyrics, we get a burst of Ruth (ah, that Inca sound!), and then an awesome and powerful segue into the "Inca Roads" we know and love. From this point on, we essentially get the song as it is performed on "The Lost Episodes", which is essentially the post-guitar solo section (but complete with lyrics as on OSFA), with the standard deviation coming in the Duke's solo. While this version is not the complete classic that we would eventually get on OSFA, it is still a force to reckon with. The meat of the tune is still here, and the sleazy opening is hilarious, serving as an excellent contrast to the remainder of the tune. My only complaint is that Duke cannot hold a candle to the Frank Sinatra inspired renditions that Marquez gave us on the Australian tour months earlier. INSTRUMENTAL- This title from the 9/2 Zurich show refers to a case of pure instrumental improvisation. The festivities start off with Tom Fowler displaying his bass prowess, before Duke and Ponty jump in and help the madness get going. The whole band eventually joins in the festivities, with Frank obviously

having a conducting hand in the entire process. As with most of Zappa's "let's make it up on the spot" pieces, this performance does not have much direction or cohesion, but the music is interesting nonetheless. ITALIAN SONG, THE- This title appears in setlists for the 8/31 Rome show. I have not heard that tape, so I have no idea what this may be referring to. Anyone? KING KONG- Performed as part of the "Mr Green Genes-> King Kong-> Chunga's Revenge-> Mr. Green Genes" medley. It appears here in its fast version (similar to the "Uncle Meat" take, but without the opening vamp, and also as performed on the Spring '78 tour), and consists of the main theme followed by a torrent of solos. While these solos are quite good, it is Frank's active rhythm guitar that really stands out in these forays, providing support for the soloists while being interesting in its own right. KUNG FU- Essentially performed as on "The Lost Episodes", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. MONTANA- Essentially performed as on "Overnite Sensation", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. It is at this point in its evolution where Frank's "Montana" solos start to become interesting, as he begins to stretch out and really explore the guitar in these longer than usual solos. These are no Fall '74 monsters, mind you, but they display the potential that Frank would later so successfully exploit. The post-solo "tiny little horse" section is strictly instrumental at this point in time. MORE TROUBLE EVERY DAY- This song appears on setlists for the 9/5 show (along with "Oh No"), but I seriously doubt that this is correct. I am asuuming that these two songs are filler from a later '74 show, but I may be wrong. Does anyone know for sure? MR. GREEN GENES- Performed as part of the "Mr. Green Genes-> King Kong-> Chunga's Revenge-> Mr. Green Genes" medley. The first portion of the song is a rather fast run-through of the "Hot Rats" take, heavy on percussion, having a very bouncy, light feel. Once the melody is played twice through, we get some breathing room for a short Underwood horn solo, before heading off into a breakneck-paced "King Kong". Then , later in his guitar solo during "Chunga's Revenge", Frank returns to the melody of "Mr Green Genes", leading the band into a short instrumental version of this tune, similar to the latter half of the song as it appears on TBBYNHIYL. OH NO- This song appears on setlists 9/5 show (along with "More Trouble Every Day"), but I seriously doubt that this is correct. I am assuming that these

two songs are filler from a later '74 show, but I may be wrong. Does anyone know for sure? PENGUIN IN BONDAGE- This song premieres on this tour, magically appearing both fully clothed and completely prepared from the start. Pretty amazing- I mean, how many times has Frank succeeded in debuting a song and leaving it be for the rest of his career? The only difference is that in the early performances, there is no solo, just an immediate segue from the pre-solo verse to the post-solo verse. Apart from that, what we get here is what is essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL (the "Roxy and Elsewhere" version is edited), allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. RDNZL- Essentially performed as on "The Lost Episodes", with the standard deviation coming in Fowler's or Ponty's opening solo, Frank's short but interesting solo, and Duke's end-of-the-song solo. T'MERSHI DUWEEN- According to the information on "Piquantique" from Beat the Boots Volume I, the "T'Mershi Duween" contained on that boot is from a non-existent show from the previous tour. Noting that the "Piquantique" boot documents a show from the European tour, and that "T'Mershi Duween" premieres on this same tour (though not at the same show), I think it is safe to assume that the "T'Mershi Duween" on "Piquantique" is actually from this tour. This also seems to be the case since the "T'Mershi Duween" preformances from this outing sound quite similar to the performance captured on "Piquantique". Thus, having said all that, let me now say that this song is essentially performed as on "Piquantique" from Beat the Boots Volume I. The band had some difficulties with this song early on, and the first attempted performance involves Frank stopping the band and having them start over a couple of times. But apart from that, the tune premieres fully developed, and sounds here much as it would four tours later at the end of the Fall '74 tour. T'MERSHI DUWEEN REPRISE- During the final show of the tour, the band performs this tune for a second time, segueing into it from the remnants of a "Bebop Tango Reprise". The tune is essentially performed as it always is, with a slightly more chaotic ending.T'MERSHI DUWEEN REPRISE- During the final show of the tour, the band performs this tune for a second time, segueing into it from the remnants of a "Bebop Tango Reprise". The tune is essentially performed as it always is, with a slightly more chaotic ending. UNCLE MEAT- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume II, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard

deviation coming in the ridiculously brisk pace in which this song is frequently performed. VILLAGE OF THE SUN- This version is essentially the same as the overproduced "Roxy and Elsewhere" performance, though quite a bit slower, and with the addition of a new, rather out-of-place intro and outro. The tune begins with a melodic instrumental section very reminiscent of the opening theme to "Down in de Dew" off the "Lather" album. After the theme, the vocal section proceeds as on "Roxy", with Duke handling the vocal chores and sounding remarkably like Ike Willis during his Fall '78 "Village of the Sun" duties. The opening theme reappears at the conclusion of the lyrics, appearing in a somewhat mutated version, and serving as the outro for the song. Eventually, this outro is dropped, and we get the Roxy segue into "Echidna's Arf". WILLIE THE PIMP- Another great instrumental version of this guitar classic, this tune pops up on 9/11, and does nothing more than provide Frank an excellent chance to solo. Down and dirty, this is rock and roll at its best. ZIPPER- This title appears on setlists for the 9/5 show. Anyone have a clue? SUMMER/FALL '74 WARNING- I looked and looked, but I was unable to find a single flaw with this tour. Be prepared for a completely biased review.

BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Chester Thompson (drums, gorilla, world famous Bob-the-chef energy), Ruth Underwood (percussion of the gods, the Cosmik duck), Napoleon Murphy Brock (vocals, sax, flute, exotic dancing, tush tush tush), George Duke (vocals, keyboards), Tom Fowler (bass, who broke his hand and thus was demoted to "Mystery Pointer"), Michael Erso (played bass during one show [11/23]), James "Birds Legs" Youman (played bass on the five concluding dates of the tour) SPECIAL GUESTS- Bruce Fowler, Lance Loud DATES- June 28th through December 1st (plus one show on 12/31) SHOWS- 83 CITIES- 68 COUNTRIES- 14

# OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED-56 AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 6 (including "Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?") SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Andy, Any Downers, Apostrophe ('), Approximate, Big Swifty, Blues Jam, Can't Afford No Shoes, Cosmik Debris, Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?, Dupree's Paradise, Eat That Question(?), Florentine Pogen, Help I'm A Rock, I'm the Slime, Inca Roads, Montana, More Trouble Every Day, Oh No/ Son of Orange County, Penguin in Bondage, Pygmy Twylyte, RDNZL, Road Ladies, Satumaa, Stinkfoot, Willie the Pimp [NOTE: Since Frank was the lone guitarist on this tour, there tends to be guitar where there usually isn't guitar- i.e. when not singing, Frank would occasionally provide some very tasty fills. The songs above are simply the ones that frequently contained a full-blown Frank extravaganza.] COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- This is my favorite tour as far as Zappa guitar playing goes. It is not, I believe, his best tour. He was at his soloing peak in '81/'82, and it is in these tours where I think he produces his most brilliant work. But what I really like about this tour is the casualness in which Frank went about playing his solos. During "Stinkfoot", he would frequently spend half his solo tuning his guitar, incorporating the tuning into the solo, letting the highly skilled band just vamp along behind him. During "Montana" and "More Trouble Every Day", he was in absolutely no hurry to conclude his solo section, and would let Duke solo a little, let Chester dictate the jam into chaotic nonexistence, and even let Brock sing complete nonsense. All of his solos were good- the "Inca Roads" and "RDNZL" being typical Zappa masterpieces, the "Pygmy Twylytes" being dangerously close to straight ahead rock 'n' roll- but the jewels in this tour's crown were undoubtedly the "Dupree Paradise" outings. These solos saw Frank working at a pace more akin to the Grateful Dead than to the Mothers. Frank would typically start off slow and easy, messing around with chords, trilling for bars at a time while the band casually strolled along beside him. After several minutes of this, he would dig in a little bit, ripping off runs, urging the band to pick up the pace a little. Then, bit by bit, he would add a little more to the mix, until he and the band had built up quite a head of steam and were racing towards oblivion. Upon reaching the always spine-tingling climax, Frank would allow us to cool down a bit before returning to "Dupree's" proper. More trilling, more tomfoolery- no hurry to wrap things up. One of the less hurried- and thus for Frank, more unusual- guitar spots that he ever performed. It is this relaxed side to Frank- a side we hardly ever saw- that makes this tour my favorite as far as guitar playing goes.

SONGS THAT FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- None NEW SONGS ON TOUR (never previously played live)- Apostrophe, The Booger Man, Building A Girl, Can't Afford No Shoes, Dinah-Mo Humm, Flambay, Ol' 55, Pojama People, Room Service, San Ber'dino, Satumaa, Stinkfoot, Tush Tush Tush MONSTER SONGS- Dupree's Paradise, Big Swifty; There is only one regular Monster Song on this tour, and what a Monster it is. Unfortunately, the one released version we have of this frequent tour-deforce- the YCDTOSA Volume II "Dupree's Paradise"is probably the weakest of the lot. Throughout the tour, "Dupree's Paradise" gave us The Booger Man, Moon Trek, The Continuing Saga of Marty Perellis, Tom Waits and his jokes, some incredible and some not-so incredible Brock solos, Tom Fowler strutting his stuff, Ruth and Chester beating each other up, and many a very tasty Frank solo. Practically every show that contains this song is worth getting simply because of this tune. "Big Swifty" makes a handful of rare appearances this time round, but the 11/8 version is the only true Monster performance of the song, containing a parade of solos and some frenzied jamming. OVERVIEW- Can you ever stop heaping praise upon this tour? Just listen to YCDTOSA Volume II, the edited Helsinki concert, and then try to limit yourself to only five words when attempting to convey this band's awesomeness (I never said that this info was objective). There are so many great things about this tour, where do I begin? The Band- To begin with, Duke is the funkiest keyboard ever to occupy the same stage as FZ. Tom Fowler is the long forgotten and highly underrated bass player; and Ruth, well, what can't you say about Ruth. Just listen to RDNZL, and let the music do the talking. Brock is, well, he's Brock, and was there ever a better one; and let us not forget Chester, who had the greatest drum sound and the most interesting way of providing rhythmic support. Finally, let's not forget the lone guitarist- Mr. Frank Zappa- who sounds like he's having more fun than he's ever had. The Setlists- While these were not the most diverse setlists, the songs contained within them are all uniformly great. Really, not a throwaway tune in the bunch. Yes, quite a few of them were played at practically every show, but how can you tire of hearing a band this skilled play material this challenged. Either they were demonstrating their expertise in the more limited "Echidna's Arf" and "Dog Breath/Uncle Meat" exercises, or displaying their passion in the many solos of "Cosmik Debris" or "RDNZL". Even the songs we would all eventually

grow sick of, like "Camarillo Brillo" and "Dinah-Moe Humm", either contained the energy of youth, as in the former, or some truly hilarious audience participation, as in the latter. And, of course, we have "Dupree's Paradise", which causes this reporter to absolutely melt. The Attitude- More than any other tour, this band has a definite attitude, or personality. For the most part, these musicians had been playing together, non-stop, for practically a year. They joke with each other on stage, tell stories about their lives away from the stage, and it is obvious from all this that these 6 musicians are very comfortable with each other. Without a doubt, this influences their onstage performance, and gives the music a sense of freedom and spontaneity that is definitely not present on other tours. The YCDTOSA Volume II "Montana" is a perfect example of this. From the jokes about "Whippin' Post" to the tomfoolery that concludes the guitar solo, this performance reminds me of a garage band messing around one afternoon. This band truly could, and frequently did, handle anything. In my opinion, this is, without a doubt, Frank's greatest tour. THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED 12 INCHES- Refers to the joke that Tom Waits told occasionally throughout the tour, but most notably on the 11/9 late show.[An excellent tape of this exists. He also told the joke on at least one other performance-8/11- but his performance is missing from the circulating tape. Thanks to Biffy for this info, who attended the aforementioned show.] Tom came out during "Dupree's Paradise"- after Duke's improv section and before the main theme- and proceeded to tell two jokes. When Duke concludes his solo, Frank asks where the wino is, referring to Tom, and wonders if he is backstage drinking again. Waits comes onstage, and Frank asks him to sing "the only song of yours that we know" (this song is "Ol 55"; it is performed earlier in the tour, but only the backing music is played here), but Waits insists on telling a couple stories first (they never make it to his song). The first story is a very short joke about Johnny and Roseanne Cash. The second is the 12 Inches joke. Essentially, the joke is a story of a man who goes into a bar and orders a beer, when all of a sudden a 12 inch man jumps out of his pocket. The little man starts running up and down the bar, knocking over beers, throwing pretzels, messing up people's hair, etc. The bartender gets upset, has no success stopping the 12 inch man, so asks his friend to take him and leave. The man does, and returns the next day. Same thing happens- the man sits down and orders a beer, when all of a sudden this 12 inch man jumps out of his shirt pocket. The little man starts running up and down the bar, spilling beer and

causing trouble. The bartender gets upset, looks at the man and asks him what's going on. The man tells the story of how he was laying on the beach one day when this bottle of Jose Cuervo washes onto the shore. He rubs it, and POOF, out comes this genie, granting the man one wish. And the man thinks and thinks about what he wants, and in concluding the story tells the bartender, "And I had to get greedy and wish for a 12 Inch Prick, and that's just what I got". Okay joke, but the way Tom Waits tells it is absolutely hilarious. 200 YEARS OLD- Premiered on 11/26, in a very skeletal, but probably superior, version than the one we have on "Bongo Fury". Essentially, this performance consisted of Frank speaking several of the lines from the song, followed by some absolutely wicked and must-hear guitar. While the song itself is nothing special (here or on "Bongo Fury"), the guitar playing that accompanies this live version makes this performance a must-hear. I don't even think Frank is aware that the rest of the band is present, he simply wails away in a metal frenzy. I cannot think of a better way to honor America. ANDY- Essentially performed as on OSFA, with the only variation being in Frank's solo. Not performed as often on this tour as on the previous two, and would not resurface again until Spring '79. ANY DOWNERS- One of the many surprises we get towards the latter part of the tour. During his typically insane "Montana" solo during the 11/30 show, Frank tears into the opening "Any Downers" riff, carrying the whole band into a quasi-heavy metal jam. They ride this vamp for around two minutes, before Frank is off again, exploring new musical territory in this smorgasborg solo of melodic teases. It is an excellent and very interesting performance, but amazingly enough, just a mere shadow of the "Any Downers" monsters that would terrorize setlists a year later. APOSTROPHE (')- This tune was only played several times on this tour, one of the performances being Halloween with Bruce Fowler, and another being 11/23/74, which was, of all shows, the one with Mike Erso on bass (see BAND MEMBERS for details on this). For the shows other than Halloween, the tune is essentially performed as it is on the album- a little rougher around the edges, obviously- with Frank solo only. The Halloween version is especially sweet, though, as it segues out of a Bruce Fowler led "Big Swifty". This holiday version of "Apostrophe" sounds somewhat different than the original, in that there appear to be more written parts. As performed here, the song reminds me of "Son of Mr. Green Genes", with written parts interspersed with solo sections. The 10/31 version is not the monster that "Son" is, but it does have that sort of feel to it.

APPROXIMATE- Quite an event on this tour. In three parts- with words, with feet, and with music. YCDTOSA Volume II gives us a good representation of this. All performances of this were roughly the same, with the only changes really being the Frank cues and remarks made between the songs. Also, part three- the full band with music section- contained improv in both FZ and Duke's solo, and early in the tour, with a short Brock freak-out. Amazingly enough, this song was actually used as a show opener early in the tour. BABETTE- The version on YCDTOSA Volume I gives us the basic musical structure of this tune. Brock was probably given specific lyrics to sing, but he was undoubtedly given leeway to improvise, as each of the performances is slightly different in lyrical content. Also, I don't believe there was a set length to the song, as some performances run longer than others. In a way, this song is structurally like "Tush Tush Tush", in that each song has the potential to be played forever. BIG SWIFTY- Played way too infrequently, and the song in its entirety (well, almost- including head and solos, but no return to theme) only known to be played twice (10/31 and 11/8). The Halloween performance of this song was quite a treat, with special guest Bruce "Call Me God" Fowler on trombone. For this performance, the main theme was rather jerky. It seemed underrehearsed and had no real flow to it. At one point, it even sounds like the theme is rewritten, but I think this is more due to the hesitancy and inaccuracy of the performance. Once the head is finished, Fowler takes off into full flight, and we are in improv heaven. Man can this guy blow! Frank follows him with a solo of his own- alternating between biting metal licks and more spacy trilling. Or, as Frank put it, with "just a twinge of psychadelicness... just a twinge". When Frank begins to run out of soloing ideas, he then keeps the energy high by tearing into "Apostrophe". Very sweet. The 11/8 performance runs more along the lines of your typical "Dupree's Paradise", with a parade of solos, some chaotic Zappa conducting, and the culminating guitar solo. A true Monster performance. The final known version of "Big Swifty" is the Helsinki take, which is just the closing theme. Nice, but a beast of a different nature. BLUES JAM- Several times on this tour, Frank felt like playing the blues, so that's what he did. He would give the band a key, they would start riffing, and he would start laying down some pretty heavy blues licks. Some of the purest music of the tour. See FZPTMOFZ for an excellent example of this occurrence. BOOGER BEARS- If this tour had a theme, it would be "The Booger Bear". This idea permeated so many

songs and so many shows, that I thought I would briefly explain the concept of the Booger Bear. The term refers to the girls that the band met on the road who looked like something that, well, that came from your nose. Towards the beginning of the tour, Frank would have the nightly Booger Bear update, letting the audience know which band member got that best Booger Bear the night before. The Booger Bear update eventually disappeared, but the concept provided some downright silly continuity throughout the tour. BOOGER MAN, THE- As part of his opening moment-in-the-spotlight before the official start of "Dupree's Paradise", Duke would spin a tale based on the band's experiences on the road. Frequently, these tales would involve Marty and his peculiar fascination with dogs, and from these tales, this song- with everchanging lyrics- would arise out of the jam. In several shows, Duke would spin a different tale, and the band would jam on this same riff, with the lyrics relating some other non-"booger man" story. As this is an improvised event, however, we will include those performances as other performances of this song. In the instance of the actual YCDTOSA Volume IV release, "The Booger Man" is an isolated event, and does not serve as a prelude to "Dupree's Paradise". BUILDING A GIRL- Always occurring after "Dog Breath> Uncle Meat", this was essentially a "composed-on-the-spot" piece by Frank for flute, percussion, and keyboards. Usually lasting one to two minutes, the piece changed nightly with the whim of its composer, but the overall feel and sound was essentially the same. CAMARILLO BRILLO- Frank tears into this songguitar only intro- on this tour. This song never sounded meaner. Essentially the same up to the first repeated verse (where it slows down on YCDTOSA Volume VI), except for this tour, Frank would instruct Duke "To get funky now", and George would lead us into Keyboard Funkytown, with Frank infrequently giving us a closing guitar solo. This song was played with much energy on this tour, and was not the "bythe-numbers" event that it would become on later tours. CAN"T AFFORD NO SHOES- As far as I know, this is only performed twice. It premieres on 9/25/74 (the same show as the only performance of "Flambay"), and was performed as "Ralphie Stuffs His Shoes". Essentially the same music, but the lyrics were changed and were about Ralph Humphrey, who- so the song goes- stuffed his shoes. Definitely worth hearing. The song later reappears on 12/31, with the lyrics that would later resurface on OSFA, plus special guest Bird Legs and a healthy dose of guitar based boogie.

CARAVAN- Yes, with a drum solo, though its not much of a drum solo as the entire performance only lasts about 30 seconds A one-time-only event for this tour (7/21/74). CHEEPNIS- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume II. Brock's vocals after "the monster is approaching the airport" section are improvised, however. He was free to say what he wanted, while the band grooved along as they do at Helsinki. Only performed a handful of times, this was probably a song Frank never got comfortable with. On every subsequent tour since its premiere, its arrangement changed quite drastically, and then, when it finally seemed to gel with this tour, it disappears. COSMIK DEBRIS- Did this song ever change? Well, the "the price of meat" section did, which for this tour was essentially the "Apostrophe" version. Also, the solo section over the years had its many changes, and for this tour, we got a full-blown, "everybodygets-a-chance" solo spotlight. Brock would go first, then Duke, and FZ would bring the proceedings to a close. DICKIE'S SUCH AN ASSHOLE- The specter of Nixon haunts yet another tour. Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Duke's solos. DINAH-MO HUMM- The first half of this song is performed as it was always played, with the only difference being a slow, dramatic reading of the "I can't get into it." section. Then, after Frank's spoken interlude about the sisters, Frank would have a little "audience participation". He would encourage the audience to make their own Sex Noises, and would lead the band in a VERY LOUD funk vamp while the audience did so. You may not like this song, but the VERY LOUD vamp was always interesting, and in my opinion, is worth sitting through the song for. DOG BREATH/UNCLE MEAT- Played as on YCDTOSA Volume II, with the only difference being the tempo of the pieces (occasionally played quite a bit faster). For me, this little medley represents the main reason why I like this tour so much better than all other '73 and '74 tours. Apart from the Spring '74 band, all other bands in this era performed this medley, and to my ears, performed it nowhere near as well. Technically speaking, the '73 performances are probably better, but energy wise, this band is where it is at. The other performances come across as cold exercises in technical wizardry- you cannot help but sit back and go "Wow." But these performances are not about the amazing skills of the band (which are truly amazing), but about the warmth and energy and simple good feeling that shoots

through the music. These performances are fun. Earlier versions make you respect the band. These versions make you want to get up and dance. That is one of the reasons why I love this band so much. DON'T EAT THE YELLOW SNOW- Arranged somewhat differently on this tour than on the official release and on subsequent tours. Essentially, it was the hyperactive, lots of extraneous music version. It starts off as normal until the conclusion of the first vocal line. But after this line, and almost every subsequent line, the band would play the opening theme of the song, but in a very loud, very overdone style. After playing this theme, the next line would be sung, then the aforementioned theme, then a line, etc., until we reach "Nanook". Interesting. This song was always played as part one of the four part "Don't Eat" suite. DON'T YOU EVER WASH THAT THING?- Played as on YCDTOSA Volume II. The part where Frank says "Watch Ruth" changed nightly, and would include a different joke about or referring to Ruth. My favorite is from 11/17/74 ["Ladies and Gentleman, watch Ruth. All through the show... Ruth has been thinking...Ruth has been thinking!... All through the show!... All through the show Ruth has been thinking!!"] DUPREE'S PARADISE- This was the Fall' 74 monster, and sadly, the YCDTOSA Volume II version is the worst of the tour. For the most part, each "Dupree's" followed the same pattern> Intro by Duke- with nightly updates, road stories, keyboard noises, and random band orchestration by Frank; contained "The Booger Man" jam in several of the November shows. Without a doubt, the highlight of any '74 show is the transition riff from George's intro into "Dupree's Paradise" proper. Main Theme- as on YCDTOSA Volume II Brock solo- either flute or alto sax; backing varied depending on Frank's command Bass solo- again, Frank dictated the backing rhythm and frequently orchestrated the band Bass/Drum/Percussion duet- do you need this explained? FZ solo- band usually returned to opening chord of main theme and the solo was built on this. In my opinion, these were the best solos of the tour. In the earlier performances of this song, the solo structure was not as clear cut, with Duke occasionally getting another opportunity to display his wares within

the body of the song. This song is the event of the tour. Every band member had an opportunity to freak (at great length), George's opening monologues/solos were frequently hilarious and downright funky, and Frank's guitar playing is in a whole other dimension. EAT THAT QUESTION- Another treat brought to us by the end of the tour. The last song played on the last day of the "official" tour. I have yet to hear this, so I cannot really descibe it, and unfortunately, those of you who have heard it probably cannot describe it either as I heard the tape sounds horrible. But anyone who attempts to do so will win Bronco's new "Bondage in a Bottle". [Jon Naurin wins, with this lil' bit of info- "Cleveland 12/1/74: was very curious to hear what "Eat that Question" would sound like. Much to my disappointment, Montana led into the usual finger-cymbal jam, which went on while the tape was running out. Then, suddenly, the band steers into the Eat that Question riff, majestetic as always. After 50 secs, just when FZ is about to start soloing, the tape ends. And I'm left in frustration."] ECHIDNA'S ARF (OF YOU)- Played as on YCDTOSA Volume II. Essentially the same nightly FATHER O'BLIVION- Essentially played as on "Apostrophe". Always played as part four of the four part "Don't Eat" suite. During the "Good morning, your highness" section, the band would continue to vamp on this theme once the vocals were sung, at which point Frank would usually make the closing band introductions, or annnounce a segue into the next song. FLAMBAY- This was a treat. Only performed onceever- on 9/25/74, with Duke on vocals. At this concert, the song arose out of the ashes of a "Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?" drum solo. Frank starts messing around with his guitar- playing chords- and distinctly plays the opening riff of "Zoot Allures". He messes around with this theme for about thirty seconds, before the whole band jumps headfirst into "Flambay". Upon finishing the song, the band makes a somewhat ricketey but very interesting segue back into the closing riff of "Echdina's Arf (of You)" FLORENTINE POGEN- By this tour, this song had developed into what we have on "OSFA". The only difference is that live, we have a guitar solo. This latter portion of the song, apart from the solo itself and the lack of horns, was composed and played as it was for the '88 tour, a version of which can be found on TBBYNHIYL. GEORGE DUKE IMPROVISATIONS- This "song", and others with similar titles, appear on many tapes and setlists. Usually, this refers to George Duke's

"moment-in-the-spotlight" synthesizer freak-out that he got at the beginning of "Dupree's Paradise." See YCDTOSA Volume II for a very lame version of such. Also, "The Booger Man" from YCDTOSA Volume IV is another, much better, example of a "George Duke Improvisation". HELP I'M A ROCK- During the absolutely incredible 8/11 show (documented on an absolutely horrible tape), Frank whips out this '60's classic, and turns in one of the most inspired performances of a consistently inspired tour. The song is essentially performed as on "Freak Out!", with an extra verse of Nixon-esque "Help I'm Not A Crook" thrown in for good measure. Frank even throws in an extensive guitar solo a la the Sixties, complete with some "Transylvania Boogie-ish" style riffs. This leads to a short Duke solo, a short Thompson solo, and then a segue into special guest Tom Waits "Ol' 55". Unfortunately, the tape is edited here, and when we return, Waits has already left the stage, and the band is once again jamming on the "Help I'm A Rock" riff. This is very, very sweet. Anyone who can tolerate less than average sound must make it a top priority to acquire this tape. HOW COULD I BE SUCH A FOOL?- Essentially played as on "Unmitigated Audacity" from Beat the Boots Volume one, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. This was a leftover from the previous "Ten Years of Mother's" tour that appeared sporadically throughout the beginning months of the tour. IDIOT BASTARD SON- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume II. At one particularly silly show (7/20), the song became "That Arrogant Dick Nixon", yet another tune inspired by the Watergate situation. Same music as above, with rewritten lyrics. The song was performed as usual for the rest of the tour, though it did transform into an Arrogant Dick tribute at least one more time on 12/31. I'M NOT SATISFIED- Quite a treat. Rather short, quick run-through of this song, but very enjoyable nonetheless. Essentially played as on "Freak Out", allowing for the obvious differences in instrumentation. The only real difference between the two versions is the opening segment. The guitar riff in the '74 version is a lot more pronounced and frantic than the studio version, and personally reminds me of the intro to "Dead Girls of London". I'M THE SLIME- Essentially performed as on OS, with the only improv occurring in FZ's solo. There is no opening guitar frenzy in the one version I have heard.

INCA ROADS- Played as on YCDTOSA Volume II, with the only improv occurring in both FZ and Duke's solos. There's not much I can really say about this song that can do it justice, so I won't. Notable Performances- December KCET [love those noises]. IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE- Essentially performed as on "Unmitigated Audacity", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in the somewhat improvised, and disappointingly weak, vocals. JAZZ ALLURES- Not an actual song, just Frank messing around with the "Zoot Allures" chords during the 9/25 show. LET'S MAKE THE WATER TURN BLACK- Another holdover from the "Ten Years of Mothers" tour. This tune was essentially performed as on "Unmitigated Audacity" from Beat the Boots Volume one, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. LOUIE LOUIE- Yes, it pops its teenage head up once again. Just Frank being Frank, so whether it be as a stand alone song, or incorporated within another tune, "Louie Louie" made its requisite appearance. MONTANA- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume II, although the "thrilling conclusion" to the song was usually played. The solos were routinely excellent, and frequently dissolved into complete randomness thanks to Chester's interesting drum accompianment. Vocal changes were usually minimal ("I'm moving to..."), and no versions ever reached the extremes of the unbeatable Helsinki version. MORE TROUBLE EVERY DAY- Essentially played as on "Roxy and Elsewhere", with the main variation coming in Frank's solo. Like in subsequent years, the lyrics would also frequently be changed to update the audience on band happenings.Notable Performance11/17/74 [Monster jam, with "Any Downers" riff; song never finished] MUDSHARK- Yes, ladies and gentleman, the dance that is sweeping across the Atlantic, swept into San Diego one August night (where's the Navy when you need them?) and corrupted the minds of a whole new generation. It is essentially performed as in '71 and '73- the only difference being the spontaneous FZconducted improv. The story is the same, and Frank even has the audience singing "mud-sh-sh-shshaaaark." We even find out that the Mudshark Treatment has been repeatedly used on Ruth. NANOOK RUBS IT- Essentially performed as on "Apostrophe", with the standard variation in Frank's limited guitar fills, and in Duke's and Brock's comments. Unlike the YCDTOSA Volume I version,

no audience participatipion. Always played as part two of the four part "Don't Eat" Suite. NITE OWL- Performed twice on this tour, both times with special guest Lance Loud (of the TV show "The American Family") doing the vocals. Unlike the 80's versions of this tune, this performance is a lot bluesier, with more of a hard-core, slow blues sound. It is NOT upbeat like the version that Frank would occasionally play on his early 80's tours. [Sean Gaffney was unfortunate to remember "The American Family" show. It was a "rather cruel show that purported to broadcast the everyday lives of an average American family for 13 weeks. By the end of the series, the son had come out, the daughter was pregnant, and the parents were divorced". A true American classic.] OH NO/ SON OF ORANGE COUNTY- Essentially played as on "Roxy and Elsewhere", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Occasionally, the lyrics would fall victim to the whims of Frank and Napoleon, and thus we got versions about politics, and also versions about chord changes. This was another song on this tour where Frank's solos were typically ferocious. He alternated between a clean and distorted sound, and typically worked the rhythm section into a frenzy before segueing into "Son of Orange County." OL '55- The Mother's played this Tom Waits' tune one time only- on 8/11- with Tom Waits sitting in and doing the vocals. I do not know much about the performance, but Biffy the Elephant Shrew attended this show, and filled me in on this missing piece of info. Also, during Tom Waits' "12 Inches" joke on 11/9, this song is played as the backing for the joke, but the song itself is never actually performed. PENGUIN IN BONDAGE- Essentially played as on TBBYNHIYL (the "Roxy" version is edited). The solo section, however, was not limited to 16 bars as on the '84 and '88 tours, but was essentially limitless, though the rhythm section was fairly under control. POJAMA PEOPLE- This song was played MUCH slower on this tour than in the version on OSFA. It debuts on the European portion of the tour as a painfully slow and very uninteresting number (even as a historical comparison, the first performance sucks.) The tempo picks up slightly over the course of its several performances, but never really gains much speed. For the most part, it is a keyboard and drums affair, with very little of that biting guitar that we have in the OSFA version. Hence, the song had a very laid-back, slow blues sort-of feel to it. Frank would solo, and provide minimal rhythmic support to George's keyboard solos, but none of those wicked,

composed runs found in the studio take. THAT IS, however, until the Mini-monster performance found during the 11/30 show. At the end of Frank's somewhat short solo, Frank hesitantingly begins playing the melodic lines we know from OSFA, with Duke hesitatingly joining in. Frank continues teasing the riffs, Duke continues to follow, and although they never achieve the power and precision found on the studio take, the results are quite musical. Not only that, but this seems to spurn on Frank's quest for improvisation, as this performance takes us into improvisational heaven. Duke solos, Brock solos, Ruth solos, an audience members lectures us on music, Fowler solos, and then musical chaos ensues as Frank leads the band through some random orchestrations on their way back to the mellow, laid back ending. A perfect ending for this song's way too short live career. Thus, over the course of the tour, we find that Frank's solos are not much to listen to at first, but that with each subsequent performance, Frank gets more comfortable with the song's rhythm and changes, and his solos come to have a little more bite to them. Then, without warning, the final performance erupts into a shower of improvisational heaven. PYGMY TWYLYTE- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume II, with the only variation coming in Frank's solo. The meltdown and reemergence of the theme at the end of the song appear to be written out, as they occurred in each performance. For the first several weeks of the tour, this tune is performed as on the previous tours, i.e. the fast version, with the "Dummy Up" funk jam in the middle where Nappy improvises the lyrics while the band funks away. This changed once the band reached Europe, and became the guitar solo vehicle we have on the Stage series. RALPH STUFFS HIS SHOES- On 9/25, Frank premiered "Can't Afford No Shoes"- the music; the lyrics, however, were something different altogether. Yes, they were about dear ol' Ralph Humphrey, and concerned a peculiar habit he had of stuffing his shoes. Huh. RASHID (GLORIA)- In response to an audience member requesting "Louie Louie", Frank takes a poll to find out if the audience would actually like to hear "Louie Louie". When they loudly cheer "No!", Frank replies "How about Gloria?", and without hesitation, the band tears into the song. I don't know if Brock knew the original lyrics or not, but all he really sings is "Rashid" over and over again. Then Frank informs us that it is the band's duty to report to the audience on the events of the previous night in the hotel, and that this is such a report (which he refers to as the "Booger Bear report"). He then tells us a short little story about "one of the girls in the band", a bag of Fritos, the Hitachi penguin, and a vibrator. Upon

concluding this strange and somewhat amusing tale, Frank instructs the band to "take it away", and they dutifully finish the song. RDNZL- No band played this song better (sorry '82). Ruth's performance in the beginning of the song is a Percussion Wonder of the World. Frank never fails to achieve greatness when soloing, and Duke funks the hell out of his solo section. Essentially the same as the Helsinki version, with the opening segment more closely resembling the "Lost Episodes" version during the opening weeks of the tour. Thus, instead of Ruth's slow, mesmerizing solo, we get an active, fast paced, somewhat shorter solo before the segue into Frank's solo. This changed by Europe, and became the classic intro of the YCDTOSA Volume II version. Throughout the tour, there are frequent changes in the vocal part of the "We Can Build A Love" section, with my personal favorite being- in reference to Marty Perellis- "Every Holiday Inn has a kennel in the back of... except where prohibited by law." ROAD LADIES- From tapes and setlists I've seen, this was a one-time-only event as far as this tour goes. Performed as an encore on July 17th in Phoenix, this is the heavy blues version we know and love, complete with guitar solo, and with a little '74 humor- all directed at Marty- thrown in just to be safe. ROOM SERVICE- Basic structure as on YCDTOSA Volume II. Obviously, this song changed with each performance, as the words reflected the happenings of the band. This song was always preceded by "Pygmy Twylyte" (but not vice-versa), and did not appear until the European portion of the tour. RUTHIE RUTHIE- A one time only performance (11/8), represented in all its glory on YCDTOSA I. At the request of an audience member, Frank decides to play "Louie Louie", conceding to all in attendance that they might as well play it since they are "only in Passaic". Ruth begins the festivities with a short percussion rendition of the tune, before we get the full blown "Ruthie Ruthie" version. SAN BER'DINO- Makes it's glorious premiere on New Year's, with the music sounding essentially the same- well-rehearsed if not a little more racuous- but the lyrics are quite different. To begin with, they are in the first person ("only one shower, but it don't apply to me"), and thus there is absolutely no mention of Potato-headed Bobby. Definitely worth hearing. [Thanks to Jon Naurin for info then tape] SATUMAA- A Finnish Tango-performed only oncebut NOT on 9/22 during the course of the infamous Helsnki concert. It was actually performed at an unannounced free concert that Zappa performed the following evening at the same venue. It was

obviously lifted from FZ's tape of that performance and grafted on to his compilation of the TWO concerts performed on 9/22. But considering Frank's success record at acurately identifying dates, it's possible that he was unaware that it was from a different night, and might have believed it was from one of the two 9/22 shows. SON OF MR. GREEN GENES- This song is known to have been performed once on this tour, as an encore to the recently surfaced 7/5 St. Louis show. Apart from some typical '74 madness featuring Ruthwhich ends the song in inspired fashion- there is not much to this rather tossed-off rendition. The pace is quite fast, and the two featured solos- Brock and Duke- have a very rushed feel to them. This is nothing spectacular, but it is nice to know that Frank at least gave the tune one last shot. ST. ALPHONSO'S PANCAKE BREAKFAST- We love you Ruth! Essentially played as on "Apostrophe", with Ruth the Goddess playing some absolutely spellbinding percussion. Always played as part three of the four part "Don't Eat" Suite. In a couple of the earlier performances of this, it is played at a very slow pace, though with essentially the same arrangement. STINKFOOT- Except for a handful of shows in the beginning of the tour, this song always followed "Tush Tush Tush" as the second song of each concert. Like that song, this also fell victim to wordplay and nightly updates, and maintained a particular liveliness thanks to the Perellis situation. The "Come here, Fido" portion usually contained some interesting moments, and over the course of the tour, Frank's solos ranged from brilliant to pointless. Interestingly, Frank did a lot of tuning in these solos. Also, the performances towards the beginning of the tour were a lot more guitar dominated, especially in the pre-vocals opening section. The 7/21 performance- the second ever- is a veritable monster, with some of the most serious, nononsense "Stinkfoot" soloing you will ever hear. These early performances were also a lot more vocal oriented, with extended Frank rants on Booger Bears, Marty Perellis, and, of course, dogs. CARLOS SANTANA CONCEPTUAL CONTINUITY CLUEDuring the 7/20 premiere performance of this tune, Frank says, in his diseases of the foot rant, that you, the audience member, think "you are cool coz' you got a Santana album". Why? T'MERSHI DUWEEN- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume II, with the only variation being tempo. TUSH TUSH TUSH (A TOKEN OF MY EXTREME)Probably the most performed song of the Fall '74

tour, as it was used to open and usually close almost every show (except for a handful of shows at the beginning of the tour). The tune was performed differently each night, and was sort of a Nightly Update on the band's happenings. While the musical structure of the tune was essentially the same nightly (although it would vary in length), the vocal content was different. Duke and Brock would comment on whatever strange things were happening with the band, poke fun at Ruth and Chester, and update us on the continuing saga of Marty Perellis. In my opinion, always funny and a great way to start each show. VILLAGE OF THE SUN- Played as on YCDTOSA Volume II, with the only improv occurring in Brock's solo (and even then...). WILLIE THE PIMP- A rare treat, played the way it should have always been played (hear that, '84 band). Wicked guitar intro, wicked lyrics, wicked guitar solo- a not a trace of reggae anywhere in site. Only played once- on 7/7. WOWIE ZOWIE- Another leftover from the "Ten Years of Mothers" tour. This was essentially played as on "Unmitigated Audacity" from Beat the Boots volume one, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. ZOOT ALLURES- Not actually played, but the opening chords were teased frequently by Frank throughout the tour, especially in is "Dupree's Paradise" solos. The most obvious "Zoot" tease, however, came in a post- "Don't You Ever" jam, which segued rather beautifully into the only ever performance of "Flambay". This occurred on 9/25, and their exists a rather sweet copy of this in the taping community. PUT YOUR .02 HERE Jon Naurin sez... Well, what can I say. I love it. I think FZ had an incredibly strong suite of bands from Feb 1973 'til Dec 1974. Though these bands resemble each other, the final line-up is the least terrific to me. Probably because I dig Humphrey better than Thompson, and I miss the bigger horn sections from previous bands. But anyway I regard this as one of FZ's 5 best lineups ever. FZ never seemed more comfortable with any other band, and this really reflects in their output. I love the interplay between FZ/Brock/Duke

WINTER '74

BAND MEMBERS- FZ, George Duke (keyboards, vocals), Napoleon Murphy Brock (vocals, sax, flute), Bruce Fowler (trombone), Ralph Humphrey (drums, small feet), Chester Thompson (drums, gorilla), Ruth Underwood (percussion, goddess worship), Tom Fowler (bass), Jeff Simmons (guitar, vocals, harmonica?) DATES- February 15th through March 23rd SHOWS- 18 CITIES- 17 COUNTRIES- 2 (U.S. and Canada) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 23 AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 115 minutes AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 8 SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Andy, Approximate, Cosmik Debris, Chunga's Revenge, Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?, Dupree's Paradise, Florentine Pogen, Inca Roads, Montana, Penguin in Bondage, Pygmy Twylyte, RDNZL, Village of the Sun (very short) COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- Really not much of a tour as far as guitar playing goes. Frank is not bad, he is just not all that great either. The only real spot he had during the show where he stepped up and created something that mattered was during "Dupree's Paradise". "Andy", "RDNZL", "Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?", and "Village of the Sun" were typically too short to really get much going. "Cosmik Debris" and "Montana" were short and energetic, but not revolutionary. "Penguin in Bondage" and "Inca Roads" were lengthier excursions, but still, not all that great. Sadly, nothing from this tour is a must hear. SONGS THAT FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- King Kong NEW SONGS ON TOUR (1st time performed live)Andy, Florentine Pogen MONSTER SONGS- Dupree's Paradise. While not the mindblowing extravaganzas of the Fall '74 tour, these "Dupree's Paradise" showcases still manage to impress. Duke gets his by-now standard opening keyboard spotlight, each band member gets a chance to strut his stuff during the actual tune, and Frank closes the ceremonies with his consistently best solo of the tour. The real treat of this tour, however, is the "Carolina Hard-core Ecstasy"

opening bassline that is used as the vamp for Frank's solo. It limits the solo somewhat, but is still a treat to hear. OVERVIEW- This should have been a great tour. Looking at the ingredients that went into this outing, you would expect a colossal treat. A top-notch band, complete with the three drummers/percussionists, two horn players, one heck of a funky keyboard player, a highly underrated bass player, and the mighty return of Jeff Simmons. Essentially, we have the near perfect Fall '74 band, with the addition of a better drummer, a rhythm guitar player, and the best trombone player this side of anywhere. The setlists are similar to those of the Fall tour also, with more emphasis put on certain songs, yes, but not with any major changes. But for some reason, even with these factors, this is not a great tour. In fact, I would say that this is one of Frank's most disappointing tours that he ever embarked on. THE SETLISTS- While the setlists do contain many songs that would later become classics- highlights of any given show- they all appear here in early and/or different versions. "Andy", "Florentine Pogen", "Inca Roads", "Cheepnis", "RDNZL", and "Village of the Sun" all are performed differently than they are on any official releases. They are interesting versions, simply because they are different, but this time around, interesting does not mean good. "Andy" sounds like a poorly constructed jigsaw puzzle, "Florenine Pogen" is ridiculously fast, "RDNZL" is still missing Ruth's percussion opening and Frank's epiclength solo, and "Inca Roads" has a first half that is simply boring. All these songs would reappear later in the year in much more powerful versions, and thus serve only as disappointments this time round. The remainder of the setlists consist of typically good Frank Zappa material, but nothing that makes a tour essential. "Cosmik Debris", "Montana", "Penguin in Bondage", "Echidna's-> Don't You Ever"- material that is enjoyable to hear, but not anything that we cannot find somewhere else. The one highlight of the tour, and possibly the biggest reason for collecting tapes of this tour, is the "Dupree's Paradise" endeavors. They appear here as your typical solofest, climaxing with a Frank guitar solo over the "Carolina Hard-core Ecstasy" opening bassline. A very nice surprise. THE BAND- Absolutely no complaints about the band, except for the fact that they are highly underused on this tour. Yes, they perform this difficult material flawlessly, and yes, they all get a chance to solo, but they never seem to really FREAK. With a band of this caliber, one would expect an endless series of mindblowing musical experiences (as we would get on the Fall '74 tour, no?), but this does not happen. Instead, we get the same routine setlists each night, the same patterned solo sections, the

same rather low level of energy and excitement. For some reason, things never seem to ignite and burn the place down. It has been brought to my attention that there are no really good sounding tapes from this tour, and that this may have a negative influence on one's opinion of the tour. While I have to agree with this, I must also say that given the quality of this band, compared with the quality of the setlists and quality of the performances that I have heard, there is still a big discrepancy between what we get and what we SHOULD get, and no excellent sounding tape can make up for an unpassionate performance. Thus, I would rank this as one of Frank's most disappointing and most inconsequential tours. As far as tape collecting goes, it is probably worth tracking down one tape from this tour simply to hear the different versions of several of the songs, and to hear one of the "Dupree's Paradise" performances. Apart from that, however, I feel that the mateial from this tour is performed better on other tours, and that you are better off going to those tours to find satisfying music. THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED ANDY- As performed on this tour, the as-yet-untitled "Andy" (frequently referred to as "Something/Anything?") has essentially the same structure as the later OSFA version. But the devil is in the details, and it is the little things that really define this version as being different. The opening segment is slower and more dramatic (quite majestic, to these ears) and includes a repeating keyboard riff that is not present in the later version. The opening lyrics are a lot more staccato, with an awkward stop-and-go action occurring between the phrases, and the first verse is more of a bluesy affair, with Frank playing along with the melody line. The aforementioned keyboard riff pops up again, as does some random soloing by Frank. During the somewhat calm middle section, someone blows a very out-of-place harmonica, and Frank delivers a nice, feedback laden guitar solo. The post solo vocal section is "Andy"less, with the lyrics appearing as "Have I lied with a thong rind?, Wasting my time on a stoned (?) mind?" Finally, there is no climatic "Andy!" to bring the song to its appropriate conclusion, just Brock wailing over the drum beat, followed by a short Zappa guitar raveup similar to the one found on OSFA. Brock feels the need to try to accompany Zappa during his solo (by screaming, of course), and this definitely has an effect on the song (no comment). On the whole, an interesting but ultimately inferior version. While the song starts off on the right foot, the slower speed of the song and the staccato verses inhibit the flow of the song. Worth hearing, but not essential. APPROXIMATE- Reappears after an 18 month absence, and seemingly full of amphetamines. The

head of the tune is essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume II, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and at a much greater speed. Once the head is played, we get an assortment of solos, before a brief return to the song. A triumphant, one-time only for this tour return. BABETTE- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume I, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in the somewhat improvised lyrics. A one time only on this tour engagement. CAROLINA HARD-CORE ECSTASY- This song was not performed as such. Instead, during Frank's "Dupree's Paradise" guitar solo, the opening bass riff to "Carolina" was used as the solo vamp. Upon completion of the solo, the band would then segue back into the closing theme of "Dupree's Paradise". CHEEPNIS- This tour's version sounds like a mutant hybrid of the "Roxy and Elsewhere" and YCDTOSA Volume II releases. Things start off as always, with Brock going to the movies, describing the movie, and Narrator Frank alerting us to the presence of a large poodle dog. After the "Nuclear Force" line, we get the "Harry Thing" section- as on YCDTOSA Volume IIbut without the improvised breakfast lyrics found on that latter performance. Instead, we get the extended "Harry Thing" funk jam, in which Brock essentially wails and screams while the band grooves along behind him. This leads into the "run for shelter" bit, the short percussion display by Ruth, and then, as on the Roxy release, we get the full blown ending. This means Little Miss Muffet reappears, followed by the Horrible Eye (yes, the Horrible Eye), and finally the concluding lyrics as found on both releases. I personally prefer the YCDTOSA version, as I have never been fond of that Horrible Eye, and I really enjoy Brock's spiel about opening up the bartender in his room. This version includes the Horrible Eye, and excludes the bartender rap, and thus for me, it is inferior to the latter version. I do enjoy it much better than the Roxy release, though, as the overproduction on that tune has always annoyed me. Thus, I would say that this is a worthy version of an unfortunately short-lived song. CHESTER'S GORILLA- An early title for "Florentine Pogen". CHUNGA'S REVENGE- Played as part of the "King Kong-> Chunga's Revenge-> Mr. Green Genes" medley. As far as the main theme goes, all we get is the abrupt guitar intro as it appears on the album, followed by a Frank Zappa guitar solo played over the "Chunga's" bassline. Upon completion of his solo, Frank would segue into the melody of "Mr Green

Genes", at which point the band would follow suit and ease into the medley closing tune. COSMIK DEBRIS- Essentially performed as on "Apostrophe (')", with the standard deviation coming in the assortment of solos. Typically, we get a Brock horn solo, a keyboard solo, occasionally a harmonica solo, and the standard FZ workout. The "price-ofmeat" section is the basic '74 funk version- heavy on the keyboards, light on the guitar, and punctuated by bursts from the horn section. DOG BREATH/UNCLE MEAT- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume II, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the possible deviation coming in speed. DON'T YOU EVER WASH THAT THING?Essentially performed as on "Roxy and Elsewhere", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in the short but funky solos. Also, Ruth is again the victim of Frank's wit, being pointed out and drawn attention to during each performance, much to her dismay as I have read. DUMMY UP- While this "song" appears as a separate track on the "Roxy and Elsewhere" album, it appears on this tour as the middle section of "Pygmy Twylyte" (Frank usually announced the setlists at each show, and always referred to "Pygmy Twylyte" but never mentioned "Dummy Up"). For each performance, this "song" is essentially a full band funk jam similar to the one on the Roxy album, but without the full-blown comedy routine. While the band funked away, Brock would make up some typically indiscernible lyrics and Frank would randomly solo. Then, at some cue, Brock would sing "Dummy Up, Dummy Up"- which essentially served as the chorusthere would be short musical bridge, Brock would sing the chorus again, and then the band would return to "Pygmy Twylyte" proper. DUPREE'S PARADISE- This is the Monster Song of the tour, and while it does not quite live up to the beasts of the Fall '74 outing, it never fails to satisfy. The festivities start off with your standard Duke-led funk jam, heavy on the keyboards, sprinkled liberally with random Frank orchestrations. As with almost all 70's "Dupree's" openings, almost anything can happen during this part, and thus, it does. Frank leads the band through random noises, jams, and meltdowns, and either coerces the audience to join along, or lectures them on the value of short people (3/9- my favorite DP from this tour.) After Frank has had enough of this, he leads us into the main theme, and then drops us off in the Solo Section. Brock goes first (flute or sax), then Fowler the bass player- mixed with some quite funky and impressive Simmons-

followed by Duke, Fowler the trombone player, and, of course, Frank. The real treat of these "Dupree's" is the "Carolina Hard-core Ecstasy" opening bassline which is used as the vamp for Frank's solos. While it somewhat limits Frank in the direction he can go, it still manages to inspire and produce some worthy guitar outings. When Frank finishes his solo, the band somehow manages to find its way back into the main theme, before ending the song coldly. Another impressive, but not quite great, tour for the Dupree's Paradise Lounge Act. ECHIDNA'S ARF (OF YOU)- Essentially performed as on "Roxy and Elsewhere", acounting for the obvious differences in instrumentation. FLORENTINE POGEN- Essentially played as on OSFA, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and A LOT faster. Ridiculously faster. "Is this even the same song?" faster. All the parts are here (minus Perellis and the crab cakes), but they are played at such a pace that if you blink, you will miss them. Duke has a short solo spot in the middle of the tune this time round, as does Frank in the early performances on the tour. In fact, this rare and tasty middle-of-the-song solo is one of the guitar treats of the tour. The conclusion of the tune is also quite a bit different. There's a new set of lyrics after the traditional closing lyrics (which include "Put them all together and they smell... to you?"), which drops us off squarely in the lap of "Kung Fu". Another interesting early version of a later classic, worth hearing, especially the early, guitar solo versions, but not essential. [Pat buzby writes in and notifies me that this version is precisely twice the tempo of the familiar version] IDIOT BASTARD SON- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume II, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. This tour's performances seem to be taken at a slightly brisker pace than the Fall '74 "Idiots", though it may just be my imagination. On at least one occasion (2/16), we get the highly topical "Arrogant Dick Nixon" lyrics, which, obviously, pay homage to the USA's fallen president. (Anyone want to transcribe these and send them this way? I'll post 'em.) INCA ROADS- To make things easier, I will divide this song into two parts- the first part, up through the guitar solo, and the second part, from the end of the guitar solo on. The second part of the song is essentially performed as on OSFA, which apart from differences in the solo section, is how it has appeared since the previous year. We get the standard Duke solo this time out. The first part of the song has the same basic structure as the OSFA version, but with one major, and quite unfortunate, difference. The tune starts off with the same percussion and drum riff as on the official release, and is essentially the same

through the vocals and into Frank's guitar solo. But whereas the percussion aspects of the song are underplayed and eventually disappear on the later version, they remain and play a prominent role for the entire first half of this version. All throughout George's vocal parts, and even for the duration of Frank's solo, the same repeating lick is played by Ruth and the drummers, giving the song a very repititive and confined feel. Even Duke's "spacey" keyboards cannot salvage this opening section. The greatest problem with this is the inhibiting effect it has on Frank's solo, thus preventing him from producing one of the epic solos that he would so frequently create on the Fall '74 outing. For me, this is the most disappointing version of the several early takes that we get on this tour. But again, it is possibly worth hearing, but in no way essential. IS THERE ANYTHING GOOD INSIDE OF YOU?- An early title for "Andy", before "Andy" even had the word Andy in it. KING KONG- Performed as part of the "King Kong-> Chunga's Revenge-> Mr. Green Genes" medley. It appears here in its fast version (similar to the "Uncle Meat" take, but without the opening vamp, and also as performed on the Spring '78 tour), and simply consists of the main theme followed by a short Duke solo. A far cry from the Monster "King Kong" of other tours. KUNG FU- Essentially performed as on "The Lost Episodes". MONTANA- Essentially performed as on "Overnite Sensation", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. These solos were typically quite short this time out, but seemed to always contain quite a bit of energy and high spirits. MR. GREEN GENES- Performed as part of the "King Kong-> Chunga's Revenge-> Mr. Green Genes" medley. Upon completion of his guitar solo during "Chunga's Revenge", Frank would play the melody to "Mr Green Genes", leading the band into a short instrumental version of this tune, similar to the latter half of the song as it appears on TBBYNHIYL. On previous tours, this song also serves as the opening portion of this particular medley, but sadly we get the truncated version this time out. PENGUIN IN BONDAGE- Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL (the "Roxy" version is edited), allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. PYGMY TWYLYTE- Essentially performed as on "Roxy and Elsewhere", with Ruth sounding a lot more

prominent (yeah!) on the several performances I have heard. In its entirety, this song actually contains "Dummy Up". While there is a fade-out on the Roxy album, in the actual live context, the band returns to "Pygmy Twylyte" once they have finished with their "Dummy Up" run-through. Upon returning to the tune, they essentially perform the latter half of the songwith vocals- before heading into the always enjoyable "Idiot Bastard Son". The transition into "Idiot Bastard Son" is essentially the same as the transition found on YCDTOSA Volume II. RDNZL- From the post-solo written section on, this songs essentially appears as it would later be performed on YCDTOSA Volume II. The first half of the tune is quite a bit different, however, though in many ways similar to the "Lost Episodes" release. The short, quick opening section is present at this point, but Ruth's brilliant display of percussion technique is not yet available. Instead, we cut straight to a short Fowler trombone solo (instead of a Ponty solo as on the LE release), followed by a short Frank guitar solo. At this point, we then receive the typical post-solo RDNZL action. While roughly only half the tune is different, this still manages to give the entire song quite a different feel. Without Ruth's mesmerizing solo, and Frank's own full-length, sweeping display of talent, the tune loses a lot of its power. Again, an interesting early version, worth hearing but not necessary. SOMETHING/ANYTHING- Another early title given to "Andy", before "Andy" even had the word Andy in it. T'MERSHI DUWEEN- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume II, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. VILLAGE OF THE SUN- This version has two major differences, both of which are found in the strictly instrumental portions of the song. The opening segment sounds altogether different, though it is essentially a rearranged version of the Fall '74 opening segment. It starts off with some random band yelling, before a slow buildup of drums and horns. FZ then steps in, tearing off some licks, with the band solidifying into a brief Disney-esque funk groove. Once the groove is established, the band segues into the main theme as heard on YCDTOSA II. This drops us into the vocal section, which is the same as the Fall '74 version, just not as hectic. Once we get to the solo section, things get weird once again. Brock yells "Mary", there are several seconds of arranged confusion, and a new funk vamp is established. Either Duke or FZ take a very short solo, the two of them trade licks, the band plays a mutated version of the opening theme, and we then return to the closing vocal section. The conclusion of the song is then essentially the same as on the Helsinki show, except for an abruptly performed ending. An

interesting version, but inferior to all other "Village" renditions. PUT YOUR .02 HERE Jon Naurin sez... I see your points. And yes, I must admit that the adjective I would choose to describe these shows would be "interesting" rather than "brilliant". I think this is the tour I listen to the most, in relation to how many shows I have, but this probably has more to do with their uniqueness and the different versions than the way they're performed. Though I probably like the final versions of Florentine Pogen and Andy (and the earlier version of Village of the Sun) better, I've heard them so many times, that these working versions feel refreshing. Let's not forget the fact that there are no really good sounding tapes from this tour. Maybe a real crisp soundboard that did the band justice would affect our opinions. To never hear what the band really was supposed to sound like might cause us to judge the band too hard. My respect for the fall '80 band increased a lot when I got my hands on the excellent Ft Collins SBD, for instance. SPRING '74 (10 Year Tour) BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Jeff Simmons (guitar, vocals, harmonica), Tom Fowler (bass), Chester Thompson (drums), Napoleon Murphy Brock (sax, flute, vocals), George Duke (vocals, keyboards, funk), Bruce Fowler (trombone), Walt Fowler (horns), Don Preston (keyboards, moog, weirdness) DATES- April 19th through May 14th SHOWS- 21 CITIES- 20 COUNTRIES- 1 (US) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 25 AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 115 mins. AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 7 SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Andy, Camariilo Brillo (outro solo), Cosmik Debris, Dont You Ever Wash That Thing?, Duprees Paradise, Hungry Freaks Daddy, Inca Roads, Montana, More Trouble Every Day, Oh No/Son of Orange County, Penguin in Bondage, RDNZL

COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- Franks guitar playing is excellent on this tour. Compared to his rather lackluster efforts on the previous tour, these solos are simply fantastic. Montana, Penguin in Bondage and Cosmik Debris are in top form, with Frank putting more energy into these songs than he ever would again. The Inca Roads solos suffer from a dull vamp, but Frank manages to spellbind us anyway. The Duprees Paradise solos scorch. And to top it all off, the Oh No/More Trouble solos are simply some of the best that Frank ever played. The vamp, the tones, the rhythmic support- these factors combined with Franks exploratory playing produce some of Franks most impressive and downright serious guitar solos. SONGS FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT NOT ON THIS TOUR- Im Not Satisfied NEW SONGS ON TOUR (1st time performed live)Aint Got No Heart, Wowie Zowie, Youre Probably Wondering Why Im Here MONSTER SONGS- Duprees Paradise. This tune continues its reign of terror over this era of Franks tours. As we have come to expect, George starts these improvisational showcases with some funkified keyboard work, complete on this tour with some frequent yet random Frank philosophizing. During the solo section we get our usual display of mastery, with Brock, Tom and Bruce Fowler, and Frank all getting their chance to make the audiences eyebrows go up and down really fast. Another successful tour of duty for this Monster Song. OVERVIEW- These shows are an incredible improvement over the rather lackluster and uninspired performances of the previous outing. The band is essentially the same, minus the dynamic Ruth, but with the addition of Walt Fowler and Don Preston, who both manage to increase the musical abilities of this band to insane levels. Many of the songs are the same as on the previous tour, yet for some reason these tunes seem to take on a new life this time round. Frank appears to be more relaxed, messing with the songs more frequently, indulging in some lyrical mutations, and exploring his guitar like he has not done in a while. More than anything, however, it is the addition of several new songs that really make the difference, and manage to push this outing to interesting heights. As part of the Mothers Ten Year Celebration, Frank resurrects a handful of old Mothers tunes, injects them with a little extra energy, and turns them loose on the crowds. The results are excellent. The arrangements sound fresh yet still maintain the spirit of the originals, with Napoleon managing to remain somewhat restrained in the vocal department. The

Freak Out! Medley comprises the bulk of these oldies, but it is the brilliantly paired Oh No-> Son of Orange County-> More Trouble Every Day medley which serves as the biggest treat of this tour. Brock does a wonderful job on the difficult Oh No, while Frank simply soars in both the solo spots provided in this medley. Zappa seems to have a newfound intensity in these solos, and has discovered a pair of vamps into which he can really sink his teeth. The only major complaint regarding this tour, which I also made regarding the previous tour, concerns Franks use of his musicians, most notably Preston and the Fowler brothers. While there presence is definitely felt in the arrangements of the tunes, they do not get the chance to really freak out. They each get solos here and there, but the results are never anything as insane as the Improvisations of Spring '73, or the Monster Songs of '88. Having such a high calibre of musicianship in his band, Frank fails to fully exploit his resources, and there is the sense that this tour could have been much more. On the whole, however, this tour succeeds at doing what it sets out to do, and manages to frequently exceed those expectations thanks to some quality playing and excellent song selection. As many of you know, I find the Fall '74 tour to be the pinnacle of Frank's touring career, and it is this tour which finally establishes the atmosphere and attitude that would make the following tour so successful. The musicianship is high, the song selection is excellent, and everyone, especially Frank, seems to be having a really good time. As good as this tour is in its own right, it is an important step in the evolution of the Zappa touring experience, and serves as a necessary precursor to the Fall '74 extravaganza. For that reason alone, this tour will always remain a favorite. THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED ADVANCED BE-BOP SESSION- I am assuming that this is from the end of a "Dupree's Paradise" workout, though from the two available sources it is hard to tell due to edits. Oh well. Wherever it is from, it is highly enjoyable. The event begins with some Duke-led funk, reminscent of "The Booger Man" forays from Fall '74, which leads into a Frank lecture on- what else- jazz. Frank jokes around with the band for awhile before getting to the meat of this little occurrence. At his command, four members of Frank's band each play an unrelated jazz standard, at the same time, "stomping on each other's dicks" while doing so. Bruce plays "Orinthology", Walt plays "Giant Steps", Brock plays "Little Coquette", and Preston plays "Sweet Leilani". The result is nothing more than musical chaos, but enjoyable nonetheless.

AIN'T GOT NO HEART- Essentially performed as on "Unmitigated Audacity" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with Brock on vocals. Compared to the "Freak Out" version, these performances are a lot more aggressive and guitar oriented, with an added guitar rave-up similar to the ending from "Tryin' to Grow A Chin". ANDY- While this version does not yet have the confident swagger of the OSFA take, what we get here is essentially the same nonetheless. This arrangement sounds more similar to the '88 TBBYNHIYL version thanks to the presence of the horn players, yet contains the two guitar solos (the lengthier one in the middle, and the shorter, more frenzied one at the end) as heard on OSFA. CAMARILLO BRILLO- Essentially performed as on "Unmitigated Audacity" from Beat the Boots Volume I. While this song would eventually become a by-thenumbers stroll with very little energy, on this tour, and up through Spring '75, "Camarillo Brillo" is a worthy and somewhat exciting number. Frank's guitar is heavy in the mix, the groove is solid, and the song typically climaxes in a short Duke and/or Frank solo. CHEEPNIS- This tour's version sounds like a mutant hybrid of the "Roxy and Elsewhere" and YCDTOSA Volume II releases. Things start off as always, with Brock going to the movies, describing the movie, and Narrator Frank alerting us to the presence of a large poodle dog. After the "Nuclear Force" line, we get the "Harry Thing" section- as on YCDTOSA Volume IIbut without the improvised breakfast lyrics found on that latter performance. Instead, we get the extended "Harry Thing" funk jam, in which Brock essentially wails and screams while the band grooves along behind him. This leads into the "run for shelter" bit, the short percussion display, and then, as on the Roxy release, we get the full blown ending. This means Little Miss Muffet reappears, followed by the Horrible Eye (yes, the Horrible Eye), and finally the concluding lyrics as found on both releases. I personally prefer the YCDTOSA version, as I have never been fond of that Horrible Eye, and I really enjoy Brock's spiel about opening up the bartender in his room. This version includes the Horrible Eye, and excludes the bartender rap, and thus for me, it is inferior to the latter version. I do enjoy it much better than the Roxy release, though, as the overproduction on that tune has always annoyed me. Thus, I would say that this is a worthy version of an unfortunately short-lived song. COSMIK DEBRIS- Essentially performed as always, with the standard deviation coming in the parade of solos. This time around we get Brock, Duke, Simmons (harmonica), and Frank solos, and the horn-heavy funkified "price of meat" section.

DON'T YOU EVER WASH THAT THING?Essentially performed as on "Roxy and Elsewhere", with the standard deviation coming in Bruce's show stopping solo, and Duke's "he ain't Bruce but he's good nonetheless" keyboard solo. DUPREE'S PARADISE- The Monster of tour. As is standard procedure by this point, these performances start off with some funky George Duke keyboard jams, or as Frank chose to call it at one particular show, the "cheap version of 'Jungle Boogie'". Compared to both the '73 and Fall '74 performances, these jams are more straightforward, with less random conducting by Frank. Frank does, however, do quite a bit more talking in these funky intros, involving Simmons and Brock in improvised routines similar to "Dummy Up". After several minutes of this, we enter "Dupree's Paradise" proper, with the main theme followed by a series of solos. Brock goes first (on either sax or flute), followed by the Fowler brothers. Tom does his bass thing first, followed by Bruce proving his trombone godliness to the masses. Finally, Frank wraps things up in some of his most intense and metal tinged "Dupree's" solos. Frank's guitar playing is consistently excellent throughout this tour, but coming hot-on-the-heels of Bruce's trombone wizardry, Frank knows he has to really heat things up in order to compare. So he does, and the results are great. HARRY YOU'RE A BEAST- Essentially performed as on "Unmitgated Audacity" from Beat the Boots Volume I. The "with vocals" version. HOW COULD I BE SUCH A FOOL?- Essentially performed as on "Unmitigated Audacity" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with Brock on vocals. Compared to the "Freak Out" version, these performances are slightly faster, with an added guitar solo ending complete with additional improvised vocals. HUNGRY FREAKS DADDY- Essentially performed as on "Unmitigated Audacity" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with Brock on vocals. IDIOT BASTARD SON- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume II, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. I'M NOT SATISFIED- Essentially performed as on "Unmitigated Audacity" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with Brock on vocals. Compared to the "Freak Out" version, these are vocal only performances, with no guitar solo. INCA ROADS- Essentially performed as on "One Size Fits All", with one major difference. The tune starts off with the same percussion and drum riff as on the official release, and unfortunately maintains

this groove throughout the vocals and into Frank's guitar solo. So whereas the percussion aspects of the song are underplayed and eventually disappear on the later version, they remain and play a prominent role for the entire first half of this version. All throughout George's vocal parts, and even for the duration of Frank's solo, the same repeating lick is played by Chester, giving the song a very repititive and confined feel. Even Duke's "spacey" keyboards cannot salvage this opening section. The greatest problem with this is the inhibiting effect it has on Frank's solo, thus preventing him from producing one of the epic solos that he would so frequently create on the Fall '74 outing. The remainder of the tune thankfully appears as it always has and will, with the added bonus of a Fowler trombone solo prior to Duke's keyboard solo. For me, this is a disappointing version of this classic tune simply because of the difference in the guitar solo rhythmic accompianment. Frank's solos are still excellent, but somewhat inhibited by the restrictive vamp. IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE- Essentially performed as on "Unmitigated Audacity", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's slightly improvised vocals. LET'S MAKE THE WATER TURN BLACKEssentially performed as on "Unmitigated Audacity" from Beat the Boots Volume I. LOUIE LOUIE- Exactly performed as on "Unmitigated Audacity" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with this performance being the only one from this tour. MONTANA- Essentially performed as always, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. MORE TROUBLE EVERY DAY- Essentially performed as on "Roxy and Elsewhere", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This is one of the continual treats of this tour, and never fails to produce some excellent Frank solos. OH NO/SON OF ORANGE COUNTY- Essentially performed as on "Unmitigated Audacity", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo (it also appears on "Roxy and Elsewhere", but without the main portion of "Oh No"). The arrival of this tune, along with "More Trouble Every Day", is one of the great developments of this era in Frank's career. As the performances on this tour show, along with the even more insane performances from the following tour, these songs were a constant inspiration to the band, and always seemed to bring out the most intense performances from everyone involved. The rhythm section seem to be particularly fond of this tune, and of "More Trouble Every Day", locking into

some serious grooves and pushing Frank's solos to continually great heights. PENGUIN IN BONDAGE- Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL (the Roxy version is edited), allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. PYGMY TWYLYTE- Essentially performed as on "Roxy and Elsewhere", though at a somewhat slower pace (though not as slow as the YCDTOSA Volume II version). In its entirety, this song actually contains the "Dummy Up" funk jam. During this jam, Brock improvises the lyrics for several minutes while the band funks away behind him. When Frank gives the cue, Brock and the band segue into the chorus (which appears as the "Dummy Up" lines on Roxy), before returning to "Pygmy Twylyte" proper. Upon returning to the tune, they essentially perform the latter half of the song- with vocals- before frequently heading into the always enjoyable "Idiot Bastard Son". The transition into "Idiot Bastard Son" is essentially the same as the transition found on YCDTOSA Volume II. RDNZL- From the post-solo written section on, this songs essentially appears as it would later be performed on YCDTOSA Volume II. The first half of the tune is quite a bit different, however, though in many ways similar to the "Lost Episodes" release. The short, quick opening section is present at this point, but Ruth's brilliant display of percussion technique is not yet available. Instead, we cut straight to a short Fowler trombone solo (instead of a Ponty solo as on the LE release), followed by a short Frank guitar solo. At this point, we then receive the typical post-solo RDNZL action. While roughly only half the tune is different, this still manages to give the entire song quite a different feel. Without Ruth's mesmerizing solo, and Frank's own full-length, sweeping display of talent, the tune loses a lot of its power. It's still good, though. WOWIE ZOWIE- Essentially performed as on "Unmitigated Audacity" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with Brock on vocals. YOU"RE PROBABLY WONDERING WHY I'M HERE- Essentially performed as on "Unmitigated Audacity" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with Brock on vocals. Compared to the "Freak Out" version, these performances are quite a bit more aggressive. SPRING '75 BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Napoleon Murphy Brock (vocals, saxophone, dancing), Tom Fowler (bass), Bruce Fowler (trombone), Denny Walley (slide guitar), Terry Bozzio (drums, moisture), George Duke

(keyboards, vocals), Captain Beefheart (vocals, sax, harmonica, shopping bags) SPECIAL GUESTS- Jimmy Carl Black DATES-April 11th through May 26th SHOWS- 33 CITIES- 30 COUNTRIES- 1 (USA) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 25 AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 100 minutes AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 6 SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Advance Romance, Apostrophe, Carolina Hard-core Ecstasy, Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?, Florentine Pogen, Intro, Montana, Muffin Man, Orange Claw Hammer, Penguin in Bondage, Pound for a Brown, Sleeping in a Jar, Stinkfoot, The Torture Never Stops, The Velvet Sunrise, Willie the Pimp COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- Frank's guitar playing is great on this tour. Not "this-is-the-best-he's-everplayed" great (I would reserve that statement for '81/'82, many others would apply it to '78/'79), but "listen-to-that-guy-go-where-does-he-get-the-energydamn-is-that-some-ugly-playing" great. Frank is just upfront, in-yer-face, ripping off those solos like he has not played guitar in years. The best part about it is this is the tour where Frank's playing starts to get nasty. Loud and ugly. Distorted and fast and full of venom. Even the most standard of guitar solo vehicles are raised from the depths of mediocrity by the attitude conveyed in Frank's playing. "Stinkfoot" has more energy than it would ever see, "Muffin Man" and "Willie the Pimp" are simply blasphemous, "The Torture Never Stops" is dirty, swamp blues, and "Pound for a Brown" is an aural workshop on how to make your guitar sound ugly (and oh is it great!). For some reason, possibly a new drummer, or the uncontrollable nature of Beefheart's musical presence, Frank's guitar work on this tour has a raw and rather exposed quality, as if for the first time he was really showing us the "warts and all". Considering that he only chose to release three guitar solos from this tour, and considering how highly he regarded his official output, I believe that Frank really was showing us the warts and all on this tour, and that is why we have so little released from it. Quite a shame, because to these ears, the rough edged, seemingly haphazard nature of these solos makes for some intriguing listening.

SONGS FZ DID NOT SOLO IN THAT HE USUALLY SOLOED IN- I'm Not Satisfied NEW SONGS ON TOUR (1st time performed live)Advance Romance, Carolina Hard-core Ecstasy, Debra Kadabra, Man with the Woman Head, Muffin Man, Orange Claw Hammer, Poofter's Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead, Portuguese Lunar Landing, Sam With the Showing Scalp Flat Top, A Token of My Extreme (the "Joe's Garage" version), The Torture Never Stops, The Velvet Sunrise MONSTER SONGS- Pound for a Brown. While this whole tour has a somewhat loose and chaotic feel to it, "Pound for a Brown" qualifies as the only real Monster Song from this outing. We get the the tune as we know it, followed by trombone solos, keyboard solos, bass solos, slide solos, sax solos, lunatic ravings, and, of course, the climatic Frank guitar solos. [David Lynch adds the following- "I'd also categorize the intro improvs as a "monster song". They just jam out of nowhere. Actually, despite the fact that to my ears Beefheart didn't have THAT much influence in this tour, these improvs sound a lot like the improvs performed by the fall '75 Magic Band (which featured Beefheart, B. Fowler, and Walley)."] OVERVIEW- This is probably the most MISrepresented tour in the Frank Zappa officially released catalog. "Bongo Fury" is NOT a good representation of the quality and diversity of music that is presented on this North American outing, and "The Torture Never Stops" from YCDTOSA Volume IV is easily the weakest version of the handful of '75 "Torture's" that I have heard. While this is not one of Frank's greatest tours, it is a highly interesting tour because it represents a crossroads in his touring career, and this changing of the guard from Ol' Zappa to New Zappa is well reflected in the band, the songs, and the music. THE BAND- On this side of the ring, we have the Champions- Duke, Brock, Fowler (the bass player). Years of experience, well accustomed to each other's playing, comfortable with Frank, and a solid, confident funk unit. On this side of the ring, we have the Challengers- Bozzio and Walley. Young and brash, newcomers to the world of Frank, supplying a whole different attitude (the drums) and sound (the slide), and looking to lead Frank into new directions. Over here, outside the ring, we have the MisfitsBeefheart and Fowler (the trombone player). Experienced veterans, well-versed at what they do, but not really having a comfortable niche in the Bongo Fury experience. And finally, in the middle, we have Frank, trying to bring these disparate elements together into a cohesive, musical whole. Excellent musicians- without a doubt- but the diversity of styles represented within these group of players seems at times to be too great, with Frank's attempt at meeting

everyones needs occasionally slipping into sheer indulgence. But when it works, and the funk and jazz and avant-garde nonsense and sheer power converge into one force, the results are indeed impressive, with each musician proving his worth. THE SONGS- On this side of the field, we have the Veterans- "Penguin in Bondage", "Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?", "Florentine Pogen", and "Montana". Former MVP's, proving their worth year after year, giving it their last 110% before hobbling off the field for a well-needed vacation. On this side of the field, we have the Rookies- "Advance Romance", "Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy", "Muffin Man", and "The Torture Never Stops". Fresh out of school, ready to give it their all, threatening to control the game with their power and swagger and attitude- the future of the Frank franchise. Over here, ready to run on field when needed, we have the ever ready Reserves- "Camarillo Brillo", "Pound for a Brown", "Stinkfoot", and "Willie the Pimp". These songs are always there when we need them, ready to provide some humor, some energy, and some much needed punch to any show, anytime. THE MUSIC- Psst, come here, you want some? You want it, I got it. You want some rock 'n' roll, try my "Willie", or these "Muffins". No, you like jazz, how about some "Penguins", or these "Pounds", or maybe some of these "Don't You Evers?". Oh, you like blues. How about my "Advance Romances", or these "Tortures"? What? You like country? OK, how about some of these "Poofters"? Funk? Well, then "Let's Make the Water Turn Black". Lounge music? Visit the "Velvet Sunrise". None of that? Oh, I get it- you're a freak. Well, then try these "Debra Kadabras", or these "Sam with the Showing Scalps". This stuff should get you off. I mean, come on, man, I've got to have something you'll like. I've got everything! You get my point. Frank is either trying really hard to be extremely diverse this time out, or else he's really confused. Whichever, I find this eclectic mix of tunes, this diverse collection of musicians, and this wide range of musical styles to be highly interesting and frequently amazing. This tour definitely has an underrehearsed feel to it- with what seem to be a lot of loose musical ends frequently popping up (random segues, directionless jams)- but this only heightens the excitement level for me, and makes those magical moments just all the more magical. This tour is a lot better than the picture that "Bongo Fury" paints, and is sadly one of the most ignored and underrated tours of Frank's career. Hey Gail, let's fix this problem, OK? THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED

ADVANCE ROMANCE- Essentially performed as on "Bongo Fury", with the standard deviation coming in the solos. Early in the tour, we get a Frank solo only, but as the tour lengthens, so does the solo section. Denny and Donnie eventually jump on board, on slide and harmonica, respectively, with Frank still anchoring the section with his solo. As far as the written section goes, this is probably the best version of this song. Frank's guitar is all over the place, accenting random vocals here and there, with the ridiculously out-of-control combo of Brock and Beefheart making for some excellently overdone singing. [David Lynch adds- "Advance Romance could also get pretty damn improvisational on this tour. For instance, the tape of the late show on 4/11 contained a jam on "200 Years Old" and "Sam with the Showing Scalp Flat Top".There was a lot of other madness in there that didn't make it to the album version."] APOSTROPHE- Performed at least twice on this tour (5/13 and 5/23), both times erupting out of the chaotic opening improv of each show. It is essentially performed as on "Apostrophe", with Fowler going heavy on the bass after the main theme, and Frank and his solo carrying us through the remainder of the tune. Whether it be this tour, or Fall '74, or, ahem, even the '84 tour, this is one continually great live number, and another candidate for the "Why isn't this on the Stage series?" awards. CAMARILLO BRILLO- Performed as on every subsequent tour, with the first half at normal tempo and the second at the slower- though on this tour MUCH slower- tempo. Like on the previous tour, however, Frank RIPS into the song with his guitar, giving this song much more bite than usual. CAROLINA HARD-CORE ECSTASY- This song is so painful on this tour. To begin with, for all performances until at least Austin (and I suspect that that version is edited), the chorus's contain the same lines as in the officially released version, only each line is sung twice, instead of only once. Secondly, the tempo is MUCH slower, with the song seeming to just drag on and on. And finally, to me at least, Brock's singing always seems just way off. The one high point is Frank's solo , which seems to come about four hours into the song. CHUNGA'S REVENGE- During a lengthy "Pound for a Brown" performance on 4/19, Frank segues into this tune during his guitar solo. The band hesitantly follows suit, performing a ricketey version of the calm theme and abrupt guitar segue. Brock immediately begins soloing upon completion of this tease, though the accompanying vamp relates more to the "Pound for a Brown" jam than the typical "Chunga's Revenge" vamp. After a series of solos, and a Beefheart "Crazy Little Thing" tease, the entire band

brings this jam to an end by returning to the "Chunga's Revenge" theme, with this later version being more confident and powerful. CRAZY LITTLE THING- During the lengthy "Pound for a Brown" performance on 4/19, Captain Beefheart begins singing/screaming the lyrics to this "Clear Spot" tune. At least, I am assuming it is the "Clear Spot" tune. I am a big fan of that album, and while I definitely recognize the words "Crazy Little Thing" in Beefheart's yelling, I do not recognize the melody as being the same as the one on the album version of this song. But knowing the Captain, that could be intentional, or just a part of his delivery. Whatever the case, this spontaneous recital of lyrics over a rather hectic jam is a worthy addition to this somewhat insane "Pound for a Brown" performance. DEBRA KADABRA- Essentially performed as on "Bongo Fury", although that version is slightly edited. In the actual live context, the song is preceded by Frank on guitar, with sparse accompaniment from the band, playing what sounds like a written piece, i.e. Beefheart's "Japan in a Dishpan". After this two to three minute performance, the song proceeds as usual. The ending, however, consists of a reprise of one of the written parts, followed by some random orchestration, which prolongs the song by about a minute longer than what is released. In my opinion, the opening guitar piece and the closing reprise gives the song a somewhat heavier and more dramatic feel, and add to the overall effect of the tune. DON'T YOU EVER WASH THAT THING?Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume II, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in the solos. Fowler, of course, gets to take his standard "howdoes-he-do-that?" solo, with the Captain possibly managing to one-up the trombone master with a wonderfully bizarre alto sax solo. For the thrilling conclusion, we get a Bozzio drum workshop, which bring us into the next song. ECHIDNA'S ARF (OF YOU)- This song is not performed in its entirety. Instead, the closing section is frequently used as a segue from "Poofter's Froth" into the following song. FLORENTINE POGEN- Performed as on OSFA, with the '88 transition-into-solo section, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This song seemed to have a particular bite to it on this tour, with a lot of guitar in the intro and throughout the tune. GEORGE!- Frequently throughout the tour, George gets a chance to simply play. As he does in the "Dupree's Paradise" extravaganza's throughout the '73 and '74 tours, George exploits his keyboards to

their fullest in these spotlight moments, with Frank conducting the band in support. Immediately after the segue into this improvisational spot, George starts things off by hitting his finger cymbal (as he does on the Fall '74 tour), with Frank only occasionally providing the commentary. Then, once he hits himself into a frenzy, George puts his finger cymbal down and gets funky. These are typically quite lengthy affairs (at least five plus minutes), containing the usual orchestrated chaos, plus the keyboard-led funk jams that George is so good at inspiring. Occasionally, towards the end of these improvisational highlights, Fowler or Brock get a chance to step up and solo, leading the band off into stranger, more exotic locales. The Captain even gets his chance every so often, with one such jam (on 4/27) containing an abbreviated "Sam With the Showing Scalp Flat Top" recital. [And David Lynch again- "Note that the song listed on the early show for 4/11, "George's Boogie", is not simply a George Duke improvisation, but an actual written song (in FZ's words, "just a ditty"), with a quirky full-band theme reminiscent of FZ's Roxy-era writing bookending a brief Duke solo."] I'M NOT SATISFIED- Apart from Brock's occasional unnecessary screams, this is a pretty good version of this tune. Frank plays the opening riff on guitar, the band joins in, tears through the song, and then we're on to the next tune. Short and to the point. INTRO- The majority of the shows open with an improvisation based around a primitive and minimalist Bozzio beat. Depending on the show, certain band members get the chance to take a short solo, before Frank steps up, rips off some rather heavy licks, and propels the show forward to the next song. LET'S MAKE THE WATER TURN BLACK- Funky! A whole different arrangement, with a rollicking funk beat. The music is set up in your standard verse/chorus format, with some extra ooh's and aah's, and a musical bridge segueing either into a short Duke or Frank solo after the second chorus. As the solo peters out, the music enters this repetitive yet interesting funk groove, which gradually fades in volume and leads us to the next tune. Quite a shame this one never got released. Even Brock's vocalswhich were frequently annoying by this stage in his Zappa career- were all right on this piece. One of the reasons why everyone needs to track down a tape from this tour. MONTANA- As always, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's "not-as-insane-as-on-the-previoustour-but-still-great" solo, and with Brock singing the post-solo "Tiny Horse" section.

MUFFIN MAN, THE- Wow! This premieres as an "inyer-face" instrumental, following hot-on-the-heels of an as wicked "Camarillo Brillo". No lyrical nonsense, just the blistering riff followed by Frank's most biting guitar work. Lyrics eventually surfaced by the time Austin rolled around, although a "T'Mershi Duween" reader contends that the Austin perfrormance was actually an instrumental, and that the album lyrics are overdubbed. Whatever the case, the lyrics definitely lessen the impact of the song, though the tune still carries plenty of force as the "Bongo Fury" version demonstrates. [John Henley, lucky enough to be there, write: "It's been a hell of a long time, but I was there and I'm pretty sure "Muffin Man" had no lyrics in Austin. It was the the riff underlying the guitar solo with which Frank ended the main part of the show. That's how I remember it, though it could have been the encore."] ORANGE CLAW HAMMER- This acapella treat from "Trout Mask Replica" rears its mustached little head several times on this tour. I have yet to hear any of these performances, though I seem to believe that it is played with guitar accompaniment and not acapella for this tour. But I do not know why I would think that. Anyone? [And yes, more David Lynch- "You would think that because of the radio appearance Zappa and Beefheart made in November 1975 to promote Bongo Fury, in which they performed a duo version of "Orange Claw Hammer" live in the studio. In fact, the performance on this tour is actually a full-band arrangement- Zappa "defiled" it with a "pseudo-folkrock backing" in his words. After the lyrics were finished the tune went into a guitar solo, at least on the only performance I have." And then Jon Naurin adds- "it's played with guitar, bass, drums and George adding some string sounds from his newly discovered ARP synth. A traditional arrangement, which suits the song well. After the lyrics, Don starts a monotonous harmonica solo, and FZ is not late to join in with his guitar." ] PENGUIN IN BONDAGE- Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL (the "Roxy" version is edited), allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in the solos. Denny goes first, followed by Brock, with Frank bringing matters to a close. As good as Denny's and Nappy's solos are, it is Frank's rhythm guitar throughout this middle section that really pushes the music to another level. POOFTER'S FROTH, WYOMING PLANS AHEADEssentially performed as on "Bongo Fury", although that version is slightly edited. The song always segues into the closing section of "Echidna's Arf (of You)", which is used as a segue into whatever tune follows.

PORTUGUESE LUNAR LANDING- Love the title, have not heard the song. It is supposedly about a Portuguese astronaut who encounters a monster on the moon. T'Mershi Duween calls it "a fun little item, though a tad overlong" (that's Frank). From available setlists, it appears to have been performed only three times, before taking a flight to the moon itself. Anyone know anything else about this unreleased little gem? [Guess what- it's David again- "I had an incomplete version on a tape which my idiot brother TAPED OVER. I wasn't very impressed by the tune. Pretty rudimentary backing and vocals by Brock (I wish Beefheart had done more vocals on this tour) which I couldn't understand, though the lyrics have been typed up and circulate on the net."] Okay, so who out there has them? POUND FOR A BROWN, A- Essentially performed as always, with the parade of solos following in the wake of the perfectly written head. Fowler goes first on trombone, once again proving his godliness to all with ears. Duke follows, we get an occasional Fowler on bass and short Bozzio, with FZ closing the affair with some nasty solos. Not bad solos, mind you, just some of the most ugly and intensely biting affairs that Frank has played in a while. It is in this tune where Frank starts toying with the dissonant and metal tinged playing that he would exploit to its fullest in the Fall '75 and Winter '76 tours. Being the composer that he is, Frank made sure that he balanced these solos, mixing quiter, reflective passages with the six string ugliness. As in the good ol' days, we occasionally get the awesome segue into "Sleeping in a Jar" as the climax to these affairs. SAM WITH THE SHOWING SCALP FLAT TOP- The lyrics are essentially performed as on "Bongo Fury", though with the nature of the Captain, we get whole sections of words missing from several performances. The musical accompaniment ranges from the barebone noodling as heard on "Bongo Fury", to more full-blown support as heard in the George-led funk jams, to quiet reflective meditations sounding remarkedly similar to Tom Waits' "Ol' 55" (a tune the Mothers performed on the Fall '74 tour, which makes me believe that that is what is actually being played here.) SLEEPING IN A JAR- Memories of the original Mothers, huh? This song is performed as the thrilling conclusion of several "Pound for a Brown" performances, just like in the old days, when things mattered, huh? Frank is busy on the guitar in these performances, ripping off a short solo in the middle section. The sound of these performances is particularly noteworthy, with Duke carrying the bulk of the tune and using some funky sound effects on his keyboard.

STINKFOOT- Still pretty much the version we know and love, with the only variant being in Frank's guitar solo, and the occasional Beefheart-blown harmonica during the vocal section. Two praiseworthy aspects of these performances- one, they are the last ones prior to the "Poodle Lecture" laced excursions of the next two years; and two, they contain some sick guitar playing. TOKEN OF MY EXTREME, A- By this tour, this song had pretty much developed into what would eventually appear 5 years later on "Joe's Garage". The tune starts as on "Joe's Garage", with the horns being a nice addition to the musical landscape. Brock sings the first two verses and choruses, then we get an instrumental verse and chorus with a short FZ solo concluding the affair. Unlike on the previous tour, Brock is not free to simply improvise the lyrics, but is singing a predetermined set of words. TORTURE NEVER STOPS, THE- Known as "Why doesn't somebody get him a Pepsi?", this is essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV. Unfortunately, however, on that release, Frank chose to fade out the song after the vocals, and did not include the monster jam that typically followed. While the part of the song we know is performed the same nightly (apart from FZ's fills), the remainder of the song typically includes a truly inspiring jam. Frank riffing the blues, Denny's wicked slide, nonsense vocals by Brock and Beefheart. This foray into blues improv more than makes up for the rather lackluster version of this tune. UNCLE REMUS- My favorite tune off "Apostrophe" (for those of you who care), and a tune that I have not heard being performed on this tour. I'll leave your lawn jockey alone if you supply me with some info on this tune. (For those of you who care again- inspired by this song, we use to drive around Beverly Hills while in high school, and knock all the jockeys off the rich peoples lawns. In your honor, George and Frank!) VELVET SUNRISE, THE- This is cheesy, keyboardled lounge music, mainly consisting of Brock's improvised lyrics and Frank telling road stories. The tune has a relaxed feel to it, beginning with Duke and Brock singing the lyrics, "The Velvet Sunrise". Brock then oversings some improvised lyrics, usually dealing with events on the road, followed by Frank narrating the latest road story. This tune essentially serves the purpose of giving Brock and Frank an opportunity to spin their ridiculous stories about life on the road, like they so frequently did on the Fall '74 tour. WILLIE THE PIMP- Whip it out Frank! No holds barred. Tear into the riff, let CB do his part, give

Denny a chance to sliiide, and then just wail away. An encore at every show, and a guaranteed way to send people home smiling. PUT YOUR .02 HERE Jon Naurin sez... I don't have very many opinions about this tour myself. I don't listen to any of my few tapes very often, but I'm not sure if that has more to do with the mediocre sound quality than my appreciation of the music. It feels like an in-between tour, as if Zappa wasn't sure of what to do - how he wanted the band to sound, and how to through in Beefheart. Some of the improvisational stuff is quite interesting, but most of the songs were treated better by other bands. Hmmm, perhaps they made Advance Romance better than any other band, not sure... Raymond Ricker sez... Of all the Zappa tours which I attended, and there have been many, this was probably the most unusual. I managed to catch both shows at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ. The sets ranged from absolutely exhilarating (especially the Pound For A Brown rendition) to rather drab (the seemingly endless version of Velvet Sunrise gets to be monotonous). This was definitely not a virtuoso lovers tour. The "composed" parts of such core pieces as Carolina, Advance Romance, Willie The Pimp were rather sloppy.However, the improvisational portions of the program and those in which Don sang were well worth the price of admission. I agree that Don should have been given more of a presence especially in places like the East Coast where he had a large following. Though given Don's adverse nature to rehearsing, I'm not surprised of his limited contributions. In sections of the program where he would have no involvement, Don would sit himself off to the side of the stage and keep himself occupied with his artwork. Then ,out of no where, he would pick up his sax, dance around while playing and even sometimes go over to Frank and blow some notes in his face. On Orange Claw Hammer yes the piece was done with full band accompaniment. I personally like the piece acapella. .One last note - it is very difficult to evaluate this tour without having seen it. The reasons are thus: the lack of available recordings (to the best of my knowledge the Pamona (Both), Passaic (Both), Boston (Both), Uniondale, New Haven, Baltimore, and St.Louis shows are all that are available).The 2nd reason is that from all the afore-mentioned shows only one of the Boston shows is a decent recording rendering a close examination nearly impossible. FALL '75

BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Napoleon Murphy Brock (vocals, sax), Roy Estrada (bass, noises), Andr Lewis (keyboard, vocals), Terry Bozzio (drums, vocals) SPECIAL GUESTS- Norma Bell (alto sax, Mahavishnu awareness), LA Docker (?) Dancers (New Year's entertainment) DATES- September 27th through December 31st SHOWS- 54 CITIES- 48 COUNTRIES- 3 (US, Canada, and Yugoslavia) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 38 AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 110 minutes AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 10 SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Advance Romance, Any Downers, Apostrophe, Black Napkins, Blues Intro, Carolina Hard-core Ecstasy, Chunga's Revenge, Dirty Love, Filthy Habits,Illinois Enema Bandit, I'm the Slime, Let's Move To Cleveland, Lonely Little Girl (short), Muffin Man, Sleep Dirt/Black Napkins, Stinkfoot, Willie the Pimp, Zoot Allures COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- This is a great tour for FZ guitar playing, mainly for two simple reasons"Any Downers" and "Zoot Allures". The former song contains, without a doubt, the meanest and dirtiest guitar playing of Frank's career. Heavy on the fuzztone, Frank attacks his guitar in these extended solos, painting the sonic landscape with heavy strokes of metallic fury. Unbelievably heavy workouts. On the other side of the musical pallette, the latter song contains some of Frank's most beautiful and reflective playing, ranging from the carefully constructed theme, through the angular lines of the main solo. Frank runs the gambit from metal to jazz to undescribable Zappa in these two songs, and produces guitar solos the likes of which would not be heard on any other tour. The rest of the solos are no slouches, either. Arriving in what are somewhat standard guitar solo vehicles, the majority of the solos are simply straightforward Frank affairs. While they are not great solos, they are consistently good, and probably constitute the highlights of each show considering the repetitive setlist that is performed each night. SONGS THAT FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- I'm Not Satisfied

NEW SONGS ON TOUR- Any Downers (w/ lyrics), Black Napkins, Filthy Habits, Find Her Finer, Honey Don't You Want A Man Like Me?, Illinois Enema Bandit, Kaiser Rolls, Keep It Greasy, Let's Move to Cleveland, Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up, Packard Goose (lyrics only), Sleep Dirt, Swallow My Pride, Tryin' To Grow A Chin (lyrics only), Wind Up Workin' In A Gas Station (music only), Zoot Allures MONSTER SONGS- In the sense of full-band improv, there are no Monster Songs this time around. We get several lengthy solo-fests ("Chunga's Revenge", "Advance Romance"), but no "where-is-this-goingnow" improvisation. In terms of guitar playing, however, we definitely get two Monster versions of typically much more restrained songs. "Any Downers" and "Zoot Allures" are beasts of a different nature on this tour, both of them boasting some of the most interesting and diverse guitar playing of Frank's career. OVERVIEW- While this is definitely not one of Frank's better outings, it is hard to simply dismiss this tour for several reasons. One, and the main reason why I continue to collect tapes from this tour, is the presence of "Any Downers" and "Zoot Allures". These two tunes are breathtaking almost each and every performance, with the former tune providing the requisite ugliness and the latter tune providing the rare beauty. On no other tour, apart from Winter '76, will you find guitar performances like these. This tour also contains several versions of tunes that are not available elsewhere, and that are in some ways better or at least more interesting than other versions. To begin with, the three song "We're Only In It For The Money" Medley- consisting of "Lonely Little Girl", "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance", and "What's The Ugliest Part of Your Body?"- is great, providing refreshing versions of long ignored songs. Early in the tour, we get a handful of rare treats- the "Sleep Dirt/Black Napkins" medley, "Apostrophe", an instrumental "Willie the Pimp", "Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up", an even more bizarre "T'Mershi Duween"- none of which would establish themselves in Frank's repertoire, and thus can really only be found here. Plus, we get the only-on-this-tour "Swallow My Pride", not a great song but one that deserves to be heard. These tunes, coupled with Frank's consistently good and occasionally great guitar playing, manage to raise this tour to a consistently enjoyable level. Unfortunately, apart from these factors, this tour is pretty dismal. The band is woefully pedestrian, with Brock and Lewis being somewhat bland soloists, Roy being more talented on maniacal screamng than on bass, and Bozzio not yet exerting himself they way he would several tours later. Several of the songs are new this time round, and appear in somewhat less confident and less powerful versions. Finally, by the middle of the tour, Frank unfortunately discovers a setlist that he likes,

and essentially uses this same list for the remainder of the tour. Thus, apart from the stray encore or two, we get no deviation in song order or song selection. All factors considered, the tour is somewhat successful due to the handful of rare tunes performed, and the particularly exploratory guitar that Frank frequently indulges in. Unfortunately, as the tour goes on, the positive factors diminish while the negative factors increase, setting the stage for the dismal Winter '76 tour. For that tour, Frank starts off on the right foot, but quickly drops many of the songs that made this tour so interesting. Thus, what we get on the following tour is the same band playing the same songs over and over with some occasional guitar highlights. Compared to Winter '76 then, Fall '75 is great. THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED ADVANCE ROMANCE- Essentially performed as on "Bongo Fury", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. For the solo section, first we get to "see what she did to Andr", with Andr demonstrating his pain via his keyboards. Frank then takes his obligatory solo, before Brock concludes the tune with more overdone vocals. AIN'T GOT NO HEART- Essentially performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with Brock's horribly oversung vocals. For some reason- the band, this particular arrangement, Brock's screechingthese are possibly the worst live performances of this tune ever. In fact, the whole three song "Freak Out" medley, consisting of "How Could I Be Such A Fool?", this, and an equally horrible "I'm Not Satisfied", are typically the scraping-the-bottom-ofthe-barrel low points of each show. ANY DOWNERS- Wow! One of the reasons why this tour simply cannot be overlooked. Talk about Monster performances, the "Any Downers" from this tour are raging beasts of the all-guitar variety. Within these dressed up jams, Frank plays the meanest, wickedest, nastiest guitar solos of his career. Talk about major fuzztone action. Just the sound of these solos is ugly enough to reduce the most hard-core of us into drooling idiots, and that is ignoring the actual notes that are played, and the attitude that is forced through our ears and into our frontal lobes. These are some ferocious solos. About the tune itself, what we get is a very relaxed version of the main guitar riff from the YAWYI track, with Brock calmly singing the line "Any Downers" over and over. Then, for the "No, I ain't got anymore" line, Brock maniacally screams it while the band shifts into overdrive. We then get some "oohs" and "aahs", before Frank steps up and blows us away. Sheets and sheets of distorted fury, with Frank exorcising his heavy metal demons before our very ears. Simply exhilirating. For the less-than-

thrilling conclusion to this song (and the only continual disappointment in these performances), Frank and band perform some stupid routine based on Joe Cocker, or Canadian Customs, or lonely teenage musicians. The only interesting part about these routines is that over the course of the Fall tour, Frank recites, as poetry, the lyrics to both "Packard Goose" and "Tryin' To Grow A Chin" as parts of certain routines. ANY WAY THE WIND BLOWS- This is only performed on the first date of the tour, and is a performance that I have yet to hear. Anyone want to blow some info about this tune my way? APOSTROPHE- Essentially performed as on "Apostrophe", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. This tune appears several times early in the tour, erupting out of the opening jams that opened each show. As on the album, we get a heavily distorted bass solo starting off the solo section, followed by a typically hot Frank solo. AULD LANG SYNE- Only performed once on this tour (on New Year's Eve, of all days). After an extended, "let's-prolong-this-tune-until-midnight" "Black Napkins", the band performs a rather chaotic rendition of this festive favorite, complete with fireworks and an overzealous crowd. BLACK NAPKINS- Essentially performed as on "Zoot Allures", or as on FZPTMOFZ, for those of you who shelled out the 27 dollars. Early in the tour, this is a FZ guitar solo vehicle only. Eventually, Napoleon's saxophone enters the scene, which is responsible for taking the first of the two solos. The edited performance on "Zoot Allures" (from 2/3 Osaka) originally contained a Brock solo, and a lengthier FZ excursion. At several performances during the Fall portion of the tour, Frank recites either the lyrics to "Packard Goose" or "Tryin' To Grow A Chin" over the opening vamp. BLUES INTRO- As the opening segment of each show prior to New Year's, the band would take the stage and immediately jump into an improvised jam, typically having a blues feel to it. During these short but fulfilling jams, both Lewis and Brock would get a chance to stretch their chops, with Frank concluding the affair and bringing us into the next part of the show. BOLERO- This tune is only performed once on this tour- on 10/4- and again, I have not yet heard this performance. Anyway have any info about this? CAMARILLO BRILLO- Essentially performed as always, allowing for obvious differences in

instrumentation, and with the fast first half and the slow second half. CAROLINA HARD-CORE ECSTASY- Essentially performed as on "Bongo Fury", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. On at least one occasion (10/14), the guitar solo section gets a little weird, veering off into some random improvisation, before returning to the closing chorus. But for the majority of the performances, we get the standard Frank solo only. CHUNGA'S REVENGE- Essentially performed as on "Chunga's Revenge", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in the solos. For the lengthy solo section, Brock goes first, followed by Lewis, with Frank concluding the affair. Frank's solos are consistently excellent in this song, with Frank exploring a variety of different textures and styles throughout the tour. The early solos tend to be more straightforward journeys, while his later explorations delve into different musical styles and directions. For the 10/31 performances, Norma Bell takes an excellent alto sax solo during this song, concluding her moment in the spotlight with some soulful improvised singing. DIRTY LOVE- Essentially performed as on "Overnite Sensation", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. The end of this song is typically the "my-monitor-is-not-working" part of the show, and thus we frequently get an extended outro on this song while all necessary amends are made. During the 10/31 late performance, Norma Bell takes a wonderful alto sax solo during this prolonged "Dirty Love" vamp. Interestingly enough, this song preceded "Stinkfoot" at several shows early in the tour, before taking its standard position immediately following "Stinkfoot". DUKE OF PRUNES- This song, performed as an instrumental, is used as the background for the opening introductions for many of the shows early in the tour. It is listed as a song on its own for the tour opening 9/27 show, which I have not heard, and thus I cannot say whether the song in its entirety is actually performed (to which Jon Naurin responds, "It's used as a background for the introductions on 9/27, but before the intros, FZ plays the melody on guitar, and afterwards, Nappy sings a few lines. ") So there you go. FILTHY HABITS- This tune premieres late in the tour, popping up towards the end of several concerts. Essentially, it erupts as the monster we know and love, though it is somewhat lacking in the wicked confidence that the later versions would have. We get

the standard deviation in Frank's solos, which are somewhat hesitant affairs, but definitely hint at the power that would be unleashed early the following year. FIND HER FINER- Essentially performed as on "Zoot Allures", though minus the guitar as Frank is doing the singing and thus cannot play the guitar. These performances are not as lethargic as the album version, but nowhere near the upbeat numbers that the '88 band frequently performed. Brock's occasional backing horn parts do add a nice flavor to the tune, though. HONEY DON'T YOU WANT A MAN LIKE ME?- This is a rather skeletal version of the tune that we all know and probably have mixed feelings about. HOW COULD I BE SUCH A FOOL?- Essentially performed as on "Freak Out", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. Brock overdoes the vocals, and even though Frank's guitar adds a little more oomph! to the proceedings, this version pretty much sucks. The title probably refers to the question running through Frank's head as this band sucked the life out of this song. ILLINOIS ENEMA BANDIT- This version is essentially performed as on ZINY, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. The only real difference in this version is the opening riff (which is centered around Brock's saxophone), and the shortening of the first verse. These performances also contain a lengthy and rather dull introduction, in which Frank explains and frequently demonstrates the happenings of Michael Kenyon. For several late October shows, he even gets female audience members to climb on stage and help demonstrate the crimes. I'M NOT SATISFIED- Essentially performed as on "Freak Out", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. Frank does not solo this time round, in what may possibly be the worst version of this song ever. The arrangement is cluttered, Brock screams uncontrollably throughout, and none of the energy of the original is anywhere near present. I'M THE SLIME- Essentially performed as on "Overnite Sensation", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. KAISER ROLLS- I have not yet heard this tune, though the title is very intriguing. Anybody heard any of the poorly rated tapes that this song is purportedly played in? [Jon Naurin contributes the following info: "I don't really know what to say about this song. A

little pop ditty sung by Napoleon, but I can't make out much of the vocals. The verses consist of a very simple melody over a simple vamp, but end up with some "ugly" bars. After two verses, FZ plays a serie of chords (the ones you get if you play an open D and moves your left hand up the frets). Then there's an instrumental section, before something that sounds like a chorus. Get the picture? Well, never mind. Interesting (?) fact: This song might have been a precursor to "Any Kind of Pain", though a very distant one. In rehearsals from 1981, the band plays AKOP, with the verse very similar to "Kaiser Rolls".] KEEP IT GREASY- Amazingly enough, this song premieres on this tune in almost exactly the same form it would reappear several years later. There are several slight differences throughout the tune, but for the most part, the lyrics and structure sound exactly as they would on "Joe's Garage". The opening riff is different, consisting of a busier, more chorded guitar intro. After the "Roll it over and grease it down" lines, there is a new section of music, approximately 10 seconds in length, consisting of the lines "Grease it down" and a new short riff (this music sounds quite similar to the ending riff that appears in the 1980 version of "Dead Girls of London"). Finally, after the "Here comes that screaming sound" line, Brock takes a screeching sax solo over the following riff, which would later be replaced by vocal parts. The overall feel of the tune is remarkedly similar to that of the later versions, and whether you like this version or not really depends on how well you like any version of this song. LET'S MOVE TO CLEVELAND- Oh, what a mess. This version of this classic guitar solo vehicle sounds as if the song was being put through a blender. All the parts are here, but they are either shortened, or sped up, or arranged so dramatically different that you cannot be sure that this really is "Let's Move To Cleveland". In fact, roughly half the tune is performed in a cheesy swing style, and parts of the song sound more like "T'Mershi Duween" than anything else. Frank takes a solo, but its rather short and uninvolved, and does not seem as if it really belongs. This is an highly interesting listen, don't get me wrong, but its quite different from the monster number that would appear 6 years later. I wish that Frank had given this tune more work at this early point in time, as I would love to hear what the Fall '77 and Fall '78 bands would have done to this song. LONELY LITTLE GIRL- I absolutely love the WOIIFTM medley from this tour, with this tune being my favorite of the three songs in the medley. Heavy on the guitar, this spiffed up version is sung by a somewhat restrained Brock, and contains an extended instrumental ending with Frank playing the melody once through on guitar.

LUCILLE HAS MESSED MY MIND UP- Another rare treat that only appears in the early shows of this tour. Essentially performed as on "Joe's Garage", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. While Brock does nowhere near as good a job as Ike would do years later, he does manage to control himself somewhat, not oversinging this song as he does so many others. Brock's restrained vocals, matched with Frank's typical guitar fills, make this a nice addition to the early shows of this tour. MUDSHARK- Despite the popularity of the Bebop Tango, this tune continues to sweep the ocean, infecting yet another tour with its tale of music and the debauchery that accompanies it. Essentially performed as always, with the story remaining the same after all these years. MUFFIN MAN- Essentially performed as on "Bongo Fury" (the live part), allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. PACKARD GOOSE- Not performed as the complete song, the lyrics premiered on this tour and appeared in both "Black Napkins" and "Any Downers". During several performances of these tunes, Frank recited several lines of lyrics from "Packard Goose", and explained his reasons for his animosity towards the press. As they are recited here, the lyrics more closely resemble the early "Packard Goose" performances from the Fall '78 tour than they do the later "Joe's Garage" lyrics. POODLE LECTURE- This tour will never be forgiven for introducing the Poodle Lecture to the Wonderful World of Frank. My only question is: Why, Frank, why? (Thankfully, it does not appear until late in the tour, and thus there are several high quality tapes untainted by this History Lecture.) SAN BER'DINO- Essentially performed as on OSFA, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. SLEEP DIRT/BLACK NAPKINS- One of the highlights of the tour, and one of the unreleased gems from Frank's touring repertoire. This tune is essentially a hybrid of "Sleep Dirt" and "Blacks Napkins". The tune begins with the two chord progression which appears on the "Sleep Dirt" album track, and this constitutes the basic structure of the song. Once this vamp is established, Frank plays a subtler, darker version of the "Black Napkins" theme, and it is around this theme that the solos are based. Brock goes first (blowing his sax), followed by Lewis (pounding his keys), followed by Frank (plucking his strings). After Frank's first (shorter) solo, the band returns to the main "Sleep Dirt" theme, before heading into a more fully realized version of "Blacks

Napkins". At this point, Frank dives in with his longer, more "Black Napkins"-esque solo. Unfortunately, this pairing of songs only lasts for approximately a week, before the "Sleep Dirt" portion is dropped and the "Black Napkins" we know and love takes its place. STINKFOOT- Essentially performed as always, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This tour is responsible for giving us the Poodle Lecture, and for this it shall never be forgiven. Fortunately, this rap did not appear until late in the tour, and thus, there are some safe "Stinkfoot-> Dirty Love" combos appearing throughout the early days of this outing. SWALLOW MY PRIDE- What to say about this song? It sounds like a cross between "Camarilo Brillo", "T'Mershi Duween", and "San Ber'dino". This upbeat number starts off with a short FZ guitar riff, highly reminiscent of the guitar opening on "Camarillo Brillo". The lyrics, sung by Brock, are pretty lame"You can swallow my pride, get it all inside"- with additional lyrics being similar sexual innuendos of a pretty lame sort. After the two verses of lyrics, we get a short boogie jam, reminiscent of the middle portion of "San Ber'dino", with no soloists just the band chugging along. This leads into the "T'Mershi Duween" sounding section, in which each band member plays a short riff on their instrument. Kind of like "Musical Hot Potato", in which each band member passes the riff onto the next member. This then returns us to the boogie jam, which quickly loses its head of steam (purposely), and segues into the always next "Any Downers". Not a great song, and essentially the same each performance, but definitely worth hearing. TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF WHEN YOU DANCEAnother of the great WOIIFTM tunes. Brock handles the vocals, of course, singing the melody as on WOIIFTM, while the band plays the accompaning music reggae style. Brock sings the first verse, the band performs an instrumental version of the second verse, Lewis takes a short keyboard solo, and then Brock finishes the lyrics and the tune. Pretty cool. T'MERSHI DUWEEN- Talk about weird. This bizarre rearrangement of an already bizarre tune appears a couple of times early in the tour before disappearing forever (this arangement, that is). The tune starts off quite differently, with Frank riffing away on guitar, and Brock joining him on sax. For what amounts to about thirty seconds of new music, this new introduction section is the "Tryin to Grow A Chin" version of introductions, with the band running through about five musical cliches before jumping into the "T'Mershi Duween" we recognize. After running through the main theme once, we get some random Brock sax and Estrada screaming, before the band jumps into a cheesy swing groove. Over this groove, FZ and Brock play the melody line as normal. This leads us

to a short drum break, before the song concludes with a hyper-fast version of the closing theme. This is one of the more interesting tunes that this band performs, and is one of the few times on the tour when they perform slightly more challenging music. WHAT'S THE UGLIEST PART OF YOUR BODY?Essentially performed as on WOIIFTM, allowing for the obvious differences in instrumentation, and with some purposefully overdramatic singing. This tune is part three of the awesome WOIIFTM medley, and serves as an excellent precursor to the lengthy "Chunga's Revenge" jams. WILLIE THE PIMP- Only performed once on this tour, on the opening date. Thankfully, Frank does not allow Brock to murder this number vocally, so instead, we simply get an instrumental, guitar-solo vehicle. WIND UP WORKIN' IN A GAS STATION- This debuts as a guitar based instrumental during the end of an "Any Downers" performance on 10/31 late. Towards the end of "Any Downers", Frank begins playing the opening riff to this tune, and the band shifts gears and follows him through a highly charged version of the song. One of the more interesting moments of the tour, and an excellent version of what would become a less interesting song. ZOOT ALLURES- For those of you who shelled out the 27 bucks, I will tell you that this tune is essentially performed as on FZPTMOFZ, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's lengthy and highly experimental solo. For those of you who kept your money and didn't go to the show, I will tell you that this version is essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, with the solo section not being from the '82 band. After Frank would complete the head as heard on YCDTOSA, he would veer off into new musical territory, basing his solo on the written song but frequently veering off into new directions. On this tour, Frank has not yet discovered the wonderful world of "Ship Ahoy", and thus these performances do not contain that effect laden guitar coda. Nevertheless, they are still some mighty sweet solos. PUT YOUR .02 HERE Some nameless person writes.... Boy, do I ever disagree with you here. When I saw the Boston show in 75, I was at first horribly disappointed by the absence of George and Ruth (again, the end of a beloved era). On the other hand, I can't understand how you can overlook the splendors and wierdnesses of FZ's rhythm playing on this tour (you obviously appreciate the solos). For me, the smallness of the outfit and its basically R&B/Funky approach, while it could have been

further developed, was promising and could have evolved into something quite amazing. Just listen to the ragged yet brilliant Boston tape. Heck, I even like the Freak Out medley. WINTER '76 BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Napoleon Murphy Brock (vocals, sax), Roy Estrada (bass, noises), Andr Lewis (keyboard, vocals), Terry Bozzio (drums, vocals) DATES- January 11th through March 17th SHOWS- 34 CITIES- 33 COUNTRIES- 15 (Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Europe) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 32 AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 120 minutes AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 9 SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Advance Romance, Black Napkins, Carolina Hard-core Ecstasy, Chunga's Revenge, Dirty Love, Filthy Habits, I'm the Slime, Illinios Enema Bandit, Lonely Little Girl (short), Let's Move to Cleveland, Muffin Man, Stinkfoot, The Torture Never Stops, Zoot Allures COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- For me, the highlight of this tour, and really the only reason I find myself listening to and enjoying a show from this tour, is Frank's guitar playing. The funny thing is, apart from the two songs I mention in the following sentence, his guitar playing is not all that great this time around, but it is by far the most interesting thing happening on the tour. To begin with, almost every show contains two mammoth FZ guitar workouts-"Filthy Habits" and "Zoot Allures". Apart from the "Any Downers" monsters from the previous tour, "Filthy Habits" contains some of the meanest and dirtiest guitar playing of Frank's career. Riffing away over one of his most evil vamps, Frank recreates the spooky feel of the classic "Sleep Dirt" track, and consistently brings each show to an early climax. On the other side of the musical pallette, "Zoot Allures" contains some of Frank's most beautiful and reflective playing, ranging from the carefully constructed theme, through the angular lines of the main solo, into the effect laden meanderings of the closing jam. Frank runs the gambit from metal to jazz to undescribable Zappa in these two songs, and produces guitar solos the likes of which would not be heard on any other tour. The

rest of the solos are no slouches, either. Arriving in what are somewhat standard guitar solo vehicles, the majority of the solos are simply straightforward Frank affairs. While they are not great solos, they are consistently good, and probably constitute the highlights of each show considering the repetitive setlist that is performed each night. SONGS THAT FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- I'm Not Satisfied NEW SONGS ON TOUR- Disco Boy (music only), Ms. Pinky (music only), She's A Lady (?), Tryin To Grow A Chin, Wind Up Workin' In A Gas Station (w/ lyrics) MONSTER SONGS- In the sense of full-band improv, there are no Monster Songs this time around. We get several lengthy solo-fests ("Chunga's Revenge", "Advance Romance"), but no "where-is-this-goingnow?" improvisation. In terms of guitar playing, however, we definitely get the Monster version of a typically much more restrained song. As I mention above, "Zoot Allures" is a beast of a different nature on this tour, boasting some of the most interesting and diverse guitar playing of Frank's career. OVERVIEW- My father always told me if I have nothing nice to say, do not say anything at all (I know that has not stopped me on other tours, but hey...).. I guess this should be short then. I like it when Frank plays the guitar on this tour. I like it when he plays "Filthy Habits" and "Zoot Allures", because they both contain some incredible guitar. I like it when Nappy does not butcher a song with his overdone vocals. I like the short "Inca Roads" opening. I like it when I can fast-forward through the majority of the tunes and not have to listen to the uninspired songs which are played at every single show in the exact same order. I like the early shows on the tour when Frank still performed the awesome WOIIFTM medley. I occasionally like Andr's cheesy synthesizer solos, though not too often. I like the fact that Roy occasionally gets to babble on like a maniac. I like knowing that no other Frank tour is as dull as this one. I like it when Frank says "Thank you very much. Good Night." (For a little more information on this tour, see the Fall '75 Overview and the comparisons I make between the two.) THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED ADVANCE ROMANCE- Essentially performed as on "Bongo Fury", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation.. For the solo section, first we get to "see what she did to Andr", with Andr demonstrating his pain via his keyboards. Frank then takes his obligatory solo, before Brock concludes the tune with his overdone vocals.

AIN'T GOT NO HEART- Essentially performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with Brock's horribly oversung vocals. For some reason- the band, this particular arrangement, Brock's screechingthese are possibly the worst live performances of this tune ever. In fact, the whole three song "Freak Out" medley, consisting of "How Could I Be Such A Fool?", this, and an equally horrible "I'm Not Satisfied", are typically the scraping-the-bottom-ofthe-barrel low points of each show. BLACK NAPKINS- Essentially performed as on "Zoot Allures", or as on FZPTMOFZ, for those of you (like me) who shelled out the 27 dollars. Unlike both of those versions, however, the performances on this tour contain a Brock sax solo and a Frank guitar workout. In fact, the edited performance on "Zoot Allures" (from 2/3 Osaka) originally contains a Brock solo, and a lengthier FZ excursion. CAMARILLO BRILLO- Essentially performed as always, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the fast first half and the slow second half. CAROLINA HARD-CORE ECSTASY- Essentially performed as on "Bongo Fury", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. CHUNGA'S REVENGE- Essentially performed as on "Chunga's Revenge", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in the solos. For the lengthy solo section, Brock goes first, followed by Lewis, with Frank concluding the affair. Frequently throughout the tour, Bozzio would take a drum solo after Lewis' solo, and the band would segue into "Zoot Allures" after this solo (as can be heard on YCDTOSA Volume III). For these shows, Frank obviously would not take a solo during "Chunga's Revenge", with his turn coming during the exploratory "Zoot Allures" extravaganzas. DINAH-MOE HUMM- Essentially performed as always, with the standard deviation coming in, no, wait, this is "Dinah-Moe Humm". Sorry. DIRTY LOVE- Essentially performed as on "Overnite Sensation", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. The end of this song is typically the "my-monitor-is-not-working" part of the show, and thus we frequently get an extended outro on this song while all necessary amends are made. DISCO BOY- This tune appears as an instrumental on this tour. During several "Chunga's Revenge" solos, Frank abruptly segues into this song, the band

follows suit, and we get a short taste of the song that would appear on "Zoot Allures" later in the year. As with "Ms. Pinky", this tune essentially serves as an outro to the handful of "Chunga's Revenge's" that it appears in. FILTHY HABITS- This is the heavy metal monster we know and love, with Frank taking his typically meanspirited solo. In what is usually a momentary bummer, Andr takes a keyboard solo to start off the solo section (a quite lengthy one) but both his sound and overly dramatic technique prove to be frequently enjoyable. Not only that, but Frank's solo is even more wicked and more insane when compared to the noodlings of Andr. This tune is one of the few reasons why this tour is worth having a tape or two from. FIND HER FINER- Essentially performed as on "Zoot Allures", though minus the guitar as Frank is doing the singing and thus cannot play the guitar. These performances are not as lethargic as the album version, but nowhere near the upbeat numbers that the '88 band frequently performed. Brock's occasional backing horn parts do add a nice flavor to the tune, though. HONEY DON'T YOU WANT A MAN LIKE ME?- This is a rather skeletal version of the tune that we all know and probably have mixed feelings about. HOW COULD I BE SUCH A FOOL?- Essentially performed as on "Ruben and the Jets"", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. Brock overdoes the vocals, and even though Frank adds a little more oomph! to the proceedings with his guitar, this is overall a pretty painful version of this tune. ILLINOIS ENEMA BANDIT- This version is essentially performed as on ZINY, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. The only real difference in this version is the opening riff (which is centered around Brock's saxophone), and the shortening of the first verse. These performances also contain a lengthy and rather dull introduction, in which Frank explains and occasionally demonstrates the happenings of Michael Kenyon. I'M NOT SATISFIED- As far as this version goes, I'm not satisfed either. What can I say- this version sucks. It is great in the sixties, with Ray crooning the vocals and Frank just going at it on guitar. The Petit Wazoo version is the most random yet satisfying performance of that tour. And the Fall '74 performances simply rock, with Brock managing to sound somewhat restrained in the vocal department. But these performances? Ouch. Essentially performed as on "Freak Out", allowing for obvious

differences in instrumentation, and quite a bit faster. Frank does not solo this time round, in what may possibly be the worst version of this song ever. The arrangement is cluttered, Brock screams uncontrollably throughout, and none of the energy of the original is anywhere near present. I'M THE SLIME- Essentially performed as on ZINY, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. These performances contain the frenzied guitar opening. INCA ROADS- Not played in its entirety.. Instead, the post-guitar solo theme as heard on "One Size Fits All" (the one that is used as the immediate segue from Frank's solo into the second half of the song) is performed as the opening segment of the show. We simply get a dramatic and majestic version of this riff, an occasional brief Zappa guitar flurry, and then a smooth segue into the standard "Stinkfoot" opener. An excellent beginning to these not-so-excellent shows. This theme is also used as a show closer, in much the same way "Tush Tush Tush" is used on the Fall '74 tour, or "The Purple Lagoon" is used on the '77 and '78 tours. The band plays a short, usually chaotic version of this theme, while Frank rips off some short riffs, and then the show ends. KAISER ROLLS- This is not a bad little tune, though nothing really to write home about. Sounding quite similar to "Carolina Hard-core Ecstasy"- what with the sweeping guitar highlights, and the lyrical tale of misfortune. Brock does the majority of the singing (of course), with band mates helping out for the chorus's. It only rears its head a handful of times early in the tour (having premiered late in '75), before disappearing from the wonderful world of Zappa. [See Fall '75 for Jon Naurin's take on the tune] KEEP IT GREASY- Amazingly enough, this song appears on this tour in almost exactly the same form it would reappear several years later. There are several slight differences throughout the tune, but for the most part, the lyrics and structure sound exactly as they would on "Joe's Garage". The opening riff is different, consisting of a busier, more chorded guitar intro. After the "Roll it over and grease it down" lines, there is a new section of music, approximately 10 seconds in length, consisting of the lines "Grease it down" and a new short riff (this music sounds quite similar to the ending riff that appears in the 1980 version of "Dead Girls of London"). Finally, after the "Here comes that screaming sound" line, Brock takes a screeching sax solo over the following riff, which would later be replaced by vocal parts. The overall feel of the tune is remarkedly similar to that of the later versions, and whether you like this version or not really depends on how well you like any other version of this song.

LET'S MOVE TO CLEVELAND- Oh, what a mess. This version of this classic guitar solo vehicle sounds as if the song was being put through a blender. All the parts are here, but they are either shortened, or sped up, or arranged so dramatically different that you cannot be sure that this really is "Let's Move To Cleveland". In fact, roughly half the tune is performed swing style, and several parts of the song sound more like "T'Mershi Duween" than anything else. Frank takes a solo, but it is rather short and uninvolved, and does not seem as if it really belongs. This is an highly interesting listen, don't get me wrong, but its quite different from the monster number that would appear 6 years later. I wish that Frank had given this tune more work at this early point in time, as I would love to hear what the Fall '77 and Fall '78 bands would have done to this song. LONELY LITTLE GIRL- I absolutely love the WOIIFTM medley from this tour, with this tune being my favorite of the three songs in the medley. Heavy on the guitar, this spiffed up version is sung by a somewhat restrained Brock, and contains an extended instrumental ending with Frank playing the melody once through on guitar. MS. PINKY- This tune is performed as an instrumental this time round. It usually arises out of the "Ship Ahoy" section of "Zoot Allures", with Frank leading the way on guitar. Bozzio and Estrada pick up the trail, with Brock finally joining in by playing the vocal melody line on sax. The song is not played in its entirety, but essentially serves as an outro to the "Zoot Allures" monsters. MUFFIN MAN- Essentially performed as on "Bongo Fury" (the live part), allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. POODLE RAP- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, though thankfully its much shorter than that version in the majority of these performances. My only question is-Why, Frank, why? SAN BER'DINO- Essentially performed as on OSFA, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. SHE'S A LADY- This appears on setlists after "Chunga's Revenge" on the 3/13 Lugano show- one of the last dates of the tour. I have not heard it, and suspect that it is not a full blown tune, but simply some random improvised madness. Anyone know? [Yes, Jon Naurin knows- "This is actually a brand new song, which sounds like it had been written during soundcheck or something. In the middle of Roy's gas mask extravaganzas, FZ starts playing the simplest of doo-wop vamps (I-vi-IV-V or however you choose to write it). The songs turns out to be about

Ms Pinky, a very simple melody with Roy providing some typical falsetto screaming. If I get time, I'll try to type down the words, though they're not too amusing. BTW, I'm going to change the title into something more fitting, namely "Song for Pinky", and you can do so too if you like.] Thanks, but I like this title. SHIP AHOY- This track from SUNPYG is actually part of the extended guitar solo from a "Zoot Allures" performance, with such a performance being heard in its entirety on FZPTMOFZ (for those of you who shelled out the 27 dollars for that little sucker). On this tour, "Zoot Allures" consists of the head, similarly played as on YCDTOSA Volume III, a guitar solo which evolves from this head, and the extended "Ship Ahoy" outro. SONG FOR PINKY- See "She's A Lady". STINKFOOT- Essentially performed as always, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's particularly lengthy and hard-edged solos. Unfortunately, the "Poodle Lecture" follows hot-on-the-heels of these solos, and thus serves to deflate this early high. TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF WHEN YOU DANCEAnother of the great WOIIFTM tunes. Brock handles the vocals, of course, singing the melody as on WOIIFTM, while the band plays the accompaning music reggae style. Brock sings the first verse, the band performs an instrumental version of the second verse, Lewis takes a short keyboard solo, and then Brock finishes the lyrics and the tune. Pretty cool. TORTURE NEVER STOPS, THE- Essentially performed as on "Zoot Allures", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This is a pretty scrappy, but typically interesting, version of this song. The entire song is performed in a very relaxed and understated manner, creating the feeling that the tune is simply going to fall apart at any moment. Because of this, Frank's solos tend to meander at times, lacking any real direction or intensity. At other times, however, this lack of structure gives Frank the greater rein that he needs to stretch out and really explore the guitar. TRYIN' TO GROW A CHIN- Essentially performed as on "Sheik Yerbouti", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. WHAT'S THE UGLIEST PART OF YOUR BODY?Essentially performed as on WOIIFTM, allowing for the obvious differences in instrumentation, and with some purposefully overdramatic singing. This tune is part three of the awesome WOIIFTM medley, and serves as an excellent segue into the lengthy "Chunga's Revenge" jams.

WIND UP WORKIN' IN A GAS STATION- This debuted as a guitar based instrumental during the Fall portion of the tour. It then reappeared during this tour, essentially appearing as on "Zoot Allures". Compared to the YCDTOSA Volume VI version (from the Fall '76 tour), these performances lack the vocal dynamics that Bianca added; and compared to the album version, these performances lack the guitar power that FZ added. Thus, compared to all other versions, theses performances suck. ZOOT ALLURES- For those of you who shelled out the 27 bucks, then I will tell you that this tune is essentially performed as on FZPTMOFZ, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's lengthy and highly experimental solo. For those of you who have not broken down and acquired the mustache-laden mail order CD, then I will tell you that this tune contains three parts. Part one is essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III (the pre-solo part). Part two is the "Zoot Allures" guitar solo, which evolves directly out of the head of the tune. Part three is essentially performed as on "Ship Ahoy" from SUNPYG, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. During these "Ship Ahoy" experiments, Frank occasionally segues into raw, instrumental versions of either "Ms. Pinky" or "Disco Boy", both of which sound better here than they do in there officially released versions. Without a doubt, these guitar workshops are highlights of each show, and are one of the few reasons why this tour simply cannot be ignored. FALL '76 BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Ray White (guitar, vocals), Patrick O'Hearn (bass, vocals), Terry Bozzio (drums, vocals, devil), Eddie Jobson (violin, keyboards), Bianca Odin (amazing vocals, keyboards, vanishing act midway through tour) SPECIAL GUESTS- Flo and Eddie (vocals, memories), Ralphe Armstrong (bass), Don Brewer (drums) DATES- October 16th to November 25th SHOWS- 19 CITIES-13 COUNTRIES- 2 (US and Canada) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 29 AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 105 minutes AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 6

SONGS THAT FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Advance Romance, Black Napkins,City of Tiny Lights, Cruisin' for Burgers, Dirty Love, My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama, Muffin Man, Pound for a Brown (on the Bus), Stinkfoot, Titties 'n' Beer, Torture Never Stops, Wonderful Wino, You Didn't Try to Call Me (solo during ending "jam") COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- While this is not a truly great tour as far as Zappa guitar playing goes, it is not all that bad either. Frank is neither particularly inventive nor particularly impassioned this time out, but his solos are consistently well played, are usually quite lengthy, and are given some excellent support by the Bozzio/O'Hearn rhythm section. For your typical Fall '76 show, Frank would solo in "Stinkfoot", "Dirty Love", "The Torture Never stops", and "Black Napkins". The "Stinkfoot" solos are some of the best that this song ever saw, having an edge to them that is not present on other tours. "Dirty Love" contains a short yet worthy workout, and the "Torture" spots, while not yet the epic creations that would appear several tours later, have an offhandness about them that would not be out of place on a Grateful Dead album. "The "Black Napkins" solos are "Yo Mama" type monsters, starting nice and slow, quietly yet surely building to a typically ferocious ending. The occasional "Pound for a Brown's" contain some subtle Frank noodling, "Muffin Man" is your typical show closing barnstormer, and the unfortunately short lived "Advance Romance" finds Frank at his most comfortable. SONGS THAT FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- None NEW SONGS ON TOUR (played live for 1st time)Any Kind of Pain (lyrics only), Bamboozled By Love (lyrics only), City of Tiny Lites, I'm So Cute, Manx Needs Women, The Purple Lagoon, Stranded in the Jungle, Titties 'n' Beer MONSTER SONGS- In the truest sense of the term, there are no Monster Songs this time out. "Pound for a Brown", the standard Monster staple, is a guitar solo vehicle only this time out, and thus does not qualify. "Black Napkins" appears in its most involved, and solo-filled version, but each performance essentially follows the same solo rotation, and there is no deviation from this pattern. The closest thing we get is the "Advance Romance" performances from the Bianca era, which usually contain some musical fooling around and some spur-of-the-moment intrusions, but nothing that warrants true Monster status OVERVIEW- This is a pretty good tour. Not great, mind you- as it is lacking in several areas- but good enough to warrant a close listen, and well worth

acquiring several tapes, for you tape collectors. Even though there are some negative aspects to this tour, there are a couple aspects that are unique to this tour that overcome any of the negatives. Like the majority of the late '70's tours, the setlists are essentially the same nightly. Thus, if you are not fond of the tunes, you will suffer. Frank does mix-up the latter portion of each show, however, juggling several songs nightly, but considering that only 28 songs are played throughout the entire tour, there is not much juggling he can do. Even though many of the songs have grown or would grow rather tired, here they appear with some new twist that revitalizes and renews the interest in them. "Stinkfoot" contains some rather exotic guitar playing, "Dirty Love" and "Advance Romance" contain Bianca's excellent singing (for a short duration), and "Black Napkins" finds Eddie's violin replacing Brock's saxophone, and thus giving a new twist to the whole affair. Frank's guitar playing is not as intense and focused as it would be several tours later, but it is more than competent, with the rhythm section managing to push his soloing to much higher levels. But more than anything, there is one aspect of this tour that infects it with a highly contagious and energetic attitude. This aspect is the presence of Bianca. On the two aforementioned tunes ("Advance Romance" and "Dirty Love"), plus on the revisited Flo 'n' Eddie material, and especially on the vocal tour-de-force "You Didn't Try to Call Me", Bianca is simply a force to be reckoned with. As good as Ray is, he simply does not do what Bianca does to a song. Frank even respects her talent enough to give her a vocal solo in "Black Napkins", letting her start the improvisational festivities with her voice. Her energetic manner and dynamic presence affects the entire show, revitalising old songs, giving Frank something new to talk about, and opening up an entire new aspect to the FZ concert experience. Unfortunately, she would depart halfway through the tour, and the shows do suffer as a result. Interestingly enough, once this unexpected departure occurs, Frank starts shaking up the setlists, and in the handful of shows after Bianca's flight, 2 songs are dropped and 3 are added to the rotation. Apart from Bianca's presence (and or absence), this is still a worthwhile tour. While the songs are obviously wellrehearsed and well-played, there is a relaxed feel to this tour, and one always gets the sense that Frank and the band are enjoying themselves. They joke around, they all get a chance to solo, they do a little bit of everything. Not a great band, not great setlistsbut good enough, and fun enough, to take some time and listen to. THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED ADVANCE ROMANCE- This may be the tour for this song, though it sadly only sticks around for a couple of weeks. Essentially played as it is always played, with Bianca on vocals. For the solo section, things

start off oddly enough with an O'Hearn solo, which actually is quite good. Frank eventually joins in, starting nice and slow before building to a typically frenzied ending. The drummer then gets a little, before we head back into the song proper. This tune has a very loose feel to it this time out, and thus we get "In-a-gadda-da-poodle", "Any Kind of Pain", "Punky Whips", and various tomfoolery during its short, two week residency in the repertoire. If I may digress, it is during the frenzied build-up in Frank's solo that I came to the realisation that Bozzio/O'Hearn may be the best rhythm team that Frank ever had. They complement each other very well. ANY KIND OF PAIN- Not played as such, but during a 10/24 performance of "Advance Romance", Frank and Bianca sing a simplified version of the chorus, while O'Hearn plays the supporting bass part. BAMBOOZLED BY LOVE- Not played as such, but several of the lyrics are recited by Frank at the end of a 10/24 "City of Tiny Lites". BLACK NAPKINS- A solo tour-de-force. Things start off nice and calm, with the short opening vamp followed by Frank playing a simple, understated version of the main theme. Bianca, during her short stint, would open the improv festivities with some smooth and low jazz singing. Next up, and first in the Bianca-less days, Jobson shows us how to satisfy on the violin, and proves that not all violin solos have to sound the same (yeah, Ponty). Finally, we get Frank. Coming hot-on-the-heels of Jobson's typically incendiary workouts, Frank manages to impress without Freaking Out, bringing the energy level back down before slowly raising it up once again. CAMARILLO BRILLO- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the typically fast first half, and the arena rock slow second half. CITY OF TINY LITES- Essentially performed as on "Conceptual Continuity" from Beat the Boots Volume II, with the standard deviation coming in Ray's solos, and in Frank's occasional solos during the waning days of the tour. In typical Ray style, his solo includes some vocal accompianment, with Ray doing some excellent scat singing over his somewhat lengthy and accomplished solos. While the post-solo vocals do not contain the musical flourishes that the early '80's versions do, these closing vocals are markedly different than other '70's versions, thanks to Ray's typically soaring vocal performance. CRUISIN' FOR BURGERS- Essentially performed as on ZINY, with the standard deviation coming in

Frank's solo. The instrumental version, and did this tune ever rock harder. DADDY DADDY DADDY- Essentially played as on "200 Motels", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. Flo and Eddie appear during the 11/19 show, reclaiming the role they made their own, and performing this tune among others. Note that this tune was not only played on 11/19, but is also a part of the normal touring repertoire. DINAH-MO HUMM- Essentially played as on "Overnite Sensation", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. DIRTY LOVE- Essentially performed as on "Conceptual Continuity" from Beat the Boots Volume II, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's short solo. Bianca's voice graced this tune for her short stint, with Frank returning to the vocal job in her absence. FIND HER FINER- Essentially performed as on "Zoot Allures", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. After the wonderful reworking of this tune for the '88 tour, all other versions of this song are simply way too lethargic and laid back for my taste. This tour's version (which is actually the only other version, right?) makes me want to run to my CD player and pop on "The Best Band", just to hear that wonderfully bouncy and energetic "Find Her Finer" that the '88 band saw fit to resurrect. [Having given this tune a second listen, it is not that bad. A little sparser than the "Zoot Allures" version, taken at a very casual pace, it definitely does not compare to the '88 version, but better than the overproduced studio version.] HONEY DON'T YOU WANT A MAN LIKE ME?Essentially performed as on "Lather", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. I'M SO CUTE- A beast of an altogether different nature. Sounds like "Frank Zappa plays the music of The Rolling Stones". The tune starts off with a typical Charlie Watts 4/4 drum beat, with Frank and Ray setting up the tune with some distorted chords. Bozzio sings the same lyrics, but in an entirely different style (sounds like a Stones song, I tell you). The lines "Everybody, see his hair..." essentially serve as the chorus, with Bianca singing along beautifully in the back. We return to the "verses", Bozzio yells "Die, you ugly fuckers", and then we get a short but intense Jobson violin solo. The immediate post-solo vocals sound as if Bozzio is just improvising, before he leads us into the "Ugly is bad..." rant. After this, the song then gets really weird. In what could be called "Music that sounds like Hell", Jobson and Bozzio create a very slow, intense

atmosphere, at which point Frank repeats the "Ugly is bad" mantra, and starts chanting "Hot burning fire". This part is hauntingly eerie, and manages to recreate what the soundtrack of Hell would probably sound like. Finally, this quickly dissolves into a Mystery Word section reminiscent of "White Person" from YCDTOSA Volume VI. On the whole, a very interesting and possible superior "I'm So Cute" experience. MANX NEEDS WOMEN- Essentially performed as on ZINY, and referred to on this tour as "Mars Needs Women", or even "Mars Needs Yo Mama". MY GUITAR WANTS TO KILL YOUR MAMA- Jon Naurin sends us this late-breaking news- "Just a short piece of information: I got a fabulous tape of the early Halloween '76 show yesterday, and among many goodies it included "My Guitar wants to kill your Mama". Quite similar to the spring '77 arrangement, but Bianca's voice adds flavour to the vocal harmonies of course. Great guitar solo!" MUFFIN MAN- Essentially performed as on "Bongo Fury", from the live portion on, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. POODLE RAP- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's lecture. Frank seems to have more fun on this tour with this lecture than he does on other tours, more frequently deviating from the written script. He frequently indulges his muse, and thus over the course of the tour, we get talks about Poodle racing, travelling with band, hair-dressing, and, of course, the irreplaceable John Smothers. POUND FOR A BROWN (ON THE BUS)-Essentially performed as on ZINY, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This does not appear as its normal Monster self this time out, but only serves as a Frank guitar solo vehicle. It does a good job at this, however, with Frank producing some interesting solos in the handful of performances that we get. PURPLE LAGOON, THE- This song is used as the opening number of each show, which Frank would use as the background music to the band introductions. It also frequently found itself as the closing tune of each set, and as the closing tune of the encores. Obviously, this is not the full-blown extravaganza that we have on ZINY, but just a short run-through of the main theme. RUDY WANTS TO BUY YEZ A DRINK- Essentially performed as on "Chunga's Revenge", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. Flo and Eddie

appear during the 11/19 show, and relive their glorious past through this and other songs. During the rest of the tour, however, Frank does a more than adequate job of singing in place of Flo 'n' Eddie. STINKFOOT- Essentially performed as on "Conceptual Continuity" from Beat the Boots Volume II. This version has a heavier guitar sound than most, with an extended "Bring me the slippers" section, and that rather annoying and worthless Poodle Rap. Frank's guitar playing, however, seems to be especially wicked for this tour's "Stinkfoot", and thus manages to barely redeem all of this versions excesses. But just barely. STRANDED IN THE JUNGLE- Simply one of the better cover tunes that Frank ever did, in this reporter's humble opinion. Pure 50's pop, complete with Tarzan yells and those weird spoken interludes of which 50's pop is so fond. A silly tale of a man looking for Lover's Lane who gets stranded in the jungle, it is well sung by Frank and includes some hilarious interjections by Ray and Bianca. One of those "Why wasn't this on the Stage series?" candidates. TITTIES 'N' BEER- Essentially performed as on ZINY, with the standard deviation coming in Frank and Terry Ted's middle-of-the-song bargaining session. AND, on at least one occasion (10/29), Frank performs a short yet somewhat violent songending solo that shades the entire song a whole new color of evil, and redeems having to listen to the entire song yet again. Frank frequently calls the song "Chrissy Puked Twice", referring to a different, never released verse which describes the abuse of drugs and a vomitting girlfriend. Bianca, during her stint, plays Chrissy, and thus sings the appropriate lines. TORTURE NEVER STOPS, THE- Essentially performed as on "Conceptual Continuity" from Beat the Boots Volume II, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. The '76 "Torture's" are taken at a very relaxed pace, and thus Frank's solos have quite a different flavor to them. Being a Grateful Dead fan, I have always found these solos to be very reminiscent of the Dead, having that particularly laidback "hippy" quality. Bozzio and O'Hearn typically manage to infuse the latter portion of each solo with a climatic surge, but on the whole, these "Torture's" maintain a rather subdued quality. TRYIN' TO GROW A CHIN- Essentially performed as on "Lather". WHAT KIND OF GIRL DO YOU THINK WE ARE?Essentially performed as on "Fillmore East, June 1971", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. Flo and Eddie appear during the

11/19 show, and reclaim the roles that they made famous. But other than this show, this tune is amazingly enough a staple of the tour, with Frank and Bianca doing the role-playing- Bianca obviously playing the part of the groupie. WIND UP WORKING IN A GAS STATIONEssentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, with adjustments made in the vocal department upon the departure of Bianca. As the YCDTOSA version of his tune shows, Bianca has a wonderful effect on Frank's music. Compare this tour's version of this song to the Spring '76 performances (which are Bianca-less)- it's like comparing the Three Tenors to a kindergarten choral group. WONDERFUL WINO- This tune only rears its head several times on this tour, and while it is nice to hear, it makes us long for the more energetic Flo 'n' Eddie performances (say it isn't so). It is essentially performed as on "Zoot Allures", though at a slightly more upbeat tempo, and with the standard deviation coming in the song-ending guitar solo. Frank's vocals are weak, his "I-can't-play-and-sing-at-the-sametime" limitations lend the song an unwanted staccato effect, and Bianca's backing vocals only serve to remind you of what a real singer sounds like. Again, it is a welcome treat amidst the otherwise limited setlists, but sadly, not as successful as it could have been.. [Jon Naurin has this to say- "FZ delivers the guitar riff very powerfully, which is more than can be said about the vocals. Now that we've become spoilt by Lancelotti's treatment, FZ's sounds rather lame. For the chorus, Bianca adds some flavour, making you wish that the song would be about a Wino Girl instead. A short and not too exciting solo concludes the song."] WOULD YOU GO ALL THE WAY?- Essentially performed as on "Chunga's Revenge", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. Though this is amazingly enough a frequently played number on this tour, it also appears during the legendary "Flo and Eddie returns" 11/19 show, and thus is performed as it was always meant to be performed (though where is George's trombone when we need it?). YOU DIDN'T TRY TO CALL ME?- THE reason to track down a tape from the Bianca portion of this tour- this is a Bianca tour-de-force. This ultimate version of this song starts off nice and simple, with Bianca singing her lungs out before even finishing the first "You." She just wails, producing some of the most beautiful vocal gymnastics that any Frank vocalist ever attempted, let alone succeeded at. Once the song proper starts, it's just her and keyboards, before the remainder of the band slowly enters, here some drums, here some guitar. Ray joins in at one point, creating a spine-tingling duet, before Frank decides to completely ruin the mood.

What is this- ska? We're into the fast version of this tune now, with Bianca still doing a great job, but the sultry mood completely ruined. Wait, now its the arena rock version, nice and slow but a little too dramatic. Wait, we're turning again, this time into reggae. Please no, not reggae. All seems lost, though Bianca's ad-libbing and Frank's soloing help salvage some dignity. Then, before Frank can do anymore damage, the tune ends. What we have here is possibly the greatest half of singing that a Frank tune ever saw witness to (amen!), followed by a horrible example of what an overactive imagination can do. Still, despite the ugly spectre of FZ reggae rearing its head, we have a "must hear" performance. Hear that Gail. PUT YOUR .02 HERE Jon Naurin sez... Actually, my feelings for these tours are pretty similar to yours - a certain kind of ambivalence. I think you summed up this ambivalence pretty well by writing "this is not a great band", while still praising Bianca and Ray (probably my fave singing combo), the rhythm section (great - I agree), and gives Jobson credit as well. I like this band a lot, probably better than you (than you like it, that is!), and the major reason might be Jobson - I love his efforts on both the violin and keyboards. Both of his moog solos on ZINY are among my favourite non-Zappa solos, and his "Black Napkins" solos are among the most magical moments in my tape collection. Still, I must admit that there's something lacking (sounds like the 1974 #1, doesn't it?), and it has surely to do with the lack of onstage personality as you pointed out especially after Bianca's departure. But I also think they suffered from the lack of different instruments, the same way the 1975/76 and spring '80 bands did. No horns, no percussion - just the underused violin (guess a 2nd keyboardist wouldn't have hurt). Still, I must say these bands sounds interesting compared to FZ's other smaller touring combos, much because of Bianca while she was in, and Jobson's different keyboard sounds. I love his use of clavinet on "City of Tiny Lites", for example. How great this band could've sounded is proved in the Dec. shows, with horn and percussion sections. The ZINY-band is probably my overall favourite line-up, though I don't count it as a tour on its own (I do understand why you wanted to divide it this way, though). WINTER '77 BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Ray White (guitar, vocals), Patrick O'Hearn (bass, vocals), Terry Bozzio (drums, vocals, devil), Eddie Jobson (violin, keyboards) DATES- January 13th through February 17th

SHOWS- 21 CITIES- 17 COUNTRIES- 8 (all European) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 22 AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 105 minutes AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 7 SONGS THAT FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Black Napkins, Blues, Cruisin for Burgers, Illinois Enema Bandit, I'm the Slime, Jones Crusher (i.e. Blues and Leather Goods), Leather Goods, Muffin Man, My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama, Pound for a Brown (on the Bus), The Purple Lagoon, The Torture Never Stops, Willie the Pimp COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- This is a consistently good tour for Frank and his guitar. Not great (though he does flirt with outright excellence on occasion), but good enough to warrant a listen, and interesting in a evolutionary sort-of way. More than anything, this is the tour where Frank starts experimenting with his playing (apart from the '76 "Zoot Allures" obviously). Though he does not do this to any great degree, there are still many instances where Frank employs subtle but effective use of delay and other effect pedals, and works on varying his style within a single composition. In your typical Spring '77 show, Frank would solo at length in "The Torture Never Stops", "Pound for a Brown (on the bus)", and "Black Napkins", and it is in these tunes where Frank continues to hone his skills and slowly develop into the guitar maestro that he would become. But it is in "Jones Crusher", or more specifically, after "Jones Crusher", where Frank really starts experimenting. Towards the latter part of the tour, Frank introduces the guitar-based coda found on "Sheik Yerbouti", but here it is a much more full-blown affair. Frank starts playing, the band supports him, and everybody waits and sees what happens. "Leather Goods" from the 1996 "Lather" release is an example of such a coda, and it aptly demonstrates the experimental degrees to which Frank was willing to go. Finally, we must not forget that Frank has the Bozzio/O'Hearn rhythm section working behind him, which for me is the best "guitar solo rhythm section" that Frank ever had. In my opinion, they have the ability to drive a solo and push it to greater heights better than any other tandem that Frank ever had. SONGS THAT FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- City of Tiny Lites (no FZ middle solo- only Ray- but an occasional end of song solo/rave-up)

NEW SONGS ON TOUR (1st time performed live)Broken Hearts are for Assholes, Dong Work for Yuda, Jones Crusher MONSTER SONGS- None. One of the disappointing aspects of this tour is the lack of any full-blown weirdness. Apart from the "Jones Crusher" codas (which were few in number), this tour does not have any outright improvisation. Yes, there are solos galore, but they are tightly structured within the confines of their particular song. "Pound for a Brown" is nothing but a guitar solo vehicle this time out, and the only song that contains a variety of solos is "Black Napkins". But again, there is a structure to the variety, and nothing truly improvisational and experimental happens. A huge disappointment in my book. OVERVIEW- Another consistently good but probably not great Frank Zappa tour, with one major flaw that has quite a detrimental effect on the success of the entire tour. Like many of the late '70's tours, Frank has fallen into the routine setlist trap, and, with one or two exceptions, each show consists of the same 16 songs, performed in the same order, and in the same manner. Also, the band is another typically excellent Frank Zappa ensemble, but apart from the rhythm section (my heavy bias, here), none of the members have the ability to heavily influence the music. Ray's vocal skills are as enjoyable as ever, though Frank has obviously not yet recognized Ray's true ability as he is sorely underused. Eddie is a competent keyboardist (who has some interesting sounds), and proves that a violin solo does not have to be a tedious experience, but his presence is not really felt apart from the occasional solo. It is thus Frank and the rhythm section that redeem this tour and make it the occasionally worthy experience that it is. Frank's handful of solos each show are good and occasionally great, with the rhythm section pushing the meekest of efforts to more intense levels. The different versions of several songs- most notably "Jones Crusher" and"My Guitar"- provide a nice change of scenery, with the former giving us some experimental guitar excursions towards the later part of the tour. But in comparing this tour to the Fall '76 outing, which essentially consisted of the same band, there seems to be one key ingredient missing- fun. Listening to a typical Fall '76 show, one gets the sense that everyone in the band is having a good time. They joke around, there's a lot of vocal tomfoolery, and even some of the song choices infect the mood with a good dose of levity. That aspect is definitely not present on this tour. Apart from the "Titties 'n' Beer" routine, we get no jokes, no horsing around, and all the fun songs from the previous tour have been dropped. Yes, this tour is still enjoyable, and still has some exceptional musical moments, but when the intensity is not there, the lack of contagious high spirits lets the music come across as routine and

dull. When you have the same setlists every night, you need either intense musical performances nightly, or a sense of humor to distract the listener from the repetitive nature of the tour. Neither the Fall '76 nor the Spring 77 tour has the former, but at least the Fall '76 tour has the latter. Because of this lack of spontaniety and infectious good times, this tour frequently fails to live up to expectations, and on the whole, does not succeed in becoming one of Frank's truly better tours. THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED BIG LEG EMMA- Essentially performed as on ZINY, acounting for obvious differences in instrumentation. BLACK NAPKINS- A solo tour-de-force. Things start off nice and calm, with the short opening vamp followed by Frank playing a simple, understated version of the main theme. Once through the theme, Frank picks up the pace, and gives us a short, in-yerface typical "Black Napkins"workout. Jobson then steps up and shows us how to satisfy on the violin, proving that not all violin solos have to sound the same (yeah, Ponty). Finally, we get Frank again. Using a clear and simple sound, Frank slowly creates a beautiful, very understated guitar solo, taking his time to make his point, yet eventually reaching more intense heights thanks in part to his propulsive rhythm section. "Pink Napkins" from SUNPYG is an extract from this tour's "Black Napkins", and aptly conveys the restrained sense of playing that Frank usually treated this solo. Coming hot-on-the-heels of Jobson's typically incendiary workouts, Frank manages to impress without Freaking Out, bringing the energy level back down low before slowly raising it up once again. BLUES- This refers to a short guitar based jam that typically followed this tour's "Jones Crusher". I have always considered it an improvisational coda to the aforementioned tune, though it could stand on its own as a separate jam. BROKEN HEARTS ARE FOR ASSHOLESEssentially performed as on "Lather", with the standard deviation coming in Patrick's middle-of-thesong comments. CAMARILLO BRILLO- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the typical fast first half, and the arena rock slow second half. CITY OF TINY LITES- Essentially performed as on "Conceptual Continuity" from Beat the Boots Volume II, with the standard deviation coming in Ray's solo. As always, Ray treats us to some of his inimitable vocal accompianment during his solos, and then

continues on and proves that it is not only for his vocal skills that Frank hired him. Oddly enough, we also get a short O'Hearn bass solo after Ray's solo, which eventually leads us back into the composed guitar theme. In the closing vocal section, Ray sings his heart out, and proves that even if he were the worse guitar player in the world, Frank would still be forced to hire him due to his amazing vocal abilities. While it is nowhere near as crazy as the early '80's versions, these closing verses also contain some slight musical mayhem, courtesy of Frank and some well-used guitar effects. Finally, once the lyrics are finished, Frank and Ray usually engage in some competitive jamming, with Ray vocally improvising on the "over there" line, and Frank ripping off some licks, and an occasional full-blown solo. A version worthy of the "City of Tiny Lites" name. CRUISIN' FOR BURGERS- Essentially performed as on ZINY, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. DINAH-MO HUMM- Essentially performed as on "Overnite Sensation", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. DONG WORK FOR YUDA- The acapella version, with the hilarious intro-"He's got a little poop shoot, he don't know what he got"- sung to the tune of "Little Deuce Coup". A shortened version of the "Joe's Garage" take, minus some of the early lyrics, but essentially following the same pattern. Terry Ted plays the part of Bald-Headed John in the closing lyrics. HONEY DON'T YOU WANT A MAN LIKE ME?Essentially performed as on "Lather", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. ILLINOIS ENEMA BANDIT- Essentially performed as on ZINY, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Ray's guitar-only solo (no scat), Eddie's keyboard solo, and Frank's slanderous workout. Yes, this song is a solo-fest this time out, which is probably due to the fact that it only appears once in this four week outing- on 2/3. Ray's solo is quite good (and lengthy), Eddie has a rather high-pitched but interesting sound for his keyboard solo, and Frank's solo starts off nice and chorded and calm before evolving into your typical Frank endeavor. This performance also has a rather non-descript solo vamp, and does not contain the same one found on ZINY (of which I am personally not fond). I'M THE SLIME- Essentially performed as on ZINY, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation,

and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. JONES CRUSHER- This is weird. Another of those "is this the same song?" versions. The tune starts off slow and grungy, with some low bluesy guitar, and Ray singing the opening lyrics in a very Beefheart-ish manner. The song then appears as normal for the "She don't merely..." lines. The following verse follows this same pattern- first half blues, second half normal-before evolving into a short, weird horrormovie music vamp. The "Here she comes...." lines essentially sound the same, though quite a bit more staccato, and again there is a different, this-timemore-keyboard oriented theme, following these lines. Finally, we get the closing lines, which are also sung quite similarly to the official version, followed by a different, cold ending conclusion. Towards the later part of the tour, Frank would end the song with a guitar based coda, which typically evoled into a fullblown guitar extravaganza (see "Blues" and "Leather Goods") This version is a mixed bag as far as quality goes- while the musical changes are interesting, there is a de-emphasis on the vocals, which prevents Ray from personalizing this tune as well as Belew did in his performances. MANX NEEDS WOMEN- Essentially performed as on ZINY, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. MONTANA- Essentially performed as on "Overnite Sensation", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Yes, for what would be the last time until that strange week in December of '84, Frank solos in this song. Not a particular worthy solo (does not hold a candle to the madness of the Fall '74 outing), but it is still a "Montana" solo nonetheless. Oddly enough, Frank decides not to play the "I ride a little tiny horse" section that follows the solo, and thus manages to sabotage this version nonetheless. MUFFIN MAN- Essentially performed as on "Bongo Fury", from the live portion on, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. MY GUITAR WANTS TO KILL YOUR MAMAAnother of those "what is this?" versions. This is the SLOW version of this tune. It starts off heavy on the guitar, with Frank playing some distorted chords in a very sluggish yet forceful manner. It is not until the lyrics begin that we realize what song we are in, and then we have second doubts because the lyrics are being sung so slow. When the solo comes, we run and check our tape deck and make sure it is not broken, swearing that this solo should be much faster. But no, the vocals continue, and the voices

sound all right, but damn, are they slow. An interesting version, which is actually quite enjoyable once you get over the speed at which it is played. The '77 band slows it down and it works, the '84 band speeds it up and it works- this just must be one solid song. LEATHER GOODS- One of the much longer improvised codas to this tour's "Jones Crusher" eventually appeared as this bonus track on the 1996 release "Lather". Thus, as it is performed on 2/17, it is exactly the same as it appears on this album. PEACHES EN REGALIA- Essentially performed as on "Hot Rats" (the Peaches I version), allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. POUND FOR A BROWN (ON THE BUS)- Essentially performed as on ZINY, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. While this is not the Monster "Pound" found on other tours, this version is rather endearing simply because it harkens back to the days of Flo 'n' Eddie, when all this tune contained was a simple yet impressive guitar solo. While Frank's style, and the rhythmic accompianment, is quite different this time around, there is still a strightforward honesty about these solos that makes them all the more powerful. We get the short theme, and then Frank just doing what he does best. What more could you ask for? My only complaint-> other than endly his solo coldly, and then letting Terry fool around for several minutes before the next song, I wish Frank could have found a better way to segue into the typically next-up "Jones Crusher". But hey, there's no need to be picky, right? PURPLE LAGOON, THE- This tune is used as an opening and closing number only, i.e. the full-blown extravaganza found on ZINY is not what we get here. Instead, we get the main theme performed by the band, with Frank doing the band introductions, and an occasional short guitar solo, over the music. The tune varies in length according to the length of Frank's solo and/or introductions. TITTIES 'N' BEER- Essentially performed as on "Lather", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's and Terry Ted's middle of the song debate. TORTURE NEVER STOPS, THE- The slow, mellow version, essentially performed as on ZINY, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Whether or not you like this version (and this goes for all "Torture's" through the Spring '78 tour), I think you have to admit that nobody could drum this tune better than Bozzio. When I was 18, I bought Frank's newly released YCDTOSA Volume I, and as much as I

loved that entire compilation (my first FZ), it was Bozzio's drumming on that mammoth "Torture" that simply floored me. I do not know what it is about it, but Bozzio's style serves this song so well. Even Vinnie cannot compete when it comes to this tune. However, I digress. Like the ZINY version, the guitar solos found here typically start off as rather mellow affairs, though thanks to Bozzio's drumming, O'Hearn's bass playing, and the orgasmic screams of an unknown female in the background, the energy quickly builds, leading us to the tumultuous workouts that we have come to expect. Again, I hate to harp on this point, but it is during these solos, and the "Advance Romance" solos of the Fall '76 tour, and the "Yo Mama's" of the Spring '78 tour, that I find the Bozzio/O'Hearn combination to be the most inspiring support team that Frank ever had. But again, that's just me. TRYIN' TO GROW A CHIN- Essentially performed as on "Lather". WILLIE THE PIMP- Dare I say that this version sucks? Yes, I dare, because it does. It starts off promising enough, with Frank tearing into the theme with one of his nastiest sounding tones. But then the vocals start, and we realize that this is not the blasphemous "Willie the Pimp" of the early '70's, but the dreaded "Willie the Pimp Mach II"- the version found on YCDTOSA Volume IV. You know the one, with the redone lyrics, which manage to make this song sound cute. Okay, maybe the solo will redeem things. But no, where's the solo? Just Frank and band randomly jamming for several minutes- no real solo, just a lot of swiftly played chords. Now we are back to the vocals, and no, they do not sound any better the second time round. Finally, we get the real Frank Zappa guitar solo, with a more sinister sounding tone, and hopefully it is well worth the wait. But no, sadly it is not. Yes, its a quite lengthy solo, but it is truly boring. Amazingly enough, this version makes the '84 version sound brilliant. Not an easy feat. PUT YOUR .02 HERE Jon Naurin sez... Actually, my feelings for these tours are pretty similar to yours - a certain kind of ambivalence. I think you summed up this ambivalence pretty well by writing "this is not a great band", while still praising Bianca and Ray (probably my fave singing combo), the rhythm section (great - I agree), and gives Jobson credit as well. I like this band a lot, probably better than you (than you like it, that is!), and the major reason might be Jobson - I love his efforts on both the violin and keyboards. Both of his moog solos on ZINY are among my favourite non-Zappa solos, and

his "Black Napkins" solos are among the most magical moments in my tape collection. Still, I must admit that there's something lacking (sounds like the 1974 #1, doesn't it?), and it has surely to do with the lack of onstage personality as you pointed out especially after Bianca's departure. But I also think they suffered from the lack of different instruments, the same way the 1975/76 and spring '80 bands did. No horns, no percussion - just the underused violin (guess a 2nd keyboardist wouldn't have hurt). Still, I must say these bands sounds interesting compared to FZ's other smaller touring combos, much because of Bianca while she was in, and Jobson's different keyboard sounds. I love his use of clavinet on "City of Tiny Lites", for example. How great this band could've sounded is proved in the Dec. shows, with horn and percussion sections. The ZINY-band is probably my overall favourite line-up, though I don't count it as a tour on its own (I do understand why you wanted to divide it this way, though). FALL '77 BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Adrian Belew (guitar, vocals, wild love), Patrick O'Hearn (bass, vocals, broken hearts), Terry Bozzio (drums, vocals, teen idolatry), Ed Mann (percussion, harmonica, mystery words, Dylan), Tommy Mars (keyboards, high-pitched vocals, blaster), Peter Wolf (keyboards, german) SPECIAL GUESTS- Roy Estrada (certifiable insanity, gas mask), Phil Kaufman (human trombone), Thomas Nordegg (10/30 magic trick), the New York crazies (dancing) DATES- September 8th through November 20th, December 31st SHOWS- 33 CITIES- 26 COUNTRIES- 2 (US and Canada) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 39 AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 120 minutes AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 7 SONGS THAT FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Black Napkins, City of Tiny Lites, Conehead, Illinois Enema Bandit, I Promise Not To Come in Your Mouth, King Kong, Muffin Man, Pound for a Brown, Punky's Whips, Road Ladies, Stinkfoot, The Torture Never Stops, Wild Love

COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- Frank's guitar playing may not be at its peak by this point in his touring career, but these are without a doubt some of his best solos. The combination of excellent song choices and an outstanding rhythm section (the best he ever had?) make for some simply sick guitar. Not only that, but when Frank picks up his guitar to solo, he does not mess around, pulling out some epic length solos almost each time. "Black Napkins", "Pound for a Brown", "The Torture Never Stops", and "Wild Love" are all quite lengthy Frank affairs, somehow never managing to bore despite their length. The instrumental "Conehead" solos are a nice surprise, sounding quite different than they will once the tune gains lyrics. "I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth" is Frank at his most restrained, yet still inspired, while "Muffin Man" and "Punky's Whips" give Frank a chance to rock. But more than anything, it is the rhythm section, most notably O'Hearn, which really makes the difference in these solos. Especially during the "Conehead" and "Wild Love" excursions, O'Hearn is all over the place, essentialy soloing in his own right, yet still propelling Frank's playing to new heights. Why do you think Frank invited him back to be the second bass player for Halloween '78? It's because the kid is SICK! SONGS FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- None NEW SONGS ON TOUR (performed for 1st time live)- Baby Snakes, Bobby Brown, Conehead, Dancin' Fool, Envelopes,Flakes, I Have Been in You, Jewish Princess, Wild Love MONSTER SONGS ON TOUR- King Kong, Pound for a Brown, Wild Love. Talk about Monster Songs. These may not be the craziest of Monster Songs (the '88 tour wins that honor), but these are without a doubt the sickest performances. Filled with solos galore, Mystery Word sections, certfifiably insane Roy Estrada rantings, human trombones, inspired Frank guitar solos, and the grooviest rhythm section to ever rock this Teenage Combo, these tunes thrust this tour into the upper echelons of great Frank tours. The "King Kong's" and "Pound for a Brown's" are crazy enough, but musically speaking, the "Wild Love" extravaganzas may be some of the most intense improvisation that Frank and his boys ever created. OVERVIEW- Without a doubt, this is one of Frank's greatest tours. While the setlists are rather predictable from night to night, and the repertoire rather small, there is so much absolutely incredible playing on this tour, that you could listen to show after show after show without getting bored. To begin with, Frank's guitar solos are excellent. The combination of first rate song choices, the best rhythm team Frank ever played with (you might

disagree about Bozzio, but O'Hearn should be unanimous), and some lengthy and well-developed guitar playing results in an endless series of very satisfying Frank solos. The remainder of the band also displays their talents frequently throughout each show, with Mars and Wolf fighting it out with the rhythm section, Mann subdueing us with his mesmerizing talent, Belew creating noises we did not know guitars could make, and O'Hearn proving that bass solos do not have to be boring. As I mentioned above, the setlists are rather limited, but when looking at the songs contained within those lists, there's hardly any reason for complaints. We get early, unreleased versions of "Conehead", "Envelopes", "Flakes", and "Wild Love"- all of which are arguably better than their officially released versions. We get a handful of Monster Songs, a handful of short-lived pieces ("Lather", "Punky's Whips", "Jones Crusher", "Big Leg Emma"), and enough contrast and relief within the sets to keep everyone happy. This last factor, more than anything, seems to me one of the most important factors in the success of this tour. Frank does such an excellent job of composing the sets, juxtaposing vocal oriented tunes with guitar solo vehicles with Monster jams. The best example of this is the standard "Pound for a Brown-> Bobby Brown-> Conehead" trio, which perfectly exemplifies the balance Frank successfully strikes on this tour. A great band, some great songs, great playing by everyone involved, and an undoubtedly great tour. THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED AULD LANG SYNE- Whipped out one-night only on this tour- that's right, you guessed it, on New Year's Eve, of all times. At the end of his "Black Napkins" solo, Frank tears into what can only be called a heavy metal version of this tune, which is quickly picked up by Bozzio, O'Hearn, and the very majestic sounding keyboardists. They play this song for about a minute, before Frank makes the closing introductions (?), and the concert, and the tour, ends. BABY SNAKES- Essentially performed as on "Sheik Yerbouti". While this tune was being rehearsed since at least 10/30 (see "Baby Snakes" the movie), it did not premiere until New Year's Eve. I figure it is Frank's gift to the new year, sort of like a "Baby New Year's". BIG LEG EMMA- Essentially performed as on ZINY, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentaton. BLACK NAPKINS- Quite an awesome way to close a show, I must say. This tune pops up sporadically thorughout the tour, raising its passionate head at the tail end of certain concerts, sending the lucky audience members home with smiles plastered

across their faces. I just finished listening to the 10/2 performance, and man, is Frank on for this song. I have yet to hear a disappointing "Black Napkins" from this tour. The tune starts off nice and calm, with the standard opening vamp setting the scene for Frank, who plays an understated version of the main theme. Deceptive almost, this restrained playing by Frank, who, upon finishing the head, would pour forth a torrent of notes and noises that would make even the most ardent of "Dinah-Mo Humm" fans numb with awe. Simply Frank at his best, playing guitar as if nothing else in the world matters, or even exists. BLACK PAGE #2- Essentially performed as on "Baby Snakes", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's introduction and explanation of the tune. Of course, we get the occasional audience participation, with certain brave souls attempting to dance in the face of these complex rhythms. BOBBY BROWN GOES DOWN- Essentially performed as on "Sheik Yerbouti", which is excusable this time around being as this is the first tour the song appears. BROKEN HEARTS ARE FOR ASSHOLESEssentially performed as on "Sheik Yerbouti", with the standard deviation coming in O'Hearn's middleof-the-song remarks. Several instances on tour, Patrick manages to highly amuse Frank and several other band members, rendering them unable to successfully sing their lines. Interesting to hear, but a bad omen of things to come 7 years later. CAMARILLO BRILLO- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. This is the version with the fast first half, and the arena rock slow second half. CITY OF TINY LITES- Essentially performed as on "Sheik Yerbouti", with the standard deviation coming in the solo section. Over the course of the tour, we get a variety of solos, ranging from nothing-butO'Hearn bass solos in the early days of the tour, to the standard Frank guitar outings in the remaining shows. CONEHEAD- Performed as an instrumental this time round, containing a Frank guitar solo and some outrageous O'Hearn bass playing. When it first rears its pointed little head, it essentially serves as the vamp for Frank's guitar solo during the "Pound for a Brown" extravaganzas. After several instances of this, the tune is separated from the Monster tune, and takes on its own identity, though still remaining an instrumental. The main theme as it is played on this tour- a short bass and guitar riff- can be briefly heard during the "Baby Snakes" movie. This main theme

sets up the guitar solo, but is eventually lost as Frank and the rhythm section stake new musical territory. Upon finishing his solo, Frank and the band then return to this theme, before segueing into the next song. Some of the best guitar playing of the tour- and of the seventies- comes right here. DADDY DADDY DADDY- This appears once on this tour, on 9/29, as part of a medley consisting of "Road Ladies", "Would You Go All The Way?", this, and "Do You Like Me New Car?" DANCIN' FOOL- Thankfully, it was only performed twice on this tour. It debuted on 10/30 in possibly the most interesting performance this tune has ever presented. The basic structure of the song is the same for this premiere performance, but the tune has quite a different feel due to the hesitancy of both Frank and the band. The opening music (and preverse section) is not as abrupt, missing the crashing guitar chord and consisting of only the repeating keyboard and bass riff. Frank messes up the second verse during this performance, and has the band go back and do it again. The "Beat goes on..." section is a lot more chaotic, and the ending simply consists of the "I may be totally wrong..." section, and a closing train crash. Without a doubt, this is the most interesting performance of this tune as it is the only one which sounds different from the "Sheik Yerbouti" version. The only other performance on this tour is on 12/31, and unfortunately, the band had a chance to practice it by then. DINAH-MO HUMM- Essentially performed as on "Baby Snakes". Thankfully, though, we do not get a "Frank Zappa sing alike Contest" in the majority of the performances, thus shortening the length of time we have to spend listening to this tune. DIRTY LOVE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, though quite a bit slower, and allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. Frank decided to whip out the "Stinkfoot-> Poodle Rap" for the 10/30 concert and video recording (the first of three known performances on this tour, the other two being 11/11, and the "Stinkfoot" a la carte 12/31 rendition), and "Dirty Love" comes along for the ride for the first two. DISCO BOY- Essentially performed as on "Baby Snakes". DONG WORK FOR YUDA- Not quite the production we would find on "Joe's Garage", this song on this tour was essentially a bare bones musical number with emphasis on the harmonizing and vocals of the band. As on "Joe's Garage", Terry Ted has the meat of the vocals- uttering all Bald Headed John's

linguistic mutilations. Essentially performed the same each time. DO YOU LIKE ME NEW CAR?- This song appears once on this tour, on 9/29, as the last part of a medley consisting of "Road Ladies", Would You Go All The Way?", "Daddy Daddy Daddy", and this. ENVELOPES- Essentially performed as on SATLTSADW, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, but with vocals! Yes, this instrumental ditty originally had vocals, sung by, of all people, Tommy Mars. Essentially, the song is about sex (surprise!), with the most ridiculous line being "Squat on my blaster". Now, for your reading enjoyment, the lyrics (as I hear them)- You are my desire, you come to me in dreams thru a garden wall, Its covered with a lot of dew, I suppose you're covered too, Just slightly wet, better yet, you're my stew, You are my ?, You come to me in a ?, Covered with a lot of dew, I supposed you're covered too, Just slightly wet, Better yet, Let's go screw, I'm screwing you (x4), Oh boy I'm doing it, I'm really neat (x2), You're really sweet (x2), In and out (x4), It's divine, you are mine, You're so fine, Squat on my blaster, make it go faster (x2) Drum solo FIND HER FINER- A New Year's treat (sort of), essentially performed as on "Zoot Allures", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. Not quite as tedious as the album version, but a far cry from the upbeat number that the '88 band frequently performed. FLAKES- The majority of this tune is essentially performed as on "Sheik Yerbouti", namely up through the Bob Dylan section. From this point on, however, the song differs, and the degree in which it differs depends on where in the tour you encounter the song. For the majority of the tour, the song essentially ends after the Bob Dylan verses. There is a short instrumental take on the Dylan theme, followed by a return to the opening vamp, and then the end. For the New Year's show, however, the post-Dylan section has attained the instrumental portion of the "Sheik Yerbouti" version, minus the lyrics. In place of the lyrics, Belew takes a restrained yet intense solo, employing excellent use of his volume pedal throughout. The "1,2,3,4" chant is still in place, but instead of heralding the arrival of new lyrics, it serves the purpose of intensifying the Belewled jam. Listening to this live version, and comparing it to the studio version,one feels inevitable disappointment when one realizes what an overactive imagination and too much time in the studio can do to a song. Essential listening for the die-hard Zappa fan. The Bob Dylan portion of this tune is also used as an instrumental vamp to open the shows (an example of this can be heard on the "Baby Snakes" video).

I HAVE BEEN IN YOU- Essentially performed as on "Sheik Yerbouti", with the "Is This Guy Kidding or What?" bit thrown in from Stage VI. This song premiered on 10/20, and was performed again on 10/30. For these first two performances, this tune is rather skeletal, missing the high-pitched backing vocals, and without the slowly building ending. The third and final performance is on 12/31, and by this time the band had practiced the tune enough to play it as we know it. Frank opened this song with the monologue about the teenage girl meeting and seducing the "pop star of her choice". Like "Billy the Mountain" years before, Frank changed names and slightly altered the story depending upon where the concert was taking place, but for the most part the story was the same. ILLINOIS ENEMA BANDIT- Jon Naurin's got the full scoop on this one- "Played at least twice this tour, as an encore of the 9/23 show and directly after intermission on 9/29. Before the latter, FZ explains that they would ordinarily play Envelopes at this part of the program, but he figured that a weird song with a drum solo would not be a good opener of set 2. So instead he announces that they'll play a song of the forthcoming Lather album, and that it should be sung by someone with a very high voice. Nevertheless he sings it himself, which makes the song lose a bit of energy. Adrian sings the final lines, and I think he should have sung the whole song.Interesting choices of soloists: Belew goes first ("take it away, Bob!) with a slashing solo, and Peter comes next on the moog, before FZ delivers his solo, which seems to be played on the three lowest frets for 90% of the time. Apart from this; EPAOZINYAFODII & WDSDCITS (you figure it out!)" Excellent acronyms, Jon. I PROMISE NOT TO COME IN YOUR MOUTHEssentially performed as on ZINY, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in either Frank's or Pete's solo. ISN'T IT ROMANTIC- I figured this was simply someone mistitling "Punky's Whips", but Jon Naurin has this to say about this title- "UCLA, 11/20/77: So what is "Isn't it romantic?"? Well, at the beginning of the first encores, Adrian (I think) starts noodling on his guitar. This leads into a melody, which I believe is "Isn't it romantic?" - it's the same melody that's whistled in "Punky's Whips". After a while, the rest of the band starts playing along. In total maybe a minute or so, and I'd say it qualifies as a setlist entry. JEWISH PRINCESS- From what I can tell, this song was only performed live once- ever. It premiered on 10/30- right after the world premiere of "Dancin' Fool"- and several minutes later, disappeared from our touring lives forever. This is a pretty complete rendition of this tune, with the only elements missing

in comparison with the studio version being the kazoo parts and the backing vocals. [Patrick Buzby astutely points out that this IS the performance found on "Sheik Yerbouti", minus the massive overdubs.] JONES CRUSHER- Essentially performed as on "Baby Snakes". KING KONG- For this tour, this song debuted on 10/30, the performance of which can be seen on the "Baby Snakes" video. We get the fast version of the song this time around, with a Mann percussion solo, Phil "the Human Trombone " Kaufman, keyboard solos, some genuine Roy Estrada gas mask insanity, and the improvised "Toy police car" jam, which consists of Frank pushing the button on a toy police car while the band vamps behind it. In the weeks following this performance, this tune occasionally rears its ugly little head, appearing in the set lists where the instrumental "Conehead" would typically appear. The performances I have heard have both been guitar solo only vehicles, and I am assuming that they are all such vehicles since they appear in what is typically an FZ guitar solo spot. LATHER- The name that some of us are now giving to "I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth", thanks to that Ryko release. I refuse to follow suit, out of respect for the commitment made in the original title. MUFFIN MAN- Essentially performed as on "Bongo Fury"- the live part only- allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. PEACHES EN REGALIA- Essentially performed as on "Hot Rats" (the Peaches I version), with Tommy's voice being used as an additional instrument at key moments in the song. POODLE RAP- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, which represents the single performance of this tune on this tour. Whew! POUND FOR A BROWN (ON THE BUS)- An excellent outing for this perennial Monster Song. The main theme is played as always, with some Tommy vocal accompaniment throughout. The solo section starts off with some very uncommon and well-played rhythm guitar, setting the scene for the keyboard freak-out that follows. Wolf uses quite a funky sound, Mars scats for much of his solo, and the rhythm section- particularly O'Hearn- is outright insane. Early in the tour, an instrumental version of "Conehead" essentially serves as the vamp for a Frank Zappa guitar solo, though this situation would only last about a week. Once "Conehead" became its own tune, the Zappa solo is dropped from this tune, and it becomes a keyboard/bass fest only.

PUNKY'S WHIPS- Essentially performed as on "Baby Snakes", allowing for obvious differences in Frank's solo. ROAD LADIES- Jon Naurin writes: "Just performed once to my knowledge, on 9/29. Quite similar to the Chunga's Revenge version with a short solo, and Belew screaming the lines that Mark Volman would take originally." SAN BER'DINO- Essentially performed as on OSFA, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. Belew does a more than adequate job of filling Watson's shoes for the end-of-song ravings. STINKFOOT- Essentially performed as always, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Frank whips this song out three times on this tour- on 10/30, 11/11, and on 12/31- apparently considering it a special treat. TITTIES 'N' BEER- Essentially performed as on "Baby Snakes", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's and Terry Ted's middle-of-the-song bargaining session. TORTURE NEVER STOPS, THE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This is consistently one of the highlights of the tour, with some incredible Frank playing and some even more incredible bass playing from O'Hearn. While Frank frequently falls into the same mode of playing during these extended solos, O'Hearn is continually messing with the bass lines, and creating interesting textures to which Frank responds. Did I mention that this kid is amazing? TRYIN' TO GROW A CHIN- Essentially performed as on "Sheik Yerbouti" WILD LOVE- A true Monster Song, and possibly the only one to ever have lyrics (I do not know the significance of this, but I thought I would point it out). For this tour, the first half of the song is essentially the same as on "Sheik Yerbouti", with the only difference being that the the tune now begins with the vocals (i.e. no opening instrumental segment). Once we run through the "official" version of the song, things begin to get a little strange, and it is here where this Monster tune truly raises its powerful little head. After the conclusion of the song as we know it from the album, Belew's chorded guitar riff is played again, and this lead us into The Solos. The keyboard players typically go first, accompanied by a very active percussion section and some intense bass playing. Ocasionally throughout the tour, Ed Mann gets his chance to solo, and his percussion workout follows the keyboardists. Belew goes next, and for his

solo, a disco vamp is introduced (which sounds remarkably similar to a song I heard on VH1), along with a short theme that Belew toys with for the duration of his solo. Belew employs liberal use of his volume pedal for his rather manic solo, with O'Hearn once again providing some exceptional bass support. Frank then picks up his guitar and concludes the festivities. Early in the tour, Frank's solo would evolve out of the disco vamp, with O'Hearn diversifying the sonic landscape by slowly mutating the established groove. At some point in the tour, however, Frank's solo is set apart from the disco jam, and essentially begins with the drum beat that would later be used to open "Yo Mama". WOULD YOU GO ALL THE WAY?- Jon Naurin writes- "Also played as part of an oldie medley at the 9/29 encores. Essentially performed the way the 76/77 (and the Flo & Eddie bands) played it." The oldie medley consisted of "Road Ladies", this, "Daddy Daddy Daddy", and "Do You Like My New Car?" FALL '78 BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Ike Willis (guitar, vocals, disappeared for Halloween shows), Denny Walley (slide, vocals), Arthur Barrow (bass), Vinnie Colaiuta (drum madness, seal calls), Ed Mann (percussion, Bob Dylan), Tommy Mars (keyboard, vocals), Peter Wolf (keyboards) SPECIAL GUESTS- Patrick O'Hearn (bass for several October shows, including all Halloween, shows- along with Arthur Barrow; Heil Caesars, lobster girls), L Shankar (Halloween violin), Warren Cucurullo (Halloween tale of sexual exploits), Nancy (lame Halloween sexual fantasy involving Frank) DATES- August 26th- October 31st SHOWS- 34 CITIES- 25 COUNTRIES- 4 # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 47 AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 115 minutes (Halloween was approx. 4 hours) AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 5 (Halloween had 11) SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Ancient Armaments, Bamboozled By Love, Black Napkins, City of Tiny Lites, Conehead, The Deathless Horsie, Easy Meat,

Little House I Used To Live In, Muffin Man, Opening Solos, Packard Goose, Persona Non Grata, Pound for a Brown, The Purple Lagoon (early in tour), Stinkfoot, Suicide Chump, Thirteen, Twenty-one, Village of the Sun, Watermelon in Easter Hay, Why Does It Hurt When I Pee?, Yo Mama COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- This was another very good year for Frank solos. In fact, as I argue below, Frank's playing and the band's abilities and opportunities at improvisation are what lift this tour from mediocrity into possible greatness. Frank actually did not solo all that much in each show, but he chose his spots well, and varied his solo song selection from night to night to keep things fresh. In the Opening Solo spot, Frank typically produced his most inspired work, getting an opportunity to create something out of nothing. His "Bamboozled" and "Suicide" solos were typical blues scorchers, not really to my taste, but recognizably good. He occasionally stepped up and soloed in the rewritten, galloping "Village of the Sun", and these solos, along with the "Conehead" solos, have a Zappa texture that you do not hear all that often. "Watermelon in Easter Hay" needs no explanation, and the same goes with "Black Napkins", although on 10/13 Zappa produced an absolute "Black Napkins" monster. The only real disappointment were his "Yo Mama" solos, which are worth hearing, but just do not produce the spinetingles that the Spring '78 solos all so frequently did. Of course, we also had Halloween, but I save my praise for that for below. SONGS THAT FZ WOULD USUALLY SOLO IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR-None (though Pound for a Brown on the Bus was only percussion/keyboards until the waning days of the tour) NEW SONGS ON TOUR (1st time performed live)Ancient Armaments, Bamboozled By Love (the music, not the lyrics), Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder, Little Rubber Girl, Lobster Girl, The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing, Moe's Vacation, Packard Goose (the music, not the lyrics), Rollo (as it is performed here), Suicide Chump, Sy Borg, Why Does It Hurt When I Pee? MONSTER SONGS ON TOUR- Conehead (on 9/7 only), Little House I Used to Live In, Pound for a Brown (including "Thirteen"), Suicide Chump (on 10/27 only) OVERVIEW- As I mentioned above, this tour should have been destined for mediocrity, especially as we look back in hindsight. The setlists are, well, almost painful. "Dancin' Fool", "Keep It Greasy", "Honey Don't You Want A Man Like Me?", "Bobby Brown", "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow"- songs that would make most of us vomit by the end of '84, or would bore us

to death with their lack of variation- were played at almost every show. We do get some guitar solos and improv, but the songs that we regularly got that stuff in- such as "Easy Meat", "City of Tiny Lites", and the almost always, keyboard-only "Pound for a Brown"all appear in somewhat weak versions. But amidst all this mediocrity, we received some wonderful surprises, extremely wicked improv, and the simply unbeatable 6 show Halloween run. The Surprises- "Why Does It Hurt When I Pee?" and "Packard Goose" world premieres- the former in a must-hear, bluesy version, the latter in a stilldeveloping-but-ain't-it-great version. "Uncle Meat" and "Moe's Vacation"- the former a "where the hell did that come from?" candidate, the latter sort-of a "Black Page" on ludes. We get both Patrick O'Hearn and Arthur Barrow on bass for several shows, with the craziness that such a pairing should produce. And finally, a wonderful, reworked version of "Village of the Sun", complete with a wonderfully lazy keyboard or guitar solo. The Extremely Wicked Improv- This really didn't start until October, but once it started, watch out. Longer, more unlimited "Pound for a Brown" performances, with Heil Caesar variations and the Emperor of Ohio. "Little House I Used To Live In" jams with Vinnie proving that drum solos do not have to suck. "Black Napkins" that seem like they are never going to end; and, of course,... The Simply Unbeatable 6 Halloween Shows- I don't know if it was L Shankar or what, but these shows simply smoked. Major jams in all the Monster songs, rarely played surprises, mega-audience participation, and for me, the highlight of the entire tour. 10/27, the late show- "Suicide Chump" becomes THE Monster song. Not only do we get some Shanker/Zappa dueling, we also get a Tommy Mars led, baked-fromscratch jam complete with surf music. The entire side two of my 10/27 tape contains only two songs"Thirteen " and the aforementioned "Suicide Chump". Improvisational heaven. For that 45 minutes of music alone, I love this tour

HOBNOBLIN' WITH THE GOBLINS The Halloween '78 Files Frank played some great shows in his time, but never did he perform a run of shows as insane and inspired as the 6 shows he played at the tail end of October 1978. For four nights over five days, Frank and his Rockin' Teenage Combo invaded the New York City Palladium, selling out each show and filling the seats with the East Coast's freakiest. The tour preceding

this run was mildly successful, containing some frequently inspired music from an immensely talented band. Unfortunately, though, the early parts of the tour saw highly repetitive setlists, with the material represented in those setlists not fully exploiting the abilities of this band. But then in October, things started to change. Setlists got shaken up, improvisations started to lengthen, and Patrick O'Hearn, Frank's most underrated bass player, sat in on a couple of shows and simply ignited the band. By the time Halloween rolled around, things were starting to look up. Throw Patrick O'Hearn in the mix as a full-time second bass player, and then add guest violinist L Shankar, and the possibilities became endless. But would Frank exploit these possibilities? Of course, he would. Below I have links to eight pages, six of which deal with one of the six Halloween shows. I have provided relevant information on each performance of each song, but have ignored details that apply to every performance. Thus, if you are unfamiliar with this tour, and want more information on certain song specifics, I recommend you check out my Fall '78 page. As always, these pages are laced with my opinions, but hey, that's where all the fun comes in. I hope you like what you read. And thanks for your time. NOTE ON FOGGY'S SCIENTIFIC METHOD- For these pages, I listened to all 6 shows twice, in order, as if they were the actual shows (i.e. I listened to both 27 shows on the same night, then both 28 shows the next night, etc). The first time round I took notes (see timings on the pages), and the second time round I simply absorbed. Yes, I was already familiar with the tapes prior to this, but felt the need to fully delve in once again. Hey, the shows deserve it.

but somehow perfect nonetheless. Named by FZ himself, when he released this as the B-side of "I Don't Wanna Get Drafted". BAMBOOZLED BY LOVE- Essentially performed as on "Saarbrucken" from Beat the Boots Volume I- the slow blues version- with the standard deviation coming in both Denny's and Frank's guitar solos. Complete with seal calls. Frank steps up and takes care of the vocals in Ike's absence during the Halloween run. BLACK NAPKINS- This tour's version of this was arranged similarly to the '88 version, in that the song would begin with an opening vamp that the band would play until Frank dove in and started playing the actual theme. Once the theme was played, it was time for Frank to shine, and he would wail away on the guitar, the band supporting him. Upon finishing his solo, he would return to the theme, and the tune would conclude. The 10/13 performance is a veritable monster, with Frank simply refusing to stop playing his guitar. BLACK PAGE #2, THE- Essentially played as on "Baby Snakes", though with a little more ooomph!, as both the song and the band were more experienced by this time (new band, yes, but I attribute the strength of this version partially to this band's surefootedness). "Audience Participation" occurred at least once on 10/27 - the early show- but apart from that, the intro to this song at least included a challenge to the audience to either a) keep the beat by clapping, or b) dance without stopping, for the duration of the tune. In its best incarnation, this tune arises out of the Barrow/Colaiuta spotlight "Mo's Vacation", providing an interesting and light-hearted contrast to the former's more profound complexity. BOBBY BROWN GOES DOWN- Essentially performed as it was always performed. CAMARILLO BRILLO- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume VI (i.e the half fast/ half slow version), allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. CITY OF TINY LITES- Essentially performed as on "Saarbrucken" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with the standard deviation in Frank's solo, and in the occasional Denny slide solo. Like several other tunes on this tour, this is the hyperactive drum version, so called because of the dominance of Vinnie's drums. This guitar solo had still not reached the somewhat epic proportions that it would reach on later tours, but nonetheless, many of the amazing October shows contain some stellar performances.

To New York #1 To New York #2 To New York #3 To New York #4 To New York #5 To The Big One Foggy's Top Ten List of Halloween Treats Let The Freaks Speak!

THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED ANCIENT ARMAMENTS- The opening solo from 10/31. One of the instances where the band simply begins playing a beat, and Frank simply begins playing a solo. It is a rather restrained solo, nowhere near the craziness the rest of the night would bring,

CONEHEAD- Essentially performed as on "Saarbrucken" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Early in the tour- on 9/7- this tune receives Monster treatment with special guest Shankar inspiring Frank to let him, the keyboardists, and several other band members a chance to strut their stuff. During the Halloween show, this song recieves another extended workout as both Zappa and Shankar got a chance to solo. In my opinion, this is one of Frank's greatly underrated tunes, at least as it is performed on this tour. While the solos were no monsters, they were nevertheless consistently interesting, and had a particular flavor that I cannot seem to find in other solos. Sadly, the one official version we have of this tune- from "Saarbrucken"- has a nasty edit in the middle of the solo. DANCIN' FOOL- Performed as always- as on the last tour, the next tour, the tour after that, the tour that then followed that, etc., etc., ETC. DINAH-MOE HUMM- Essentially performed as on "Baby Snakes", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and played a litttle bit faster. Although the audience does sing along, there is no official audience participation section, and once Frank's spoken lines are finished, he simply tells the audience that they will now return to the beginning of the song, and that they should clap along. Even as "Dinah-Moe Humm's" go, this is a rather inconsequential version. DEATHLESS HORSIE, THE- Frequently played as the opening song, used- as always- as a showcase for a FZ guitar solo. Essentially played as always, with the arpeggio, the short "theme" played by FZ, and an always interesting and more than competent guitar solo. DON'T EAT THE YELLOW SNOW- Essentially performed as on "Saarbrucken" from Beat the Boots Volume I. This song was always performed as part one of the five part suite. [DETYS- part one, Nanook Rubs It- part two, St. Alphonso's Pancake Breakfastpart three, Father O'Blivion- part four, Rollo- part five] EASY MEAT- Essentially performed as on "Saarbrucken" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. FATHER O'BLIVION- Essentially performed as on "Saarbrucken" from Beat the Boots Volume I. This song was always performed as part four of the five part Don't Eat suite. FLAKES- Essentially performed as on "Saarbrucken" from Beat the Boots Volume I. This is also essentially the same version as the one found on "Sheik

Yerbouti". While the backing tracks for that album were recorded on the Spring '78 tour, that tour's version of this song was not identical to the album version, as it lacked the overdubbed vocals that make up the entire post-Dylan part of the song. This tour's version- and every other tour version of "Flakes"- included these vocals. GO CRY ON SOMEBODY ELSE'S SHOULDEREssentially played as on "Freak Out", including Frank's spoken introduction, and allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. One of the many treats of the Halloween show. "Little Rubber Girl" from YCDTOSA Volume IV is the outro section of this performance. HONEY DON'T YOU WANT A MAN LIKE MEEssentially performed as on "Saarbrucken" from Beat the Boots Volume I. I HAVE BEEN IN YOU- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume VI. Frank gave his "English rock star" lecture as a prelude to the tune, though thankfully it was shorter on this tour than on the last. IDIOT BASTARD SON- Another treat of the Halloween run, rearing it's little head twice during that magnificent stretch. Essentially performed as a blander version of the YCDTOSA Volume II performance, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. What we got on this tour was Frank simply singing the vocals, with none of the vocal and musical weirdness that normally occurred between the vocal parts. Jon Naurin points out that this was played in a lower key to adapt to the new vocalist, and reckons that Tommy or Denny probably would not have done as good a job. Way to go, Frank. Patrick Buzby has this to say about the song- "I disagree about your estimation of "The Idiot Bastard Son" from the Halloween shows. This appeals to me due to the "unplugged" feel created by Arthur's acoustic guitar, with Vinnie chilling out a bit on the drums. Also, it's funny to me to hear FZ trying to sing this." KEEP IT GREASEY- Essentially performed as on "Saarbrucken" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with the hyperactive, drum flurry ending. LITTLE HOUSE I USED TO LIVE IN- This version of this tune is a full band arrangement of Ian Underwood's song opening piano solo. After this main theme is performed, the band was off into solo territory, with Mars going first, a little drum and bass madness, and depending on the show, possibly some FZ action. The 10/31 performance included Shankar.

LITTLE RUBBER GIRL- This song is actually the outro from the 10/31 performance of "Go Cry on Somebody Else's Shoulder". Zappa's intro on the aforementioned release is edited from a different source, and being a continuation of another song, the tune does not actually begin cold as it does on that release. LOBSTER GIRL- During Patrick O'Hearn's bass solos on 10/15 and during the Halloween run (in whatever song these solos may be in), he would spin strange little tales of drugs, sex, and general weirdness. This officially released "song" from YCDTOSA Volume VI is from O'Hearn's "Little House I Used To Live In" bass solo from the 10/29 show. MAGIC FINGERS- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation (meaning that this tour's version was more keyboard oriented). MEEK SHALL INHERIT NOTHING, THE- Essentially performed as on "Saarbrucken" from Beat the Boots Volume I. Take note of the evocative Denny Walley slide- a nice touch that makes this version tops in my book. MOE'S VACATION- This is a full band version of the orchestra piece known as "Mo and Herb's Vacation" (at least part of it). Running about 4 minutes in length, this tune sounds like a cross between the "Black Page #1" and the full band version of "Little House I used To Live In." These performances, however, are for bass and drums only- a veritable showcase of Artie's and Vinnie's talents. Sean Gaffney points out that the opening notes to this tune correspond to the notes that Ike sings in "Wet T-Shirt Nite", slightly slowed down for that studio song, for the lines "And it's wettshirttime again...I know you want someone to show you some tit...Big Ones...Wet ones....Big Wet Ones" MS. X- This title refers to the story that special guest Warren Cucurullo told onstage during the Halloween show. Essentially, Warren's tale is a very elaborate and overwrought brag of a sexual conquest which turned out not to be so bragworthy. During this "The Crying Game"-ish type story (or Lola-esque story, if you prefer), Frank conducted the band in an attempt to soundtrack the lurid tale of Ms. X. MUFFIN MAN- Essentially performed as on "Bongo Fury"-the live part only- with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. NANOOK RUBS IT- Essentially performed as on "Saarbrucken" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's narration of the audience participation segment. This song was

always performed as part two of the five part Don't Eat suite. OPENING SOLO- For several shows, instead of playing an actual tune, Frank would instruct the band to play a beat, and FZ would just solo over it. No monkey business, just Frank playing his heart out and the band trying to support him. Despite being the first thing he played each night, these excursions were typically one of the highlights of each show. PACKARD GOOSE- Pay attention, coz things are bound to get confusing. While several of the vocal parts actually premiered on the Fall '75 tour, the musical monster that we know and possibly love premiered on this tour. The verse/chorus sections are essentially the same as on "Joe's Garage.", with extra lines occasionally appearing in the second verse. "They go to the party just to chew on the cheese, and they act like they all have some great expertise, they tell you that Rock 'n' Roll is dead, oh, spare me please." [Thanks Naurin, and nice rhyming Frank] The "Mary" section- musically speaking- was intact since tour rehearsals, though the spoken lines were not yet fully developed. By the final '78 performance on Halloween, the Mary section immediately followed the second chorus (no "journalism" section), with Frank beginning with the "Information is Knowledge" line. After "Music is the Best", however, Frank says, "However denied... Wherever its tried...However... Is never... Forever". For the Halloween show, the solo section as we know it then follows, though it is not as pronounced as it is on "Joe's Garage", and has a much heavier, keyboard content. For previous shows, we either got no solo and a longer rant on the evils of journalism (9/15), or we got a solo over the calmer "Mary" progression. Finally, depending on the show, we get a Frank solo only, or a Frank/Shankar battle. (Did you get all that?) I love the "Joe's Garage" version (is this still an unpopular opinion?), and although these versions do not have the power of that release, they are still worth hearing, if just for historical purposes only. PEACHES EN REGALIA- One of the many sweets Frank gave us on Halloween, and once at an earlier show. Essentially performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion", the Peaches III version. PERSONA NON GRATA- This title refers to the vamp that Frank used for several opening solos that were performed on the tour. POUND FOR A BROWN (ON THE BUS)- Essentially performed as on "Saarbrucken" from Beat the Boots Volume I. What we get here is the main theme followed by an Ed Mann solo, keyboard solos, (first Tommy, then Petey early in the tour, then first Petey,

then Tommy late in the tour). Tommy would occasionally throw in some scat, and would frequently call out to Vinnie and try to get him worked into a frenzy. Some good solos, but nothing all that great. Until suddenly, in the waning days of October, the song starts to stretch a little. Wilder keyboards, extended drum workouts, and top-of-the-line Frank guitar solos start rearing there "Pound for a Brown" heads. The 10/15 performance of this tune is a MONSTER, thanks to special guest for the night, Patrick O'Hearn. Lots of improvisation, including the infamous Emperor of Ohio and Heil Caeaser variations. Patrick and Tommy even perform a mini drug routine, similar to but not as preachy as the "Dummy Up's" from '74. By the time the Halloween shows roll around, the tune includes "Thirteen", and thus, Shankar, and thus things get even better. The song may have entered the scene rather meekly, but it goes out with a terrific BANG! PURPLE LAGOON, THE- In the early shows of the tour, this was used as the opening vamp for the band introductions, similar to the way it was used on the previous tour. Occasionally, prior to the actual introductions, Frank would rip off a short and rather pointless solo. About two weeks into the tour, however, Frank substituted this tune with an actual guitar solo spot, either composed on the spot or contained within a song that was essentially a vehicle for a guitar solo (i.e. "The Deathless Horsie"). ROLLO- Essentially performed as on "Saarbrucken" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with Tommy Mars on lead vocals. This tune was always performed as part five of the five part Don't Eat suite. Portions of this song- without vocals- appeared on the Fall '72 Petit Wazoo tour, in a much longer, full blown "Rollo". SOFA #2- Essentially performed as on OSFA, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. Only performed a couple times as part of the Halloween run festivities. STINKFOOT- Another Halloween goodie. Essentially performed as always, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Performed only once- and not the most assured of performances- but enjoyable nonetheless. During the song, Frank notices a guy in the audience (either Loeb or Leopold) that he recognizes from the Garrick Theater days, calls the guy up on stage, and recounts how he use to spit Pepsi on this guy (on request) as the guy lay screaming on the stage. Sort-of amusing. The solo that shortly follows is great. Very dark and distorted. STRICTLY GENTEEL- Yet another holiday treat, performed several times during the Halloween run, and sporadically throughout the tour. Essentially

performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. SUICIDE CHUMP- Time for the blues. This song was taken at a much slower pace than it was on subsequent tours, and thus has a much more "bluesy" quality. Typically, Denny would exercise his aluminium finger- never disappointing- in the middle section of the song, and then Frank would try to one up him in the outro section. But for the Halloween shows, the rule of thumb was anything goes, and thus anything did. After the required blues solos on the 10/27 late show, Frank instructed Tommy to play "whatever he felt like playing", telling the rest of the band that they would then follow along. The end result was a keyboard solo extravaganza, complete with surf music, all courtesy of "Suicide Chump." SY BORG- A nice, mellow little treat. Essentially performed as on "Joe's Garage", minus the "conversation" part that occurs between Joe and Sy Borg. Ike sings the lyrics, and Petey gets a chance to compose a very reflective, casually paced keyboard solo. One of the great examples in Frank's work of how the lyrics are saying one thing (sex, sex, sex), and the music is saying something completely different (isn't this beautiful? close your eyes and relax). The Halloween shows present us with yet more treats when this tune is performed as an instrumental on the 28th, and as a group vocal (to make up for the missing Ike) on the 29th. TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF WHEN YOU DANCEThe YCDTOSA Volume VI version is an edited take on the single '78 performance of this tune- from the Halloween concert, of course. In the actual concert, Frank instructed the band to vamp on the opening chords for about half-a-minute prior to beginning the actual tune- sort of a warm-up- and this vamp is edited out of the officially released version. TELL ME YOU LOVE ME- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume I, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and thus lacking Vai's firepower. From tapes and available setlists, it appears that this was only played twice, on 9/17 and on 9/21. While both performances are nice to hear simply for the relative rareness of the performances, they both suffer from a surprisingly lumbering Colaiuta drum sound. He just does not seem to be able to "rock" in these performances. THIRTEEN- This is not really a tune, per se, just a name given by Frank to a solo section of the "Pound for a Brown's" from the Halloween shows. After Tommy and Petey did their soloing bit, the band began playing a beat in thirteen (hence the name), and Shankar and Zappa used this beat as the backing for their solos. On the YCDTOSA Volume VI

version, Shankar's solo is from the 10/27 performance, while FZ's is from the 10/31 show. TITTIES 'N' BEER- Reportedly played once, with Denny as the Devil (who else?), but I have yet to hear this performance, or speak to anyone who has. Anybody? TWENTY-ONE- An instrumental tune, built around a percussion riff in twenty-one, that Frank employed as a solo vehicle several times in the tour. It was used as an Opening Guitar Solo vehicle on 9/17, again on 10/4, and as part of the "Little House I Used To Live In" festivities on 10/29. UNCLE MEAT- If it were not for Ed, the handful of "Uncle Meat" performances sprinkled throughout October would be quite disappointing. Vinnie sounds uncomfortable, Tommy inserts random, out-of-place chords throughout, and Artie (playing a little too funky) does not hold the piece together as well as Fowler did four years earlier. Ed, however, sounds magnificent, and one can imagine that with a little work, this could have been something special. It is nice to hear- don't get me wrong- but musically speaking it does not add up too much. VILLAGE OF THE SUN- Essentially performed as on "Saarbrucken" from the Beat the Boots Volume I. This version is more akin to the Fall '73 performances- as found on "Roxy and Elsewhere"than to the more recently performed Fall '74 version. Unlike that later, hyperactive rewrite, the Fall '78 "Village" is taken at a much slower pace, with just enough room left at the end for a casual keyboard or guitar solo. WATERMELON IN EASTER HAY- Essentially played as on "Guitar", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This is one of those tunes where I feel compelled to go on and on about its greatness, but restrain myself knowing that words cannot do it justice. Suffice to say, the frequent performances of this song serve its reputation well, with the Halloween "Watermelon" performance with both Zappa and Shankar being quite the jewel in this crown. WHY DOES IT HURT WHEN I PEE?- Premiered on 9/5, along with the story of how one of Frank's hired hands went into the bathroom on the bus one day, and came out yelling, "Why does it hurt when I pee?" The vocal sections are essentially the same as on the officially released version, allowing for differences in instrumentation. The solo section is a lot bluesier, however, and contains both a Denny and FZ guitar solo. It sounds as if parts of the solo were pre-written, and parts composed on the spot.

YO MAMA- Essentially played as on "Sheik Yerbouti", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Not quite the monster guitar spot that it was on the previous tour (possibly due to O'Hearn's absence?), but a showstopper, nonetheless. [See the 10/29 review for the exception to this "not-quite-amonster-guitar-spot" rule. Frank whips out what may be his best solo ever during that climatic "Yo Mama" show closer] PUT YOUR .02 HERE Jon Naurin sez... These shows resemble each other too much to be really interesting. For me, this was when Zappa reached his peak as a guitar player, so the opening solos are almost always marvellous. Then you could as well fast forward most of side A. Vocal-wise, this was not a good tour, which to me makes the songs (i.e the sung ones) even less interesting, but instrumentally, this was one of his best tour - hands down. I think FZ took too less advantage of this fact Pound for a Brown was their only real showcase, while for example the 1981/82 and 1988 bands had several each night. Of course, the Halloween shows deserve all praise you've given them. Despite the lack of vocalists, they qualify among the greatest moments in history. Patrick Buzby sez... Listening to these tapes makes me wonder what it must have been like for people to come to the shows and encounter a mostly-new band and a mostlyunrecorded set of material. Although some of the arrangements are rough (the early "Easy Meat" is hilariously bad, IMO), this tour is one of my favorites due to the near-instant chemistry between FZ and Vinnie Colaiuta, whose playing (even on songs like "Dancin' Fool") is constantly insane. TheHalloween shows make up perhaps the best NYC run ever, easily meeting the competition of Christmas '76 and Hallowen '77. WINTER '78 BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Adrian Belew (guitar, vocals, wild love), Patrick O'Hearn (bass, vocals, broken hearts), Terry Bozzio (drums, vocals, teen idolatry), Ed Mann (percussion, mystery words), Tommy Mars (keyboards, high-pitched vocals), Peter Wolf (keyboards) DATES- January 24th- February 28th SHOWS- 26

CITIES- 20 COUNTRIES- 8 # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 33 -13 songs played at every show AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 120 minutes AVERAGE # OF SONGS PER SHOW- 19 AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 4+ SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Black Napkins, City of Tiny Lites, The Deathless Horsie, King Kong, Little House I Used To Live In, Muffin Man, Punk's Whips, Stinkfoot, The Torture Never Stops, Watermelon in Easter Hay, Yo Mama SONGS THAT FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- Pound for a Brown (2nd straight tour w/o FZ solo) COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- Frank didn't pick up his guitar much on this tour, but when he did, he made sure his solos counted. "Torture", "Yo Mama", and "Little House" were always quite lengthy excursions, and their high grade quality more than made up for the lack of quantity. The "City" solos had not quite reached their epic status, and the "Muffin" solos were typical barnburners. Not an overwhelming tour for guitar playing, but when you figure that "Torture" and "Yo Mama" were two of the songs regularly performed, you can bet that it's still a tour you don't want to miss. NEW SONGS ON TOUR (played live for 1st time)Black Magic Woman, The Deathless Horsie, Watermelon in Easter Hay, Yo Mama MONSTER SONGS- King Kong, Little House I Used to Live In, Pound for a Brown, Wild Love; With the possible exception of the '88 tour, this is THE tour for Monster Improvisation. "Pound for a Brown" is keyboard heaven; "King Kong" is a little bit of everything, depending on the night; "Wild Love" showcases Belew's much underplayed soloing edge; and "Little House" is simply majestic- sweeping keyboards and wicked, angular guitar playing. We get excellent Mystery Word sections, chaotic full band on-the-spot orchestrations, and even a little Carlos Santana. OVERVIEW- Despite the relatively small number of different songs performed, and the rather redundant set lists, this tour seems to remain in favor with most FZ fans. For me, this holds true because of the guitar playing. While Frank didn't step forward and let loose

all that often on any given night, when he did, he made sure that he poured every ounce of available energy into his guitar creations. The "Torture" and "Yo Mama" solos were monsters, and the latter song probably holds the honor of being the most consistently breathtaking guitar showcase. Not only was Frank on top of his game for this tour, the rest of the band was given plenty of chances to show their respective skills, and seldom if ever did they disappoint. And finally, even though the set lists were essentially the same nightly, they were put together very well- with excellent balance and contrast. Below is a sample set list, with these songs being played in this order at almost every show. Purple Lagoon-> Dancin' Fool-> Peaches III-> The Torture Never Stops-> Tryin To Grow-> City of Tiny Lites-> Baby Snakes-> Pound for a Brown-> I Have Been in You-> Flakes-> Broken Hearts. The above songs constitute the first hour or so of most shows on this tour. About two weeks into the tour, "King Kong", which was absent up to this point, permanently entered the scene after "Broken Hearts". Both "Wild Love" and "Yo Mama" were also performed at every show. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION- One of Zappa's favorite Audience Participation gimmicks- other than the Dance Contest- is the "this-side-of-the-audiencesing-this-and-this-side-sing-this-and-this-side-singthis-now-sing" trick. Although it never really seemed to work, FZ never gave up on it over the years, and on 2/18, we got it once again. This time the songs in question were "In-a-gadda-da-vida", "The Rites of Spring", and Lohengrin. Didn't really work, but a truly funny moment occurs about 30 minutes later in the set, when Frank yells at the people in the balcony and says, "You're still supposed to be singing 'In-agadda-da-vida'". BABY SNAKES- Essentially performed as on "Sheik Yerbouti", with slight deviation occurring in the postSMPTE line. Instead of "Society of Motion Picture, Television Engineers", this band sung the line as "Suck My Pee-pee Towards the End." Huh. BLACK MAGIC WOMAN- During the "Little House I Used To Live In" guitar solo on 2/18, Frank starts playing the melody to a familiar tune. Bozzio, thinking it's "Black Magic Woman", starts singing "Black Magic Woman". Frank then chimes in, "No, I was playing 'Land of A Thousand Dances'". So Frank starts singing his song, but then changes his mind and says that it would be sick if they actually performed "Black Magic Woman". So they try to, but the band doesn't really know the tune, and the only words that Bozzio actually knows are "Black Magic Woman". So the song quickly falls apart, but then

Bozzio remembers that some of the words are "Put a spell on me baby", which he attempts to fit into every line. Frank sees that this is going nowhere, rips off some guitar runs, conducts the band off in another direction, and then closes the set. Interesting, to say the least. CONCEPTUAL CONTINUITY CLUE- What is the fascination with Santana? True, this is originally a Fleetwood Mac song, but given "Variations on the Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression" and the '84 performance of "Singing Wind, Crying Beast", I think we can add this performance to the list of Santana CC clues. Anyone know of any other Carlos related Zappa items? BLACK NAPKINS- Played several times throughout the tour as an encore. Essentially played as on MAJNH, with the opening vamp being played before the actual theme of the song, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. On this tour, this was a guitar solo vehicle only. BLACK PAGE, THE- Essentially played as on "Baby Snakes", with the usual "I-bet-you-can't-dance-tothis-and-keep-the-beat-for-the-duration" dare. BOBBY BROWN- Essentially performed as on "Sheik Yerbouti". BROKEN HEARTS ARE FOR ASSHOLESEssentially played as on "Sheik Yerbouti", with deviation in O'Hearn's spoken lines during the middle verses, and in the FZ, Bozzio, O'Hearn vocal interplay during the closing "ram it up" section. CAMARILLO BRILLO- Performed similarly to the '84 version that e have on YCDTOSA Volume VI, with the regularly paced first half, and the drawn out, half speed second half. CITY OF TINY LITES- Essentially performed as on "Sheik Yerbouti", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Frank's solos were usually a bit longer than the one we have on SY, but they were not yet quite the tour-de-force solos that this tune would deliver on later tours. Note the written guitar part to close the solo section, and the little piano break before the return to vocals- two aspects of this song that would sadly disappear in the '80's. DANCIN' FOOL- Performed as it was always performed, with this band being forgiven as it was the first band to always perform it this way. While I hate to admit this, I sort of like this version of "Dancin' Fool" as it seems to have a healthier dose of disco than any other tour's rendition, and this mocksincerity makes this tour's performances more satisfying.

DEATHLESS HORSIE, THE- Premiered on 2/17, and played only once on this tour. The performance begins with Belew- by himself- playing the opening vamp at a speed roughly twice as fast as the SUAPYG version. Over this vamp, Frank solos for a couple minutes before the whole band enters and joins Belew in playing the "Deathless" arpeggio. Frank continues to solo, before giving way to a "Flakes"-ish Belew solo, with Belew liberally employing the use of his volume control. Once this solo finishes, the tune changes vamps, and both Frank and Tommy get a chance to solo over this new groove. Finally, Eddie returns the band to the standard "Deathless" arpeggio, Frank rips off some more guitar licks, and the song concludes. Thanks to Jon Naurin for the info.. DINAH-MOE HUMM- Essentially performed as on "Baby Snakes", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's banter before the closing reprise. DISCO BOY- Essentially performed as on "Baby Snakes". DONG WORK FOR YUDA- Not quite the production we would find on "Joe's Garage", this song on this tour was essentially a bare bones musical number with emphasis on the harmonizing and vocals of the band. As on "Joe's Garage", Terry Ted had the meat of the vocals- uttering all Bald Headed John's linguistic mutilations. Essentially performed the same each time. ENVELOPES- With vocals! Yes, this instrumental ditty originally (sometimes) had vocals, sung by, of all people, Tommy Mars. Several years ago I transcribed these for "Society Pages", but the issue they were to be in never came out, and I have since lost my copy of the lyrics. But essentially, the song was about sex (surprise!), with one line which I cannot forget being "Squat on my blaster". When I get around to listening to one of these performances again, I will post the lyrics. [Okay boys and girls, here they are- You are my desire, You come to me in a dream, Thru a garden wall, It's covered with a lot of dew, I suppose your covered too, Just slightly wet, better yet, you're my stew. You are my ?, you come to me in dreams, thru a ?, It's covered with a lot of dew, I suppose you're covered too, Just slightly wet, better yet, Let's go screw. I'm screwing you (x4), Oh boy I'm doing it, I'm really neat (x2), You're really sweet (x2), In and Out (x4), It's divine, you are mine, you're so fine, Squat on my blaster, make it go faster (x2 last 2 line)-> Drum Solo] Sorry about the way they're written. My program gives me no choice. FLAKES- Quite a treat on this tour. The first part of the song is essentially the same as the version on "Sheik Yerbouti", up through the Bob Dylan section.

From this point on, however, the song has quite a different feel. On the album track, listen closely to the music that is playing behind Frank's "I'm a Moron and This is my Wife" verse. This vocal part was written by Frank after this tour, and, for the album, was dubbed over a live backing track of this song from this tour. So what you got on this tour was this instrumental backing track as the main course, and no lyrics. During this instrumental portion, Belew plays a slow, eerie guitar solo that highlights his imaginative use of his volume pedal. The "1,2,3,4" yell was present for this tour, but instead of the "we're coming to get you" lines, we got an intensification of the Belew-led jam. I HAVE BEEN IN YOU- Essentially performed as on "Sheik Yerbouti", with the "Is This Guy Kidding or What?" bit thrown in from Stage VI. Frank always opened this song with the monologue about the teenage girl meeting and seducing the "pop star of her choice". Like "Billy the Mountain" years before, Frank changed names and slightly altered the story depending upon where the concert was taking place, but for the most part the story was the same. JONES CRUSHER- Essentially played as on "Baby Snakes". KING KONG- Another monster from this tour, this time round performed in an hyperactive, quite fast version. The band literally tears through the main theme, and drops us off right in the middle of the solo section before we even know what's happening. The typical solos included Mann's percussion, O'Hearn's very groove oriented bass, and the Mystery Word section sandwiched around O'Hearn's thumping ("White Person" from YCDTOSA Volume VI is from a 2/25 "King Kong"). Towards the end of tour, Frank started to deviate from this pattern, and would occasionally throw in an energetic guitar solo, some Mars' keyboard and scat action, and a little chaotic, full band orchestration. LITTLE HOUSE I USED TO LIVE IN- The great shame of Zappa's officially released catalog- where is this version of this song? For this tour, Ian Underwood's greatly understated piano intro from the original tune is arranged- quite majestically- for an entire band. Sounds like "The Black Page" on lots of 'ludes. But like "Pound for a Brown", the majestic opening is nothing more than the obligatory setup for a monster solo section. First, keyboards galoresoloing away to their hearts content- with Terry and Patrick providing some inspiring support. Frank would then step up, conduct the band through some random musical madness, and then, the crown in this jewel, he would give us the Sheik Yerbouti Tango. The band would start playing the tango groove, and Frank would take his solo. Always in top form, FZ was for this one. Truly, this song is one of the feathers in Frank's touring cap, and it is quite a

shame that we have no complete version of this in the officially released canon. Note: the "SY Tango" from the "Sheik Yerbouti" is taken from the LHIUTLI performance from the 2/15 show. MUFFIN MAN- Performed similarly to the live portion of the "Bongo Fury" version. Unlike the '84 version of this tune which we have on YCDTOSA Volume VI, the verses of this song were not yet reduced to reggae dribble. PEACHES EN REGALIA- Essentially performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion"- the "Peaches III" version. POUND FOR A BROWN (ON THE BUS)- One of several Monster Tunes on this tour. The head of the tune was essentially performed as on ZINY, with obvious adjustments made for different instrumentation. Once the main theme was complete, it was keyboard time, with Wolf taking the heavier load of soloing (Mars would get his turn in "Little House"). While these "Pounds" were nowhere near as chaotic and improvisational as the '88 "Pounds", our two keyboardists had quite a bit of room to maneuver in, and occasionally cooked up quite a tasty musical treat. Once they had finished their bit, Frank would conduct the band into a somewhat frenzied meltdown that would eventually segue into the next song PUNKY'S WHIPS- Essentially played as on "Baby Snakes", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. PURPLE LAGOON, THE- This is just the main theme, as played on ZINY. This was played as the opening tune of every show, which Frank used as the background music for the band introductions. RAT TOMAGO- The guitar solo from the 2/15 performance of "The Torture Never Stops". Approximately 30 seconds have been edited from the beginning of the solo. SAN BER'DINO- Played as an encore frequently throughout the tour. Essentially played as on the "Baby Snakes" video, with Belew singing Johnny "Guitar" Watson's closing parts. SHEIK YERBOUTI TANGO, THE- The guitar solo from the 2/15 performance of "Little House I Used To Live In." Apprximately a week into the tour, Frank added a closing guitar solo to what previously was a keyboard only "LHIUTLI". From this point on, this Tango section became the closing jam of each LHIUTLI.

STINKFOOT- Essentially performed as always, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Performed only once- on 2/17. Thanks to Jon Naurin for confirming what we could all have safely assumed. TITTIES 'N' BEER- Essentially played as on "Baby Snakes", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's and Terry Ted's middle-of-the-song dialogue. TORTURE NEVER STOPS, THE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, with the standard variation coming in Frank's solo. This was one of the two monster guitar showcases of this tour. Although not perfectly consistent, Frank usually achieved god status on the '78 Torture workouts, as both the Stage version and "Rat Tomago"- a 2/15 Torture extract- easily prove. TRYIN' TO GROW A CHIN- Essentially performed as on "Sheik Yerbouti". UNCLE MEAT- This impromptu performance of this classic tune arises out of Ed Mann's percussion solo during the 2/7 performance of "King Kong". During his solo, Ed teases the melody line to the tune, which prompts several band members to briefly join in. The song is shortly aborted, and Mann continues his solo. Later in "King Kong", however, the band once again dives into "Uncle Meat", and performs a more fully baked rendition. This more-fully baked rendition pops up again during the topsy-turvy 2/19 show. While neither is an outright great version of the song, they are both interesting to hear, nonetheless. WATERMELON IN EASTER HAY- Premiered as an encore about midway through the tour, and much to the pleasure of all us "Watermelon" fans, the song decided to stick around. Early on, the tune wasn't as fully developed as it eventually would be (see "Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa" for an example of this), but it was nonetheless still quite an aural treat. Despite the kinks, it was essentially played as on "Joe's Garage", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. WILD LOVE- To make things easier, I will divide this song into two parts. Part one is what we have on "Sheik Yerbouti", and this constitutes the first half of this song as it appeared on this tour. Part two is The Solos, a spotlight for several band members that was unfortunately cut from the official release. After the conclusion of the song as we know it from the album, Belew's chorded guitar riff would be played again, and this would lead us into The Solos. The standard "Wild Love" solo section included a very intense, somewhat manic Belew guitar solo. For this section, a new vamp was introduced, with a short theme that Belew toyed with for the duration of his solo. While

Belew got his chance to shine in every "Wild Love", Mann, O'Hearn, and the keyboardists only occasionally got their turns in the spotlight, and this usually hinged on what tunes the rest of the set contained. In comparison with the Fall '77 tour, the "Wild Love" solos for this tour were not quite as monstrous, but were nonetheless quite worthy of being heard (hear that Gail.) [ I was watching VH-1's "Eight Track Flashback" recently (a music show here in the states), when I heard a snippet of a disco song that sounds exactly like the solo vamp to the "Wild Love" coda. Unfortunately, they did not say the name of the song. Anybody out there possibly know?] YO MAMA- During the Fall '77 tour, Frank would perform a guitar solo as the climax to the "Wild Love" improvisational festivities. After Belew's discovamped solo, the band would start from scratch and Frank would play his piece over a dramatic, slowly building vamp. For this tour, Frank kept his post-"Wild Love" solo spot, but he spruced it up with lyrics and a simple song structure. That song is, of course, "Yo Mama". The guitar monster. During this short 5 week tour, the "song" essentially stayed the same, but Frank's solo spot evolved through three distinct styles. The first is the most freeform of the lot, in which Frank simply played maniacally while the band attempted to support him. About a week into the tour, the initial freeform section remained, with a new, "this sounds like YAWYI" vamp supporting the remainder of the solo. By the third week, the song had transformed itself again, into the three part monster we know and love from "Sheik Yerbouti". Now, I really should go on and on about what a treat this song was- especially on this tour- but I think this is something that we all already know. This song usually ends up as one of the top 5 favorite songs in most FZ polls- as does the guitar solo among favorite guitar solos- which is particularly amazing considering that there exist many a live tape with "Yo Mama" solos that are better than the officially released one. Probably THE highlight on a tour with many. PUT YOUR .02 HERE Jon Naurin sez... Instrumentally, I hold this band as high as the fall tour band. Bozzio is not really up there with Vinnie, but O'Hearn is my favourite among FZ's bass players, and I enjoy Belew better than Denny Walley. And even though their repertoire wasn't that big, these shows are a lot more varied. Almost each show contained one Pound, one King Kong, one Wild Love, one Yo Mama and one Little House. I love revisting the few (5-6) good sounding shows I have from this tour! Absolutely my favourite from the 2nd half of the 70s! Now, what if Eddie Jobson would've stayed a year longer...wow!

SPRING 1979 BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Ike Willis (guitar, vocals), Denny Walley (slide, vocals, messed up lyrics), Warren Cucurullo (guitar, occasional jokes), Tommy Mars (keyboards, vocals), Peter Wolf (keyboards), Arthur Barrow (bass), Ed Mann (percussion), Vinnie Colaiuta (insanity, I mean, drums) DATES- February 10th- April 1st (no foolin') SHOWS- 44 CITIES- 34 COUNTRIES- 11 (all European) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 40 (includes all five parts of "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow", plus opening solos) -14 songs played at every show AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH (based on tape sources)- 110 minutes AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 5 SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Opening Solo, Bamboozled By Love, City of Tiny Lites, Conehead, Easy Meat, Andy (short), Inca Roads, Watermelon in Easter Hay, Deathless Horsie, Treacherous Cretins, Pound for a Brown, King Kong (?) COMMENT ON FZ SOLOS- Just look at that list of songs. What do you think these solos were like? The "City's" smoked, thanks to some inspiration from Denny's wicked slide. The "Easy's" were over a somewhat dull vamp, but Frank, Vinnie, and Artie were almost always in top form. The "Andy's" were somewhat inconsequential, but the "Inca's"- my godjust listen to any of the "Shut Up and Play" tracks from the album of the same name- all "Inca" outings. For some reason, this song on this tour caused Frank to just Freak. And "Watermelon"- just say the name and I start to drool. Yes, as far as guitar playing goes, this was an excellent tour. SONGS THAT FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- Cosmik Debris (Cucurullo solo/ not played since '74), Dirty Love (Cucurullo solo/not played since '77), Florentine Pogen (no solo/not played since '75), Montana (no solo/ not played since '77), Why Does It Hurt When I Pee? (yes, this song had a solo [short and bluesy] on the previous tour)

NEW SONGS ON TOUR (never performed live before)- Catholic Girls, Dead Girls of London, For the Young Sophisticate, Joe's Garage, Jumbo Go Away, Outside Now (solo section only), Treacherous Cretins, Wet T-Shirt Nite MONSTER SONGS- Pound for a Brown (on the Bus), King Kong, City of Tiny Lights; There is only one recurring Monster song on this tour, and unfortunately, it isn't played all that often. Occasionally, when FZ is apparently in a good mood, "Pound for a Brown" pops up in the encores, giving the band a chance to strut its stuff. We get some interesting solos, but never anything mind blowing. "King Kong" forces its way into the picture, bringing with it some more improvisational relief, but unfortunately it is a one time only affair. Also, "City of Tiny Lights" becomes quite monstrous in the final days of the tour, bringing with it a rare keyboard solo, and several early instrumental "Outside Nows". On the whole, however, a sub-par tour for full-blown improvisation. OVERVIEW- What to say about this tour? On the one hand, it was dull- plain and simple. The same set list night after night after night, with the only deviation being in the OMITTANCE of certain songs in the latter half of the program, or maybe an extra long encore some nights. While this set-in-stone set list was not new to the World of Zappa Tours, it seemed to be particularly annoying on this particular outing, maybe due to the weakness of some of the songs chosen to be set in this particular stone. Who knows? On the other hand, however, Frank managed to produce some stunning displays of fretwork pyrotechnics on this particular outing, and proved time and time again why many of us believe that Jimi is probably up there begging Frank for lessons. So, the question remains- is it worth sitting through the same stuff over and over and over again to possibly hear several minutes of cosmik guitar work? On this tour, yes. Below is the set list for every friggin' show. The only difference amongst shows came in the Opening Solo (see song descriptions below for more info on this), and with the songs listed in brackets, which sometimes were simply not played. Excuse the abbreviations, but hey, I do have a little streak of laziness in me. Opening Solo> Dead Girls> Ain't Got> Brown Shoes> Cosmik Debris> Tryin' to Grow> City of TL's> Dancin' Fool> Easy Meat> Jumbo> Andy> Inca> Florentine> Honey> [Keep It Greasy> The Meek> Young Sophisticate> Wet T-Shirt> Why Does It Hurt]> Peaches. The encores contained diversified excitement- an occasional Pound or Watermelon, usually a Don't Eat- but nothing that I would call mind-blowing (well, Watermelon, but...). Also, at least 6 separate times

throughout the tour Frank freaked, and inserted a not-yet-played song into the setlist. "Bobby Brown", "Bamboozled", "Conehead", Joe's Garage", "Village of the Sun" and "King Kong" were these special guests, but sadly they didn't stay for the whole party. CARLOS SANTANA CONCEPTUAL CONTINUITY CLUE- At the end of the 3/6 Gothenburg show, Frank sees several lines from "Black Magic Woman" (or maybe this is a Peter Green conceptual continuity thread?). Why, Frank, why?

not my favorite FZ band, this '79 ensemble earned a place in my heart and proved their worth for this song alone. CATHOLIC GIRLS- Very interesting, this. Towards the very end of the tour, this song pops up in the middle of an "Easy Meat" guitar solo. Already wailing away in quite a frenzy, Frank starts playing some very charged chords, with the entire band falling in quickly behind him. Before you realize what's happening, the band is tearing through an instrumental version of "Catholic Girls", in a very guitar-tinged arrangement. They proceed this way through the first two "verses", when it seems as if the entire song simply starts over. Hey, it does start over again- this time with Ike singing the vocals we know and love. They proceed once again through these two verses, and then- where we would normally have that killer instrumental section- we have a new, raveup ending, similar to the one found on the OSFA version of "Andy". Warren tears up his fretboard while Ike keeps yelling, "dominus obiscum, dominus obiscum" over and over. Then, just as abruptly as it started, "Catholic Girls '79" ends and we find ourselves back at the beginning of "Easy Meat", only its actually the end and all we have left are the closing vocals. This is not quite the production we would get on "Joe's Garage", but this tune- in this context- really is a must hear for all you die-hards. CITY OF TINY LITES- Essentially played as on "Anyway the Wind Blows" from Beat the Boots Volume I, except for the fact that the solo on that version sucks. On any other night, Denny rips the roof off the place with an incendiary slide workout, forcing Frank to collect his wits and prove to the world that no sideman is going to outdo him. In the waning days of the tour, Frank starts to experiement with this tune, inserting an early instrumental version of "Outside Now" into the solo section. The results are not that smooth, but they are musically quite interesting. Finally, to finish off the tour, the final "City of Tiny Lights" performance on this tour (4/1), contains a very rare keyboard solo (Wolf), and the smoothest of the "Outside Now" workouts. This turns out to be a pretty successful tour for this tune. Notable Versions- 3/19/79 [with "Filthy Habits" rif], 3/31/79 [with original "Outside Now" solo] CONEHEAD- Played at least three times- twice late in March, and later as an encore during the insane 4/1 show- and essentially performed as on the previous tour (see "Saarbrucken" from Beat the Boots Volume I). Frank takes his always-interestingwhen-in-this-song guitar solo during the former performances, but delegates the duty to both Wolf and Mars for the latter performance, who serve up a subtle and very rare "Conehead" keyboard feast.

THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED AIN'T GOT NO HEART- Played as on "Anyway the Wind Blows" from Beat the Boots Volume I. Very little variation if any. ANDY- Essentially performed as on "Anyway the Wind Blows" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with the standard variation coming in the short but tasty solo. Your typical "Andy". BAMBOOZLED BY LOVE- Played a couple times on tour- as an encore, and as an early in the set surprise- in the slower, grinding blues version. Denny took his standard scorching slide solo, and Frank then tried to match his fire. BLACK PAGE #2, THE- Jon Naurin with this- just in"Towards the end of the tour, The Black Page starts to appear in setlists. Surprisingly, these are probably the least tight versions I've heard, and Vinnie might be to blame. He's pretty far out sometimes, which is cool, but some of the other players seem disturbed. Apart from this, it's pretty identical to how it sounded previous tours (I don't think Warren plays on it)." I have since heard this tour's version, and muct agree with Naurin's assessment. While I do think it sounds pretty decent, Vinnie is simply too wild, completely dominating the proceedings and ruining the stop-andgo feel of the song. BOBBY BROWN GOES DOWN- Played at least three times- twice in March, and then later as an encore during the "chock-full-of-surprises" 4/1 show. Performed as it was destined always to be performed, regardless of year, band size, or Frank's mood. BROWN SHOES DON'T MAKE IT- Played as on "Tinseltown Rebellion"- that is, perfectly! Occasional vehicle for secret word usage, but pretty much played note-for-note as on TR. In my opinion, this version has a more fluid and thus more enjoyable sound than the original "Absolutely Free" version. While this is

COSMIK DEBRIS-"Let's rock!" Played as on "Anyway the Wind Blows" from Beat the Boots, with the "heavy metal tinged" price-of-meat section. Frank sat this solo out, and let Sophia Warren Cucurullo prove to the world that he was better off playing written parts. CARLOS SANTANA CONCEPTUAL CONTINUITY CLUE: During the 3/26 performance, Frank ad-libs the following line- "Aren't you the same little nerd that Carlos Santana goes to see all the time?" Someone help me- what is Frank's obsession with Carlos all about? DANCIN' FOOL- Essentially performed as on "Anyway the Wind Blows" from Beat the Boots Volume I, and as it was always performed- on every tour, forever, ad naseum. The only highpoint of this band's version of this song is Vinnie's manic drum style. He is simply all over the place. DEAD GIRLS OF LONDON- Played as on "Anyway the Wind Blows" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with Cucurullo's harsher-than-Vai's opening chords, and Walley's vicious sounding slide. In my opinion, this version tears apart any versions of any later bands, even the Vai-guitar-solo version of the Fall '80 band. Notable Versions- 3/19/79 [Frank stops the song to yell at some idiot who threw a beer can on-stage, and then gets some crew member to yell at him again in French. Classic!] DEATHLESS HORSIE, THE- Played as an opening solo several times on tour, just like the version we've come to know and love on SUAPYG, but with a different FZ solo, obviously. These opening solo slots were truly Frank's time to shine on this tour, and his performances on this tune support this claim. And as always, Artie and Vinnie play the supporting role perfectly, providing some of the greatest rhythmic support any side of the Mississippi. DIRTY LOVE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume 6, with a short Cucurullo guitar spurt, and an extended outro as Frank usually concluded the encores or announced a segue into the next song. And yes, Vinnie was his usual brilliant self during this tune, elevating it far past throwaway status. DISEASES OF THE BAND- While not an actual song, the instrumental portion of this track from YCDTOSA Volume 1 was used as the segue out of the opening solo/song of each show, and as the backing music for each nights band introductions. Another example of this can be found upon the conclusion of the "Watermelon at Easter Hay" solo on "Anyway the Wind Blows" from Beat the Boots Volume I, and can be heard in the midst of the "On the Bus" solo from "Joe's Garage".

DON'T EAT THE YELLOW SNOW- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume I, and always appeared as the first part of the five part suite which Frank just called "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow." [oneDETYS, two- Nanook Rubs It, three- St. Alphonso's Pancake Breakfast, four- Father O' Blivion, fiveRollo] EASY MEAT- Essentially performed as on "Anyway the Wind Blows" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with the usual variation occurring in the solo. In my opinion, this was the most repetitive and potentially dull version of "Easy Meat" performed by any Zappa band- the same riff, over and over and over. Fortunately, Frank occasionally came up with some tasty solos, and Vinnie, as always, was brilliant. Note: the guitar solo on "Packard Goose" from the "Joe's Garage" album was taken from the April 1st performance of this song. FATHER O'BLIVION- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, and always appeared as part four of the five part Don't Eat Suite. FILTHY HABITS- Not played in its entirety. Frank dipped into this riff for several bars, with rhythm section in tow, during his "City of Tiny Lites" solo on 3/19/79. I guess FZ figured that that was the only was he could top Walley's scorching slide solo. FLORENTINE POGEN- Performed as on "Anyway the Wind Blows" from Beat the Boots Volume I. Notice that unlike the '74-'75 and '88 versions of this song, there is no guitar solo. FOR THE YOUNG SOPHISTICATE- Performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion", minus the asides to Vinnie. HE USED TO CUT THE GRASS- On setlists and tape covers alike, the opening solo from the 3/19/79 show is frequently referred to as this, implying (?) that this solo was later xenochranized onto "Joe's Garage". Sadly, I have failed to ever cue up the two and find out. Anyone out there know for sure? Either way, the opening solo in the 3/19/79 show is awesome! [Patrick Buzby confirms that this is NOT the JG solo.] HONEY DON'T YOU WANT A MAN LIKE ME?Performed as on "Anyway the Wind Blows" from Beat the Boots Volume I. INCA ROADS- Essentially performed as on "Anyway the Wind Blows" from Beat the Boots Volume I, with the standard deviation in the solo. Note the missing keyboard solo section and immediate edit into "Florentine Pogen" after the post-solo written section. This song was very frustrating on this tour as Frank

would waver between playing completely worthless, uninspired solos (as on the aforementioned release), with stunning solos filled with fury, passion, and a rather urgent sense of abandonment (as on SUAPYG). Vinnie and Artie proved their rhythm section godliness on such excursions, but unfortunately, the thinness of the rest of the band showed through during the written sections, especially on the opening theme. Where's Duke when you need him? JOE'S GARAGE- Played at least once- on 3/25. I have yet to hear this version, or receive a description of this performance, so I will leave it at that for now. JUMBO GOES AWAY- Performed as on "Anyway the Wind Blows" from Beat the Boots Volume I, minus the nasty edit. Note the extra "Jumbo Go Away" tacked on at the end- used as a segue into "Andy"not found on the YAWYI version. Supposedly based on a true story involving Denny Walley and a particularly large groupie. KEEP IT GREASY- Performed as on "Anyway the Wind Blows" from Beat the Boots Volume I. KING KONG- Played at least once- on 3/26. When I first posted this page, I had yet to hear this performance, so Jon Naurin contributed the following:"Here are my impressions of the 3/26 performance: Quite similar to the spring 1978 version. The head of the song is played at the fast pace, followed a xylophone (I think, but it might be marimba) solo by Ed. Then, the two keyboard players start trading solos, including some solo piano, but in the middle of a Wolf-solo, there's an unfortunate cut into a drum solo. After the drum solo, FZ starts noodling on his guitar, which turns into a vamp similar to the "Any Downers" one from 1975. Soon, the whole band joins the vamp and FZ takes a great solo. Quite a unique, on-the-spot composed event - you'd love it! All in all, a great version - especially the ending - and it definitely qualifies as a Monster Song!"] Then so be it- you are now a Monster Song. I have since heard this version, and it is great. Frank's solo is very melodic, and definitely reminds me of another song (but which one?). Plus, the end of Wolf's solo sounds quite similar to the "Pound for a Brown" jams from Fall '78, as can be heard on YCDTOSA Volume IV. MEEK SHALL INHERIT NOTHING, THE- Performed as on "Anyway the Wind Blows" from Beat the Boots Volume I. MONTANA- The first horseman of the Apocalypse, right here. In what would be a sign of horrible things to come, Frank chose NOT to play the guitar solo in this song during this tour (in fact, for almost every

performance of this song from here on). Why, Frank, why? Yes, this song was extremely overplayed from '73-'75, but did you ever hear a bad Montana solo? No, you did not, because there was no such thing as a bad Montana solo. This was Frank's stomping ground- his home turf- his El Monte. He did no wrong in Montana. So what happened to our beloved guitar solo? We will never know. All we know is that from here on out, we got no solo, just the rest of this harmless little ditty. Pity. NANOOK RUBS IT- Performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, and always appeared as part two of the five part suite. There was some improvisation in this tune, most noticeably in Warren's guitar fills and in Frank's aside comments. Also, it was in this part of the Suite that we got "Audience Participation", and even though this routine basically followed the same format in each performance, they were not word for word recreations. Hey, some of them even had poetry! OPENING SOLO- For lack of a better name, the guitar solo that Frank would play to open the show. As on the previous tour, Frank would frequently start the show by simply picking up his guitar and playing. The band, led by Vinnie and Artie, would fall in behind him (never failing to inspire the master, may I add). I've yet to hear an opening solo that left me cold. At least for this tour, Frank at his best. This opening slot also saw performances of "Watermelon in Easter Hay", "The Deathless Horsie", and "Treacherous Cretins". OUTSIDE NOW (ORIGINAL SOLO)- Yes, this is the track that appears on "Guitar". In its actual context, this solo appears in the midst of an otherwise normal "City of Tiny Lites" from the 3/31 late show. The "City" starts off as always- vocals, then a Denny Walley slide performance. But upon concluding Denny's solo spot, the band stops playing while Vinnie keeps a rather frantic beat alive. Tommy and Petey start playing those very cheesy, Space Invaders-type sound effects, and Artie essentially solos. This continues for roughly a minute, when Artie starts playing the "Outside Now" arpeggio, which is eventually picked up by Warren. Once this arpeggio is firmly established, Petey gets a chance for a short solo, before Frank steps up and creates the masterpiece that we have on "Guitar". Upon finishing his workout, the band jumps right back into 'City", running-through the written guitar lines that occur at the end of the '79 solo section. While only the 3/31 performance is documented on "Guitar", Frank actually performs this weird musical sandwich in several of the final shows on the tour, with each guitar solo managing to achieve greatness. The transitions from the "City" part of the solo section into the "Outside Now" portion are consistently sloppy, and not all that pleasing to the ears; but once this

segue is complete, and the arpeggio is firmly established, this Teenage Rockin' Combo repeatedly performs several of the most intense instrumental passages that this tour saw. PEACHES EN REGALIA- The "Peaches III" version, as performed on "Tinseltown Rebellion", the set closing song at each and every show. POUND FOR A BROWN (ON THE BUS)Unfortunately, no official versions of this song were released from this or the previous tour (apart from THE SOLOS). Essentially, the head of this song was performed as it was always performed, making adjustments for the particular band's instrumentation (read "lots of keyboards"). Once the head concluded, we were off into solo Never-never land, with Eddie, Petie, Tommy, Frankie, Artie, and yes, even Vinnie, all getting their respective shots at the "it's my turn in the spotlight" game. [John W. Busher adds: Pound For A Brown was performed in the 3/31 late show. The reason I remembered this while reading your page, is because Arthur plays a bass solo in this version of Pound that is tasty as fuck.] ROLLO- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, and always performed as part five of the five part suite. This is the closing portion of the song that begins after the "Good morning your highness" section (where the Apostrophe version fades out). This song was first performed on the Fall '72 Petit tour, although in a longer, much more involved version. What we have here for this tour is essentially the closing portion of the original "Rollo", which was performed instrumentally in '72, but gained vocals when it reappeared as part of DETYS in Fall '78. And for those of you unsure, thats Tommy doing the vocals. ST. ALPHONSO'S PANCAKE BREAKFASTEssentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, and always occurred as part three of the five part Don't Eat Suite. TITTIES 'N' BEER- Jon Naurin sends us this update:"Basically, it's very similar to the Baby Snakes or ZINY version. I'm pretty sure it's Warren who plays the Devil's part. Compared to earlier, screamy Devils, Warren sounds very cool, and he even tries to steer FZ into some improvised dialogue (FZ doesn't seem very inspired though, and this gets pretty short on both versions I've heard).> TREACHEROUS CRETINS- Played as either an opening or closing guitar solo, this tune is essentially the arpeggio and reggae riff with a stunning FZ guitar solo laid over it. These moments- like with "Watermelon", "Deathless" and his unnamed opening solos- were Frank's highlights of this tour, and it was

in these spots that Frank typically went "out there", taking the well-prepared Vinnie and Artie along with him. TRYIN' TO GROW A CHIN- God bless Denny Walley! Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, with Walley usually flubbing the lyrics as well. Notable Version- 3/19/79 ["I am only 36, thinly and sick, tried all of my life, to grow me a dick."] VILLAGE OF THE SUN- This treat pops up as an encore one time only this tour, during the simply insane final show of the tour. It is essentially performed as on the previous tour (as heard on "Saarbrucken" from the Beat the Boots Volume I), with a laid back keyboard solo serving as the climax. This version is more akin to the Fall '73 performances- as found on "Roxy and Elsewhere"than to the more recently performed Fall '74 version. Unlike that later, hyperactive rewrite, this "Village" is taken at a much slower pace, with just enough room left at the end for the casual keyboard stroll.. WATERMELON IN EASTER HAY- What would you prefer- Frank starting a show or ending a show with this classic? Preferably both, but hey, let' not get greedy. So in '79, you just crossed your fingers and hoped for either of the above. A perfectly written song- Frank could do no wrong, allowing those beautifully tortuous notes to fly from his guitar. When he ends the show with it, you go home with a grin etched into your face; when he opens the show with it, you realize 90 minutes later that it was all downhill from there. Frank, thank you for this song. WET T-SHIRT NIGHT- Performed as on "Anyway the Wind Blows" from Beat the Boots Volume I. WHY DOES IT HURT WHEN I PEE?- Performed as on "Anyway the Wind Blows" from Beat the Boots Volume I. PUT YOUR .02 HERE Patrick Buzby sez... For my taste, the material from this tour that made it to FZ's official releases may be his best live music ever, due to a well-balanced banda nd the improvisational chemistry between FZ, Vinnie Colaiuta, and the underrated Arthur Barrow. However, what the official releases don't reveal is how repetitive the setlists from this tour are, and how few chances for improvisation there were at each show. For this reason, I don't find myself compelled to get every show from this tour, though every collector should have a few.

SPRING/ SUMMER '80 BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Ike Willis (guitar, vocals), Ray White (guitar, vocals), Arthur Barrow (bass, the burden of carrying the band), Tommy Mars (keyboards, vocals), David Logeman (drums, lastminute replacement, a better job than most people give him credit for) SPECIAL GUESTS- L Shankar (violin), Craig "Twister" Stewart (harmonica), Pierre Boulez (possible 6/11 "Pound" appearance?) DATES- March 25th to July 3rd SHOWS- 70 CITIES- 62 COUNTRIES- 12 # OF DIFFERENT SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED47 AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 110 minutes AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 7 SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Any Downers, Bamboozled By Love, Black Napkins, Chunga's Revenge, City of Tiny Lights, Cosmik Debris, The Deathless Horsie, Easy Meat, He Used To Cut the Grass, If Only She Woulda, Illinois Enema Bandit, Outside Now, Pick Me I'm Clean, Pound for a Brown, Suicide Chump, Treacherous Cretins, Watermelon in Easter Hay, Zoot Allures COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- Frank's guitar playing may be the sole redeeming quality about this entire tour. While it is not as experimental and "out there" as either the '79 or '81 tours, Frank's soloing on this outing contains enough energy and "in-your-face" attitude to practically make it worthwhile to sit through the drek that makes up the majority of these shows. The opening solos- contained within "Chunga's Revenge", "The Deathless Horsie", "Watermelon in Easter Hay", "Treacherous Cretins" and others- start things off with promise, with Frank forcing his guitar in your ears and through your brain. He is definitely playing guitar here- no messing around. The same goes with the other solos- especially "City of Tiny Lites", "Outside Now", "Pick Me I'm Clean", and "If Only She Woulda"- which are highlights of each show, but are unfortunately too few in number, and surrounded by a lot of repetitive, sub par numbers. The only disappointment as far as guitar solos is the "Easy Meat" solos from the first half of the tour. These performances contain a busy, plodding, quite

dull vamp that never seems to really inspire the head Mother. But overall, this is a good tour for solos, but possibly not good enough to make it worth sitting through the rest of the material. NEW SONGS ON TOUR- Beauty Knows No Pain, Charlie's Enormous Mouth, Drafted Again, Harder Than Your Husband, Heavenly Bank Account, He Used To Cut the Grass (w/ vocals), If Only She Woulda, I'm A Beautiful Guy, In France (w/ Gary Numan's "Cars" as music), Little Green Rosetta, Mudd Club, Outside Now (w/ vocals), Pick Me I'm Clean, Society Pages, Teenage Wind, You Are What You Is SONGS THAT FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- Conehead (keyboard solo; special guest L Shankar during one show), Suicide Chump (short solos by other band members) MONSTER SONGS- There really are not any Monster Songs this tour. "Pound for a Brown" is performed throughout the tour, but due to the restrictive nature of the solo vamp, and the resulting solos from Tommy and Frank, I do not feel that this tune really qualifies. While the solos are good, they do not go to the extremes that other Monster solos go, nor is there a sense of "anything goes" during the performances. The closest thing we get is the "Pound for a Brown" performance from 4/11, which features Craig "Twister" Stewart battling Frank with his harmonica. Another disappointing tour as far as improvisation goes. OVERVIEW- If you like "You Are What You Is", you may really like this tour. Eleven songs from that album are premeried on this tour, and those 11, along with the majority of the others, are played and played and played and played. And then they are played some more. Yes, they are played a lot. So if you like that album, you may love this tour. But then again, you may not. The songs as they are performed here do not really sound like the songs that are performed on the album. For one thing, there is no Steve Vai. We still have two guitar players on this tour, but Frank has written the material at this early stage to be mainly carried along by Arthur and Tommy. They do an amazing job of it (especially Arthur), but the songs definitely lack a certain oomph! without Vai's stunt guitar. Also, many of those tiny little things that make that album so worthwhile are not present here (especially in the vocal department), so what we essentially get is three months of "You Are What You Is" demo tracks. Some of this material is pretty good- most notably, the awesome "If Only She Woulda" jams- but the majority of it is merely interesting as a reference point to the album versions. Another disappointing aspect of this tour is the band. Vocally, they are more than competent, with Ike and Ray providing some soulful singing

throughout. These two do not do as good a job on guitar, however, and thus, Arthur and Tommy are responsible for carrying the bulk of each tune. They do an excellent job, but nevertheless, it limits what can be played and how it can be played. The drummer, last minute replacement David Logeman, does a competent job handling the parts and providing support during the solos, but he just doesn't jump out at you the way most other Zappa drummers do. But alas, there are some high points. Apart from the YAWYI material, the remainder of the repertoire is pretty good, though not great. Frank's guitar playing is consistently intense throughout, with each solo containing an overabundance of energy. He does not solo all that frequently in each show, but when he does, all complaints are forgotten. But when he is not soloing, one usually wishes he was, as there is not much else exciting going on. As much as I like Frank's playing on this tour, I have to admit that after listening to this tour for the past two days straight, I cannot say that I ever wish to hear it again. The solos are good, but not good enough.

coming in the Frank-only solo. For this version, the band would play the opening vamp for approximately thirty seconds before delving into the main theme. Frank would take a particularly blistering solo, and lead the back back into the theme to conclude the tune. BOBBY BROWN GOES DOWN- Even with this smaller, somewhat humbler band, Frank is able to play this song as its always been played- as with the large groups, the medium groups, the puny groups. Some things just never change. CHARLIE'S ENORMOUS MOUTH- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. CHUNGA'S REVENGE- Essentially performed as a show opening, guitar solo vehicle. The song begins rather calmly, with the bass-prominent main theme and no abrupt guitar intro as on the studio release. Once the main theme is played through, then we get the aforementioned guitar part, which drops us off into Frank's solo. Upon the conclusion of the solo, the bass theme would then be used as the vamp for the band introductions. CITY OF TINY LITES- One of the repeated highlights of the tour. Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume V, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. For the US portion of the tour, we get the '79 guitar solo vamp, as can be heard on "Anyway the Wind Blows" from Beat the Boots Volume I, complete with the composed segue from the solo back into the vocals. For the European portion, however, we get the debut of the Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression, and to celebrate, Frank makes sure he gives us solos worthy of such a progression. They are excellent workouts, with Barrow and Logeman keeping a solid groove going beneath them. The post-solo vocals are not yet tweaked, however, though Ray's always incredible singing more than compensates for the lack of musical fireworks. [CARLOS SANTANA CONCEPTUAL CONTINUITY CLUE- During his solos on both 6/21 and 6/22, Frank quotes- at lengththe song "She's Not There", a Zombies' song covered by Santana in the late '70's.] CONEHEAD- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Tommy's short, "space invaders" keyboard solo. We do not get a Frank solo this time round. After the weird transition from the vocals into what is a solo on the album, Tommy keeps the weirdness up, and takes a short solo which sounds as if he is playing a video game. Very weird sound effects. Frank describes it during

THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED AIN'T GOT NO HEART- Essentially performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. ANY DOWNERS- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's heavy metal tinged solo. As a segue from Frank'solo to the following vocals, there is a written piece of music that does not make it onto the album version. This 30 second piece is similar to the post solo "City of Tiny Lites" segment found on "Sheil Yerbouti", though this version sounds like that riff overdosing on amphetamines. It is pretty cool. Frank's solos during this tune are also pretty cool, very aggressive, and another continual highlight of the tour. BAMBOOZLED BY LOVE- Essentially performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. BEAUTY KNOWS NO PAIN- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. BLACK NAPKINS- Essentially performed as on MAJNH, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation

one show as "the soundtrack to Thomas Nordegg's bedroom". Huh? L Shankar makes a guest appearance at one show (5/10), and performs his little heart out during an extended version of this tune. COSMIK DEBRIS- Essentially performed as always, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's guitar solo. For the "price-of-meat" section, we get the aggressive, guitar tinged vamp, as heard on the "Cosmik Debris" from "Anyway the Wind Blows" from Beat the Boots Volume I. DANCIN' FOOL- What more do I need to say? You know how it goes, and it sure did not change on this tour. DEATHLESS HORSIE, THE- Essentially performed as on SUNPYG, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. DINAH-MOE HUMM- Essentially performed as always, though this time around the lyrics are a lot funnier. No, just kidding. DONG WORK FOR YUDA- A rare vocal treat, popping up once (5/11) before quickly disappearing again. Essentially performed as on "Joe's Garage", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the emphasis being placed on Ike's and Ray's vocals. Frank attempts to fill Terry's shoes in the song closing "Bald Headed John-isms", but fails. He just cannot seem to nail that accent. DON'T EAT THE YELLOW SNOW- Essentially performed as on "Apostrophe (')", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. For the first time in its career, this song is performed as a solo piece, without the other songs commonly found in the "Don't Eat" suite. DRAFTED AGAIN- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. EASY MEAT- Essentially performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo, and with one other major change- for the first half of the tour, the guitar solo vamp SUCKS. I do not know what else to say- it just sucks. It consists of a plodding drum beat, accompanied by a plodding bass riff, with Frank trying to find inspiration and solo over it. The inspiration is not there, and these early solos typically bore. Fortunately, this problem is amended by the European portion of the tour, where we get the standard '80's vamp, which is essentially a blank canvas from which Frank and the band can go

wherever they please. These solos are hot. [Patrick Buzby has this to add- "Easy Meat" had a different (rather uneasy sounding) uptempo 4/4 vamp up until somewhere around 4/29 (the version on Crush All Boxes). Every version from then until '88 had the same vamp afterwards. I think Logeman is to blame for the plodding quality, since the other rhythm sections were working from the same pretext. (However, have you heard the 5/10/80 version w/FZ and Shankar trading solos? This is intense."] HARDER THAN YOUR HUSBAND- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with Frank handling the vocal chores instead of the revered Jimmy Carl Black. HEAVENLY BANK ACCOUNT- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. HE USED TO CUT THE GRASS- Essentially performed as on "Joe's Garage", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This is quite a treat, popping up once on this tour (4/18), on a night when Frank's guitar playing is particularly intense. Thus, without fail, Frank produces a stunning solo during this excellent performance of the "Joe's Garage" track. IF ONLY SHE WOULDA- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Arthur's keyboard solo and Frank's guitar solo. For some reason, this "Robby Krieger Secret Chord Progression" seems to bring out the best in Frank, and as a result, these performances are some of the best of the tour. Arthur's cheesy keyboard solo creates an excellent atmosphere, which Frank proceeds to rip apart with some his most biting guitar playing. Why this song never made it past 1980 is one of the great mysteries of Frank's touring career, as it never failed to produce absolutely first rate guitar solos. YET ANOTHER CARLOS SANTANA CONCEPTUAL CONTINUITY CLUE- During the 6/11 performance of this tune, Frank plays the melody line to the Zombies' "She's Not There" during his solo, and then sings the first line of that song before resuming "If Only She Woulda". Santana covered this song in the late '70's, and Frank's tease sounds similar to Carlos' playing on that tune. ILLINOIS ENEMA BANDIT- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo

I'M A BEAUTIFUL GUY- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. IN FRANCE- This is great. The world premiere of this tune pops up late in the tour (7/2), only days after the band originally starts rehearsing it. Lyrically speaking, almost all the words are intact from the beginning, with only a missing line or two, and one major change in that one particular line now reads- "Ed got a blow job that made his peter turn green". Musically speaking, however, this is quite a different, and very amusing, beast. Instead of the breezy blues that we know, the song here is performed with Gary Numan's "Cars" as the musical backing. We get a perfect rendition of that nu-wave hit, with Frank's "In France" tribute replacing Gary's ode to the automobile. The results are hilarious, and actually quite musical. If you have not heard this tape, just start singing "In France" next time you hear "Cars", and you will see how well this works. [Many months later, and I have just received 6/22, the true origin of "In France". During Frank's "City of Tiny Lites" solo, Barrow quotes "Cars" briefly in the midst of the solo. Later, during "Mudd Club", Barrow returns to the "Cars" bassline, which prompts Frank to make up some verses about France. Without so much as thinking twice, he whips out one verse, and gets a big laugh out of the band. He begins a second verse, but cannot finish it without some help from the band. He then tries to go back and sing the first verse, but cannot remember it until Ike jumps in and helps. Short and amusing, but an excellent insight to the way (and the speed) at which Frank's mind works.] JOE'S GARAGE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. JUMBO GO AWAY- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. KEEP IT GREASY- Essentially performed as on "Joe's Garage", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and only up to the point where the extended guitar solo section begins. LET'S MOVE TO CLEVELAND- Patrick Buzby supplies us with this piece of information- "Performed as a second encore at show #2, 4/1/80 (not on my tape, alas), according to a European source whose name I forget (sorry!). He mentioned that this included an extended Tommy Mars solo but no guitar solo." Anybody else know anything about this? LITTLE GREEN ROSETTA- This song poot forth onto the audience during the 6/14 show. I have yet to hear it, but it occurs after the "Ms. Pinky" encore, so I

assuming that it is merely an impromptu vocal performance by Frank, who typically fools around and speaks to the audience at length after these "Ms. Pinky" performances. LOVE OF MY LIFE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV. When Frank composed the criteria for the YCDTOSA series (listed in the front of each CD booklet), I think he had this song in mind when I wrote #7- "Does the inclusion of this song help the stylistic flow...by providing contrast or relief?" This song is a beacon of musical simplicity amidst a sea of chaotic rhythms and nonsensical juxtapositions. It is the least likeliest of Frank Zappa song titles, and a refreshing breath of air no matter where its put in the canon of Zappa works. In the live context, it provides the ultimate contrast, from the almost sincere lyrics to the heartbroken wail that punctuates the latter half of the proceedings. One of my continual live favorites. LUCILLE HAS MESSED MY MIND UP- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. MEEK SHALL INHERIT NOTHING, THE- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and lacking the poignant bite of Denny's slide. MS. PINKY- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. MUDD CLUB- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's middle of the song tirade. [Patrick Buzby adds: FZ's rap during this tour opens with these lines that don't appear on the album- "Mudd Club - There ain't no sign on the front/ Mudd Club - There ain't no sign on the back/ Mudd Club - Now people, if you don't go/Then you won't know about the show on the floor of the Mudd Club." ] NITE OWL- This upbeat 50's cover has popped up at Frank shows repeatedly over the years. Nothing all that special, the tune is enjoyable nonetheless for the vocal display the band puts on (the best part about this band). This song serves as a precursor to the tiny little flood of 50's tunes that Frank would begin performing in the following tours. OUTSIDE NOW- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo.

PICK ME I'M CLEAN- Essentially performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This is another of those songs that I wish saw more time in the '80's, especially since it consistently provided some exceptional Frank guitar solos. [Patrick Buzby has quite a bit more to add: "The versions from the first month of the spring '80 tour have a ballad feel much different from the released version - an interesting alternative. In May, it changed to a more upbeat version and FZ added the "Check out my bandaid!" line in the chorus. It continued this way until somewhere around November, when FZ made it even slower than it was originally (though without the ballad feel) and added the monkey business you describe. The Tinseltown version starts with arrangement #3 and cuts to arrangement #2 (thus the jump in tempo at "Vinniegoes bareback")".] POUND FOR A BROWN (ON THE BUS)- I'm not sure if this tour's version of this tune qualifies as a Monster Song. Yes, we get solos, but only from Tommy and Frankie, and rather restrained ones at that. The tune begins as always, with Tommy immediately beginning his solo upon completion of the main theme. Tommy solos for awhile, and when he is done, Frank starts soloing. The unfortunate part about these performances is that for the duration of the solos, the rhythm section plays the same vamp. Barrow locks into this reptitive groove, and Logeman essentially follows suit. There is slight deviation as the solo calls for it, with Logeman being a lot more active than Barrow, but the two always shortly return to the same groove. While the groove itself is not bad (it is actually quite enjoyable), it severely limits the directions and extremes that Tommy and Frank can go with their respective solos. Depending on how one views this song, thus determines the success of each performance. As a straightforward solo vehicle, the song is quite good, with an upbeat vamp and some top notch solos. As a Monster Song, however, the tune fails, with little experimentation and a limited range of musical flavors. We do get two special performances of this tune during the tour. On 4/11, Craig "Twister" Stewart sits in for an encore performance of this number, dueling it out with Frank on his harmonica. Two months later, in Paris, Frank decides to demonstrate Tommy's various keyboards for an unnamed special guest in the audience, and thus after Tommy's solo- with Barrow and Logeman keeping the same beat- Tommy and Frank fool around for several minutes .[More info from Patrick Buzby- "Also, I would agree that Pound rarely reached Monster status on this tour, but the 4/18 version is interesting if you haven't heard it. It has FZ and Logeman trading solos at one point (I was dumbfounded when I first heard this), and then FZ shifts the vamp and eventually it ends up with Louie Louie. Bizarre."]

SOCIETY PAGES- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. STICK IT OUT- Essentially performed as on "Joe's Garage", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with both the English and the German verses being sung. This version is particularly cheesy- and enjoyable- due to Tommy's prominent keyboards and an extended outro highlighting the "doo wop" vocals of Ike and Ray. (One annoying note- Immediately upon finishing the first verse, someone in the band- for some reason I figure it's Ike- starts encouraging the audience to clap along with the song. Get the crowd involved- that's fine- but when listening to audience tapes, this overwhelming intrusion of the taper and all his friends clapping for the next minute or so is rather annoying.) SUICIDE CHUMP- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. For the solo section, Ray, Ike and Tommy all take short, rather uneventful solos. TEENAGE WIND- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. TREACHEROUS CRETINS- Essentially performed as on SUNPYG, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. [Patrick Buzby points out that "FZ often performed this song in 11/4, rather than the reggae 4/4 that appears on Shut Up? The one version I've heard from this tour (6/9 Dusseldorf) is in 11."] WATERMELON IN EASTER HAY- Essentially performed as on "Joe's Garage", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. I'll ask the question again- can words do this song justice? [Patrick Buzby with some Logeman abuse- "this song featured some of Logeman's worst drumming on this tour, IMO, at least during the head. His way of following FZ's phrasing doesn't come off at all."] WHY DOES IT HURT WHEN I PEE?- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and lacking Ray's dynamic end-ofthe-song vocal workout. Without Steve Vai's aggressive guitar, and Ray's soaring vocal climax, this tune wins the dubious honor of being the worse of the Summer '80 YAWYI premieres. [Patrick Buzby adds: "From Electric Don Quioxite : In the premier

version (Boston 5/3/80), the first line of verse 1 went : "A dandy young man from a nice Jewish family..."] YOU DIDN'T TRY TO CALL ME- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, and another treat from this tour. [Yet more info from the desk of Buzby: "Interesting interjection from FZ during the 6/11 Paris show - "You didn't try to call me at all even though I was doing 15 in the space of 16 didja?" I interpreted this as a jab at Logeman for not being more reponsive during the Pound solo that night, though I could be wrong."] ZOOT ALLURES- This just in from Jon Naurin- "A surprising report from a tape I recently got: on 20-Apr 1980, show #2, "Zoot Allures" was played (in the same spot where he threw in "He used to cut the grass" two days earlier). FZ announces that this is a song they've never played live before, and the first couple of bars would have revealed this anyway. After the staggering intro, FZ delivers a long and quite nice solo. The vamp is similar to the 1981/82 one." PUT YOUR .02 HERE... Jon Naurin sez... Now and then, I pick out one of these tapes and say to myself "I'll give it a chance". Then I usually enjoy the opening solo, but a few songs into the show I'm too bored to continue - I feel an urge to rinse my ears with a 70s show or something. To me, nothing except for the guitar solos - really works during this tour. Not even Tommy and Arthur, two musicians I usually love, sound at all interesting. It might have to do with the fact that the bass and the keyboards alone must fill the sound landscape, and their playing don't really work in this context. Tommy's synth sounds might work very well within a larger group, in midst of stunt guitars, marimbas and other keyboards - but here, the thinness of a 1980 synth becomes obvious. Arthur sounds uninspired, compared to the earlier tours. In many solo vamps, he tends to become more repetitive and boring than Logeman maybe he was missing Vinnie. Patrick Buzby sez... I suppose that this must rank as one of FZ's least musically interesting tours, but I've always had a bit of a soft spot for it. For one thing, YAWYI is possibly my favorite Zappa album, and it's funny for me to imagine FZ hitting an audience with an entire set of this unrecorded material. For another, this may be the most unjustly overlooked tour as far as FZ's guitar playing goes - it still has all of the fire of his late 70's work (which started to fade around '82, IMO), in spite of his evident lack o frapport with David

Logeman's drumming. Still, at his best (listen to the Munich '80 "Chunga's Revenge), Logeman managed to hold his own among what must have been a very intimidating group of players. Also, Arthur Barrow takes a more prominent role than before, and the brilliant combination of Ike Willis and Ray White falls into place. FALL '80 BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Ike Willis (vocals, guitar, Dylan), Ray White (vocals, guitar), Arthur Barrow (bass, keyboards), Vinnie Colaiuta (drums, seal calls), Tommy Mars (keyboards, vocals), Bob Harris (keyboards, trumpet, high vocals, cuteness), Steve Vai (guitar, vocals, high energy) SPECIAL GUESTS- Jimmy Carl Black (still the only Indian of the group) DATES- October 10th to December 11th SHOWS- 51 CITIES-49 COUNTRIES- 2 (US and Canada) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 60 AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 115 minutes AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 5 to 6 (5.4) [Frank is woefully inconsistent on this tour. Some shows had 8 or 9 solos, other had 5 or 6, others only had 3.] SONGS THAT FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Andy, Any Downers, Bamboozled By Love, Black Napkins, Chunga's Revenge, City of Tiny Lites, Conehead, Deathless Horsie, Drowning Witch (?), Dumb All Over, Easy Meat, Heavy Duty Judy, If Only She Woulda, Illinois Enema Bandit, Outside Now, Pick Me I'm Clean, Sharleena, The Torture Never Stops, Truckdriver Divorce (?), Watermelon in Easter Hay COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- The two 1980 tours are saved from dire mediocrity by the guitar playing of Frank Zappa. While his solos are not that particularly experimental, they abound with an energy and enthusiasm that drives even the dullest of shows to worthy heights. Using a partcularly nasty and biting sound, Frank's solos are straightforward, hold-noprisoners affairs. No feedback, no theatrics, no duels with Vai- just Frank playing guitar as if nothing else matters. Whether it is "Black Napkins" or "Easy Meat" or "Pick Me I'm Clean", Frank seems to only know one style this time out- fast and loud and in-yer-face.

But you know what, it all works, making you sit down and realize (once again), what a sick guitarist this man really is. Yes, certain songs seemed to be consistently better than others- "Pick Me I'm Clean", "City of Tiny Lites", "The Torture Never Stops", and the highly underrated "If Only She Woulda" (my personal 1980 favorite)- but every Zappa solo from this tour is simply worth listening to. This is not Zappa at his best, simply because he did not take the musical chances that he did on past and future tours. It is, however, Frank at his most consistent and his nastiest, playing the guitar with a ferocious attitude that raises an oft overlooked tour to frequently great heights. SONGS THAT FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- Cosmik Debris (Vai solo), Suicide Chump (rotating solo section, but no FZ) NEW SONGS ON TOUR- Blue Light, The Dangerous Kitchen,Doreen, Drowning Witch, Dumb All Over, Goblin Girl, Heavy Duty Judy, Luigi and the Wise Guys, Shall We Take Ourselves Seriously?, Tinseltown Rebellion, Truckdriver Divorce MONSTER SONGS- The Torture Never Stops. In a surprise reworking, this classic guitar solo vehicle becomes the only true Monster Song for this Fall outing. It is not all that monstrous as far as Monster Songs go, but quite a treat as far as "Torture's" go. Two FZ guitar solos, a Mars solo, and a typically interesting Colaiuta workout, complete with the infamous moaning girl sounds throughout. While these improvisational creations are in no way bad, they are disappointing considering the dormant potential lying within this band. Look at the band lineup, we should have had three or four Monster Songs, and more space for the band to stretch out. I think Frank begins to realize this in the waning days of the tour, as both "Torture" and "Pick Me I'm Clean" begin to get a little bit crazier. In the end, what we have is definitely worth hearing, but what we should have had could have been much greater. OVERVIEW- The You Are What You Is Tour Part Two. That is always the impression I have had about this tour. Until I did this page, that is. While there are shows that contain an obscene number of YAWYI compositions, there are also a number of shows that contain absolutely none- zero- such tunes, and many shows that only contain two or three such tracks. I guess the spectre of the Summer Tour hangs ominously over this outing, creating the false illusion that this was another YAWYI fest. It definitely is not. In fact, listening to this tour as much as I have been lately, I think that this may be one of THE great overlooked tours of Frank's career. Ignoring the YAWYI tracks, this tour consists of some seldomlyplayed-over-the-years surprises, several new and somewhat different tunes, and some revamped and

highly energetic classics. "Broken Hearts", "Stick It Out", "I'm So Cute", and "Tell Me You Love Me" reappear out of nowhere, diversifying the sonic landscape. "The Blue Light", "Shall We Take Ourselves Seriously?", and "Tinseltown Rebellion" proudly introduce themselves and thankfully stay around for several tours. "The Torture Never Stops", "City of Tiny Lites", "Easy Meat", and the still a baby "Pick Me I'm Clean" practically reinvent themselves, providing this tour with some exciting energy and absolutely mesmerizing guitar playing. And finally, for me the highlight of 1980, and amazingly enough a YAWYI composition to boot, "If Only She Woulda" takes the Surprise of the Year award, giving us some hilarious Door's-inspired keyboard solos and Frank's most consistently outrageous guitar explorations. Thus, as far as setlists go, this is not a bad tour (ignoring the handful of YAWYI over-indulgent shows, that is). As far as the band goes, we also get a definite improvement over the previous tour, though things are not as great as they could be. Vinnie is back, which does wonders for the drumming. Bob Harris sits in for his one tour, providing some of the most chilling high harmonies and painfully high notes that we will ever hear. Most importantly, to my ears, Steve Via is now on board, infusing the music with that little extra oomph!, and setting the stage for the wickedness that would come in the following two tours. Ed Mann's absence, however, especially on the YAWYI tunes, never manages to escape the mind of the listener, with the music sounding somewhat incomplete. Ray, Ike, and the equally impressive Bob are underused, displaying their vocal skills occasionally throughout the standard show, but also not being expoited to their fullest potential. The one saving grace- more than anything- is Frank, and it is Frank's guitar playing that redeems this tour. As I mention above, he is simply out-of-control on this tour, playing with an energy and attitude that raises even the dullest of shows to worth hearing status. All things considered, I will venture to say that this is in no way a bad tour, and, at times, thanks to Frank, it is possibly great. Without a doubt, though, it is one of Frank's most underrated and overlooked excursions. THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED NOTE: On all the "You Are What You Is" tracks, Ed Mann's absence is sorely evident. While this band's performances of this material are quite an improvement over the Summer tour's versions (which I credit to Steve Vai, though many people have already notified me in advance that it is the David Logeman/Vinnie Colaiuta switch that I should blame/praise, which I disagree with), they are still nowhere near the more energetic and fuller sounding versions of the following two tours. This, I think most of us will agree on, is due to Ed Mann's absence. While I believe that Steve Vai's presence has a greater effect on this portion's of Frank's career than

any other member, I also must admit that the band's sound is lacking a crucial element without Ed. Thus, in all the YAWYI track reviews below, add this line"Ed Mann's presence is sorely missed on this version, giving the song an incomplete feel on this tour. Steve Vai's presence improves the song greatly over the previous tour, but we still receive a somewhat half-baked composition." Sound good? AIN'T GOT NO HEART- Essentially played as on "Tinseltown Rebellion", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. ANDY- Essentially performed as on OSFA, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's quite lengthy and very energetic solo. The opening section of this version always gives me goosebumps, with Tommy's keyboard heralding the arrival of a true classic. Ike and Ray are in top form throughout the song, and the Zappa/Vai guitar combo give the written parts a power that they never seem to find on other tours. Let us not forget that Vinnie is sitting behind the drum kit, and thus we get a manic energy that lifts this version to another level. One of the continual highlights of the tour. ANY DOWNERS- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. BAMBOOZLED BY LOVE- Essentially performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Ike handles the vocal chores on this one, with Vinnie adding seal calls when needed. Although Walley's slide is sorely missed on this and all other later versions, this tour's performances have a particualr energy, in both Ike's vocals and Frank's solo, that lift this above most other '80's "Bamboozled"'s. BEAUTY KNOWS NO PAIN- Essentially performed as on YAWYI. BLACK NAPKINS- Essentially performed as on MAJNH, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in the Frank-only solo. For this version, the band would play the opening vamp for approximately thirty seconds before delving into the main theme. Frank would take a particularly blistering solo, and lead the back back into the theme to conclude the tune. BLUE LIGHT, THE- Essentially performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's middle-of-the-song tirade. While this middle portion is essentially the same each performance, Frank did occasionally deviate from the

standard script to comment on band happenings or the stupidity of audience members. While this deviation is only occasional on this tour, it would increase on subsequent tours. BOBBY BROWN GOES DOWN- While Steve Vai's presence on this tour does wonders for the "You Are WhatYou Is" material, it seems to have absolutely no effect on this tune. Imagine that. BROKEN HEARTS ARE FOR ASSHOLES- The basic structure of this song is the same as on "Sheik Yerbouti". Unfortunately, however, there are some minor changes that really affect the mood of the tune. Things start off as normal, with the aggressive guitar riff. But almost immediately, things start to look bad as Terry Ted's aggressive "Hey! Do you know what you are?" taunt becomes a keyboard driven, whiny little tease. Same lyrics, just a completely different attitude. The verses follow-performed as always- but with a differently arranged chorus. Again, same lyrics, but this time accompanied by an overplayed, metaltinged swing groove, which, by the way, works. Back to the annoying whine, and then the normal verse. The middle spoken section is also performed as normal (but lacks O'Hearn's frequently hilarious remarks), with an added disco vamp following the "work the wall with Michael" line. The conclusion of the song also takes us through familiar territory. Overall, the satirically played swing vamp in the chorus works, but the wimpy pre-verse yell and the absence of O'Hearn cause this version to suffer. Also, this is another tune where Ed Mann's absence is quite evident, with sonic holes where his quirky percussion would normally be. Definitely worth hearing, as it is stylistically quite different from the majority of the material, but not as strong as the '70's version. CHARLIE'S ENORMOUS MOUTH- Essentially performed as on YAWYI. CHUNGA'S REVENGE- Essentially performed as a show opening, guitar solo vehicle. The song begins rather calmly, with the bass-prominent main theme and no abrupt guitar intro as on the studio release. Once the main theme is played through, then we get the aforementioned guitar part, which drops us off into Frank's solo. Upon the conclusion of the solo, the bass theme would then be used as the vamp for the band introductions. CITY OF TINY LITES- This is the tour for "City of Tiny Lites" guitar solos. Frank's incredibly high energy coupled with Vinnie's frantic drumming and the Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression create some of the most insane guitar masterpieces. Frank plays as if he has just slammed an entire pot of coffee and has only one way to exert his newfound

energy- through the guitar. These solos sound as if Frank's guitar has exploded, pouring forth a violent spew of twisted and perverse guitar notes. Simply exhilirating. The version we get this tour out is essentially the same as the YCDTOSA Volume V performance, with the guitar based opening, the Carlos guitar vamp, and the randomly orchestrated post solo vocals (which seem to be a lot more fun than the instrumental festivities which would occur on the '82 tour). For me, this tour gives us the definitive version of this guitar solo classic. CONEHEAD- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, with the standard deviation coming in the solo. COSMIK DEBRIS- Essentially performed as on "Apostrophe (')", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Vai's solo. We get the aggressive, guitar based "piece of meat" section for this tour. DANGEROUS KITCHEN, THE- Not really a "sprechstimme" production, this "Dangerous Kitchen" version. Frank's vocals are essentially the same as always, but the musical accompianment is not your typical "sprechstimme" accompianment. Barrow is locked into a rather simple, tick-tock type groove, while Mars randomly inserts keyboard chords and riffs (though not in the same way they would during the "normal" "Dangerous Kitchen" workout). Patrick Buzby points out that "this has Tommy doing the Landini cadence riff which later became part of"Frogs With Dirty Little Lips." " Even Vinnie - who is very active and typically brilliant in this performance- does not really sound as if he's playing along with Frank's vocals, but just jamming to some unheard tribal beat. Personally, I think this version is musically more interesting than the "sprechstimme" version, but then again, I'm not a really big fan of this facet of Frank's music. DANCIN' FOOL- Essentially performed as on every tour it was ever performed on, with that little extra energy brought about by Vai's presence in the band. DEAD GIRLS OF LONDON- The first half of this version is essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume V, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. But from the second "boutique frame of mind" line- where it would typically go into the "gee I like your pants" section- we get a new vamp, Ike singing "Bon Jour frame of mind"( "Bon Jour" being the brand-name for a type of blue jeans popular in the early eighties), and a short, pyrotechnic Steve Vai guitar solo. An interesting, but not great, reworking. DEATHLESS HORSIE, THE- Essentially performed as on SUNPYG, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo.

DON'T EAT THE YELLOW SNOW- Essentially performed as on "Apostrophe (')", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. For the second time in its career (the first being the previous '80 tour), this song is performed as a solo piece, without the other songs commonly found in the "Don't Eat" suite. DOREEN- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume V, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. DRAFTED AGAIN- Essentially performed as on YAWYI. DROWNING WITCH- I have yet to hear this premiere performance from 10/12, but considering that it was only played once by this band, and considering how difficult it is to play, I'm not sure I want to hear it. Anyone want to tell us what we win, if anything? [Patrick Buzy writes:" I suspect that "Truck Driver Divorce" and "Drowning Witch" from fall '80 were just "sprechgesang" versions, though I haven't heard the tapes." Again, anyone? To which Jon Naurin replies: "Drowning Witch: As I've warned you about, this is just FZ reading the lyrics in meltdown style, over some improvised accompaniment, like "Dangerous Kitchen". The words are pretty much the same as on the released version. FZ also conducts the audience to go "Oooooh" occasionally - actually this performance sounds rather interesting, but the sound is horrid.] DUMB ALL OVER- Essentially performed as on "Have I Offended Someone?", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Until Ryko amended matters, this was another of Frank's dubious decisions- editing this solo out of both the YAWYI CD release and the YCDTOSA Volume I set. Because of this, tape collecting became an essential hobby for the Frank freak, simply to hear what really went down during the live performances of "Dumb All Over". EASY MEAT- Essentially performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This version marks the beginning of an incredible three tour run that this tune would have. The Vai/Mars combination is deadly during the pre-solo classical part, and Zappa finally stumbled upon a solo vamp that would really let him explore his guitar to the fullest. Frank's playing on this tour, however, is not quite as experimental as it would be on the following two tours, and thus his solos are not as "out there" as they would eventually become. Nevertheless, the solos are consistently excellent, with the definite sense of possible greatness underlying even the weakest of the "Easy

Meat" outings. An excellent improvement over the previous tour's "Easy Meat" excursions, which for some reason never really seemed to create much excitement (possibly because of that horrible Summer '80 vamp). FLAKES- Essentially performed as on "Sheik Yerbouti", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. Ike wins the role of Dylan this time round, thanks to Ed's conspicuous absence. Another tune where Ed's percussion is sorely missed. GOBLIN GIRL- Essentially performed as on "Have I Offended Someone"- i.e. the slow version- complete with the multilayered, concluding lyric section. For this tour only, Frank decides to attempt this vocal treat, and the results are wonderful. This portion of the song is what makes it so good, and thus all other tour versions pale in comparison. HARDER THAN YOUR HUSBAND- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, with Frank handling the vocal chores instead of Jimmy Carl Black, and with Jimmy Carl Black handling the vocal chores instead of Frank during a guest performance. HEAVENLY BANK ACCOUNT- Essentially performed as on YAWYI. HEAVY DUTY JUDY- Essentially played as on TBBYNHIYL, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Also, like all versions of this song other than the '88 one, there were vocals. While they occasionally changed at the whim of FZ and the band, the standard set of 3 lyrics was simply "Heavy Duty Judy," chanted over the main theme. HONEY DON'T YOU WANT A MAN LIKE ME?Essentially performed as always, allowing for the obvious differences in instrumentation. IF ONLY SHE WOULDA- Otherwise known as "Variations on the Robby Krieger Secret Chord Progression". Essentially performed as on YAWYI, with the standard deviation coming in both Arthur's (yes, Arthur's) and Frank's solos. For me, this song is the highlight of 1980. The song itself is okay, though definitely better than most of YAWYI. The solo section, however, is excellent. The vamp is highly contagious, possibly the most danceable beat Zappa ever soloed over. Arthur's Doors-influenced solos are great, and set the perfect stage for Frank to simply freak- which is what he does for this song. Playing with an overabundance of energy and enthusiasm, Frank tears this song to pieces- solong in, around, over, and directly through the rhythm section. One of several 1980 tunes that I would have loved to see make it to later tours.

ILLINOIS ENEMA BANDIT- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This guitar solo section typically consisted of two separate vamps. The first vamp was the standard "Illinois" vamp, smoothly flowing out of the vocal section. During the course of the solo, the band would then segue into the second vamp, which was quite a bit funkier and featured a quite active Barrow. To say the least, these solos are monsters, with Frank soloing at length, using some of the most distorted and blasphemous sounding guitar effects. While this tune would eventually dissolve into a "by-the-numbers" sleepwalk for later bands, this tour presents us with a highly energetic and downright mean "Illinois Enema Bandit" excursion. Mars' overdone keyboards, White's indicting wails, and Harris' hilarious screams coupled with Frank's ugly guitar playing create the ultimate "Bandit" performances. I'M A BEAUTFUL GUY- Essentially performed as on YAWYI. I'M SO CUTE- Essentially performed as o YCDTOSA Volume VI, with Harris doing a more than adequate job of filling Terry Ted's shoes. JAZZ DISCHARGE PARTY HATS- Patrick Buzby with this late breaking news- "This came up during "Torture Never Stops" at one fall '80 show. (FZ mentions in Electric Don Qioxite that it was "in Illinois" - I'm betting 11/15 Carbondale, since the Chicago shows were not recorded due to union problems.)" JOE'S GARAGE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. JUMBO GO AWAY- Essentially performed as on YAWYI. KEEP IT GREASY- Essentially performed as on "Joe's Garage", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and only up to the point where the extended guitar solo section begins. LOVE OF MY LIFE- Essentially performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion." One of my continually favorite songs in Zappa's touring repertoire. No, there's not much to this song, but amidst the humor and chaos of the rest of the tour, this songs appears as a beacon of simplicity and sincerity. Bob Harris' hilarious yet beautiful falsetto achingly floats over the majority of the proceedings, and consistently hits that painfully long note towards the end of the song.

LUCILLE HAS MESSED UP MY MIND- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, acounting for obvious differences in instrumentation. LUIGI AND THE WISE GUYS- Essentially performed exactly as on "Man From Utopia", as that version is based upon this one time only (thank goodness) live event. MAGIC FINGERS- Esentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI. MEEK SHALL INHERIT NOTHING, THE- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, with Denny's slide being sorely missed. MS. PINKY- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI. MUDD CLUB- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's middle of the song tirade. While this middle section varied only slightly from the scripted album version, Frank did occasionally alter the lyrics to comment on an audience member, or happenings in the band. MUDSHARK- Due to overwhelming audience demand, Frank succombed to the ways of the masses and proceeded, once again, to sweep the ocean with this magnificent tale of rock 'n' roll debauchery. I have yet to hear this performance, but rumor has it (and his name is Pat Buzby) that it occurred only once on this tour- on 11/15. OUTSIDE NOW- Essentially performed as on "Joe's Garage", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. One of Ike's most consistently evocative singing spots. PANTY RAP- Not an actual song, this title refers to the speech that Frank would frequently give at the beginning of shows urging female audience members to throw their underclothes onto the stage. This speech typically included Frank chewing out some male audience member who, without fail, would throw onto the stage some not requested male underwear. PICK ME I'M CLEAN- Essentially performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's frequently ferocious and oftoverlooked solo. Towards the end of the tour, this tune evolved into a Mini- Monster, with the "Torture" sound effects accompanying Frank's solo (i.e. the moaning girl), a little extra Barrow action, and even some Wagner just to be safe. One of the continual highlights of the tour, regardless of what stage in the tour it appeared, and another of the 1980 tunes that should have been played more frequently ( the '88

performances are a disappointment to me- anyone else?). {Patrick Buzby has a bit more to add: "The versions from the first month of the spring '80 tour have a ballad feel much different from the released version - an interesting alternative. In May, it changed to a more upbeat version and FZ added the "Check out my bandaid!" line in the chorus. It continued this way until somewhere around November, when FZ made it even slower than it was originally (though without the ballad feel) and added the monkey business you describe. The Tinseltown version starts with arrangement #3 and cuts to arrangement #2 (thus the jump in tempo at "Vinnie goes bareback")".] REPUBLIC AIRLINES- No idea what this refers to, but it is listed as a track for the 11/17 show. Anybody? [Jon Naurin wins again- "It's a jingle that Tommy & Vinnie wrote for the "Republic Airlines" company. They were going to present it for someone at the company the day after the 11/17 performance, and they wanted to try it out on the audience. Not a great piece of music - a typical jingle, 30 secs, unintelligible words."] RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES- Towards the end of the tour, "Pick Me I'm Clean" starts to get a little crazy, consisting of more than just a guitar solo in its middle section. On the late show on 12/05, an improvised performance of "Ride of the Valkyries" found its way into the proceedings, making things even crazier than normal. SHARLEENA- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This is one of Frank's better decisions- bringing this song back after 10 years, adding a guitar solo, and letting it terrorize setlists for the duration of the eighties. Good job. SHALL WE TAKE OURSELVES SERIOUSLY?Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume V, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation (which in Ike's case, is a definite plus in the vocal department). Being its first tour out, this song seems to be lacking a certain oomph! this time round, though the singing is still impressive. STICK IT OUT- Essentialy performed as on "Joe's Garage", with both the English and the German verses being sung. SUICIDE CHUMP- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, with the standard deviation coming in the multitude of solos. I am not a big fan of this rotating solo format, as I believe that both Frank and his band are better adept at lengthier, more involved solos. The one highlight of this version, however, is Ray's

typically scat-enhanced guitar solo, which at least starts things off on the right foot. TEENAGE WIND- Essentially performed as on YAWYI. TELL ME YOU LOVE ME- Essentially performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion." TINSELTOWN REBELLION- Essentially performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion". Jon Naurin points out, however, that "For the first few shows of the tour, this was played in a proto-version (if you've heard the rehearsal version, you know what it sounds like), quite different from the song we know. Many of the musical deviations that make this song worthwhile were added later, and this version (especially the chorus) is quite boring." TORTURE NEVER STOPS, THE- 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. TRUCKDRIVER DIVORCE- A one-time only on this tour performance, that I have yet to hear. From the 10/13 show. Anybody want to deliver us the goods on this one? I'll keep an eye on your wife while you do. [Patrick Buzby writes: I suspect that "Truck Driver Divorce" and "Drowning Witch" from fall '80 were just "sprechgesang" versions, though I haven't heard the tapes." To which Jon Naurin replies- "Pat is correct Truck Driver Divorce is just another meltdown, accompanied by Vinnie, Artie and Tommy. A few differences in the lyrics, e.g "Some times when you're

not home, somebody's brother-in-law is pooching your homie.". Why somebody's brother-in-law?!"] WATERMELON IN EASTER HAY- Essentially performed as on "Joe's Garage", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Again, this is one that must be listened to, and not read about. YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, minus Ray White's vocal gymnastics in the second half of the song. For me, it is this performance of Ray's that makes this song interesting, and without it, the tune is reduced to nothing more than mediocre Zappa. YOU DIDN'T TRY TO CALL ME- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. [Jon Naurin calls me on this one- "Guess this seemed like a safe assumption to make, but in fact it isn't true. This song was performed as nowhere else - full of weird vocal interjections, especially from Bob Harris. The "Tell me, tell me who's loving you now" part consists of some freaky drums from Vinnie, with Bob singing the vocals in extreme falsetto, and very "sporadic". He also delivers the "All you got to do..." in inimitable style. Quite a fascinating arrangement, impossible to describe, but somewhat remniscent of the vocal chaos in "Fine Girl". Apparently, FZ wasn't too happy with it, as this song was only played at the first few shows to my knowledge."] PUT YOUR .02 HERE Patrick Buzby sez... Not my favorite tour (for some reason this band seemed to have a flabby, arena-rock feel at times, and Steve Vai and Bob Harris seem to have been underemployed), but notable for Vinnie's drumming, which makes his earlier efforts appear conservative by comparison. It's as if he was trying to play everything Logeman left out, or maybe he knew this would be his last chance to show these chops. In any case, he pushes FZ into some of his most avantgarde solos (listen to "Hog Heaven" or the Tinseltown "Easy Meat"). This tour also saw the introduction of sprechgesang, best exemplified by"The Blue Light." Consider that there was only a three-month gap between the previous tour and this one and you may get a sense of how fast FZ's mind was working in this period. Kip Brown sez... I saw FZ on this tour...South Bend, Indiana, 11/14/80. Still have the ticket stub! I would not consider the performance "flabby" by any means! At the time I was only 15 years old, and I had been listening to Zappa

for about four years! (Yes, I got my first taste of FZ at age 11!) I had all the Verve albums, a lot of the seventies stuff, and "Joe's Garage", but had never picked up any of the other recent stuff, like "Sheik Yerbouti", hence, a lot of it was unfamiliar to me, so don't ask me about specific songs. There were some older tunes, and my family was wondering if FZ would play "Catholic Girls", since the concert was at Notre Dame University arena, which happens to be a catholic university. He didn't play the whole song, but he did alude to it a couple of times. There was also a very tense moment when someone threw a glowstick on the stage, and Frank warned everyone not to throw anything else on stage or they would quit playing! Yikes! The thing I remember most were the guitar solos! Frank opened the concert with a guitar solo (song unknown), and kept going back for more! The one I remember most came during "The Torture Never Stops"...FZ took his sunburst finish Les Paul, walked up and stood on the edge of the drum riser, and played what seemed like a twenty minute guitar solo! I just sat there in my seat, totally stunned! Finally after a while I realized that I had been sitting there, jaws agape for sometime, but I couldn't stop watching! He did three encores! It was incredible, and, unfortunately, the only time I would ever see Frank play live. I guess this is why I don't enjoy reading much negative commentary about this tour, because, whether it was "critically" determined to be a good, bad or indifferent tour, it will be "the best" in my memories. And I would DIE to have a tape of this show! It's odd because tapes exist for the show the night before (Pittsburg) and a night or two after, but not for this one. In fact, Miles' "Zappa, A Visual Documentary" book doesn't even list this show! 1981 BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Steve Vai (stunt guitar, sitar, spankings), Ray White (vocals, guitar), Scott Thunes (bass), Chad Wackerman (drums), Ed Mann (percussion, vocals, Mystery Words, Dylan), Tommy Mars (keyboards), Bobby Martin (keyboards, sax) SPECIAL GUESTS- Al Dimeola (guitar, Italianness), Ahmet Zappa (reptilian inspiration), Nicolas Slonimsky (piano), Lisa Popeil (occasional vocals, autobiography) DATES- September 27th- December 13th SHOWS- 68 CITIES- 52 COUNTRIES- 2 (US and Canada) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 71

AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 120 minutes AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 8 SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Alien Orifice, Bamboozled By Love, Black Napkins, The Black Page # 2, City of Tiny Lites, Chunga's Revenge, Cosmik Debris, The Deathless Horsie, Drowning Witch, Dumb All Over, Easy Meat, Illinois Enema Bandit, King Kong, Nig Biz, Pound for a Brown (on the Bus), Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, Sharleena, Sinister Footwear II, Stevie's Spanking, Suicide Chump, The Torture Never Stops, Treacherous Cretins, Watermelon in Easter Hay, What's New in Baltimore?, Whippin' Post, Yo Mama, Zoot Allures COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- This tour stands out for one simple reason- the "Drowning Witch-> What's New in Baltimore?" combo. These two songs- both '81 virgins- contain some of Frank's most mangled and poignant guitar solos ever, respectively. The "Drowning Witch" solos are frequently quite nasty, with Frank forcing his guitar to make noises that no self-respecting guitar should ever make. "What's New in Baltimore?", following hot-on-the-heels of the blasphemous "Drowning Witch" excursions, is Frank at his most stately, producing the ultimate manifesto on the condition of the US government (without using a single word, of course). Every show containing this combination is worth tracking down just for this 15 minutes of music alone. Seriously. Apart from these songs, Frank consistently produces many other brilliant pieces of guitar work. "Easy Meat", "Sinister Footwear", "Sharleena", and "The Black Page #2" represent Frank at his grittiest, displaying a new sense of experimentation that would only get crazier on the following tour. Several classics are present"Black Napkins", "The Torture Never Stops", "Treacherous Cretins", "Watermelon in Easter Hay"inspiring Frank as always, along with several new tunes- "Alien Orifice", "Sexual Harassment in the Workplace", "Whippin Post"- which prove to be just as essential as the oldies. The only real disappointments- and they are only slight at that- are Frank's "Yo Mama" attempts. These performances are a treat to hear, but Frank never manages to create the show-stopping crescendos that he did in the Spring '78 "Yo Mama's". A very minor complaint for a very major, guitar playing tour. SONGS THAT FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- Montana (no solo since '77) NEW SONGS ON TOUR (performed live for 1st time)- Alien Orifice, Clownz on Velvet, Cocaine Decisions, Fine Girl, Frogs With Dirty Little Lips, Lisa's Life Story, Nig Biz, Ride Like the Wind, Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, Sinister Footwear II,

Stevie's Spanking, Teenage Prostitute, What's New in Baltimore? MONSTER SONGS- King Kong, Pound for a Brown (on the Bus); Performed as all Monster songs should be performed- with percussion solos, keyboard solos, scat and random vocal madness, special guests, and the obligatory yet fulfilling Frank "wrapping-it-up" guitar solo. OVERVIEW- The first punch of a deadly combination, and unfortunately, the last indisputable knockout of Frank's career. This tour- combined with the '82 outing- saw witness to some of Frank's most emotional, experimental, and downright ferocious music. To begin with, the band is simply fantastic. Several seasoned veterans, bringing their years of experience to the forefront; a new rhythm section, immediately clicking together as a solid yet flexible unit, and performing at their peak; and Steve Vai, probably the most inspirational sideman that Frank had hired in years. Listen to any show from the Summer '80 tour, and check out the attitude, the guitar playing, and the general feel of the "You Are What You Is" compositions. Jump ahead one year, and check out this band. Vai has permeated every aspect of Frank's show, forcing the head Mother to up the ante and demand much more of both his band and himself. (Unfortunately, when Vai leaves for browner pastures, there remains a great hole that is never truly filled). Secondly, set lists are consistently excellent. While we do tend to get a little too much "You Are What You Is", at least we get these tunes performed with confidence and energy. Also, they tend to inhabit the earlier portion of each show, allowing the show to really heat up once the obligatory album cuts are performed. Epic guitar solos, classic songs, long forgotten oldies, Monster songs- Frank throws it all into the soup, and boy does it taste good. Last, but definitely not least, Frank is at his guitar playing peak. For the duration of this and the following tour, Frank is playing guitar like he's never played before, making sounds he has never made before, going places he has never gone before. We get a picture of a man in complete control of his instrument, doing the things that he probably always dreamed of doing. What more could you ask for. THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED ALIEN ORIFICE- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. BAMBOOZLED BY LOVE- Essentially played as on "Tinseltown Rebellion", accounting for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Bobby handled the vocal chores on this one.

BEAUTY KNOWS NO PAIN- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III. Always played as part three of that particular four song, YAWYI suite. Frank's "Hi'ya girls" line was subject to change at the whim of Frank. BLACK NAPKINS- Essentially performed as on "As An Am" from Beat the Boots volume one, with the standard deviation coming in the Frank's guitar solo. For this tune, the band would play the opening vamp for approximately thirty seconds- sort-of a little warmup- before playing the main theme. Frank would solo after the theme, and the band would return back to the theme once Frank's solo was complete. BLACK PAGE #2, THE- A guitar monster. Until sometime between November 1st and the 13th (anyone know the exact date?), the solo vamp was the same as the one used on the "As An Am" version of this song. A pretty straightforward vamp, producing a nice segue out of the actual tune itself. Then, from sometime in that period through the rest of the tour, we get the "Them or Us" vamp that was used on the YCDTOSA Volume V version. As far as the solos go, they were all consistently excellent throughout the tour, though with the change of vamp they become a little more experimental and "out there". They never reached the frenetic peaks that the '82 solos frequently did, but they were chaotic excursions, nonetheless. BLUE LIGHT, THE- Essentially played as on "Tinseltown Rebellion", accounting for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's middle-of-the-song tirade. Like "Billy the Mountain" years earlier, Frank incorporated knowledge of local areas and daily band happenings into his vocal parts, giving each performance its own unique flavor despite the similarities in music and structure. BOBBY BROWN GOES DOWN- Yes, the same version we have all grown to know and love. No changes, but with a story as perfect as this, why should there be? BROKEN HEARTS ARE FOR ASSHOLES- The basic structure of this song is the same as on "Sheik Yerbouti". Unfortunately, however, there are some minor changes that really affect the mood of the tune. Things start off as normal, with the aggressive guitar riff. But almost immediately, things start to look bad as Terry Ted's aggressive "Hey! Do you know what you are?" taunt becomes a keyboard driven, whiny little tease. Same lyrics, just a completely different attitude. The verses follow-performed as always- but with a differently arranged chorus. Again, same lyrics, but this time accompanied by an overplayed, metaltinged swing groove, which, by the way, works. Back

to the annoying whine, and then the normal verse. The middle spoken section is also performed as normal (but lacks O'Hearn's frequently hilarious remarks), with an added disco vamp following the "work the wall with Michael" line. Finally, the conclusion of the song also takes us through familiar territory. Overall, the satirically played swing vamp in the chorus works, but the wimpy pre-verse yell and the absence of O'Hearn cause this version to suffer. Definitely worth hearing, as it is stylistically quite different from the majority of the material, but not as strong as the '70's version. CAMARILLO BRILLO- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, accounting for obvious differences in instrumentation, with the normal first half/ arena- rock-slow second half. ["Muffin Man" was probably scheduled to be performed, but the performance of "Camarillo Brillo" (and the entire concert) is cut short when someone throws a nickel onto the stage.] CHARLIE'S ENORMOUS MOUTH- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III. This song was always played as part four of that particular YAWYI four part suite CHUNGA'S REVENGE- Essentially performed as a show opening, guitar solo vehicle. The song begins rather calmly, with the bass-prominent main theme and no abrupt guitar intro as on the studio release. Once the main theme is played through, then we get the aforementioned guitar part, which drops us off into Frank's solo. Upon the conclusion of the solo, the bass theme is then used as the vamp for the band introductions. CITY OF TINY LITES- A monster version of this tune, essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume V, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo, and in the conducted-by-Frank theatrics of the post-solo section. Throughout the tour, there were standard vamps and musical dramatics that the band would perform in the post solo section, but the order, length, and arrangement of these parts were not the same nightly. Frank reconstructed the song at each performance, maintaining a slight regularity, but not simply repeating the same dramatics in each performance. For this tour, this post-solo section is not as overdone as on the following tour, as the rhythm section seems oblivious to what the rest of the band is doing. Despite the madness that is going all around them, Thunes and Wackerman keep a steady beat going throughout. The guitar solo in this version contains the "Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression" solo vamp.

CLOSER YOU ARE, THE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, accounting for obvious differences in instrumentation. CLOWNZ ON VELVET- Essentially performed as an instrumental version of the "Thingfish" track, with the inclusion of another great Italian guitar solo, by none other then Al Dimeola. The entire song is played once through (with not as much emphasis on Ed's percussion as on the studio track), before Al steps up and takes a quite lengthy solo over an active vamp and rhythm section. Upon the conclusion of his solo, the song is played once again, and then it ends. An excellent version of an oft overlooked song, and another "why wasn't this on the Stage series" candidate. COCAINE DECISIONS- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, minus the gas bombs and pleas for calm. COSMIK DEBRIS- Essentially played as always, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's guitar solo. Unfortunately, we get the reggae-tinged "price of meat" section, made so unpopular by the '84 band. DANCING FOOL- Yes, it's the same version we all have come to know and love. A rare guest on this tour, apparently rearing its disco head on Halloween only, and then in the middle of the set on the final date of the tour. A trick, or a treat? DANGEROUS KITCHEN, THE- Essentially performed as on "Man from Utopia", with the standard deviation coming with the nature of a "sprechstimme" production. DEATHLESS HORSIE, THE- Essentially performed as on SUNPYG, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. DINAH-MO HUMM- Thanks to some fools in the audience, Frank decided to play this time-honored classic one time only this tour- on 11/19. Essentially performed as always (and probably just as funny), accounting for obvious differences in instrumentation. DONG WORK FOR YUDA- Essentially performed as on "Joe's Garage", acounting for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with deviation in the order of the end-of-song utterances. Frank takes over Terry Ted's Bald Headed John role, and in all honesty, he just does not do quite as good a job. Still, a nice treat, apparently only played once- at 11/15. DOREEN- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume V.

DROWNING WITCH- Essentially performed as on SATLTSADW, with the standard deviation coming in both of Frank's solos; and since Frank claims that no live band ever performed this classic correctly, we also get the standard deviation in the errors that were inevitably made. Making its first full- blown appearance on this tour (it was played once on the Fall '80 tour), this song comes out of the gates a true barnstormer. The written portion of the tune sounds great (at least to my ears), and the solos are fantastic. Frank typically starts off both solos slow, giving you the impression that he is playing his guitar, when in actuality he is killing it. Before long, you realize that the guitar is being strangled, with the most obscene yet beautiful notes emanating from its neck. This guitar abuse goes on for awhile before Frank finally lets up, allowing the guitar to gasp desperately for some much needed breaths of air. Simply exhilarating guitar playing.. DUMB ALL OVER- Essentially performed as on "Have I Offended Someone?", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Towards the end of tour, Frank got lazy and dropped the solo from the song, and thus we got an immediate segue into "Heavenly Bank Account". This is one of the reasons why tape collecting was so essential for the Frank Freak- in order to hear one of Frank's typically kickin' DAO solos. Why he chose to edit these solos out of both the YCDTOSA and YAWYI CD versions, we may never know. But thankfully, Ryko has saw fit to see to it that we get our DAO solo, and now everybody is happy. EASY MEAT- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume V, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. The Vai/Mars combination on the pre-solo "classical" part is deadly, and Frank's solos are simply all over the place. Another of those instances where Frank sounds as if he is torturing his guitar, with cries of pain and pleas for help escaping from the guitar's neck. ENVELOPES- Essentially performed as on SATLTSADW. For the first couple weeks of the tour, however, Chad played along in a majestic waltz style, and later switched to the inevitable reggae accompaniment (as on SATLTSADW) that we all know and love. [Thanks to Pat Buzby, who likes the reggae rhythm better, for this info]. FINE GIRL- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, with Bobby's beautiful falsetto floating through the latter half of the proceedings. FLAKES- During most of this tour, this song occurs roughly an hour into the set, after a long series of YAWYI tunes and other very recently released or

unreleased material. Because of this particular placement, "Flakes" continually receives an enthusiastic and hearty response from the crowd. "Hey, we know this song!" they collectively cry, upping the energy directed towards the band and giving a much needed boost to morale. As a result, these are some of the strongest and most impressive performances of the tour. Nothing particulary outrageous happens, but it is obvious that the band feeds off the audience's enthusiasm, and as a result, each "Flakes" comes across strong and dangerous. It is essentially performed as on "Sheik Yerbouti", accounting for obvious differences in instrumentation. Ed Mann does the Dylan routine instead of the long departed Belew. FROGS WITH DIRTY LITTLE LIPS- Essentially performed as on "Them or Us", including various pond sound effects. Performed three times in the last four shows, and only as the closing encore. Ahmet does some interpretive dancing during one performance. GOBLIN GIRL- Essentially performed as on YAWYIthe first half only, unfortunately. Precisely at the point where the song would segue into the transcendent multi-vocal section, Frank would conclude this tour's version of this piece and head straight into the transcendent multi-rhythm section of the show known as "The Black Page #2". HARDER THAN YOUR HUSBAND- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, with Frank handling the lead vocal chores instead of Jimmy Carl Black. HEAVENLY BANK ACCOUNT- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I. ILLINOIS ENEMA BANDIT- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, accounting for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solos. The vocals were not as tweaked as on the aforementioned version, as this band was not as inclined towards Secret Word usage as the '84 band. Also, the guitar solo section typically consisted of two separate vamps. The first vamp was the standard "Illinois" vamp, smoothly flowing out of the vocal section. During the course of the solo, the band would then segue into the second vamp, which consisted of a keyboard heavy rhythm reminiscent of the "Marqueson's Chicken" vamp. I'M A BEAUTIFUL GUY- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III. This song was always played as part two of that particular YAWYI four song suite. I'M THE SLIME- First of all, there is no guitar solo. Negative point number one. Two, there is a cheesy, overplayed swing vamp about a third of the way

through, which abruptly halts the flow of the song and thus, is negative point number two. There is a short, noisy avant-garde section after the "That's right, folks" line (this is a positive point), but being that this version lacks the opening guitar rave-up, that point is cancelled out. So, what do we get overall? Not much. [Patrick Buzby describes the 11/1 performance- the first of the 80's-" "I'm The Slime" is radically rearranged in places, and not very effectively - the audience sounds confused and barely applauds when it's done."] JOE'S GARAGE- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III, accounting for obvious differences in instrumentation. JOHNNY DARLING- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, accounting for obvious differences in instrumentation. JUMBO GO AWAY- Essentially performed as on YAWYI. KING KONG- A true monster, containing a little bit of everything. The main theme was essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III- the slow, reggae version. Ed Mann was typically first in line for solos, and seemed to be the leader in the occasional Mystery Word section (obviously conducted by Frank, though). The keyboardists were next- with both Bobby and Tommy exercising their vocal and scat skills when possible. Occasionally, Scott and Chad would get a chance to duel it out; and, of course, Papa Frank concluded the festivities with an always ferocious guitar solo over the tried-and-true King Kong vamp. LISA'S LIFE STORY- This performance took place during a "Pound for a Brown" at the 12/11 late show. The version that we have on YCDTOSA Volume VI is an edited take on this one time only performance, with roughly two minutes of the "song" edited from various parts. LOVE OF MY LIFE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, accounting for obvious differences in instrumentation. The perfect example of YCDTOSA Criterion # 7- a song that provides contrast and relief. In a concert chock full of odd time signatures, in-yer-face guitar solos, and offbeat and irreverent humor, this two-minute ditty of love and romance- with a beautiful falsetto floating through the second half- is quite a healthy breath of sincerity (almost). MAN FROM UTOPIA, THE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV.

MARY LOU- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV. MEEK SHALL INHERIT NOTHING, THE- Essentially played as on YAWYI, and like I have said before, Denny Walley's slide is sorely missed. MOGGIO- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume V, and always followed "What's New In Baltimore?". [Note the similarities between the 2 songs- they actually contain the same, short musical theme. Prior to the '81 tour, the '80's bands frequently rehearsed a tune known as "The Mystery Studio Song". "Moggio" and "WNIB?" are the two offspring of this creation.] MONTANA- Imagine this song- performed as it was in 1974- performed again in 1981, when Frank Zappa is in top guitar playing form. Imagine the guitar extravaganzas- the spellbinding excursions of fretboard majestry- that would erupt during the course of this song. Eardrums would bleed, eyeballs would bulge, frontal lobes would shrink from over stimulation. But wait- Montana was performed! In '81!! When Frank was at his guitar playing peak!!! The solos- imagine the solos!!!! Wait- there are no solos? None? At all? Are you kidding? What kind of cruel joke is this? Aaaaaaaah!!!! MUDD CLUB- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's middle of the song tirade. NIG BIZ- Can Ray White sing, or what? Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III, with the standard deviations coming in the somewhat standard solos. For me, this short, rotating solo format- which Frank also used in the '80's "Suicide Chumps"- simply does not work. As we know from the Monster Songs, Frank's band members are capable of soloing at length while maintaining a high interest level, and thus there is no reason to limit their solos. By the time the soloists get any momentum built up, the plug is pulled and we're on to the next person. I believe that this song would have been better served by one lengthier, more intense solo (be it guitar, keyboards, sax), or a more elaborately written vocal part. Other than that, I love this tune. POUND FOR A BROWN (ON THE BUS)- Once a Monster, always a Monster- at least as far as this song goes. Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume V, with the standard deviations coming in the solos. Ray White usually got his chance to shine in this tune, displaying both his guitar and scat skills. Ed Mann did his percussion thing, which was usually more interesting for the band accompaniment than for the actual solo itself (is this why Ruth hated to solo?). The keyboardists occasionally got a stab at

the gold, and, of course, Frank brought the party to a hearty climax with a typically smokin' solo. Like all good Monsters, this tune has an anything goes feel to it, and thus, during the course of the tour, we get Lisa's Life Story, the revered Nicholas Slonimsky whipping it out (for an unforgivably short duration), and "Zappa the Pimp", where Frank attempts to make a Love Connection between a crew member and a girl from the audience. RIDE LIKE THE WIND- A one time only performance of a Christopher Cross song- from the monster 11/17 show. Having just finished the world premiere of "Clownz on Velvet", Frank also decides to premiere this tune, in order to practice for the upcoming Santa Monica show in which Mr. Cross was scheduled to appear with the band (Chris was a childhood friend of Arthur Barrow, and, when Arthur played this song for Frank, Frank proceeded to write- in a matter of minutes- "Teenage Wind," as a response to the inanity of Chris's hit. Sadly, Chris never performed at the Santa Monica show.) Brian the roadie manages to secure the role of singing the tune, and does a better than average job. The tune is essentially performed as in the original, with one striking difference. Al Dimeola is still on guitar- having stuck around after playing on "Clownz on Velvet"- and his extremely fast and highly pyrotechnic soloing provides quite a contrast to this middle-of-the-road, contemporary tune. Very entertaining. SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACEEssentially performed as on "Guitar", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This guitar solo vehicle was only performed twice- at the late show of the last two concert dates for this tour. SHARLEENA- Essentially performed as "As An Am" from Beat the Boots volume one. One of Frank's great "let's-bring-this-tune-back" decisions. Not having seen the light of day since the Flo 'n' Eddie days, this revamped with guitar solo "Sharleena" is one of the guitar highlights of the eighties. Unfortunately, this tour's, along with the '82 tour's, versions have an edge to them that is lost on subsequent tours. While I enjoy the '84 performances and solos, the '81 and '82 "Sharleena's" have a rough quality that really adds to the flavor of the song. Even though this band is obviously well-rehearsed and very professional, they still manage to maintain quite a bit of passion and fury. This tune greatly benefits from this emotional charge. SINISTER FOOTWEAR II- Essentially performed as on "Them or Us" with the standard deviation coming in Frank's always incendiary guitar solo. There is one major difference, however. At some point between the 10/31 and 11/17 shows, the guitar solo switches locations in the song. For the first portion of the tour, the solo takes place after the keyboard-only vamp

that precedes the solo on the aforementioned release. Hence, the song is performed as normal until the keyboard part, at which point we get a guitar solo. When the solo is finished, the song then jumps to the written portion that normally follows the solo. At some point between the above dates, the second vamp is added, the guitar solo is relocated, and we get the "Sinister Footwear" that we know and love. Whether we get the first or the second version, however, we always receive some very well played and quite sinister sounding solos. Not as tweaked as on the following tour, but noteworthy nonetheless. SOCIETY PAGES- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III. This song was always performed as part one of this particular YAWYI four song suite. STEVIE'S SPANKING- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's and Stevie's solos. While these performances are not as lengthy and chaotic as the '82 performances, Frank and Steve still frequently go head-to-head in an all out heavy metal battle. STRICTLY GENTEEL- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI. SUICIDE CHUMP- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, with the standard deviation coming in the various solos. TEENAGE PROSTITUTE- Essentially performed as on SATLTSADW, with Bobby performing the vocal chores when Lisa was not available (i.e. most of the tour). TEENAGE WIND- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV. THIS IS MY STORY- A harmless, little 50's tune, performed a handful of times throughout the tour. TINSELTOWN REBELLION- For the most part, this song was essentially performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion". TORTURE NEVER STOPS- Essentially performed as on "As An Am" from Beat the Boots volume one, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This was the "sprechstimme" version, with the second verse rearranged and given that "Dangerous Kitchen" sort-of feel. While I don't particularly like the Zappa "sprechstimme" phase, there is something else about this version of "Torture" that bothers me. It does not seem to have any energy. While it is performed in the same slow-type style as YCDTOSA volume I, it does not have the calm power of that

version, nor the hazy jam feel of the '76 version. Instead, it is just slow. The "sprechstimme" verse throws a little flavor into the mix, but not enough to salvage the remainder of the song. The solos are lengthy, but not particularly powerful. Essentially, this version is just not quite up to "Torture" standards. TREACHEROUS CRETINS- Essentially performed as on SUAPYG, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Steve Vai plays the sitar as he performs the repeated arpeggio. TRYIN' TO GROW A CHIN- Essentially performed as on "Sheik Yerbouti", accounting for obvious differences in instrumentation. Scott Thunes does an excellent job of handling the vocals, and in the tradition of all great "Tryin' to Grow" singers, even manages to screw up the lyrics a time or two. Also, instead of the closing "one for time for the world" guitar meltdown, we get a smooth segue into "Strictly Genteel". WATERMELON IN EASTER HAY- Essentially performed as on "Joe's Garage", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. A song simply too beautiful for words. WE'RE TURNING AGAIN- Essentially performed as on FZMTMOP. WHAT'S NEW IN BALTIMORE?- Essentially performed as on FZMTMOP, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. In my opinion, this is the highlight of the tour, and the definitive version of this song. Without the annoying distraction of vocals, Zappa cuts right to the chase, digging into the guitar solo almost immediately. With no message delivered by the lyrics, Frank must rely on his guitar to get the message across. The message of bitterness and frustration, underlined with a resilient sense of hope. Frank's view of America is capsulated in this solo- his sense of disappointment and despair in a system gone wrong, balanced by his pride in a country that is America, where he can do the things that he does. Both depressing and uplifting- an almost perfect song. WHIPPIN' POST- The reggae version of this songdone completely in reggae- with some hilarious "jamaican mon" vocals from Bobby. Obviously, the song stills retains the reggae solo vamp found on the "Them or Us" version, but being that the whole song is done in this style, the transition is not as jarring. Again, we get the standard deviation in Frank's solo. WHY DOES IT HURT WHEN I PEE?- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, accounting for obvious differences in instrumentation.

YO MAMA- Essentially played as on "Sheik Yerbouti", accounting for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Sadly, this is one song that never really relived its heyday after its initial tour. The Spring '78 tour saw an overwhelming number of simply orgasmic "Yo Mama's". Unfortunately, the song seemed spent after that tour, as each subsequent performance never reaches the climatic heights of a Spring '78 Mama. The performances from this tour are no exception. They are not bad- I am not saying that- but they are not the show stopping tour-de-force's that we frequently heard three-and-a-half years earlier. YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS- Essentially performed as on YAWYI. ZOOT ALLURES- Essentially performed as on "The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life", accounting for obvious differences in instrumentation (Vai on sitar), and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. "Chalk Pie" from "Guitar" is a "Zoot Allures" extract. [Patrick Buzby describes the 11/1 performance- the first of the 80's- " This version of "Zoot" has FZ soloing (rather awkwardly) over the headsection. Then, at the point where the solo arrives, the band stays in A-Flat rather than moving up to A, and Scott and Chad stay in a rock groove rather than a reggae one. As a result, the solo sounds similar to the "Mammy Anthem" solo (though in major rather than minor). Very interesting. I see "Zoot Allures" as being a very significant song on this tour. IMO, the shows from November on are on a different level compared to the earlier ones, and this song (premiered on 11/1) demonstrated this better than any other (aside from "Drowning Witch")."] PUT YOUR .02 HERE Jon Naurin sez... I like this tour a lot too, but I'm deadly tired of the two YAWYI suites and many of the other songs. For me, listening to a 1981 tape most often goes like: listening to the opening solo, fast forward to the Drowning Witch suite, fast forward to Pound for a Brown or whatever, etc. Songs like"Mudd Clubb" and "The Meek" just make me sleepy, though I agree they're performed with much more energy than on the 1980 tours. But of course, the fine moments are worth waiting for. My favourite is "Sinister Footwear", which always spawned magnificent solos. You point out Steve Vai as being the main reason why this band's performances sound so much more energetic than the spring 1980 band. To me, the drummer makes more difference - I get the feeling David Logeman inhibited the whole band, whereas Wackerman doesn't have any such limitations (to my ears, Chad's

limitations are in the groove area). Of course, Vai's presence means a lot to- and let's not forget Ed Mann! Personally, I think the 1981 band is superior to the fall 1980 band, and I guess Ed Mann is the big difference. Wonder if that's what FZ meant by "Eddie should get back" in "Pick me I'm Clean"? Patrick Buzby sez... This is my favorite tour to listen to on tape partly because it's evident how much the band grew over the course of it. In the first month or so, it sounds like Scott Thunes and Chad Wackerman are only beginning to find their role as a rhythm section, and the band seems a bit hesitant on the"difficult" material. But by the last month of the tour (roughly from the Ritz show on), the band has evolved into a frighteningly precise and attitude-heavy ensemble, with Scott and Chad easily meeting the challenge of filling Barrow and Colaiuta's shoes. FZ's noble but doomed effort to promote YAWYI dominates much of the tour, but, as usual, there is much more going on. Aside from presenting another two albums's worth of great new material (a set of material which only emerged in a fragmented way - why don't we have the Drowning Witch/Baltimore/Moggio sequence on any official release?), this band was the first to get heavily involved with reggae - a development that took a sour turn later, but was fresh and vital on this tour, as the new arrangement of "Zoot Allures" attests. 1982 BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Steve Vai (stunt guitar, sitar, spankings), Ray White (vocals, guitar), Scott Thunes (bass), Chad Wackerman (drums), Ed Mann (percussion, vocals, Mystery Words, Dylan), Tommy Mars (keyboards), Bobby Martin (keyboards, sax) SPECIAL GUESTS- Dweezil Zappa, Moon Unit Zappa DATES- May 5th- July 13th SHOWS- 51 CITIES- 46 COUNTRIES- 13 (all European) # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED-79 AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- 115 minutes AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 10 to 11 (10.5)

SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Advance Romance, Alien Orifice, Bamboozled By Love, Black Napkins, The Black Page #2, Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy, Chunga's Revenge, City of Tiny Lites, Clownz on Velvet, Cosmik Debris, Drowning Witch, Dumb All Over, Easy Meat, Heavy Duty Judy, Illinois Enema Bandit, In France, King Kong, Let's Move to Cleveland, Mammy Anthem, Marqueson's Chicken, Muffin Man, Nig Biz, Outside Now, Packard Goose, Pound for a Brown (on the Bus), RDNZL, Ride My Face to Chicago, Sharleena, Sinister Footwear, Stevie's Spanking, Stinkfoot, Treacherous Cretins, Truckdriver Divorce, Watermelon in Easter Hay, What's New in Baltimore?, Whippin' Post, Zomby Woof, Zoot Allures COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- This was Frank's last great tour as far as guitar playing goes. I personally believe that this was the peak year in his guitar soloing career- a claim with which you may or may not agree. Regardless of that, however, I think most of us will readily concede that as far as the '84 and '88 tours go, Frank came nowhere near matching the intensity on those tours that he had on this outing. "The Black Page #2", "Drowning Witch", "Easy Meat", "Let's Move To Cleveland", and "Sinister Footwear"those 5 songs alone contain enough mind boggling solos to please the most ardent Zappa fan for years to come. Not only was Zappa in top form, but the rest of the band- especially Thunes and Wackermanseemed to explode with intensity. Just listen to Zappa's playing on YCDTOSA Volume V. It's insane, and half of those solos are only average performances for this tour. Even the songs that would grow quite old by the end of '88- "Advance Romance", "City of Tiny Lites", "Sharleena", "What's New in Baltimore?", "Zoot Allures"- have an intensity on this tour that makes you sit up and go wow! (especially "Sharleena".) And let's not forget Vai. Whether you like him or not, I think it is safe to assume that Vai's presence on this tour triggered something in Frank. A desire to show off? To take chances? To really go out on a limb? Frank's solos have an experimental edge to them that, mixed with the incredibly high energy of his playing, create some of the most "what the hell?" guitar solos that Frank ever produced. For his guitar playing alone, a great Frank Zappa tour. SONGS THAT FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- Approximate (no solo), Montana (no solo since '77)) NEW SONGS ON TOUR (played for 1st time live)Mammy Anthem, Marqueson's Chicken, Ride My Face to Chicago MONSTER SONGS- King Kong, Pound for a Brown. These two were played in typical Monster song style this time out. Percussion solos, keyboard solos, scat,

Mystery Words, special guests, and, of course, Frank bringing the proceedings to a close with a monster guitar solo. OVERVIEW- This tour ranks as one of Frank's best for three simple reasons- one, excellent guitar playing; two, very solid and consistent setlists; and three, an incredibly talented band. I have already ranted and raved about FZ's guitar playing, so I don't really feel the need to go over that again (You're welcome!). I will just say that with the exception of Fall '74 (which simply has an unusually relaxed feel to it), and Fall '81, this is, to my ears, Frank's best guitar playing tour. The setlists- Look at the list of songs played on this tour, and tell me, where are the weaknesses? This tour saw a handful of relatively rare pieces appear and shine in all their glory (well, almost)- "Sofa", "RDNZL", "Packard Goose", "Clownz on Velvet", "Approximate", "Zomby Woof", and the cream de la creme, "Strictly Genteel". We get three new songs that consistently contained some of Frank's most volatile guitar work- "Mammy Anthem", "Marqueson's Chicken", and "Truckdriver Divorce". The tired, old songs- the ones that have been around for ever, or at least seem to have been- were infused with a double dose of energy, especially "Advance Romance", "The Black Page", and "Zoot Allures". Most importantly, we get several leftovers from the '81 tour- "Drowning Witch", "What's New in Baltimore?", "Sinister Footwear", "Alien Orifice"- that not only rank as some of the best pieces that Frank ever wrote, but continually contained some of his most inspired and frenetic guitar work. Combine these songs with the best of the "You Are What You Is" lot, throw in a number of lesser but in no way uninspired tunes, do your best to vary the setlists nightly (and succeed), and you get one very consistent and excellently performed tour. The Band- Do I really need to go into how incredibly talented this group of musicians is? Not only could they perform almost any piece of music Frank threw at them (apart from "Drowning Witch"), they were all comfortable "out there"- in improvisational no-man's land. Vai went head-to-head with Frank on many an occasion, Eddie did his thing, Tommy and Bobby battled it out with keyboards and scat, and even Ray occasionally got in on the jamming action. This band was the best of both worlds. They were expert marksmen- able to nail down the most difficult of tunes over and over again- and they were inspired craftsmen- able to take their instrument and create something out of nothing. This contrast in styleswhich Frank took advantage of in composing the setlists- provides a sense of contrast and relief (YCDTOSA criteria number 7) that makes this one of the most interesting tours to listen to. In my opinion, easily one of Frank's top five tours.

THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED ADVANCE ROMANCE- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume V, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. In my opinion, this was the best guitar solo vamp that this song ever witnessed. "Jim and Tammy's Upper Room" from "Guitar" is an "Advance Romance" extract. ALIEN ORIFICE- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. APPROXIMATE- This song was performed in two different ways on this tour. One, it was performed as a stand alone song, essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, with the standard deviation coming in the improvised vocals. Two, it was performed as a part of "Tinseltown Rebellion". For the earliest portion of the tour, the musical accompianment to the "Did you know that in Tinseltown...?" section of the aforementioned tune was actually "Approximate". Frank would sing the "Tinseltown" lines as normal, and the band would play a strictly instrumental version of "Approximate." Once the vocals were complete, the band would then return to the fanfare conclusion of "Tinseltown". Sometime in mid-May, however, Frank dropped the TR lyrics during this section, and instead of singing over "Approximate", we would receive an actual performance of "Approximate", and TR would stand complete as is. BAMBOOZLED BY LOVE- Essentially played as on "Tinseltown Rebellion", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Bobby handled the vocal chores on this one. The guitar solo vamp transformed into horrible reggae, which interrupted the flow of the song, but did not seem to prevent Frank from playing some mean solos, nonetheless. BEAUTY KNOWS NO PAIN- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III. Always played as part three of that particular four song, YAWYI suite. Frank's "Hi'ya girls" line was subject to change at the whim of Frank. BLACK NAPKINS- Essentially played as on the '88 tour, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in the Frank-only guitar solo. For this tune, the band would play the opening vamp for approximately thirty seconds- sort-of a little warm-upbefore playing the main theme. Frank would solo after the theme, and the band would return back to the theme once Frank's solo was complete.

BLACK PAGE #2, THE- A guitar monster. Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume V, with the standard deviation coming in the monster guitar solo/jam. The vamp for this tour was the "Them Or Us" version, and I don't know what it is about this vamp, but it never failed to produce guitar madness. These solo sections remind me of waves hitting the coast during a particularly bad storm. The waves are all essentially the same, but they each have their own traits, and do their own damage. More importantly, each wave adds to the overall effect of the damage, producing potentially massive changes in the coastline. Likewise, the "Black Page" Them or Us solos. Yes, the same vamp is repeated over and over, but each separate section of the vamp has its own traits, and adds its own little flavor to the jam. Again, more importantly, each section adds to the overall effect of the jam, numbing the listener into a state of complete surrender. This allows Frank to solo like a madman, producing potentially massive changes in the way you view the world. However, I digress. Seriously, though, just listen to the aforementioned release (which truly is one of the better BP outings), and you get an idea of the kind of mania that this song included. Also, "Move It or Park It", "Which One Is It?", and "Do Not Try This At Home" from the "Guitar" album are all "The Black Page #2" extracts. BLUE LIGHT, THE- Essentially played as on "Tinseltown Rebellion", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's middle-of-the-song tirade. Like "Billy the Mountain" years earlier, Frank incorporated knowledge of local areas and daily band happenings into his vocal parts, giving each performance its own unique flavor despite the similarities in music and structure. BOBBY BROWN GOES DOWN- Imagine a world where this song was once- possibly twice- performed differently. Too hard to imagine? Hurting your brain? Okay, forget about it then. It's not like that ever would have happened, so... BROKEN HEARTS ARE FOR ASSHOLES- The basic structure of this song is the same as on "Sheik Yerbouti". Unfortunately, however, there are some minor changes that really affect the mood of the tune. Things start off as normal, with the aggressive guitar riff. But almost immediately, things start to look bad as Terry Ted's aggressive "Hey! Do you know what you are?" taunt becomes a keyboard driven, whiny little tease. Same lyrics, just a completely different attitude. The verses follow-performed as always- but with a differently arranged chorus. Again, same lyrics, but this time accompanied by an overplayed, metaltinged swing groove, which, by the way, works. Back to the annoying whine, normal verse, swing chorus. The middle spoken section is also performed as normal (but lacks O'Hearn's frequently hilarious

remarks), with an added disco vamp following the "work the wall with Michael" line. Finally, the conclusion of the song also takes us through familiar territory. Overall, the satirically played swing vamp in the chorus works, but the wimpy pre-verse yell and the absence of O'Hearn cause this version to suffer. Definitely worth hearing, as it is stylistically quite different from the majority of the material, but not as strong as the '70's version. CAMARILLO BRILLO- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, with the normal first half/ arena- rock-slow second half. CAROLINA HARD-CORE ECSTASY- A special treat that rear its head (stomped its feet?) only once this time out. Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. CHARLIE'S ENORMOUS MOUTH- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III. This song was always played as part four of that particular YAWYI four part suite. CHUNGA'S REVENGE- Essentially performed as a show opening, guitar solo vehicle. The song begins rather calmly, with the bass-prominent main theme and no abrupt guitar intro as on the studio release. Once the main theme is played through, then we get the aforementioned guitar part, which drops us off into Frank's solo. Upon the conclusion of the solo, the bass theme would then be used as the vamp for the band introductions. CITY OF TINY LITES- A monster version of this tune, essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume V, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo, and in the conducted-by-Frank theatrics of the post-solo section. Throughout the tour, there were standard vamps and musical dramatics that the band would perform in the post solo section, but the order, length, and arrangement of these parts were not the same nightly. Frank reconstructed the song at each performance, maintaining a slight regularity, but not simply repeating the same dramatics in each performance. The guitar solo in this version contains the "Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression" solo vamp, and "That Ol' G Minor Thing Again" from the "Guitar" album is a "City of Tiny Lites" extract. CLOSER YOU ARE, THE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. CLOWNZ ON VELVET- Essentially performed as an instrumental version of the "Thingfish" track, with the

inclusion of a Frank guitar solo. The entire song is played once through (with not as much emphasis on Ed's percussion as on the studio track), before Frank steps up and takes a quite lengthy solo over an active vamp and rhythm section. Upon the conclusion of his solo, the song is played once again, and then it ends. An excellent version of an oft overlooked song, and another "why wasn't this on the Stage series" candidate. COCAINE DECISIONS- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, minus the gas bombs and pleas for calm. COSMIK DEBRIS- Essentially played as always, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's guitar solo. Unfortunately, we get the reggae-tinged "price of meat" section, made so unpopular by the '84 band. DANCING FOOL- Did we really need this song released on YCDTOSA Volume V? Did this song ever change? How many people know what Kinishinai means? Your place or mine? [Okay, so it was played faster this time out. But was that an artistic decision, or Frank being merciful? But, to be honest, if I was forced to listen to any particular version of this song, I would go with this one- thanks to the speed of the performance and Vai's metal flourishes.] DEAD GIRLS OF LONDON- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume V. DISCO BOY- Esentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV. DOREEN- Esssentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume V. DROWNING WITCH- Essentially performed as on SATLTSADW, with the standard deviation coming in both of Frank's solos; and since Frank claims that no live band ever performed this classic correctly, we also get the standard deviation in the errors that were inevitably made. For this tour and the Fall' 81 outing, this song was a guaranteed show stopper as far as guitar solos go. I do not know what it is about this song, but Frank never failed to produce brilliance for these solos, as "St. Etienne" from "Jazz from Hell", and "Do Not Pass Go", "Were We Ever Really Safe in San Antonio?" and "But Who was Fulcanelli?" from "Guitar", easily prove. Approximately a month into the tour, Frank brought some changes to the song, dropping the "meltdown" vocal section, and creating an immediate segue into the post-"Rite of Spring" musical section. Plus, as Patrick Buzby points out, around this time Frank also turned the first solo section into more of a "free jazz" section, ditching the 9/8 vamp and loosening things up a little.

DUMB ALL OVER- Essentially performed as on "Have I Offended Someone?", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This is one of the reasons why tape collecting was so essential for the Frank Freak- in order to hear one of Frank's typically kickin' DAO solos. Why he chose to edit these solos out of both the YCDTOSA and YAWYI CD versions, we may never know. But thankfully, Ryko has saw fit to see to it that we get our DAO solo, and now everybody is happy. EASY MEAT- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume V, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Another song that was in peak form on this tour. The Vai/Mars combination on the pre-solo "classical" part is deadly, and Frank's solos were simply all over the place. These solo sections remind me of tornados (this is not my original analogy, but it was the only one I could think of that was not strictly American). When you view a tornado, there are two you things you will notice- one, that it is moving forward in some direction (it is NOT motionless), and two, that it is centered around one spot (although that spot is moving.) Likewise, the "Easy Meat" solo sections. They are definitely moving forward (they are NOT static guitar solos), and they are centered around one spot, namely Frank's guitar; and although in both cases you are definitely concentrating on the motion of that one spot, you frequently find yourself distracted by other things. In the case of a tornado, you see random pieces of debris frequently fly out of the tornado funnel itself. Your eye is not concentrating on these pieces, but you cannot help but notice them. Likewise with the "Easy Meat" solos. Your ear is concentrating on Frank's guitar playing, but you cannot help but notice the musical debris continuously being thrown at you. Wackerman's brilliant drum work, Thunes' off-the-wall rhythmic support, Mars silly little keyboard riffs, or Vai's occasional but always effectual stunt work. However, I digress. This is a very active and unrestricted solo section, and if it had an actual physical presence, the wake of destruction it would leave behind would prove to be quite costly. ENVELOPES- Essentially performed as on SATLTSADW. FINE GIRL- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, with Bobby's beautiful falsetto floating through the latter half of the proceedings. FLAKES- Essentially performed as on "Sheik Yerbouti", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. Ed Mann did the Dylan routine instead of the long departed Belew, with the line about wanting to buy some Mandies actually being "Wanna buy some acid, Bob?"

GOBLIN GIRL- Essentially performed as on YAWYIthe first half only, unfortunately. Precisely at the point where the song would segue into the transcendent multi-vocal section, Frank would conclude this tour's version of this piece and head straight into the transcendent multi-rhythm section of the show known as "The Black Page #2". HARDER THAN YOUR HUSBAND- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, with Frank handling the lead vocal chores instead of Jimmy Carl Black. HEAVENLY BANK ACCOUNT- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I. HEAVY DUTY JUDY- Essentially played as on TBBYNHIYL, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Also, like all versions of this song other than the '88 one, there were vocals. While they occasionally changed at the whim of FZ and the band, the standard set of 3 lyrics was simply "Heavy Duty Judy," chanted over the main theme. ILLINOIS ENEMA BANDIT- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solos. The vocals were not as tweaked as on the aforementoned version, as this band was not as inclined towards Secret Word usage as the '84 band. I'M A BEAUTIFUL GUY- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III. This song was always played as part two of that particular YAWYI four song suite. IN FRANCE- I have not heard this tour's performance of this tune, so I therefore solicit the opinion/review of someone who has. Helping me out will not turn your peter green.[ Jon Naurin comes to the rescue: "Essentially performed as on "Them or Us", i.e slower than on YCDTOSA3. It starts out with Tommy playing the famous first notes of the French national anthem in characteristic Mars-harmonic style. Then there's the first 5 verses, before Bobby (?) is told to "Blow your harmonica, son!", followed by a mean blues solo by FZ, and finally the last verse. Lyrics are essentially the same too, with just a few differences".] JOE'S GARAGE- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. JOHNNY DARLING- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation.

KING KONG- A true monster, containing a little bit of everything. The main theme was essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III- the slow, reggae version. Ed Mann was typically first in line for solos, and seemed to be the leader in the occasional Mystery Word section (obviously conducted by Frank, though). The keyboardists are next- with both Bobby and Tommy exercising their vocal and scat skills when possible. And, of course, Papa Frank concludes the festivities with an always ferocious guitar solo, which, for approximately the first month of the tour, is over the "It's Not Really A Shuffle" vamp. Then, with the arrival of "Marqueson's Chicken", the shuffle vamp is moved to it's new home, and we now get the tried-and-true King Kong vamp. Like all true Monster Songs, this song has an "anything goes" feel to it, and thus, we got a Moon Unit Valley Girl spiel at one show, and an "I-wanna-garden" reprise at another. LET'S MOVE TO CLEVELAND- Essentially performed as on "As An Am" from Beat the Boots volume one. This is the definitive version of this song. Vai's guitar lends a cutting edge to the main theme and written parts, and without the piano/drum tomfoolery of the following tour, Frank was able to get right to the heart of the matter and simply play guitar. And play guitar he did. For my money, Frank's guitar playing is at its peak during this tour, and I credit the presence of the experimental Vai as the main influence. Vai seems to bring out the best in Zappa, and as a result, the '82 "Cleveland"'s produced some of the most intense and offensive guitar playing you may ever hear. If you are lucky enough to only have heard '82 performances of this song, I suggest you don't seek any others out. The odds for disappointment are high. "Is That All There Is?" from "Guitar" is a rather subdued yet interesting "Cleveland" extract. MAN FROM UTOPIA, THE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV. MAMMY ANTHEM- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Was anybody else particularly excited by the inclusion of this song on the aforementioned YCDTOSA, and later disappointed by the relative disparity of other such "rare" tunes? MARY LOU- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV. MARQUESON'S CHICKEN- Essentially performed as on "Them Or Us", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. In my opinion, this is another one of those guitar vamps that Frank really seemed to connect with, and thus, the typical "Marqueson's"

solo was great. Another "why wasn't this on the Stage series?" candidate. MEEK SHALL INHERIT NOTHING, THE- Essentially played as on YAWYI, and like I have said before, Denny Walley's slide is sorely missed. MOGGIO- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume V, and always followed "What's New In Baltimore?". [Note the similarities between the 2 songs- they actually contain the same, short musical theme. Prior to the '81 tour, the '80's bands frequently rehearsed a tune known as "The Mystery Studio Song". "Moggio" and "WNIB?" are the two offspring of this creation.] MONTANA- Yes, the reign of terror continues. Okay, so we get Steve Vai playing the melody lines in the "tiny little horse" section. That's cool. And Bobby Martin does do some good "yippie-ay-o, ay-a"'s. But c'mon Frank- where's the solo? You know the onewhere you would pick up the guitar, play for quite a bit, and simply never disappoint. What happened to that part of this song? Have you simply forgot about it all these years? C'mon man, we want some answers, and we want them now. This is just not funny anymore. MS. PINKY- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volune VI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. MUFFIN MAN- I haven't heard this tour's version of this yet, so all I need to know is- Was it reggae by this time, or were we spared this atrocity for one more tour? NIG BIZ- Can Ray White sing, or what? Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III, with the standard deviations coming in the somewhat standard solos. For me, this short, rotating solo format- which Frank also used in the '80's "Suicide Chumps"- simply does not work. As we know from the Monster Songs, Frank's band members are capable of soloing at length while maintaining a high interest level, and thus there is no reason to limit their solos. By the time the soloists get any momentum built up, the plug is pulled and we're on to the next person. I believe that this song would have been better served by one lengthier, more intense solo (be it guitar, keyboards, sax), or a more elaborately wriiten vocal part. Other than that, I love this tune. NO NO CHERRY- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV. OUTSIDE NOW- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. As much as a treat as this

song is to hear, Ike Willis' husky yet beautiful voice is sorely missed. PACKARD GOOSE- Essentially performed as on "Joe's Garage", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's somewhat shorter solo. During "Mary's speech", which is actually performed in its entirety, several members of the band recite the lines in droll unison, sounding almost robotic. While we obviously cannot have Dale doing this every time, the way Frank chose to do it on this tour does not really work. In my opinion, the '78 and '88 versions work better because Frank recites the lines himself, and he is able to give flavor to these not completely serious lyrics. And sorry, Wackerman, but this is when we really start to miss Vinnie. POUND FOR A BROWN (ON THE BUS)- Once a Monster, always a Monster- at least as far as this song goes. Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume V, with the standard deviations coming in the solos. Ray White usually got his chance to shine in this tune, displaying both his guitar and scat skills. Ed Mann did his percussion thing, which was usually more interesting for the band acompianment than for the actual solo itself (is this why Ruth hated to solo?). The keyboardists occasionally got a stab at the gold, and, of course, Frank brought the party to a hearty climax with a typically smokin' solo. "It Ain't Necessarily the Saint James Infirmary" from "Guitar" is a "Pound for a Brown" extract. RDNZL- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume V, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's and Tommy's solos. This is a great song to hear, but in comparison to the '74 band's performances, this year's RDNZL is quite weak. First of all, there's no Ruth. Frank obviously realizes this, as Ed does not really get the chance to attempt the opening percussion part. Instead, Frank rearranges it as a whole band exercise. Second of all, there's no George. While Tommy is in many ways a great and very interesting soloist, his style does not really fit into the solo section that is allotted to him on this song. Frank, however, is typically great throughout these performances, and saves the song from being nothing but a mere shadow of its former self. I love hearing this tune on this tour, don't get me wrong. But as Frank did with "Inca Roads" on the '79 tour, I am sure there is a way he could have excised out the keyboard solo section, and in doing so, pay respect to Duke, and prevent the song from losing its power. RIDE MY FACE TO CHICAGO- Performed once on this tour, the debut of this song is rather painful to hear thanks to the poor sound quality of the circulating tape. Nonetheless, the performance comes across as energetic, and is a rousing conclusion to that evenings set. Here's Jon Naurin with more info: " I like this version, though it's

obviously still under construction here. It's slower than you're used to (could you imagine that - the 1984 band speeding a song up?!), and played in a pleasant shuffle/boogie-type beat. The only words are "Ride my face to Chicago, ride it all night long", sung in that nice 3-piece harmony, while the "Ooohiiih-ooh-oooooh" part is replaced with just guitars playing the chords. The shuffle beat is kept steady through out the song, and FZ delivers a dirty blues solo." SHALL WE TAKE OURSELVES SERIOUSLY?Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume V. This song is based upon a true story (like most FZ songs), which, on 5/21, Frank relates to the audience. In a nutshell, the song tells the story of Fritz Rau, a German concert promoter who got very upset one night after a show because the roadies got to eat asparagus. Yes, asparagus. Another opportunity for Ray to strut his vocal stuff. SHARLEENA- Essentially performed as "As An Am" from Beat the Boots volume one. This tour's performances of this tune had an edge to them that was lost on subsequent tours. While I enjoy the '84 performances and solos, the '82 "Sharleena's" have a rough quality that really adds to the flavor of the song. Even though this band was obviously wellrehearsed and very professional, they still managed to maintain quite a bit of passion and fury. This tune, and the previously discussed "Let's Move to Cleveland", greatly benefit from this emotional charge. [Note: One of Frank's most ineffectual segues must be the transition from "King Kong" into this track. Frequently employed on this tour and in '81, this segue robs "Sharleena" of all of its opening power, and results in one overlong and somewhat dull reggae beat.] SINISTER FOOTWEAR SECOND MOVEMENTEssentially performed as on "Them or Us" with the standard deviation coming in Frank's always incendiary guitar solo. Also, Vai seems to be more active in the pre-guitar solo sections, and the keyboard theme that immediately precedes the solo has some extra layers of keyboards thrown in. One of those songs where an attempt at verbal description is completely pointless. A classic that must be heard to be fully appreciated. SOCIETY PAGES- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III. This song was always performed as part one of this particular YAWYI four song suite. SOFA #1- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I.

STEVIE'S SPANKING- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, with the standard deviation coming in both Vai's and Frank's solos. The ultimate guitar battle, with Frank and Steve going head to head in an ugly, feedback laden, metal fury. The song may be mere parody, but the guitar theatrics are the real thing. STINKFOOT- Essentially performed as it was always performed, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Hearing this song on this tour is like visiting with a long lost friend. To me, this song will always be strongly associated with the Zappa of the mid-70's, when this tune haunted practically every damn show [sometimes that's a good thing ('74), sometimes its bad ('76)]. When the song pops up here, it seems as if it just does not belong. It seems out of place. A stranger in a strange land. Of course, none of this matter once Frank steps forth and rips out the nastiest and most demented solos "Stinkfoot" ever bore witness to. So that's what a choking poodle sounds like? STRICTLY GENTEEL- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA V. An absolutely perfect way to end (or in one unusually sweet instance, open) a show. TEENAGE WIND- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV. TELL ME YOU LOVE ME- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I. TINSELTOWN REBELLION- For the most part, this song was essentially performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion". There were two major differences, however, in this tour's version. One, as I describe in the "Approximate" review, during the "Did you know that in Tinseltown...?" section, the band occasionally played the music to "Approximate" while Frank sang the lyrics to TR. Then, upon finishing his lyrics, Frank would lead the band back into the closing fanfare section of TR. By the end of the tour, when the band made this segue into "Approximate", there would be no more lyrics (despite the fact that TR was incomplete), and the song would thus be over. Secondly, after the line "to learn some stupid riffs", there was a little section- heavy on background vocals- that is frequently referred to as the "grandma" section. To me, this section sounds a lot like one of those euro- new wave songs that was popular in the early '80's- I just have no idea which one. Anyway, during this part, which was short but did vary in length, Frank either oohed and aahed, or made up lyrics pertaining to whatever (though grandma lyrics were dominant in the middle portion of the tour). Once this short little digression was over, we returned to the regular verse.

TITTIES 'N' BEER- Performed at least once, and I have yet to hear this performance, or find someone else who has. Thus, I do not even know who played the Devil. [Third time's a charm- Jon Naurin rings in again: " I believe it's Ed Mann, but I can't tell for sure. It's quite similar to the old 70s versions, with the exception that the band keeps playing the chorus accompaniment through the dialogue instead of switching to that syncopated variation we're used to. Also, there's no improvised dialogue."] TREACHEROUS CRETINS- Essentially performed as on SUAPYG, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Steve Vai played the sitar as he performed the repeated arpeggio. TRUCKDRIVER DIVORCE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Unlike the solos on both "Them Or Us" and YCDTOSA Volume IV, the solos during this tour seemed to be a lot more energetic and focused than they were on subsequent tours. To my ears, the majority of the solos on the '84 tour were endless meanderings, and seldom seemed to really have a purpose. That was not the case on this tour, with the majority of the solos being quite forceful and concise. WATERMELON IN EASTER HAY- Essentially performed as on "Joe's Garage", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. A song simply too beautiful for words. WE'RE TURNING AGAIN- Essentially performed as on FZMTMOP. WHAT'S NEW IN BALTIMORE?- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume V, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. While this version is infinitely better than the '84 and '88 versions, the performances from the '81 tour- which were strictly instrumental- still manage to make all other versions pale mightily in comparison. As great as Frank's guitar playing is on this tour, this song became a little too polished this time out, and thus Frank's soloing lost a lot of the edge that it had on the previous tour. I attribute this to the addition of the vocals, which gave the tune a "cute" personality, and caused Frank's passionate guitar playing to lose its sense of bitterness and frustration. WHIPPIN' POST- Essentially performed as on "Them or Us", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Again, we get a horrible reggae vamp for the guitar solo, which definitely ruins the flow of the song, but does not seem to effect the intensity of Frank's solos.

WHY DOES IT HURT WHEN I PEE?- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, acounting for obvious differences in instrumentation. YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS- Essentially performed as on YAWYI. ZOMBY WOOF- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. ZOOT ALLURES- Essentially performed as on "The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation (Vai on sitar), and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. During these solos, Frank and/or Vai would occasionally employ the use of delay effects, and this added to the excitement and possibilities of Frank's playing. "When No One Was No One" from "Guitar" is a "Zoot Allures" extract, with a little effect use thrown in towards the end. 1984 WARNING- I have some strong feelings about this tour, so please- like good little Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts- Be Prepared. BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Ike Willis (guitar, vocals, random noises), Ray White (guitar, vocals), Bobby Martin (keyboards, vocals, sax, push-ups), Scott Thunes (bass), Chad Wackerman (drums), Alan Zavod (keyboards, fan abuse), Napoleon Murphy Brock (sax, vocals, rumored drug abuse, an aisle or a window after only several shows) SPECIAL GUESTS- Dweezil Zappa, George Duke, Bruce Fowler, Aynsley Dunbar, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Denny Walley, Archie Shepp DATES- July 17th through December 23rd SHOWS- 121 / COUNTRIES- 13 / CITIES- 95 # OF DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYED- 88 AVERAGE LENGTH OF SHOW- 110 minutes AVERAGE # OF SONGS PER SHOW- 21 AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- 10 SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Advance Romance, Alien Orifice, Baby Take Your Teeth Out, Bamboozled By Love, Black Napkins, The Black Page #2, Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy, Chana in da Bushwop, Chunga's Revenge, City of Tiny Lites,

Cosmik Debris, Deathless Horsie, Drowning Witch, Dumb All Over, Easy Meat, Evil Prince, Filthy Habits, Heavy Duty Judy, Hot Plate Heaven at the Green Hotel, Illinois Enema Bandit, I'm the Slime, In France, Let's Move to Cleveland, Lucille (guitar fills), Marqueson's Chicken, Montana (only for a week in December), More Trouble Every Day, Muffin Man, My Guitar, Nig Biz, Outside Now, Penguin in Bondage, Ride My Face to Chicago, Sharleena, Singing Winds Crying Beasts, Sleep Dirt, Stevie's Spanking, Stinkfoot, Treacherous Cretins, Truckdriver's Divorce, Watermelon in Easter Hay, What's New in Baltimore?, Whipping Post, Willie the Pimp, Zoot Allures COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- See Overview section below, #2. SONGS THAT FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- Oh No/ Son of Orange County (not played since '74/ no solo), Montana (no solo in this since '77 tour; Frank freaked in December and played only '80's "Montana" solos) NEW SONGS ON THIS TOUR (performed live for 1st time)- Be in My Video, Brown Moses, Carol You Fool, Chana in da Bushwop, The Evil Prince, He's So Gay, Hot Plate Heaven at the Green Hotel, Jungle Boogie, Singing Winds Crying Beasts, Stick Together, Why Don't You Like Me? MONSTER SONGS- In strict adherence to Monster Song guidelines, this tour had no Monsters. "Let's Move to Cleveland" was the closest thing we got this time out, but in all honesty, it's improv just wasn't that all "out there". "King Kong" was played several times in the middle of the tour, but it was simply a vehicle for a FZ guitar solo, nothing more. Sadly, a very disappointing tour as far as full-blown improvisation goes. OVERVIEW- This tour has taken a lot of heatreceived a lot of bad press- from practically every facet of the Zappa world- fanzines, affz-ers, hardcore tapers, completionists, most Zappa fans in general. In fact, it appears that the only person who really liked this tour was Frank himself. Just look at the amount of officially released material, especially on the Stage series, that comes from this tour. Heck, you'd think this was the best band Frank ever had. This, however, is definitely not the case. So, what's the deal? #1) Well, the main problem, to quote Naurin, is that "the sound of the band is somewhat antiseptic." That's an understatement. Personally, I find the '84 performances of "Tinseltown Rebellion" to be very ironic simply because Frank's band reminds me of those bands he's bashing in the tune. Frank, where is

the passion? This band sounds like they're performing in their sleep half the time. #2) Possibly because of the aforementioned problem, Frank's guitar solos were woefully pedestrian this time out. No, he didn't suck, but he never seemed to be particularly inspired, either. For me, the problem lies in the songs that he was soloing in. Yes, there were a lot of them , but for the most part, they contained tired, repetitive vamps that didn't allow Frank to stretch out. "Advance Romance", "Sharleena", "Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy", "The Black Page #2"- yes, Frank played well in these and other songs, but none of these tunes provided him with very much leg room, or overhead storage, for that matter. There just wasn't anywhere he could go with these solos. The one bright spot on the tour (though somewhat inconsistent) was "Let's Move To Cleveland", which frequently contained some highly recommended guitar workouts. Frank's solo space and direction was practically unlimited in this tune, and he frequently took advantage of that fact. Alsoanother bright spot- towards the latter part of the tour, Frank began rewriting the solo sections of many songs ("More Trouble", "Penguin", "Hot Plate"), and essentially giving himself blank canvasses from which to create. This had a very positive effect on his solos, but alas, it occurred too late in the tour to redeem the whole outing. #3) A lot of people gripe that one of the main problems with this tour is that too many of the same songs were played too many times- the same tired set lists over and over. Well, folks, sorry, but next to the '88 tour, this tour ranks second in number of different songs played (beating out the '82 tour by only a couple of songs). I guess we just don't like the songs that Frank was playing, or, as in my case, we don't like the way he rearranged and essentially destroyed so many songs (see SONGS PLAYED below). #4) Due to overwhelming demand, I have inserted this new number 4, in an attempt to give praise to a previously overlooked aspect of this band and tourthe Vocal aspect. While I tried to give praise where praise is due in the song descriptions below, I apparently did not do so enough. I agree with this, and since I also agree that this band does have amazing vocal abilities, I am therefore officially drawing attention to this. Without a doubt, this is one of the strong points- if not the strongest- of this tour. "Carol You Fool", "Brown Moses", "The Evil Prince", "Daddy Daddy Daddy", "The 50's Medley"- just a small sampling of the incredible vocal displays put on by this ensemble. Having said that, I still believe that... #5) The highlight of the tour- HUMOR. Thank goodness humor belongs in music, because without

it, this tour probably would have been the complete failure that it is so often labelled. Secret Words run rampant, infecting everything and everyone, turning "Keep It Greasy" into "Keep It Corny", giving us the first ever "Stinkdick", and educating us with an entire show about broccoli. Frank and the boys kept themselves so amused that they couldn't remember the words to the simplest of songs, and made up new ones to the rest. It is my belief that the band was in such pain from continually laughing so hard that they never noticed how bland their music was sounding. So, what does all this mean? To me, it means you go to this tour for laughs, vocal gymnastics, and the occasional good "Cleveland" solo. What does it mean to you? THE SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED ADVANCE ROMANCE- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III, with the standard deviation coming with Frank's solo. A common vehicle for Secret Word usage. In January of 1999, after listening to way too many "Advance Romance's" on way too many tapes, I have concluded that this should have been a one-tour song. May of 1975 should have been the last time that this song saw daylight. ALIEN ORIFICE- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, allowing for adjustments in instrumentation and with the standard deviation in Frank's solo. APOSTROPHE (')- Performed several times as a show opener throughout the tour. Essentially, a typically sterile version of the main theme with a Frank Zappa solo. Not really a jam as the studio version is, or as the handful of '75 performances felt like, but simply a vehicle for an opening guitar solo. Great to hear, just not mindblowing. BABY TAKE YOUR TEETH OUT-Essentially performed as on "Them or Us", allowing for the obvious differences in instrumentation, and with a Frank guitar solo. Unfortunately, it was played like almost all tunes on this tour- that is faster- and with (are you sitting?), electronic handclaps. Thankfully, Frank takes a solo after the third verse- over the "There ain't nothing left to talk about" vamp- before the final verse is sung and the song concluded. Only performed a handful of times in the middle of the tour. [Thanks to Jon Naurin for the information. The bias is mine.] BAMBOOZLED BY LOVE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III- complete with "Owner of the Lonely Heart" solo vamp- with the standard deviation coming in Frank's Yes-inspired guitar solo.

BE IN MY VIDEO- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume I. BLACK NAPKINS- For the most part, played as on MAJNH, allowing for the obvious differences in instrumentation. The song began with around thirty seconds of the pre-theme vamp, similar to the one found on MAJNH. After this came the main theme, which was only played once through, before Frank departed from the theme and took off into solo territory. Essentially, this tune was played simply as a vehicle for a guitar solo, which was obvious by the speed at which Frank and the band headed towards the solo spot. And as always, upon finishing the solo, Frank would return to the main theme with band in tow, and the song would conclude. BLACK PAGE #2, THE- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Towards the beginning of the tour, this tune was frequently played as the show opener, starting cold just like it does on the aforementioned release (i.e. no "New Age Version" type intro section). Rather abrupt beginning, and kind of jarring, so Frank saw fit to move it towards the middle of the set by about the second week. It flowed much better there. Note that when he chose to open the '88 tour with it, he essentially rewrote the tune to make it more appropriate for the opening slot. BOBBY BROWN GOES DOWN- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III. A common vehicle for Secret Word usage. BROWN MOSES- One of the reasons why the '84 band was not simply taken out back and shot. This is a good tune. Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, with those excellent vocals and harmonies, Thunes' kick-ass bass playing, and simply some of Frank's most amusing and multilayered lyrics. Too bad it wasn't played all that often.(For a hilarious take on what this song means, check out "T'Mershi Duween's" Songs of Orange County. If I get enough requests for it, I'll post the interpretation here.) CAMARILLO BRILLO- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, with the hyper-fast first half, and the slowed down second half. In my opinion, it's cool. CAROL YOU FOOL- Truly a treat of the '84 band (this song justifies their existence). Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, except towards the beginning of the tour, when the acapella section in the latter part of the song was NOT acapella- it was sung over full instrumentation. Over the course of the tour, the instrumentation became

less and less, until one day, POOF, we had an acapella section. Well done, Frank. CAROLINA HARD-CORE ECSTASY- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. CHANA IN DA BUSHWOP- Out of all the performances he chooses to release, he releases one without a guitar solo. Yeah, that's right, the tune normally had a short, funky little guitar workout. But instead of giving us one of those, he gives us a performance that was really only funny visually. HTBT, as they say. So, apart from this, the song was essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, with, of course, the occasional Secret Word tweakage. CHUNGA'S REVENGE- Sadly, we have no live versions of this anywhere in the official catalog, do we? Quite a shame. On this tour, the song did not begin with the aggressive guitar riff that opens the studio track. Instead, on this tour, and the other '80's tours, the tune starts with the mellow bass line and main theme, then heads into the aforementioned guitar part, before heading into solo territory. For the most part, Frank was the only one to take a solo on this tour for this song, except on 7/22, when Denny Walley and Bruce Fowler joined the band for this final encore, with Ansley Dunbar guesting also on drums. Also, apart from this 7/22 performance, the song was used in the opening spot only. CITY OF TINY LITES- This tune was sort of weak, this tour out. The beginning was arranged similar to the '82 version found on YCDTOSA Volume V, with the opening chords played on guitar with no other accompaniment. The tune proceeded as normal, with a subdued "Carlos Santana Chord Progression" as the solo vamp. Sadly, Frank's "City's"solos never really took off on this tour (possibly sick of the song by this time). And the post solo section- without the written guitar part or the piano break- was played such as on the '88 tour (without the silliness of the '82 tour). To my ears, this song was almost inconsequential on this tour. It just never seemed to carry the weight that it did on practically every other tour. CLOSER YOU ARE, THE- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume IV. COCAINE DECISIONS- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III, without the tear gas and pleas for calm. COCKSUCKER'S BALL- Essentially played as on "Does Humor Belong in Music?"

COSMIK DEBRIS- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Because this song most commonly occurred in the encore, it quite often fell victim to some serious Secret Word abuse. For this reason, I have always liked this tune live- it makes me laugh- and though Frank's space is limited on this tune, I've always found his "Cosmik" solos to be very worthwhile. Check out the Volume III solo- it's one damn good minute of guitar. Same goes for most all versions of the tune. CREW SLUT- Played only a handful of times, this tune essentially follows the same path of both the "Joe's Garage" and YCDTOSA Volume VI versions, allowing for the obvious differences in instrumentation. As in the latter release, these '84 perfromances were highlighted by some excellent Martin keyboard support, and some dig-in-and-getdirty Frank solos. DADDY DADDY DADDY- One of the highlights of this tour- we get this song, and we don't have to have Flo and Eddie. But seriously (well, I was serious), this is truly one of the more enjoyable songs of the tour. Yes, it's short, and no, there's no solo or improv, but it is such a good little treat. For the most part, it's performed as Flo and Eddie performed it (see "Tengo Na' Minchia Tanta" from Beat the Boots), except like with almost everything on this tour, performed slightly faster and more upbeat. DANCIN' FOOL- Do you really want to know how this was played? Let me give you a hint- the only performance of this song that sounds anything different than any other performance of this song is the very first performance- and that one sucked. DANGEROUS KITCHEN, THE- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume I. DEATHLESS HORSIE, THE- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. To these ears, Frank always played a top-notch solo in every '84 performance of this. DINAH-MOE HUMM- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, which is quickly and without hesitation. A very good thing by this point in this song's history. DON'T BE A LAWYER- Another name for "Why Don't You Like Me?", referring to an '84 only verse of the song. See "Why Don't You Like Me?" for more details on the tune. DO YOU LIKE MY NEW CAR?- Purportedly played once- on 11/16- and I have yet to hear the song or

from anyone who has. A Jack-in-the Box ring job (but not from me) for anybody who supplies me with the make on this particular model. DROWNING WITCH- If the '82 band couldn't play this one right, who in their right mind would think that the '84 band could? Frank claimed that no band ever played this tune correctly- all the way through- in a single performance. And for all I know, he's right. But rather you play it perfectly or screw it up royally, the fact is that it is so perfectly composed that even the '84 boys couldn't destroy it. In fact, Ike's vocal ad-libs and his hilarious car salesman routine added greatly to the vocal section of this tune; and Martin and Zavod did a more than noble job of carrying the "never played correctly" parts of the tune. It was essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III (with assorted mistakes), with the standard deviation coming in both of FZ's solos. For at least one performance- on 11/30- the second guitar solo spot turns into an exceptionally good solo fest. Immediately upon entering the solo region, the band switches to a new, loop based vamp, over which Frank, Alan, Scott, Ray, Bobby, and then Frank again solo. Unlike the rotating solos in such songs as "Nig Biz", these solos are all hot, with Frank allowing each soloist to slowly establish themselves and give it their all. As far as Frank's solos go, they never quite reach the heights that they did on the previous two tours. Yes, they were always good, but they never attained the greatness of say, 11/17/81. DUMB ALL OVER- Well, finally it happened. Frank (and Ryko) finally give us our "Dumb All Over" with the guitar solo. It appeared as if all you CD-philes would never know the true glory of this song. First, Frank cuts the solo on YAWYI. Then, he cuts the solo on YCDTOSA Volume I. Fortunately, for us tape collectors, he did not cut the solo when he performed this song live, and now, we get it on "Have I Offended Someone?" Essentially performed as on HIOS, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's always kickin' (thanks for the adjective, Naurin) guitar solo. EASY MEAT- Though we have no officially released version from this band, their performances of this tune basically sounded like the '82 bands version on YCDTOSA Volume V, noting of course that neither Bobby nor Alan could play the keyboards like Tommy (I'm not saying Tommy's better, just that sound). Occasionally, Frank would tease "Sinister Footwear III" to start off his solo, but for the most part, he just soloed. He used the "non-vamp" of the last two tours, but to my ears, his '84 Meat solos never got as interesting as they were in '81 and '82. "Variations on Sinister #3" from "Guitar" is an "Easy Meat" extract. EVIL PRINCE, THE- By the time tour was over, this song sounded like what we have on YCDTOSA Volume IV. But man did it seem like it took a long

time to get there. Maybe it's just me (I LOVE the Volume IV version), but early performances of this song reeked. To begin with, Brock did the vocal chores, and after several lines, you can tell why he was given the choice of an aisle or a window. The band, for the most part, pretty much had the many changes of this song down from the beginning, but the transition into the solo was really shaky in the early months. It was almost as if the entire song fell apart once we reached the solo section. And Frank's solos just didn't cut the mustard early on. Interesting to see the evolution of the song, and very worthwhile considering the end product. If you are looking for other performances of this tune, go for ones later in the tour. You are better off. FILTHY HABITS- A rare treat of the '84 tour. Only played a couple of times, this tune still managed to maintain much of its sense of foreboding doom, though it was not as evil as the studio version, nor as majestic as the '88 one. It was essentially played as on that latter tour, allowing for the obvious differences in instrumentation, and the standard deviation in Frank's sinister solo GOBLIN GIRL- allowing for differences in instrumentation, this song was essentially performed as on YAWYI. Unfortunately, this band only performed the first half of the song, and did not attempt the vocal gymnastics that conclude the studio version of this tune. From available tapes and setlists, it looks like this song was always followed by "The Black Page #2", though not vice-versa. HEAVY DUTY JUDY- For the most part, this song was performed as on TBBYNHIYL, with major adjustments made for instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. For the main theme, the keyboards played the bulk of the tune (as the horns did in '88), and for this tour, there were vocals, mainly "Heavy Duty Judy" and Frank saying "We the Best." Secret Word usage occasionally creeped in, and since this was only played as an opener, these Secret Words would then infect the rest of the show. HE'S SO GAY- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume VI. HONEY DON'T YOU WANT A MAN LIKE ME?Yeah, like this song ever changed. Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, with occasional Secret Word tweakage. Betty's musical taste's did evolve by this tour, however- away from Helen Reddy towards the more enjoyable "Echo and the Bunnymen" into the unforgiveably laughable "Twisted Sister".

HOT PLATE HEAVEN AT THE GREEN HOTELEssentially played as on "Does Humor Belong in Music?", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. These solos were pretty straightforward in the first half of the tour- erupting right out of the closing strains of the third chorus. But towards the end of the tour, Frank started the "complete-stopand-give-me-a-new-vamp" solo section which ruined any and all momentum built up by the song. Typically interesting and exciting solos, just very disjointed from the rest of the tune. ILLINOIS ENEMA BANDIT- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Also, as the aforementioned release demonstrates, this tune was also a continual victim of Secret Word abuse, especially considering that it was usually the final encore. I'M THE SLIME- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume I, allowing for differences in instrumentation. Unfortunately, Frank skipped the manic guitar opener found on the studio track, and instead chose to jump head first into the actual tune when performing this. And unlike "Montana" from the same album, Frank chose to solo in this tune. IN FRANCE- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III, except for the fact that Frank chose to edit out his guitar solo. Yet another song that usually had a short but interesting guitar solo that CD-philes will never know about. On 7/22, Johnny "Guitar" Watson joined the band for this encore performance. JOE'S GARAGE- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III. This song- typically a set closer or early encore number- frequently fell victim to some serious Secret Word abuse. JOHNNY DARLING- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume IV. JUNGLE BOOGIE- For the encore on 7/21, Frank asked the audience if they wanted a "Song", or whether they wanted the band to just make something up. The audience chose the latter. With Frank conducting every facet of this jam, the band produced four minutes of rather boring improv. The longest groove established was about 4 bars, and for the most part, the jam was nothing but conducted bursts and meltdowns. The title comes from Ike yelling, "Jungle Boogie". KEEP IT GREASY- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III. KING KONG- Reared it's head several times in the middle of tour, before disappearing again until '88. This was NOT the monster jam that we had in '82 or

would have again in '88. Instead, it was simply a Frank Zappa guitar solo surrounded by the reggae version of the main theme. LET'S MOVE TO CLEVELAND- The monster of the '84 tour, and sadly, it was more of a Fido than a King Kong. This was the one chance each show that the band got a chance to stretch out, and, well, frankly, they didn't. Zavod got to noodle around on the piano (electric) for about five minutes (oh oh, volcano solowatch out), Wackerman would play with his electronic drum (sic) kit for a couple minutes, and then (actually you may want to be awake for this), Frank would solo. He frequently struck gold on his excursions, but had some bad stretches where "Cleveland" sounded like, well, like Cleveland. For me, it all boiled down to what the rhythm section was doing that would make or break the solo. Sometimes Scott and Chad would hit a groove, or ride a vamp that just took off. They would lock in together, and Frank would just soar. Higher and higher and higher until they all gloriously returned to the main theme. Other times nothing would work, and you would end up with something that sounded like a real bad result of xenochranization. So, apart from the solos, this song sounded essentially like the version on "Does Humor Belong in Music?" NOTE- This song is known by many names. In the closing section, where the band sings "Let's Move to Cleveland", they also sang many other lines, depending on the theme of the show or a predetermined line. Thus, other names for the song have been "Kreegah Bondola","Young and Monde", "Rowland in the Whorehouse?", "Where's My Vacation?", "Je Suis, Je Suis", "It's My Volcano"actually, that's all I can think of right now. Anyone got other '84 titles? "Republicans", "GOA", "Sunrise Redeemer", "Once Again Without a Net", and "Canadian Customs" from "Guitar" are all "Cleveland" extracts. [One last thing- Having just completed the '82 write-up for this song, I realize that all things considered, this tune was quite a disappointment on this tour. The piano/drum solos are simply a waste of time (FZ cigarette break?), and by the time we get to Frank, we're lucky he's still awake. Plus, Vai was such an integral part of the '82 Cleveland's sheer madness, that without him, this song sounds like a pleasant stroll in the park, instead of forced relocation to Cleveland. Sorry for the digression, but I feel really let down by this tour's Cleveland's after having just heard several '82 performances.] LITTLE GIRL OF MINE- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume IV. LUCILLE HAS MESSED MY MIND UP- I love this song. Yes, it's that mock reggae again, but at a casual pace not all that familiar to Zappa songs. Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III, with the standard deviations in Frank's guitar fills.

MARQUESON'S CHICKEN- Another musical treat that unfortunately did not surface until the closing weeks of the tour. It was essentially played as on "Them or Us", with Zavod playing the bulk of Vai's guitar parts. Unfortunately, Frank chose to replace the solo vamp from the album with a rather lifeless alternative, and thus, the guitar solos were never that interesting. Still, the song itself is always a pleasure to hear. MEEK SHALL INHERIT NOTHING, THE- Essentially played as on "You Are What You Is", with the obvious differences in the instrumental accompaniment. Denny Walley's slide is sorely missed on this tune. MONTANA- December, 1984-> Frank Zappa goes crazy the last weeks of the tour. No one knows what happened, but for some strange, unexplainable reason, Mr. Zappa picks up his guitar and plays solos during this song. No, seriously, he does. And as far as this reporter can tell, this is the only time he did such a thing- during this song- since 1977. Sure, he played this song A LOT in the '80's- probably too much- and he played it exactly as it sounds on "Overnite Sensation", but most of the time he forgot the solo part. Yeah, that's right, forgot the solo part. No guitar. Instead, straight to Ike singing about his tiny little horse. Ladies and gentleman, what is the point of this song if not the guitar solo? I mean, Frank, what were you thinking? At least we have December. MORE TROUBLE EVERY DAY- Essentially played as on "Does Humor Belong in Music?", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Unfortunately, as the tour proceeded, Frank had the annoying habit of stopping the song DEAD IN IT'S TRACKS to reestablish or start up a new soloing vamp. It was like a new song reinserted right in the middle of "More Trouble" (the DHBIM version is a perfect example of this). The solos were almost always great- no complaint here- it just really ruined the flow of the song. MUDD CLUB, THE- Essentially played as on "You Are What You Is", with the obvious differences in the instrumental accompaniment. Frank's middle spoken section basically followed the same dialogue as on the official release, though this part was frequently an obvious victim of Secret Word abuse. MUFFIN MAN- Another travesty of the '84 band. Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume VI- that is, horribly. Along with "Willie the Pimp", this is another one of those MONSTER guitar tunes that Zappa reduced to pop music dribble for this tour. At least "Willie" didn't become mock reggae. Like I said, essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo.

MY GUITAR- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Not a bad version of this tune, eh, even though it is the '84 band. NIG BIZ- Get down, Ray! Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III, with the standard deviation coming in the solos. One of Ray White's better vocal excursions on this or any tour. While he was with us, Brock also had his own vocal excursion, taking a very weird vocal solo during the middle solo section. NITE OWL- Harmless little fifty's tune, performed several times throughout the tour. NO NO CHERRY- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume IV. OH NO/SON OF ORANGE COUNTY- Forget "Roxy and Elsewhere". Forget any '74 versions you may have heard of this. Those were transcendent, spinetingling, god-like. This ain't that. Luckily, Brock got an aisle or a window and this tune was dropped like a dead fish. Played in that mock reggae style (a la "Muffin Man") that '80's Frank was so fond of, this year's performance simply doesn't hold a candle anywhere near the '74 performances of this tune (or the '88 performances, for that matter). Brock screeched it, the band remote controlled it, and then, just like the good ol' days, it went into "More Trouble Every Day". But NO, this isn't the good ol' days. It's a cheap facsimile. A nightmare. Get me out of here. OUTSIDE NOW- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, with the standard deviation in Frank's solo. Unfortunately, not played enough.. PENGUIN IN BONDAGE- Essentially played as on "Does Humor Belong in Music?", with standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. The standard "short" Zappa guitar solo for most of tour, though by the latter end of this outing he began to insert the "complete-stop-give-me-a-new-vamp" longer solo section, like the one on DHBIM. RIDE MY FACE TO CHICAGO- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. "Orrin Hatch on Skis" from "Guitar" is a "Chicago" extract. SHARLEENA- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo, and with the absence of Dweezil, obviously. Frank must have really liked this vamp, because without fail, every "Sharleena" I have heard from this tour has had an excellent, let's-sit-downand-listen guitar solo. "Winos Do Not March" from "Guitar" is a "Sharleena" extract.

SINGING WINDS, CRYING BEASTS- Performed one time only, on 8/31, sort-of tacked on to the end of "Ride My Face to Chicago". This is the first track of Santana's "Abraxas" album, and for some strange reason, Frank and the boys just dove into this tune upon concluding "Ride My Face". No Santana references in the show, not even a "City of Tiny Lites" Carlos Santana secret chord progression solo. Actually, the song itself was not played, just the rhythm section with a FZ solo laid over it. [For you Conceptual Continuitists, this further extends the thread of Santana that runs through Zappa's studio and live work ( I'm not going into this, but will be more than happy to provide details to those that care).] SLEEP DIRT/BLACK NAPKINS- How in the world did this get in here? For some reason (and whatever it is we thank it), Frank- in Dallas on December 13thdecides to bring back a song that had not seen the light of day since 1975. This song is essentially a blending of the above tunes. The band begins the affair by playing a vamp (reggae style, of course) based on Bird Legs' two chord progression from the original. Once this is established, Frank plays the melody line- a subtler, less obvious rendition of "Black Napkins". As in the latter tune, Frank plays this theme two times, before veering off into his solo, and then returning to the theme when his soloing is complete. While this version is not that long, with Frank's solo not being all that impressive, this performance is still great to hear simply for the complete rarity of it. Plus, in spite of the reggae curse, the subdued nature of the tune really stands apart from the majority of this tour's repertoire, and shows a whole other side to this band. SOCIETY PAGES-> I'M A BEAUTIFUL GUY-> BEAUTY KNOWS NO PAIN-> CHARLIE'S ENORMOUS MOUTH- Jon Naurin writes in with this juicy bit of info: Interesting discovery from the 8/22#2 show, and I wonder why these weren't performed more often. They sound well rehearsed and should definitely have taken the place of the played-to-death "YAWYI/Mudd Clubb/Meek" suite in many setlists. Oh - and of course - performed essentially as on YCDTOSA #3. SON OF ORANGE COUNTY- See OH NO (actually, don't see OH NO, don't listen to OH NO, forget that this band ever even looked at OH NO). STEVIE'S SPANKING- Purportedly played once- on 9/13- as the final encore, a performance I have yet to hear or receive info from anybody who has. A vaporised banana for anybody who helps? [Jon Naurin with this: Played at least twice, on 9/13 and 10/16. Essentially performed as on Them Or Us, with those little 1984 sounds we all know and have mixed feelings about. The only real difference is some added vocal arrangements in the "Hairbrush" part.

The solo is rather short, and really make you miss that blue-haired guy.] STICK IT OUT- An amusing little number, played very infrequently on this tour. Played as on "Joe's Garage", but with the English vocals only. On previous tours- both '70 and '80- Frank performed both the English and German verses, but for the '84 tour, we got the former verses only. Not much to the song- short, no solos- but a nice treat amid the repetitiveness of the rest of this tour. STICK TOGETHER- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume IV. In a very nice change of events, Frank chose to open- yes, open- several shows at the end of the tour with this rather nonopening type of song. Kind of cool, huh? STINKFOOT- Played a handful of times throughout the tour, with Frank being kind enough to even throw a "Stinkdick" in there somewhere. Frank started getting a little creative with set lists towards the end of tour, and this song sneaked into the repertoire as a result. Essentially played as always, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo and in the aforementioned lyrical changes. TEENAGE WIND- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume IV. TINSELTOWN REBELLION- Essentially played as on "Does Humor Belong in Music?". TREACHEROUS CRETINS- Essentially played as on SUAPYG, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Only played a handful of times, and only in the earlier stages of the tour, this vehicle for guitar was used as a show opener only. After Frank's solos, which were competent but not overwhelming, the progression and vamp would be used as background music for the band introductions. TRUCKDRIVER DIVORCE- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Like the aforementioned version, Frank's solo was over a "non-vamp"- no predetermined rhythm part, just Wackerman and Thunes doing their best to support Frank's meanderings. Unfortunately, Frank's outings on this song during this tour were either well worth hearing but way too short, or overlong and dull. He never seemed to hit a happy medium for this tour. On 7/22, George Duke joined the band for this encore song. WATERMELON IN EASTER HAY- Essentially played as on "Guitar", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Played way too rarely on this tour, but as always, quite a treat when it was played. (Thanks Sean!)

WHAT'S NEW IN BALTIMORE?- Essentially played as on "Does Humor Belong in Music?", with the standard deviation coming both in Frank's solo and in his vocal asides during the choruses. Like "Drowning Witch", this was another tune that the '84 band did a very good job with, but like DW, Frank also never managed to whip out a truly jaw-dropping, goosebump inducing solo like he quite frequently did on the previous two tours. Quite a shame. WHIPPIN' POST- Essentially played as on "Does Humor Belong in Music?", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo, and with the absence of Dweezil, obviously. The blues riff used in the solo section is from "Mannish Boy". "For Duane" from "Guitar" is a "Whippin Post" extract. WHY DOES IT HURT WHEN I PEE?- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume III. WHY DON'T YOU LIKE ME?- This song made several appearances early in the tour, before disappearing until the '88 tour got of hold of it and slightly rewrote it. Known as "Don't Be A Lawyer" by band members and tape collectors until the "Broadway" release, this song is essentially "Tell Me You Love Me" with different lyrics. For the most part, the lyrics are the same as in the '88 version, except they are not directed towards Michael Jackson and thus are missing some of the more specific references. Also, there is a third verse which has a chorus of "Don't Be A Lawyer". Like "Tell Me You Love Me" in previous tours, this song was used as a set closer the handful of times it was performed. WILLIE THE PIMP- Essentially played as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, which is virtually unforgiveable. What possessed Frank to redo THIS tune THIS way? Come on, Frank, this was the original guitar MONSTER- and look what you've turned it into. And what, is that electronic clapping sounds I hear in the background? And that solo- onetenth the length of the original? And with that horrible segue into "Montana" every single time? The '84 band may never be forgiven for this one. WPLJ- Essentially played as on "Does Humor Belong in Music?" YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS- Essentially played as on "You Are What You Is", with obvious differences in the instrumental accompaniment. ZOOT ALLURES- Essentially played as on "Does Humor Belong in Music?", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Only played as a show opener. PUT YOUR .02 HERE Jon Naurin sez...

The 1984 tour is not a favourite of mine either, though YCDTOSA #3 and the DHBIM video were among the things that got me hooked on FZ in the first place. My least favourites are probably the Spring 1980 along with the Flo&Eddie bands and fall 1975, but the 1984 tour is almost down there. But I think this band had a feature you forgot to mention: the strongest singer line-up Zappa ever put onstage! [ I amended the boo-boo- Fog] I play a 1984 tape every now and then just to get a dose of humour and great vocals.But apart from that, no, Zappa's taste for sounds was bad about this period. Cheesy synthpercussion, cheesy synth-horns, cheesy syn-drums and most often a too hard guitar sound in his solos. It's amazing how all this changed until the next tour the sound picture of the 1988 band is among the most pleasant I've heard. John W. Busher sez... Okay. I agree that the 1984 band is EXTREMELY CHEESY. And a lot of the performances earlier in the tour just BLEW. I also think Alan Zavod sucks. However, I now take this tour with a grain of salt. At first, just the sound of this band made me want to puke. Now, I enjoy this band very much. EVEN the cheesy instrumentation. I read an interview in the library in which Frank had mentioned that this particular band was SUPPOSED to sound demented because he wanted to mock everything going on at the time. Remember the part in his book where he's making fun of fake handclaps? Do you SERIOUSLY think that he would add these to the band as a "good instrumentation decision"? Of course not. You need to have a BIG SENSE OF HUMOR to enjoy this tour. "Does Humor Belong In Music?" was a big theme behind this tour. Apparently, most people's answers would have been NO. I'm talking about HUMOR IN THE INSTRUMENTATION. In reference to specific songs, I don't think that Frank is capable of "ruining" any of HIS OWN SONGS. I laughed hysterically when I heard the '84 "Willie The Pimp". I am never disappointed in Frank when he changes the arrangement of songs. I hardly think he was blaspheming the 1970 version by turning the 1984 version into nonsense drivel. I like the 1984 version. "OH MY GAAAAAWWWWWWWD!!!!!!!!!" Also contributing to my eventual acceptance of this band was the fact that Frank seemed to enjoy this band very much. He raved about them in interviews. He kept them on the road for a long time. I DO, however, warn new listeners to stay far away from the 1984 tour until you are familiar with at least half of Frank's material. I LIKE the 1984 band. :-P There. I said it. Now cast the first stone. Sandy Starr sez... I understand and appreciate how fed up one can become with cheesed-out and mock-reggaed

versions of songs that were originally magnificent. But as you realise when you begin listening religously to recordings of all these concerts, IMAGINE HOW FED UP THE BAND MUST HAVE BECOME WITH THIS MATERIAL. One of the main problems, as you point out, is FZ solos that have no substance or justification for existence - they simply come out of nowhere, doodle for a few minutes, and scuttle off again. This means that they either seem out of place in that particular piece, or the piece becomes little more than a vehicle for the solo. You can judge how good a FZ solo is by how easy it is to memorise, so that when you listen to it you know exactly what is coming next (a good example would be the solo on the studio version of Sinister Footwear II). There aren't too many of those on this tour. A pity. Chris sez.... Having attended Zappa shows for each tour from 1979 through 1988, I cannot disagree with you more regarding the 1984 tour. I saw many shows, including Jones Beach, the Pier, Poughkeepsie and Saratoga. First, for once, Zappa did not sit around "conducting" the band and/or let someone else like Steve Vai take virtually every guitar solo during 1984 [I'm not sure about this claim- Fogz]. In fact, Zappa playedmore guitar in the 1984 shows that I saw than in any other Zappa tour that I ever caught. Far from looking tired, I thought FZ stepped out and seemed to be on a mission to prove that his past reliance on Vai was not for his own lack of talent. As far as the material, it was fine and mixed up every night. Having Ike Willis and Ray White (who is currently in a great band, KVHW, which anyone reading should catch) together was great. When I saw the band again in 1988, despite seeing Stairway, Whipping Post, I Am The Walrus and some otherwise great setlists, I was disappointed because the shows didn't hold a candle to the 1984 stuff. Zappa was clearly justified in thinking this was his best post-Mothers band, even though I can quibble with some of his released selections, because there are better versions from the same tour of every tune released on the YCDTOSA discs. I have listened to tapes from many of these shows, and I think my initial take was right. For example, nothing from 1988 even touches the Saratoga show on 9-1-84. Anyway, that is my subjective belief. 1988 BAND MEMBERS- FZ, Ike Willis (vocals, guitar, synth, random noises), Mike Keneally (guitar, keyboards, Johnny Cash), Scott Thunes (bass, bad vibes), Chad Wackerman (drums, looking too young for his age), Ed Mann (percussion, Dylan), Bobby Martin (vocals, keyboards), Bruce Fowler (trombone, dinosaurs), Walt Fowler (trumpet, flugel horn, synth, baseball commentary), Paul Carman (alto, soprano,

baritone sax), Albert "Genghis" Wing (tenor sax), Kurt McGettrick (baritone sax, contrabass clarinet) SPECIAL GUESTS- Moon, Dweezil, Ahmet, Diva, Zappsteetoot (Mats berg and Morgan gren), Brother A.West, Eric Buxton, Daniel Schorr, Long Island Ballet Company (Packard interpretations), Sting, Fabio Treves (harmonica), Claudia (on-stage dancing), and many others I am missing, I am sure DATES- February 2nd to March 25th (US), April 9th to June 9th (Europe) SHOWS- 81 / CITIES- 67 / COUNTRIES- 14 # OF SONGS PLAYED- I completely forgot about this until minutes before I went to post the page. Anyone? AVERAGE SHOW LENGTH- See above AVERAGE # OF FZ SOLOS PER SHOW- See above X2 SONGS FZ WOULD SOLO IN- Advance Romance, Alien Orifice, America the Beautiful, Andy, Any Kind of Pain, Bamboozled By Love, Big Swifty, Black Napkins, Black Page #2, Chana in da Bushwop, Chunga's Revenge, City of Tiny Lites, Cosmik Debris, Crew Slut, Cruising for Burgers, Dessicated, Dickie's Such An Asshole, Easy Meat, Filthy Habits, Florentine Pogen, Heavy Duty Judy, Hot Plate Heaven at the Green Hotel, I Am the Walrus, Illinois Enema Bandit, Inca Roads, King Kong, Let's Move to Cleveland, Loops, Marqueson's Chicken, More Trouble Every Day, Murder By Numbers, My Guitar Wants To Kill Yer Mama, Oh No, Outside Now, Penguin in Bondage, Pick Me I'm Clean, Pound for a Brown (on the Bus), Purple Haze, Sharleena, Stairway to Heaven, Star Wars Won't Work, Stevie's Spanking, Stinkfoot, Stolen Moments, The Torture Never Stops, Truckdriver Divorce, Watermelon in Easter Hay, What's New in Baltimore?, Whippin' Post, Willie the Pimp, Zomby Woof, Zoot Allures COMMENTS ON FZ SOLOS- Without a doubt, the main factor preventing this outing from being a Truly Great Tour is Frank's guitar playing. It just ain't all that great. Yes, Frank has his moments, but these moments are few and far between, and separated by oodles of uninspired, pedestrian solos. Two of the guitar Monsters of the past- "The Torture Never Stops" and "Inca Roads"- are the biggest disappointments of the tour. They both start the tour rather strong, showing a glimpse of some of their previous fury, but within weeks, they both settle into the lackluster stroll captured and displayed on TBBYNHIYL. Okay, so you may like those solos (I personally find them both to be nothing more than dull), but you at least must admit that they cannot

compare to the "Torture" and "Inca" outings of previous tours. The same can be said for quite a number of Frank's standard guitar solo vehicles- "City of Tiny Lites", "Illinois Enema Bandit", "More Trouble Every Day", "Outside Now", and even "Watermelon in Easter Hay"- which, among others, do not contain the same passion and inspiration that their previous incarnations do. That is not to say the tour is without its highlights. For me, "Bamboozled By Love" is the surprise guitar treat of the tour, frequently containing some blistering "Owner of the Lonely Heart" fretwork. The trio of Monster Songs- "Big Swifty", "King Kong", and "Pound for a Brown"- are also some continual hot spots for Frank solos, thanks to the always changing loops that Frank throws in during each performance. The loops may not always be successful in inspiring Frank and the band, but when they work, and the rhythm section locks into a solid groove, the results are frequently breathtaking. Finally, "I Am the Walrus", of all things, is responsible for the most interesting and adventurous guitar playing of the tour, thanks to the occasional "guitar orchestra" codas that Frank tacks on to the end of the tune. Despite these highlights, the tour disappoints with regards to Frank's guitar playing. More than any other tour, Frank sounds as if he is simply going through the motions with regards to his solos, and the music obviously suffers because of it. I enjoy this tour- the arrangements, set lists, Monster performances- but it is primarily because of Frank's guitar playing that I cannot rank this as one of his all time great tours. SONGS THAT FZ USUALLY SOLOED IN BUT DID NOT ON THIS TOUR- Dupree's Paradise (horns only; not played since '74), Eat That Question (shortened version), Montana (no solo), Packard Goose (Bartok and Stravinsky pieces in solo section), Sinister Footwear II (horns only) NEW SONGS ON TOUR (performed for first time live)- America the Beautiful, Any Kind of Pain, Bonanza, Elvis Has Just Left The Building, I Am the Walrus, Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk, Jezebel Boy, Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, Murder By Numbers, Norwegian Wood, Planet of the Baritone Women, Promiscuous, Rhymin' Man, Stolen Moments, Texas Motel Medley, Theme from the Godfather, When Irish Eyes A Smiling, When the Lie's So Big MONSTER SONGS- Big Swifty, Black Napkins (1 time), Dessicated, Dupree's Paradise (1 time), Eric Dolphy Memorial BBQ, King Kong, Pound for a Brown (on the Bus), Stolen Moments; See Overview and Songs section below for more details on Monster Songs SONGS ONLY PLAYED IN U.S.- America the Beautiful, Bacon Fat, Catholic Girls, Godfather, Honey Don't you Want A Man Like Me?, It Ain't

Necessarily So, Jezebel Boy, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (w/ Beatles' lyrics), Murder By Numbers, Norwegian Wood (w/ Beatles' lyrics), Promiscuous, Reverend A. West, Stainless the Maiden, Stevie's Spanking, Tinseltown Rebellion, Uncle Remus, What Kind of Girl?, When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, Why Don't You Like Me?, Yo Cats SONGS ONLY PLAYED IN EUROPE- Arrivederci Roma, Dangerous Kitchen, Dessicated, Dupree's Paradise, Easy Meat, Elvis Has Just Left The Building, Loops, Pick Me I'm Clean, Purple Haze, Ride of the Valkyries, Ring Of Fire, Rhymin' Man, Star Wars Won't Work, Take Me Out To The Ballgame, T'Mershi Duween, You Are What You Is OVERVIEW OF US LEG- In late January of 1998, Pat Buzby announced that he was going to post a review of every 1988 show on the respective anniversaries of each show (link to his page below). To help with this awesome task, he enlisted the aid of several Zappa freaks, one of whom was me. Once I became aware of his task, and began listening to and reviewing the shows I was assigned, I figured that I would go ahead and relive the entire '88 tour, and listen to every show on its respective date. It was an intimidating task, and at times I fell way behind. But as I sit and type this (on the night of the final show3/25), having listened to every US tape that I have in my possession, all I could say is that I am sorry I did. I used to love this tour. The three official releases documenting the '88 excursion all rank as some of my favorite FZ releases, and I have many live tapes from this tour which fall into the category of "listened to frequently". But after listening to almost the entire US tour, I realize that what is contained on those three official releases, and what is performed on those tapes (all but one of which is from the Europe tour), is really the cream of a not so rich crop. The band is great, no doubts here. The five-piece horn section adds a warmth to the music that has been absence for most of the '80's, and allows Frank to do some interesting and exciting things with both his own songs and covers. The horns also add a new dimension to the Monster Songs (a dimension which, unfortunately, is not all that well exploited in the US tour). New guy Keneally proves to be as integral to this band as Vai was to the early '80's bands, wowing us all with his dual keyboard/guitar solos, and managing to fill the role (but not fill the shoes) of vocal wonder Ray White. The rest of the band, all leftovers from the '84 tour, provide the solid base upon which everything is built, with Thunes and Wackerman regaining the inspiration they misplaced during the '84 outing.

The set lists are a mixed bag, with some occasional desserts lost in the mounds of quickly-turned-stale entrees. While the saturation of Secret Words would be the saving grace of many Europe shows, the lack of lyrical mayhem, and the rather routine solos in the majority of songs, would force the US tour to more often than not rely simply on its set lists. Thus, with the oft-repeated songs, and the typically "merely competent" performances, this would be a problem. Of course, when the music gelled, the songs themselves became secondary to the actual music being played, but this was rare on this leg of the tour. Finally, both Frank's solos (as I mention above) and the Monster songs are more often then not exercises in "going through the motions". Frank's solos are obviously Frank's fault (the rhythm section is surprisingly good throughout the tour; tight yet exploratory), but sadly, the failing of the Monster Songs seems to be his fault too. The individual solos in each performance are consistently good, but Frank has an annoying habit of pulling the plug on each solo long before it has reached its natural point of development. Thus, we get a parade of short solos which fail to add up to much simply because Frank does not have the patience to let the solos develop. As the tour progresses, the solos become longer and Frank becomes better at orchestrating such a large band through such lengthy improvisations. When all is said and done, however, one cannot help but be disappointed that something more exciting and groundbreaking did not transpire. Obviously, part of the problem could be that I listened to 30 plus shows in just over a month and a half. That would be trying on anyone, and the chances of not enjoying something are much higher when you have been listening to the same thing over and over and over. In my defense, however, (and in defense of this tour not being that great), I will say that I have done the same thing with many other tours- overexposed myself to many, many shows- and have found myself enjoying those tours more than I enjoyed this. Take for instance the Summer/Fall '74 tour (who didn't see that one coming?). I am currently relistening to every show I have in preparation for a future page, and I have yet to become displeased with hardly any aspect of this tour. The set lists are less diverse on that outing than on this, yet still I find each concert to be much more enjoyable. The same can be said for a number of other Zappa tours. Admittingly, the US portion of this tour is not outright bad. In fact, at its worst, the band performs highly competent yet uninspired versions of somewhat overplayed songs, with occasional improvisations helping to vary the musical landscape. If the music is boring at these times, it is simply for lack of a fire to ignite the passion in the musicians. At its best, when Frank shakes up the set lists, gives in to the need for

lengthy improvisations, or has a particularly inspired night on guitar, the music transcends the songs it arrives in, and enters that realm of indescribable magic. The problem is, though, is that this transcendence does not occur all that often this time round. OVERVIEW OF EUROPE LEG- Well, we've reached the end of the 1988 tour. It is June 9th, I have just sent my final review off to Pat, and am here reflecting on the past four plus months. I listened to WAY too many '88 shows, in WAY too short a period of time. So before I continue, if there is anybody out there looking to trade with me, do me a favor and don't pick any '88 shows. Okay? So how was the Europe leg, you ask? Well, to begin with, much better than the US leg. Better set lists, more interesting and cohesive Monster songs, more consistent Frank guitar playing, and, above and beyond anything else, a helluva lot more laughs. But still, with all those improvements, I would not go as far to call this leg great. Yes, there are some incredible moments, and for a run of shows from around April 22nd through May 11th, it looked as if Frank and Company could do no wrong. Unfortunately, the magic would not last, and save for a trio of shows in late May (24th-26th), the rest of the Europe leg does not have much to offer. But it is a more successful run than the US run- that I will sayand for the following reasons. To begin with, the set lists are typically much more interesting. No longer being able to rely on the English comprehension skills of the audience, Frank puts the Republican Medley tunes on a much lighter rotation, and puts some heavier hitting numbers in their place. "Dupree's Paradise", "Pick Me I'm Clean", and "Easy Meat" all make appearances, and while they may not be the Monsters they were in the past, their presence nonetheless is a welcome sight. Such guitar treats as "Let's Move to Cleveland", "Sharleena", "Cruisin' for Burgers" and the surprisingly strong "Bamboozled By Love" appear more often, and Frank manages to pull out some worthy solos in most of these spots. Unfortunately, we also get way too many "Stick My Pimp Montana" medleys this time around, and the encores are still rather predictable, but this only slightly offsets the stronger changes and additions. The Monster songs are also consistently better this time out, though I must admit disappointment in that they are not as outrageous as I originally recalled. Frank finally allows the players to stretch out and really play, and without a doubt, these boys can play. As a result, we do not get as many solos in each Monster song, but the quality and intensity improves so the quantity issue is of no concern. Frank also allows time for more Synclavier-oriented "space"

jams, in which no one is "soloing", but the whole band is working together in creating monster improvisation. These moments are what make these performances that much better, contributing to the added energy and intensity of the more straightforward solos. Again, these performances are not as outrageous and consistent as I originally thought, but on the whole, they are much better than the US endeavors. Frank's soloing is also better on this leg. No, it is not outright great, seldom if ever reaching the glories of past tours. On a solo by solo basis, however, I would say his efforts are more interesting here than on the US leg. Most of this has to do with better guitar solo vehicles, which not only inspire him to play better, but also find the rhythm section contributing in more splendid fashion. His "Inca Roads" and "Torture" efforts are still mostly of the lackluster variety, but thanks to some fresher material, these are easily overlooked. Frank even mixes things up by inserting different vamps within the material ("13" in "More Trouble", "21" in "Marqueson's Chicken", "loops" in "Penguin"), and while these have mixed results, one can at least respect that Frank is challenging himself and the band. Finally (yeah, you're welcome), THE SECRET WORDS!!!! The savior of the '88 tour. While things start off whether slow on this leg, once the ball gets rolling, nothing can stop it. From 4/22 on- the infamous "Ring of Fire" show- the Secret Word abuse runs rampant, and without a doubt, many of the highlights of this tour come as a result of the sidesplitting laughs that such abuse produces. Dragonmasters, shellfish, jellyfish, Tom Petty, raffles, airline delays, hoops, cymbals- these are just a handful of the Secret Words that terrorize many of the shows from late April on. Interestingly enough, as the humor quotient begins to rise, so does the musical quotient, and many of the best shows musically are also the funniest shows lyrically. Go figure. So that's it. I have this strong desire to write and write and write- go on and on and on and on (do your best Lisa Popeil imitation there)- simply because I have devoted four months of my life to this tour, and I don't want it to end. But sadly, all things must come to an end, and so must this. I feel like I have been undeservingly harsh on this tour, and am inclined to go back and soften up some of my comments. Heck, maybe even lie a little. But no. I guess I'll just come out and say that this is NOT one of Frank's best tours. Incredible band- without a doubt; some great set lists- no arguments there; but when all is said and done, it seems like there should have been a little more substance, and not as much filler. But hey, that's just me. I could be wrong.

SONGS THAT WERE PLAYED ON BOTH LEGS OF TOUR

AIN'T GOT NO HEART - Essentially played as on "Tinseltown Rebellion", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. ADVANCE ROMANCE - Essentially played as on MAJNH, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Note the horrible edit on MAJNH- from the opening horn riff to the vocal section. Very sloppy, Frank. (How many people think we actually needed another live version of this song?) ALIEN ORIFICE - Essentially played as on MAJNH, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. ANDY- Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's too short solo. The transition from "Florentine Pogen" into this tune is one of the better moments of the '88 tour. ANY KIND OF PAIN - Essentially performed as on BTHW, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo, Albert Wing's saxophone fills, and the random keyboard noises interspersed throughout. Also, the line following "When she's in a bold mood" changes almost nightly at the whim of Frank. While the original line (used very infrequently) is "Nuk-ya-ler", Frank frequently substitutes it for the word of his choice. This new word frequently derives from the Secret Word of the night, or then serves as the source for the Secret Word; and since this song typically comes in the early portions of each show, it usually plays a major part in the Secret Word development. This is another instance in which Frank writes a potential hit song, but then sabotages it with potentially offensive lyrics. This song had been around since December of '76, when instrumental portions of it appeared during the run of Palladium shows documented on ZINY. It disappeared for several years before reappearing during rehearsals for the Fall '81 tour, but unfortunately never made it to an official concert. Finally, it appears here and becomes one of the most performed songs of the tour. BAMBOOZLED BY LOVE - Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This is the "Owner of the Lonely Heart" version, and to my ears, these are some of the most interesting and passionate guitar solos of the tour. Not all that lengthy, but Frank really gets into these performances, tearing across the fret board like a madman. The 4/22 performance of this song ranks as one of my favorite selections from the whole tour, having an excellent solo and some hilarious "Ring of Fire" secret word usage.

BARTOK PIANO CONCERTO #3- Essentially performed as on MAJNH, and always performed in conjunction with the theme from "Royal March from L'Histoire du Soldat". In its actual live context, these two songs appear in the middle of "Packard Goose", after the line "Music is the best". There is no "Packard Goose" guitar solo this time round, and upon conclusion of this classical medley, the band returns to the post-solo portion of "Packard Goose". BIG SWIFTY- After an inexcusable 14 year absence, this instrumental giant returns, and becomes one of the great monsters of the tour. It is essentially performed as on MAJNH, with the standard deviation coming in the multitude of solos. Horn solos, percussion solos, Keneally solos, random madness, a single performance of "T'Mershi Duween", and the typically (but not always) concluding Frank solo, this song returns with a vengeance, bringing with it all this and more. BLACK NAPKINS - Essentially performed as on MAJNH, with the standard deviation coming in the solos. Unfortunately, Frank chose to edit his guitar solo out of the officially released version. This is a decision I have mixed feelings about. While it would have been nice to have a complete version of this song, with all solos intact, I feel that considering the performance he chose to release, editing his solo out was a good decision. The two horn solos are almost perfect, and Frank's solo at this show really did not meet up with the now-set standards. If he had chosen a different performance, or edited in another solo, that may have worked. But judging things based on this performance alone, I think Frank- for once- made a good decision. Early in the tour (2/9), this song is given a single Monster performance, with the middle section of the tune veering off into the improvisational heaven normally reserved for the regular batch of Monster Songs. BLACK PAGE, THE (new age version) - Essentially performed as on MAJNH, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. In the context of an actual show, the opening vamp is returned to after the song proper, at which point Frank gives the band introductions and, during the US shows, his spiel about voter registration. This is the second most performed song of the tour, and only appears as a show opener. BOBBY BROWN GOES DOWN - In the grand tradition of "Bobby Brown"'s, this song ends its brilliant career exactly the same way it started (allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, obviously). Why change a good thing, right?

BOLERO - Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL (for those of you who have the complete version of the album, that is). BONANZA- Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL, with the drum riff from "Wipe Out" serving as the song's intro. This always appears as the segue from "The Torture Never Stops Part One" to "Lonesome Cowboy Burt". {Jon Naurin sez: "Might be worth mentioning that it was occasionally played in an alternative version, with the melody played in minor the first time."] CHANA IN DE BUSHWOP- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in the short horn solos. CHUNGA'S REVENGE- Essentially performed as the standard "Chunga's" guitar solo vehicle. The song begins rather calmly, with the bass-prominent main theme and no abrupt guitar intro as on the studio release. Once the main theme is played through, then we get the aforementioned guitar part, which drops us off into Frank's solo. Unfortunately, the song is only performed twice on the tour- once on each leg. (And when will "Trance-Fusion" be released to right the horrible wrong made by the exclusion of not a single live performance of "Chunga's" in the official catalog? A travesty.) CITY OF TINY LITES- Essentially performed as on MAJNH, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. One of the things that is sorely missing from Frank's mix of this tune is Keneallly's wicked rhythm work throughout the song. [Carlos Santana Conceptual Continuity Clue- Prior to his solo during the 2/17 performance, Frank sings the line "Got a Black Magic Woman".] CLOSER YOU ARE, THE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. COSMIK DEBRIS- Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL, with the standard deviation coming in the solo section. Frank has the majority of the solos for this song, but Ike occasionally gets a chance to solo in his very peculiar, inimitable sort-of-way. CREW SLUT- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Kudos to Bobby for some inspired piano support. CRUISING FOR BURGERS- Essentially performed as on MAJNH, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo.

DANCIN' FOOL- Allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, this song appears as it always appeared. A true satiric classic, unwavering in the changing tide of time, managing to stay the same despite the changes thrown at it. DICKIE'S SUCH AN ASSHOLE - Not allowing bygones to be bygones, Frank resurrected this '73 scathing tribute to Watergate as part of his '88 Republican Medley. Essentially performed as on BTHW, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. [Interesting note- Pat Buzby notices in one of his '88 reviews that the band had extreme difficulty with certain parts of this tune- not just in the single reviewed performance, but in each performance he could recall.] DISCO BOY - Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. EAT THAT QUESTION - Essentially performed as on MAJNH, which sadly is only the introduction and main theme of this long-forgotten "Grand Wazoo" classic. This song is always followed by "Black Napkins", though not vice-versa. ERIC DOLPHY MEMORIAL BBQ - After a 15 year absence from the world of Zappa tours, this long lost classic triumphantly returns, and in glorious Monster form. Unfortunately, though, it is only performed a handful of times. It is essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL, with the standard deviation coming in the multitude of solos. This song typically includes a percussion solo, a horn solo, a Synclavier solo, and a short drum solo. Of the five main Monster songs of the tour, this is probably the mellowest and most laid back. FILTHY HABITS - Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. FIND HER FINER - Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL. Just a word of praise here for this under-appreciated Frank song. Yes, the "Zoot Allures" version sucks (which is probably why Frank long neglected the tune), but thankfully this band had the chance to resurrect the tune and treat us to this bouncy, feel-good gem. FLORENTINE POGEN - Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. The segue into "Andy" never fails to produce chills up and down this reporter's spine. HARRY YOU'RE A BEAST - Essentially performed as on MAJNH, and always performed as part of the Big Medley.

HEAVY DUTY JUDY - Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo HOT PLATE HEAVEN AT THE GREEN HOTEL Essentially performed as on BTHW, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. I LEFT MY HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL, and always performed as a companion piece to "Who Needs the Peace Corps?" ILLINOIS ENEMA BANDIT - Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. As with the '84 band, this version typically fell victim to some serious Secret Word abuse, and thus produced some of the funniest moments of tour. I AM THE WALRUS- Yes, the Beatles classic, realized almost perfectly by the best band only some of us heard in our lives. Ike, of all people, does a brilliant job with the vocals, and the horn section aptly performs the many intricacies of the original. Occasionally throughout the tour, this song would have a Coda, which essentially consisted of Frank playing guitar and the band figuring out how to accompany him. These are frequently the guitar highlights of the tour, with the 5/9 performance standing out as possibly THE guitar moment of '88. Dweezil and Frank creating something out of nothinga dark, densely chorded affair, quietly building but never getting louder, with Dweezil and Frank snaking their way around the rhythm section's thickly layed groove. Goo goo goo joo. INCA ROADS - Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL, with the standard deviation coming in both Frank's and Carmen's solo. For me, this is the biggest disappointment, and the biggest surprise, of this tour. The disappointment comes with Frank's guitar solos, which are simply uninspired this time round. Frank smartly put this tune away after the monster performances of the '79 tour, and I guess he figured the '88 band could once again do this tune justice. The band does, Frank doesn't. The surprise comes with Carmen's horn solo- a wise choice by Frank to not include a keyboard solo, or to not cut the song short as he did in '79. Carmen's blowing fits in perfectly with the feel of the song, and saves us from disappointment after Frank's typically lackluster solos. Oh yeah, the rearranged ending sucks. JESUS THINKS YOU'RE A JERK - Essentially performed as on BTHW- for the first nine shows, at least. As the song was originally written, Ike recited the "Twilight Zone" monologue (which special guest

Eric Buxton recites on BTHW). Unfortunately, Ike had a hard time memorizing the monologue, and thus had to rely on a written version to prompt him. This upset Frank, who simply chose to drop the monologue after the ninth performance. Thus, from that point on, the song is essentially the same, just without the monologue (the song still retains the "Twilight Zone" musical quotes in the post-monologue vocals, which without the monologue, really do not make sense). Throughout the tour, this tune is a frequent victim of Secret Word abuse, as is evident in the BTHW version. JOE'S GARAGE- This set-closing/encore number is essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, with the added bonus of an elongated ending, featuring the "Turn it down!/Years was rolling by" motifs. JOHNNY DARLING- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. KEEP IT GREASY- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. KING KONG- The Monster Lives!! Terrorizing set lists from the beginning, the mother of all Monster songs concludes its glorious career with what is possibly its most impressive outing. This song and this band are simply made for each other. We get everything- horn solos, percussion solos, bass and drum madness, Synclavier excursions, random Frank orchestrations, musical chaos, lectures on dinosaurs, and, of course, some tasty Frank solos. From the damn-near perfect arrangement, to the always insane improvisations, this song best exemplifies the greatness that this band could occasionally achieve. [According to Keneally, Bruce's lecture during the 3/5 show (heard on MAJNH) was originally intended to be the first in a series of "When the Horn Players Talk" spoken pieces. Bruce did such a good job with the premiere performance, however, that no one wished to follow him. Thus, no one did. We did, however, get several segments of "When the Percussionist Talks", which featured some rather obtuse Ed Mann rantings.] LET'S MAKE THE WATER TURN BLACKEssentially performed as on MAJNH- the instrumental version- and always performed as part of the Big Medley. LET'S MOVE TO CLEVELAND- Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Note that the end of the song- where the band sings "Let's Move to Cleveland"- is not present on the official release due

to the real time edit into "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling". LONESOME COWBOY BURT- Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL, and always appearing as part of the "Torture" medley. As both released versions from this tour show, this song is a frequent victim of Secret Word abuse. LOUISIANA HOOKER WITH HERPES- This is Frank's rewrite of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", with the words changed to document the tale of Jimmy Swaggert and his visit with a hooker. This appears as part two of the Texas Motel Medley, with the other parts being "Norwegian Jim", a rewrite of "Norwegian Wood", and "Texas Motel", a rewrite of "Strawberry Fields Forever". For two early March performances, "What Kind of Girl?" is added after "Texas Motel". LOVE OF MY LIFE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. As I've said on every page that this song appears on, I absolutely love this song in a live context. While I do not much care for it amid the greasy trappings of "Ruben and the Jets", I find that it provides the perfect contrast and relief (YCDTOSA Criteria #7) in the live chaos that is a Frank Zappa concert. LUCILLE HAS MESSED MY MIND UP- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's tasty guitar fills. While I am on the verge of personally despising all things reggae in the Zappa canon, I find this song to be the shining exception to that rule, and find Ike to be at his best in this sordid tale of unrequited love. LUMPY GRAVY THEME- Essentially performed as on MAJNH, and always as part of the Big Medley. The line "May you never hear vluerbedekking again" (referring back to a '71 performance of the Sofa Suite) is originally intended to be "May you never hear surf music again", which is a reference to Hendrix's "Third Stone from the Sun". This line changed frequently at the whim of Frank, with my favorite mutation being "May you never hear DinahMoe Humm again" (thank you, Frank). MAKE A SEX NOISE HERE- During one US and one Europe "Pound for a Brown", Frank held Sex Noise contests, one of which is documented on YCDTOSA Volume VI. Do I need to say more? MAN FROM UTOPIA MEETS MARY LOU, THEEssentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation.

MARQUESON'S CHICKEN- Frank has an annoying habit of writing songs, complete with excellent segues into the improvisational meat of the tune, and then rewriting those songs, and butchering up the meat, years later. Take "Marqueson's Chicken", for example. Not an outright great song, but an interesting composition worth sitting through simply for the powerful segue into the solo vamp and the solo that would follow. Unfortunately, that statement does not hold true for the '88 tour. We do not get the same vamp we get on "Them or Us", or even a vamp seemingly relating to anything in the rest of the song. Instead, when solo time arrives, "Marqueson's Chicken" stops, some new vamp starts, and Frank starts playing. Regardless of whether Frank's playing is good or not, there is absolutely no momentum taken into this segue, and the abrupt transition is unnecessarily and ineffectively jarring. Plus, it simply pisses me off that Frank does not use the excellent vamp he composed years earlier. (The actual vamp used for this tour is the "21" vamp first heard during the Fall '78 tour, and as interesting as that may be, it provides absolutely no continuity with the structured portion of the tune) [Jon Naurin reminds us that not all was lost this time out: "Note that it was played with the original vamp once, at the only US performance of the song, on 3/20. And yes, it's much better though I think it's pretty cool to hear "21" again (which should probably have worked much better within the context of a monster song)." And in the "you-can't-makeeveryone-happy" department, Pat Buzby with this: "My major quibble is about Marqueson's - as I was planning on pointing out once we got to 5/24, I thought the 21 vamp was inspired, and improved what to me was one of FZ's more mundane instrumental excursions. I knew we couldn't agree about everything. :)"] MEEK SHALL INHERIT NOTHING, THE- Essentially performed as on YAWYI, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. MONTANA- Performed as it has always been performed since time began, though sadly, like most of its earlier '80's cousins (not counting those mutants that popped up for a week in December of '84"Montana's" from a better time and place), these performances have no guitar solos. None. Zero. Zilch. Prompting the oft repeated '80's question- Why, Frank, why? (Though considering how lackluster Frank's guitar solos are this time round, maybe for once this is a good decision). MORE TROUBLE EVERY DAY- Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo, and in the frequent Secret Word sabotage to which this tune would fall victim. For the European portion of the tune, Frank has written a new piece of music, about ten seconds in length, that serves as a segue from the 2nd chorus

to the guitar solo. This segue consists of a series of ascending and then descending riffs- prominently played by the horn section- which takes us from the vocal section into a new vamp (in 13) for the guitar solo. MR. GREEN GENES- Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL. As with the transition from "Florentine Pogen" into "Andy", the transition from this into "Florentine Pogen" is oh-so perfect, and helps create one of the best 3 song pairings of the tour. MY GUITAR WANTS TO KILL YOUR MAMAEssentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. NO NO CHERRY- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. NORWEGIAN JIM- This is Frank's rewrite of "Norwegian Wood", with the words changed to document the tale of Jimmy Swaggert and his visit with a hooker. This appears as part one of the Texas Motel Medley, with the other parts being "Louisiana Hooker With Herpes", a rewrite of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"", and "Texas Motel", a rewrite of "Strawberry Fields Forever". For two early March performances, "What Kind of Girl?" is added after "Texas Motel". OH NO- Essentially performed as on MAJNH, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This always appears as part of the Big Medley (except for a single performance on 5/18 when this serves as the first tune of a not-so-Big Medley). ORANGE COUNTY LUMBER TRUCK- Essentially performed as on MAJNH. This always appears as part of the Big Medley (except for a single performance on 5/18 when this is the second song of a not so-big medley.) OUTSIDE NOW- Essentially performed as on BTHW, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. One of Ike's continually better vocal performances, methinks. PACKARD GOOSE- One of the puzzling "why was this not included on one of the three officially released '88 tour document?" omissions. One of the more frequently performed songs of the tour, this version of the Joe's Garage tune appears essentially as it does on the album, with one major differencethere is no guitar solo. Instead, after the line "Music is the Best", the band jumps head first into the "Royal March/Bartok" medley found on MAJNH. Then, once

this surprise little treat ends, the band returns to the final verse of "Packard Goose" and finishes the song. This is one of the repeated little treats of the tour, and a good argument for why we need yet another live '88 release. PEACHES EN REGALIA- Essentially performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion" (the "Peaches III") version, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. PENGUIN IN BONDAGE- Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL, with the standard deviation coming in the solo, which is either taken by Frank, Mike, or Ike. For one performance in Italy, Frank inserts a loop vamp into the solo section, and solos over this vamp. Yes, it competely ruins the flow of the song, but it does inspire Frank to perform his first "Penguin" solo of the Europe leg. PLANET OF THE BARITONE WOMEN- Essentially performed as on BTHW. POUND FOR A BROWN (ON THE BUS)- This is the most frequently performed of the Big Three Monster Songs, and arguably the most successful of the lot. For some reason, the extended improvisations found in this instrumental classic are typically the most outrageous and intense of any given show (in fact, the majority of the improv from "When Yuppies Go To Hell" comes from this song, as does the last seven minutes of the MAJNH version of "King Kong"). We get all the typical Monster madness- horn solos, percussion solos, Keneally's patented keyboard-andguitar-at-the-same-time solos, keyboard solos, bass and drum solos, and Frank guitar workouts. But we also get the lion's share of the sampled madness during these jams, plus a couple sex noise contests, and a couple visits from Brother A. West. After 20 plus years of lingering on the edge of full-blown greatness, this tune finally reaches maturity during this four month outing, and provides Frank's final tour with some of its greatest moments. ROYAL MARCH FROM L'HISTOIRE DU SOLDATEssentially performed as on MAJNH, an always performed in conjunction with the theme from "The Bartok Piano Concerto #3". In its actual live context, these two songs appear in the middle of "Packard Goose", after the line "Music is the best". There is no "Packard Goose" guitar solo this time round, and upon conclusion of this classical medley, the band returns to the post-solo portion of "Packard Goose". SHARLEENA- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo.

SINISTER FOOTWEAR II- Essentially performed as on MAJNH, with the standard deviation coming in the handful of horn solos scattered throughout the tune. SOFA #1- Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL. While this version is obviously intended to be a performance of "Sofa #1"- the instrumental versionIke occasionally feels so moved by the music that he begins singing along, bringing us into the realm of "Sofa #2". Apparently, however, Ike does not know the original lyrics to the song (or else has forgotten them since '78), and usually justs inserts the Secret Word into whatever spot it can fit. STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN- The US and European portions of the tour each gives us a different version of this surprise cover tune. For the US dates, the song is essentially arranged as the original, Led Zeppelin version is arranged. Keneally begins the tune solo on guitar, playing the tune it has appeared on radio stations for the past 25 years. Eventually, Frank and the rest of the band join in, with tasty guitar licks, the arranged horn bits, and the typical drum parts. For the European dates, we get the full band reggae treatment, which is documented on TBBYNHIYL. For the entire tour, Page's guitar solo is given the hilarious arranged-for-horn treatment , with the remainder of the song performed as on TBBYNHIYL. Throughout the tour, apparently whenever Frank felt like it, he would step up, perform a tasty guitar solo, and generally put Page to shame before the horn section would proceed with its amusing solo rendition. This is the most frequently performed song of the tour, and an always satisfying way to help conclude each show. STICK TOGETHER- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. STINKFOOT- Essentially performed as on MAJNH, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. While "The Black Page" is the more common of the show openers for this tour, "Stinkfoot" seems to have a much greater success with its effect on the remainder of the show. Almost every show that opens with "Stinkfoot" retains an upbeat and intensely good-natured feeling throughout the night's performance. STOLEN MOMENTS- Unlike the BTHW version, the '88 performances of this tune are typically Monster songs. After performing the main theme, the band would typically veer off into improvisational madness, with horn solos, percussion solos, bass solos, and general madness ensuing. It is only during the Chicago 3/3 performance found on BTHW that the post-head activities are limited to one solo.

STRICTLY GENTEEL- Essentially performed as on MAJNH. The silly cartoon-like ending is taken from a 1980 "Hawaiian Punch" commercial which starred everybody's favorite Mormons, the Osmonds. TEENAGE WIND- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. TEXAS MOTEL- This is the third song in the three song Texas Motel Medley. It is a lyrical rewrite of the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever" dealing with American television evangelist Jimmy Swaggert's fun-filled hooker antics. TEXAS MOTEL MEDLEY- This medley, inspired by the fun-filled antics of American television evangelist Jimmy Swaggert, is composed of lyrical rewordings of three Beatles songs- Norwegian Wood (becoming "Norwegian Jim"), Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (becoming "Louisiana Hooker with Herpes"), and Strawberry Fields Forever (becoming "Texas Motel"). Musically speaking, these performances are excellent recreations of the Beatles' tunes, with Frank making some inspired use of his band. Each performance is essentially the same, with the standard deviation coming in the Secret Word abuse to which these tunes frequently fell victim. TORTURE NEVER STOPS, THE- Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo, and with one unplanned, possibly the highlight-of-the-tour Walt Fowler solo. On 4/27, when Frank steps up to take his solo, ugly, out-of-tune notes fly from his fingertips. "Oh oh, I forgot to tune my guitar", declares Frank, who then commands Walt to take over while Frank fixes his problem. Then, basing his solo on the few notes Frank played, Walt confidently proceeds, producing what this reporter thinks is the most beautiful performance of the tour. Soaring. Majestic. Coloring "Torture" a whole new shade of epic. A must hear performance. Frank returns and gives us his now obligatory solo, but sadly cannot match Fowler's creation. Sadly, Frank fails to see this as a starting point for a whole new breed of "Torture's", and thus this is the only deviant "Torture" we get all tour. As on TBBYNHIYL, the song appears as two parts for the entire tour, sandwiching "Bonanza" and "Lonesome Cowboy Burt". As is obvious on the released version, this tune is highly susceptible to Secret Word abuse, and thus frequently falls victim to some pretty ridiculous lyrical mutations. This is another example of Frank's excellent use of musical quotes, with the newly arranged "Torture Part 1" containing quotes from such television shows as "I Love Lucy", "My Three Sons", "Mission: Impossible", and "The Addams Family".

TRUCKDRIVER DIVORCE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's guitar solo. Sadly, Frank's guitar playing on this tune never meets the expectations he set up with the edited "Them or Us" version- on this tour or any other. UNTOUCHABLES THEME- Essentially performed as on BTHW, with the standard deviation coming in Ike's monologue, which is scripted, but nonetheless contains slight deviation in each performance. This tune pops up in the weirdest of places, including right before the "guitar solo" from a May performance of "Stairway to Heaven". WATERMELON IN EASTER HAY- Essentially performed as on "Guitar", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. I chose "Guitar" as the comparison point for this version as I personally find that performance (guitar solo wise) to be a lot less satisfying than the "Joe's Garage" version. Likewise, I find that Frank's "Watermelon" solos on this tour really do not seem to be all that inspired. The arrangement, however, is a different story, with the presence of the horn section adding some very exciting texture to the written portions of the tune. WE'RE TURNING AGAIN- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI. WHAT'S NEW IN BALTIMORE?- Essentially performed as on DHBIM, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in the occasional horn solo, and in Frank's solo. WHEN THE LIE'S SO BIG- Essentially performed as on BTHW, with the occasional deviation coming in the "Is Everybody Stupid?" line (which on BTHW appears as "Do you believe in the Invisible Army?"). WHIPPIN' POST- Essentially performed as on DHBIM, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo, and in Dweezil's occasional guest solo. WHO NEEDS THE PEACE CORPS?- Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL, with its companion piece "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" always present. WHY DOES IT HURT WHEN I PEE?- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume III, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation.

WILLIE THE PIMP- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV (why, Frank, why?), allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. In what may be an overt attempt to apologize for the disco desecration of this number, Frank inserts a full blown performance of the "Flight of the Valkyrie" and a half-baked performance of "Purple Haze" into the 5/26 performance of this number. This little medley occurs immediately into the solo section, and is followed by a rickety segue out of "Purple Haze" into a better than average Frank '88 "Willie the Pimp" solo, which, of course, includes that awful segue into "Montana". (All apologies to the Mighty Miss S for my critique of this tune) [Pat Buzby writes in: "Regarding the Furth Purple Haze, I don't think the solo could be considered a Willie solo - the vamp is totally different. (You may have heard or read FZ's story about having to "bail out" of the botched Purple Haze, with the result that the segue into Montana is even worse than usual.)"] ZOMBY WOOF- Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This is another of the long lost Zappa classics, which thankfully saw the light-of-concert-day every so often in the '80's. ZOOT ALLURES- Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. SONGS PLAYED ON US LEG OF TOUR ONLY AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL- Of all people, who is the last person you would expect to perform a stirring, uplifting rendition of a song attesting to the glories of the United States of America? If you said Frank, then bingo. Who would have figured? Several times, to close a handful of shows at the tail end of the American tour, Frank and company whip out this soul stirring tribute to the land of the free. With Bobby reaching into the depths of his soul, and Ike's husky voice brimming with passion, this song soars to great heights. Frank, realizing the best way to express his feelings, ends the tribute with a short yet evocative guitar solo, winding his way through, around, and above the vocal gymnastics of the band, lifting the euphoric mood to even greater heights. One of the highlights of the tour, and one of the great unreleased gems in Frank's vault. Frank, you done Ray Charles proud. BACON FAT - This is a cover tune that Frank and the Mothers occasionally performed in the late '60's. For the 2/13 performance, the song is performed with the original lyrics, with the music remaining essentially the same as that on BTHW. For all other performances, the first verse appears as on BTHW,

with the unreleased second verse containing new lyrics describing a talk show appearance Frank made early in the tour. There is a possibility of there being new lyrics during the 3/1 performance (the last of the tour), but due to a horrible sounding tape, this cannot be easily confirmed. CATHOLIC GIRLS- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, with the standard deviation coming in the brief horn solos during the middle part. During rehearsals, this song was envisioned as a companion piece to "T'Mershi Duween", with TD coming in the middle part of "Catholic Girls". Hence, during the MAJNH version of "T'Mershi Duween", Ike utters the line "I am such a good boy," referring back to this song. Sadly, this pairing never appears in concert. FIRE AND CHAINS- This guitar solo from MAJNH is from the 2/9 performance of "Pound for a Brown". The final portion of "When Yuppies Go To Hell" is from that same performance of "Pound for a Brown", and the edit from one track to the other is a real time segue. FEW MOMENTS WITH BROTHER A. WEST, A- Two times during the US portion of the tour, Frank brings "Brother A. West" on stage to perform his evangelist routine for the crowd. The performance from TBBYNHIYL is from 2/14, and is an edited version (thank goodness) of his spiel. While it seems rather obvious that this routine was done in parody, Frank had to ask fans who apparently did not get the joke not to harm the Brother if they saw him after the show. GODFATHER THEME - Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL. This song is performed twice, both times in conjunction with "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling". HONEY DON'T YOU WANT A MAN LIKE ME Exactly performed as on YCDTOSA Volume VI, as that is the only performance of this tune on tour. (As I sat and listened to the 3/23 show from which this is from, I realized that any artist who writes a song like this, and then has that song become typical, trite, commonplace in the minds of many of his fans, must truly be one far-out artist. This song gets very little respect in the hard-core FZ community (guilty as charged), which now amazes me. This is one messed up tune.) IKE'S PERCUSSION SOLO- Exactly what it saysIke, at the request of an audience member [Den Simms-> Where's my money?!?], playing a short little solo on his percussion stand. A one time only event, before the second set of the 2/14 show.

IT AIN'T NECESSARILY SO- This song opens the 2/10 show thanks to an appearance by special guest Daniel Schorr (of NPR fame). The band vamps along with this tune during Frank's preliminary comments, setting the scene for Mr. Schorr to come on-stage and actually sing this Gershwin number. JEZEBEL BOY- Essentially performed as on BTHW, which is a note-for-note representation of the single (thank god) performance of this tune. While the tune itself leaves a lot to be desired, the segue into this out of the "Eric Dolphy Memorial BBQ" which precedes it is quite powerful, and redeems the many shortcomings of this tune. LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS- For the first performance of this tune (2/27), the band performs the song essentially as the Beatles did, allowing for very obvious differences in instrumentation. After this premiere performance, Frank then wrote the Texas Motel Medley, using the music to this, "Norwegian Wood", and "Strawberry Fields Forever", but changing the words to document the tale of Jimmy Swaggert and his visit with a hooker. This then became "Louisiana Hooker With Herpes". MURDER BY NUMBERS- Essentially performed as on BTHW, which sadly delivers us an edited version of this successful impromptu event. While the complete version does have a rather sloppy feel to it, it is still nice to hear what really happens during this hastily arranged number. Left on the cutting room floor by Frank- some more Ike/Mr. Sting vocal improvisations, a saxophone solo, and a good portion of Frank's guitar playing. NORWEGIAN WOOD- For the first performance of this tune (2/27), the band performs the song essentially as the Beatles did, allowing for very obvious differences in instrumentation. After this premiere performance, Frank then wrote the Texas Motel Medley, using the music to this, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", and "Strawberry Fields Forever", but changing the words to document the tale of Jimmy Swaggert and his visit with a hooker. This then became "Norwegian Jim". PANTY RAP- Several times throughout the US portion of the tour, Frank gives a Panty Rap. Imagine the hilarity. PROMISCUOUS- Essentially performed as on BTHW- almost note for note, with approximately 15 seconds edited out- as this version represents the single performance of this tune (from 2/26- a good choice by Frank to not ever perform this number again, though why he ever released it is another of those great FZ mysteries).

STAINLESS THE MAIDEN- During the 3/15 show, an audience member passes a hymnal onto the stage, at which point Frank comes across "Stainless the Maiden". Frank has Robert sight-sing the hymn (not much to this, though Robert's mock-religious singing is rather amusing), with the phrase then working its way into the show as a seldom used Secret Word. STEVIE'S SPANKING- Especially performed as on MAJNH- note for note- as this released version represents the only performance of this tune on this tour (from 3/19). TINSELTOWN REBELLION- Essentially performed as on DHBIM, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. UNCLE REMUS- This is one of the many surprises of this tour, popping up three times in the US portion of the tour. The song starts off on piano as always, though the sound of Bobby's electric piano is disappointing compared to the original. The vocals are handled by several band members in unison, Frank, Ike, and possibly Bobby. The song proceeds as normal to the solo section, at which point the horn section plays FZ's album solo, like they do Page's "Stairway to Heaven" solo. After the concluding lyrics, the horn section repeats the arranged solo part, with an individual horn player soloing over the arrangement. During the entire song, neither Frank nor Ike are taking the song seriously, joking around with the lyrics, and ad-libbing a lot of Secret Word action during the instrumental parts. Nonetheless, these performances are great, and it is a treat to hear this tune arranged this way. WHAT KIND OF GIRL DO YOU THINK WE ARE?Essentially performed as on BTHW. This released version is a composite of the only two performances of this tune from the tour, with both performances occurring as part of the Texas Motel Medley. As it appears on this tour, it is essentially part four of the aforementioned medley. To further link it to the preceding three songs, Frank tacks on a "Louisiana Hooker with Herpes" reprise after this song, which brings the Medley to its conclusion. WHEN IRISH EYES ARE SMILING- Essentially performed as on TBBYNHIYL. The song is performed twice, both times in conjunction with "The Theme from Godfather". WHY DON'T YOU LIKE ME?- Essentially performed as on BTHW, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's end-of-song-list-of-people-not-related-toMichael-Jackson bit. This is Stage III in the evolution of "Tell Me You Love Me". Stage I is the "Chunga's Revenge" version (which would be performed in '78 and in the early '80's), Stage II is the 1984 "Don't Be

A Lawyer/Why Don't You Like Me" version, and Stage III is this. [Note: Notice the poor edit at approximately the 2:00 minute mark- Frank fails to keep a consistent beat in his editing job] YO CATS- Frank Zappa meets Milli Vanilli. In tribute to the lip-synching wonders of the world, this band never actually performs this tune. Instead, Frank has the FZMTMOP track played over the PA system, which the band then pretended they were actually playing. Sort-of a full-blown "Putting on the Hitz", if you know what I mean.
SONGS PLAYED ON EUROPEAN LEG OF TOUR ONLY

this tune conveyed 14 years earlier. We get the typical horn solo to start things off, but once this is complete, Frank the Conductor takes over, and we are off into random improv land, including the excellent "loops" jam found on MAJNH. Without a doubt, this 5/24 performance is the '88 "Dupree's Paradise" highlight. The other performances are worth hearing, but since they only contain the two somewhat tame horn solos, they are slightly disappointing (heck, to this Fall '74 fan, they are VERY disappointing). EASY MEAT- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume v, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This tune sounds excellent with the full horn section, especially the presolo classical part. Frank, unfortunately, never produces anything all that worth hearing during his handful of solos. ELVIS HAS JUST LEFT THE BUILDING- Essentially performed as on BTHW. This song premiered during the European portion of the tour, and seemed to arise as a result of Keneally's excellent Johnny Cash performance of "Ring of Fire". FLIGHT OF THE VALKYRIE- This song pops up during the "Willie the Pimp" from 5/26. During this performance, the band immediately segues into "Flight of the Valkyries" upon completion of the vocals, instead of going into the typical guitar solo. After performing the main theme of this piece, they then segue into a somewhat hesitant version of "Purple Haze" similar to the sound check performance found on TBBYNHIYL. This, finally, leads us into an above-average-for-the-'80's "Willie the Pimp" guitar solo, with the cumulative effect being the best version of this song since it was first desecrated by the 1984 band. LOOPS- Prior to each show, Frank would program a short guitar loop with his digital delay equipment, and ready that loop to be used at any given moment during each show. Throughout the tour, these loops are used as the basis for the Frank guitar solos that would frequently conclude the Monster Songs, and are also occasionally used as texture for the improvisational activities of these songs. During the European portion of the tune, Frank begins using the loops as songs in themselves. After concluding a given song, Frank would start up a loop, solo over the loop, and upon completion of the solo, head off into another song. PICK ME I'M CLEAN- As Frank starts to slightly mix things up in the waning days of the European tour, he resurrects this long-ignored classic and shows it the light of day for the first time since 1980. It is

DANGEROUS KITCHEN, THE- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation inherent in a "sprechstimme" production. DESSICATED- This title refers to the composition which would eventually be released as "When Yuppies Go To Hell". As it is performed on tour, this mini-Monster song is composed of the main theme followed by some subdued and mostly Synclavier oriented improvisation. For the official release, Frank pieced together several performances- including a rehearsal performance- in order to complete the head, and then used improvisational sections from various "Pound for a Browns" to help round out the extended jam. This song only appears three times during the tour (with two of them arising out of "Pound for a Brown" jams) , and never really gains the musical confidence that comes across in the pieced together MAJNH version. The most successful of the three performances is probably the 4/14 version, one of the "Pound for a Brown" endeavors. Thanks to its placement in the middle of the other Monster song, the hesitancy of the performance does not detract from the music, and effectively gives "Dessicated" the feeling of being a natural extension of "Pound for a Brown". DUPREE'S PARADISE - After yet another inexcusable 14 year absence, this Monster Song of the early '70's returns to the wonderful world of live Zappa. Sadly, however, the MAJNH version of this instrumental terror is not representative of the manner in which this song is performed for the majority of the tour. In the typical '88 "Dupree's Paradise" performance, the song consists of the head (as it appears on MAJNH), a solo section consisting of two horn solos, and then the return to the main theme. It is only during the officially represented Stuttgart performance that this pattern is deviated from. For that performance, we get the single Monster performance of this tune, and are allowed a brief glimpse into the musical power that

essentially performed as on "Tinseltown Rebellion", with a minor difference in that Frank threw one of the early '80 "ballad" sections into the arrangement. Unfortunately, he fails to relive the guitar glories of the song's earlier tour of duty, leaving us with some rather bland solos. Yes, the song is nice to hear, but does not instill the fear into our hearts like it did four tours earlier. PURPLE HAZE- This song is only performed once during the tour, and it is not the performance captured on TBBYNHIYL. That performance is from a sound check, and is a more confident performance than the 5/26 "in-front-of-an-audience" version. Despite its somewhat clumsy nature, however, the 5/26 performance is great because it comes in the midst of an unusual, much better than normal "Willie the Pimp". During this show's performance of the "Hot Rats" classic, the band segues into "Flight of the Valkyrie" immediately upon entering what should be the guitar solo section. Following this brief Wagner quote, the band then finds itself in the midst of "Purple Haze", and manages to work its way through a rather sloppy performance of the tune. The arrangement is essentially the same as that Best Band version, but the results are not as good. Finally, to end this mini-Monster performance of "Willie the Pimp", Frank takes a better-than-average guitar solo, and the show continues. RHYMIN' MAN- Essentially performed as on BTHW. This song is essentially a showcase for two thingsMike Keneally's Johnny Cash impersonation (the song was written and premiered days after the 4/22 "Ring of Fire" show), and Frank's excellent use of parody through musical quotes. While I have never taken the time to compare tape versions with the official version, the musical quotes used during this song are plenty, and include: Chopin, Mission Impossible, Mississippi Mud, The Untouchables, Happy Days Are Here Again, Entry of the Gladiators, Hava Nagila, Hail to the Chief, La Cucaracha, Frere Jacques, My Sharona, and Hallelujah I'm A Bum. I am assuming that each version contains these same quotes (in this order), but I have never taken the time to find out for sure. Anyone out there know? RING OF FIRE- Amazingly enough, this song is actually performed four times on this tour, with three of them occurring during that out-of-control 4/22 show. The "Best Band" version is the first performance of the tune, with two more coming during the quite lengthy encores. The fourth and final performance comes over a month later during the 5/25 show. STAR WARS WON'T WORK- Essentially performed as on MAJNH, with minor edits occurring prior and following the solo. This solo/impromptu jam occurs as a sort-of coda to the 5/24 performance of "Stairway to

Heaven" (or "Stairway to Star Wars" as that version is more aptly called). Upon completion of "Stairway to Heaven", Frank starts the predetermined guitar loop, and proceeds to make up the song's lyrics based on this loop. [Notice the presence of the loop in the MAJNH version of "Dupree's Paradise", which is also from the 5/24 show]. TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME- Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume IV- note for note- as this released version represents this single improvised event, extracted from the tale end of a "Pound for a Brown". The segue into "Filthy Habits" is left intact from the actual performance. T'MERSHI DUWEEN- Essentially performed as on MAJNH. During rehearsals, this song was envisioned as a companion piece to "Catholic Girls", with TD coming in the middle part of "Catholic Girls". Hence, during the MAJNH version of "T'Mershi Duween", Ike utters the line "I am such a good boy," referring back to a not-performed "Catholic Girls". Sadly, this pairing never appeared in a concert. On 5/1, during a mammoth "Big Swifty", the European duo Zappistitoot- comprised of Mats berg and Morgan gren, on keyboards and drums, respectivelyperform a skeletal but accomplished version of "T'Mershi Duween". YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS- As far as I am concerned, the only reason for listening to this song is to work your way through the repetitive first half in order to indulge in Ray White's end-of-the-song theatrics. Take away the second half vocal dynamics, and you are left with a thirty second song that goes on way too long. Obviously, there is no Ray White this time around, nor is there anything or anyone in his place. Just this blank, empty space. And it kinda sucks. To make matters worse, this song typically follows "City of Tiny Lites" (a la the '84 tour) making us curse the absence of "Pound for a Brown". You are a big disappointment, that is what you is.