New Zappa release "Joe's Camouflage"

http://barfkoswill.shop.musictoday.com/Product.aspx?pc=ZPCD169&cp=971_57756&src=SHAR002

As usual, limited details but this appears to be a rehearsal tape of a lineup Zappa had in mid 1975 that never toured (FZ, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Roy Estrada, Terry Bozzio, Denny Walley, Novi Novog and Robert "Frog" Camarena).

The zappa.com online radio station played two quite good tracks from this (an early version of "Any Downers" and an unreleased instrumental titled "Phyniox") around Thanksgiving.

 

What did Novog and Camarena play? Were they vocalists? I've been going through a serious Zappa binge lately; just discovered the Zappacast podcast via iTunes ... if you haven't heard it, look it up! Well worth your while ...

I am so behind on ZFT releases ... and now, after getting Mothermania on CD for xmas and researching the sources for the new remaster series ... oh, dear god ...

 

I believe Camarena was a vocalist and Novog was on vocals, viola and keyboards. Incidentally, she played the viola solo on the Doobie Brothers' "Black Water."

Oddly, in this band Napoleon Murphy Brock also played keyboards. Zappa abandoned this idea by the time the band went on tour and brought in keyboardist Andre Lewis.

 

Looks interesting...

 

Haven't seen a "Joe" disc for awhile, what with all the Vaulternative concerts, Road Tapes and projects/objects coming out. Good doo-doo!




Now playing on Ariel Stream: Scott Appel - (Nick Drake's) Hazy Jane

 

Intrigued. Multi-track sound quality or is it a single mic affair?

 

Judging from the Zappa Radio samples it is a stereo room recording. I had forgotten there was an earlier thread about this release started when those tracks surfaced on Zappa Radio.

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/frank-zappa-joes-camouflage.335913/#post-9994084

 

In another forum a member reminded me that there are panning effects on Zappa's guitar that could probably not have happened on a room recording, so I guess it is a soundboard mix.

 

I'll wait to see if both Roxy by Proxy and this actually ship before ordering.

My new Zappa rule is two at a time to save on shipping.....but also make sure that nothing is on indefinite pre-order again.

 

My personal policy is: Never. Pre-order. Anything.

From anybody. Even with good intentions and effort, stuff happens. I don't need to have anything on day of release. I understand the need to create pre-release online buzz, but I can't get in a Läther over it.

Meanwhile, Camouflage looks like a keeper!

I'll be happy to add it to my 4-year order plan @ Barfko.

 

They're claiming a February 14 ship date for PROXY now.

 

Can't wait for this one!

For those in the UK/EU who don't already know, G and S Music in Liverpool is the place to get this when it comes out.

 

Has anybody received the discount email? I pre-ordered and canceled, can I get a discount?...

 

G&S Music? Do these guys carry all ZFT releases? What do they charge? I think someone here mentioned them to me a while ago ... Hmmm.

 

The "reward" for pre-ordering (and paying for) Roxy By Proxy six months ago is 10% off of this $16 title. So $1.60. That's it. One dollar. And sixty cents.

 

Tracklist. http://www.zappa.com/fz/discography/2014joescamoflage.html

 

I might have to get this one too.... damn.
I remember when the latest Zappa release was less than 5 bucks. It was new too! Not from some dusty vault of unreleased stuff...

 

It's supposedly a one-time individual discount code for folks who've preordered ROXY BY PROXY preorder. Can't be used twice and can only be used by the person it was sent to. I used mine.

 

I actually haven't bothered with any of the Joe's series. Since bundling is the way to go with Barfko, maybe this would be a good time to catch up. What's the general consensus on these? Are some better than others?

 

Some are not that great....you may need to do a search for the skinny on each release.

 

The only previous one I own is Joe's Domage, which some people hate (mainly due to sound quality - it is from a 1972 rehearsal and the recording has distortion issues) but I find to be an interesting look at Zappa's preparation for the 1972 "big band" albums, with some big variations in the material from what we know from the albums. It is one you will probably only listen to once every few years though.

 

My CD arrived today. Most of it is from 4-track recordings and sounds fine, although a few tracks are from a lesser quality cassette.

It has two previously unheard Zappa pieces, two takes of the aformentioned "Phyniox" (a theme that reminds me of Romantic Warrior-era Return To Forever with some strong Zappa guitar soloing over it) and "Reeny Ra," sort of a doo wop/fusion hybrid. Other tracks are less different from what appears on tapes from the fall 75/winter 76 tour (early versions of "Honey Don't You Want A Man Like Me," "Illinois Enema Bandit," "Black Napkins"), but show that the band would have had more of a classical flavor if Novi Novog had been on the tour, and Denny Walley's guitar gives some of the vocal tracks more of a Beefheart/blues style. Worth checking out.

 

Finally listening to this album now...very interesting! The sound is great, as is the band, and some very interesting material. This is smack-dab in the middle of my favorite FZ era (1970-1980) and I am really enjoying it, especially the unreleased stuff like "Phyniox" and "Reeny Ra." More of this type of release, please, Gail!

 

Still the only one I don't have. Shipping to Canada pretty much doubles the cost, so I held out for the next one to come out so I could order (at least) both at once. It's been "out of stock but we can backorder" at BarfkoSwill for months now, with no sign of any change and no sign of any other Zappa release ever coming out.

 

The studio cuts of "Illinois Enema Bandit" and "Black Napkins" make it worth it, especially the latter. Even in a studio setting, FZ can't help but deliver on the solo in that one. Highly recommend this one, much better than Joe's Domage.