Not "Freak Out", as I have the 1991 Zappa Records reissue which will probably do for me. However, my "Overnite Sensation" arrived yesterday from Amazon (on release day! despite using the free shipping option). Haven't had time to play it yet, but it has CB in the deadwax and a Barking Pumpkin label on one side and a Zappa Records label on the other. The sleeve says it's made in the EU, so presumably ours aren't Furnace pressings. One thing I notice compared with my UK original is that it's now credited to Frank Zappa rather than The Mothers.
I don't know either, but that looks like a sad case of history revisionism yet again. Wasn't this particular line-up of The Mothers especially advertised as a band (it sure was anyway!!)? "The most outrageous bunch so far" (my stressing) it boasted on some ad, under a group photo... Both label and cover of the LP mentionned "The Mothers" only...
It seems really random. On the CD reissues, it was only done on The Grand Wazoo and Over-nite Sensation. Why only those two?
I'm sure somebody who knows the answer will be along shortly, but in the meantime... weren't "The Grand Wazoo" and "Over-Nite Sensation" the only studio albums to be originally credited to The Mothers, i.e. not The Mothers Of Invention, not Frank Zappa, not Zappa / Mothers etc.?
Chunga's Revenge - Frank Zappa Fillmore East - The Mothers (even though it's pretty much the same band as on CR) 200 Motels - Frank Zappa featuring The Mothers Of Invention JABFLA - The Mothers Waka/Jawaka - Frank Zappa The Grand Wazoo - The Mothers (even though there's no actual band, just different musicians on each track) Over-Nite Sensaion - Zappa/Mothers on the front cover, The Mothers on the label Apostrophe(') - Frank Zappa Roxy - Zappa/Mothers One Size Fits All - Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention Bongo Fury - Zappa/Beefheart/Mothers
Are those the period LPs? As for ONS, are you referring to the "Zappa/Mothers" sticker appearing on the briefcase (which is part of the illustration)? Or to something else (an original promo sticker maybe)? The spine says "The Mothers", only.
No. The non-solo albums between Freak Out! and Weasels Ripped My Flesh were credited to The Mothers Of Invention. Fillmore East, Just Another Band From L.A., The Grand Wazoo, and Over-nite Sensation were credited simply to The Mothers. Then, it got weird. Roxy was credited to Zappa/Mothers. One Size Fits All was Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention. Bongo Fury was Zappa/Beefheart/Mothers. Then, Frank dropped The Mothers conceit entirely. It probably had something to do with the Herb Cohen lawsuit, but he dropped it nevertheless. Zappa's bands just became Zappa. The Rykodisc CDs that were released between 1986 and 1994 credited all of the albums just to Frank Zappa only, even if the artwork said something different. They changed that in 1995, when they added the band name where appropriate, but keeping Frank's name first.
The fall 75/winter 76 band with Brock, Lewis, Estrada and Bozzio was the last to use the Mothers name.
Yeah, I'm referring to the cover illustration. The cover artwork reads "Zappa/Mothers" (same as 'Roxy' would) and the spine and label read "The Mothers."
I got to listen to a couple of tracks from the new vinyl Overnite Sensation today. It sounded superb. Had to push the volume knob around to territory it doesn't normally inhabit these days, but then the sound really blossomed in an amazing way. I own an original of this one in nice condition, but on a quick comparison the new one is every bit as good. Buy with confidence. (Nice quiet vinyl too).
Just played my "Over-nite Sensation", and I feel it's a bit of a mixed bag. My copy crackles noticeably beneath Zappa's vocals on "I'm The Slime", and it sounds in places a bit muddled (tape saturation perhaps?). Treble levels seem to vary noticeably from track to track, the jump from "Dirty Love" to "Fifty-Fifty" in particular. My copy was a bit off-centre on side 2, but not audibly so. If that all sounds a bit negative... I put my UK first pressing on for comparison, and took it off again very quickly. Man, that's one dull-sounding record, to the extent that if the tape saturation/treble level issues I whinged about above are present, it would be very difficult to tell. Is that really just down to it being a copy tape? Lots of deadwax on this new cut; my UK original rides right to the label, practically. Still, it's the best "Over-nite Sensation" I've yet heard, and £11 from Amazon. Oh, mine's pressed at Pallas according to the blurb in the gatefold, and mastered by CB from the original 1/4" master tapes.
ONS seems to be a record that was tough to cut. I have tried a few different pressings over the years, some foreign, some domestic, and they all seem to have problems except for my 1A/1A Canadian orginal ("cd" in the runout): I don't know what they did to it here, but it kicks @$$! Loads of bass, smooth treble, just a great listen! Thanks for your review and details!
Bought two of the Zappa vinyl releases at Amoeba in SF today. Listened to both sides of ‘Overnite Sensation" Nice quiet pressing, the entire package reeks of quality. Wide dynamic range, turn this sucker up LOUD. Beats my original near mint copy IMO. Tomorrow I’ll ‘Freak Out’ and see if the neighbors lawn dies.
Is the reissue of Overnight Sensation the remix that's been frequently seen on CD or the original mix?
From the original 1/4" analogue master tapes says the sleeve, so I presume that means it's the original. Conjecture: I would guess it's whatever's on the 2012 CD (which I haven't heard).
There was not a remix of Overnite Sensation. However, some versions have channels reversed. As far as I remember there is no evidence about which is "correct."
How do you tell? BTW my review was referring to “Overnite Sensation”. Will listen to “Freak Out" later today.
