I'm in Room 3;Disk 5 for another 50 minutes. Thinking of all the work SirQ has put into this video. I'm flipping out.
Finally got a version with disc 2. My efforts to go through Universal went nowhere -- they kept asking for my order number even after I told them (multiple times) that the product was purchased through Amazon and not Umusic. Since my return window at Amazon was closing I requested an exchange. The replacement copy arrived yesterday and, lo and behold, there was a disc 2 where it was supposed to be. While this is not one of my favorite Zappa albums this collection, along with the corresponding section in The Big Note (excellent book), has given me a new appreciation for this project. Getting a complete copy was a pain in the ass but the sheer audacity behind putting this set (and Hot Rats) together should be applauded. Hopefully a Wazoo/Waka project is not far behind........
I'm in Room 3 Disk 6 today. Wanted to share a nice Sandwich Wrapper Glue concept. Back in the day cellophane and glue was a common form of Centerville Sandwich Wrapping. Thinking of a 200 Motels Sawdwich Sticker. Just go down to the lobby, that little alcove with machines. Get your 200 Motels Sandwich. The main difference from 1971 to today is the world today uses less plastic and glue and more parchment paper and stickers. We also may have to offer more microbiotic food sandwiches. If you go into a good old school NYC Italian Deli you will get a hero or sandwich that is held closed with a Boar's Head Sticker or whatever the name of the fancy sandwich a shop is. So this brings good old Zappa hardcore friend The Dynamic Eric Buxton to mind. In the 80s I went over to Eric's house out on Long Island and dubbed a number of Zappa VHS compilations of 200 Motels, Interviews and several amazing European TV productions. Long before YouTube and official VHS releases it seemed that VHS comp jems were Flash Gordon light years ahead of Zappateers. Eric always had Zappa stickers he made up and gave to his friends. Imagine if you will, a 200 Motels Sawdwich Shop with a variety of 200 Motels artwork stickers holding a sandwich together. What's it going to be, Chicken, Beef or Tofurkey. While I did miss a day of listening along the way I do plan to enter Room 4 and listen to Disk 1 later on.
You got ("a", must less multiple) response from Universal? I am trying to return my (sealed) box set to UDiscover (Part of Universal if I am not mistaken) and haven't gotten a response. I even tried through Instagram messaging (admittedly not getting my hopes up). I just decided to keep the 2CD set and not play box-set roulette based on stuff I likely won't listen to (but glad they put out that kind of stuff on these boxes).
For every poor soul who's adrift in the storm of manufacturing mishaps we can all be Strictly Genteel. So happy your issue is resolved but at times I am sure it feels like customer service for record and CD manufacturing is off for treatment at Rance Muhammitz Colonics. Not sure what streaming plans folks are subscribed to but the Hi Resolution files sound amazing.
Reference as to what was happening at Pinewood Studios at the video/filming time of 200 Motels. 200 Motels, THE PERSUADERS! Ep: The Ozerov Inheritance, Fiddler on The Roof and Revenge. Let's beging with THE PERSUADERS! Ep: The Ozerov Inheritance Ironically it opens with a shot of the Lake Geneva shoreline. If anyone thinks this conceptually links to the 71' Mothers, more proof for the pudding, The Persuaders! used recurring elements that were in Roger Moore's previous series The Saint. Guess we can call the Conceptual Continuity Shaken, Not Stirred.
Hey Vaultmeister, As far as I'm concerned, the reason Frank's work will move forward with the dignity and care to detail is because of your head and hands. Been listening to Frank since I was 11 years old (thank goodness I had a sister who dated a Mothers fan back in 1968) and with all your doing to preserve (as well as researching) the vaults you have continued to open my ears with his music. So ...Thank You!
I did initially bite my lower lip at the cost of this (24/96 download). But one spin promptly put me at ease. Now that I've been through it twice, I can only marvel at @Vaultmeister 's effort. This is right up there with the Roxy, ZINY, Lumpy Money, Hot Rats, Orchestral boxes. Absolutely essential. The content is monumental, emphasis on mental. Disc 5 is loaded. The sound quality is breathtaking. This is one of those times where having every last original detail present in a milestone legacy album is less important than having a presentation that sounds so substantially superior to the original. Especially an original known to have so many issues going all the way back to the recording stage. F&E might always be my least favorite era, but 200 Motels has always been in my Top 10 FZ list. Thanks, Joe!
Joe is every Marvel Superhero in a blender. If someone fails to see and hear that maybe their Irish Catholic Big Tit Scratchy Sweater ideology has been dumped into their mashed potatoes. For Munchkins of Facebook It's Torchum. Some folks that are eating that, there is just too much negative mamalian protruberance energy trying to bring down our superhero. There is no cryptoite, just follow the music. If anyone needs a real helping, seek the path to the disk set. While I am not listening today, giving the set 3 full listens, I am amazed at layers that reveal since first listening to the set a few weeks ago. I'd rather not get into detail, as let folks see as much on their own but this set along with The Film and 200 Motels Shooting Script help reveal things that we may have not seen in 50 years. There are also interviews, check out The Seed from Dec 1970, Frank reveals things in that interview about the upcoming filming and a Beloit WI recording that Frank had wanted to release. Joe put those tapes in Mothers 70'. One thing is for sure, Joe is On Duty. Included here is a helping of the real deal.
The second to last track of this box talks 6 minutes about a TV commercial of 200 Motels. I wonder has anybody ever seen that commercial?
ZAPPA: It’s a musical film. The villain is played by Theodore Bikel. He plays a guy called Rance Muhammitz who owns a town called Centerville. He’s got an orchestra called the Centerville Philharmonic, which bit the bag last season financially. He owns everything in town – the Calamus [Colonics] Parlor, the Redneck Restaurant, the psychedelic nightclub, he’s got it all covered. It’s the orchestra that he used to keep around so he could listen to Wagner every once and a while because he’s got this Nazi-type syndrome they didn’t do too well, so he’s looking for a way for the orchestra to break even, That’s one sub-plot that’s happening. The main thing that’s happening in the film is it’s the diary of how you go on the road, it makes you crazy. 1970-12 Zappa
This reveal came about while watching the film the other day. While there are parts of the film that the concert pianist of The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is playing, the concert piano part in Janet's Big Dance Number is performed by George Duke. George also has some great Lowell George sounding vocal parts on the box set but that's for another time. We can see and hear George Duke handling concert piano. Look at about the 1:50 mark of the Shove It Right In section in the film..Due to age restriction I can not link here. At the part where Janet's Big Dance Number begins, you can see several video edits of George performing. George's piano playing throughout is glorious. I do see people awaiting a Zappa Waka/Wazoo 40th Anniversary Box set. Yeah those George Duke Demos would be an amazing inclusion but it all began earlier. George is handling far more parts in 200 Motels than many realize. The music is far more denser than having the Rock Ensemble and Royal Philharmonic each playing parts, how they melded together is quite remarkable.
Due noted correction. The above post should reference the concept of Zappa Waka/Wazoo 50th Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo are celebrating 50th Anniversary years in July/November 2022.
Joe's liner notes on 200 Motels speaks of the years of work that went into making the 50th Anniversary Series. Surely there are many more reels of tape of material, so much that had not be included due to redundancy. Nothing against the 2 Zappacast productions on the 200 Motels 50th Anniversary project but something that could be more expansive with entries added as time allows. I'd love to see and hear a 200 Motels Outtakes Series "Travers Motel" More like a reference museum with up to 200 Audio Segments of music, interviews, written dialog and media.
I always found the 'two-chord' opening to this to be the proto-"Navel Aviation In Art"! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar5MJDcpy3I
Charles Ulrich reminded me that "Naval Aviation" itself was in the film (during the Jimmy Carl Black/Theo Bikel dialogue after "Lonesome Cowboy Burt") although it wasn't in the original album. Re George Duke's concert piano, an earlier example is "Envelopes" from the Mothers 1970 set.
When I mentioned George Duke performance along with sheet music a friend told me to look closely, where you could see The Secret Stare written on the sheet music. I would suggest anyone go to this section of the film, Shove It Right In, and look closely. Others are making valid points of George Duke performing written piano parts, such as Envelopes, on Mother's 70'. These are all really fine examples that The Mothers were way beyond being a comedy angle of a Vaudeville Act. The term Vaudeville itself implies a wide variety of talent. That's the key point with this band. We can certainly get into the dinner details.
Meant to put this here, but all related. When I mentioned George Duke performance along with sheet music a friend told me to look closely, where you could see The Secret Stare written on the sheet music. I would suggest anyone go to this section of the film, Shove It Right In, and look closely. Others are making valid points of George Duke performing written piano parts, such as Envelopes, on Mother's 70'. These are all really fine examples that The Mothers were way beyond being a comedy angle of a Vaudeville Act. The term Vaudeville itself implies a wide variety of talent. That's the key point with this band. We can certainly get into the finer details.
