Frank Zappa - Orchestral Favorites (40th Anniversary Edition) (3 CD) tbr August 15th 2019

I've got 2 things to say:
1. I wasn't expecting this one.
2. I'm officially excited (+very officially excited about the Hot Rats anniversary release)

 

Glad to see this release back at a reasonable price. After the recent ZINY and reading the words "specialty packaging" for this one, I was concerned.

Will happily get myself a copy.

 

That's the price for Europe ;-)

Seriously though, I don't understand why the recent Zappa releases are so much expensive in Europe. Roxy is €60-70 and ZINY €80-90!

What gives?

 

I've been alarmed by that with John Zorn CDs as well ... I think it's partly the strength of the dollar but there's something else going on as well ... I wonder whether it's just the small numbers of sales involved messing up the distribution.

Or could be artists beginning with Z ...

 

Pay back for the Royal Albert Hall fiasco and the `82 tour riots!

 

Now this I can behind, not like ZINY which was the compromised version. (My complaints could be solved with Läther and Audacity, couldn't it?)

 

Revised Music For Low-Budget Symphony Orchestra (Live At Royce Hall, 1975)

 

Zappa chopped all the tapes for ZINY so much there was not much they could do right ? I was more than happy with it. I pre ordered this 3cd set ! I am so excited for Hot Rats P/O also !

 

Now I'm wondering what could be in store for any future Sleep Dirt and Studio Tan reissues.

 

I'll be getting this 3 disc set. and I'm waiting for the Waka/Wazoo expanded set. I don't know if they're going to hold off until the 40th in 2022?

 

I'm quite surprised they didn't do Hot Rats 50th instead.
Of course Orchestral 40th is welcome, but I thought Hot Rats 50th P/O was the obvious choice.

 

Interesting. Was expecting Hot Rats Box any day now, but...I may have together this.

 

Sleep Dirt w/ and w/out vocals would make a nice set. Wasn't most of Studio Tan covered by Lather?

 

Aiyeee, do not want Sleep Dirt with the vocals. Ever. Ugh.

 

No more Gary Panter cover art? Maybe I'm in the minority, but I sort of liked "The Uglies".

 

You're not alone.

 

Has there been any official talk or hints about this? I haven't heard anything.

 

They're really determined to put out as many Deluxe Editions of as many albums as possible lately, huh? I'm beginning to think I'll never see another Road Tapes... Whither the previously unreleased stuff not connected to already issued stuff?

 

You're not serious, are you? There have been far more standalone Zappa concerts released than packages like this one.

 

I'm not sure that there is enough leftover Hot Rats material for a box set.

This was Frank in a rented studio with hired musicians, who were certainly more expensive than the Mothers. I'm not sure that he would have recorded a lot of extra material.

Other than the Lil' Clanton Shuffle (from Lost Episodes), Twenty Small Cigars (from Chunga's Revenge) and Bognor Regis (from the bootleg acetate), is there really a lot more in the can? I can always hope, but I don't think it's likely.

Also, the band didn't really tour, just a handful of shows in early 1970, so probably not a lot of live stuff to fill up a box.

Hey, I hope I'm wrong but I'm just trying to be realistic here.

 

One great Hot Rats leftover is Sharleena on Lost Episodes. I'm glad they're doing Orchestral Favorites.

 

Yeah and iirc there are no live recordings in the vault from that period. @pbuzby?

I’m thinking there has to be something since Gumbo Variations was expanded on the Ryko cd issue.

Even some Ian Underwood outtakes. Dick Barber Snorks from the Lumpy Gravy sessions?

 

I think (THINK, mind you) that something on "Quaudiophiliac" is from the "Hot Rats" sessions, too...

 

I'm not a Hot Rats worshiper. It's a good album, but I don't care about any future morsels. People have a hundred Zappa releases and they're not satisfied. They want more, more, more...

 

I still remember saying a WTF out loud when I heard the vocals on CD for the first time.

And yes, I would take anything instrumental from FZ in a deluxe box set version.

Note to ZFT: Straight clamshell packaging is always preferred. We can care less about pizza box, manhole and halloween costume...