The Big Note: A Guide To The Recordings of Frank Zappa

I just noticed that one category of facts is missing: the relase dates of CD editions.
I remember that I bought the newly released CD versions of Hot Rats, Weasels Ripped my Flesh, Sleep Dirt, Zappa In New York and Uncle Meat in the early 90's because there was stuff that was not released on the original LPs. It would be nice to see the exact release dates of those previously unreleased versions.
This book does a great job analyzing all the differences between the CDs and LPs, even the tiny ones between different editions, but lists only two release dates of each album: 'original' and 'current'.

But anyway, this is just nitpicking, the book is awesome!

 

I cannot thank you enough guys for pushing me into buying this book.
Not only all my skepticisms were washed away as soon as I started to browse the pages, but I also came to the conclusion that this the Best Zappa-related Book ever !
It is right up there with Bowie by Nicholas Pegg, Queen by Georg Purvis, or Mark Lewisohn's books about the Fab Four.
Those are the ultimate reference books.
(In fact The Big Note is even better, because it is completely free of subjective opinions, and is based on facts only. )

I know quite well Zappa's music, and yet I'm learning something new on every pages !

(Its only drawback is that it stops in 2015 and does not have the benefit of all the knowledge The Hot Rats Sessions has revealed. that, and all the other archival releases that happened since 2015. Can't wait for an updated version. Or perhaps just a "Volume two : 2015-2020" ? )

 

I vote for an appendix!

 

I agree, this is really a must have book for anyone interested in Zappa, almost equally important as the albums/CDs themselves

 

Return of the Son of the Vinyl vs CDs FAQ

 

My wife bought this for Xmas last year, at my suggestion of course, and she also objected to the fact it was a $35 paperback. Worth every penny!

 

I feel for ya. Only 800 pages what a slacker.

 

A BIG sucker!!