Zappa.com

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"Well of course, everything looks bad if you remember it. Now where are my chili boots?" - HOMER SIMPSON

http://www.idiotbastard.com

There is a god! (Nah, just kidding.) But I am damn excited to hear this news none the less.

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“The power of pop music to corrupt and putrify the minds of world youth are virtually limitless."

Glad to hear it; hopefully it'll come sooner rather than later.

Out of interest (to anyone whom'd know), how come Absolutely Free was (seemingly) passed on in this department? Was it ever publicly addressed?

My presumption would be no substantial bonus material to make it worthwhile, of course, but I'd be surprised if there was none- i.e. not a few worthwhile scraps to make a single CD extension of it (along the lines of GLS/CWR&TJ)-, knowing Frank. On the other hand, this is probably something they have to be selective over, given the size of his catalogue, so perhaps this was just one they decided to miss out/haven't had earmarked/isn't a priority, at least for now. I'd appreciate seeing more from the sessions on that work, if available, though, I have to admit.

I've wondered this myself from time to time, an Absolutely Free Project/Object would be interesting, even if bonus material was limited to interview clips and/or a couple of alternate mixes; I'm always interested in the evolving beliefs of the young FZ.

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Oh No! I don't believe it...
You say that you think you know the meaning of love...

This is going to be the dogs bollocks
Regarding Absolutely Free, I suppose the tracks were laid down in November '66 and like others have said here an expanded release might simply be limited to outtakes and interview clips.
were there any other recording sessions around that time?
The session a couple of months later with hired studio musicians, that eventually surfaced as Lumpy Gravy was covered by Lumpy Money.
I guess the Uncle Meat project will have it's roots back in August '67.

All that aside, I'd shave my entire body hair off to hear anything from the period of AF

The Shaven Drum

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"drums are too noisy, 'n you've got no corners to hide in"

I seem to remember reading Joe saying that there wasn't enough Absolutely Free-related material to make a P/O release possible.

Bunk mentioned an alternate take of "Invocation And Ritual Dance" where he played better (while he thought FZ played better on the master take) but perhaps it wasn't saved.

I just checked the IINK chronology and I saw that it's possible a version of "Toads of the Short Forest" was recorded. I certainly hope there's another version of that composition in the vault. Maybe the Making of Hot Rats would reveal the first part without the bizarro cut into the "Orange County" avant-improv thingy. Anyway, if "Toads" was done with the AF line-up, it probably sounds a cross between the early version (I Was a Teenage Malt-Shop/Mothers at the Fillmore 1966) and the 1967 European tour version (Bunk on flute, possibly even including the composed bit used for 1968-71 King Kong, which now has surfaced as the opening of "Uncle Rhebus" on Finer Moments).

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Lies are like quicksand, soft and comfortable, but they will swallow us. Truth is like bedrock, hard and uncomfortable, but we can always stand on it

i want it in mono with Wackerman/Barrow overdubs

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Make your checks payable to QUENTIN ROBERT DeNAMELAND, Greatest Living Philostopher Known to Mankind.

Methinks some 1984 era "penalty" tracks along with Thana Harris vocal overdubs elsewhere would be real spiffy!

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Lies are like quicksand, soft and comfortable, but they will swallow us. Truth is like bedrock, hard and uncomfortable, but we can always stand on it

Great news. Will order the day it's up for pre-order! Hope it's like 3 CDs and the film is included in the set too.

Ha, I was just thinking about this today and realizing Uncle Meat should be the one. Have been listening to it lately as well. Cool news, hopefully we'll get it for Christmas.

As long as it includes (at a minimum):

The entire original vinyl mix.
The "Guitar" / "Dog Breath" single.

I'll be happy.

Everything else on top is just gravy.

And I do like a lot of gravy on my roast beef and Yorkshire pudding so carry on pouring, sweetcakes

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"drums are too noisy, 'n you've got no corners to hide in"

Thanks for the info and/or consideration with regards the lack of an Absolutely Free P/O; looking at all the existing-soon-expected-to-be P/O releases, the one thing it's missing too, is the need for an OOP-unreleased or a desirable alternate master-mix release as it's foundation (though, arguably, this could of been done with the 2012 analogue remaster, and whatever limited bonuses there were then tacked on to a single CD release with that, so it's probably only a pretty new reality; that alternate take of Invocation sounds tasty to me too). Maybe whatever's there from those sessions will find a release home somewhere, someday on some kind of odds and ends compilation or something.

As for UM, I would expect the original vinyl mix to be the fulcrum of that set, especially given how it was neglected to be issued in last year's reissue campaign (and it would be the main draw for me, as it stands now; I've been hankering to hear that for a while now, and am not, to date, a vinyl listener).

I would imagine there's a good amount of outtakes etc to those sessions, though, so am hoping for a lot of meaty- pun not intended but soon enjoyed- bonus goods.

I am also hopeful that this set will include the movie, too, given it's current- or lack thereof- state of release (seems a great opportunity to take, compilation-wise, though not sure what role cost to complete such may play in that decision, and/or whether they just wish to keep those components of the project separate, for whatever reason).

this has got to be the greatest news I've heard in eons!
Uncle Meat is one of my all time faves!

Original vinyl mix? YES PLEASE!

Movie? GOD NO!
Horrible crap! What was Frank thinking?
Why "polish a turd" for this release?

Outakes? I'm sure there's plenty.
Lots of Don Preston to be sure....

King Kong?
One of the first real jazz/rock compositions.
Very important!

Haha (at the movie inclusion feeling)!

I guess I am talking from a not-having-seen-it perspective, but, though I've became aware some fans really don't rate it, I guess I just can't imagine it being that bad or having no interest or merit for me at all, and/or I do like the idea of having it included with the corresponding soundtrack in a compilation such as this, regardless.

I like the Don Preston and/or King Kong (outtake) anticipations, however!

It really is. There are lots of funny bits, little flashes of greatness, but as a whole it's incoherent, repetitious, and boring. And I speak as someone who adores 200 Motels. Oh, and Frank comes off as a dick trying (unsuccessfully) to bully Phyllis Altenhaus into stripping for the camera.

I vote they include the movie in the set as a bluray with an uncompressed original vinyl mix of the album included on the Bluray, and a separate edit of the Albert Hall concert material.

C'mon, let's dream big.

But good or bad, I'd prefer the movie included in this then a separate release that I will be compelled to buy regardless.

Interesting insight and/or opinion, thanks for sharing.

I would anticipate feeling similar to yourself, but the positive merit- i.e. being funny and/or having quality moments-, would probably still be enough for me to want it included (I feel similarly to Ruz-El beneath you; ultimately I'm gona want it anyway- no matter how I end up feeling about it-, and it's not really gona tarnish how I feel about the rest of the set- whatever that will end up encompassing i.e. it's easily compartmentalizable for me-, so I'd prefer it included in this set, DVD-Blueray).

I don't particularly enjoy it whenever Frank comes off like a dick to me, however, so if I find that incident in the film you cite similarly to yourself, that will be a bit of a blemish to me.

Oh, I will take anything MOUM is the holy grail for me, I so loved LM and MOFO. I think there would be tons of unedited King Kong, things like Nine Types of industrial Pollution likely have out takes and lots of unreleased harpsichord.

Oh and some Fog Breath especially the slowed down part Frank yanked through the captain to take it up ( I forget the details on the LP) after "ready to attack"

Too good to be true

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If we're dumb . . .
Then God is dumb . . .
(An' maybe even a little bit ugly on the side)

Give me the movie and anything else they can find, I want all the Uncle I can get

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If we're dumb . . .
Then God is dumb . . .
(An' maybe even a little bit ugly on the side)

I'd be hoping there's more Uncle Meat Variations lurking somewhere, there must've been a few takes on that

Oh hell.....alright!
Throw the damn movie in!
If you drink enough it may not be THAT BAD...

It never really "elevated" Frank's greatness for me though...just cheapened it.
Maybe that was the idea...
Just look at the cover of the album!
Probably one of the most repulsive album covers OF ALL TIME!

I LOVE IT!!

It's the "ugly freak" side of Frank that was so inseparable from his genius.
What a two-sided coin he was!

Surely it would be good manners to throw in the whole September '67 Albert Hall show too?
Some of the basic tracks that appeared on UM were recorded before and after this European tour and that particular gig was a milestone for the Mothers. It made the headlines when Don Preston played on the pipe organ.

Or should this just be a stand alone Road Tapes type release?

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"drums are too noisy, 'n you've got no corners to hide in"

Well, considering how low-fi the "Louie Louie at Albert Hall" really sounds on the Uncle Meat, I don't think the whole show merits a release, if the rest of the show sounds as terrible (judging by the contemporary standards of, say "Tis is the Season to be Jelly" concert recording a week later) as this excerpt does. I think the pipe organ thing was more released on Uncle Meat as a socio-musical commentary of some sorts (considering FZ' wont for shocking society and freaking out), more than for any other musical value.

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Lies are like quicksand, soft and comfortable, but they will swallow us. Truth is like bedrock, hard and uncomfortable, but we can always stand on it