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folks,

I'd like your opinions on the best available live version of The Torture Never Stops.

And please say why....is it the best solo, best vocal, the whole band on great form etc etc?

thanks a lot

even if one knew we wouldn't be so frivolous and tell never a thing to no-one, ...effen a lol.

For me, it's the one on YCDTOSA Vol 1. Great solo, and it just has a, I don't know, a mood that's better than all the other versions.

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Thing-Fish

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Jayp beat me to this one. Absolutely 2-15-78 w/ Rat Tomago. Balls!

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Sigh. Now I gotta go find this.

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You gotta give the people something good to read, on a Sunday

I don't really like the 'zoot allures' version. too much screaming.

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"bit of nostalgia for the old folks."

My favourite is Zoot Allures. I love the bassiness of it all. It's bare essentials on that one, on later versions like Best Band there's the added doodoo-daludaDOO, which don't compliment the song much. And the Beefheart torture is interesting but it lasts way too long.
What's left is the Ike Willis one on ThingFish. I love Willis but I don't like the accent much, too distracting.

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Thanks folks

I've got the YCDTOSA, and it is indeed brilliant.
Zoot Allures - good, but not brilliant, imo.

Trying to track down the Berlin boot, sounds very interesting. Will probably to to pick up the Thingfish too.

Thanks a lot, and any new contenders welcome.

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Arf you out of your fucking mind.

forgot to mention that's my favorite version.

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"bit of nostalgia for the old folks."

ALL OF THEM

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Arf you out of your fucking mind.

I love the Zoot Allures one, and the new ZPZ (return of the son of) Version. I loved the last ZPZ one aswell.

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Arf!

Got it!

wow, just wow. Outstanding stuff.

Thanks for the tip!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llTdQ0yRPqM
Frank Zappa - The Torture Never Stops (Berlin 02-15-1978) Ex Soundboard


It,s not as good as all of them

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Arf you out of your fucking mind.

I don´t think the solo is that great. I´ve heard much better "Torture" Solos.

I agree with this. I could do without the screams on the Zoot Allures version, but that performance really does capture the perfect atmosphere for the song. The Best Band and Thing-Fish versions are fun and enjoyable, but they lose the entire evil mood of the Zoot version.

The Zoot Allures studio version is unforgettable, but the long workout on Buffalo deserves a mention, too.

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We make a special art in an environment hostile to dreamers. Frank Zappa, 1971

neeeh... i love berlin 78 concert, but torture is nothin' special...

vol 1 for me... i must agree too much screaming on zoot alures

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The 88 tour version. I like how he suddenly changes everything for a couple of minutes. And when he sings in that demented voice: ALLLLLL MENNNNN BEEEEE CURSED.... Cracks me up every time. This version doesn't have the best solo ever though. There are too many great solos that sprang from that song, I can't decide.

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Everytime we picked a booger we'd flip it on this one winduh. Every night we'd contribute, 2, 3, 4 boogers. We had to use a putty knife, man, to get them damn things off the winduh. There was some goober ones that weren't even hard...

The last 1980 show at San Diego - that's the best Torture I've ever heard (so far out they don't even return to the head at the end!)

I like the original on ZA the best screams and all (I know the question was about best live version). I never liked the live arrangement as much even though there are many great versions with many great solos.

flyfootly bringing the torch to the beacon on Merryphun, Olympia and behold, gold, silver and metal is already heavily raining on the runners-up who took an abbreviated course of distraction. Now, that's proper game, innit? Sm Oz for more whooping posts.

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I do love the one on Buffalo, with compression and all. The bass on there sounds almost like a reggae dub, which isn't such a bad thing when you've grown up with Public Image Ltd and Jah Wobble. There's a sick phasing effect just at the beginning of Frank's first guitar solo (yes, this is the one with TWO big guitar excursions + the keyboard playfulness). Do you know if the effect comes from the tapes, or is it Filipetti's invention? There's some phasing a couple of times on HO HO HO also, but not as prominent as here. I don't know if this is the best Torture, but it's pretty goddamn satisfying!

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We make a special art in an environment hostile to dreamers. Frank Zappa, 1971