Zappa.com

I have just payed a visit to amazon.com, and guess what i noticed, there's a whole bunch of Frank's CD's that had been listed as discontinued by manufacturer that suddenly have returned to stock. All listed as being on ZAPPA records.

Hmmm, I wonder.

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"Whose foot is to be the measure to which ours are all to be cut or stretched? Is a priest to be our inquisitor, or shall a layman, simple as ourselves, set up his reason as the rule for what we are to read and what we must believe?" T.J.

You're bloody right my friend!
UK Amazon is still Ryko but US Amazon is Zappa records.

I can't believe paid 20 million just for 15 years rights or whatever it was.
Anyway, assuming control is now back with Zappa records and it might just be that they are licensing but this must mean a mighty new income stream. Anyone know if the catalog is available on amazon download/itunes etc?

I saw "Strictly Commercial" up on iTunes (with all the "Beat The Boots", of course).

As far as I know Gail said that FZ's albums were not to be released as downloads, the ones he actually oversaw I'm guessing, he wanted them to maintain a certain quality. I think that between the compilations and the downloads Gail believed that Ryko had violated the terms of the agreement.
Now there's lots of non facts floating around, and I wouldn't jump the gun just yet, not the entire catalog has returned. But it is possible that the case against Ryko has come to it's conclusion. The Zappa name has been officially removed from the Ryko website. Does anyone know anything for sure?

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"Whose foot is to be the measure to which ours are all to be cut or stretched? Is a priest to be our inquisitor, or shall a layman, simple as ourselves, set up his reason as the rule for what we are to read and what we must believe?" T.J.

As a side note, I wish ZFT would dump musictoday and make all of the Zappa releases available through distributors like Amazon who have perfected online ordering, shipping and customer service.

I can understand a degree of frustration with music today, they seem to have some silly mistakes like shipping to an address that doesn't exist (yes that happened to me).
However I think the idea of allowing further monopolization of the market would be a bad idea for everyone's interest.
Keep in mind, that Joe Lieberman is still trying to get things off of shelves and I'm sure he isn't alone. If only the big box distribution remains then it makes it that much easier to eliminate anything that might be perceived as harmful to minors, or otherwise undesirable.
You can't buy independent releases at walmart or for that matter anything with a warning sticker. Amazon has already shown themselves to be more than willing to remove items that might appeal to the LGBT community, is it a stretch to think that if they had more of a monopoly on the market they would be more likely to comply with family values agendas?
Where do you think Frank's music fits with the family values crowd, I might suggest that they would like to see it all in the bonfire. JMO

Sorry, I know it's sort of off topic.
Now to back sort of on topic.

I have decided that I'm going to buy the remasters, I had bought all of the original releases years ago on CD, but after listening to just how different the sound is on SUNPYG I think I must hear them at least. Compression and whatever aside, I like the different sound of the bass and cymbals, not to mention the speed difference that does have sort of an otherworldly feel that the original vinyl had.

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"Whose foot is to be the measure to which ours are all to be cut or stretched? Is a priest to be our inquisitor, or shall a layman, simple as ourselves, set up his reason as the rule for what we are to read and what we must believe?" T.J.

I don't think the "Isn't it terrible that Walmart doesn't carried stickered albums" argument is quite as relevant as it maybe once was, as I don't know of too many serious music consumers who buy albums there anyway. Anyone who goes there with the intention of buying albums must have the most middle-of-the-road taste in the world.

I seriously doubt there's a major threat of Amazon pulling albums off the shelf left and right, and even if they did, the internet is an open-ended enough resource that it would be too easy for consumers to turn elsewhere. It certainly wouldn't be smart business. Walmart can afford to do it because they aren't catering to the same demographic.

Agreed, the internet is somewhat wide open, however I'm sure that is a problem to which a remedy has already been proposed.
As to smart business, think about what blockbuster's family values chain did to the independent mom and pop video stores that had a much wider selection of diverse titles. There is a major push to eliminate things that don't fit the lowest common denominator, and don't kid yourself about it. Money talks and bullshit walks, there is zero chance of something as fascinating as Frank's music ever selling anywhere in the region of the crap that passes for family entertainment. So if the family values crowd complain a little that something too subversive was bought by little johnny on amazon, it will be pulled to save the bottom line. It happened before, it can happen again. The question is not if, but when.
And are we prepared to complain on a grand enough scale to back down the bastards when they try.

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"Whose foot is to be the measure to which ours are all to be cut or stretched? Is a priest to be our inquisitor, or shall a layman, simple as ourselves, set up his reason as the rule for what we are to read and what we must believe?" T.J.

Eh, I don't know. Hip hop is one of biggest selling genres, and it certainly doesn't fit into the family values mold. If money talks, would a major retailer like Amazon pull a gigantic seller just because of a few angry letters?

Good point.

It will not remove everything immediately, it is a process by degrees.

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"Whose foot is to be the measure to which ours are all to be cut or stretched? Is a priest to be our inquisitor, or shall a layman, simple as ourselves, set up his reason as the rule for what we are to read and what we must believe?" T.J.

That's a rhetorical question, right?

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The fun hasn't beginned yet, uh, later on apparently The Mothers are gonna hand out the bingo cards and everything, you know

That's a rhetorical question, right?

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The way I see it Barry, this should be a very dynamite show.

You know, if Canada can go to the WTO to complain about not being able to sell asbestos........ you see where I'm going with this, right?

get them wile you still can! mr. bean

I might hold off on that.
The catalog may be in the process of remastered, possibly by Frank Filipetti.

http://metalliance.com/whoweare.php?p=filipetti

A related interview with Filipetti at euphonix.com has since disappeared.

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Bill