Zappa in New York

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Zappa in New York
Live album by Frank Zappa
Released	March 3, 1978
Recorded	December 26 – December 29, 1976
Genre	Jazz fusion, comedy rock, hard rock, progressive rock
Length	59:05 (LP) 101:56 (CD)
Label	DiscReet Records
Producer	Frank Zappa
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
Frank Zappa chronology
Zoot Allures (1976) Zappa in New York (1978) Studio Tan (1978)

Zappa in New York is a live album by Frank Zappa. It was recorded at a series of concerts at New York City's Palladium in December 1976,

Zappa had originally intended to release it in 1977, but the release was delayed over disagreements that Zappa's DiscReet Records label then had with record distributor Warner Bros. Records. A small number of LP pressings appeared in 1977 with Zappa's original intended track listing. But soon after this Warner withdrew the album and removed the song "Punky's Whips" without authorization. Warner also re-sequenced some of the remaining songs on the LP before re-releasing it in March 1978.

Zappa later reacquired the album, and released it as a remixed double CD in 1991, restoring "Punky's Whips." The CD version of the song also included a good deal of overdubbed guitar, which had been recorded at the same time as the album's other overdubs, but never used on the LP version. The CD re-issue of Zappa in New York also added four new bonus tracks and a significantly longer version of "Titties and Beer".

The album is notable for the presence of members of the Saturday Night Live band, such as Lou Marini and Tom Malone, with the Brecker Brothers featuring also. Don Pardo was also invited by Zappa to the concert at the Palladium, and he narrates introductory statements on "Punky's Whips" and "The Illinois Enema Bandit" and "sings" a verse of "I'm the Slime" (he did the same for Zappa's 1976 Saturday Night Live appearance).

This album presented mostly new material, such as the aforementioned "Punky's Whips", a tale concerning drummer Terry Bozzio's infatuation with Punky Meadows, a guitarist in the band Angel, set along to a complex, striking musical composition. There is also the humorous "Titties and Beer", featuring Terry Bozzio in the role of the Devil, with whom Zappa is trying to negotiate with in order to reacquire the titular possessions. Typical for Zappa, alongside such "funny" songs, he also presented such musically complex pieces as "The Black Page", and "Manx Needs Women", which stretched the band to its limits. "The Purple Lagoon", an extended track which took up an entire side of the original vinyl release, features a rhythmically challenging opening theme (which also includes an arrangement of Zappa's earlier composition "Approximate") and jazzy solos from the Brecker brothers, bassist Patrick O'Hearn and saxophonist Ronnie Cuber.

Along with the new songs, Zappa also included new arrangements of the waltz "Sofa" (which originally appeared on One Size Fits All) and an old R&B-styled Mothers of Invention tune, "Big Leg Emma".

Contents 1 1978 LP Track listing 1.1 Side one 1.2 Side two 1.3 Side three 1.4 Side four 1.5 CD Re-release 1.5.1 Disc one 1.5.2 Disc two 2 Personnel 3 References

[edit] 1978 LP Track listing

All tracks written by Frank Zappa.

[edit] Side one

1. "Titties & Beer" – 5:39
2. "I Promise Not to Come in Your Mouth" – 2:50
3. "Big Leg Emma" – 2:17

[edit] Side two

1. "Sofa" – 3:15
2. "Manx Needs Women" – 1:40
3. "The Black Page Drum Solo/Black Page #1" – 4:06
4. "Black Page #2" – 5:31

[edit] Side three

1. "Honey, Don't You Want a Man Like Me?" – 4:15
2. "The Legend of The Illinois Enema Bandit" – 12:31

[edit] Side four

1. "The Purple Lagoon" – 16:57

[edit] CD Re-release

[edit] Disc one

1. "Titties & Beer" – 7:36
2. "Cruisin' for Burgers" – 9:12
3. "I Promise Not to Come in Your Mouth" – 3:32
4. "Punky's Whips" – 10:51
5. "Honey, Don't You Want a Man Like Me?" – 4:12
6. "The Illinois Enema Bandit" – 12:41

[edit] Disc two

1. "I'm the Slime" – 4:24
2. "Pound for a Brown" – 3:41
3. "Manx Needs Women" – 1:51
4. "The Black Page Drum Solo/Black Page #1" – 3:50
5. "Big Leg Emma" – 2:17
6. "Sofa" – 2:56
7. "Black Page #2" – 5:36
8. "The Torture Never Stops" – 12:35
9. "The Purple Lagoon/Approximate" – 16:40

[edit] Personnel

• Frank Zappa – conductor, keyboards, lead guitar, vocals, producer
• Ray White – rhythm guitar, vocals
• Eddie Jobson – keyboards, violin, vocals
• Patrick O'Hearn – bass guitar, vocals
• Terry Bozzio – drums, vocals
• Ruth Underwood – percussion, synthesizer, overdubs
• Don Pardo – narration
• Dave Samuels – timpani, vibes
• Randy Brecker – trumpet
• Mike Brecker – tenor saxophone, flute
• Lou Marini – alto saxophone, flute
• Ronnie Cuber – baritone saxophone, clarinet
• Tom Malone – trombone, trumpet, piccolo

• John Bergamo – percussion overdubs
• Ed Mann – percussion overdubs
• Lou Anne Neill – osmotic harp overdub

[edit] References

v • d • e Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention Main albums Freak Out! • Absolutely Free • We're Only in It for the Money • Lumpy Gravy • Cruising with Ruben & the Jets • Uncle Meat • Hot Rats • Burnt Weeny Sandwich • Weasels Ripped My Flesh • Chunga's Revenge • Fillmore East - June 1971 • 200 Motels • Just Another Band from L.A. • Waka/Jawaka • The Grand Wazoo • Over-Nite Sensation • Apostrophe (') • Roxy & Elsewhere • One Size Fits All • Bongo Fury • Zoot Allures • Zappa in New York • Studio Tan • Sleep Dirt • Sheik Yerbouti • Orchestral Favorites • Joe's Garage • Tinseltown Rebellion • Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar • You Are What You Is • Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch • The Man from Utopia • Baby Snakes • London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 1 • Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger • Them or Us • Thing-Fish • Francesco Zappa • Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention • Does Humor Belong in Music? • Jazz from Hell • London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 2 • Guitar • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1 • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 2 • Broadway the Hard Way • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3 • The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 4 • Make a Jazz Noise Here • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 5 • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6 • Playground Psychotics • Ahead of Their Time • The Yellow Shark Posthumous albums Civilization Phaze III • The Lost Episodes • Läther • Mystery Disc • Everything Is Healing Nicely • FZ:OZ • Halloween • Joe's Corsage • Joe's Domage • Joe's XMASage • Imaginary Diseases • Trance-Fusion • Buffalo • The Dub Room Special • Wazoo Compilations Mothermania • The Guitar World According to Frank Zappa • Strictly Commercial • Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa: A Memorial Tribute • Have I Offended Someone? • Strictly Genteel • QuAUDIOPHILIAc • The Frank Zappa AAAFNRAA Birthday Bundle Box sets The Old Masters Box One • The Old Masters Box Two • The Old Masters Box Three • Beat the Boots • Beat the Boots II • The MOFO Project/Object Films and videos 200 Motels • Baby Snakes • The Dub Room Special • Video from Hell • Does Humor Belong in Music? • The True Story of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels • The Amazing Mr. Bickford • Uncle Meat Related articles Cultural references to Frank Zappa • Frank Zappa discography • The Real Frank Zappa Book • The Rage and the Fury • Dance Me This • Zappa Plays Zappa