L’album Orchestral Favorites di FRANK ZAPPA uscì originariamente nel 1979, terzo episodio (dopo “Studio Tan” e “Sleep Dirt”) di una trilogia pubblicata dalla precedente casa discografica con l’unico scopo di terminare il contratto con il leggendario musicista.
Zappa, in aperto contrasto con la label, non approvò mai il contenuto del disco che venne pubblicato senza il suo permesso e senza la sua consueta certosina produzione; inoltre Orchestral Favorites non includeva note e crediti e Zappa stesso dichiarò pubblicamente che artwork ed audio erano ampiamente al di sotto dei suoi standard abituali. L’album, senza alcun tipo di promozione, scivolò immediatamente nell’anonimato appena dopo l’uscita.
4 decadi dopo, in occasione del 40° Anniversario dell’uscita dell’album, la Zappa Family Trust rimette le cose a posto e presenta Orchestral Favorites in versione audiophile aggiungendo all’album originale l’intero concerto alla Royce Hall dell’UCLA del settembre 1975, dove appunto vennero registrate le composizioni scelte per Orchestral Favorites.
Il prossimo 30 Agosto, Zappa Records/Universal pubblicano questa nuova 40th Anniversary 3CD Deluxe Edition con missaggi hi-fi dai master tape originali, nuova copertina ed estese note bio-discografiche a cura dello Zappa Vaultmeister Joe Travers e dello straordinario batterista Terry Bozzio che ricorda le performance di quei concerti ed arricchisce il progetto con illustrazioni inedite. Il lussuoso packaging include per la prima volta i crediti di tutti i musicisti e foto rare ed inedite dell’evento.
Prodotto da Ahmet Zappa e Joe Travers, Orchestral Favorites 40th Anniversary include l’album originale nel primo CD più l’intera performance del 18 settembre 1975 nei restanti due CD.
Dopo accurate ricerche nei leggendari Zappa Vaults, sono stati recuperati i master tape originali e l’audio viene presentato per la prima volta come concepito originariamente da Zappa con nuovi hi-res transfer e mastering di Bob Ludwig. I brani del concerto sono stati mixati da Craig Parker Adams direttamente dai master originali.
Orchestral Favorites viene pubblicato anche in vinile, mantenendo la track-listing dell’album originale con mastering a cura di Bernie Grundman, con la nuova anniversary art and cover e con VINILE BLACK 180g audiophile.
Zappa Family Trust e Universal annunciano inoltre la ristampa della classica antologia di Zappa Mothermania in vinile per celebrarne il 50° Anniversario. L’album venne assemblato da Zappa nel 1969 in risposta alle varie compilazioni uscite con lo stesso materiale: Frank decise di fare la SUA VERSIONE utilizzando editing e mix esclusivi di composizioni dei Mothers Of Invention tratte dagli album albums Freak Out!, Absolutely Free e We’re Only in It for the Money.
Il disco include infatti differenti missaggi di “The Idiot Bastard Son” e “Mother People”. Il vinile, fuori catalogo dal 1972, è stato rimasterizzato dai nastri ananlogici originali da Bernie Grundman e ristampato in VINILE BLACK 180g audiophile.
EXTENDED PRESS NOTES
In September 1975, in between trying out new band members and preparing for tour, Zappa scheduled an event at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Using his own budget with funds from the surprise hit single “Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow,” he hired a roughly 37-piece orchestra with the intention to hear his orchestral music played. As Travers details in the liner notes, “Frank supervised everything, hired sound and lights, mixed the front of house sound at times, conducted the orchestra on occasion, and played guitar with them. The program repertoire consisted of complex and challenging music that originates from all time frames of FZ’s career. Older themes that predate the original Mothers Of Invention, to brand new pieces hot off the pen, mixed in with some good ol’ FZ directed improvisation.”
The Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra was conducted by Michael Zearott and made up of various live and studio musicians, most of which who had previously worked with Zappa on one of his many projects. They were assembled with the help of Mike Altschul and Earle Dumler who played on The Grand Wazoo and Waka/Jawaka albums. Other familiar names included: Bruce Fowler, Dave Parlato, Ian Underwood, Malcom McNab and Terry Bozzio. Zappa and the orchestra rehearsed for several days, had an afternoon recording session and performed two shows in two nights.
The original album was derived from recording sessions in the afternoon without an audience which was then meticulously edited together by Zappa using a razorblade. Highlights from the record include “Strictly Genteel,” part of the finale piece from 200 Motels, the new composition “Pedro’s Dowry,” a song Zappa wrote instead of going on vacation and famously exclaimed upon completion, “that’s the best vacation I ever went on,” and the first appearance of the megacomposition “Bogus Pomp.” The bonus content on the deluxe edition is filled with nearly two hours of previously unreleased material and contains the entire evening performance from September 18, 1975 complete with Zappa’s song introductions and stories. Some of the many standouts include an off-the-cuff version of the classic “Black Napkins,” an on-the-fly attempt of “The Adventures of Greggery Peccary,” and the kind of exciting improvisations that became one of Zappa’s trademarks.
Zappa re-worked Orchestral Favorites for CD in 1991 and it has subsequently been reissued several times after his death but with the new master finally matched to the project tone reel, this is the first time the album has ever been presented how the late, great artist intended. Sounding better than it ever has, fans can enjoy this special and historical event in Zappa history in a new way, with the Royce Hall performances sounding as fresh as they did 44 years ago.