Zoot Allures: Difference between revisions
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| Released = October 20, 1976 |
| Released = October 20, 1976 |
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| Recorded = May–June, 1976 at [[Record Plant Studios]] in Los Angeles, California <small> except "Wonderful Wino" (1972/73), "Friendly Little Finger" (1973/October 1975) and "Black Napkins" (recorded live in [[Osaka]], Japan, February 3, 1976)</small> |
| Recorded = May–June, 1976 at [[Record Plant Studios]] in Los Angeles, California <small> except "Wonderful Wino" (1972/73), "Friendly Little Finger" (1973/October 1975) and "Black Napkins" (recorded live in [[Osaka]], Japan, February 3, 1976)</small> |
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| Genre = |
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| ⚫ | |||
*[[Progressive rock]] |
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*[[jazz fusion]] |
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*[[comedy rock]] |
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*[[hard rock]] |
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| ⚫ | *[[heavy metal music|heavy metal]]<ref name=Lowe>{{cite book|title=The Words and Music of Frank Zappa|author=Lowe, K.F.|date=2007|publisher=University of Nebraska Press|isbn=9780803260054|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uAYfqgGf4yYC|page=128|accessdate=February 26, 2015}}</ref><ref name=Beat>{{cite book|title=Beat Instrumental & Songwriting & Recording|date=1977|issue=no. 123; no. 125; nos. 128-131; nos. 133-134|publisher=Beat Publications|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mz1LAAAAYAAJ|accessdate=February 26, 2015}}</ref> |
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| Length = 41:32 |
| Length = 41:32 |
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| Label = [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]] |
| Label = [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]] |
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Revision as of 17:33, 30 April 2018
| Untitled | |
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| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
Zoot Allures is a 1976 rock album by Frank Zappa. This was Zappa's only release on the Warner Bros. Records label. Due to a lawsuit with his former manager, Herb Cohen, Frank Zappa's recording contract was temporarily reassigned from DiscReet Records to Warner Bros.
Title
The title is a pun on the French expression "Zut alors!", which conveys mild surprise.
Album information
The album was originally conceptualized as a double LP, but Zappa rearranged, edited, and shortened the track listing to what was eventually released as a single album.[4] Zappa played a test pressing of the original album for Circus magazine in 1976, which reported a radically different, though slightly erroneous track listing that included "Sleep Dirt", "The Ocean Is the Ultimate Solution", "Filthy Habits", and "Night of the Iron Sausage". The former three tracks eventually surfaced on the 1979 Sleep Dirt and the posthumous Läther; "Night of the Iron Sausage" remains unreleased, but was seemingly intended to be a guitar solo of fair length. "Wind Up Workin' in a Gas Station" and "Zoot Allures" were absent from test pressings.
Zappa recorded the album after completing a world tour with a band including Napoleon Murphy Brock on tenor sax and vocals, Andre Lewis on keyboards, Roy Estrada on bass and Terry Bozzio on drums. However, this band appeared only on the live track "Black Napkins" with only Bozzio retained to play on the sessions, although Lewis and Estrada contributed backing vocals. After Zappa's death, one of the band's concerts was released as FZ:OZ. By the time the album was finished, Zappa had begun forming a new live band, including Bozzio, Patrick O'Hearn and Eddie Jobson, who were pictured on the cover with Zappa, although the latter two did not perform on the album.
Songs
"Black Napkins", one of several guitar-driven pieces on Zoot Allures, began life accompanied by themes that would later make up the unique piece known as "Sleep Dirt".[5] The performance heard on the album was culled from Zappa's February 3, 1976 performance in Osaka, Japan, though it was edited for the official release.[6] Along with "Zoot Allures" and "The Torture Never Stops", "Black Napkins" became a signature piece for Zappa, featuring heavily in nearly every subsequent tour and several official releases.
"Wonderful Wino" was originally released on Jeff Simmons' 1970 album, Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up. The album, produced partially by Zappa (though credited as "La Marr Bruister"), also included the title track, which later appeared on 1979's Joe's Garage.
Zappa notes in the liner notes to 1979's Sheik Yerbouti that "Friendly Little Finger" from this album was created using xenochrony.
The album's sound, particularly that on the song "Ms. Pinky", is influenced by heavy metal music[1][2]
Track listing
All tracks written by Frank Zappa, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wind Up Workin' in a Gas Station" | 2:29 |
| 2. | "Black Napkins" | 4:15 |
| 3. | "The Torture Never Stops" | 9:45 |
| 4. | "Ms. Pinky" | 3:40 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Find Her Finer" | 4:07 |
| 6. | "Friendly Little Finger" | 4:17 |
| 7. | "Wonderful Wino" (Jeff Simmons, Zappa) | 3:38 |
| 8. | "Zoot Allures" | 4:12 |
| 9. | "Disco Boy" | 5:11 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Frank Zappa – guitar (all tracks), bass (1, 3–7, 9), lead vocals (1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9), synthesizer (1, 4, 5, 9), keyboards (3, 5, 7, 9), director of recreational activities (3)
- Terry Bozzio – drums (all tracks), backing vocals (5, 9)
- Also featuring
- Davey Moiré – lead vocals (1), backing vocals (1, 9), engineer
- Andre Lewis – organ (2), vocals (2), backing vocals (5, 9)
- Roy Estrada – bass (2), vocals (2), backing vocals (4, 5, 9), drone bass (6)
- Napoleon Murphy Brock – vocals (2)
- Ruth Underwood – synthesizer (4, 6, 7), marimba (6, 8)
- Captain Beefheart – harmonica (4, 5) (credited as "Donnie Vliet")
- Ruben Ladron de Guevara – backing vocals (5)
- Ian Underwood – saxophone (6, 7)
- Bruce Fowler – trombone (6, 7)
- Sal Marquez – trumpet (6, 7)
- Dave Parlato – bass (8)
- Lu Ann Neil – harp (8)
- Sparky Parker – backing vocals (9)
Keyboardist Eddie Jobson and bassist Patrick O'Hearn, who by the time of Zoot Allures' release were members of Zappa's band, appear on the album's cover but do not perform on any tracks.
Production staff
- Arnie Acosta – mastering
- Amy Bernstein – layout design
- Michael Braunstein – engineer
- Gary Heery – photography
- Cal Schenkel – design
- Bob Stone – digital remastering
Release history
| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States Canada |
October 20, 1976 | Warner Bros. | LP | BS 2970 |
| United Kingdom | December 1976 | Warner Bros. | LP | K 56298 |
| United States | May 1990 | Rykodisc | CD | RCD 10160 |
| United Kingdom | May 1990 | Zappa Records | CD | CDZAP22 |
| United States | May 2, 1995 | Rykodisc | CD | RCD 10523 |
| United States | August 28, 2012 | Universal Music | CD | ZR3855 |
Rykodisc CD release
Zoot Allures on compact disc, released by Rykodisc, is mixed differently than the original vinyl. The vinyl also contains a longer edit of "Disco Boy" including a count-off by a drum machine (the first three seconds) and a longer fade-out making the track's duration 5:27, as opposed to the CD duration of 5:11.
Charts
Album – Billboard (United States)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Billboard 200 | 61[7] |
References
- ^ a b Lowe, K.F. (2007). The Words and Music of Frank Zappa. University of Nebraska Press. p. 128. ISBN 9780803260054. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- ^ a b Beat Instrumental & Songwriting & Recording. Beat Publications. 1977. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- ^ Couture, François (2011). "Zoot Allures – Frank Zappa | AllMusic". allmusic. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
- ^ "ARF The Home of Frank Zappa Heritage Studies". Retrieved December 10, 2007.
- ^ "Information Is Not Knowledge". Retrieved December 10, 2007.
- ^ "the zappa patio". Retrieved December 10, 2007.
- ^ "Charts and Awards for Zoot Allures". Allmusic. Retrieved August 22, 2008.
External links