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In December 1976, Frank Zappa performed four sold-out shows at New York City’s Palladium.  The career-spanning concerts were “theatrical, outrageous, and raucously funny,” according to Ruth Underwood, who played percussion and synthesizer for the dates.  The performances, she says, were “filled with startling and gorgeous music, dating from Frank’s 1960s output to literally the moment the curtain went up.”

It’s from this source material that the live double-album Zappa In New York was created.  The album had been set for a 1977 release, but was delayed due to censorship issues involving the rather controversial songs within, especially “Punky’s Whips.”  Finally released in 1978, the ten-song collection of mostly new original material has become one of the most beloved in Zappa’s catalogue.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Zappa In New York album, UMe and Zappa Records have announced the March 29 release of a new, 5-CD deluxe box set that brings together over three hours of unreleased music from the concerts, along with a wealth of other content.  Housed in a limited-edition metal tin that evokes a New York City manhole cover, the package features a new Bob Ludwig remaster of the original mix of the album – marking that mix’s first appearance since 1978!  The other four discs are filled with bonus concert material that includes every song Zappa and the band performed during the Palladium run, as well as alternate performances of the songs from Zappa In New York.  The set also boasts further alternate and unused tracks plucked from the vault.  All the audio was sourced form the original 2″ multitrack master tapes and transferred at high-resolution 24bit/96kHz.  Rounding out the Zappa Family Trust-approved set are a replica ticket, previously unseen live photographs, extensive liner notes including new interviews with band members Ray White and Ruth Underwood, and a new essay by Joe Travers and Jen Jewel Brown.

A 180-gram, 3-LP 40th Anniversary Edition of Zappa In New York will also be available on March 29.  It features all-analog mastering of the original album mix and an extra disc of concert highlights and vault material.  The LP was mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering and pressed at Pallas in Germany on 180-gram vinyl.

So mark your calendars, Frank Zappa fans, and get those pre-orders in using the links below.  Keep scrolling for the track lists for both configurations, available from Zappa Records/UMe on March 29.

Frank Zappa, Zappa In New York – 5CD Deluxe Edition (Zappa Records/UMe, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Disc 1: The Original 1977 Vinyl Mix

1. Titties & Beer
2. I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth
3. Big Leg Emma
4. Sofa
5. Manx Needs Women
6. The Black Page Drum Solo/Black Page #1
7. Black Page #2
8. Honey, Don’t You Want A Man Like Me?
9. The Illinois Enema Bandit
10. The Purple Lagoon

Disc 2: Bonus Concert Performances — Part One

1. “The Most Important Musical Event Of 1976”
2. Peaches En Regalia
3. The Torture Never Stops
4. The Black Page #2
5. Punky’s Whips Intro
6. Punky’s Whips
7. I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth
8. Honey, Don’t You Want A Man Like Me?
9. The Illinois Enema Bandit
10. “Two For The Price Of One”
11. Penis Dimension
12. Montana

Disc 2: Bonus Concert Performances — Part Two

1. America Drinks
2. “Irate Phone Calls”
3. Sofa #2
4. “The Moment You’ve All Been Waiting For”
5. I’m The Slime
6. Pound For A Brown
7. Terry’s Solo
8. The Black Page Drum Solo/Black Page #1
9. Big Leg Emma
10. “Jazz Buffs and Buff-etts”
11. The Purple Lagoon
12. Find Her Finer
13. The Origin Of Manx
14. Manx Needs Women
15. Chrissy Puked Twice
16. Cruisin’ For Burgers

Disc 4: Bonus Concert Performances — Part Three

1. The Purple Lagoon/Any Kind Of Pain
2. “The Greatest New Undiscovered Group In America”
3. Black Napkins
4. Dinah-Moe Humm
5. Finale

Disc 5: Bonus Vault Content

1. The Black Page #2 (Piano Version)
2. I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth (Alternate Version)
3. Chrissy Puked Twice
4. Cruisin’ For Burgers (1977 Mix)
5. Black Napkins
6. Punky’s Whips (Unused Version)
7. The Black Page #1 (Piano Version)

Frank Zappa, Zappa In New York – 40th Anniversary Edition [3-LP] (Zappa Records/UMe)  (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Side 1:

1. Titties & Beer
2. I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth
3. Big Leg Emma

Side 2:

1. Sofa
2. Manx Needs Women
3. The Black Page Drum Solo/Black Page #1
4. Black Page #2

Side 3:

1. Honey, Don’t You Want A Man Like Me?
2. The Illinois Enema Bandit

Side 4:

1. The Purple Lagoon

Side 5:

1. Black Napkins
2. Cruisin’ For Burgers (1977 Mix)

Side 6:

1. The Black Page #2 (Piano Version)
2. I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth (Alternate Version)
3. Punky’s Whips (Unused Version)
4. The Black Page #1 (Piano Version)

Sides 1-4:  original album mix, remastered
Sides 5-6:  bonus vault content