/ Frank Zappa

All has been quiet on the Frank Zappa front since the release last fall of the 50th anniversary super deluxe edition of his album Apostrophe (').  That lull ended today, though, with the announcement of a multi-format release filled with audio and video goodies.  Cheaper Than Cheep arrives May 9 as an online exclusive release available at Zappa.com, uDiscoverMusic.com, and Sound of Vinyl, presenting audio and video from a long-lost television special that's been housed in the Zappa archives for

Hot on the heels of the recent box set celebrating Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention's 1968 concert at the Whisky a Go Go, Zappa Records and UMe are turning the clocks forward to revisit the composer-guitarist-bandleader's most commercially successful LP.  On September 13, the labels will mark the 50th anniversary of Apostrophe ('), originally released in March 1974, with a 5CD/1Blu-ray Super Deluxe Edition as well as vinyl and digital editions. 1973's Over-Nite Sensation gave Zappa

Frank Zappa didn't open his first set on the evening of July 23, 1968 at Hollywood's Whisky a Go Go with a power chord or a blues beat.  Instead, the band - Ray Collins (vocals, percussion), Ian Underwood (alto sax), Bunk Gardner (tenor sax, flute), Don Preston (keyboards, gong), Motorhead Sherwood (baritone sax, percussion), Roy Estrada (bass, vocals), Art Tripp (drum set, percussion), and Jimmy Carl Black (drum set, percussion) - opened with a clattering improvisation that was sure to separate

Fans of the early days of Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention have good reason to, well, freak out!  On June 21, Zappa Records and UMe are heading back to those heady days on the Sunset Strip for Whisky A Go Go, 1968, a new collection available on three CDs or five 180-gram black vinyl LPs as well as in 2LP "highlights" form.  The complete release will also be available digitally in high-resolution. Even in the relatively early days of his recording career, Frank Zappa was thinking

The title of Frank Zappa's 1973 album Over-Nite Sensation was, expectedly, dripping with sarcasm; the album was the prolific composer-bandleader's seventeenth overall release. But the "sensation" part was spot-on. The LP became Zappa's first of two U.S. gold-certified releases and an ideal entry point into his musical world. On November 3, Zappa Records and UMe celebrate the 50th anniversary of this landmark record in a variety of formats including a 4CD/1Blu-ray super deluxe edition, 2LP and

Frank Zappa's 1969 LP Hot Rats remains among the late composer-bandleader's most accessible albums.  Blending bluesy electric rock with jazz, it makes a fine introduction to his sometimes-daunting discography.  But those looking for more might not have known exactly where to start.  Certain elements of the Hot Rats sound would crop up in the maestro's future discography, but a proper sequel was never released.  It's only been recently revealed, however, that one was recorded...more or less. 

In the pantheon of jazz-rock, Frank Zappa's 1969 LP Hot Rats is surely near the pinnacle.  The primarily instrumental album recorded by Zappa, multi-instrumentalist Ian Underwood, and the top tier of L.A.'s session musicians melded the compositional and improvisational sophistication of jazz with Zappa's gritty, searing, and blues-drenched electric rock style.  Recorded to 16 tracks at a time when the technology was still in its infancy, Hot Rats pushed the boundaries of production.  Elements of

Following in the footsteps of last year's Zappa '75: Zagreb/Ljubljana, Zappa Records and UMe have rescued another two concerts from the late artist's storied Vault.  On March 3, the labels will release the 3-CD set Zappa '80: Mudd Club/Munich, boasting two very different shows: one from New York's tiny, 240-capacity Mudd Club, and other from Munich's 12,000-seat Olympiahalle arena.  Both shows feature the short-lived lineup of Zappa, vocalist Ike Willis and Ray White, bassist Arthur Barrow,

Earlier this year, Zappa Records and UME released Zappa/Erie, a 6-CD box documenting Frank Zappa and The Mothers' shows in the Erie, Pennsylvania area circa 1974-1976.  An upcoming release due October 14 is a bit slimmer - just two CDs - but no less interesting as it chronicles Zappa and the band's visit to an even more far-flung locale in the fall of 1975.  Zappa '75: Zagreb/Ljubljana captures The Mothers' first and only concerts in Yugoslavia.  He referred to the dates as "The Mothers of