Frank Zappa • Orchestral Favorites

★★★★★

   The 1979 with five new albums was record year in Frank Zappa’s discography. Warner Bros. has released two further albums from material provided by Zappa as a consequence of a contract – Sleep Dirt in January and Orchestral Favorites in May. And in March launching new label, Zappa Records opened with Sheik Yerbouti double album and continued in September and November with two albums of Joe’s Garage Act I and double Joe’s Garage Act II & III. This year was also record for the number of three singles – Dancing Fool, Bobby Brown Goes Down and Joe’s Garage. Every 1979 album is different in style which is one of great features of Zappa’s works. Publication of two albums with instrumental music proved to be fortunate event. The 1979 edition was published by Warner Bros under DiscReet label without permission from the author. And even with the tracks which had not been edited, issued hastily and without the participation of artists, the compositions are able to defend itself.

   Material for this album was recorded in Royce Hall, Los Angeles in September 1975 with large group of more than three dozen artists. The core of the orchestra were Terry Bozzio on drums, Dave Parlato on bass, Emil Richards playing percussions and playing guitar and keyboards Frank Zappa who was leader, composer and producer. Many musicians involved in this project were known as members of Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra & Chorus from Lumpy Gravy album. Zappologists separate the existence of this bands as – first Lumpy Gravy 1967 incarnation and second Orchestral Favorites 1975 incarnation. Many musicians were hired just for September 17 and 18, 1975 concerts in Royce Hall.  From 1967’ AEESOC incarnation there were keyboardist Mike Lang, playing french horn David Duke, cellist Jerry Kessler and percussionist Emil Richards. Some musicians came to Zappa’s bands after Lumpy Gravy. From The Grand Wazoo trumpeter Malcolm McNabb, oboist Earle Dumler, flutist, clarinetist and saxophonist Mike Altschul, from latest Mothers lineup Bruce Fawler, Terry Bozzio. New musicians in AEESOC were John Wittenberg, Bobby Dubow (violin) Pamela Goldsmith (viola), Dana Hughes (bass trombone), Ray Reed (flute), David Shostak (flute) and Tommy Morgan (harmonica). The conductors of the orchestra in Royce concerts were Frank Zappa and Michael Zearott.

Frank Zappa – Orchestral Favorites (1979)

   First and last works are instrumental versions of 200 Motels compositions. Opening A-Side Strictly Genteel was published as vocal finale of 1971 soundtrack and later in orchestral form with London Symphony Orchestra and in rock band version from October 31, 1981 concert in Palladium, NYC on You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore vol. 6. Next two compositions were new works and like many other were later reworked and republished – Pedro’s Dowry in January 1983 recorded London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kent Nagano and Naval Aviation in Art in January 1984 recorded Ensemble Intercontemporain conducted by Pierre Boulez.

   Opening B-Side Duke of Prunes later known as The Orchestral Duke of Prunes is instrumental version of 1966 song published on Absolutely Free and Mothermania albums. Zappa called it „surrealistic love song” and this tune was frequently played during Mothers of Invention gigs in sixties. The last piece of this set Bogus Pomp comes from 1968 whet it was played as a prologue to the concert on October 25. The musical material of this composition was base for Sealed Tuna Sandwich suite in 200 Motels soundtrack and then reworked and published as Bogus Pomp on Orchestral Favorites (13:29) and in much wider form on London Symphony Orchestra album (24:31).
Closing series of three Warner Bros’ editions, the Orchestral Favorites album was a kind of conclusion for this exposure. Three records giving balanced picture of Zappa’s creative works with very little rock songs, well developed narrative work and various instrumental compositions pointing directions of future developments. Many evil can be said about the policies of big corporations towards artists. Many talented people never fully developed their talents. Frank Zappa had a sufficiently strong position to fight for freedom of his artistic expression. Reduced to the status of the product, art defended itself once more. This series was like cuckoo egg in the nest of corporative governance, a formation of independent post in the world of supermarkets. It was in fact enough anti-system to provoke a series of furious attacks of the Washington generals' wives so much politically involved in the coming era of Reaganite neo-conservatism.

Frank Zappa • Studio Tan

★★★★★

   After splitting with manager and long-time associate Herb Cohen, Zappa signed a contract with Warner Bros. Soon it became clear that this company also treats Zappa with the superiority of ownership, as yet another star on their already considerable constellation. After Warner Bros pressed for changes in Zoot Allures which was primarily intended as double LP album and then rejected Läther project. In short time list of corporation abusive decisions was long sufficiently to make artist quit. But the company used legal tricks to demand four additional albums. This may be the cause Zappa lost his heart to the greatest projects of mid-seventies. As a result of censorship imposed by the label, full versions of Zappa’s records saw daylight after years, Zappa in New York on double CD in 1991 and Läther on triple CD after artist’s death in September 1996. Zappa delivered recordings demanded by the company. Tapes with recordings did not contain complete information, what made the three albums released by Warner Bros appeared with no cooperation from artist side.
   Three albums Warner Bros decided to release under Discreet label is a series made against artist will, regardless or maybe even malice. First album was Studio Tan, released September 15, 1978. Cover including only information on tittles was decorated with painting by Gary Panter – this cover, just like next two projects for the records Sleep Dirt and Orchestral Favorites was next cause of resentment. And although Zappa didn’t accepted this works, he decided to publish them as covers to CD edition. Zappa was deceived and wounded pride did not allow him to work, even if the price was losing control on some of his best compositions, but that’s another story.

Frank Zappa – Studio Tan (1978)

   The reasonable attitude is to formulate a different question, why the record company did not try to communicate with the artist to achieve adequate quality of his recordings publication. Position of company clerks can be explained only by hostility of decision makers. Greggery Peccary filling Side A of the record has been brutally faded out. Thanks to full version published in 1991 as The Adventures of Greggery Peccary by Barking Pumpkin Records it’s easy to find, fading this work just few bars before the end was completely unjustified. The removal of the final part from this piece ruined its formal stability. But what do you expect from people who have rejected one of the major projects of the seventies progressive rock.
   Material appeared in Studio Tan was intended as a part of Läther album where it has been included 18 years later. This four compositions were recorded in various moments by musicians who worked with Zappa in previous years, but core team was Mothers of Invention lineup featuring Frank Zappa singing and playing with George Duke, Tom Fowler, Chester Thompson and Ruth Underwood. Whole staff had over 30 musicians and some of them played in Zappa’s bands during tours in past years and many were just studio musicians. Absolutely unique artist, first one in the group of four trombonists, Bruce Fowler is known from more lineups and numerous recordings with Frank Zappa (since Over-Nite Sensation in 1973) and Captain Beefheart (since Shiny Beast in 1978) and many others jazz and progressive bands in over forty years of artistic activity. Some artists were famous for different kind of musical activity, like Don Brewer, the drummer of Grand Funk Railroad, who in Let me take you to the beach played bongos and like Emil Richards who was famous from fifties percussionist and member of both lineups of Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra.
   Text of this dramatic work continues satirical style of older compositions. Frank Zappa since his protest songs in the sixties has the clear tendency to comment the political and social realities. This attitude blossomed with both satirical and serious artistic expressions. In sixties and eighties he was more specific in his criticism, while in seventies his works were dominated by surreal sense of humor. This character corresponds with instrumental works from Side B - Revised Music For Guitar & Low Budget Orchestra and REDUNZL – somehow ironically undermining too serious style of progressive music in late seventies. This was also characteristic feature of instrumental tracks provided on the next two albums ending story of Discreet Records.