The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life [Live] [Original recording remastered] [Box set]

Amazon.com
This double live set showcases the peerless calisthenics abilities of the 1988 Zappa big band on a collection of crowd-pleasing favorites, concert staples and cover songs. Zappa's crystalline Stratocaster sound (a far cry from the "squank" of the '70s) highlights some of the most lyrical and inspired solo guitar work of his life. Highlights include an adrenaline charged version of "Zomby Woof" a thoroughly rocking turn at Ravel's Bolero, and a horn arrangement of Jimmy Page's "Stairway to Heaven" guitar solo. --Andrew Boscardin

From the Label
Yes, this is the one with "Stairway to Heaven" on it. It's the second release from the '88 tour, a double live CD originally released in 91. Also heard on MAKE A JAZZ NOISE HERE and BROADWAY THE HARD WAY, this band featured a five-piece horn section and was perhaps the most versatile and technically accomplished touring band that FZ ever had. This is demonstrated in the boggling range of material heard on this album.

The recordings are from performances and soundchecks, and feature old favorites and premiere recordings. Along with the deranged version of "Stairway" (FZ claimed he'd never heard the original version!), there's an equally deconstructed "Ring of Fire" and a live cover of "Bolero" -- yes, the Ravel one. There's also a "Jimmy Swaggart medley" including "Lonesome Cowboy Burt," "More Trouble Every Day" and "Penguin In Bondage;" with new lyrics inspired by Swaggart's sexual misadventures.

The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life,Frank Zappa,Rykodisc,Album Rock,Comedy Rock,Experimental Rock,Hard Rock,Jazz-Rock,Pop,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Rock,Rock/Pop

The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life [Live] [Original recording remastered] [Box set]

Average customer rating:

you never heard?
Favorite FZ album
A little confusing what to make out of this...
Some of the best 80s stuff is right here
Disk 1 - Track 7 to the end.

The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life
Frank Zappa
Manufacturer: Zappa Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Heavy Duty Judy
Ring Of Fire
Cosmik Debris
Find Her Finer
Who Needs The Peace Corps?
I Left My Heart In San Francisco
Zomby Woof
Bolero
Zoot Allures
Mr. Green Genes
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The Torture Never Stops Part One
Theme From 'Bonanza'
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The Torture Never Stops Part Two
More Trouble Every Day (Swaggart Version)
Penguin In Bondage (Swaggart Version)
The Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbeque
Stairway To Heaven

Amazon.com

This double live set showcases the peerless calisthenics abilities of the 1988 Zappa big band on a collection of crowd-pleasing favorites, concert staples and cover songs. Zappa's crystalline Stratocaster sound (a far cry from the "squank" of the '70s) highlights some of the most lyrical and inspired solo guitar work of his life. Highlights include an adrenaline charged version of "Zomby Woof" a thoroughly rocking turn at Ravel's Bolero, and a horn arrangement of Jimmy Page's "Stairway to Heaven" guitar solo. --Andrew Boscardin

Customer Reviews:

you never heard?.......2007-05-26

i saw a couple of shows on this tour the last two times i saw frank perform. it is a great band, did he ever have a bad one or an uninspired one? as far as this being the best live disc or discs? no. the sound quality is awesome the arrangements interesting and if you like big band productions this is for you.....

Favorite FZ album.......2007-04-06

The way Bolero flows into Zoot Allures is very clever. In your face, Maurice, you no talent hack. And imagine the guitars of Stairway To Heaven done in horns. And rigt in the middle of Zombie Wolf, Joe Satriani's evil twin clone does some of his best work ever. The band at it's peak, plus a jab or two at Jimmy Swaggart during his post-sinning period. What more do you need?

A little confusing what to make out of this..........2006-02-27

This package is quite loaded with Zappa gems. But at the same time, drummer Chad Wackerman, literally, in my opinon, ruins some songs. "Trouble Every Day", "Peguin in Bondage", "Mr. Green Genes" and "Find Her Finer" grooves are so mechanical, to fast, that in ruins the performance (they still have there moments). The squeky clean and seemingly to perfrect talent of Wackerman is to sterile at times for me. With that said, the rest of the band is quite good, and Wackerman dosen't always screw everything up. "Floretine Pogan (with a great guitar solo)" is literally amazing, in fact, the whole batch of "One Size Fits All" songs are worth the price alone. There are so many covers, which, to me, is pointless. Considering the amount of songs Zappa wrote and the brilliance of them, why cover some mediocore (way overplayed) tunes of Zepplin, Hendrix and Cream. In particular, "Stairway to Heaven", sucks, and why its reggae, is beyond me. In contrast, Ravels, "Bolereo", is awesome and Zappa's reggae arrangement is interesting enough to be on the record. In the end, despite nitpicking problems (another is Zappa guitar tone, which, at times, is hard to hear correctly because its so monotone and subdued), this comes off as a well recorded and fun record. I seem to be alone in my critique of this record, Zappa even said, this was possibly the best band he had ever put out on the road. "Florentine Pogan", "Heavy Duty Judy", and "Bolereo" make it worth the price of admission.

Some of the best 80s stuff is right here.......2006-02-07

A lot of people are hung up on the Mothers, but Frank did a lot better stuff after they disbanded. Unfortunately, all people remember is the dirty humor stuff, but as Zappa himself said, "I think I have 1200 titles. If there's more than 100 sex songs, I'd be surprised."

If you've heard the classic 70s albums and aren't so sure about later material, give this a listen. The guitar tone is really amazing. It's pretty much nothing like that dirty wah-wah sound he was known for in the 70s, but it's kind of hard not to love the way it sounds. The band sounds crystal clear on this album. This is a really good 2 CD set.

It is ridiculous and jokey, but that's why it's fun stuff to have on in the background. FZ albums you can listen to intensely while they just play in the background. They're just that intense! But, if you're the type to plunk in a CD and stare at your radio in awe, you probably listen to too much heavy metal and you will probably tire of the jokes. If you can just enjoy fun music and have the patience to mellow out and let the songs sprawl out, you will really love this album.

Definitely check out "Make A Jazz Noise Here" which has all the same great tones but practically no lyrics. It is also a double-cd and comes from this same tour. If you like the jokey stuff, then also check out "Broadway The Hard Way," which ALSO comes from the same tour (man, that was a good tour, eh?) and so has the same great sound, but every song is more of a short goofy pop song. This album which I am currently reviewing is the middle album from that tour and it is the perfect middle ground between the all-joke of the first one and all-instrumental of the third one. Oh, it's pretty darn goofy, but there are some amazing musical passages in there, too. It is The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life!

Disk 1 - Track 7 to the end........2005-11-04

I agree with some reviewers that Frank is "over the top" in some of his more commercial music - and I do not mean that as a compliment .... I'll go a step further: Frank is making fun of his audience a great many times, and they seem to relish being the butt of his jokes.

That said ... the first disk, from track 7 to the end is about as good a musical ride as you'll ever take. Move over Beethoven. The first six songs are for band warm up, and most of the second the disk is fodder for Frank to smirk in his dreams at his goofy followers, but the seven in the middle -- flat out fun, creative, beautiful, inspiring music. Buy this only for this second half of the first set - but cherish the pearl in the swine.

Average customer rating:

BARKING PUMPKIN EDITION

Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life
Frank Zappa
Manufacturer: Barking Pumpkin Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
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ASIN: B00000E79C
Release Date: 1991-04-16

Customer Reviews:

BARKING PUMPKIN EDITION.......2007-07-14

I was skeptical to buy this CD but I am glad I did it.
It's 1991 Barking Pumpkin Edition 2 disc set.CD art is deferent from Ryko release.customer image from Allan Galanty shows black square on front cover at top of this page,mine shows picture of band on stage.I'm not sure is there another edition.
What is sound like? I can not tell deference from Ryko release but I will keep this sa treasure collection.

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