Track Listing

1. Preamble
2. Penguin In Bondage
3. Pygmy Twylyte
4. Dummy Up
5. Village Of The Sun
6. Echidna's Arf (Of You)
7. Don't You Ever Wash That Thing
8. Cheepnis
9. Son Of Orange County
10. More Trouble Every Day
11. Be Bop Tango (Of The Old Jazzmen's Church)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10833 in Music
• Released on: 1995-05-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Live, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

CD Description
It's no secret that one of the most powerful weapons in Zappa's arsenal was his sense of humor, which was at its heightin live performance. Consequently, there's no better way toget a feel for the full scope of Zappa's music than on the live ROXY & ELSEWHERE. This set finds Frank at his mid-'70s peak, working with Ruth Underwood, Don Preston, George Duke,etc. While all the tunes are technically impeccable (often featuring trademark feats of counter-intuitive derring-do), it's Zappa's humorous interaction with the band and the audience that puts the real spark into this recording.
Delivering lengthy monologues both inbetween and during the songs,Zappa provides light-hearted contrast to the mulit-textured, typically sophisticated arrangements. For every "Son of Orange County" (an ambitious, difficult piece) there's a "Cheepnis" (wherein he details his fondness for cheesy horror films) or "Be-Bop Tango", where he brings audience members onstage to dance. Ever the perfectionist, Zappa overdubbed bits of ROXY & ELSEWHERE after the fact, but it's still a hearty,rousing affair, full of the excitement only a live recording can bring.

Customer Reviews

Woof
All I can really say is that the way Echidna's Arf (Of You) and Don't You Ever Wash That Thing? melt into each other is really worth buying this CD for. How a band can be so spectacularly tight while playing such complex, techincal music (Echidna's Arf has so many timing changes in three minutes it's unreal) is just impossible to comprehend. Make sure to be seated for this one for your own safety (if the urge to dance in a manic fashion takes over, then make sure there is a responsible adult present to clear up the mess).

Amazing
This is the only easily available recording of what is generally referred to as 'the Roxy group'

The mind bendingly proficient band resond to Zappa's every twitch and provide a truly blistering performance. The mix is excellent and one can really feel the thrill of this superlative live event.

No wonder then that the forthcoming DVD is awaited with such bated breath.

George Duke rightly regards this as one of Zappa's finest live documents and listening now can hardly believe he was actually there and contributing to such a massive, complex and beautiful sound.

All Zappa fans must own this object of beauty.

The best zappa album money can buy - buy it now
This is Zappa at it's best. This album has a precise and acurate quality which is not only rare on a live album, but when you consider it was recorded in 1972, it's a miracle. This was the first Zappa I ever came across and still my favourite. It mixes jazz, be bop, tango, penguins in bondage and loads of audience participation. Rude, funny and interesting. I'm lost for words to summarise the greatness of this fine creation.