{"product_id":"frank-zappa-zappa-80-mudd-club-2-lp-vinyl","title":"Frank Zappa – Zappa ’80: Mudd Club (2-LP Vinyl)","description":"\u003ch3\u003eReview\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor those attracted to numbers, this latest archival set—direct from Zappa's famed Vault—carries special significance. It is, officially, the 125th release of the late artist's career. Roll that around a bit: 125 official releases. What is as astounding is how little retread there is among the 125; how little filler and\/or compilations are in there padding out the stats. And, it's because of the unique place that each one of the 125 holds—as another piece of the Zappa jigsaw—that keeps a fanbase eager to slot it into the puzzle; one move closer to complete.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo how is this one unique?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirst, it's a three-CD set of two separate shows from a 1980 Spring tour that featured a very short-lived lineup, including Dave Logeman on drums, holding down that all-important chair in the Zappa ensemble between stints with the masterful Vinny Colaiuta. Logeman survived a grueling audition and his reward was anchoring a sextet that also showcased Ike Willis and Ray White on guitars and vocals, as well as Tommy Mars on keyboards and Arthur Barrow on bass. It's an exceptionally nimble unit, designed to appropriate the flash of New Wave that was rising with the dawn of the new decade; turning \"Easy Meat\" into a hyper and stylistic rendition suitable for the times, as but one example.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe first show, contained on a single disc, is from New York City's Mudd Club, a tiny dance dive that Zappa liked enough to fashion a song about it—\"Mudd Club,\" naturally—tattooed with a reggae groove and spoken-word lyrics honoring its dinge. This was an early May show, ahead of the European run that provides the Munich concert on discs two and three, and feels like, at an hour's length, a tidy warm-up. The close proximity of walls to audience to band lends a defined immediacy to the fidelity of both the group and the recording; at one point Zappa asks, \"Is it too loud?\" Contrast the mere suggestion of a jam on the Mudd Club \"Pound for a Brown\" with the extended 13-minute workout by Mars and Zappa on the Munich take for an obvious difference in approach and execution.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Munich performance—the first Zappa show to be captured digitally—is the full regalia; with the band polished and the space primed for generous exploration. There are two encores—mainly a run of tunes catering to Zappa's doo-wop inclinations—as well as plenty of room for Zappa's guitar. Speaking of, on both shows Zappa's axe is mixed way, way up; the tone, snarling and biting and beastly, and matching the increasingly profane lyrics Frank was finding more and more appealing (decades ahead of a cancel culture that most certainly would've challenged him). \"City of Tiny Lites\" roars as a 10-minute centerpiece for Zappa's virtuosity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll in all, #125 has earned its place among the dozens as a necessary and illuminating listen from a band that otherwise logged such a short stay on the Zappa timeline, with a pair of performances that demonstrate the always-evolving flexibility of Frank and his stellar group of players.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e— Larson Sutton, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/jambands.com\/reviews\/2023\/03\/03\/frank-zappa-zappa-80-mudd-club-munich\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ejambands.com\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eProduct Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"relix-editorial\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Mudd Club sat at the center of New York's downtown art and punk scene in the late '70s and early '80s, which made it a natural gravitational point for Zappa, whose restless musical mind always sought out the edges of culture. This 1980 performance captures him and his band at a particularly sharp moment, with Steve Vai just finding his footing in the lineup, still a year or so into what would become one of rock's most celebrated guitar apprenticeships.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDuring the 1980 spring\/summer tour, Frank Zappa played a set at his favorite NYC nightclub - the famous Mudd Club. Zappa adored the place and ever wrote a song dedicated to it. The complete performance is included on two 45rpm 180-gram vinyl LPs and mastered by Bernie Grundman in 2022. The package features photography and memoir from George Alper (who worked for Frank Zappa and was at the event), along with liner notes from Arthur Barrow, Steve Vai and `Vaultmeister' Joe Travers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv data-bt-autogen=\"\"\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eTracklist\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eSide A\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e1. Mudd Club Show Start (1:02)\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e2. Chunga's Revenge (4:03)\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e3. Keep It Greasy (3:04)\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e4. Outside Now (6:01)\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eSide B\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e1. City Of Tiny Lites (Edited) (6:39)\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e2. Pound For A Brown (3:46)\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e3. You Are What You Is (3:46)\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eSide C\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e1. You Didn't Try To Call Me (3:46)\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e2. I Ain't Got No Heart (2:07)\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e3. Love Of My Life (2:11)\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e4. Easy Meat (7:25)\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eSide D\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e1. Mudd Club (3:40)\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e2. The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing (3:15)\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e3. Joe's Garage (2:25)\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e4. Why Does It Hurt When I Pee? (3:46)\u003c\/div\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUPC:\u003c\/strong\u003e 602448745354\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLabel:\u003c\/strong\u003e Zappa Records\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRelease Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3.31.23\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e LP Vinyl\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Broadtime","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48600459247771,"sku":"543092","price":53.96,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1041\/7172\/files\/packshot-frank-zappa-zappa-80-mudd-club-2-lp-vinyl-vinyl-lp-relix.jpg?v=1779314559","url":"https:\/\/relix.shop\/products\/frank-zappa-zappa-80-mudd-club-2-lp-vinyl","provider":"relix.shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}