Zappa in New York

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Zappa in New York
Live album by Frank Zappa
Released	March 3, 1978
Recorded	December 26 – December 29, 1976
Genre	Jazz fusion, comedy rock, hard rock, progressive rock
Length	59:05 (LP) 101:56 (CD)
Label	DiscReet Records
Producer	Frank Zappa
Professional reviews
Allmusic link
Frank Zappa chronology
Zoot Allures (1976) Zappa in New York (1978) Studio Tan (1978)

Zappa in New York is a live album by Frank Zappa. It was recorded at a series of concerts at New York City's Palladium in December 1976,

Zappa had originally intended to release the album in 1977, but the release was delayed over disagreements between Zappa's DiscReet Records label and the distributor, Warner Bros. Records. A small number of LP and cassette copies appeared in 1977 with Zappa's originally intended track listing. But soon after, Warner withdrew the album and removed the song "Punky's Whips" without authorization. Warner also re-sequenced some of the remaining tracks before re-releasing the LP in March 1978.

When Zappa's distribution agreement with Warner ended in 1982, the rights reverted to him. Zappa re-issued the album as a remixed double CD in 1991, restoring "Punky's Whips". The CD version of the song also included a good deal of overdubbed guitar, which had been recorded at the same time as the album's other overdubs but was not used on the LP version. The CD re-issue of Zappa in New York also added four new bonus tracks and a significantly longer version of "Titties and Beer".

The album is notable for the presence of members of the Saturday Night Live band, including Lou Marini and Tom Malone, and also featured the Brecker Brothers. In addition, Don Pardo was invited by Zappa to the Palladium concert, and he narrates introductory statements on "Punky's Whips" and "The Illinois Enema Bandit" and also "sings" a verse of "I'm the Slime" (he did the same for Zappa's 1976 Saturday Night Live appearance).

Zappa in New York presented mostly new material. "Punky's Whips", a tale concerning drummer Terry Bozzio's infatuation with Punky Meadows, a guitarist in the band Angel, was set to a complex musical composition. There is also the humorous "Titties and Beer", featuring Terry Bozzio in the role of the Devil, with whom Zappa is trying to negotiate in order to reacquire the titular possessions. Typical for Zappa, alongside such "funny" songs, he also presented such musically complex pieces as "The Black Page" and "Manx Needs Women", which stretched the band to its limits. "The Purple Lagoon", an extended track which took up an entire side of the original vinyl release, features a rhythmically challenging opening theme (which also includes an arrangement of Zappa's earlier composition "Approximate") and jazzy solos from the Brecker Brothers, bassist Patrick O'Hearn and saxophonist Ronnie Cuber.

Along with the new songs, Zappa also included fresh arrangements of the waltz "Sofa" (which originally appeared on One Size Fits All) and an old R&B-styled Mothers of Invention tune, "Big Leg Emma".

Contents 1 1978 LP Track listing 1.1 Side one 1.2 Side two 1.3 Side three 1.4 Side four 1.5 CD Re-release 1.5.1 Disc one 1.5.2 Disc two 2 Personnel 3 Cultural References 4 Charts 5 References 6 External links

[edit] 1978 LP Track listing

All tracks written by Frank Zappa.

[edit] Side one

1. "Titties & Beer" – 5:39
2. "I Promise Not to Come in Your Mouth" – 2:50
3. "Big Leg Emma" – 2:17

[edit] Side two

1. "Sofa" – 3:15
2. "Manx Needs Women" – 1:40
3. "The Black Page Drum Solo/Black Page #1" – 4:06
4. "Black Page #2" – 5:31

[edit] Side three

1. "Honey, Don't You Want a Man Like Me?" – 4:15
2. "The Illinois Enema Bandit" – 12:31

[edit] Side four

1. "The Purple Lagoon" – 16:57

[edit] CD Re-release

[edit] Disc one

1. "Titties & Beer" – 7:36
2. "Cruisin' for Burgers" – 9:12
3. "I Promise Not to Come in Your Mouth" – 3:32
4. "Punky's Whips" – 10:51
5. "Honey, Don't You Want a Man Like Me?" – 4:12
6. "The Illinois Enema Bandit" – 12:41

[edit] Disc two

1. "I'm the Slime" – 4:24
2. "Pound for a Brown" – 3:41
3. "Manx Needs Women" – 1:51
4. "The Black Page Drum Solo/Black Page #1" – 3:50
5. "Big Leg Emma" – 2:17
6. "Sofa" – 2:56
7. "Black Page #2" – 5:36
8. "The Torture Never Stops" – 12:35
9. "The Purple Lagoon/Approximate" – 16:40

[edit] Personnel

• Frank Zappa – conductor, keyboards, lead guitar, vocals, producer
• Ray White – rhythm guitar, vocals
• Eddie Jobson – keyboards, violin, vocals
• Patrick O'Hearn – bass guitar, vocals
• Terry Bozzio – drums, vocals
• Ruth Underwood – percussion, synthesizer, overdubs
• Don Pardo – narration
• Dave Samuels – timpani, vibes
• Randy Brecker – trumpet
• Mike Brecker – tenor saxophone, flute
• Lou Marini – alto saxophone, flute
• Ronnie Cuber – baritone saxophone, clarinet
• Tom Malone – trombone, trumpet, piccolo

• John Bergamo – percussion overdubs
• Ed Mann – percussion overdubs
• Lou Anne Neill – osmotic harp overdub

[edit] Cultural References

• "Titties & Beer" references "Milhouse Nixon" and "Agnew" whose souls are taken by the Devil.

• "Punky's Whips" was written as an inside joke about drummer Terry Bozzio's fascination with a photograph of Punky Meadows, the lead guitar player of the group Angel.

• The "favorite group" of the girl portrayed in "Honey Don't You Want a Man Like Me?" is Helen Reddy. In later concert performances, Zappa would change the name to Twisted Sister or Echo & the Bunnymen.

• The Illinois Enema Bandit is based on real facts about criminal Michael H. Kenyon.

• The track "Manx Needs Women" references the 1967 science fiction B-movie Mars Needs Women and the inhabitants of the Isle of Man who are called "Manx".

[edit] Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year	Chart	Position
1978	Pop Albums	57[1]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• "FZ vs. Warner Bros. Story"
• "Biffy the Elephant Shrew looks at Läther"
• Album release information

v • d • e Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention Main albums Freak Out! • Absolutely Free • We're Only in It for the Money • Lumpy Gravy • Cruising with Ruben & the Jets • Uncle Meat • Hot Rats • Burnt Weeny Sandwich • Weasels Ripped My Flesh • Chunga's Revenge • Fillmore East - June 1971 • 200 Motels • Just Another Band from L.A. • Waka/Jawaka • The Grand Wazoo • Over-Nite Sensation • Apostrophe (') • Roxy & Elsewhere • One Size Fits All • Bongo Fury • Zoot Allures • Zappa in New York • Studio Tan • Sleep Dirt • Sheik Yerbouti • Orchestral Favorites • Joe's Garage • Tinseltown Rebellion • Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar • You Are What You Is • Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch • The Man from Utopia • Baby Snakes • London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 1 • Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger • Them or Us • Thing-Fish • Francesco Zappa • Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention • Does Humor Belong in Music? • Jazz from Hell • London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 2 • Guitar • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1 • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 2 • Broadway the Hard Way • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3 • The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 4 • Make a Jazz Noise Here • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 5 • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6 • Playground Psychotics • Ahead of Their Time • The Yellow Shark Posthumous albums Civilization Phaze III • Läther • Everything Is Healing Nicely • FZ:OZ • Halloween • Joe's Domage • Imaginary Diseases • Trance-Fusion • Buffalo • The Dub Room Special • Wazoo • One Shot Deal  • Joe's Menage  • Philly '76 Compilations Mothermania • The Guitar World According to Frank Zappa • Strictly Commercial • The Lost Episodes • Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa: A Memorial Tribute • Have I Offended Someone? • Strictly Genteel • Mystery Disc • Son of Cheep Thrills • Joe's Corsage • Quaudiophiliac • Joe's Xmasage • The Frank Zappa AAAFNRAA Birthday Bundle • The Frank Zappa aaafnraaa Birthday Bundle Box sets The Old Masters • Beat the Boots • Beat the Boots II • The MOFO Project/Object • The Lumpy Money Project/Object Films and videos 200 Motels • Baby Snakes • The Dub Room Special • Video from Hell • Does Humor Belong in Music? • The True Story of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels • The Amazing Mr. Bickford • Uncle Meat • The Torture Never Stops Related articles Discography • In popular culture • Musicians • The Real Frank Zappa Book • Zappa Plays Zappa • Moon Zappa • Dweezil Zappa • Ahmet Zappa