Mystery Disc

Frank Zappa | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 15, 1998)
• Original Release Date: September 15, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Zappa Records
• ASIN: B00000BIJF
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #176,580 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Theme from Run Home Slow

2. Duke of Prunes [Original Version]

3. Opening Night Party at Studio Z [Collage]

4. The Village Inn

5. Steal Away

6. I Was a Teenage Maltshop

7. Metal Man Has Won His Wings

8. Power Trio Segment from the Saints 'N' Sinners

9. Bossa Nova Pervertamento

10. Excerpt from the Uncle Frankie Show

11. Charva

12. Speed-Freak Boogie

13. Original Mothers at the Broadside (Pomona)

14. Party Scene from Mondo Hollywood

15. How Could I Be Such a Fool?

16. Band Introductions at the Fillmore West

17. Plastic People

18. Original Mothers at the Fillmore East

19. Harry, You're a Beast

20. Don Interrupts

See all 32 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available.
Genre: Popular Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 15-SEP-1998

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Archival Release, December 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Mystery Disc (Audio CD)

The MYSTERY DISC is the re-release, on a single disc, of two CDs released with the Zappa Masters box set in the 80s. It was the first of many archival excavations made by Zappa after jumping on with Rykodisc. 10 tracks, about 30 minutes of material, appeared later, in some form, on AHEAD OF THEIR TIME, THE LOST EPISODES, and volume 5 of the YCDTOSA series. That having been said, that still leaves about 48 minutes of material that can only be found on this disc. In other words, still a good deal.

The disc follows the earliest years of Zappa's career, featuring some pretty interesting pre-Mothers material. Film scores (RUN HOME SLOWLY, DUKE OF PRUNES), recordings of Zappa in various rock ensembles, a strange miscellany of pieces recorded at Studio Z, and even a hilarious snippet of Zappa taking over a college radio station (THE UNCLE FRANKIE SHOW). (I believe) The first recordings of Zappa with the group that would later become the Mothers is also included (AT THE BROADSIDE), and the film they played as a background group in (MONDO HOLLYWOOD) when Herb Cohen discovered them. Captain Beefheart fans will also rejoice in some of the very earliest appearances of Don Van Vliet's persona (THE BIRTH OF CAPTAIN BEEFHEART, a small snippet of Vliet reading a portion of the script to Capt. Beefheart vs. the Grunt People). There's also some early FZ guitar noodling (BOSSA NOVA) and the theme to FZ's failed rock opera, I WAS A TEENAGE MALT SHOP.

The second half of the Disc has largely seen the light of day on the aforementioned albums. Some interesting material not found elsewhere include the studio version of AGENCY MAN, the (a)typical Mothers avant-garde tickle madness of SKWEEZIT SKWEEZIT SKWEEZIT, a 1972 interview snippet in which Zappa seeks to find the story behind Willie the Pimp, and goes straight the source (THE STORY OF WILLIE THE PIMP), and the Charva-like CHUCHA (FZ following his own advice again from track 11).

This material is anything but essential -- its for the curious or hardcore fans only. The casual FZ listener will doubtless find this too strange, or stupid, to bear. Fans of the early Mothers (or Beefheart), in particular, will find it pretty interesting. Regardless of who enjoys it, its a worthwhile audio documentary of the legendary cultural/musical phenomenon that was Frank Zappa.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Companion piece to Lost episodes, December 12, 2000

By 

R. Bruynesteyn (Horn Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mystery Disc (Audio CD)

Do not buy this for the cynical humor, the great guitar solo's or the great interaction with the public. Zappa is practicing his routines, tuning his instruments and his bands and developing a vision. Playground Psychotics documents the 200 motels lineup, this one documents his musical childhood. AS SUCH it is interesting.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For the completist only, September 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mystery Disc (Audio CD)

The best thing I can say about this disc is that it proves even early on that Frank was a decent orchestral composer.

And if you've ever wanted a picture of the Mothers when Henry Vestine was in the band, it's here.