You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore - Vol. 3 [LIVE] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Frank Zappa

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 30, 1995)
• Original Release Date: November 1989
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Live, Original recording remastered
• Label: Zappa Records
• ASIN: B0000009TP
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #63,444 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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• This is item 3 in The You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Series.

Editorial Reviews

From the Label
Three volumes into the series and we finally get a live version of "Why Does It Hurt When I Pee," plus a version of "Dickie's Such an Asshole," recorded while it was still timely (it would turn up on BROADWAY THE HARD WAY, once Dickie was safely out of the way). These 25 tracks were recorded between 1971 and 1984 (5 songs were premiere recordings), although MOST of it's from the 1984 tour. Of special interest is the first track, "Sharleena," recorded December 23, 1984. On it, 15-year old Dweezil joins his father on guitar, the first time they played together onstage.

Also of special interest is a live version of "King Kong" that includes FZ's guitar solo from the notorious Rainbow Theater show of 1971. It was during this very number that an overreacting audience member, whose girlfriend claimed to be in love with Frank, chose to jump onstage and knock FZ into the orchestra pit; he wound up in the hospital and wouldn't perform for the remainder of the year. (This solo is deftly edited into a 1982 performance of the same tune). On the lighter side, there's an '84 performance of "Bamboozled by Love" where the band slides into a Yes riff that you'll probably recognize.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Worst of the Series., January 23, 2004

By A Customer

To put it up front, this is my least favorite of the You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore series. Most of this volume is dominated by the 1984 band, generally considered by fans, myself included, as one of Zappa's worst tours. With Ike Willis, Ray White, and Bob Harris on board, this tour is pretty much dedicated to exercising vocal muscle. The band was stripped down, a lot of things (like percussion) taken over by synthesizers, rhythm was dumbed down in the material to be more conductive to the heavy guitar playing and vocals, and the tempos were sped up. This probably explains why this sounds like a "song" tour, so to speak, with an abbreviated, poppish sound. In addition, the tour relied heavily on FZ's guitar playing, which would normally be an excellent attribute. Unfortunately, this just wasn't FZ's best guitar year, as is evidenced by the disappointing Guitar album. A lot of these solos sound overwrought and uninspired. They hardly have that beautiful tinge of bold originality and technical experimentation that makes FZ usually so great to listen to.

The first disc is entirely devoted to the '84 tour. SHARLEENA features a 15 year old Dweezil joining his father on stage for the first time, and soloing with him. While Dweezil's playing is impressive considering that he'd only been playing for 2 years, it sounds hopelessly Van Halenish. This track is more interesting as a documentary of a charming father/son moment. BAMBOOZLED BY LOVE is so rhythmically stripped that it clocks into "Owner of a Lonely Heart" at one point. LUCILLE HAS MESSED MY MIND UP has a charming calypsoish feel. ADVANCE ROMANCE is one of my favorite FZ songs, but this is the worst version of it. A lot of the next tracks deal with a miserable Thanksgiving show, where the band, despite its hardships, seemed to be having a lot of fun. A Lone Ranger motif keeps reoccuring and forcing FZ and Ike Willis into uncontrollable fits of laughter. I have no idea why there's yet another version of HONEY, DON'T YOU WANT A MAN LIKE ME here. Like the plenty of other versions, there's no real variation, except a cute audience fakeout. DROWNING WITCH is a brilliant epic work, of course. Because none of his bands ever performed it right, Zappa mixes the '82 and '84 band together to get an ideal performance. The best part of this disc is a chain of three premiere songs, RIDE MY FACE TO CHICAGO, a great little rocker inspired by graffiti found in the bathroom of the Whisky-a-Go-Go, CAROL, YOU FOOL, a nice crooner piece, and CHANA IN DE BUSHWOP, co-written by Diva Zappa. The Joe's Garage songs that end the disc are far inferior to the album versions.

The second disc is a lot better. It opens with a 10 minute version of DICKIE'S SUCH AN... as originally performed by the '73 Roxy band. After disc one, its a real breath of fresh air. HANDS WITH A HAMMER, an incredible drum solo by Terry Bozzio, confirming the incredible precocious genius of that certain FZ alumnus. It leads into a split version of ZOOT ALLURES, with the original variant of the composed portion, as played in 1975, which jumps into a reggae-vamped solo played in 1984, which is pretty good. The You Are What You Is songs that follow are just wasteful. Why would we want to hear the 1981 band trying to replicate these songs exactly as they appear on the albums? Didn't we get enough of that on Volume one? COCAINE DECISIONS and NIG BIZ (another premiere song) are classic documentary moments, played during the Palermo riots that ended the 1982 tour. You can hear the tear gas cannisters being shot off as the band, blinded, goes on undaunted. Its absolutely incredible. The 24 minute KING KONG mixes the '82, '84, and '72 band. The last is from the concert in which Zappa was pushed off stage. Some excellent solos here. COSMIK DEBRIS, performed by the '84 band, is another throw-away, put on here for its Secret Word significance.

There's a lot on this volume worth having, but overall its pretty lacklustre. I recommend getting this one last.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed blessing, July 26, 2003

By	coca-ebola (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

As previous reviews have made clear, Volume 3 of the "'Stage' series" is not for everybody. You have to be able to tolerate the in-jokes ("secret words" in Zappa-lingo) and the thin texture of the synthesizer-heavy 1984 band (which dominates the album). And you may find, as I did, that improvisationally the first disc is a total write-off. IMHO 1981-4 were not good years for Zappa's guitar playing - and while, fortunately, there's not a lot from the '81-2 tour where he tended to make ugly noises for no reason at all, the 1984 solos sound to me like haphazard noodling.
But on the first disc, you get the unassailable `Drowning Witch', a bit of rock 'n roll fun called `Ride My Face to Chicago', the infectious nonsense of `Chana in de Bushwop' (with a good keyboard solo from Bobby Martin and a funny one from Zappa and Zavod), and the marvellous `Carol You Fool' - a doowop song about a girl who'd been stalking the sound engineer, which reminds us that when they weren't joking around these 1984 guys could REALLY sing! (Especially Ray, in the difficult middle-eight)
The second disc, and especially the 24-minute `King Kong', is the real reason for buying. The original and best version of `Dickie's...' - even though purchasers of the `Stage sampler' album will know that a few lines have been inexplicably edited out, and the song remixed (poorly).
Terry's unique way of constructing a drum solo, leads us to the original (and best?) arrangement of `Zoot Allures'. But it edits to 1982 for the solo - damn! To get an idea of what the 1976 solos were like, consult `FZ:OZ' or, better still, `FZ Plays The Music Of FZ'
From the riot show we have the fabulous `Nig Biz' - Ray White singing like a good'un and, better yet, leading off the solo sequence. The `You Are What You Is' medley is always a pleasure to hear. And then...
The `King Kong' extravaganza. Part 1, a short Ed Mann noise-solo followed by the band shouting something unmentionable, functions mainly as light relief after the hectic music that precedes it on this album. Part 2 - Ian Underwood demonstrating his godliness as the rhythm alternates 4-4 and 3-4. Part 3 - one of the best Zappa solos you've ever heard. Uncharacteristically mellow and reflective (think of the `Sleep Dirt' title cut), partially unaccompanied, including quotes from `Big Swifty' and `Zoot Allures' (and you thought they hadn't been written yet!) as well as a hint of `Toads of the Short Forest' as the band shifts into a jazz waltz. Parts 4 and 5 - some hot keyboard action from Tommy Mars, plus the William Tell Overture and a bit of Zappa/Hammersmith stage-folklore. And, Part 6, a Zappa solo from '82 that's actually not bad at all (thanks to Scott and Chad).

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a worthwhile purchase, May 28, 2001

By	"theslime" (DUBLIN) - See all my reviews

Better than volume 6 but not as good as the other 4. It is a wee bit topheavy with 84 band tomfoolery and not enough instrumental amazingness. Still, i like it because it has a great 'feelgood' quality, a lot of chuckles. Examples: Ike keeps making Frank laugh while he's trying to sing 'BobbyBrown' and 'keep it greasy'. He repeatedly utters the stupid phrase 'Hi ho silver-away!' The songs are funny in themselves too, especially 'in france' from them or us. Drowning witch is a great instrumental composition and we get to hear the 1982 band play some of it. There is a liberal serving of zappa guitar on disc1, 1984 being a great year for zappa guitar solos. Dweezil also does some guitar wanking on 'sharleena' and frank says 'battlestar galactica?' Funny.

Disc2 is stuff from other bands like a splendid 1973 'dickie's such an -------' which has frank say 'good god, we're so professional' Funny. There is a loud drum solo from ted bozzio and an original zoot allures. then a quartet of you are what you is tunes which don't particularly set me on fire, and a couple of songs from the palermo riot. also a cosmik debris and finally a humungous king kong, one of galactic proportion. It's a pity frank didn't put a few more monster tracks like this on the series but it's great. Play it loud