The Ark [LIVE]

Frank Zappa

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 16, 1991)
• Original Release Date: July 16, 1991
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B0000032GM
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #287,168 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Get It While You Can, December 18, 2000

By	kireviewer (Sunnyvale, Ca United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This is part of Zappa's Beat The Boots series, where Zappa took bootlegs, digitally enhanced them and released them as his own. They were supposed to be limited edition. Nine years later, this one is still available. Zappa released something like 14 CD's in the Beat the Boot series. Many of them are hard now hard to find. This may be your last chance to get this....or Rhino may continue to produce them...who knows.

This is the original Mothers of Invention, playing in Boston in 1968. There is alot of Zappa talking to the audience, introducing the songs and complaining about the record companies, radio stations and music fans. He does the few Mothers "hits". There is a nice guitar solo in My Guitar Wants to Kill YOur Mama, but it gets cut short. The real reason to buy this CD is for the 20 minute Uncle Meat/King Kong instrumental. There is alot of good jamming here on keyboards, sax and guitar.

Note that a mystery track is listed. My copy of the CD does not have a mystery track. I don't know if the newer editions do, or if that is just a mistake.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Diversity of The Mothers in Full Sonic Splendor, April 12, 2003

By	x (USA) - See all my reviews

"The Ark" is by far my favorite CD from the "Beat the Boots #1" series. In fact, it is one of my favorite Zappa CDs in general, even when viewed with respect to his immense catalog. What makes this disc so wonderful is that the sound quality is excellent (remember, this was originally a bootleg) and the tunes exhibit the full splendor and diversity of the early Mothers of Invention. "Big Leg Emma" really cooks with its strong drumbeats and precise changes. Then, hilariously, Zappa tells the audience that he will play something that "will be better for you in the long run" and delves into an avant-garde classical music piece ("Some Ballet Music"). Fantastic! The Mothers also demonstrate their doo-wop skills on "Valerie" and then collectively proceed to take the house down with a rousing medley of "Uncle Meat/King Kong." In sum, the vast array of styles represented on this disc (all played with virtuosity) make this a great CD to own whether you are just getting into Zappa's music or have been a fan for decades.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definately one of the best Beat the Boots releases..., June 25, 2000

By	David Goodwin (Westchester, NY United States) - See all my reviews

I've always been wary of the Beat the Boot series; sure, they offer the "real deal," as compared with the You Can't...series, but...

Anyway, this release changed my opinion. The Ark is WONDERFUL, and as stuff by the original Mothers is hard to come by, it's a fascinating artifact. Although side one seems to be running a bit slow, it's a direct copy of the bootleg release of the same name (although, truth be told, it isn't the best copying job on earth). It's worth it all, though, for My Guitar and the other tracks that will delight your teenage ears. Zappa's stage presense at the time, the Contemptuous Band-leader, is also interesting to hear (compare this to his Roxy and Elsewhere persona).