Frank Zappa - Live New York 1984 - 4CD

As Zappa planned his twentieth anniversary world tour in '83/'84 no one knew it would be his last with a small group. At the time he was, as always, busy, releasing Man From Utopia (1983), London Symphony Orchestra, Vol 1. (1983), The Perfect Stranger (1983), Them Or Us (1984) and the criminally overlooked Thing Fish (1984).

The early '80s had seen some great and unique players leave his band but the man with the moustache had developed a knack for replacing the irreplaceable. Bassist Scott Thunes and drummer Chad Wackerman were a match for their predecessors; Ike Willis and Ray White were arguably the finest vocalists he ever employed; Bobby Martin was blessed with operatic tonsils, great tenor sax chops and virtuoso keyboard skills and Allan Zavod was a jazz-fusion pianist from hell (well, Australia). The energy radiating from the stage is undeniable, the band is as tight as a duck's poop chute and Frank's guitar explorations are the nasty, ugly, obscene solos he had been working towards for years.

EARLY SHOW

DISC I

1. INTRO> KING KONG

2. BAMBOOZLED BY LOVE

3. IN FRANCE

4. DROWNING WITCH> RIDE MY FACE TO CHICAGO

5. THE DEATHLESS HORSIE

6. COCAINE DECISIONS

7. NIG BIZ

8. ALIEN ORIFICE

9. LUCILLE HAS MESSED MY MIND UP

10. CITY OF TINY LITES

DISC 2

1. YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS

2. MUDD CLUB

3. THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT NOTHING

4. JOE'S GARAGE

5. WHY DOES IT HURT WHEN I PEE?

6. WPLJ

7. SHARLEENA

8. COCK-SUCKERS' BALL

9. DINAH-MOE HUMM

10. THE ILLINOIS ENEMA BANDIT

LATE SHOW

DISC 3

1. ZOOT ALLURES

2. TINSELTOWN REBELLION

3. MORE TROUBLE EVERY DAY

4. PENGUIN IN BONDAGE

5. HOT PLATE HEAVEN AT THE GREEN HOTEL

6. BE IN MY VIDEO

7. GOBLIN GIRL

8. BLACK PAGE # 2

9. I'M THE SLIME> DADDY, DADDY, DADDY

DISC 4

1. THE EVIL PRINCE

2. TEEN-AGE WIND

3. TRUCK DRIVER DIVORCE

4. CAROL, YOU FOOL

5. CHANA IN DE BUSHWOP

6. LET'S MOVE TO CLEVELAND

7. LITTLE GIRL OF MINE

8. THE CLOSER YOU ARE

9. JOHNNY DARLING

10. NO, NO CHERRY