Zappa in New York

Untitled

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, and released in March 1978. Zappa had originally intended to release it in 1977, but the release was delayed over disagreements that Zappa's DiscReet Records label then had with record distributor Warner Bros. Records. Warner had removed the song "Punky's Whips" without authorization (though some early pressings of the album did feature the song.) Zappa later reacquired the album, and released it as a remixed double CD in 1991, restoring "Punky's Whips" (though amending it with a good deal of overdubbed guitar, which had been recorded at the same time as the album's other overdubs, but never used on the album) and adding four bonus tracks.

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

This album presented mostly new material, such as the aforementioned "Punky's Whips", a tale concerning drummer Terry Bozzio's infatuation with Punky Meadows, a guitarist in the band Angel, set along to a complex, striking 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 with 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 new 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".

Track listing

All tracks written by Frank Zappa.

Original release

1. "Titties & Beer" – 5:39
2. "I Promise Not to Come in Your Mouth" – 2:50
3. "Big Leg Emma" – 2:17
4. "Sofa" – 3:15
5. "Manx Needs Women" – 1:40
6. "The Black Page Drum Solo/Black Page #1" – 4:06
7. "Black Page #2" – 5:31
8. "Honey, Don't You Want a Man Like Me?" – 4:15
9. "The Legend of The Illinois Enema Bandit" – 12:31
10. "The Purple Lagoon" – 16:57

Re-release

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 Legend of The Illinois Enema Bandit" – 12:41

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

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