The Unexpexted Zappa Orgy of 1Q25 Part V-A

 

Knowing that there are gardeners who tend the monarchical residences, I am less harsh on myself for misreading the phrase as “Royal Weeding.”
Porridger’s Almanack (Breakfast of Ganglions)

Just me and the pygmy pony, over by the dental floss bush.
— Frank Zappa, “Montana”

The Over-Nite Sensation 50th anniversary box came in. I began with listening to the blu-ray audio (It’s an interesting industry artifact that Zappa prepared the album in a quadraphonic mix—and fittingly enough the subject of the song “Camarillo Brillo” says her stereo is four-way) Purely as regards my personal feelings let me get the “bad news” (merely my least flattering remarks, really) out of the way first: overall (and arguably against consensus), the album is not one of my favorite Zappa releases. When the topic/thought of the album arises, my first thought is apt to be, Oh, not “Dinah-Moe Humm” again. In my view there is space for finding the more raunchily ribald of his songs tiresome, without lapsing into Prudery. I don’t discount any of his songs merely because it’s salacious, and that said, “Humm” is only one song out of seven, and but 17% of the album’s run time. And sure enow, in listening to the album afresh I am reminded that the Sensation is rather better than I have been apt to credit it. And after all (literally) it closes superbly with “Montana.” My favorite extras from Disc One? I find myself asking, Where has “Wonderful Wino” been all my life? And the short answer is that (somehow) I’ve never listened to the Zoot Allures album. I’ve heard the exquisite title track in a number of live versions (also the studio version, I think, on the Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa disc. Love the 1973 versions of “Inca Roads” and “RDNZL,” the latter with especially tasty work by Jean-Luc Ponty. The single versions of “I’m the Slime” and “Montana” are fun, as is the “Bolic take-home mix” of “Inca Roads.” Of course, Take 2 of “RDNZL (also with cracking work by Ponty),” obviously. And another apparent prototype: “X-FORTS (Echidna’s Arf (of You)).” The entire disc, in other words, is solid.

As to the Disc Two odds and ends, the track I personally found of greatest interest was the pipe organ improv (Ian Underwood, Geo. Duke? Unclear, but I guess I lean towards the latter) by way of introducing “Fifty/Fifty.”

The final three tracks of Disc Two and all of Disc Three are what remains in the Vault of a 23 March 1973 show at the Hollywood Palladium. Duke plays a smoking electric piano for the eight-minute introduction to “Dupree’s Paradise” Perhaps unsurprisingly (for many reasons) the whole show is a rewarding listen. Bottom line: Although I had some slight misgivings that this box might prove a disappointment after the Apostrophe (’) 50th anniversary box, when I got me down to some listening, I found no such matter.