Frank Zappa - 1998 - Hows Your bird

Bird

A collection of early Zappa material, How's Your Bird does an excellent job of displaying Zappa's roots in doo wop, R&B, and garage rock. The relentlessly crude sound (these tracks were recorded on a four-track in someone's living room in the early '60s) may alienate some fans used to Zappa's more lavish productions, but the pungent, offbeat humor that Zappa is renowned for is here in evidence. The title cut (which Zappa produced and wrote but didn't sing) is characteristically unusual, but it's really on the sarcastic horror movie parodies "Dear Jeepers" and "Letter From Jeepers" (which Zappa wrote and produced for L.A. disc jockey Bob Guy) that Zappa's twisted, downright macabre sense of humor shines. The second half, which mostly contains recordings Zappa had no involvement in (they were recorded by the home studio's owner, though Zappa did help promote them), consists of fairly pleasant but unexceptional doo wop and frat rock. Still, the moments of wit and energy that shine through are worth hearing. It's true that these embryonic recordings are a far cry from the breadth and punch of Zappa's later classics, and it's certainly not the place for newcomers to start, but for a compilation of early Zappa music, How's Your Bird is valuable. ~ Victor W. Valdivia, All Music Guide


01 Dear Jeepers by Bob Guy (02:29)
02 How's Your Bird? by Baby Ray & The Ferns (02:12)
03 The World's Greatest Sinner by Baby Ray & The Ferns (02:29)
04 Every Time I See You by The Heartbreakers (02:36)
05 Cradle Rock by The Heartbreakers (02:55)
06 Slow Bird[1] by Paul Buff (02:11)
07 Blind Men's Buff[1] by Paul Buff (01:47)
08 Cathy My Angel[1] by The Pauls (02:14)
09 'Til September[1] by The Pauls (02:27)
10 Letter From Jeepers by Bob Guy (02:22)

Frank Zappa - (1998) - Cucamonga! Frank's Wild Years

Cucamonga

Cucamonga

In 1963, FZ arrived at Del-Fi's doorstep with these self-produced doo-wop, East L.A. R&B and surf novelties (all were written and performed by Frank and his protégés at his Cucamonga-based studio, hence the title of this compilation). "How's Your Bird?" features vocals by eventual Mother Ray Collins. Features all new artwork & 14 remastered tracks. 1998 Del-Fi Records release.

Unique material: Yes, but this is also available on other, similar compilations

Cucamonga! Frank's Wild Years (original issue)

    1. Bob Guy: Dear Jeepers
    2. Baby Ray & the Ferns: The World's Greatest Sinner
    3. Baby Ray & the Ferns: How's Your Bird
    4. The Heartbreakers: Every Time I See You [Zappa/Collins]
    5. The Heartbreakers: Cradle Rock [Galleges]
    6. Paul Buff: Slow Bird
    7. Paul Buff: Blind Man's Buff
    8. Mr. Clean: Mr. Clean
    9. Mr. Clean: Jesse Lee ["Jessie Lee"]
    10. The Pauls: Cathy, My Angel
    11. The Pauls: 'Til September
    12. The Rotations: Heavies [David Aernie/Paul Buff]
    13. The Rotations: The Cruncher [David Aernie/Paul Buff]
    14. Bob Guy: Letter from Jeepers

    15. The Penguins: Memories of El Monte [Zappa/Collins] [German version only]

Tracks 6-7 & 10-11 have zero Zappa involvement.

In 2004, Rhino reissued this compilation, changing a few things around. The new tracklisting is:

    1. Bob Guy: Dear Jeepers
    2. The Penguins: Memories of El Monte
    3. Baby Ray & the Ferns: The World's Greatest Sinner
    4. Baby Ray & the Ferns: How's Your Bird
    5. The Heartbreakers: Every Time I See You
    6. The Heartbreakers: Cradle Rock
    7. Paul Buff: Slow Bird
    8. Paul Buff: Blind Man's Buff
    9. The Hollywood Persuaders: Grunion Run
    10. The Hollywood Persuaders: Tijuana Surf
    11. Mr. Clean: Mr. Clean
    12. Mr. Clean: Jesse Lee
    13. The Pauls: Cathy, My Angel
    14. The Pauls: 'Til September
    15. The Rotations: Heavies
    16. The Rotations: The Cruncher
    17. Bob Guy: Letter from Jeepers

At this time, we do not have information as to the mastering (i.e. whether it's changed). Send us in information if you know any better!

From Biffy the Elephant Shrew:

    Here's the poop: the cover is a cartoon of Zappa in lurid blue & red on a green background. The art is based on the 1968 'Meet a Mother!' drag photo from Melody Maker, but without the pigtails. The back cover is a collage that Cal Schenkel oughtta sue over.

Frank Zappa - 1998 - Cheep thrills

Cheap

CHEAP THRILLS serves as a 40-minute introduction to the varied world of Frank Zappa's vast catalog. Drawn from a dozen different ...    Full Descriptionreleases, most of the tracks are live. However, Zappa used the stage the way other artists use the studio (and the way he used the studio as well)--as a platform for experimentation. He recorded nearly all of his performances and indeed, many of them became cornerstones of assorted albums, when not constituting an album in its entirety. Long before many other acts were even aware of the process, Zappa was refining his approach to live multi-track recording.

"Hot Plate Heaven At the Green Hotel" (from the album BROADWAY THE HARD WAY) is one of several fine guitar workouts included here. "Zomby Woof" is a fine testament to both his skills as a bandleader and his ear for hiring impressive players. The earliest song included in this set is "Cheap Thrills" from the 1968 release CRUISING WITH RUBEN & THE JETS. The latest song here is culled from his final tour in the late eighties.

Compilation;Cheap!!!!;13 Songs

Personnel includes: Frank Zappa (vocals, guitar, Synclavier, synthesizers, drum programming); Bobby Martin (vocals, saxophone, keyboards); Ray Collins (vocals); Steve Vai (acoustic & electric guitars); Mike Keneally (guitar, synthesizer, vocals); Ray White, Ike Willis (guitar, vocals); Captain Beefheart (harmonica, vocals); Bunk Gardner (alto & tenor saxophones); Albert Wing (tenor saxophone); Kurt McGettrick (baritone & bass saxophones, contrabass clarinet); Walt Fowler (trumpet, flugelhorn, synthesizer); Bruce Fowler (trombone); Don Preston (piano); Tommy Mars (keyboards, vocals); George Duke, Alan Zavod (keyboards); Scott Thunes (bass, Mini-Moog synthesizer); Chad Wackerman (drums, electronic percussion); Terry Bozzio (drums).

Cheap Thrills

(Frank Zappa, April 1998)

Vinyl vs CD

   1. I Could Be A Star Now 0:35 (from Playground Psychotics)
   2. Catholic Girls 4:04 (from You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 6)
   3. Bobby Brown Goes Down 2:39 (from You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 3)
   4. You Are What You Is 4:31 (from Thing-Fish)
   5. We Are Not Alone 3:18 (from The Man From Utopia)
   6. Cheap Thrills 2:28 (from Cruising With Ruben & The Jets)
   7. The Mudshark Interview 2:39 (from Playground Psychotics)
   8. Hot Plate Heaven At The Green Hotel 6:40 (from Broadway The Hard Way)
   9. Zomby Woof 5:38 (from You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 1)
  10. The Torture Never Stops Original Version 9:13 (from You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4)
  11. Joe's Garage 2:20 (from You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 3)
  12. My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama 3:19 (from You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4)
  13. Going For The Money 0:14 (from Playground Psychotics)

Original recordings produced by FZ
Compilation produced by David Greenberg
Mastered by Toby Mountain
News analysis by David Baker
Art & design by Cal Schenkel