Frank Zappa Live In New York: Halloween DVD Audio

This DVD audio features Zappa, live from New York's Palladium, showcasing his special brand of humor. it also includes a black-and-white video clip of another performance from that year, a radio interview and Zappa's complete discography. Recorded in 96/24 5.1 digital surround sound.

This is a DVD-Audio disc. The DVD-Audio content can only be read by a DVD-Audio player. The Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS audio tracks provided on this disc will play on a standard DVD player.
A decade after his death, fans of Frank Zappa eagerly awaited the release of additional music by his family. They will not be disappointed with the increased capacity of this DVD-audio CD, which has a few bonuses. This 2003 release, available through www.zappa.com, compiles portions from several concerts at the Palladium in New York City that were performed in the days leading up to (and including) Halloween, 1978. In addition to Zappa's phenomenal guitar playing, the presence of violinist Lakshminarayana Shankar is a special treat, since so few of his recordings with the bandleader have been issued. The exciting instrumental "Ancient Armaments," which was only briefly available as a single, and the long interpretation of "Black Napkins," which interpolates "The Deathless Horsie," are easily the highlights of this disc, though one could make an argument for Zappa's blistering solo in "Muffin Man." The remaining tracks are not the best examples of Zappa's work from this point in his career. Although "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" was somewhat of a hit for Zappa, neither it nor "Conehead," "Stink-Foot," "Camarillo Brillo," nor "Dinah-Moe Humm" have stood the test of time as well as many of his other works. Another problem is the often cavernous sound, as some of the vocals are not quite as prominent as one would expect, even though Zappa's other live recordings at the Palladium don't seem to have this problem. The extra material, which must be accessed through a television, includes what seems to be a black and white video rehearsal with Denny Walley hoarsely singing a very bluesy, extended take of "Suicide Chump" and the far superior "Dancin' Fool," from Zappa's second (and final) appearance on Saturday Night Live. Carl Baugher's excellent liner notes make up for the disappointing radio interview, as the host didn't really seem prepared for Zappa as a guest. Although this DVD audio CD isn't the place to start for a novice listener, Zappa fanatics will snap up this disc as soon as they learn of its existence. ~ Ken Dryden
Frank Zappa was a true musical genius--of course, one often hears that term bandied about regarding any moe who can sing and string two dozen words together, but Zappa was the real deal. He was a killer guitarist who composed and played rock & roll, jazz, R&B, and classical music, wrote absurdly, viciously funny satirical songs, and did "rock theatre" when Alice Cooper was still in middle school. Zappa fans will love this DVD-Audio Disc, which contains not only a 1978 live performance at New York City's Palladium, but many other extras including a video clip of another 1978 performance, a radio interview, and a complete Zappa discography.
DVD Features:
Region 1
Full Frame - 1.33
Audio:
DTS 5.1 - English
Single Side - Dual Layer