Frank Zappa - 1994 "Apocrypha" [4 CD Box]

Apocrypha (Thirty Years of Frank Zappa) (4-CD box)

• Various live
• Various studio

Length: 62:10+61:31+71:56+66:35 = 4:22:12
Sound quality: Various, often from vinyl
Label: Great Dane Records GDR9405/ABCD (Italy 1994)
Bar code: 8 013013 940524

Musicians: Various
This is a very popular bootleg box with luxurious packaging: a book-style box with a leather appearance (although not at all made of leather). The front has a photo of Zappa's moustache, and says "APOCRYPHA", "FZ" and "Thirty Years Of Frank Zappa". The back cover shows Zappa walking down the street with his UHER portable tape recorder, wearing a bulbous derby (from the same session as the inside photo in the Strictly Commercial package). A paper insert is glued under the disc trays to discs 3 and 4, which extends out to boast the track listing. The package contains a large (40-page) colour booklet with dozens of pictures and a very long and confusing 1988 interview. Liner notes appear on the far right on every right-hand page - in the style of the Stage series, "complete with misinformation" (the band line-up details are especially abominable: they are not complete, and they falsely state that the Bob Harris from 1971 and the Bob Harris from 1980 were the same person). The front of the booklet has a mid-'70s Zappa picking his nose with his middle finger; the back has an old Zappa pulling down one of his eyelids, looking rather sickly. Some copies have had errata & corrigenda inserts.
The discs are an attractive black, and bear 1) the moustache photo from the front cover, 2) the legend "Apocrypha" as it appears on the front cover, 3) the disc number in silver with the beige letters FZ slapped on top, and 4) the legend "The Live Experience" which appears around the rim of all Great Dane releases.

Disc 1

1. Lost in a Whirlpool (02:45) [The Lost Episodes version]
2. Do it in C (01:45) ["The Black-Outs" plus "Ronnie Sings?" - The Lost Episodes versions]
3. Any Way the Wind Blows (02:28) [The Lost Episodes version]
4. Fountain of Love (02:18) [Collins/Zappa] [The Lost Episodes version]
5. Deseri (01:51) [Collins/Buff]
6. The Story of Electricity (02:22) [Power Trio from Saints & Sinners / Bossa Nova Pervertamento] [Mystery Disc version]
7. Metal Man Has Won His Wings (02:59) [Mystery Disc version]
8. I Was a Teenage Maltshop / Status Back Baby / Ned the Mumbler / Ned Has a Brainstorm (06:25)
9. Whiskey Gone Behind the Sun (01:19) ["Louisiana Blues" by McKinley "Muddy Waters" Morganfield] [Mystery Disc version]
10. [Party Scene from] MONDO HOLLYWOOD (01:54) [Mystery Disc version]
11. Sandwich Song (01:43)
12. How Could I Be Such a Fool? (01:58) [longer edit of the Mystery Disc version]
13. Agency Man (05:43) [Mystery Disc version]
14. Randomonium (01:30)
15. My Head (00:45) [mislisted as outtake dialogue from Lumpy Gravy]
16. In Memoriam: Hieronymus Bosch (05:02)
17. In the Sky (02:00) ["Oh, in the Sky"]
18. Remington Electric Razor (00:57)
19. Directly from My Heart to You (05:46) [Penniman]
20. Twinkle Tits (10:09)

A lot of these tracks (1-4, 6-7, 10, 12-13 and 15) have been officially released on The Lost Episodes, Stage #5 and Mystery Disc. The sound quality is always a lot better on the official releases, but here are some other differences:

• Tracks 1-2 are slightly slower/lower here - about one half step down.
• Track 4 has a slightly longer fade-out here, "but the sound is so fantastically better on The Lost Episodes that it's not even funny".
• Track 12 is a different, shorter edit on Mystery Disc:

BIFFY: I always miss hearing the part from the radio broadcast where Zappa pops in to say "Missed the beat that time, didn't he?"
SPLAT: Well, there will always be Apocrypha. :) About the first 15 times I heard that, it really annoyed me; like, "C'mon Frank, could you please not cut up this nice tune, just once?" It's funny, though. It'll be good to have both versions.

As for the other tracks:

• Track 5 is a real oldie from 1962 (officially released on the Grandmothers' album Looking Up Granny's Dress)
• Tracks 8-12 taken from I Was a Teenage Maltshop and Confidential
• Parts of track 8 released on the Mystery Disc (called "I Was a Teenage Maltshop" and "The Birth of Captain Beefheart")
• Track 9 has been officially released (in a shorter edit) on the Mystery Disc (as "Original Mothers at the Broadside (Pomona)"); the song they're playing is "Louisiana Blues" by McKinley Morganfield, known as Muddy Waters
• A small fragment of track 11 has been officially released on the Mystery Disc, as "Original Mothers Rehearsal"
• Track 14 is an alternate take of "Dwarf Nebula" from Weasels Ripped My Flesh, recorded at Apostolic Studios, New York
• Track 16 is a live improvisation from a New York TV show called The Bitter End in 1967 (Hieronymus Bosch was a 15th/16th-century painter from the Netherlands, who painted monstrous images)
• Track 17, a Ruben-esque tune sung by Roy Estrada, is a BBC TV recording from 1968
• Track 18 appears to be a Remington electric razor commerical, and is featured on the Remington Electric Razor bootleg
• Tracks 19-20 are live at the Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, 07-Mar-1970, taken from the bootleg Frank Zappa & Hot Rats at the Olympic

Disc 2

1. Magic Fingers (02:47)
2. Studebaker Hoch (05:58) [excerpt from "Billy the Mountain"]
3. Interview (02:59) ["What's the Name of Your Group?"]
4. RDNZL (04:18) [longer edit of the Lost Episodes version]
5. Inca Roads (03:46) [Lost Episodes version]
6. T'Mershi Duween (02:20)
7. Stink-Foot (03:59)
8. Down in de Dew (02:54) [Läther version]
9. The Purple Lagoon / Approximate (03:59)
10. Saint Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast / Rollo (04:03)
11. Black Napkins (04:34)
12. [A Solo from] Heidelberg (03:52)
13. The Squirm (06:03) [to be released on Trance-Fusion in the future, as "Bowling on Charen"]
14. Dong Work for Yuda (02:57)
15. Moe's Vacation / The Black Page #2 (07:07)

On the paper insert, "Down in the Dew" is listed as "Duck Duck Goose", but in the liner notes, "Down in the Dew" and "Duck Duck Goose" are BOTH listed, pushing the track numbers ahead a number. Only "Down in the Dew" appears, however. Track 8 has been officially released on Läther. As for the other tracks:

• Track 1 is from 1970, maybe from Butte, Montana - it can also be found on Beyond the Fringe of Audience Comprehension.
• Track 2 is a 1971 excerpt from "Billy the Mountain", the same as on Randomonium and Cuccurrullo Brullo Brillo). It's a live recording, but there has been speculation that there are some overdubs on it.
• Track 3 is taken from the Remington Electric Razor bootleg; it's an out-take from 200 Motels, really called "What's the Name of Your Group?". It includes the intro to "German Lunch" on Stage #5, which followed immediately after it on the original bootleg, Remington Electric Razor.
• Tracks 4 and 5 have been officially released on The Lost Episodes, but in shorter edits: "RDNZL" is 04:11 here (22 seconds longer than on The Lost Episodes), and the fade-out in "Inca Roads" is a couple of seconds longer, too, "but the sound is so fantastically better on The Lost Episodes that it's not even funny". "RDNZL", though, includes a bit of guitar soloing by Zappa here, which may be interesting to hear.
• Track 6 live at the War Memorial Gym, Vancouver, 01-Oct-1975.
• Track 7 is a KCET-TV recording from 6/7-Aug-1974 (broadcast in December), which first appeared on the bootleg A Token of His Extreme (better sound here).
• Tracks 9-10 from the Saturday Night Live TV show: track 9 from 11-Dec-1976 (with comedian John Belushi) and track 10 from 21-Oct-1978.
• Track 11 is a version with the Mike Douglas band (from a 1976 TV show) backing Frank Zappa.
• Track 12 has been officially released on The Guitar World According to Frank Zappa, as "A Solo from Heidelberg" (Eppelheim 24-Feb-1978); it's from the song "Yo' Mama".
• Track 13 taken from the Zurkon Music bootleg (Halloween 1977, The Palladium, New York): it will be officially released on the guitar-solo album Trance-Fusion some time in the future, as "Bowling on Charen"
• Tracks 14 and 15 taken from the Remington Electric Razor bootleg. Track 14 (source unknown, February 1977) is surrounded by additional dialogue on Remington Electric Razor, which has been edited out here. The first 4:08 of track 15 is "Moe's Vacation" (an early version of "Moe & Herb's Vacation" in a basic arrangement), the rest is "The Black Page #2". It is from Poughkeepsie 21-Sep-1978.

Disc 3

1. Suicide Chump (09:14)
2. Nite Owl (02:14) [Tony Allen]
3. Heavy Duty Judy (04:41) [with vocals]
4. Pick Me, I'm Clean (03:31)
5. Teenage Wind (03:06)
6. Harder Than Your Husband (02:33)
7. Bamboozled by Love (03:06)
8. Falling in Love is a Stupid Habit (01:46)
9. This is My Story (01:21) [Forrest/Levy]
10. Whipping Post (06:27) [Allman]
11. Clownz on Velvet (05:54)
12. Frogs with Dirty Little Lips (02:08) [Frank/Ahmet Zappa]
13. In France (03:55)
14. Broken Hearts are for Assholes (05:54)
15. Texas Medley (09:05) [Lennon/McCartney/Zappa]: Norweigian Jim ["Norweigian Wood"] / Louisiana Hooker with Herpes ["Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"] / Texas Motel ["Strawberry Fields Forever"]
16. I Am the Walrus (03:43) [Lennon/McCartney]
17. America the Beautiful (03:16) [traditional]

• Track 1 is live at Stonybrook, New York, 15-Oct-1978.
• Track 2 is taken from the bootleg Remington Electric Razor. It's from the late show in Santa Monica on 11-Dec-1980 - a soundboard recording.
• Track 3 is a soundboard recording from the second show in Pittsburgh 13-Nov-1980 (from Good Grief!). It has "vocals", in the sense that Ike and Ray sing "Heavy Duty Judy" in the very beginning over the riff.
• Tracks 4-8 are taken from the Crush All Boxes version in the Mystery Box.
• Tracks 9-11 are from The Ritz in New York, 17-Nov-1981, as on the bootleg Assault on New York - The Toxic Shock Trilogy (Part III: Clownz on Velvet). Al DiMeola guests on track 11. "This Is My Story" was originally recorded by Gene & Eunice, with Johnny's Combo (Johnny was Johnny Otis, inspiration for Zappa's moustache) on the Alladin label (3282), 17-Feb-1955, and peaked at #8 on the R&B chart 21-May-1955.
• Track 12 is a 1981 studio version (taken from the Demos bootleg).
• Track 13 is from Hollywood 22-Jul-1984, with George Duke and Jonny "Guitar" Watson guesting. It's the same performance as on the bootleg All You Need is Glove, but from a different source tape. Whereas the All You Need is Glove version is a soundboard A+, this sounds miserable, and also has a minute or so of "banter" before the song starts.
• Track 14 is live in Santa Monica, 11-Dec-1981 (early show). Someone throws food on stage; Zappa stops the song and makes him eat it.
• Tracks 15-16 are live in Springfield 13-Mar-1988, with the medley lyrics changed to ridicule the disgraced TV evangelist Jimmy Swaggart.
• Track 17 is live in Burlington 12-Mar-1988.

Disc 4

1. The World's Greatest Sinner (11:58)
2. Sink Trap [listed as "Gypsy Airs"] (01:51)
3. Some Ballet Music (06:33)
4. The Jelly (02:13) [last part of the CD version of "Didja Get Any Onya?" from Weasels Ripped My Flesh, plus a couple of extra seconds]
5. Revenge of the Knick-Knack People (06:25) [extended version]
6. Spontaneous Minimalist Composition (02:01)
7. Sinister Footwear (26:08)
8. The Black Page #1 (02:05)
9. While You Were Art #1 (07:19)

• Track 1 is an excerpt from the film THE WORLD'S GREATEST SINNER that Zappa scored in 1961. The film music was played by the Pomona Valley Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Fred E. Graff, and the parts of Satan (the narrator) and Clarence "God" Hilliard were played by Paul Frees and Timothy A. Carey, respectively. It's taken from the Serious Music bootleg.
• Track 2 is taken from the Zut Alors bootleg. The piece was originally recorded in 1967 for an unreleased single, which was planned for release on Capitol Records together with the all-orchestral original version of Lumpy Gravy, which was only released on 8-track. However, this recording is probably from the 1975 concert at the UCLA Royce Hall (the same concert as on Orchestral Favorites) instead.
• Track 3 taken from the bootleg The Ark (Boston, 08-Jul-1969).
• Track 4 is the last part of the CD version of "Didja Get Any Onya?" from Weasels Ripped My Flesh - a spring 1969 recording, exact date and location unknown. It appears on We Are the Mothers & This Is What We Sound Like!, which is both an unreleased album and a bootleg). It has a few seconds at the end that are not on the Weasels CD. 
• Track 5 has been officially released (in a shorter edit) on Läther, as a bonus track. This longer version is taken from the Serious Music bootleg.
• Tracks 6 and 7 were recorded at the "A Zappa Affair" concert at the Zellerbach Auditorium at UC Berkeley, 16-Jun-1984, played by the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kent Nagano. This is the only time "Sinister Footwear" has been performed in its entirety, and Zappa was most unhappy with the results. The ballet consisted of giant puppets with dancers inside them. It's taken from the bootleg Serious Music, and the Serious Music entry has a list of the titles of the 21 parts of the piece.
• Track 8 is a 1986 synclavier version taken from something like an 8" flexi disc issued with Keyboard Magazine.
• Track 9 is a 1985 synclavier version which has somehow found its way here.

Note that although much of Apocrypha has been officially released on The Lost Episodes and the Mystery Disc, the versions on Apocrypha are often slightly longer.

Frank Zappa & The Mothers - 1970 "A Snail In My Nose"

A Snail in My Nose (CD)

• Fillmore East OR West, 1970 (location & date fiercly debatable)

• Re-issued on CD (Lost Rose 8)
• Re-issued on CD as A Snail in My Nose (Teddy Bear Records TB 49 (Italy)), with the bar code 8 016607 942492
• Also issued legally as part of the Beat the Boots II set

Length: 51:37
Sound quality: Soundboard A

The Italian title comes from a 1980s number in the Uncle Meat movie and on the Uncle Meat CD re-issue; an Italian has translated it as "I got a big bunch of dick". An Italian re-issue is cowardly renamed A Snail in My Nose.
This seems to be hodge-podged together from tapes of two shows that night (that goes also for the Freaks & Motherfuckers boot). Tracks 1-5 are probably from the early show and tracks 8-14 from the late show (?). Tracks 6-7 could be from both. The "Interlude" includes "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head", and track 13 includes 40 seconds of "Inca Roads" (a very early version, of course, with only the 16th-note theme) and 24 seconds of "Easy Meat". Around the track break between tracks 11 and 12 there are some "Mudshark Variations".
"Sharleena" is the same performance as on Hotel Dixie. Tracks 11-14 are the same recording as side two of Freaks & Motherfuckers and Hotel Dixie.
The location and date of this show is up for grabs. Beat the Boots claims it as Fillmore East 11-May-1970, which is wrong; the Flo & Eddie band had not been formed then. According to fanzine T'Mershi Duween, the tape the boots are struck from is recorded at the Fillmore West and sometimes identified as 24-May-1970, sometimes as 6-Nov-1970. (As Mike Phillips points out, Zappa does talk about "the speech-impediment lounge at the Fillmore East" during "Does This Kind of Life Look Interesting to You?".) Some people identify them as 14-Dec-1970, but according to Miles' book A Visual Documentary, Zappa was in Europe in December 1970, which has given rise to the date 14-Nov-1970. The Hotel Dixie boot claims to be from that date - but is it the same recording? Pick your favourite.
A Snail in My Nose has a different, imagainative track listing on the cover, but everyone says its a copy of Tengo 'na Minchia Tanta. The cover picture is a black and white snail on a colourful background. The Lost Rose CD cover has a sepia head-and-upper-body photo of Zappa playing guitar with a blurred portrait of him in the background.

Track listing:

1. Does This Kind Of Life Look Interesting To You? (00:49) [intro]
2. A Pound for a Brown on the Bus (07:26)
3. Sleeping in a Jar / Interlude (04:50)
4. Sharleena (04:31)
5. The Sanzini Brothers / FZ Talking to Audience (02:22)
6. What Will This Morning Bring Me This Evening? (02:30)
7. What Kind Of Girl Do You Think We Are? (01:44)
8. Bwana Dik (01:46)
9. Latex Solar Beef (01:00)
10. Daddy, Daddy, Daddy (02:50)
11. Little House I Used to Live in [including "Penis Dimension"] (04:10)
12. Holiday in Berlin [with lyrics!] [including "Would You Like a Snack?"] (04:29)
13. Instrumental [including "Inca Roads" & "Easy Meat"] (07:16)
14. Cruising For Burgers (02:46)

Musicians:

Frank Zappa,
Mark Volman,
Howard Kaylan,
Jeff Simmons,
Aynsley Dunbar,
George Duke
Ian Underwood

Frank Zappa - 1973 "Around The World"

Around the World (CD)

• Various live 1973; from the "Un-Concert"

Label: All of Us Records (Italy) AS 46
Bar code: 8 016108 093464

Musicians: Frank Zappa, Ian Underwood, Ruth Underwood, George Duke, Bruce Fowler, Tom Fowler, Jean-Luc Ponty, Ralph Humphrey and Irma Coffee
The CD is tracked like this (maybe with index numbers):

1. Pygmy Twylyte / Dummy Up [instrumental, listed as "The Tango"] / Dupree's Paradise Story [listed as "Dupree's Paradise Lounge"] (18:13)
2. Penguin in Bondage / T'Mershi Duween / Dog Breath Variations / Uncle Meat (11:13)
3. Father O'Blivion [Stage #6 version] / Don't Eat the Yellow Snow / Nanook Rubs It / St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast (15:24)
4. Guitar Event (04:40)
5. "Beebop and Tango Dance Contest" / Tango Variations (12:47)

• "Pygmy Twylyte / Dummy Up" live in Wayne, New Jersey, 11-Nov-1973 (early show) with Irma Coffee on guest vocals.
• "Dupree's Paradise" live at the Avery Hall in New York, 22-Nov-1973.
• Track 2 live in Los Angeles, or at the Roxy (of Roxy & Elsewhere fame) in December 1973.
• Track 3 live at the Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, Australia, 24-Jun-1973. "Father O'Blivion" has been officially released on Stage #6.
• Track 4 live at the Boston music hall, 08-May-1973.
• Track 5 (maybe not all of it) is live, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 18-Nov-1973.

Brand X - 2014 - Albums Collection 1976-1980 (6 Mini LP SHM-CD Universal Music Japan)

Brand X - 1980 Do They Hurt (Mini LP SHM-CD Universal Japan 2014)

Do They Hurt? (1980) is an album by British jazz fusion group Brand X. The tracks on this album are outtakes from the Product sessions. ("Noddy Goes to Sweden" was a B-side from Product.)

Brand X is guilty of going through the motions on Do They Hurt? At this juncture in Brand X's career, John Goodsall and Percy Jones are the principal forces, with Phil Collins, Morris Pert, and Robin Lumley reduced to a couple of cameos. Peter Robinson, who adopts Lumley's role of providing dreamy keyboards, and drummer Mike Clarke pick up the slack well enough, though John Giblin appears only on one track (the solid if predictably Goodsallian "Voidarama"). The album's strongest track is Goodsall's "Cambodia," which features his mesmerizing arpeggios and heroic guitar leads in a solid progressive rock instrumental. Little else on Do They Hurt? sounds better than outtakes from previous efforts, however. "Noddy Goes to Sweden" and "Triumphant Limp" are under-inspired efforts from Percy Jones; "Fragile!" (cowritten by Jones and Robinson) lacks the marimba-laden magic that made "Disco Suicide" so interesting. The album's most intriguing, and in many ways frustrating, track is "Act of Will," another attempt at a pop crossover from Goodsall that squanders a good melody by employing heavily treated (and barely intelligible) vocals from the guitarist. The record's final song, "D.M.Z.," is little more than a case of noodling around in a familiar environment. Over the years, Goodsall and Jones have developed unique compositional styles -- one listen will reveal who wrote what. But it's all been done better on earlier albums; without the eclectic approach of Product, Do They Hurt? reveals itself to be little more than a retread of earlier ideas. Of minor interest, Monty Python alumnus Michael Palin provides mildly amusing liner notes. 

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Noddy Goes To Sweden (4:30)
2. Voidarama (4:25)
3. Act of Will (4:44)
4. Fragile! (5:26)
5. Cambodia (4:30)
6. Triumphant Limp (7:28)
7. D.M.Z. (8:37)

Total Time: 39:40

Line-up / Musicians

- Percy Jones / bass on (1,3,4,5,7), vocals on (1)
- Peter Robinson / keyboards, tam-tam on (5,6)
- Michael Clarke / drums on (1,3,4,5,7)
- John Goodsall / guitar on (2,3,5,6,7), vocals on (3)
- John Giblin / bass on (2,6)
- Phil Collins / drums on (2,6)
- Robin Lumley / keyboards on (2,6)

Notes

• Robin Lumley (2002): "To this day I can proudly count Michael Palin and Terry Jones as good pals! I got Mike to do the sleeve notes on "Do They Hurt ?" (which is itself a line from Holy Grail (witch sequence)... He wanted 25 pence for writing the notes... Charisma didn't pay him so he threatened to sue! (a joke of course)".
• "Act of Will" is sung through a vocoder. John Goodsall himself said, in a private e-mail, that there were never any written lyrics. Various attempts have been made to puzzle out what he is saying, but the words are likely similar to Masoko Tanga by The Police and are not always words.
• This album consists of out-takes from the Product sessions. Because "Noddy Goes to Sweden" was included on this album, the song "Pool Room Blues" gains the distinction of being the only non-album Brand X song.

Brand X - 1979 [2014] Product (Mini LP SHM-CD Universal Japan)

Product is an album by British jazz fusion group Brand X, originally released in 1979.

Brand X's most eclectic album to date, Product is perhaps most notable for its attempts at a pop crossover in the Phil Collins-sung "Don't Make Waves" and "Soho." The range of styles presented here -- hard and soft fusion, pop, progressive rock -- results from the now-interchangeable nature of the Brand X lineup, which, in addition to the returning Collins and Robin Lumley, is expanded to include bassist John Giblin and drummer Mike Clarke (Chuck Burgi having left after Masques). While the pop songs have a tart, new wave sound to them that is oddly ingratiating, they're likely to leave longtime fans scratching their heads. (Genesis fans may hear in "Soho" the musical inspiration for "Illegal Alien," and in Percy Jones' "Dance of the Illegal Aliens" its titular inspiration.) Despite the presence of the original quartet -- Collins, Goodsall, Lumley, Jones -- the four don't appear together on Product, although Goodsall is present for all but one song (the lone pairing of fretless bassists Percy Jones and John Giblin on "Wal to Wal"). Many of this album's tracks have found a place in the band's career retrospectives, including the airy fusion of "Dance of the Illegal Aliens" and the engaging "Algon." While Mike Clarke's impact on the music often goes unnoticed, John Giblin adds a new dimension to the band's sound with two soft, evocative songs: "Rhesus Perplexus" (in which Goodsall's acoustic guitar crosses into Pat Metheny territory) and "April." The remaining tracks, "Not Good Enough -- See Me!" and "...And So to F...," are pleasant instrumentals with a more prominent role for the percussion; Collins thought enough of the latter to include a live version of it on a couple of 12" singles from his subsequent solo career. By nearly doubling the band's size, Product is able to indulge in an interesting game of musical chairs that occasionally overshadows the music itself. The band clearly has talent to spare, but can't seem to agree where to strike. 

Track listing

CD

1. "Don't Make Waves" (Goodsall) – 5:31
2. "Dance of the Illegal Aliens" (Jones) – 7:49
3. "Soho" (Goodsall, Collins) – 3:40
4. "Not Good Enough-See Me!" (Jones, Robinson) – 7:29
5. "Algon (Where an Ordinary Cup of Drinking Chocolate Costs £8,000,000,000)" (Lumley) – 6:08
6. "Rhesus Perplexus" (Giblin) – 4:00
7. "Wal to Wal" (Jones, Giblin) – 3:14
8. "...And So to F..." (Collins) – 6:28
9. "April" (Giblin) – 2:08

Personnel

except on "Dance of the Illegal Aliens"; "Wal to Wal"; "Not Good Enough - See Me!"

• Keyboards, Sounds [Gunfire, Chainsaw] – Robin Lumley
• Guitar – John Goodsall
• Bass – John Giblin
• Drums, Percussion, Vocals – Phil Collins

on "Dance of the Illegal Aliens"; "Not Good Enough - See Me!"

• Keyboards, Sounds [Gunfire], Vocals – Peter Robinson
• Guitar, Vocals – John Goodsall
• Bass – Percy Jones
• Drums – Mike Clark
• Percussion – Morris Pert

on "Wal to Wal"

• Bass – John Giblin
• Bass – Percy Jones
• Drums, Drum Machine – Phil Collins

Notes

• The song "Wal to Wal" is the first recorded song on which Phil Collins used a Roland drum machine. (The first recorded Genesis song on which he used a drum machine is Duchess.)
• Both "Don't Make Waves" and "Soho" were released as singles.
• The non-album song "Pool Room Blues" was used as a B-side to one of the singles. "Genocide of the Straights" is another non-album track that failed to make the cut on Livestock, yet was included on a 1977 EP titled 'X-cerpts - 3 from "Livestock" + 1'.
• Various releases of the album switch the track list with "...And So to F..." and "Not Good Enough - See Me!"

Brand X - 1978 Masques (Mini LP SHM-CD Universal Japan 2014)

Masques is the 1978 album by the British jazz fusion group Brand X. This was the band's first studio recording without drummer Phil Collins. The rear of the album cover has a photo of the crowd from the Knebworth Festival, 1978 — a bill that included both Brand X and Genesis, Collins' other band.

Without the drumming of Phil Collins, who does appear on some of Brand X's albums, Masques still maintains a snug, jazzy-prog milieu and comes off clean and tight. Each song has a different beat, speed, and tempo with a satisfying assortment of keyboards and percussion instruments to keep the entire album afloat. Resounding xylophone and chimes outline the music on the seven tracks, with "Earth Dance" and "The Poke" coming up a little bit stronger than the rest. Most notably is the superb musical interplay of all the instruments used, and the way in which they enhance and benefit one another. The progressive rock sound does evolve by way of lengthy guitar passages from John Goodsall and accelerated keyboard fingering from Morris Pert, adding spice and vivaciousness while popping up when least expected. Masques is a firm studio album, and will keep listeners fascinated with the band. 

Songs / Tracks Listing
 

1. The Poke (5:06)
2. Masques (3:17)
3. Black Moon (4:48)
4. Deadly Nightshade (10:54)
5. Earthdance (6:10)
6. Access to Data (8:04)
7. The Ghost of Mayfield Lodge (10:08)

Total Time: 48:27

Line-up / Musician 

- John Goodsall / guitar
- Percy Jones / bass
- Peter Robinson / keyboards
- Morris Pert / percussion
- Chuck Bergi / drums

Notes

• "The Ghost of Mayfield Lodge" is based on a true story (see this page for more info) about a carriage house where Percy Jones was staying which was said to be haunted.
• This album is the first album on which Percy Jones played the fretless Wal bass, which became his trademark sound.

Brand X - 1977 Moroccan Roll (Mini LP SHM-CD Universal Japan 2014)

Moroccan Roll (1977) is the second studio album by British jazz fusion group Brand X. The title is a pun referring to this being their second album: "more rock and roll", however, Moroccan Roll is not a step toward the rock & roll side of the fusion equation, but rather an experiment with Eastern sounds and softer textures.^[2] The album is mostly instrumental; only "Sun in the Night" is sung by Phil Collins.

Morrocan Roll is not a step toward the rock & roll side of the fusion equation, but rather an experiment with Eastern sounds and softer textures that trades in the thunderstorms of their debut for rhythmically rich siroccos. Expanded to a quintet with the addition of percussionist Morris Pert, Brand X balances their arrangements with more equanimity, resulting in a subdued sound that is mesmerizing rather than arresting. The songs are written by individual members (their debut credited the band), but this doesn't yield the results you might expect: while Percy Jones' "Orbits" is essentially a showcase for the fretless bass, Lumley's "Disco Suicide" shares more with Frank Zappa than the artist's typically dreamy tones, and it's Phil Collins' "Why Should I Lend You Mine" that sounds most like the work of Lumley. The better compositions come from John Goodsall, including the opening "Sun in the Night" (featuring sitar and a smattering of vocals from Collins), the parched-sounding "Hate Zone," and the album-ending "Macrocosm." Jones' "Malaga Virgen" is another highlight, led by the artist's popping bass, delivered with a unique mix of restraint and explosive energy. Morrocan Roll is notable for a heightened sense of humor, from lighthearted liner notes to its everything but the kitchen sink ending. If the music is more spiritually informed than their flashy debut, the contemplative listener will find this brand of subdued fusion jazz equally rewarding. 

Songs / Tracks Listing

 

1. Sun In The Night (4:25)
2. Why Should I Lend You Mine (11:16)
3. ...Maybe I'll Lend You Mine After All (2:10)
4. Hate Zone (4:41)
5. Collapsar (1:35)
6. Disco Suicide (7:55)
7. Orbits (1:38)
8. Malaga Virgin (8:28)
9. Macrocosm (7:24)

Total Time: 49:32

Line-up / Musicians 

 

- John Goodsall / guitar
- Percy Jones / bass
- Robin Lumley / keyboards
- Phil Collins / drums
- Morris Pert / percussion

Charts

Year	Chart	Position
1977	UK Album Chart	37[3]

Brand X - 1977 Livestock (Mini LP SHM-CD Universal Japan 2014)

Livestock is a live album by British jazz fusion group Brand X released in 1977. The album has five tracks. It is the first album on which Kenwood Dennard appears as a replacement drummer for Phil Collins on two of the five tracks.

Lest the momentum of Moroccan Roll and its relative chart success go to waste, Brand X released a stopgap solution with Livestock, featuring three recent live tracks and two stockpiled studio tracks that actually predate the Moroccan Roll sessions by two months. As might be expected, it's not their most enduring work, although the inclusion of three new originals and the clean recording obtained from the Hammersmith Odeon and Marquee Club performances produce respectable results. Two of the three live tracks feature drummer Kenwood Dennard, who lends his superlative skins to the smooth fusion of "Nightmare Patrol" and a frenzied reading of the popular "Malaga Virgen." (Genesis had finished their tour that same year, so you can't begrudge Phil Collins the holiday.) Collins' lone live appearance occurs on the two-part "Isis Mourning," which begins as an atmospheric piece punctuated by Pert's percussion and Percy's popping bass before stabilizing in the second part under Collins' steady rhythm. The two studio tracks are "-Ish," a hazy and occasionally funky jam that initially borrows the bassline better known from "Malaga Virgen," and an alternate version of "Euthanasia Waltz" that skips lightly over familiar terrain. The drum section remained in flux for their next album, as Collins took a brief hiatus from the band and Dennard continued to build his jazz resume on albums by Jaco Pastorius, Larry Coryell, Miles Davis, and Sting. While Livestock is arguably the least essential of their first seven albums, fans shouldn't be discouraged from picking this one up. 

Track listing

Side one

1. "Nightmare Patrol" (Goodsall, Dennard) – 7:40
   • Hammersmith Odeon, London - August 5, 1977
2. "-Ish" (Goodsall, Lumley, Jones, Pert, Collins) – 8:11
   • Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, London - September 1976
3. "Euthanasia Waltz" (Goodsall, Jones, Lumley, Collins) – 5:12
   • Marquee Club, London - April 23, 1977

Side two

1. "Isis Mourning (Part 1 & 2)" (Goodsall, Jones, Lumley, Pert, Collins) – 9:58
   • Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, London - September 1976
2. "Malaga Virgen" (Jones) – 8:45
   • Hammersmith Odeon, London - August 5, 1977

Personnel

• John Goodsall – electric guitar
• Robin Lumley – keyboards
• Percy Jones – bass guitar
• Phil Collins – drums (side one: tracks 2 & 3, side two: track 1)
• Kenwood Dennard – drums (side one: track 1, side two: track 2)
• Morris Pert – percussion

Production

Mixed at Trident Studios, London, August 1977.

• Engineer – Jerry Smith
• Assistants – John Brand, Steve Short, Neil Ross
• Sleeve design and photos by Hipgnosis
• Equipment – Steve Hall, Pete Donovan

X-CERPTS: 3 From Livestock + 1

A 12" record, titled X-CERPTS: 3 From Livestock + 1, was released including edited versions of three tracks from Livestock and a new track.
Side I: Nightmare Patrol - 3:17; Genocide of The Straights - 2:50 (Goodsall/Jones/Lumley/Pert/Collins)
Side II: Euthanasia Waltz - 3:25; Malaga Virgen - 3:20

Brand X - 1976 [2014] "Unorthodox Behaviour" (Mini LP SHM-CD Universal)

Unorthodox Behaviour is the first album by British jazz fusion group Brand X. It peaked at 191 on The Billboard 200 in 1976, the same year it was released.

This album combines jazz fusion with some elements of progressive rock, influenced by their drummer Phil Collins, shows extensive use of improvisation in the extended pieces, which is common in both genres of music. The melody is mainly supported by guitar and bass, most notably on the opening track. Collins' drum work is very fast and rhythmic and shows a difference in his style from his main band Genesis. Tracks like "Nuclear Burn" and "Smacks of Euphoric Hysteria" are often cited as a showcase for his drum work.

Phil Collins' seemingly endless well of energy afforded him two careers: one as the drummer/vocalist in Genesis, and a second as a prolific session musician. It was in this second scenario that Collins hooked up with Percy Jones, John Goodsall, and Robin Lumley during sessions for Brian Eno, Eddie Howell, and Jack Lancaster. The quartet soon formed Brand X, a fusion jazz band that matched the prodigious rhythms of Collins and fretless bassist Jones with the atmospheric melodies of Goodsall and Lumley. Unorthodox Behaviour sets the stage for what would follow: music that plies the same sonic territory as Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and the like, punctuated by the distinctive styles of individual members. The songs, though credited to the band, reveal two factions at work, with Jones and Collins teaming for percussive sections and Goodsall and Lumley handling the lyrical passages. When Jones and Collins take the lead, as on the opening "Nuclear Burn" and sections of "Unorthodox Behaviour" and "Running on Three," the music takes a frenetic, mathematical tack. Goodsall and Lumley generally provide the mood, the dominant trait on "Euthanasia Waltz" and "Touch Wood." Middle ground is found on the funky "Born Ugly" and "Smacks of Euphoric Hysteria," true fusions of rock and jazz. Unorthodox Behaviour samples a variety of styles: from melodic to energetic, ethereal to mathematical. Without a standout soloist like John McLaughlin or Wayne Shorter, Brand X does run the risk of sounding like a generic fusion jazz outfit, but their compositional skills pick up the slack nicely. Those interested in the band may do well to start with this album, although their next three records are just as good in terms of quality. 

Track listing

1. Nuclear Burn (6:20)
2. Euthanasia Waltz (5:39)
3. Born Ugly (8:13)
4. Smacks of Euphoric Hysteria (4:26)
5. Unorthodox Behaviour (8:25)
6. Running on Three (4:37)
7. Touch Wood (3:03)

Total Time: 40:43

Personnel

• John Goodsall – acoustic and electric guitars
• Robin Lumley – keyboards, Fender Rhodes electric piano, Moog synthesizer
• Percy Jones – Fender fretless Jazz Bass, marimba (5), acoustic bass (7)
• Phil Collins – drums, vibes (2), lead vocal (1)

Additional personnel

• Jack Lancaster – soprano saxophone

Release information

Year	Type	Label	Catalog #	Country
1976	LP	Charisma	CAS 1117	UK
1976	LP	Passport Records	PB 9819	US
1976	LP	Charisma	6369 977	Netherlands
1989	CD	Virgin	CASCD 1117	UK
1998	CD	Caroline Blue Plate	CAROL 1387-2	US
2006	CD	Toshiba EMI Ltd	VJCP-68782	Japan

Wes Montgomery - 1966 [1999] "Tequila"

Tequila is the seventeenth jazz album recorded by guitarist Wes Montgomery and released in 1966.

Tequila is a mixture of tracks using just a jazz quartet with Ron Carter, Grady Tate and Ray Barretto and the rest with a string section arranged by Claus Ogerman. It is mainly a Latin-flavored album, the first Montgomery recorded without a keyboardist.
It was reissued on CD in 1999 and 2008 with alternate takes that are listed below.

1. Tequila 3:23
2. Little Child (Daddy Dear) 2:30
3. What The World Needs Now Is Love 5:00...
4. The Big Hurt 4:34
5. Bumpin' On Sunset 4:52
6. Insensatez (How Insensitive) (Album Version) 3:47
7. The Thumb 4:51
8. Midnight Mood 5:36
9. Wives And Lovers 3:00
10. Tequila 2:41
11. The Big Hurt 3:30
12. Bumpin' On Sunset

Guitar – Wes Montgomery
Bass – Ron Carter
Cello – Abe Kessler, Charles McCracken, George Ricci, Harvey Shapiro
Congas – Ray Barretto
Design [Cover] – Acy Lehman
Drums – Grady Tate
Engineer [Director] – Val Valentin
Engineer, Mastered By – Rudy Van Gelder
Photography By [Cover] – Rudy Lequame
Producer – Creed Taylor
Vibraphone – George Devens
Violin – Arnold Eidus, Bernard Eichen, Emanuel Green, Gene Orloff, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin, Julius Held, Paul Gershman

Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, on March 17, 21, & May 18, 1966.

Christian McBride Band - 2000 "Sci-Fi"

Christian McBride Band - 2000 Sci-Fi

On a large scale, there is no denying that music can move masses of people to assert themselves and establish a particular vision that will benefit many for years to come. With the release of Sci-Fi, the highly acclaimed bassist Christian McBride has established another great realm of music for his fans to explore. Accompanied by the dynamic Ron Blake on tenor and soprano sax, Shedrick Mitchell on piano and Fender Rhodes, the great Herbie Hancock on piano, Rodney Green on drums, David Gilmore on electric and acoustic guitar, Dianne Reeves giving great vocalese on "Lullaby for a Ladybug," James Carter on bass clarinet, and the exciting Toots Thielemans on harmonica, listeners will soon discover that the jazz galaxy will never be the same. The acoustic fusion and thematic sound concept for the CD settled in after McBride wrote "Science Fiction" and discovered it made a great nucleus for the CD. Featured selections include McBride's brilliant arrangements of masterworks by Stanley Clarke, Sting, Jaco Pastorius, and Steely Dan as well as seven original compositions by the versatile leader. Flawless piano grace from Herbie Hancock on "Xerxes" and "Lullaby for a Ladybug" and McBride's Fender Rhodes work throughout is a listen to behold. Particularly, the conversation between McBride's double bass and Carter's bass clarinet on "Walking on the Moon" shouldn't be missed. Sci-Fi is a seminal work by seminal artists and may very well be considered one of the most essential jazz recordings of the 21st century.

Like many of his post-Motown bop contemporaries, bassist Christian McBride steadily reconciles pop, soul and jazz-fusion with today's bebop paradigm. On his latest venture, McBride picks up where 1998's A Family Affair left off-a big nod to '70s music. But this time the results are more even, with a more unified sound. That's mainly because McBride chose more durable pop for Sci-Fi (Steely Dan's "Aja" and Sting's "Walking on the Moon") and showcases more of his own burgeoning composition talents.
As the title suggests, the album has a questing quality that's sometimes expressed in the longing melodies of Ron Blake's tenor saxophone on "Aja," Dianne Reeves' celestial vocalese on "Lullaby for a Ladybug" or drummer Rodney Green's rocketing rhythmic bursts on "Xerxes." McBride's robust acoustic bass alone could propel any ensemble to the stratosphere, but on Sci-Fi he adds even more ammunition to his arsenal: he plays discreet Fender Rhodes as a complement to Shedrick Mitchell's acoustic piano. On the Wayne Shorterish title track, McBride tosses in some spacey keyboard effects, while Blake's adventurous soprano saxophone probes right through the spacious composition, like the Enterprise warping through galactic wormholes.
McBride pays tribute to two of his electric-bass heroes, Jaco Pastorius and Stanley Clarke, with "Havana" and "Butterfly Dreams," respectively, and gives a mighty pound to the '70s fusion with the infectious "Via Mwandishi," which features James Carter's bass clarinet recalling Bennie Maupin, one of the instrument's underrated players.
McBride restrains from using too many electronic effects to get that Dr. Who vibe going. Even when he opts for the electric bass, as on "Walking on the Moon" and "Science Fiction," it's done tastefully. His bubbling conversation with Carter's bass clarinet towards the end of "Walking on the Moon" is McBride's most emotionally alluring electric bass playing on record to date.

Track listing
No.     Title     Length    
1.     "Aja (Fagan, Becker) 6:46"       6:46
2.     "Uhura's Moment Returned (McBride)"       6:18
3.     "Xerxes (McBride)"       7:56
4.     "Lullaby For a Ladybug (McBride)"       7:28
5.     "Science Fiction (McBride)"       6:50
6.     "Walking On The Moon (Sting)"       6:43
7.     "Havona (Jaco Pastorius)"       7:12
8.     "I'll Guess i'll Have To Forget (McBride)"       6:10
9.     "Butterfly Dreams (Stanley Clarke)"       6:43
10.     "Via Mwandishi (McBride)"       8:02
11.     "The Sci-fi Outro (McBride)"       1:13
Personnel
Musicians

    Christian McBride – Bass (Upright, Electric), Keyboards
    Ron Blake - Sax (Tenor, Soprano)
    Shedrick Mitchell – Piano, Electric Piano
    Rodney Green – Drums
    Herbie Hancock – Piano (on "Xerxes" and "Lullaby For a Ladybug")
    Dianne Reeves – Vocalese (on "Lullaby For a Ladybug")
    Toots Thielemans – Harmonica
    James Carter – Bass Clarinet
    David Gilmore – Guitar (Acoustic, Electric)

McCoy Tyner - 2000 "McCoy Tyner with Stanley Clarke and Al Foster"

McCoy Tyner - 2000 McCoy Tyner with Stanley Clarke and Al Foster

McCoy Tyner with Stanley Clarke and Al Foster is an album by McCoy Tyner released on the Telarc label in 2000. It was recorded in April 1999 and features performances of by Tyner with Stanley Clarke and Al Foster. The Allmusic review by Richard S. Ginell states that "This is Tyner reaffirming most of his strengths: the massive tone quality, the two-handed control over the entire keyboard, and the generally uplifting attitude conveyed through the shape of his melodic invention".

No longer trying to push the envelope of innovation, Tyner settles down with a pair of experts and carves out a very nice, fairly orthodox piano trio album. This is Tyner reaffirming most of his strengths: the massive tone quality, the two-handed control over the entire keyboard, and the generally uplifting attitude conveyed through the shape of his melodic invention. He does so in a program of six originals, three standards, and one tune by Stanley Clarke, mixing modal tunes, blues, funk, ballads, and a mildly Caribbean ringer. Only once does he evoke memories of the classic John Coltrane Quartet -- not in "Trane-Like" but in "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes." Clarke takes a break from the film studios and turns in one of his rare sessions on acoustic double bass, producing solid, faultless, relatively conventional support. He doesn't leave the electric bass entirely at home, however; his funky side bumps through one of the two versions of "I Want to Tell You 'Bout That," and he exercises low-key, electric subtleties on his "In the Tradition Of" and "Caribe." Foster throws himself skillfully into every situation; he is at ease in all idioms. The sound is excellent, with each instrument, even Tyner's formidable piano, in perfect balance. 

Track listing

1. "Trane-Like" - 9:12
2. "Once Upon a Time" - 5:31
3. "Never Let Me Go" (Evans, Livingston) - 4:19
4. "I Want to Tell You 'Bout That" - 5:19
5. "Will You Still Be Mine?" (Adair, Dennis) - 6:46
6. "Goin' 'Way Blues" - 6:31
7. "In the Tradition Of" (Clarke) - 7:38
8. "The Night has a Thousand Eyes" (Bernier, Brainin) - 4:53
9. "Carriba" - 5:41
10. "Memories" - 3:43
11. "I Want to Tell You 'Bout That" [alternate take] - 5:57

All compositions by McCoy Tyner except as indicated

• Recorded at Clinton Recording Studio "B", New York, New York on April 27 & 28, 1999

Personnel

• McCoy Tyner: piano
• Stanley Clarke: bass, electric bass
• Al Foster: drums

Dust - 1971 [1992] Dust

Dust was formed in the late 1960s by Richie Wise and two teenagers, Kenny Aaronson and Marc Bell. Additionally, Kenny Kerner wrote the group's lyrics, and acted as their producer and manager. Their debut album was released on Kama Sutra Records in 1971, followed by a sophomore release on the same label the following year. While the group only released these two albums, they later became of histori...cal interest to collectors interested in early American heavy metal.

Lineup:
Richie Wise - guitar, vocals
Kenny Aaronson - bass
Marc Bell - drums

Track listing:
1. "Stone Woman" 4:03
2. "Chasin' Ladies" 3:39
3. "Goin' Easy" 4:30
4. "Love Me Hard" 5:30
5. "From a Dry Camel" 9:52
6. "Often Shadows Felt" 5:12
7. "Loose Goose" 3:49