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Road Tapes, Venue #1

2 CD

Frank Zappa Format: Audio CD
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 172 ratings
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Audio CD, Live, May 27, 2016
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Editorial Reviews

The Road Tapes Series focuses on audio from the Vault that is historical yet sonically less than stellar. Described by the man himself as "Guerilla Recordings," Frank Zappa tried to document every performance. "Road Tapes, Venue #1," 1st in the series, takes us to summertime `68, Vancouver, B.C., where the Mothers of Invention played Kerrisdale Arena to an enthusiastic crowd. Captured on mono reel-to-reel, the concert is inspired and showcases a mixture of classic Mothers & live improvisations.

Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.67 x 4.96 x 0.43 inches; 3.74 ounces
  • Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Zappa Records
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ 35485995
  • Original Release Date ‏ : ‎ 2016
  • Date First Available ‏ : ‎ December 5, 2012
  • Label ‏ : ‎ Zappa Records
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00A9V0M8U
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 172 ratings

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
172 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • EGH129
    5.0 out of 5 stars Quality is actually really good
    Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I read how the recording quality was very sub par and when i received the shows was very happy at what great recording quality it was. The chungas revenge was fantastic, almost medal sounding guitar work at times by Frank. For all you dead heads out there Chungas is like jerrys dark star but changes over the years more than DS. The rest of the cds were a great surprise, if you dig chungas revenge release you'll love this. Check out the CR on the LP as opposed to this show, the musicianship is really outstanding. The Flo and Eddie days which was only 1.5 years or so took me until my mid 50s to dig but when i finally could take it was pretty good. Dunbar is yet another great drummer in FZs stable, ian just fantastic and we get our first appearance of George Duke. What a great x mas surprise!
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Ron Fent
    5.0 out of 5 stars You Can't Go Wrong With Road Tapes
    Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    They don't make 'em any better than live Zappa shows! I was lucky to see two of his shows in one night in Kansas City and these songs bring it right back to me. So much to absorb in these two discs make it hard to describe, but if you know Zappa then you will appreciate these wonderful live recordings, warts and all! Call Any Vegetable is stretched and jammed and squeezed into a wonderful new sonic salad. Plenty of extended jams. You can't go wrong with Road Tapes.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Stephen Renfree
    4.0 out of 5 stars Nancy & Mary Hit The Big Time
    Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Those people old enough to remember Zappa's 1970 album Chunga's Revenge, will also remember the crazy nine minute piece that finished the first side. Called "The Nancy & Mary Music" it was a live recording of Frank's brand new band with Turtles Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan, and the first album appearance of keyboard jazz wizz George Duke. Also here are Jeff Simmons (bass), Ian Underwood (saxes & keys) and Aynsley Dunbar (drums).

    Road Tapes Venue #3 is two gigs, warts and all. There are some warts; this band could be a bit thin when re-interpreting the old material, and it's a very early gig in their life - months before 200 Motels and over a year before the notorious Live At Fillmore East and Just Another Band From LA albums - so there are moments when they don't quite lock, and feel a little under rehearsed.

    But the virtues are that this band could really cook when it wanted to, and Frank (and everyone else) sound like they're having a wonderful time. Frank in particular improvises fluidly over this smaller, more nimble group. Aynsley Dunbar, a favourite drummer of Frank's because of his ability to listen, shift and change with the mood of the soloist, is great. And you'll discover, as I did, that The Nancy & Mary Music was edited from performances of King Kong and what would become the title track of Chunga's Revenge. I love the recording too. It somehow combines genuine presence with a sense of sitting in the middle of the hall. It's warm, it's involving and the audience really gets into it and becomes a part of the performance.

    Road Tapes #3 is a band in its embryonic stage, but is well worth the journey.
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Linda
    5.0 out of 5 stars Old Mothers are the best kind
    Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I'm so glad I purchased this. I love this time period of the Mothers of Invention (1968/69). Live versions of things that appeared on 'Were Only In It For The Money', 'Uncle Meat' and 'Burnt Weeny Sandwich'. If you are a fan of the original Mothers, you'll love this disc.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • paul bourjaily
    5.0 out of 5 stars The music is great and the recording itself is very good other than ...
    Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This is one of the Mothers shows with Flo & Eddie at the front. The music is great and the recording itself is very good other than the microphones being a bit under-modulated during banter between band members. All in all a definite "buy" recommendation!
    4 people found this helpful
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  • JI
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Great,Tight, Seemingly Spontaneous Performance
    Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Disc 2 has much better sound quality. Mother People, It Can't Happen Here and You Didn't Try to Call Me are worth the price. Great musicians. Great concert.
    One person found this helpful
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  • J. Moore
    5.0 out of 5 stars Chunga's Revenge is the best album from Zappa's prime during the late 60s to ...
    Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    For me, Chunga's Revenge is the best album from Zappa's prime during the late 60s to mid 70s. This cd has those same musicians live. Fantastic!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Wur
    4.0 out of 5 stars A rare gem!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    A MOI (Zappa) show from mid 1970?! Yes sir! While the audio quality of this show is not superb and in a "warts and all" kind of fashion, I'm sure fans of the "Burnt Weenie Sandwich" era will love this one. I know I do.
    Flow and Eddie are here but don't seem to dominate the show as seems the case in the later 1971 version of this band. The band is strong here and inspired. The second show really shines and is delightful. You get the feeling the band is really having fun. The band highlight's George Duke, Ainsly Dunbar and Ian Underwood's sax on the final track, "The Clap (Chunga's Revenge)" is worth the price of admission. Of course Frank's guitar lines show why he's still an under rated master of the instrument.
    The only reason this is a four star review is the sound quality on show one. Evidently the performance was taped over so to master the tapes they had to play/master the tape in reverse. Unfortunately the quieter sections on the first part of disc one make it sound like another band is playing a show behind the stage. Does that ruin the experience? Not at all.
    10 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Andreas Bach
    5.0 out of 5 stars ZAPPA
    Reviewed in Germany on September 7, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Gibt es irgendetwas Bedeutungsloses von ZAPPA? Na also - dann zulegen, zuhören udn versuchen den Meister zu verstehen!!!
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  • fabmen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Pura gioia! i Mothers of Invention dal vivo nel 68.
    Reviewed in Italy on July 20, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Si tratta di un concerto dei Mothers registrato in Canada il 25 agosto 1968. Qualità del suono buona . Dei primi Mothers sono poche le registrazioni dal vivo, oltre a questa, nell'ottobre dello stesso anno avrebbero suonato al Royal festival hall di Londra, ma in quell'occasione c'era anche parte della BBC Symphony Orchestra per eseguire con i Mothers la suite "Progress" (vedi "Ahead of their time" pubblicato nel 1993) ed il vol 5 cd 1 di "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore" (registrazioni da vari concerti dal 1966 al 69). Qui però si tratta di un concerto dei Mothers nudi e crudi. Musica estremamente creativa, post-moderna, che non usa solo il meta linguaggio rock (come succederà più spesso dal 75 in poi), ma ingloba la improvvisazione totale e atonale (geniale l'uso delle colloquiare e rumori vari nell'ultimo brano del CD1), il free jazz, il jazz nelle sue forme più strutturate o destrutturate influenzate dalla musica modernista europea, come quello Archie Shepp, Cecil Taylor, Eric Dolphy, Charles Mingus. La musica è come detto un'esplosione di creatività, quella di Freak out!, Absolutely free, Where only in it ..., Weasels..., Burnt weeny sandwitch. Come non sorridere di gioia alla melodia di "Orange country lumber jack". Inoltre c'è una rarità imperdibile, la esecuzione di "Octandre" dell'amato genio di Edgar Varese. I Mothers (Underwood, Alto sax e piano; Gardner, sax tenore e clarinetto; Motorhead Sherwood, sax baritono; Estrada, basso; Don Preston, piano eletrico e rumori; Dyer Tripp, batteria e percussioni; J.C. Black, batteria) dimostrano, se ce ne fosse bisogno, le qualità di musicisti preparati che sanno eseguire complicate musiche scritte, improvvisare e fare performance.
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  • Vrishnik Gupta
    5.0 out of 5 stars Quite amazed by the fact that for a while this album ...
    Reviewed in India on December 15, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Quite amazed by the fact that for a while this album was available here at a reasonable cost. As you know, FZ's music is not totally available in India. I have been able to only collect snd listen to few of his albums. Most of his classic albums are only available as expensive imports. So, I'm quite happy that this great live recording was available here. Though I will say that this is not an essential album to own
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  • Only Hugh Munn
    5.0 out of 5 stars judging by previous reviews - music lovers fill yer boots with copious amounts of musical delight. I almost passed over on this
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 9, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Audiophiles should steer clear, judging by previous reviews - music lovers fill yer boots with copious amounts of musical delight.

    I almost passed over on this one due the negative comments regarding the sound quality, thankfully I didn't. Sure it isn't stellar, but it is very good indeed, I have paid more for poorer quality and not been disappointed. It is of better quality than most, if not all, of the "Beat the Boots" box sets, for example. As musical taste varies so does acceptable sound quality, I guess. Having always been one to prefer to spend more on music than the playing medium, I tend to be more lenient or perhaps just ignorant of imperfections . I appreciate and rely a lot on reviews to guide me about certain releases, but don't normally feel moved to write one myself - however I felt I had to have my say on this one to give a non audiophile (or old duffer) perspective.

    'Writing about music is like dancing about architecture' - Frank Zappa.

    Time to put the soap box away - ciao for niao.
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  • Musico06
    5.0 out of 5 stars Pour amateurs... ou pas
    Reviewed in France on October 21, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Bien que dans sa tombe il ne touche plus aucun royalties il n'en reste pas moins magique à mes oreilles. Je m'étais dit que je n'enrichirai plus le fiston mais voilà l'appât de sa voix a été irrésistible et je n'ai pas été déçu. A vous procurer de toute urgence pour tout ceux qui connaisse car il manquerait à votre collection, et à ceux qui ne connaissent pas pour justement faire connaissance avec Sa Majesté Frank Zappa
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