Frank Zappa Waka/Wazoo Deluxe 4CD + Blu-Ray 5.1 and Atmos!!!!

[Quadkid]

Mine was supposedly shipped on Sunday, December 18th from the Zappa Store. I have been checking with the carriers (UPS & USPS) daily and they are still awaiting the the package. I contacted the Zappa Store to cancel the order. In the meantime, I ordered a copy from Amazon and I supposed to get that on Tuesday, January 3rd. This has been very disappointing. Did anyone receive their copy from Zappa Store?

Got mine from Zappa Store last week

 

[SHB]

Got mine from Zappa Store last week

That's cool. I'm glad somebody received their copy from ZS.

 

[sjcorne]

Anyone been following the thread on this release over at the Hoffman forum? Joe Travers confirmed that the quad mix of Roxy & Elsewhere does in fact exist, but One Size Fits All was never mixed to quad (despite it being assigned a catalog #). It also appears that all three quad masters were transferred to digital years ago and played back at a closed event. Not sure if this is new information, but it's news to me.

 

[CINERAMAX]

Let me rephrase my question for a third time in a multiple choice form:

What country is the Zappa store in?

A) Kazakhstan
B) Tajikistan
C) Kyrgyzstan
D) U.K.
E) U.S.A.

Maybe a kind soul in the holiday spirit can placate my tormenting thirst for this minor data point.

 

[Nethersage]

My CD/Blu-ray set arrived today from Chalkys.com who appear to offer the best UK price. I struggled for quite a while to access the navigation screens on the Blu-ray. The PRODUCER's NOTE in the booklet fails to mention that you have to pretend you are on Tinder and swipe left or right to access the relevant menu for the tracks and format you wish to navigate from. Very impressed with the 5.1 mix (I do not have a Dolby Atmos installation (yet)). I am rather less impressed with the lack of Hi-Res versions of the content of the 4 CDs. I had to opt for downloads for them. A better job could easily have been done with the Blu-ray but given its limitations, this is still a very worthwhile release. Let's hope they make a better job of authoring the next Blu-ray release (6-channel Dolby Atmos + 5.1 surround mixes of Civilization Phaze 3, please).

For its audio content, I find this a 10 but for the navigation aspects of the Blu-ray authoring and inadequacy of the navigation advice in the Producer's Note, I can't give it more than 8.

 

[DuncanS]

Let me rephrase my question for a third time in a multiple choice form:

What country is the Zappa store in?

A) Kazakhstan
B) Tajikistan
C) Kyrgyzstan
D) U.K.
E) U.S.A.

Maybe a kind soul in the holiday spirit can placate my tormenting thirst for this minor data point.

I'd say the Zappa Store was the USA as that is where I ordered mine from as it wasn't available from any resellers on this side of the pond when I ordered

 

[jaypfunk]

Never. Order. A. Pre-Order. From. The. Zappa. Store.

 

[SHB]

Based on the shipping details from my order, the Zappa Store is in or near La Vergne, TN, United States.
Interesting note, ZS said my order was shipped on 12-18. But according to UPS shipping details, it was shipped on 12-27-after I sent another email to ZS for an update on my order.

 

[RustyStatic]

Agree 100%

My take away from the outtakes on the CDs was all the decisions for the final albums were spot on, the finals being a far better listening experience.

The outtakes reminded me of what Miles Davis would just release as the album.

I know, them's fightin' words

I love Miles, but man, sometimes the band improvs on some of the albums got a little long for my tastes.

Funny you say that, I was thinking along the same lines with the outtakes… the alternate intro for “Eat That Question” and the stripped back “Cleetus” (also used on the menu, which makes sense) both gave me a little thrill but with the rest of it, I was glad to have a little more window into an era I particularly love but also thought “wow, I’ve never heard Frank this… wanky”.

Everything on the final album mixes, even on long ones like “The Grand Wazoo” or “Big Swifty”, always felt and sounded so brilliant and if not 100% deliberate, at least very, very well considered and constructed, you know? And it’s interesting to hear everyone, including Frank, just kinda finding their footing with this material.

Interesting, absolutely… will it be worthy of multiple listens going forward? Beyond the live set and the albums themselves, I’m thinking probably not. No harm no foul, however!

But yeah, this stuff humanized Frank’s writing process for me in a way I was a little surprised by.

 

[bgf1973]

What a disappointing presentation. I expected a bigger and better box for that price

 

[Quadkid]

My CD/Blu-ray set arrived today from Chalkys.com who appear to offer the best UK price. I struggled for quite a while to access the navigation screens on the Blu-ray. The PRODUCER's NOTE in the booklet fails to mention that you have to pretend you are on Tinder and swipe left or right to access the relevant menu for the tracks and format you wish to navigate from. Very impressed with the 5.1 mix (I do not have a Dolby Atmos installation (yet)). I am rather less impressed with the lack of Hi-Res versions of the content of the 4 CDs. I had to opt for downloads for them. A better job could easily have been done with the Blu-ray but given its limitations, this is still a very worthwhile release. Let's hope they make a better job of authoring the next Blu-ray release (6-channel Dolby Atmos + 5.1 surround mixes of Civilization Phaze 3, please).

For its audio content, I find this a 10 but for the navigation aspects of the Blu-ray authoring and inadequacy of the navigation advice in the Producer's Note, I can't give it more than 8.

Did you notice a flicker in the menus

 

[jaypfunk]

What a disappointing presentation. I expected a bigger and better box for that price

Huh? This is one the best they have done so far. Great box and booklet, 4 discs including sick outtakes, alt mixes, an amazing live show and 1 Blu-Ray with 2 killer surround mixes for around $60 is a bargain.

 

[bgf1973]

Huh? This is one the best they have done so far. Great box and booklet, 4 discs including sick outtakes, alt mixes, an amazing live show and 1 Blu-Ray with 2 killer surround mixes for around $60 is a bargain.

I mean the format, not the musical content

 

[AYanguas]

Really informative & entertaining! I had no idea Smoke On The Water was about this horrible event, wow.

Yes, Smoke on the water lyrics are suposed to be based on real events:

"""""""
Frank Zappa and the Mothers
Were at the best place around
But some stupid with a flare gun
Burned the place to the ground
"""""""
... Smoke on the Water on the Lake Geneva Shoreline.

They composed the song about the events they were experiencing, without suspecting that it would be so successful. Because of the Guitar riff, not because of the horrible event, I Assume.

 

[perzon57]

I mean the format, not the musical content

I love the format, would have loved if this became the new standard.

 

[bayards]

Sold out. Hope a 2nd press comes allong - dread shipping cost to UK though.

 

[Nethersage]

Indeed, I did notice flickering in the home screen and the menus. With the current cost of electricity, I also find the lack of an eay way to navigate to either album on the Blu-ray without using a television of compueter screen another Blu-ray authoring failure on Universal's part. I am sur I have other Universal Blu-ray discs which came with instructions on how to navigate without using a VDU.

 

[bayards]

Excellent found a set on a UK store with free shipping - so just £49.98 - happy with that!

 

[artwwweb]

Let me rephrase my question for a third time in a multiple choice form:

What country is the Zappa store in?

A) Kazakhstan
B) Tajikistan
C) Kyrgyzstan
D) U.K.
E) U.S.A.

Maybe a kind soul in the holiday spirit can placate my tormenting thirst for this minor data point.

It's in Lithuania, surely? They have a Frank statue after all. Frank Zappa Statue (Vilnius) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

 

[mch007]

Did you notice a flicker in the menus

Flickering is intentional, it resonates with music. I did not really find the menu confusing at all. When the menu is displayed, one of the album is highlighted, so it is easy to understand you need to press left or right to shift and select the other.
Saying that volume does seem uneven between Waka/Jawaka/menu & The Grand Wazoo but it did not bother me as it is only once per listening session adjustment.
Gets 10 from me for album & surround quality.