Zappa - Apostrophe (50th anniversary set out in Sept!)

[4-earredwonder]

I can't afford to order from any of those. Back to digging out my CD-4 record if I want to. And as I said elsewhere Zappa & Tull failed to impress in original CD -4 to me. Looking forward to what others think of the new one.

You can always get a summer job washing cars, SW!

It's all in the 'detailing!'

 

[Sonik Wiz]

You can always get a summer job washing cars, SW!

It's all in the 'detailing!'

I've heard about bikini car washes. Maybe I can get on at a Speedo car wash...

 

[Clement]

I've heard about bikini car washes. Maybe I can get on at a Speedo car wash...

Before you actually go through with the plan and–Heaven forfend–post a picture, let us send you a copy! Please!

 

[Sonik Wiz]

Before you actually go through with the plan and–Heaven forfend–post a picture, let us send you a copy! Please!

Are you vetting me before I can even work at a car wash? Probably for other reasons I should not be there with a high pressure nozzle in my hands. Right hand.
.

 

[4-earredwonder]

I've heard about bikini car washes. Maybe I can get on at a Speedo car wash...

Aaah, SW, ZAP that thought!

 

[~dave~~wave~]

This just in from Vaultmeister Joe Travers:

 

[J. PUPSTER]

This just in from Vaultmeister Joe Travers:

Nice, tons in that vault, yeah?
Quad though, sounding primitive to 5.1 or Atmos? Depends on how it's mixed and mastered, hopefully the 5.1 and Atmos will out-shine the Quad, or at least be a pleasant but different experience. We shall hear, and we'll probably have many differing opinions

 

[steelydave]

Boy, talk about a dream job...

And what a thrill to see the original quad master tapes in the video as well - the Zappa quad mixes aren't nearly as adventurous as the music iself, sadly, but it'll be great to have them anyway.

A handful of interesting things from the master tape box: one, that it was done at Paramount Recording, a studio I don't think I've heard mentioned anywhere with regards to having quad capability, secondly that the quad master is 30ips (probably normal for a perfectionist like Zappa, but the only other 30ips quad master I know of is Garfunkel's Angel Clare) and lastly, the channel assignments are slightly unusual: for a CD-4 LP they're normally FL/RL/FR/RR but this tape indicates it's FL/RL/RR/FR (essentially in counter-clockwise sequential order starting with the front left.)

I took a screenshot of the video where the quad master appears and did some tweaking in Photoshop to make the text more legible, for anyone that's interested:

 

[Fourplay]

Concert recordings of the best live band that Zappa ever toured with are not, in my opinion, equivalent to "countless alternate takes", mio amico.

But of course, my opinion is influenced by seeing them on that tour 50 years ago, one of the best concerts of my life.

Robin Trower was the opening act, touring behind Bridge of Sighs, and made no impression on me compared to Zappa's playing.



View attachment 107639

$6 for Zappa and Trower? Outrageous!

 

[steelydave]

Boy, talk about a dream job...

And what a thrill to see the original quad master tapes in the video as well - the Zappa quad mixes aren't nearly as adventurous as the music iself, sadly, but it'll be great to have them anyway.

A handful of interesting things from the master tape box: one, that it was done at Paramount Recording, a studio I don't think I've heard mentioned anywhere with regards to having quad capability, secondly that the quad master is 30ips (probably normal for a perfectionist like Zappa, but the only other 30ips quad master I know of is Garfunkel's Angel Clare) and lastly, the channel assignments are slightly unusual: for a CD-4 LP they're normally FL/RL/FR/RR but this tape indicates it's FL/RL/RR/FR (essentially in counter-clockwise sequential order starting with the front left.)

I took a screenshot of the video where the quad master appears and did some tweaking in Photoshop to make the text more legible, for anyone that's interested:

Also from the pointless minutae folder: I also just noticed that these tapes are marked as 'COPY' rather than 'MASTER.' It was (at least in the analog days) standard practice for studios to make a set of backup tapes after creating the original master tapes, variously called copy tapes (as here) or safety copies or safety masters for obvious reasons.

Generally speaking these were one generation removed from the original tapes, having been analog copies of them (with some notable exceptions, I know Roger Nichols for example ran two machines simultaneously during Steely Dan mixdowns, so they got two masters of identical quality) but I'd be interested to know why these were the ones that Joe Travers pulled for the video. Were the original (original) quad masters missing, destroyed, or possibly unplayable due to sticky shed syndrome? I dunno if studios back then had the foresight to do safety copies on different brands of tape stock (like a sort of stone age version of the 3-2-1 backup philosophy) but if that is indeed the case, it's a prescient bit of thinking that saved the quad mix from the dustbin of history.

 

[esimms86]

I have a number of thoughts running through my brain after seeing the video:

(1)Aren’t we glad that Universal didn’t own the Zappa tapes when the warehouse fire happened?!
(2)It’s interesting that, while Frank’s catalog was sold to Universal, the family still maintains physical custody of the tapes and original artwork.
(3)I wonder if Joe and his staff are actively converting the individual tracks(e.g., separately digitizing each of the tracks from an 8 track tape used as a source prior to EQ and mixdown) like Giles Martin and company are doing with the Beatles catalog?
(4)Is there a reason why Universal wouldn’t want to hire Dweezil as a consultant for Frank’s rereleases(and Dolby Atmos mixes)?

 

[quicksrt]

I have a number of thoughts running through my brain after seeing the video:

(1)Aren’t we glad that Universal didn’t own the Zappa tapes when the warehouse fire happened?!
(2)It’s interesting that, while Frank’s catalog was sold to Universal, the family still maintains physical custody of the tapes and original artwork.
(3)I wonder if Joe and his staff are actively converting the individual tracks(e.g., separately digitizing each of the tracks from an 8 track tape used as a source prior to EQ and mixdown) like Giles Martin and company are doing with the Beatles catalog?
(4)Is there a reason why Universal wouldn’t want to hire Dweezil as a consultant for Frank’s rereleases(and Dolby Atmos mixes)?

(Edited)
Joe Travers has a deep knowledge of the tape library and is really all Universal needs to chart a plan and schedule reissues and new compilations. Him and their own A&R specialists pretty much have it covered.

 

[esimms86]

Dweezil is involved with the business end of things and in coordination with Universal on the reissues. I've spoken with Dweezil about the 4.0 masters. He's not that familiar with each and every FZ album and particularly what was mixed in surround 4.0 or 5.1 and what was not.

Thanks, it’s great to hear that they have him on board!

 

[quicksrt]

Thanks, it’s great to hear that they have him on board!

I spoke incorrectly. While I have met both Zappa brothers, it was Ahmet Zappa who works with Universal on business matters. And he does not know each album all that intimately. Dweezil on the other hand knows the albums and their mixes inside and out. I got them mixed up in my post above.

Ahmet I found to be a very warm kind type of person, a welcoming handshake spoke volumes.

 

[esimms86]

I spoke incorrectly. While I have met both Zappa brothers, it was Ahmet Zappa who works with Universal on business matters. And he does not know each album all that intimately. Dweezil on the other hand knows the albums and their mixes inside and out. I got them mixed up in my post above.

Ahmet I found to be a very warm kind type of person, a welcoming handshake spoke volumes.

It would have been both a smart business move and a major family olive branch for Ahmet to allow Dweezil to be the liaison with Universal. Ahmet and Dweezil could have been the best of friends had it not been for their mother.

 

[dabl]

It would have been both a smart business move and a major family olive branch for Ahmet to allow Dweezil to be the liaison with Universal. Ahmet and Dweezil could have been the best of friends had it not been for their mother.

Yes, it really is a shame. I saw 'Z' back in the day when Dweezil and Ahmet were friends, or were at least together in a band, and it seemed to be joyful hilarity. I remember they opened with a cover of Survivor's 'Eye of the Tiger' which I believe kind of went over the heads of some unsuspecting in the audience who really didn't know who 'Z' were or what they were about. I didn't detect any problems or issues between Dweezil and Ahmet back then. They hung out afterward to talk to fans and sign stuff. This is in the middle of Indiana. I remember one guy said to Ahmet 'you guys were really tight' and he said 'thanks, we're really tight with the Devil too!'

 

[humprof]

Current cheapest pre-order price (that I've found): $72.42 (+ 2.99 shipping) at ImportCDs.

 

[Orgillian197]

Current cheapest pre-order price (that I've found): $72.42 (+ 2.99 shipping) at ImportCDs.

FWIW, they're usually the least expensive on everything.

 

[humprof]

FWIW, they're usually the least expensive on everything.

Often are, yeah. They've got the best price on Joni's Archives Vol. 4 at the mo, too. Worth comparing with Deep Discount (esp. if there's an active coupon). and jpc.de, though.

 

[Petr Kropotkin]

Email today from ImportCDs saying Apostrophe has been shipped.