The Mothers 1970 (Live)

Frank Zappa, The Mothers

Released on 26/06/2020 by Frank Zappa Catalog
Main artists: Frank Zappa The Mothers
Genre: Rock

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This box set is a real treasure trove for Frank Zappa fans. It is a celebration of 50 years since the formation of The Mothers, a project which didn’t last long but marked an important period in the life of the great musician and his fans. The album, made up of 70 songs, is a selection of both studio and live recordings discovered by the Zappa family. The recordings are finally available digitally on four CDs, adding up to more than four hours of music from a group born out of the ashes of The Mothers of Invention. The Mothers of Invention broke up the previous year for financial reasons but also, as Zappa came to explain, “through a lack of effort and cooperation”. Another version of the story, pointed out by some band members, is that the break up was due to Zappa’s dictatorial tendency; a genius whose perfectionism verged on madness. For these reasons, Mothers of Invention came to an end. Following the group's collapse Zappa released a highly successful solo album, Hot Rats (1969), which contains one of his most successful tunes, Peaches en Regalia. Then The Mothers came to be, made up of six musicians: English drummer Aynsley Dunbar, jazz keyboardist George Duke, Ian Underwood on guitar, Jeff Simmons on bass and some ex-members of The Turtles: singers Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan, aka “The Phlorescent Leech and Eddie” or “Flo & Eddie”. The Mothers featured on Zappa’s next solo album, his third, Chunga’s Revenge (1970). Ultimately, this line-up lived a brief seven-month existence as, in January 1971, Simmons quit the group during the recording of the original soundtrack for the film 200 Motels, co-directed by Zappa himself and Tony Palmer. During this short period, The Mothers spent several hours recording at the famous Trident Studios in London with a young, already well-known producer, Roy Thomas Baker, who would go on to produce albums for Queen, The Cars and Alice Cooper… This album also gives us, for the first time, alternative versions of Sharleena and Wonderful Wino with an incredible guitar solo from the man himself… In addition, there are unreleased tracks such as the impressive Red Tubular Lighter, Giraffe and a never-before-heard version of Envelopes. In short, this album is a sizeable gift for all aficionados of the great Frank Zappa. © Yan Céh/Qobuz

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The Mothers 1970 (Live)

Frank Zappa

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Red Tubular Lighter