The Dub Room Special! (Live)

Chronique

This no-frills made-for-home-video release, by multimedia artist Frank Zappa, contains just over 90 minutes of vintage performances gleaned from a host of film projects, interviews and concert footage. The live music centers on the 1974 incarnation of the Mothers of Invention's in-studio KCET-TV appearance, August 27, 1974 in Los Angeles and the Halloween (October 31) 1981 show at the Palladium in New York City. The '74 band included Zappa (guitar/vocals) supported by George Duke (keyboards/vocals), Ruth Underwood (vibes/marimba/percussion), Chester Thompson (drums), Tom Fowler (bass) and Napoleon Murphy Brock (vocals/tenor sax/duck call); while the '82 configuration featured Steve Vai (guitar), Tommy Mars (keyboards), Ed Mann (percussion), Ray White (rhythm guitar/vocals), Scott Thunes (bass), Bobby Martin (keyboards/sax/harmonica/vocals) and Chad Wackerman (drums). The latter lineup was particularly notable for the fiery on-stage exchanges between Zappa and Vai (guitar) -- such as the ones heard on the incendiary "Stevie's Spanking." Dub Room Special (1982) gets its name from the actual dub room -- which Zappa compares to a closet -- where the various elements are being compiled into a finished product. The artist provides running commentaries, occasionally (and perhaps unwittingly) incorporating hangers-on and employees of Compact Video -- the facility that Zappa is renting out. Among the musical numbers from the '74 outfit are the theme to "Uncle Meat" which is in a medley preceded by "Dog Breath." They also act out the infamous "Room Service" exchange, dance and sing the heretofore instrumental "Approximate" and play exemplary renditions of "Cosmik Debris," "Montana," "Florentine Pogen" -- with road manager Marty Perellis as Chester's Gorilla -- "Stink-Foot" and "Inca Roads." From '81 are the tunes "Nig Biz," "Cocaine Decisions," "Stevie's Spanking," "Flakes" and "Easy Meat." Undoubtedly, in a continued effort to help allay costs, the tape was packaged in a sturdy standard plastic box with only an equally generic white label indicating what is inside. Indeed, no-frills has never looked or sounded this good before.

© Lindsay Planer /TiVo