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Frank Zappa - Finer Moments '2012

Finer Moments
ArtistFrank Zappa Related artists
Album name Finer Moments
Country
Date 2012
GenreJazz-Rock
Play time 01:22:45
Format / Bitrate Stereo 1420 Kbps / 44.1 kHz
MP3 320 Kbps
Media CD
Size 490 mb (+3%rec.)
PriceDownload $3.95
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Tracks list

Finer Moments is a curious but mostly excellent compilation of (mostly)
instrumental odds and ends put together by FZ in 1972 that went (mostly)
unreleased until 2012. Disc one concentrates on the 1968-1969 Mothers. The first
four tracks are from a 1969 Royal Albert Hall show that was partially documented
in the film Uncle Meat. "Sleazette" is a great guitar solo, but the Mozart piece
loses quite a bit without the "ballet" visuals. "The Wailing Zombie Music"
sounds part-composed/part-conducted improvisation. "The Old Curiosity Shoppe" is
a nice jam from 1971 featuring some nice wah-wah alto sax from Ian Underwood and
wicked soloing from FZ. This also might be the first time Zappa excerpted the
solo portion of a tune and retitled it (as he did for nearly every track on the
Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar series). In this case, it's probably "Little House I
Used to Live In." "Uncle Rebus" is another one of these, this time using the
solos from "King Kong" at the Ark in Boston in 1968 (previously released as part
of Beat the Boots!, Vol. 2). It doesn't say it in the liner notes, but "Music
from the Big Squeeze" is actually the soundtrack to the Luden's cough drop
commercial that won Frank a Clio award. "Enigmas 1-5" is a cool series of
percussion duets with FZ and Art Tripp (both of whom were very well-versed in
orchestral percussion). "Pumped and Waxed" shifts gears considerably. It's a
really cool keyboard/synth piece that Zappa did in his basement studio that
could easily be the soundtrack for a '50s sci-fi B-movie. Then it's back to the
1969 band, during Lowell George's brief stint in the Mothers. "There Is No
Heaven Where Slogans Go to Die" is a spooky, improv-sounding piece with Dave
Samuels guesting on vibes while "Squeeze It, Squeeze It, Squeeze It" is Roy
Estrada's laughing/hysterics/"Oh God!" schtick (this track was also previously
released on the Mystery Disc). "The Subcutaneous Peril" is from 1971 and ends
the set on a high note. It also sounds like the vamp from "Little House I Used
to Live In" but Don Preston in place of Bob Harris gives it a very different
flavor. Finer Moments has some amazing moments, some that are more
curious/interesting and a couple that are sub-par for one reason or another.
It's also an interesting glimpse of Zappa's creative process, as this was the
first time he used parts of existing compositions as "new" compositions as well
as the first time he assembled an album from such disparate sources, but
ultimately chose to not release it. It's a minor quibble (and hard to go against
Frank's choices) but the elimination of the previously released "Squeeze It,
Squeeze It, Squeeze It" would have allowed this set to be released as a single
disc. Even so, there's enough great material to please a hardcore fan. But if
you're not a hardcore fan, there are better places to start.
© Sean Westergaard /TiVo


Tracks:

01. Frank Zappa - Intro (1:20)
02. Frank Zappa - Sleazette (3:33)
03. Frank Zappa - Mozart Piano Sonata In Bb (6:22)
04. Frank Zappa - The Walking Zombie Music (3:23)
05. Frank Zappa - The Old Curiosity Shoppe (7:08)
06. Frank Zappa - You Never Know Who Your Friends Are (2:21)
07. Frank Zappa - Uncle Rhebus (17:46)
08. Frank Zappa - Music From The Big Squeeze (0:42)
09. Frank Zappa - Enigmas 1 Thru 5 (8:16)
10. Frank Zappa - Pumped And Waxed (4:19)
11. Frank Zappa - There Is No Heaven From Where Slogans Go To Die (4:37)
12. Frank Zappa - Squeeze It, Squeeze It, Squeeze It (3:17)
13. Frank Zappa - The Subcutaneous Peril (19:41) 

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