Frank Zappa 'Mystery Box' 10LP Box Set EX condition

$

203

FRANK ZAPPA
'Mystery Box' 10LP Box Set
Nifty Tuff & Bitchen Records NTB-8600

LP1 - Pigs 'N Repugnant (52:08)

Side 1:
1 - The Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue - 10:12
2 - Hungry Freaks, Daddy - 3:38
3 - Wild Man Fischer: The Wild Man Fischer Story - 3:38
4 - Wild Man Fischer: I'm The Meany - 1:36
5 - Bacon Fat- 3:55

Side 2:
6 - King Kong - 29:09

Details:
Tracks 1-2 are live in Appleton 1969, taken from Gas Mask.  Track 1 begins with "The Jelly" and cuts to "The Eric Dolphy Memroial Barbecue" at 02:20.  Tracks 3-6 taken from Our Man in Nirvana (Fullerton College, 08-Nov-1968).  "King Kong" is 31 minutes long on Our Man in Nirvana, here it is 28 minutes and 41 seconds.  It IS the same recording, yet it is slower here (and in a lower key, of course) and includes a final "goodnight" which is cut from Our Man in Nirvana.  So one part has been edited out of this version, and the edit occurs at 14:24.


LP2 - Son Of Pigs 'N Repugnant (48:33)

Side 1:
1 - The String Quartet - 24:27

Side 2:
2 - The Duke - 8:55
3 - Help, I'm A Rock - 5:01
4 - The Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet - 10:10

Details:
Track 1 is "A Pound for a Brown on the Bus" plus "Sleeping in a Jar", taken from Our Man in Nirvana (Fullerton College, 08-Nov-1968).  At the time, Zappa called this conglomeration "The String Quartet".  Tracks 2-4 are live in Appleton 1969, the recording that also appeared on Gas Mask.  Track 2 is like "Return of the Hunch-Back Duke" on Stage #5 and includes "Aybe Sea" and "Transylvania Boogie", and track 4 is an instrumental jam.  This side is a real live segued sequence.


LP3 - Beyond The Fringe Of Audience Comprehension (46:00)

Side 1:
1 - What Will This Morning Bring Me This Evening? - 1:54
2 - Watering Holes - 0:39
3 - What Kind Of Girl Do You Think We Are? - 4:29
4 - Bwana Dik - 1:21
5 - Latex Solar Beef - 1:40
6 - Daddy, Daddy, Daddy - 2:51
7 - Do You Like My New Car? - 2:54
8 - Magic Fingers - 2:36
9 - What Will This Evening Bring Me This Morning? - 3:46

Side 2:
10 - Interview (Part 1) - 2:59
11 - The Final Solution - 2:22
12 - Interview (Part 2) - 1:46
13 - Penis Dimension - 3:28
14 - Time Is Money - 2:42
15 - Flambay - 4:46
16 - Spider Of Destiny - 2:59
17 - Space Boy - 2:49

Details:
The Mystery Box version has these liner notes:  "Tracks 1-4 [of side 2] are from the film 200 motels.  Tracks 5-7 are from Hunchentoot."  "'Space Boy' is the rarest track in this entire box.  It was recorded for the Curtis Harrington film, Queen of Blood.  Words, music and vocals by Florence Marley.  Orchestration and additional instruments by FZ.  Sound effects by Ackerman & Cole."  Tracks 14-16 have been said to be the remixed Sleep Dirt versions.  The suite on side 1 (often called "The Groupie Opera") has been circulated as either "unknown live 1970/1971" and "Butte, Montana 1970/1971" (they do sing "this is the swingingest place in Butte, Montana"), but sounds more like a studio job without an audible live audience.  The title is from one of Zappa's catch-phrases:  "Some of us live beyond the fringe of audience comprehension.  The air is better here."


LP4 - Zut Alors (43:49)

Side 1:
1 - Son Of Mr. Green Genes - 2:44
2 - King Kong - 0:32
3 - Carolina Hardcore Ecstasy - 11:20
4 - Chunga's Revenge - 5:35

Side 2:
5 - Sink Trap - 1:46
6 - Ship Ahoy - 5:50
7 - Munchkin Tits - 5:19
8 - Hands With A Hammer - 2:41
9 - T'Mershi Duween - 2:18
10 - Black Napkins - 4:32

Details:
Tracks 1-4 are The Petit Wazoo live March 11, 1973 at Texas Hall Auditorium.  Track 5 is probably from the 1975 UCLA Royce Hall concert (the same concert as on Orchestral Favorites).  The same recording also appears on Apocrypha, where it's listed as "Gypsy Airs".  (The piece was originally recorded in 1967 for an unreleased single, which was planned for release on Capitol Records together with the all-orchestral original version of Lumpy Gravy, which was only released on 8-track.)  Track 6 is a longer edit of the Shut Up & Play Yer Guitar version (Osaka 3-Feb-1976).  Longer, but still edited; perhaps a tape edited by Zappa himself somehow found its way here.  Track 7 is a guitar solo from "More Trouble Every Day".  Track 8 is a different edit of "Hands with a Hammer" on Stage #3 (Osaka 3-Feb-1976).  Those two are also what is listed as "Guitar Improvisation" on the Wanna Buy Some Acid? bootleg.  Track 9 is live in Vancouver 1-Oct-1975.  Track 10 is a version with the Mike Douglas band (from a 1976 TV show) backing Frank Zappa (also released on Apocrypha).  According to the liner notes on the Mystery Box version, "Tracks 1-4 [on side 2] are the entire side 3 of the unreleased double album version of Zoot Allures".  This may not be not correct, but there were serious plans for a double album version of Zoot Allures.


LP5 - The Rondo Hatton Band (47:37)

Side 1:
1 - I'm The Slime - 3:01
2 - Ruthie-Ruthie - 1:40
3 - Babette - 4:37
4 - The Boogers Of Marty Perellis - 4:53
5 - White Juice On His Beard - 2:09
6 - Smell My Beard - 5:13

Side 2:
7 - Father O'Blivion - 2:21
8 - Don't Eat The Yellow Snow - 0:57
9 - Nanook Rubs It - 6:41
10 - St. Alphonzo's Pancake Breakfast - 1:07
11 - MAR-JUH-RENE - 3:31
12 - Penguin In Bondage - 5:12
13 - T'Mershi Duween - 1:53
14 - The Dog Breath Variations - 1:47
15 - Uncle Meat - 2:34

Details:
Track 1 is the single version, with a different guitar solo from the album version.  Tracks 2-6 are live at the Capitol Theater in Passaic 08-Nov-1974.  Tracks 7-11 are live in Sydney 24-Jun-1973, also issued on Nifty (track 11 is Zappa improvising around the letters MAR-JUH-RENE) - from the "Un-Concert".  Tracks 12-13 are December 1973 bonus tracks.


LP6 - A Token Of His Extreme (40:40)

Side 1:
1 - Montana - 3:58
2 - Stink-Foot - 3:56
3 - Inca Roads - 9:38
4 - The Dog Breath Variations - 1:43
5 - Uncle Meat - 2:11

Side 2:
6 - Approximate - 1:25
7 - Cosmik Debris - 7:39
8 - Florentine Pogen - 10:10

Details:
On both sides everything is adjusted to have an "all segue", but edits between songs are of course clear.  Audience is only audible in the middle of "Approximate" and after "Florentine Pogen" (the song finish at 9:55).  Most songs on side 1 (and expecially the second half of "Inca Roads") are overcrowded of crazy rumours overdubs.  "Stinkfoot" is the "Tom Waits version" ("right around the corner ... over by Tom Waits's Restaurant"] and is sung through the voice modifier.  "Approximate" is, of course, just a little bit of the song, with first the theme illustration by the whole band, then a vocal extravaganza (Zappa:  "That's the melody"), after which Zappa says "Ok, this can also be danced" but "Cosmik Debris" starts.


LP7 - Chalk Pie (44:34)

Side 1:
1 - I'm The Slime - 3:11
2 - Peaches En Regalia - 3:22
3 - Dancin' Fool - 4:02
4 - The Purple Lagoon - 3:54
5 - The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing - 3:32
6 - St. Alphonzo's Pancake Breakfast - 4:17

Side 2:
7 - Chalk Pie - 4:42
8 - We're Turning Again - 4:46
9 - Them Or Us - 7:59
10 - Clowns On Velvet - 4:46

Details:
Track 7 has been officially released on Guitar in a slightly different mix; it's from Salt Lake City 07-Dec-1981.  Track 8 is an officially unreleased live version edited together from Santa Monica 11-Dec-1981 (early show) and Salt Lake City 07-Dec-1981.  Track 9 is an officially unreleased guitar solo from "The Black Page #2", from San Diego 12-Dec-1981, early show.  Track 10 is from the Ritz show in New York on 17-Nov-1981 when Al DiMeola sat in (bootlegged on Assault on New York - The Toxic Shock Trilogy).


LP8 - Crush All Boxes (42:48)

Side 1:
1 - Fine Girl - 3:34
2 - Pick Me, I'm Clean - 3:32
3 - Teen-Age Wind - 3:07
4 - Harder Than Your Husband - 2:32
5 - Bamboozled By Love - 3:03
6 - Drafted Again - 3:41
7 - Falling In Love Is A Stupid Habit - 1:44

Side 2:
8 - Teen-age Wind - 3:03
9 - Doreen - 2:42
10 - Fine Girl - 3:24
11 - Easy Meat - 8:08
12 - Goblin Girl - 4:15

Details:
Quoth the liner notes:  "'Fine Girl' and 'Drafted Again' are outtakes.  Tracks 2-5 are studio rehearsals with drum machine.  ('Teenage Wind' and 'Harder Than Your Husband' are instrumentals.  'Falling in Love Is a Stupid Habit' is a demo for Jimmy Carl Black (FZ: piano & vocal)."  Zappa later denied that he ever wrote that last song in an interview published in the fanzine Society Pages.  Tracks 2-5 and 7 also appear on Apocrypha.  Tracks 9-12 on side two represent the entire side one of the unreleased Crush All Boxes.  Bonus track 'Teenage Wind' is an outtake.  It does not feature Bob Harris on vocals.


LP9 - Return Of The Son Of Serious Music (49:27)

Side 1:
1 - Piece No. 2 Of Visual Music For Jazz Ensemble And 16mm Visual Projector - 6:02
2 - Piano Pieces From Opus 5 - 3:37
3 - Collage One For String Instruments - 1:58
4 - Two Fragments Of Prepared Tape For Opus 5 - 1:22
5 - Opus For Piano, Tape Recorder And Multiple Orchestra - 12:43

Side 2:
6 - While You Were Art - 7:16
7 - Opus 1 - No. 1 - 2nd Movement ALLEGRO CON BRIO - 1:26
8 - Opus 1 - No. 3 - 2nd Movement PRESTO - 1:49
9 - Opus 1 - No. 4 - 2nd Movement ALLEGRO - 2:01
10 - Francesco Rock - 2:18
11 - Pedro's Dowry - 8:24

Details:
Side 1 is from an orchestral situation with the Pomona Valley Symphony Orchestra at Mount Saint Mary's College, Claremont, California in 1963, conducted by Frank Zappa.  A small part of this has been officially released on The Lost Episodes, as "Mount Saint Mary's Concert Excerpt".  According to the liner notes on the Mystery Box, "While You Were Art #1" is the "original, stripped-down version", and the Francesco tracks are out-takes.  They sound like different orchestrations of Francesco Zappa album tracks.  "Francesco Rock" has a drum track.  The notes also claim that "Pedro's Dowry" was played by the Berkely Symphony Orchestra in June 1981, but it's from "A Zappa Affair", June 16, 1984.  Anyway, this release may or may not be related to the bootlegs Serious Music and Son of Serious Music - it's certainly supposed to look that way.


LP10 - Randomonium (49:00)

Side 1:
1 - America Drinks And Goes Home - 0:50
2 - Agency Man - 5:43
3 - Randomonium - 1:31
4 - Lumpy Gravy (Diallogue Outtakes) - 0:45
5 - Studebaker Hoch - 6:05
6 - Billy The Mountain ("Don't Fuck Around" excerpt) - 1:40
7 - Well (Baby, Please Don't Go) - 7:40

Side 2:
8 - In Memoriam, Hieronymous Bosch - 5:03
9 - 2 On The Town - 0:22
10 - Suicide Chump - 9:02
11 - Truck Driver Divorce - 1:27
12 - Frogs With Dirty Little Lips - 2:20
13 - The Kronos Quartet: None Of The Above - 6:27

Details:
Track 2 has been officially released on the Mystery Disc.  Track 3 is an alternate take of "Dwarf Nebula" from Weasels Ripped My Flesh, recorded at Apostolic Studios, New York.  Tracks 5-6 are the last bit of "Billy the Mountain"; it also appears on Cuccurrullo Brullo Brillo and Apocrypha.  It's a live recording, but there has been speculation that there are some overdubs on it.  Track 7 is a longer edit of the Playground Psychotics version with John Lennon.  Track 8 is a live improvisation from a New York TV show called The Bitter End in 1967.  Track 10 is the same version as on disc 3 of Apocrypha (Stonybrook, 15-Oct-1978).  Track 12 is a 1981 studio version that also appears on Demos and Apocrypha.  Tracks 1, 9, and 11 are unknown versions.  Track 1 must be from 1967-1968 as Ray Collins is on it.  Track 11 must be from Europe, summer 1982, as Ed Mann is on it.


TOTAL TIME = 464:36 (almost 8 hours!)


Mint condition vinyl and very good condition box.  Purchased new, only played two or three times on premium equipment; stored in climate-controlled, smoke-free environment.  Box has some light scuffing and one mashed and tastefully tape-repaired corner - SEE PHOTOS.  Add this unique collectible to your Frank Zappa collection.

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