***Frank Zappa: 200 Motels NTSC Codefree DVD
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Zappa fans have been waiting forever for a good DVD edition of this classic film, and this edition from Crime Crow doesn’t disappoint. Presented in a gorgeous tri-fold digipack case, this DVD brings you the complete 98-minute movie in excellent sound and picture quality. “Less a movie than a purposely crude series of musical vignettes and inside jokes for die-hard fans, Frank Zappa informs viewers in the opening scene that "Touring can make you crazy, ladies and gentlemen, and that is what 200 Motels is all about." The rest of the plot-less production is filled with more self-reflexive reminders, as the close-up eye and tape recorder signal that Zappa is watching everything his bandmembers are doing. Reasonably, the Mothers of Invention make up the cast, notably Jimmy Carl Black, who repeatedly remarks how he just wants to quit the band and go play real music, have a beer, and get laid. The character of Jeff, played by Martin Lickert, was written for bassist Jeff Simmons, who actually did quit the band just prior to shooting. Other cast members include real-life groupies appearing in some bizarre nudity sequences, along with the Who's drummer Keith Moon as the Hot Nun who overdoses on drugs. Ringo Starr appears as Larry the Dwarf and lends some humorous narration, but that does not clarify any of the proceedings. The action supposedly takes place in Centerville, which is really a kind of poorly dressed set guarded by soldiers. The scenes are randomly assembled and interspersed with performances, including the songs "Lonesome Cowboy Burt," "Magic Fingers," and "Strictly Genteel." For further illumination on this film, click here:
http://home.online.no/~corneliu/200motels.htm
Frank Zappa: Video Archive VOLUME ONE DVD NTSC Codefree
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This is a brilliant collection of rare Frank Zappa footage from the 60’s , 70’s and early 80’s. It features one and three-quarter hours of of concert footage, TV appearances, news features and interviews with this one-of-a-kind composer and musical revolutionary. Some of the highlights include over half of live performance on the German TV show Beat Club from October 1968, some rather rare footage from the Fillmore East, June 6th, 1971 when John Lennon and Yoko Ono joined Frank and The Mothers onstage, priceless footage of Frank as a judge on the cult late-70’s TV disco contest “Dance Fever” and as a contestant on “Make Me Laugh”, a charmingly bad American TV show in which a celebrity contestant would have to keep a straight face while being “entertained” by comedians each doing a one-minute set.
Frank Zappa: Video Archive VOLUME TWO NTSC Codefree DVD
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A great companion piece to the first part in this series (above) with a load of top quality Frank Zappa footage. It opens with
the “A&E” Biography broadcast was actually a re-packaged version of a BBC documentary from March 1993 which took a look at the genius of Zappa with tons of live footage and interviews with Frank, Matt Groening (Simpsons creator), Jim 'Motorhead' Sherwood (Mothers saxophonist 1964-69), Ruth Underwood (Zappa Band percussionist 1972-76), Steve Vai (Zappa Band guitarist 1980-82) and sons Dweezil and Ahmet. Then you get two classic Saturday Night Live performances from October 21st, 1978, and the excellent hour-long VPRO Documentary made for Dutch TV which provides a snapshot of Zappa at home, on the road and on stage in mid-1970. Lastly you get an audience-shot performance of Stairway To Heaven, live from the Music Hall in Cleveland, Ohio on March 5th, 1988.
Frank Zappa: Video Archive VOLUME THREE NTSC Codefree DVD
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Volume Three of this excellent DVD series kicks off with the 52 minute Dutch documentary “The Present-Day Composer Refuses To Die” , directed by Frank Scheffer, broadcast on Dutch TV on July 2nd, 2000. Loaded, with fascinating material, it includes excerpts of great footage throughout his career as well as interviews with Gail Zappa, Tom Fowler, Ian Underwood, George Duke, Dweezil Zappa, Joe Travers, Bruce Fowler, Pierre Boulez, Todd Yvega & Ali N. Askin and Edgard Varèse. The DVD continues with an interesting performance by renowned Zappa tribute band Project/Object in March 2002 at a Seattle club featuring Zappa alumni Ike Willis and Napoleon Murphy Brock, performing the tracks “Crew Slut” and “Cheepnis”. Lastly you get AAAFNRAA (Anything, Anywhere, Anytime, For No Reason At All) which is basically half an hour of footage of rehearsals for the the Yellow Shark concerts in Germany and the States in September 1992. This also features some commentary from Frank.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
In a classic case of DVD printhouse mispressing, the back covers of these two digipacks are mixed up, so volume three carries the tracklist for volume four and vice versa!
Frank Zappa: Video Archive VOLUME FOUR NTSC Codefree DVD
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Volume four of the Zappa Video Archives series kinks off with a good audience shoot of Zappa’s concert at the Vienna Stadthalle on May 8th, 1988. Running an hour and a quarter, it represents about half of the band’s set that night and includes Black Page, Big Swifty, Black Napkins, Trouble Every Day, Penguin in Bondage, Hot Plate Heaven, Peaches en Regalia, Stairway to Heaven, Sharleena, Montana, City of Tiny Lites and Whipping Post. It continues with an appearance by Frank and Dweezil on German TV Show “P.I.T” from February 7th, 1988 featuring live performances and an interview. The DVD ends with some footage of Frank live at the Bucse festival in Budapest on June 30th, 1991. The band consisted of Zappa and four Hungarian gypsy jazz musicians who were invited play with him.
Frank Zappa and The Mothers: Solliden, Skansen NTSC Codefree
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This is another version of this DVD of Frank Zappa and the Mothers live on August 21st 1973, at Solliden, Sweden. This concert was televised as part of a Swedish series of concert broadcasts embarrassingly titled Oppåpoppa ("Get Up And Pop!"). The picture and sound are second-to-none. the line-up includes Frank, Jean-Luc Ponty, George Duke, Ian Underwood, Ruth Underwood, Bruce Fowler, Tom Fowler and Ralph Humphrey. Runs 75 minutes.
Frank Zappa: John, Dan and Me NTSC Codefree DVD
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This DVD features both of Frank Zappa’s SNL appearances at perhaps his commercial, creative and critical peak in the mid-to-late 70’s. Frank’s first SNL appearance was on December 11th, 1976, and the show had a Christmas theme. The band was the same for the Zappa in New York album. The lineup included Terry Bozzio, Patrick O'Hearn, Ray White, Ruth Underwood, Eddie Jobson, David Samuels, Lou Marini, Ronnie Cuber, Tom Malone, and the voice of Don Pardo, though he didn't appear. John Belushi guested with the band in a manic improvised turn as Samurai Sax man! Easily worth the price of the DVD all on it’s own!
For Frank’s second and final appearance on SNL he was actually hosting the show and his band featured Denny Walley, Tommy Mars, Peter Wolf, Ed Mann, Patrick O'Hearn, Arthur Barrow, Vinnie Colaiuta, Alan Rubin, Tom Malone, Lew Del Gatto, Lou Marini and Howard Johnson. There’s an infamous moment in the middle of the Coneheads sketch when Frank breaks character and asks, live and on camera: "So what, am I just supposed to read off those cue cards?"...much to the dismay of the SNL regulars!
EXTRA FEATURE: SKANSEN S0UNDSTAGE, SOLLIDEN, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, AUGUST 21ST 1973 This concert was televised as part of a Swedish series of concert broadcasts embarrassingly titled Oppåpoppa ("Get Up And Pop!"). The picture and sound are second-to-none.
Frank Zappa titles look interesting........
There’s an infamous moment in the middle of the Coneheads sketch when Frank breaks character and asks, live and on camera: "So what, am I just supposed to read off those cue cards?"...much to the dismay of the SNL regulars!
And no wonder. That was FZ at his most unsufferable. He really was quite the smug asshole at times.
"I recommend that you delete the Rancid Snakepit" - Grant