Just wanted to mention this six disc set that dropped last month. The boxed set is pricey, but it is available for streaming on at least a couple of services. If you are a fan of Hot Rats, then you will probably enjoy it. Anyone else listen to this yet? It’s interesting to hear how the music evolved in the studio.
Holy crap! Close to $100 for the boxed set, almost $50 for the MP3 download on Amazon. Very tempting to purchase the MP3 as I have an Amazon gift card from Christmas burning a hole in my pocket. I’ve always hoped that an artist would release something that shows the evolution of songs from original concept/demo to final studio version. I find that kind of stuff fascinating. (About the closest thing I can think of is Lucinda Williams’ “Blessed” album with the bonus “Kitchen Tapes” disc of demo versions of every song.)
It’s on Spotify, so you should be able to use a free account to listen. I am just starting to listen through for the second time, and I like the cuts that are not on the album (Arabesque, Lil’ Clanton Shuffle), but the piano pieces from Peaches En Regalia are interesting.
I’ve waited 50 years for this set and wasn’t disappointed. Hot Rats is Zappa’s (and Ian Underwood’s) finest recording, and I was both surprised and gratified to see Ian FINALLY given proper credit for his work on the album.
I was also mildly surprised to learn that three of my all-time favorite Zappa tracks (from other albums) were in fact recorded during these sessions. Piano Prelude (to The Little House I Used To Live In), the first minute of Toads Of The Short Forest, and Aybe Sea. I already knew about Twenty Small Cigars, (another fave), as well as the other tracks that ended up on other albums.
A non-audio treat was the story behind that bizarro cover photo. I knew who the woman was and had guessed where the photo must have been taken (correctly, I now know), but had always wondered about the backstory.
I would have gladly paid twice the price for this set.
There’s a very extensive audio interview here with Joe Travers; he’s the official Zappa Vaultmeister, the guy who is in charge of the huge volume of Zappa’s archived tapes. He was intimately involved with this release, and there is a lot of interesting behind the scenes info, as well as many excerpts from the release.