Freak Out! - Absolutely Free - We're Only In It For The Money - Lumpy Gravy - Cruising With Ruben & The Jets - Mothermania
The first 5 Zappa albums were published between 1966 and 1968 by Verve-MGM; in 1969 FZ released the last LP for Verve-MGM: the compilation Mothermania with materials from the first three albums.
In 1985 Zappa reissued them (for mail-order only and without Mothermania) in The Old Masters Box One: all albums were digitally remastered with Bob Stone, with general digital tweaking and radical mix changes and overdubs on We're Only In It For The Money and Cruising With Ruben And The Jets.
The first CD edition of these albums followed close ('86 - '89) and was based on The Old Masters versions, with the exception of Freak Out that had a new digital mix.
In 1995 Rykodisc released the "definitive" CD editions based on the "1993 FZ approved masters": for the albums in this batch, while We're Only In It For The Money was restored to the 1968 version, for Cruising With Ruben And The Jets was still used the 1984 overdubbed and remixed version and for Freak Out the 1987 remixed version. Lumpy Gravy was instead based on a new transfer of the original Verve analog master.
In 2006 the Zappa Family Trust made available for the first time on CD (see The Mofo Project/Object) the original 1966 mix of Freak Out.
In 2012 the ZFT reached an agreement with Universal for a new CD reissue of the complete catalog, including Mothermania avalaible for the first time on CD. With the exception of Aboslutely Free, all albums in this batch were based on the same masters of the Rykodisc 1995 "definitive" CD edition.
In 2013 the ZFT started releasing new vinyl versions of old albums, usually based on (sometimes digital) flat transfers of the original mixes.
| ALBUM VERSIONS |
BTB LP 1985-87 |
1th CD (BPR/Ryko/Zap) 1986-92 |
Ryko "FZ Approved master" CD 1995 |
ZFT/UM CD 2012 |
ZFT LP 2009-2014 |
Project/Object CD 2006-10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FO 1966/6 |
Heavy digital tweaking (FZ/Bob Stone) |
1987 FZ/Bob Stone digital remix | 1966 stereo mix from a 1997 FZ digital copy of the master |
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| AF 1967/6 |
Light digital tweaking (FZ/Bob Stone) |
1967 stereo mix from analog master |
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| WOIIFTM 1968/3 |
1984 overdubbed and remixed digital master (FZ/Bob Stone) |
1967 stereo mix from FZ 1993 edited digital master and other raw mix segments (Spencer Chrislu) |
1968 mono mix from analog master |
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| 1984 digital master (FZ/BS) | ||||||
| LG 1968/5 |
1968 stereo mix from edited digital master (FZ/Bob Stone) |
1968 stereo mix from FZ 1993 edited digital master and other raw mix segments (Spencer Chrislu) |
1967 Primordial mono mix from analog master |
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| 1984 overdubbed and remixed digital master (FZ/Bob Stone) |
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| CWR&TJ 1968/12 |
1984 overdubbed and remixed digital master (FZ/Bob Stone) |
Variant 1987 overdubbed and remixed digital master (FZ/Bob Stone) |
1968 stereo mix from analog master |
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| M 1969/3 |
1969 stereo mix from analog master |
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| UM 1969/4 |
Light digital tweaking (FZ/Bob Stone) |
1987 partial remix digital master with added materials (FZ/Bob Stone) |
1969 mix from 2013 digital "patchwork" master |
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| HR 1969/10 |
1969 mix from digital master (FZ/BS) |
1987 remix digital master with added materials (FZ/Bob Stone) |
1969 mix from analog master |
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| BWS 1970/2 |
Light digital tweaking (FZ/Bob Stone) |
1969 mix from analog master |
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| WRPF 1970/8 |
1970 mix from digital master (FZ/BS) |
1987 digital master with added materials (FZ/Bob Stone) |
1970 mix from analog master |
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Click on the album acronym to get the detailed real Vinyl-vs-CD album faq page at the Zappa Patio.
| Album | Year | Edition | Mix and editing differences | Other differences and relation to other albums | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FO | 2LP | 1966 | Verve V-6-5005-2 | Stereo. | Issued in some countries (including UK) in an abridged 1LP version (both in stereo and mono), without Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder, How Could I Be Such a Fool? and Any Way the Wind Blows. Trouble Comin' Every Day [sic] was shortened to 2:35. In 1969 FZ included a new mix of three songs and new mix and edit of I Can't Happen Here (extracted from Help I'm A Rock) in the Mothermania compilation. |
| Verve V-5005-2 | Mono. It has some differences from the stereo mix and two songs are slightly longer: Trouble Every Day has a snare hit at the beginning not present in the stereo version , You Didn't Try To Call Me has a longer fade-out. | ||||
| 1985 | Barking Pumpkin BPR 7777-1 | Mastered from a digital copy of the analog master, original stereo mix, but quite different digital EQ. | • It Can't Happen Here is split from Help, I'm A Rock (in the original vinyl it had a unique title with subtitles for the "three movements" and in the disc was indexed as three tracks, It Can't Happen Here is the third movement). • The Return Of The Son Of The Monster Magnet is called Cream Cheese (this song in the original disc was indexed as two tracks). |
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| Zappa 1 UK | |||||
| 1CD | 1987 | Ryko RCD 40062 US | 1987 Remix by FZ/Bob Stone: digitally remastered and remixed with quite a different sound. Compared to the original stereo version slightly different edits are reported for Who Are The Brain Police (longer) and You Didn't Try To Call Me (shorter). |
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| Zappa CDZAP1 EU | |||||
| 1995 | Ryko RCD 10501 | It Can't Happen Here is split from Help, I'm A Rock. | |||
| 2CD | 2006 | Zappa ZR 20005 | Original 1966 stereo mix, mastered by Doug Sax from a 1987 digital copy of the master tape. The album is included as CD1 in both versions of The Mofo Project/Object that also include various takes from the 1966 sessions. |
It Can't Happen Here is split from Help, I'm A Rock. MOFO also includes various samples of the different mixes of Freak Out!, including the mono mix (with the extra snare hit) of the short version of Trouble Every Day. |
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| 4CD | Zappa ZR 20004 | ||||
| 1CD | 2012 | Zappa ZR 3834 (0238342 EU) | This is the 1987 FZ/Bob Stone digital remix. | It Can't Happen Here is split from Help, I'm A Rock. | |
| 2LP | 2013 | Zappa ZR 3834-1 (0238341 EU) | Original 1966 stereo mix, mastered by Chris Bellman from a 1987 digital copy of the master tape. | ||
| AF | 1LP | 1967 | Verve V-6-5013 | Stereo. | In 1969 FZ included the whole side one (but with an abridged edit of Call Any Vegetable suite), Brown Shoes Don't Make It and America Drinks & Goes Home in the Mothermania compilation (with no variants in mix). |
| Verve V-5013 | Mono. With some differences from the stereo mix, noticeably on Status Back Baby that has an extra guitar phrase. | ||||
| 1985 | Barking Pumpkin BPR 7777-2 | New FZ/Bob Stone master, is the original stereo mix but has some new digital EQ and reverb added. | |||
| 1CD | 1989 | Ryko RCD 10093 US | Two bonus tracks added (originally released as a single in 1967 and then included in the vinyl MD #1): Big Leg Emma and Why Don'tcha Do Me Right. | ||
| Zappa CDZAP12 EU | |||||
| 1995 | Ryko RCD 10502 | ||||
| 2012 | Zappa ZR 3835 (0238352 EU) | Original 1967 stereo mix, mastered by Doug Sax from a 2012 transfer of the original analog master by Joe Travers. | The two bonus tracks are in mono instead of fake stereo. | ||
| WOIIFTM | 1LP | 1968 | Verve V-6-5045 | Stereo. The Canadian edition has some unique editing and mixing variations (on Hot Poop and Concentration Moon). |
Originally published with some censored parts (on Mother People, Harry You're A Best and Concentration Moon - these modifications were made by FZ himself), was later edited without FZ approval in a "heavily censored" version (edits on Absolutely Free, Who Needs The Peace Corps, Let's Make the Water Turn Black and Hot Poop). Various variants exist. In 1969 FZ included in Mothermania two new mono mixes for The Idiot Bastard Son and Mother People (this one also with a different edit and the uncensored lyrics). |
| Verve V-5045 | Mono. With some differences from the stereo mix, noticeably on Concentration Moon (instrumentation) and Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance (backing vocals). There is an old mini FAQ about the various mixes of the songs of this album. |
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| 1985 | Barking Pumpkin BPR 7777-3 | 1984 mix: digitally remastered, heavily remixed and overdubbed, some songs are speeded up, new bass and drums parts (by Arthur Barrow and Chad Wackerman) replace the old ones. All the parts that were censored on the original vinyl had been restored. |
From this edition Telephone Conversation (previously part of Bow Tie Daddy) has a separate indexing. | ||
| 1CD | 1986 | Ryko RCD 40024 US | Coupled with LG. | ||
| 1988 | Zappa CDZAP13 EU | ||||
| 1995 | Ryko RCD 10503 | Digitally mastered by Spencer Chrislu from "original edited master and other raw mix segments", should be nearly identical to the original stereo vinyl mix. | |||
| 1LP | Ryko RALP 10503 | ||||
| 1CD | 2005 | Mobile Fidelity UDCD 764 | "Audiophile edition", re-EQed from the Ryko 1995 edition (with some non audible micro edits compared to RCD10503). | ||
| 3CD | 2009 | Zappa ZR 20004 | The Lumpy Money Project/Object includes the transfer of the original analog mono version (Verve V-5045) and a new mastering (by Bernie Grundman in 2008) of the 1984 overdubbed remix (Barking Pumpkin BPR 7777-3), as long as the single version of Lonely Little Girl and instrumental takes from the original 1967 sessions. | ||
| 1CD | 2012 | Zappa ZR 3837 (0238372 EU) | This is the 1995 master by Spencer Chrislu (Ryko RCD 10503). | ||
| LG | 1LP | 1968 | Verve V-6-8741 | Stereo. | A totally different version LG was shortly available on Capitol Records, and has been released in 2009 on LM. |
| Verve V-8741 | Mono. This is said to be just a reduction of the stereo mix. | ||||
| 1985 | Barking Pumpkin BPR 7777-4 | 1968 stereo mix from edited digital master. This new version has at least a micro edit (two bass notes) at 7:36 of Part II CDs suffer of a very low mastering. |
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| 1CD | 1986 | Ryko RCD 40024 US | Coupled with WOIIFTM. | ||
| 1988 | Zappa CDZAP13 EU | ||||
| 1995 | Ryko RCD 10504 | Digitally mastered by Spencer Chrislu from "FZ approved digital master, made from original edited analog master and other raw mix segment 1993". This version include at least couple of differences from the original stereo mix: from 1:48 to 3:31 it runs in mono and has some others tiny different edits. | In this CD the two original album tracks have been indexed with titles provided by Zappa himself. | ||
| 3CD | 2009 | Zappa ZR 20004 | The Lumpy Money Project/Object includes the 1967 "primordial" only orchestral version and the 1984 remixed and overdubbed version, both are completely different from the historical version and previously unreleased. LM also includes various raw materials from the 1967 sessions. | An excerpt of the 1984 remixed and overdubbed version is available on The Old Masters Box I Sampler (1985). | |
| 1CD | 2012 | Zappa ZR 3836 (0238362 EU) | This is the 1995 master by Spencer Chrislu (Ryko RCD 10504). | ||
| CWR&TJ | 1LP | 1968 | Verve V-6-5055 | Stereo. | Before the release of Greasy Love Songs, the original mix was only available on this release (and its reprints). Some European versions doesn't have Deseri. |
| Verve V-5055 | Mono. This is said to be just a reduction of the stereo mix. | ||||
| 1985 | Barking Pumpkin BPR 7777-5 | 1984 mix: digitally remastered, heavily remixed and overdubbed, new bass and drums parts (by Arthur Barrow and Chad Wackerman) replace the old ones. Only Stuff Up The Cracks has the original mix (even if "digitally re-tweezed"). | |||
| 1CD | 1987 | Ryko RCD 10063 US | Same remixed and overdubbed version as above, but also Stuff Up The Cracks has been heavily remixed. | A detailed account about all the differences between the two main versions of this album: Way Beyond Just Drums & Bass |
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| Zappa CDZAP4 EU | |||||
| 1995 | Ryko RCD 10505 | ||||
| 2010 | Zappa ZR 20010 | Greasy Love Songs includes a transfer mastered by Doug Sax of the original 1968 analog stereo mix. It also includes 8 bonus tracks, with single, mono and alternate versions. | |||
| 2012 | Zappa ZR 3838 (0238382 EU) | This is the 1984 overdubbed remix. | |||
| M | 1LP | 1969 | Verve V-6-5068 | Stereo. | This compilation includes unique mixes of four Freak Out! songs - Hungry Freaks, Daddy, Who Are The Brain Police?, You Probably Wondering Why I'm Here and It Can't Happen Here (extracted and edited from Help I'm A Rock), an edited version of the Call Any Vegetable suite from Absolutely Free, a different (mono) mix and edit of The Idiot Bastard Son and a different (mono) mix (including the lyrics originally censored on the album) of Mother People from WOIIFTM. A Spanish version is reported, with a different track list. One song of this record (It Can't Happen Here) is included on The Mofo Project/Object. |
| Verve VLP 9239 UK | Mono. | ||||
| DD | 2009 | Zappa ZR 20009 | Mastered by Bob Ludwig from 1969 analog stereo mix. | Digital download available both in flac and 256kbps mp3. | |
| 1CD | 2012 | Zappa ZR 3840 | |||
Disclaimer
For original vinyl version, as general rule, only the first US issue is listed.
Barking Pumpkin BPR 7777-X refer to The Old Masters Box One vinyl edition.
For CD releases only the main US and European editions are listed.
Freak Out! - Absolutely Free - We're Only In It For The Money - Lumpy Gravy - Cruising With Ruben & The Jets - Mothermania
This page created on April 2005 and latest revised on August 17, 2014