pre-part: tomorrow night on belgian vrt radio 1: 'cucamonga'

• the latest (posthume) jeff buckley release is called: "songs to no one 1991-1992".   as you may know, before he got famous, jeff buckley was a part of gary lucas' gods & monsters band.  this new album presents material jeff did with gary lucas in these early years.  on 2002/10/14, cucamonga chats with lucas and with mary guibert (jeff buckley's mom).

part 1: records 'n' all

• various artists: favored nations cd sampler 2001
      (2001, cd, usa, favored nations fnp1002-2) - feat.dweezil zappa, steve vai
  favored nations is steve vai's record label.  last year's sampler included a lot of guitar work from various artists, all on favored nations: frank gambale, dweezil zappa, mattias eklundh, billy sheenan and lots of others.
  

• pascal comelade: danses et chants de syldavie
      (1994, cd, fr, les disques du soleil et de l'acier dsa 54031) - incl. 'dali's car) (don van vliet)
  pascal comelade is a french artist who gives his personal view on (well-)known compositions not only using a grand piano, but also a toy-piano and a plastic guitar...
  "danses et chants de syldavie", his 8th album, captures tracks written by jagger/richards, mc5, eno, stravinsky, umberto tozzi, tim buckley and lots and lots more.  oh, and yes, he also gives his plastic version of don van vliet's 'dali's car', the famous "trout mask replica" track on which antennae jimmy semens (jeff cotton) does the guitar part.
  

• john trubee & the ugly janitors of america: song demo for a helen keller world
      (2002, cdr, usa, private release)
  "song demo for a helen keller world" was recorded between december 28, 1998 and januari 1, 1999 in a studio in north hollywood.  the songs were featured in larry wessel's video documentary of the same name.  trubee said: "these songs have never been performed live anywhere.  this world is not worthy of them."
  and i think that i understand what he means.  "song demo for a helen keller world" is a great selection of songs.  essential listening for those of you who have an ear for good music.
  

• john trubee & the ugly janitors of america: porno valley song demo
      (2002, cdr, usa, private release)
  the san fernando valley is known for its adult entertainment industry.  as this demo was recorded in one day (march 12, 2000) in the san fernando valley, "porno valley song demo" is an appropriote name for it. trubee said: "nude women, cocks, pussies, pulsating orgasms, tits, asses, DPs, orgies & blow jobs surrounded us as we recorded this."
  i don't know if it was the san fernando environment, but the album sounds very powerful, very tight.  i like it a lot.
  send US $ 15.00 to:
  John Trubee 
  PO Box 4921
  Santa Rosa
  US - CA 95402
  USA
  and buy one of these titles.  you won't be dissapointed.
  

• roy haynes sextet / rené thomas quintet / frank foster quartet / feat. henri renaud: the 1954 paris sessions
      (1999, cd, france, bmg 74321622912) - feat.buzz gardner
  if you don't know what buzz gardner was doing in paris in 1954, (re)read the biography piece geoff wills wrote.  boppy jazz, this album collects the complete rené thomas album that buzz contributed to.
  

• the banned from utopia: so yuh don't like modern art  (2)
      (2002, cd, usa, favored nations) - various compositions by frank zappa; feat.various zappa alumni
  
  
  how's that for a banner?  
  more info at:
  www.favorednations.com
  all i have to say is: this is essential listening.  go for the zappa compositions and be overwhelmed by the band's own material (great job, mike miller)

part 2 - books 'n' all

• a most immaculately hip record label - a guide to straight label records & compact discs by dean r.hegerty
      (2002, book, usa, private release)
  this is a very nice little booklet about "bizarre" and "straight", zappa's record labels.  the booklet presents a complete discography including info on the various releases and artists  (with very nice label pictures of impossible to find albums, so it's no suprise that hans-peter schmidt contributed some pictures to this booklet.)
  this is the second edition of the booklet (more info & more pictures).  the first edition got published in 1999.
  dean hegerty said:
  "I'm very glad to hear that you like the book - thank you! Anyone wanting a copy can get one directly from me for $8.00 US (plus shipping)"
  Dean Hegerty
  9348 S. Orchard Park Circle #3-A
  Oak Creek, WI 53154-8201
  USA
  drhrocks@gna.net

part 3 - (a)live and kickin'

• a couple of nights ago, i watched the old farts at play.  well, actually, i watched a video recording of the concert they did 2002/06/23 in new haven at the 'ideot village festival' (or was it 'ideat village' ?).
  they played an all beefheart set (plus the zappa/beefheart collaboration): electricty  (van vliet), i'm gonna booglarize you, baby  (van vliet), the past sure is tense  (van vliet), ice cream for crow  (van vliet), willie the pimp (zappa).
  i have to admit that i never saw the captain and his magic band perform live.  sure, i listened to some concert recordings and i've seen gary lucas or jack and jim or the muffin men or even the meridian arts or the grandmothers perform some van vliet material, but i never saw the actual thing.  and now there's old farts at play.  wow.  this is pure power.    five guys, fully concentrated, in focus, energy all over the place.  no wonder that they kicked off with 'electricity'.  it was a rather short set, just five tracks, but the impression was there.
  these guys should play at zappanale 14 !!.
  

• and the residents are celebrating their 30th (!!) anniversary.  another new release and a tour are scheduled
  2002/10/25 concert ‘the rio’, santa cruz, ca, usa
  2002/10/27 concert ‘house of blues’,  anaheim, ca, usa
  2002/10/28 concert ‘house of blues’, w. hollywood, ca, usa
  2002/10/29 concert ‘belly up’, solano beach, ca, usa
  2002/10/30 concert ‘house of blues’, w. hollywood, ca, usa 
  2002/10/31 concert ‘the warfield’, san francisco, ca, usa
  2002/11/01 concert ‘crystal ballroom’, portland, or, usa
  2002/11/02 concert ‘king cat’, seattle, wa, usa
  2002/11/03 concert ‘king cat’,seattle, wa, usa
  2002/11/05 concert ‘house of blues’,chicago, il, usa
  2002/11/06 concert ‘o'shaughnessy aud.’,st. paul, mn, usa
  2002/11/07 concert ‘barrymore theater’,madison, wi, usa
  2002/11/08 concert ‘majestic theater’,detroit, mi, usa
  2002/11/09 concert tba
  2002/11/10 concert tba
  2002/11/11 concert ‘variety playhouse’,atlanta, ga, usa
  2002/11/12 concert ‘state theatre’,falls church, va, usa
  2002/11/13 concert ‘warsaw theatre’,brooklyn ny, usa
  2002/11/14 concert ‘warsaw theatre’,brooklyn ny, usa
  2002/11/15 concert ‘warsaw theatre’,brooklyn ny, usa
  
  still hopes are high for a european tour in febuary/march 2003.
  

• doctor dark, the band formerly known as the old farts at play, yes, that great band that plays the music of captain
  beefheart......   will have   it's first gig on november 17,2002, at brass city records, in waterbury, ct., usa.
  make a note of that, folks.

added data for:

• united mutation

• the ed palermo big band - concerts

• record label info

• the big e

• jeff buckley

• doctor dark

• the zappanoia band

post-part: short bits

* * *
new order has a new album out on, but it's some sort of 'new order's picks':
dmc records has this series called "back to mine".  it's some sort of compilation album.  the message said: "New Order
chose the tracks that they would play if you went back to there place after a night out."  the first track is a captain beefheart composition.
* * *
george duke will be featured in a television special next thursday on dutch television.  he will be the main attraction at 'de marathon' festival in groningen, the netherlands, this year.
* * *
ray white is performing with the big e.  a band with bobby vega, alan hertz and tal morris.  they performed various zappa compositions in concert.
talking about ray white.  danny mathys says that kvhw has a second album out, called "life @ the hip".  anyone heard about this one?  or info on where to get it?
* * *
the residents "demons dance alone", has now been made available as a single disc.  (jewel case in the states - digipack in germany).  the deluxe version (2 cds) is still in the shops, but, as they say, going fast.
* * *
the next residents release will be the "freak show deluxe 30th anniversary edition":
the site sez: "the package is a 48 page bound book, measuring 12,7cm/5.5" (wide) by 25,4cm/10" (long), so there`s a lot of real estate for some great photos and stories you probably haven`t seen before. the first disc is the original freak show release but includes the "blowoff" ep, plus a few introductions by tex, and the second disc is a bunch of previously unreleased tracks, with most of them from the freak show live show in prague. but there are a couple live tracks and remixes. only 1000 made, hand numbered."
pre-orders are possible through euroralph & ralphamerice.
* * *
the track-listing for the 2 new zappa samplers (zappa picks) were mailed by ryko.  if you want to take a look at it, go to zappa / discography / fz&moi / samplers /
* * *
volume three and four of the steve vai archive series (= the box set) are in the final stages of production.  release dates will be announced soon.
* * *
and there's more, yes !  the zappanoia band is from lisbon, portugal.  founded in 1996 by eduardo cunha and rui sousa the band plays compositions by frank zappa. the line-up of the band varies from trio to octet, but lately the band has been active as a quartet.
i've heard their 'zoot allures' and was impressed.  i don't know how active they are, but more info can be found in the site.  look up under "zappanoia band".  it even includes a couple of snap shots of the band.
* * *
here's another "quote for the day" from john trubee.  i know, it doesn't make you happy, but you have to face the world you're living in:

"Politics: a ceaseless tug of war between two teams who, despite the surface veneer of their ideological differences, are composed of identical mobs of pompous brats.
I soon lose interest in observing the tiresome antics of these diseased personalities whose foolishness flourished before I was born and will continue unabated after I die."
     --John Trubee
* * *

that's all for now - talk again to you soon

peter