MEDESKI, SCOFIELD, MARTIN & WOOD - Juice (2014) FLAC (tracks), lossless

The third studio meeting in nearly 17 years between Medeski, Martin & Wood and guitarist John Scofield has no easy referent to their earlier recordings -- purposely. This quartet sounds like a real band on Juice, which is a mixed blessing. The positive aspect is that this longtime collaboration creates near instinctive communication. This is a much more inside date, though the rhythmic interplay between bassist Chris Wood and drummer Billy Martin is outstanding throughout. There are four covers from the 1960s scattered among the various originals; some work better than others. One is "Sham Time," an Eddie Harris tune. The obvious inspiration, though, is Willie Bobo's version from the 1968 album A New Dimension. This quartet does it justice with spark, crackle, groove, and grease. The driving organ vamp on Scofield's "New London" offers a British rave-up wedded to Brazilian funk and Latin boogaloo. The solos by the guitarist and John Medeski are lyrical, tight, and flow right out of one another. Martin's "Louis the Shoplifter" is populated with killer interlocking salsa grooves between him and Medeski (who evokes Eddie Palmieri's experimetnal side in his playing) amid knotty changes. Wood's bassline develops along the drummer's pumping, double-time snare and syncopated breaks. Scofield's solo roils with serpentine post-bop shards. "Juicy Lucy," a group composition, finds Scofield taking "Louie Louie" as inspiration. Medeski builds on it with excellent montunos, contrasting mid-'60s Latin R&B with early rock & roll. The fingerpopping exchanges between Wood, Martin, and guest conguero Pedrito Martinez are nasty and tight. Wood's "Helium" is the strangest, perhaps most compelling thing here, comprised of angular harmonies, arpeggiated, nearly fusion-esque statements from guitarist and pianist, and a whomping bassline. Martin's forro-esque pulse -- that borders on the martial -- locks it down. The cultural baggage associated with the Doors' "Light My Fire" is too great for even these musicians to transcend, and with a straight rock chart, it feels tossed off. Conversely, the reading of Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love," at nearly 11 minutes, contains an imaginative arrangement that makes the listener almost forget the original. Martin's and Wood's slow, rocksteady reggae groove is downright steamy. Scofield works a spooky blues vamp that unwinds slowly into fragmented solos while Medeski gets swampy on the organ, stating the melody tersely with one hand, and improvising with the other. Finally, engineer Danny Bloom adds a remix with loads of reverb and echo, making it a tripped-out dubwise jam. The guitarist's funky "Stovetop" is an excellent modernist revisioning of post-tropicalia samba jazz with all members finding plenty of room to move inside it, Martinez's congas add fand heat. While Juice is mostly engaging and satisfying, the pervasive "let's just see what happens" approach MSMW took here also has a downside: it delivers a self-contented vibe rather than one of discovery that their previous records revealed in spades. by Thom Jurek 
Tracklist:
1 Sham Time 5:46
Composed By – Eddie Harris
2 North London 6:35
Composed By – John Scofield
3 LouisThe Shoplifter 6:07
Composed By – Billy Martin
4 Juicy Lucy 7:07
Composed By – Billy Martin, Chris Wood, John Medeski, John Scofield
5 I Know You 8:02
Composed By – John Scofield
6 Helium 4:03
Composed By – Chris Wood 
7 Light My Fire 5:36
Composed By – Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Raymond Manzarek, Robby Krieger
8 Sunshine Of Your Love 10:52
Composed By – Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Peter Brown
9 Stovetop 5:27

Composed By – John Scofield

10 The Times They Are A-Changin' 3:37
Composed By – Bob Dylan
Credits:
Bass [Basses] – Chris Wood
Drums, Cuica, Talking Drum, Caxixi, Guiro – Billy Martin
Guest [Special Guest], Congas, Guiro – Pedrito Martinez
Guitar – John Scofield
Keyboards – John Medeski

SCOTT HENDERSON & TRIBAL TECH - Spears (1985) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Scott Henderson's perfectly summarized his outlook when, in 1991, he told L.A. Jazz Scene: "Fusion isn't a dirty word to me. I'm proud to call myself a fusion player." Indeed, real jazz-fusion -- spontaneous, risk-taking and improvisatory -- is exactly what the electric guitarist passionately and enthusiastically embraces on Spears, his debut album. Drawing on such influences as Return to Forever, John McLaughlin and Weather Report, the hard-edged guitarist set the uncompromising tone for his career and that of his band Tribal Tech which, in 1985, included Gary Willis on electric bass, Pat Coil on electric keyboards, Michael Brecker-disciple Bob Sheppard on tenor and soprano sax and flute, Steve Houghton on drums and Brad Dutz on mallets & percussion. Often showing a complex and cerebral sense of melody and harmony, this CD (first released on Passport and reissued by Relativity in 1990) underscores the fact that when fusion is played with integrity, it's very much an extension of the jazz tradition. by Alex Henderson
Tracklist:
1 Caribbean 8:13
Scott Henderson
2 Punkin Head 6:10
Scott Henderson
3 Ivy Towers 4:49
Scott Henderson
4 Tribal 2:12
Scott Henderson
5 Spears 7:10
Scott Henderson
6 Island City Shuttle 7:28
Scott Henderson
7 Big Fun 7:58
Scott Henderson
Credits:
Bass – Gary Willis
Drums – Steve Houghton
Executive-Producer, Percussion [Mallets] – Brad Dutz
Keyboards – Pat Coil
Producer, Guitar, Composed By, Arranged By – Scott Henderson
Saxophone, Flute – Bob Sheppard

SCOTT HENDERSON & TRIBAL TECH - Dr. Hee (1987) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

When Scott Henderson recorded his second album with Tribal Tech, Dr. Hee, in 1987, commercial "quiet storm" and "smooth jazz" stations had found quite a niche for themselves by spotlighting bland, uninteresting (but commercially successful) fluff. But that type of muzak held no interest whatsoever for Henderson, who stuck to his guns and continued to triumph by offering gutsy, challenging fusion. Henderson isn't one to shy away from abstraction, and some of the songs on Dr. Hee (most written by either Henderson himself or his long-time partner, bassist Gary Willis) aren't always terribly easy to absorb. Like so much of the bebop, post-bop and free jazz that came before it, this CD (first released on Passport, then reissued by Relativity in 1990) reveals more and more of its richness with repeated listenings. by Alex Henderson
Tracklist:
1 Dr. Hee 6:51
2 Outskirts 5:48
3 Mango Prom 6:46
4 Solem 2:56
5 Salsa Lastra 5:37
6 Twilight In The Northridge 5:18
7 Seek And Find 4:53
8 The Rain 1:46
9 Ominous 5:05
Credits:
Bass, Synthesizer, Producer – Gary Willis
Drums – Steve Houghton
Flute, Saxophone – Bob Sheppard
Keyboards – Brad Dutz, Pat Coil, Will Boulware (tracks: 4, 7)
Percussion [Mallets] – Brad Dutz
Producer, Guitar, Guitar Synthesizer – Scott Henderson

SCOTT HENDERSON & TRIBAL TECH - Nomad (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Like its predecessors, Henderson's third date as a leader is a fine example of how creative and inspired genuine jazz-rock can be. Tough and aggressive yet full of appealing melodic and harmonic nuances, this CD contains not one iota of the type of lightweight smooth jazz or Muzak for which Henderson has often voiced his contempt. With Nomad, Tribal Tech underwent a few personnel changes, and for the first time, recorded an entire album minus a sax. While electric bassist Gary Willis, drummer Steve Houghton, and percussionist/mallet player Brad Dutz remained, saxman Bob Sheppard was gone, and keyboardist Pat Coil had been replaced by David Goldblatt. Despite these changes, Tribal Tech's sound (which was essentially guided by Henderson and Willis) remained easily recognizable. The '70s breakthroughs of Weather Report, Return to Forever, and John McLaughlin, among others, still had an impact on Tribal Tech, but by 1988, it was even more evident that Henderson was a fine soloist and composer in his own right. by Alex Henderson
Tracklist:
1 Renegade 5:49
Gary Willis
2 Nomad 7:19
Scott Henderson
3 Robot Immigrants 5:06
Brad Dutz / David Goldblatt
4 Tunnel Vision 4:40
Gary Willis
5 Elegy for Shoe 4:07
David Goldblatt
6 Bofat 8:34
Scott Henderson
7 No No No 5:51
Gary Willis
8 Self Defense 5:02
Gary Willis
9 Rituals 5:43
Scott Henderson
Credits:
Bass, Producer – Gary Willis
Drums – Steve Houghton
Guitar, Producer – Scott Henderson
Keyboards – David Goldblatt
Keyboards, Percussion [Mallets] – Brad Dutz
Written-By – Goldblatt (tracks: 3, 5), Willis (tracks: 1, 4, 7, 8), Henderson (tracks: 2, 6, 9)

TRIBAL TECH - Face First (1993-2015) Fusion Best Collection 1000 / RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Although it was their sixth album overall, Tribal Tech's 1993 release, Face First, was only the second to feature the still-existing lineup of guitarist Scott Henderson, bassist Gary Willis, keyboardist Scott Kinsey, and drummer Kirk Covington. Previously, Henderson and Willis had juggled lineups and eased further away from traditional jazz toward improvisational fusion through the 1985-1991 albums Spears, Dr. Hee, Nomad, and Tribal Tech. But the quartet of musical leftists gelled on Face First, improving on its promising 1992 debut, Illicit. Henderson's solo on the opening title track -- over a percolating Willis bassline -- shows the guitarist's range of influences from Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix to Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Funk pieces like "Canine" and "Uh...Yeah OK" show glimpses of the group's future, all-improvised CDs; hummingbird-quick drummer Covington's lead vocal on the cover-band farce "Boat Gig" set the stage for Henderson"'s solo blues debut the next year. In between, synth-master Kinsey's jazzy "After Hours" and Henderson's New Orleans-tinged "Revenge Stew" provide thought-provoking rest areas -- necessary because of breathtaking ten-minute thrill rides like the blues, bop, and beyond of "Salt Lick." Willis' Weather Report-like "The Precipice" and "Wounded" ease you to the finish of Face First, the album that made a statement that Henderson, Willis, and company have not yet begun to finish. by Bill Meredith 
Tracklist:
 1     Face First     7:03
    Written-By – Willis
2     Canine     6:20
    Written-By – Willis
3     After Hours     7:21
    Written-By – Kinsey
4     Revenge Stew     6:03
    Written-By – Henderson
5     Salt Lick     9:44
    Written-By – Henderson
6     Uh ... Yeah OK     6:41
    Written-By – Tribal Tech 
7     The Crawling Horror     7:45
    Written-By – Henderson
8     Boiler Room     1:34
    Written-By – Covington
9     Boat Gig     5:57
    Backing Vocals [Background] – Brett Garsed, Cheryl Graul, Dana Sue Collins, Willis, Henderson, Kinsey Vocals – Kirk CovingtonWritten-By – Henderson
10     The Precipice     6:13
    Written-By – Willis
11     Wounded     5:39
    Written-By – Willis
Credits:
    Bass, Producer – Gary Willis
    Drums – Kirk Covington
     Guitar, Producer – Scott Henderson
    Keyboards – Scott Kinsey

TRIBAL TECH - Reality Check (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist:
1 Stella by Starlight 2:17
Ned Washington / Victor Young
2 Stella by Infra-Red High Particle Neutron Beam 6:25
Scott Henderson
3 Nite Club 7:47
Gary Willis
4 Speak 5:19
Gary Willis
5 Worlds Waiting 8:08
Scott Henderson
6 Susie's Dingsbums 7:42
Scott Henderson
7 Jakarta 4:54
Scott Henderson
8 Hole in the Head 12:09
Gary Willis
9 Foreign Affairs 5:00
Scott Kinsey
10 Premonition 6:36
Gary Willis
11 Reality Check 3:01
Kirk Covington / Scott Henderson / Scott Kinsey / Tribal Tech / Gary Willis
Credits:
Bass – Gary Willis
Drums – Kirk Covington
Electric Guitar – Scott Henderson
Keyboards – Scott Kinsey

BILLY COBHAM - Spectrum (1973-2007) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Drummer Billy Cobham was fresh from his success with the Mahavishnu Orchestra when he recorded his debut album, which is still his best. Most of the selections showcase Cobham in a quartet with keyboardist Jan Hammer, guitarist Tommy Bolin, and electric bassist Lee Sklar. Two other numbers include Joe Farrell on flute and soprano and trumpeter Jimmy Owens with guitarist John Tropea, Hammer, bassist Ron Carter, and Ray Barretto on congas. The generally high-quality compositions (which include "Red Baron") make this fusion set a standout, a strong mixture of rock-ish rhythms and jazz improvising. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Quadrant 4 4:20
2 Searching For The Right Door 1:24
Soloist [Uncredited], Drums [Uncredited] – Billy Cobham
3 Spectrum 5:09
Acoustic Bass – Ron Carter
Congas – Ray Barretto
Electric Piano, Synthesizer [Moog] – Jan Hammer
Flugelhorn – Jimmy Owens
Flute, Soprano Saxophone – Joe Farrell
4 Anxiety 1:41
Soloist [Uncredited], Drums [Uncredited] – Billy Cobham
5 Taurian Matador 3:03
6 Stratus 9:50
7 To The Women In My Life 0:51
Soloist [Uncredited], Piano [Uncredited] – Jan Hammer
8 Le Lis 3:20
Acoustic Bass – Ron Carter
Alto Saxophone – Joe Farrell
Congas – Ray Barretto
Electric Piano, Synthesizer [Moog] – Jan Hammer
Flugelhorn, Trumpet – Jimmy Owens
Guitar – John Tropea
9 Snoopy's Search 1:02
Soloist [Uncredited], Synthesizer [Uncredited] – Jan Hammer
10 Red Baron 6:37
Credits:
Electric Bass [Fender Bass] – Leland Sklar
Electric Piano, Piano [Acoustic], Synthesizer [Moog] – Jan Hammer
Guitar – Tommy Bolin
Percussion, Producer, Written-By – Billy Cobham

LENNY WHITE - Venusian Summer (1975-1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

One of the better entries to emerge from a genre that was quickly growing tired. Return to Forever drummer Lenny White, while not as powerful or talented as counterparts Billy Cobham or Alphonse Mouzon, had an excellent feel for funk and an amazing sense of taste. "Chicken-Fried Steak" contains enough odd-time beats and fills to satisfy any drum fanatic, but White proves to be more than just a technician. "The Venusian Summer Suite" and "Mating Drive" are both moody pieces that were obviously influenced by the music of Tangerine Dream. But the primary reason this session succeeds is "Prince of the Sea." It is a strong composition that features Al di Meola and Larry Coryell. This was their only recorded performance together in the '70s and fans are still seeking this recording out to see "who won". This is a must-have fusion recording. by Robert Taylor
Tracklist:
1 Chicken-Fried Steak 4:36
Bass – Doug Rauch
Drums, Clavinet [Wandering Clavinet] – Lenny White
Organ – Jimmy Smith
Rhythm Guitar – Raymond Gomez
Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar – Doug Rodrigues
Written-By – Doug Rauch, Doug Rodrigues
2 Away Go Troubles Down The Drain 3:33
Bass – Doug Rauch
Drums – Lenny White
Electric Piano, Clavinet – Onaje Allan Gumbs
Organ – Weldon Irvine
Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar – Doug Rodrigues
Synthesizer [Minimoog], Organ – David Sancious
Written-By, Arranged By – Doug Rauch, Doug Rodrigues, Lenny White
The Venusian Summer Suite (10:15)
Orchestrated By – Tom Harrel
Written-By, Arranged By – Lenny White
3a Part 1. Sirenes
Arranged By [Brooklyn Syntharmonic Orchestra & Inner-mission Choir Orchestra Realizations By] – Patrick Gleeson
Synthesizer [Eu Synthesizer, ARP 2600] – Peter Robinson
Synthesizer [Eu Synthesizer, Minimoog, ARP 2500/2600, Oberheim, Digital Sequencer] – Patrick Gleeson
Synthesizer [Minimoog, Eu Synthesizer, ARP 2600], Piano – Lenny White
Synthesizer [Minimoog] – Tom Harrel
3b Part 2. Venusian Summer
Bass – Doug Rauch
Clavinet, Synthesizer [Minimoog] – Peter Robinson
Drums, Bass [Snap Bass] – Lenny White
Electric Piano, Piano – Onaje Allan Gumbs
Flute – Hubert Laws
Synthesizer [Eu Synthesizer, ARP 2600, Minimoog] – Patrick Gleeson
Synthesizer [Minimoog] – David Sancious
4 Prelude To Rainbow Delta 1:13
Gong [Backwards Gong] – Dennis MacKay
Synthesizer [Eu Synthesizer], Arranged By [Orchestra Realizations] – Patrick Gleeson
Timpani [Tympani], Snare [Snare Drum], Rototoms, Wood Block, Gong [Triangle Gong], Marimba, Cymbal [Suspended Cymbal] – Lenny White
Written-By – Patrick Gleeson
5 Mating Drive 7:44
Bass – Doug Rauch
Drums – Lenny White
Electric Piano, Mellotron – Onaje Allan Gumbs
Lead Guitar – Raymond Gomez
Organ – Khalid Yasin, Larry Young
Rhythm Guitar – Doug Rodrigues
Written-By, Arranged By – Lenny White
6 Prince Of The Sea 11:39
Bass – Doug Rauch
Drums, Gong – Lenny White
Electric Guitar – Al DiMeola, Larry Coryell
Flugelhorn – Tom Harrel
Piano [Acoustic Piano], Electric Piano, Organ – Onaje Allan Gumbs
Written-By, Arranged By – Lenny White

MILES DAVIS - In a Silent Way (1969-2000) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Listening to Miles Davis' originally released version of In a Silent Way in light of the complete sessions released by Sony in 2001 (Columbia Legacy 65362) reveals just how strategic and dramatic a studio construction it was. If one listens to Joe Zawinul's original version of "In a Silent Way," it comes across as almost a folk song with a very pronounced melody. The version Miles Davis and Teo Macero assembled from the recording session in July of 1968 is anything but. There is no melody, not even a melodic frame. There are only vamps and solos, grooves layered on top of other grooves spiraling toward space but ending in silence. But even these don't begin until almost ten minutes into the piece. It's Miles and McLaughlin, sparely breathing and wending their way through a series of seemingly disconnected phrases until the groove monster kicks in. The solos are extended, digging deep into the heart of the ethereal groove, which was dark, smoky, and ashen. McLaughlin and Hancock are particularly brilliant, but Corea's solo on the Fender Rhodes is one of his most articulate and spiraling on the instrument ever. The A-side of the album, "Shhh/Peaceful," is even more so. With Tony Williams shimmering away on the cymbals in double time, Miles comes out slippery and slowly, playing over the top of the vamp, playing ostinato and moving off into more mysterious territory a moment at a time. With Zawinul's organ in the background offering the occasional swell of darkness and dimension, Miles could continue indefinitely. But McLaughlin is hovering, easing in, moving up against the organ and the trills by Hancock and Corea; Wayne Shorter hesitantly winds in and out of the mix on his soprano, filling space until it's his turn to solo. But John McLaughlin, playing solos and fills throughout (the piece is like one long dreamy solo for the guitarist), is what gives it its open quality, like a piece of music with no borders as he turns in and through the commingling keyboards as Holland paces everything along. When the first round of solos ends, Zawinul and McLaughlin and Williams usher it back in with painterly decoration and illumination from Corea and Hancock. Miles picks up on another riff created by Corea and slips in to bring back the ostinato "theme" of the work. He plays glissando right near the very end, which is the only place where the band swells and the tune moves above a whisper before Zawinul's organ fades it into silence. This disc holds up, and perhaps is even stronger because of the issue of the complete sessions. It is, along with Jack Johnson and Bitches Brew, a signature Miles Davis session from the electric era. by Thom Jurek 
Tracklist:
1 Shhh / Peaceful 18:21
Written-By – M. Davis
2 In A Silent Way - It's About That Time 19:53
Written-By – J. Zawinul, M. Davis
Credits:
Bass – Dave Holland
Drums – Tony Williams
Electric Piano – Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock
Guitar – John McLaughlin
Organ, Electric Piano – Josef Zawinul
Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
Trumpet – Miles Davis

MILES DAVIS - Jack Johnson (Original Soundtrack Recording) (1971-1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 None of Miles Davis' recordings has been more shrouded in mystery than Jack Johnson, yet none has better fulfilled Davis' promise that he could form the "greatest rock band you ever heard." Containing only two tracks, the album was assembled out of no less than four recording sessions between February 18, 1970 and June 4, 1970, and was patched together by producer Teo Macero. Most of the outtake material ended up on Directions, Big Fun, and elsewhere. The first misconception is the lineup: the credits on the recording are incomplete. For the opener, "Right Off," the band is Davis, John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Herbie Hancock, Michael Henderson, and Steve Grossman (no piano player!), which reflects the liner notes. This was from the musicians' point of view, in a single take, recorded as McLaughlin began riffing in the studio while waiting for Davis; it was picked up on by Henderson and Cobham, Hancock was ushered in to jump on a Hammond organ (he was passing through the building), and Davis rushed in at 2:19 and proceeded to play one of the longest, funkiest, knottiest, and most complex solos of his career. Seldom has he cut loose like that and played in the high register with such a full sound. In the meantime, the interplay between Cobham, McLaughlin, and Henderson is out of the box, McLaughlin playing long, angular chords centering around E. This was funky, dirty rock & roll jazz. The groove gets nastier and nastier as the track carries on and never quits, though there are insertions by Macero of two Davis takes on Sly Stone tunes and an ambient textured section before the band comes back with the groove, fires it up again, and carries it out. On "Yesternow," the case is far more complex. There are two lineups, the one mentioned above, and one that begins at about 12:55. The second lineup was Davis, McLaughlin, Jack DeJohnette, Chick Corea, Bennie Maupin, Dave Holland, and Sonny Sharrock. The first 12 minutes of the tune revolve around a single bass riff lifted from James Brown's "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud." The material that eases the first half of the tune into the second is taken from "Shhh/Peaceful," from In a Silent Way, overdubbed with the same trumpet solo that is in the ambient section of "Right Off." It gets more complex as the original lineup is dubbed back in with a section from Davis' tune "Willie Nelson," another part of the ambient section of "Right Off," and an orchestral bit of "The Man Nobody Saw" at 23:52, before the voice of Jack Johnson (by actor Brock Peters) takes the piece out. The highly textured, nearly pastoral ambience at the end of the album is a fitting coda to the chilling, overall high-energy rockist stance of the album. Jack Johnson is the purest electric jazz record ever made because of the feeling of spontaneity and freedom it evokes in the listener, for the stellar and inspiring solos by McLaughlin and Davis that blur all edges between the two musics, and for the tireless perfection of the studio assemblage by Miles and producer Macero. by Thom Jurek 

Tracklist:

1. Right Off - 26:54

2. Yesternow - 25:36

Personnel:

Trumpet – Miles Davis

Bass [Fender] – Michael Henderson

Drums – Billy Cobham

Guitar – John McLaughlin

Keyboards – Herbie Hancock

Liner Notes – Miles Davis

Saxophone – Steve Grossman

Voice [Jack Johnson's Voice] – Brock Peters

MILES DAVIS - On the Corner (1972-2000) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Could there be any more confrontational sound in Miles Davis' vast catalog than the distorted guitars and tinny double-timing drums reacting to a two-note bass riff funking it up on the first track from On the Corner? Before the trumpet even enters the story has been broken off in the middle -- deep street music melding with a secret language exchanged by the band and those who can actually hear it as music. Here are killer groove riffs that barely hold on as bleating trumpet and soprano sax lines (courtesy of Dave Liebman on track one) interact with John McLaughlin's distortion-box frenzy. Michael Henderson's bass keeps the basic so basic it hypnotizes; keyboards slowly enter the picture, a pair of them handled by Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, as well as Ivory Williams' synthesizer. Finally, Colin Walcott jumps in with an electric sitar and there are no less than five drummers -- three kits (Al Foster, Billy Hart, and Jack DeJohnette), a tabla player, and Mtume. It's a four-tune suite, On the Corner is, but the separations hardly matter, just the shifts in groove that alter the time/space continuum. After 20 minutes, the set feels over and a form of Miles' strange lyricism returns in "Black Satin." Though a tabla kicks the tune off, there's a recognizable eight-note melody that runs throughout. Carlos Garnett and Bennie Maupin replace Liebman, Dave Creamer replaces McLaughlin, and the groove rides a bit easier -- except for those hand bells shimmering in the background off the beat just enough to make the squares crazy. The respite is short-lived, however. Davis and band move the music way over to the funk side of the street -- though the street funkers thought these cats were too weird with their stranded time signatures and modal fugues that begin and end nowhere and live for the way the riff breaks down into emptiness. "One and One" begins the new tale, so jazz breaks down and gets polished off and resurrected as a far blacker, deeper-than-blue character in the form of "Helen Butte/Mr. Freedom X," where guitars and horns careen off Henderson's cracking bass and Foster's skittering hi-hats. It may sound weird even today, but On the Corner is the most street record ever recorded by a jazz musician. And it still kicks. by Thom Jurek  
Tracklist:
1 On The Corner / New York Girl / Thinkin' Of One Thing And Doin' Another / Vote For Miles 19:56
Guitar – John McLaughlin
Soprano Saxophone – David Liebman
2 Black Satin 5:15
Sitar [Electric] – Khalil Balakrishna
3 One And One 6:09
Bass Clarinet – Bennie Maupin
Soprano Saxophone – Carlos Garnett
4 Helen Butte / Mr. Freedom X 23:18
Tenor Saxophone – Carlos Garnett
Credits:
Bass – Michael Henderson
Drums – Al Foster, Billy Hart, Jack DeJohnette
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock
Guitar – David Creamer (tracks: 2 to 4)
Organ – Harold "Ivory" Williams
Sitar [Electric] – Collin Walcott (tracks: 1, 3, 4)
Synthesizer – Harold "Ivory" Williams, Herbie Hancock
Tabla – Badal Roy
Trumpet, Composed By – Miles Davis

MILES DAVIS - In Concert : Live at Philharmonic Hall (1973-1997) 2CD / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Of the myriad double-live sets Miles Davis recorded in the early '70s, In Concert: Live at Philharmonic Hall is the only one documenting his On the Corner street-funk period, which is immediately obvious from the cover art. Actually, in terms of repertoire, the material from Get Up With It, Big Fun, and A Tribute to Jack Johnson each takes up a greater percentage of space, but the hard-driving rhythms and plentiful effects make it clear which of Davis' fusion aesthetics applied. In Concert begins to move Davis' live work even farther away from jazz tradition, as he largely forgoes concepts of soloing or space. Instead, Davis presides over a pulsating mound of rhythm, expanding his percussion section and using traditional lead instruments more to create texture -- including his own horn, which he feeds through a wah-wah pedal and other amplification effects. Drummer Al Foster, tabla player Badal Roy, and percussionist Mtume are the centers of the recording, and electric sitar player Khalil Balakrishna adds an exotic dimension to the already tripped-out sonic stew. And "stew" isn't too far off -- the individual voices and elements in the music tend to get mixed and muddled together, which may be frustrating for some jazz fans not used to listening for the thick layers of texture in the soundscapes or the furious energy in the grooves. There are few melodies to latch onto, save for a theme from On the Corner that Davis frequently uses during the first disc to signal transitions. But melody isn't the point of this music; it's about power, rhythm, and the sum energy of the collective, and of Davis' electric jazz-rock albums, In Concert does one of the most mind-bending jobs of living up to those ideals. by Steve Huey  
Tracklist 1:

1 Rated X 12:16

2 Honky Tonk 9:18

3 Theme From Jack Johnson 10:12

4 Black Satin / The Theme 14:15

Tracklist 2:

1 Ife 27:54

2 Right Off / The Theme 10:31

Credits:

Bass – Michael Henderson

Drums – Al Foster

Electric Piano, Synthesizer – Cedric Lawson

Guitar – Reggie Lucas

Percussion – James Mtume

Sitar [Electric] – Khalil Balakrishna

Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Carlos Garnett

Tabla – Badal Roy

Trumpet, Composed By – Miles Davis

MILES DAVIS - Get Up with It (1974-1996) 2CD / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

When Get Up with It was released in 1974, critics -- let alone fans -- had a tough time with it. The package was a -- by then customary -- double LP, with sessions ranging from 1970-1974 and a large host of musicians who had indeed played on late-'60s and early-'70s recordings, including but not limited to Al Foster, Airto, John McLaughlin, Reggie Lucas, Pete Cosey, Mtume, David Liebman, Billy Cobham, Michael Henderson, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Sonny Fortune, Steve Grossman, and others. The music felt, as was customary then, woven together from other sources by Miles and producer Teo Macero. However, these eight selections point in the direction of Miles saying goodbye, as he did for six years after this disc. This was a summation of all that jazz had been to Davis in the '70s and he was leaving it in yet another place altogether; check the opening track, "He Loved Him Madly," with its gorgeous shimmering organ vamp (not even credited to Miles) and its elaborate, decidedly slow, ambient unfolding -- yet with pronounced Ellingtonian lyricism -- over 33 minutes. Given three guitar players, flute, trumpet, bass, drums, and percussion, its restraint is remarkable. When Miles engages the organ formally as he does on the funky groove that moves through "Maiysha," with a shimmering grace that colors the proceedings impressionistically through Lucas, Cosey and guitarist Dominique Gaumont, it's positively shattering. This is Miles as he hadn't been heard since In a Silent Way, and definitely points the way to records like Tutu, The Man with the Horn, and even Decoy when he re-emerged.
That's not to say the harder edges are absent: far from it. There's the off-world Latin funk of "Calypso Frelimo" from 1973, with John Stubblefield, Liebman, Cosey, and Lucas turning the rhythm section inside out as Miles sticks sharp knives of angular riffs and bleats into the middle of the mix, almost like a guitarist. Davis also moves the groove here with an organ and an electric piano to cover all the textural shapes. There's even a rather straight -- for Miles -- blues jam in "Red China Blues" from 1972, featuring Wally Chambers on harmonica and Cornell Dupree on guitar with a full brass arrangement. The set closes with another 1972 session, the endearing "Billy Preston," another of Davis' polyrhythmic funk exercises where the drummers and percussionists -- Al Foster, Badal Roy, and Mtume -- are up front with the trumpet, sax (Carlos Garrett), and keyboards (Cedric Lawson), while the strings -- Lucas, Henderson, and electric sitarist Khalil Balakrishna -- are shimmering, cooking, and painting the groove in the back. Billy Preston, the organist who the tune is named after, is nowhere present and neither is his instrument. It choogles along, shifting rhythms and meters while Miles tries like hell to slip another kind of groove through the band's armor, but it doesn't happen. The track fades, and then there is silence, a deafening silence that would not be filled until Miles' return six years later. This may be the most "commercial" sounding of all of Miles' electric records from the '70s, but it still sounds out there, alien, and futuristic in all the best ways, and Get Up with It is perhaps just coming into its own here in the 21st century. by Thom Jurek  
Tracklist 1:
1 He Loved Him Madly 32:21
Flute – David Liebman
Guitar – Dominique Gaumont
2 Maiysha 14:57
Flute – Sonny Fortune
Guitar – Dominique Gaumont
1-3 Honky Tonk 5:58
Drums – William Cobham
Guitar – John McLaughlin
Keyboards – Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett
Percussion – Airto Moreira
Saxophone – Steve Grossman
1-4 Rated X 6:53
Keyboards – Cedric Lawson
Percussion – Badal Roy
Sitar – Khalil Balakrishna
Tracklist 2:
1 Calypso Frelimo 32:13
Flute – David Liebman
Saxophone – John Stubblefield
2 Red China Blues 4:12
Arranged By [Brass] – Wade Marcus
Drums – Bernard Purdie
Guitar – Cornell Dupree
Harmonica – Wally Chambers
Producer, Arranged By [Rhythm] – Billy Jackson
3 Mtume 15:13
Saxophone, Flute – Sonny Fortune
4 Billy Preston 12:36
Organ – Cedric Lawson
Piano – Miles Davis
Saxophone – Carlos Garnett
Sitar – Khalil Balakrishna
Tabla – Badal Roy
Credits:
Drums – Al Foster (tracks: 1-1, 1-2, 1-4 to 2-4)
Electric Bass – Michael Henderson
Guitar – Pete Cosey (tracks: 1-1, 1-2, 2-1, 2-3), Reggie Lucas (tracks: 1-1, 1-2, 1-4, 2-1, 2-4)
Percussion – James Mtume (tracks: 1-1, 1-2, 1-4 to 2-4)
Trumpet, Organ, Written-By – Miles Davis

MILES DAVIS - Dark Magus (1977-1997) 2CD / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Dark Magus is a live recording of a very specific 1974 Carnegie Hall date that included most, but not all, of the members who recorded the classics Agharta and Pangaea. While drummer Al Foster, bassist Michael Henderson, percussionist James Mtume, and guitarists Pete Cosey and Reggie Lucas were all present, the key element of Sonny Fortune was not yet in the band. Saxophonists David Liebman and Azar Lawrence were doubling in the saxophone chairs, while Dominique Gaumont, with his Jimi Hendrix-styled effects and riffs, was the band's third guitarist. The deep voodoo funk that gelled on the aforementioned recordings hadn't yet come together on this night at Carnegie, near the end of a tour. Featuring four titles, all of them Swahili names for the numbers one through four, Dark Magus is a jam record. By this point, Miles was no longer really rehearsing his bands; they showed up and caught a whiff of what he wanted and went with it. Rhythms, colors, keys -- all of them would shift and change at Davis' whim. There were no melodies outside of a three-note vamp on "Wili" and a few riff-oriented melodics on "Tatu" -- the rest is all deep rhythm-based funk and dark groove. Greasy, mysterious, and full of menacing energy, Dark Magus shows a band at the end of its rope, desperate to change because the story has torn itself out of the book, but not knowing where to go and turning in on itself instead. These dynamics have the feel of unresolved, boiling tension. Gaumont's effects-laden guitar playing overshadows the real guitarists in the band: Cosey and his partner, the rhythmically inventive Lucas. Gaumont doesn't fit naturally, so he tries to dazzle his way in -- check the way Miles cuts his solos off so abruptly while letting the others dovetail and segue. Ultimately, Dark Magus is an over-the-top ride into the fragmented mind of Miles and his 1974 band; its rhythm section is the most compelling of any jazz-rock band in history, but the front lines, while captivating, are too loose and uneven to sustain the listener for the entire ride. by Thom Jurek  
Tracklist 1:
1 Moja (Part 1) 12:28
2 Moja (Part 2) 12:40
3 Wili (Part 1) 14:20
4 Wili (Part 2) 10:44
Tracklist 2:
1 Tatu (Part 1) 18:47
2 Tatu (Part 2) ("Calypso Frelimo") 6:29
3 Nne (Part 1) ("Ife") 15:19
4 Nne (Part 2) 10:11
Credits:
Drums – Al Foster
Electric Bass – Michael Henderson
Guitar – Dominique Gaumont, Pete Cosey, Reggie Lucas
Percussion – Mtume
Tenor Saxophone – Azar Lawrence
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute – Dave Liebman
Trumpet, Organ, Written-By – Miles Davis

MILES DAVIS - You're Under Arrest (1985) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Miles Davis's final Columbia recording (other than Aura which was released several years later) includes his straightforward ballad interpretations of Cyndy Lauper's "Time After Time" and the Michael Jackson-associated "Human Nature," two songs he would play in most of his concerts for the remainder of his life. Other tunes (including "You're Under Arrest," "One Phone Call" and "Ms. Morrisine") were quickly discarded. In addition to Davis (who had regained his earlier chops) tenor-saxophonist Bob Berg, guitarist John Scofield and guest John McLaughlin get in a few decent solos on this competent but not overly memorable effort. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 One Phone Call / Street Scenes 4:36
Performer [Handcuffs] – James Prindiville
Voice [French Policeman] – Sting
Voice [Police Voices, Davis Voices] – Miles Davis
Voice [Polish] – Marek Olko
Voice [Spanish] – Steve Thornton
2 Human Nature 4:30
3 Intro: MD 1 / Something's On Your Mind / MD 2 7:18
4 Ms. Morrisine 4:56
5 Katia Prelude 0:42
Synthesizer [Obxa] – Miles Davis
6 Katia 7:39
Synthesizer [Obxa] – Miles Davis
7 Time After Time 3:39
8 You're Under Arrest 6:13
Organ, Clavinet – Robert Irving III
9 Medley: Jean Pierre / You're Under Arrest / Then There Were None 3:27
Celesta – Robert Irving III
Credits:
Bass – Darryl Jones
Drums – Al Foster (tracks: 1, 7 to 9), Vincent Wilburn, Jr. (tracks: 2 to 6)
Guitar – John McLaughlin (tracks: 4 to 6), John Scofield (tracks: 1 to 3, 7, 9)
Illustration – Miles Davis
Percussion – Steve Thornton
Producer – Miles Davis
Soprano Saxophone – Bob Berg (tracks: 1, 8, 9)
Synthesizer – Robert Irving III
Trumpet – Miles Davis

MILES DAVIS - Amandla (1989) WV (image+.cue), lossless

A particularly strong set by late-period Miles Davis, this LP is highlighted by a surprisingly straight-ahead performance titled "Mr. Pastorius." In addition to Davis and his new altoist Kenny Garrett, various guests (including Marcus Miller, guitarist Jean-Paul Bourelly, Joey DeFrancesco on keyboards, Rick Margitza on tenor, pianist Joe Sample, and bassist Foley) get their chances to play next to the great legend who is in top form. An excellent effort, it was really his last studio recording with his regular band. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Catembe 5:35
Percussion – Don Alias, Mino Cinelu
2 Cobra 5:15
Guitar – Michael Landau
Keyboards – Joey De Francesco
Keyboards, Synthesizer [Synclavier], Producer, Arranged By, Written-By – George Duke
Recorded By – Eric Zobler
3 Big Time 5:40
Drums – Ricky Wellman
Guitar – Foley, Jean-Paul Bourelly
Percussion – Don Alias
4 Hannibal 5:49
Drums – Omar Hakim
Guitar – Foley
Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa
5 Jo-Jo 4:51
Guitar – Jean-Paul Bourelly
Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa
Tenor Saxophone – Rick Margitza
6 Amandla 5:20
Drums – Omar Hakim
Percussion – Bashiri Johnson, Don Alias
Piano – Joe Sample
7 Jilli 5:05
Drum Programming, Guitar, Keyboards, Co-producer, Arranged By, Written-By – John Bigham
Drums – Ricky Wellman
Guitar – Billy "Spaceman" Patterson, Foley
8 Mr. Pastorius 5:41
Drums – Al Foster
Programmed By [Synthesizer] – Jason Miles 
Credits:
Arranged By – Marcus Miller (tracks: 1, 3 to 8)
Bass, Keyboards, Drums, Guitar, Bass Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Marcus Miller
Executive-Producer – Miles Davis
Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Kenny Garrett (tracks: 1 to 7)
Trumpet – Miles Davis
Written-By – Marcus Miller (tracks: 1, 3 to 6, 8)

FRANK ZAPPA - You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1 (1988) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

While most of the other volumes in the You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore series would be compiled around loose themes (whether topical or historical), this first volume contained a little of everything for everyone. The material spans most of Frank Zappa's career, from 1969 live recordings by the original Mothers of Invention (the medley "Let's Make the Water Turn Black/Harry, You're a Beast/The Orange County Lumber Truck" constitutes a highlight) up to the 1984 tour, with about every incarnation of his group in-between. The music is also quite varied, but focuses mainly on songs, with a few instrumentals and moments of live craziness thrown in for good measure. Special points of interest include "Once Upon a Time," a segment from the lost 1970-1971 "Sofa Suite," which provides important elements of conceptual continuity; a performance of "The Groupie Routine" from the same period, which when compared to the previously available version of this Flo & Eddie comedy routine (as "Do You Like My New Car?" on Fillmore East, June 1971) shows how much improvisation the singers poured in their parts; and examples of stage humor ("Ruthie-Ruthie," "Diseases of the Band"). But the real treat is the complete performance of the suite "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" from 1979, replete with audience participation (spontaneous poetry!) and the finale "Rollo," not officially released before. You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1 addresses both the dedicated fan and the casual listener. by François Couture  
Tracklist:
1-1 The Florida Airport Tape 1:04
Composed By – F.Z.
1-2 Once Upon A Time 4:37
Composed By – F.Z.
1-3 Sofa #1 2:53
Composed By – F.Z.
1-4 The Mammy Anthem 5:41
Composed By – F.Z.
1-5 You Didn't Try To Call Me 3:39
Composed By – F.Z.
1-6 Diseases Of The Band 2:22
Composed By – F.Z.
1-7 Tryin To Grow A Chin 3:44
Composed By – F.Z.
1-8 Let's Make The Water Turn Black / Harry, You're A Beast / The Orange County Lumber Truck 3:28
Composed By – F.Z.
1-9 The Groupie Routine 5:41
Composed By – F.Z.
1-10 Ruthie-Ruthie 2:57
Music By – Richard Berry
1-11 Babbette 3:36
Composed By – F.Z.
1-12 I'm The Slime 3:13
Composed By – F.Z.
1-13 Big Swifty 8:47
Composed By – F.Z.
1-14 Don't Eat The Yellow Snow 20:16
Composed By – F.Z.
2-1 Plastic People 4:39
Music By – Richard Berry
2-2 The Torture Never Stops 15:48
Composed By – F.Z.
2-3 Fine Girl 2:55
Composed By – F.Z.
2-4 Zomby Woof 5:39
Composed By – F.Z.
2-5 Sweet Leilani 4:39
Written-By – Harry Owens
2-6 Oh No 4:34
Composed By – F.Z.
2-7 Be In My Video 3:30
Composed By – F.Z.
2-8 The Deathless Horsie 5:29
Composed By – F.Z.
2-9 The Dangerous Kitchen 1:50
Composed By – F.Z.
2-10 Dumb All Over 4:20
Composed By – F.Z.
2-11 Heavenly Bank Account 4:06
Composed By – F.Z.
2-12 Suicide Chump 4:56
Composed By – F.Z.
2-13 Tell Me You Love Me 2:09
Composed By – F.Z.
2-14 Sofa #2 3:01
Composed By – F.Z.
Credits:
Tracks 1-1 to 1-4, 1-6, 1-7, 1-8 (on 'The Orange County Lumber Truck'), 1-9, 1-11 to 1-14, 2-2 to 2-4, 2-7 to 2-14: Munchkin Music ASCAP
Tracks 1-5, 1-8 (except 'The Orange County Lumber Truck'), 2-6: Frank Zappa Music - BMI
Tracks 1-10, 2-1: Limax Music - BMI
Track 2-5: Royal Music -ASCAP

FRANK ZAPPA - You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 2 (1988) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In his contract with Ryko, Frank Zappa had to put together 12 CDs worth of live material for the series You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore. The fact that he decided to devote two of them (all of Vol. 2) to a Helsinki concert from 1974 illustrates how good and representative he thought it was -- and he was right. This two-CD set features the 1973-1974 band (Napoleon Murphy Brock, George Duke, Ruth Underwood, Tom Fowler, Chester Thompson) near the end of their tour, in a concert in faraway Finland on September 22, 1974 (there were actually two concerts performed that day and, as usual, Zappa edited the best moments together). The set list comes mostly from the Roxy & Elsewhere repertoire, except that here the songs are taken at a faster tempo and free of the overdubs found on the original album. "Echidna's Arf (Of You)" and "Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?" are very exciting, but without the vocal overdubs "Cheepnis" feels empty. But the treats lie elsewhere, as in the playful "Inca Roads" (Zappa used the guitar solo from this concert for the One Size Fits All version); "RDNZL," still a work-in-progress at the time; the unreleased "Approximate" (including hilarious stage craziness); and "T'Mershi Duween." The band is in great shape, Zappa being particularly witty and good-humored. When a member of the audience requests the Allman Brothers song "Whipping Post," he spontaneously rewrites the lyrics to "Montana" -- and backup vocalists Brock and Duke have to adapt! For fans of the man's complex, progressive rock-tinged music of the mid-'70s, this is a must-have, even though it also contains very average moments ("Dupree's Paradise," for instance). Sound quality is very good, superior to any bootleg from this period. by François Couture  
Tracklist:
1-1 Tush Tush Tush (A Token Of My Extreme) 2:49
Words By, Music By – FZ
1-2 Stinkfoot 4:19
Words By, Music By – FZ
1-3 Inca Roads 10:54
Words By, Music By – FZ
1-4 RDNZL 8:43
Music By – FZ
1-5 Village Of The Sun 4:34
Words By, Music By – FZ
1-6 Echidna's Arf (Of You) 3:31
Music By – FZ
1-7 Don't You Ever Wash That Thing? 4:56
Music By – FZ
1-8 Pygmy Twylyte 8:22
Music By – FZ
1-9 Room Service 6:22
Words By, Music By – FZ
1-10 The Idiot Bastard Son 2:40
Words By, Music By – FZ
1-11 Cheepnis 4:28
Music By – FZ
2-1 Approximate 8:12
Music By – FZ
2-2 Dupree's Paradise 24:00
Music By – FZ
2-3 Satumaa (Finnish Tango) 3:51
Music By – Unto Mononen
2-4 T'Mershi Duween 1:32
Music By – FZ
2-5 The Dog Breath Variations 1:38
Music By – FZ
2-6 Uncle Meat 2:29
Music By – FZ
2-7 Building A Girl 1:01
Music By – FZ
2-8 Montana (Whipping Floss) 10:15
Words By, Music By – FZ
2-9 Big Swifty 2:16
Music By – FZ
Credits:
Bass – Tom Fowler
Drums – Chester Thompson
Keyboards, Vocals – George Duke
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
Percussion – Ruth Underwood
Producer, Arranged By, Compiled By, Edited By – Frank Zappa
Saxophone, Vocals – Napoleon Murphy Brock

FRANK ZAPPA - You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3 (1989) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Most of You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3 is devoted the 1984 band which, at the time of this set's release, had not been properly documented (the live Does Humor Belong in Music? was made commercially available in the U.S. in 1995 only). Most of the material comes from late-'70s/early-'80s albums like Sheik Yerbouti, Joe's Garage, and You Are What You Is. Disc one is 1984 only (excerpt for a few edits in "Drowning Witch") and lacks interest. This band (Ike Willis, Ray White, Bobby Martin, Alan Zavod, Scott Thunes, Chad Wackerman) was competent but square and performances tended to resemble one another. Of significance for completists are "Ride My Face to Chicago," "Carol, You Fool," "Nig Biz," and "Chana in de Bushwop," all regular inclusions during that tour and unavailable elsewhere, but for the casual listener they hardly make the album worth buying. Disc two contains a few gems: the original version of "Dickie's Such an Asshole" (from December 1973), a slow and seductive "Zoot Allures" from 1975, and a 25-minute "King Kong" that collages wild performances from 1971 and 1982. Unless you happen to love the 1984 band, this volume is the weakest of the series. by François Couture  
Tracklist:
1-1 Sharleena 8:54
Lead Guitar – Dweezil Zappa
Words By, Music By – FZ
1-2 Bamboozled By Love / Owner Of A Lonely Heart 6:06
Music By [Heart] – C. Squire, J. Anderson, T. Horn, T. Rabin
Words By [Bamboozled], Music By [Bamboozled] – FZ
1-3 Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up 2:52
Words By, Music By – FZ
1-4 Advance Romance 6:59
Words By, Music By – FZ
1-5 Bobby Brown Goes Down 2:44
Words By, Music By – FZ
1-6 Keep It Greasey 3:31
Words By, Music By – FZ
1-7 Honey, Don't You Want A Man Like Me? 4:16
Words By, Music By – FZ
1-8 In France 3:01
Words By, Music By – FZ
1-9 Drowning Witch 9:22
Bass [1982 - 1984] – Scott Thunes
Drums [1982 - 1984] – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Stunt Guitar - 1982] – Steve Vai
Keyboards [1982] – Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars
Keyboards [1984] – Alan Zavod
Keyboards [1984], Saxophone [1984], Vocals [1984] – Bobby Martin 
Lead Guitar [1982] – F.Z.
Lead Guitar [1984], Vocals [1984] – F.Z.
Percussion [1982] – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar [1982] – Ray White
Rhythm Guitar [1984], Vocals [1984] – Ike Willis, Ray White
Words By, Music By – FZ
1-10 Ride My Face To Chicago 4:23
Words By, Music By – FZ
1-11 Carol, You Fool 4:06
Words By, Music By – FZ
1-12 Chana In De Bushwop 4:52
Words By, Music By – Diva Zappa, FZ
1-13 Joe's Garage 2:20
Words By, Music By – FZ
1-14 Why Does It Hurt When I Pee? 3:06
Words By, Music By – FZ
2-1 Dickie's Such An Asshole 10:09
Bass – Tom Fowler
Drums – Chester Thompson, Ralph Humphrey
Keyboards, Vocals – George Duke
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
Percussion – Ruth Underwood
Saxophone, Vocals – Napoleon Murphy Brock
Trombone – Bruce Fowler 
Voice [Introductions] – Marty Perellis
Words By, Music By – FZ
2-2 Hands With A Hammer 3:18
Drums [Drum Solo] – Terry Bozzio
Words By, Music By – Terry Bozzio
2-3 Zoot Allures 6:09
Bass [1975] – Roy Estrada
Bass [1982] – Scott Thunes
Drums [1975] – Terry Bozzio
Drums [1982] – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [1975] – F.Z.
Guitar [Stunt Guitar - 1982] – Steve Vai
Keyboards [1975] – Andre Lewis
Keyboards [1982] – Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars
Lead Guitar [1982] – F.Z.
Music By – FZ
Percussion [1982] – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar [1982] – Ray White
Saxophone [1975] – Napoleon Murphy Brock
2-4 Society Pages 2:32
Words By, Music By – FZ
2-5 I'm A Beautiful Guy 1:55
Words By, Music By – FZ
2-6 Beauty Knows No Pain 2:55
Words By, Music By – FZ
2-7 Charlie's Enormous Mouth 3:40
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Guitar, Vocals – Ray White
Keyboards, Saxophone, Vocals – Bobby Martin 
Keyboards, Vocals – Tommy Mars
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
Percussion – Ed Mann
Words By, Music By – FZ
2-8 Cocaine Decisions 3:14
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar, Vocals – Ike Willis, Ray White
Keyboards – Alan Zavod
Keyboards, Saxophone, Vocals – Bobby Martin
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
Words By, Music By – FZ
2-9 Nig Biz 4:58
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Guitar, Vocals – Ray White
Keyboards, Saxophone, Vocals – Bobby Martin
Keyboards, Vocals – Tommy Mars
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
Percussion – Ed Mann
Words By, Music By – FZ
2-10 King Kong  24:32
Bass [1971], Vocals [1971] – Jim Pons
Bass [1982] – Scott Thunes
Drums [1971] – Aynsley Dunbar
Drums [1982] – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [1971], Vocals [1971] – F.Z.
Guitar [1982], Vocals [1982] – Ray White
Guitar [Stunt Guitar - 1982] – Steve Vai
Keyboards [1971], Alto Saxophone [1971] – Ian Underwood
Keyboards [1971], Electronics [1971] – Don Preston
Keyboards [1982], Saxophone [1982], Vocals [1982] – Bobby Martin 
Keyboards [1982], Vocals [1982] – Tommy Mars
Lead Guitar [1982], Vocals [1982] – F.Z.
Percussion [1982] – Ed Mann
Vocals [1971] – Howard Kaylan, Mark Volman
Words By, Music By – FZ
2-11 Cosmik Debris 5:14
Words By, Music By – FZ
Credits:
Bass – Scott Thunes (tracks: 1-1 to 1-8, 1-10 to 1-14, 2-4 to 2-6, 2-11)
Drums – Chad Wackerman (tracks: 1-1 to 1-8, 1-10 to 1-14, 2-4 to 2-6, 2-11)
Keyboards – Alan Zavod (tracks: 1-1 to 1-8, 1-10 to 1-14, 2-4 to 2-6, 2-11)
Keyboards, Vocals – Bobby Martin (tracks: 1-1 to 1-8, 1-10 to 1-14, 2-4 to 2-6, 2-11)
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z. (tracks: 1-1 to 1-8, 1-10 to 1-14, 2-4 to 2-6, 2-11)
Producer, Arranged By, Compiled By, Edited By – Frank Zappa
Rhythm Guitar, Vocals – Ike Willis (tracks: 1-1 to 1-8, 1-10 to 1-14, 2-4 to 2-6, 2-11), Ray White (tracks: 1-1 to 1-8, 1-10 to 1-14, 2-4 to 2-6, 2-11)