FRANK ZAPPA - You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6 (1992) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The last volume of the series You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore is one of the strongest, especially for those who prefer Frank Zappa's sex-oriented songs. There is not much complex material or instrumental pieces in this collection, but catchy humorous songs abound, along with more of that stage craziness the series tried to capture. Live incarnations of Zappa's band from 1970 up to 1988 are represented (the original Mothers had a whole disc devoted to them on Vol. 5). Most of disc one revolves around sex, starting with "The M.O.I. Anti-Smut Loyalty Oath," where the 1970 Mothers solemnly swear not to show their private parts on stage. Disc two is more varied, but tracks like "Catholic Girls" and "Crew Slut" make it fit right in. "The Poodle Lecture" and "Lonely Person Devices" reveal important Conceptual Continuity Clues. The "Camarillo Brillo"/"Muffin Man" medley provides a highlight, as does the frantic rendition of "Dirty Love." Lisa Popeil, who sang the 1982 track "Teen-Age Prostitute," makes her only other Zappa-related appearance in "Lisa's Life Story." Most of all, the music from the movie 200 Motels -- still unavailable on CD when this album came out -- was given special attention. Even today, the renditions of "200 Motels Finale" and "Shove It Right In" stand out as important tracks. This volume is less focused on the die-hard fan craving rare material. It will appeal to a wider range of casual listeners, while portraying with much fidelity the atmosphere of Zappa's concerts. by François Couture   
Tracklist:
1-1 The M.O.I. Anti-Smut Loyalty Oath 3:02
Bass – Jeff Simmons
Drums – Aynsley Dunbar
Engineer [Recording] – F.Z.
Engineer [Remix] – Bob Stone
Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
Keyboards – George Duke
Keyboards, Alto Saxophone – Ian Underwood
Vocals – Howard Kaylan, Mark Volman
1-2 The Poodle Lecture 5:02
Bass – Patrick O'Hearn
Drums – Terry Bozzio
Guitar, Vocals – Adrian Belew
Keyboards – Peter Wolf, Tommy Mars
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
Percussion – Ed Mann
1-3 Dirty Love 2:40
Bass – Arthur Barrow 
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Engineer [Recording] – Mick Glossop
Engineer [Remix] – Bob Stone
Guitar – Warren Cucurullo
Guitar, Vocals – Ike Willis
Keyboards – Peter Wolf (3)
Keyboards, Vocals – Tommy Mars
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
Percussion – Ed Mann
Slide Guitar, Vocals – Denny Walley
1-4 Magic Fingers 2:21
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
uitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Guitar, Vocals – Ike Willis, Ray White
Keyboards, Vocals – Bob Harris, Tommy Mars
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
1-5 The Madison Panty-Sniffing Festival 2:44
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Guitar, Vocals – Ike Willis, Ray White
Keyboards, Vocals – Bob Harris, Tommy Mars
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
1-6 Honey, Don't You Want A Man Like Me? 4:02
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Paul Carman
Baritone Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Contrabass Clarinet – Kurt McGettrick
Drums, Percussion [Electronic] – Chad Wackerman
Electric Bass, Synthesizer [Mini-Moog] – Scott Thunes
Keyboards, Vocals – Bobby Martin 
Lead Guitar, Synth [Computer-synth], Vocals – F.Z.
Rhythm Guitar, Synth, Vocals – Mike Keneally
Rhythm Guitar, Vocals – Ike Willis
Tenor Saxophone – Albert Wing
Trombone – Bruce Fowler 
Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Synth – Walt Fowler
Vibraphone, Marimba, Percussion [Electronic] – Ed Mann
1-7 Father O'Blivion 2:22
Bass – Tom Fowler
Drums – Ralph Humphrey
Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
Keyboards – George Duke
Percussion – Ruth Underwood
Trombone – Bruce Fowler 
Violin – Jean-Luc Ponty
Woodwind – Ian Underwood
1-8 Is That Guy Kidding Or What?  4:03
Bass – Patrick O'Hearn
Drums – Terry Bozzio
Guitar, Vocals – Adrian Belew
Keyboards – Peter Wolf, Tommy Mars
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
Percussion – Ed Mann
1-9 I'm So Cute 1:39
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Guitar, Vocals – Ike Willis, Ray White
Keyboards, Vocals – Bob Harris, Tommy Mars
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
1-10 White Person 2:07
Bass – Patrick O'Hearn
Drums – Terry Bozzio
Guitar, Vocals – Adrian Belew
Keyboards – Peter Wolf, Tommy Mars
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
Percussion – Ed Mann
1-11 Lonely Person Devices 3:14
Bass – Roy Estrada
Drums – Terry Bozzio
Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
Keyboards – Andre Lewis
Saxophone, Vocals – Napoleon Murphy Brock
1-12 Ms. Pinky 2:00
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Guitar, Vocals – Ike Willis, Ray White
Keyboards, Vocals – Bob Harris, Tommy Mars
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
1-13 Shove It Right In 6:46
Bass, Vocals – Jim Pons
Drums – Aynsley Dunbar
Guitar – F.Z.
Keyboards – Bob Harris 
Keyboards, Alto Saxophone – Ian Underwood
Vocals – Howard Kaylan, Mark Volman
1-14 Wind Up Working In A Gas Station 2:32
Bass – Patrick O'Hearn
Drums, Vocals – Terry Bozzio
Guitar, Vocals – Ray White
Keyboards, Vocals – Bianca Thornton
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
1-15 Make A Sex Noise 3:11
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Paul Carman
Baritone Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Contrabass Clarinet – Kurt McGettrick
Drums, Percussion [Electronic] – Chad Wackerman
Electric Bass, Synthesizer [Mini-Moog] – Scott Thunes
Keyboards, Vocals – Bobby Martin 
Rhythm Guitar, Synth, Vocals – Mike Keneally
Rhythm Guitar, Vocals – Ike Willis
Tenor Saxophone – Albert Wing
Trombone – Bruce Fowler 
Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Synth – Walt Fowler
Vibraphone, Marimba, Percussion [Electronic] – Ed Mann
Vocals – F.Z.
1-16 Tracy Is A Snob 3:52
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Guitar, Vocals – Ike Willis, Ray White
Keyboards, Vocals – Bob Harris, Tommy Mars
Lead Guitar, Vocals – Frank Zappa
1-17 I Have Been In You 5:05
Bass – Arthur Barrow, Patrick O'Hearn
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Keyboards – Peter Wolf 
Keyboards, Vocals – Tommy Mars
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
Percussion – Ed Mann
Slide Guitar, Vocals – Denny Walley
1-18 Emperor Of Ohio 1:31
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Guitar, Vocals – Ike Willis, Ray White
Keyboards, Vocals – Bob Harris, Tommy Mars
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
1-19 Dinah-Moe Humm 3:16
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar, Vocals – Ike Willis, Ray White
Keyboards – Allan Zavod
Keyboards, Saxophone, Vocals – Bobby Martin
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
1-20 He's So Gay 2:34
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar, Vocals – Ike Willis, Ray White
Keyboards – Allan Zavod
Keyboards, Saxophone, Vocals – Bobby Martin
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
1-21 Camarillo Brillo 3:10
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar, Vocals – Ike Willis, Ray White
Keyboards – Allan Zavod
Keyboards, Saxophone, Vocals – Bobby Martin 
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
1-22 Muffin Man 2:25
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar, Vocals – Ike Willis, Ray White
Keyboards – Allan Zavod
Keyboards, Saxophone, Vocals – Bobby Martin 
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
2-1 NYC Halloween Audience 0:46
2-2 The Illinois Enema Bandit 8:05
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar, Vocals – Ike Willis, Ray White
Keyboards – Allan Zavod
Keyboards, Saxophone, Vocals – Bobby Martin 
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
2-3 Thirteen 6:09
Bass – Arthur Barrow, Patrick O'Hearn
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Electric Violin – Shankar
Keyboards – Peter Wolf 
Keyboards, Vocals – Tommy Mars
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
Music By – FZ, Shankar
Percussion – Ed Mann
Slide Guitar, Vocals – Denny Walley
2-4 Lobster Girl 2:21
Bass [Solo], Vocals – Patrick O'Hearn
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Words By, Music By – FZ, O'Hearn, Colaiuta
2-5 Black Napkins 5:22
Alto Saxophone – Lou Marini
Baritone Saxophone – Ronnie Cuber
Bass – Patrick O'Hearn
Drums – Terry Bozzio
Guitar, Vocals – Ray White
Keyboards – Eddie Jobson
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
Percussion – Ruth Underwood
Tenor Saxophone [Solo] – Michael Brecker
Trombone – Tom Malone
Trumpet – Randy Brecker
2-6 We're Turning Again 4:57
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Paul Carman
Baritone Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Contrabass Clarinet – Kurt McGettrick
Bass, Synthesizer [Mini-Moog] – Scott Thunes
Drums, Percussion [Electronic] – Chad Wackerman
Keyboards, Vocals – Bobby Martin 
Lead Guitar, Synth [Computer-synth], Vocals – F.Z.
Rhythm Guitar – Ike Willis
Rhythm Guitar, Synth, Vocals – Mike Keneally
Tenor Saxophone – Albert Wing
Trombone – Bruce Fowler (3)
Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Synth – Walt Fowler
Vibraphone, Marimba, Percussion [Electronic] – Ed Mann
2-7 Alien Orifice 4:16
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Guitar, Vocals – Ike Willis
Keyboards, Saxophone, Vocals – Bobby Martin 
Keyboards, Vocals – Tommy Mars
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
Percussion – Ed Mann
2-8 Catholic Girls 4:04
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Paul Carman
Baritone Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Contrabass Clarinet – Kurt McGettrick
Bass, Synthesizer [Mini-Moog] – Scott Thunes
Drums, Percussion [Electronic] – Chad Wackerman
Keyboards, Vocals – Bobby Martin 
Lead Guitar, Synth [Computer-synth], Vocals – F.Z.
Rhythm Guitar – Ike Willis
Rhythm Guitar, Synth, Vocals – Mike Keneally
Tenor Saxophone – Albert Wing
Trombone – Bruce Fowler 
Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Synth – Walt Fowler
Vibraphone, Marimba, Percussion [Electronic] – Ed Mann
2-9 Crew Slut 5:34
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Paul Carman
Baritone Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Contrabass Clarinet – Kurt McGettrick
Bass, Synthesizer [Mini-Moog] – Scott Thunes
Drums, Percussion [Electronic] – Chad Wackerman
Keyboards, Vocals – Bobby Martin 
Lead Guitar, Synth [Computer-synth], Vocals – F.Z.
Rhythm Guitar – Ike Willis
Rhythm Guitar, Synth, Vocals – Mike Keneally
Tenor Saxophone – Albert Wing
Trombone – Bruce Fowler 
Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Synth – Walt Fowler
Vibraphone, Marimba, Percussion [Electronic] – Ed Mann
2-10 Tryin' To Grow A Chin 3:33
Bass – Patrick O'Hearn
Drums – Terry Bozzio
Guitar, Vocals – Adrian Belew
Keyboards – Peter Wolf (3), Tommy Mars
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
Percussion – Ed Mann
2-11 Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance 3:47
Bass – Arthur Barrow, Patrick O'Hearn
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Keyboards – Peter Wolf
Keyboards, Vocals – Tommy Mars
Lead Guitar, Vocals – F.Z.
Percussion – Ed Mann
Slide Guitar, Vocals – Denny Walley
Violin [Electric] – Shankar
2-12 Lisa's Life Story 3:05
Bass – Scott Thunes
Conductor – F.Z.
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar – Ike Willis, Ray White
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Keyboards – Tommy Mars
Music By – FZ
Saxophone – Bobby Martin 
Soprano Vocals [Dramatic] – Lisa Popeil
Words By – Lisa Popeil
2-13 Lonesome Cowboy Nando 5:09
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Paul Carman
Baritone Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Contrabass Clarinet – Kurt McGettrick
Bass, Synthesizer [Mini-Moog] – Scott Thunes
Bass, Vocals – Jim Pons
Drums – Aynsley Dunbar
Drums, Percussion [Electronic] – Chad Wackerman
Guitar – F.Z.
Keyboards, Alto Saxophone – Ian Underwood
Keyboards, Electronics – Don Preston
Keyboards, Vocals – Bobby Martin 
Lead Guitar, Synth [Computer-synth], Vocals – F.Z.
Rhythm Guitar, Synth, Vocals – Mike Keneally
Rhythm Guitar, Vocals – Ike Willis
Tenor Saxophone – Albert Wing
Trombone – Bruce Fowler 
Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Synth – Walt Fowler
Vibraphone, Marimba, Percussion [Electronic] – Ed Mann
Vocals – Howard Kaylan, Mark Volman
Vocals [Guest] – Jimmy Carl Black
2-14 200 Motels Finale 3:48
Bass, Vocals – Jim Pons
Drums – Aynsley Dunbar
Guitar – F.Z.
Keyboards, Alto Saxophone – Ian Underwood
Keyboards, Electronics – Don Preston
Vocals – Howard Kaylan, Mark Volman
Vocals [Guest] – Jimmy Carl Black
2-15 Strictly Genteel 6:56
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
Composed By – FZ (tracks: 1-1 to 1-22, 2-1, 2-2, 2-5 to 11, 2-13 to 2-15)
Producer, Arranged By, Edited By – Frank Zappa

THE BRECKER BROTHERS - Heavy Metal Be-Bop (1978) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded live in New York, this explosive set of jazz, funk, and rock material was without question ahead of its time. Michael and Randy's use of electronically altered saxophone and trumpet sounds is amazing. by Paul Kohler
Tracklist:
1 East River 4:00
Backing Vocals – Jeff Schoen, Roy Herring
Engineer – Don Berman, Rob Bacchiocchi
Engineer [Assistant] – Neil Dorfsman, Tom Milmore
Engineer, Mixed By, Handclaps – Bob Clearmountain
Handclaps – Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker
Organ [Fender Rhodes] – Paul Schaeffer
Producer, Arranged By, Written-By – Jason
Producer, Arranged By, Written-By, Handclaps, Percussion, Backing Vocals – Monet
Tambourine – Victoria 
Written-By – Mazur
2 Inside Out 9:28
3 Some Skunk Funk 6:24
4 Sponge 7:00
5 Funky Sea, Funky Dew 8:00
Written-By – Michael Brecker
6 Squids 7:35
Credits:
Bass, Lead Vocals – Neil Jason
Drums, Backing Vocals – Terry Bozzio
Guitar, Performer [Guitorganizer], Backing Vocals – Barry Finnerty
Percussion – Rafael Cruz, Sammy Figueroa
Written-By – Randy Brecker (tracks: 2 to 4, 6)

U.K. – Danger Money (1979-2014) RM | SHM-CD | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The follow-up album has Terry Bozzio taking over the drumming. It features exceptional synth work by Eddie Jobson and bass and vocals from John Wetton. Paul Kohler

Tracklist :
1 Danger Money 8:15
2 Rendezvous 6.02 5:00
3 The Only Thing She Needs 7:57
4 Caesar's Palace Blues 4:45
5 Nothing To Lose 3:58
6 Carrying No Cross 12:22

– BONUS TRACKS –

7 Rendezvous 6:02 (US Single Version / Different Mix)
Credits :
Drums, Percussion – Terry Bozzio
Keyboards, Violin [Electric] – Eddie Jobson
Lead Vocals, Bass – John Wetton
Written-By, Arranged By – Eddie Jobson, John Wetton

U.K. - Night After Night (1979-2014) RM / SHM-CD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The third and final record by the progressive rock trio U.K. was recorded during a 1979 concert in Japan, although it was not released until after the group disbanded; by this time the group featured bassist and lead vocalist John Wetton with ex-Zappa sidemen Eddie Jobson (keyboards and electric violin) and drummer Terry Bozzio. "Night After Night" serves a driving opener, followed by "Rendezvous 6:02," primarily a feature for Jobson's keyboard wizardry. The instrumental "Alaska" is a bit bombastic on the scale of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, though the hard-rocking "In the Dead of Night" makes up for it. Jobson switches to violin for the high-energy closer, "Caesar's Palace Blues" (which is not actually a blues). This is easily the best of U.K.'s rather small discography. by Ken Dryden
Tracklist:
1 Night After Night 5:23
Written-By – Jobson, Wetton
2 Rendezvous 6:02 5:17
Written-By – Jobson, Wetton
3 Nothing To Lose 5:26
Written-By – Jobson, Wetton
4 As Long As You Want Me Here 5:07
Written-By – Jobson, Wetton
5 Alaska 2:20
Written-By – Jobson
6 Time To Kill 6:12
Written-By – Bruford, Eddie Jobson, Wetton
7 Presto Vivace 1:02
Written-By – Jobson
8 In The Dead Of Night 6:23
Written-By – Jobson, Wetton
9 Caesar's Palace Blues 5:06
Written-By – Jobson, Wetton
Bonus Track
10 When Will You Realize 3:25
Written-By – Eddie Jobson
Credits:
Drums, Percussion – Terry Bozzio
Keyboards, Violin [Electric Violin] – Eddie Jobson
Voice [Lead Voice], Bass Guitar – John Wetton

FRANK ZAPPA - Baby Snakes (1982-1995) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This short but delectably sweet release is for most intents and purposes the soundtrack to the Frank Zappa concert film of the same name. Both were captured on location at New York City's Palladium (formerly the Academy of Music) in 1977, during the artist's brief yearly residency in the Big Apple in and around Halloween. By the time of these concerts, Zappa was embroiled in all manner of unpleasantness with Warner Bros. Records -- a fact not lost to listeners as he comments upon their tumultuous relationship during some off the cuff dialogue with Terry Bozzio (percussion/vocals), as heard on "Titties and Beer." That behind-the-scenes drama certainly didn't best the perpetually resilient Zappa as he, Bozzio, Adrian Belew (guitar/vocals), Ed Mann (percussion), Patrick O'Hearn (bass), Tommy Mars (keyboards/vocals), Peter Wolf (keyboards), and vintage Mothers of Invention member Roy Estrada (not so sexually aroused gas mask/vocals) are joined by some of "New York's finest crazy persons" for half an hour-plus of musical madness as only Zappa could deliver. The "Intro Rap" features a brief dressing-room dialogue between Zappa and one of his longtime enthusiasts who just happens to be Warren Cuccurullo. If the name sounds familiar, it might be because he would serve a tenure in Zappa's late-'70s lineup as a guitarist before becoming a co-founding member of Missing Persons alongside other Zappa alumni Bozzio and O'Hearn, prior to settling into the re-formed Duran Duran in the mid-'80s and 1990s. Although the title track, "Baby Snakes," is essentially the same studio version that graced 1979's Sheik Yerbouti, the rest of the material is live. "Black Page, No. 2" is a jaunty instrumental that Zappa had composed specifically with Bozzio in mind. It then developed into a full-blown ensemble piece, and in the context of both the film and aural companion was used to accompany an enforced recreational audience-participatory dance contest. "Jones Crusher" is a hard-drivin' rocker with lead vocals from Belew, marking one of his finest moments in the Zappa band to have ever made it onto a legit release. "Disco Boy" and the somewhat obligatory "Dinah-Moe Humm" are typically excellent renderings of these performance staples and obvious crowd-pleasers. The platter concludes with the tongue-in-cheek epic homoerotic ode "Punky's Whips," with Bozzio once again demonstrating why he was such a faultless multifaceted foil for Zappa.

Tracks

1. Intro Rap

2. Baby Snakes

3. Titties 'n' Beer

4. The Black Page #2

5. Jones Crusher

6. Disco Boy

7. Dinah Moe Hum

8. Punky's Whips

Frank Zappa-director, keyboards, vocals, guitar

Adrian Belew - vocals, guitar

Tommy Mars - keyboards, vocals

Peter Wolf - keyboards

Patrick O'Hearn - bass guitar

Terry Bozzio - drums, vocals

Ed Mann - percussion

FRANK ZAPPA – Läther (1996) 3CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The official version of Läther was released posthumously in September 1996. It remains debated whether Zappa had conceived the material as a four-LP set from the beginning, or only when approaching Phonogram; In the liner notes to the 1996 release, however, Gail Zappa states that "As originally conceived by Frank, Läther was always a 4-record box set." Along with most of Zappa's material, a "mini-LP" CD edition was also released by Rykodisc in Japan, with the artwork reformatted to resemble the packaging of a vinyl album. In December 2012, the album was reissued with different packaging that better reflected the intended album cover.

The recordings for the album were originally delivered to Warner Bros. in 1977. Contractual obligations stipulated that Zappa deliver four albums for release on DiscReet Records, which eventually resulted in much of the material on Läther being released on four separate albums: Zappa in New York (1977), Studio Tan (1978), Sleep Dirt (1979), and Orchestral Favorites (1979), only the first of which was produced with Zappa's oversight. Zappa had planned to include much of the material from these albums as a quadruple box set entitled "Läther", but Warner Bros. refused to release it in this format. However, bootlegs of the original recording had existed for decades before the album's official release as a result of Frank Zappa broadcasting it over the radio in 1977 and encouraging listeners to make tape recordings of it.

Gail Zappa has confirmed that the 2-track masters for the planned original album were located while producing the 1996 version. While the official CD version of Läther released is reportedly identical to the test-pressings for the original quadruple album, four bonus tracks were added to the 1996 release and the title of the song, "One More Time for the World" was changed to "The Ocean is the Ultimate Solution", the title under which the same song appears on the album Sleep Dirt. The album does not include "Baby Snakes", a song which was originally planned for the album. A version of the song served as the title of the film from the same era.

Zappa managed to get an agreement with Phonogram Inc. to release Läther in its original configuration, and test pressings were made targeted at a Halloween 1977 release, but Warner Bros. prevented the release by claiming rights over the material. Zappa responded by appearing on the Pasadena, California radio station KROQ, allowing them to broadcast Läther and encouraging listeners to make their own tape recordings. After Warner Bros. censored Zappa in New York to remove references to Angel guitarist Punky Meadows, and demanding four additional albums, a lawsuit between Zappa and Warner Bros. followed, during which no Zappa material was released for more than a year. Eventually, Warner Bros. issued Studio Tan, Sleep Dirt and Orchestral Favorites. The original cover artwork had featured a photograph of Zappa in blackface and holding a mop; this photograph was eventually used as the cover for Joe's Garage, Act I.

In the spring of 1977, Frank delivered the master tapes for a four-record boxed set called Läther (pronounced “leather,” due to the umlauts over the A) to Warner Bros., who then decided not to pay the amount they contractually owed him, oafishly thinking that he’d frivolously thrown the package together just to speed along his remaining album requirements, thereby freeing himself from his recording contract. He retrieved the tapes and offered the set to EMI instead. Warner, currently being sued by Frank (who wanted the rights to his old albums, plus damages for years of bad bookkeeping and deficient royalties), threatened EMI with a lawsuit, scaring them out of negotiations. Frank then tried Mercury/Phonogram, who was to press and distribute the set as the first release on Zappa Records; but after it had gone through the test-pressing phase and had even been assigned a catalogue number, they suddenly refused to distribute it, as someone there had noticed its “offensive lyrics.”

He resorted to splitting the set into four separate LPs, leaving out all linking transitions, adding a few songs and omitting others. He delivered the first Läther-ette, Zappa in New York, with packaging and liner notes that were preserved when Warner finally released the album on DiscReet. Shortly after providing that live double-disc, he handed over the other three all at once, fulfilling his contractual obligations anyway. Whether he planned to turn in his packaging designs upon being paid for these three, submitted designs that were ignored by Warner, or was shut out of the process as soon as they had the actual tapes, the albums were ultimately issued with sequencing and artwork that he hadn’t approved.

Before Warner could begin these staggered releases, Frank played the orignal Läther in its entirety on KROQ-FM (Burbank-Pasedena, California), encouraging listeners to record it off the radio. The conflicting report that the four separate albums came first, and were rearranged into Läther after Frank learned that Warner wouldn’t pay fairly, is false, according to Gail Zappa’s booklet notes in the CD set: “As originally conceived by Frank, Läther was always a 4-record box set.” The triple-CD package was released in 1996 on Rykodisc. Four bonus songs were added, extending the length to nearly three hours. Included were a 1993 remix of “Regyptian Strut” (spelled without the hyphen this time, as on Sleep Dirt); Frank’s opening and closing comments on the radio at the time of his broadcast; a piece called “Leather Goods,” which was made up of unused Lumpy Gravy dialogue, some Gravy-reminiscent instrumental music, and the original beginning of “Duck Duck Goose” (which included Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused” riff before the “Whole Lotta Love” one heard on Läther proper, as well as two solo breaks, tributing Jimmy Page’s in “Whole Lotta Love” and “Heartbreaker”); “Revenge of the Knick-Knack People,” heard during some of the non-stage segments in the Baby Snakes movie; and the instrumental “Time Is Money” (included on Sleep Dirt but not Läther itself).

Gary Panter, an artist best known for his work in Raw Comix, was responsible for the illustrations on the covers of Studio Tan, Sleep Dirt and Orchestral Favorites. Frank hadn’t chosen Gary’s work; one of the titles wasn’t his, either. “I might point out that [Sleep Dirt is] not the name of the album,” he told Record Review in the spring of 1979. “That’s just a further violation of the original contract. The original title of that album, as delivered to them, was Hot Rats III. I presume that’s just another snide attempt to undermine the merchandising of it. If you saw an album sitting in the rack with the title Sleep Dirt on it, you probably wouldn’t be too intrigued by it. And based on the job they did with the cover of Studio Tan, they made [all of the packaging] as unappealing as possible.”

The full saga of Läther (pronounced leather) is tangled enough to give a migraine to all but committed Zappaphiles. Basically, what you need to know is that this project was originally conceived of as a four-record box set. When record company politics prevented its release in that format, much of the material was spread over the albums Live in New York, Sleep Dirt, Studio Tan, and Orchestral Favorites. This three-CD set presents the album as it was originally conceived, with the addition of four bonus tracks at the end. It mixes previously available material, alternate mixes, and edits, and previously unissued stuff, though only the most serious Zappa fans will have a good grip on exactly what has appeared where (the liner notes are surprisingly unexact in this regard). And the music? It's almost like a résumé of Zappa's bag of tricks: Uncle Meat-like experimentation, intricate jazz-rock, straight hard rock, orchestral composition, and comedy. Some of those comedy tracks became some of his most notorious routines, like "Punky's Whips" and "Titties 'n Beer," which amounted to avant- rock for drunk frat boys and pot smoking, underachieving junior high school students. The juvenile humor, hamfisted parody of hard rock clichés, and the shaggy-dog opera of the 20-minute "The Adventures of Greggery Peccary" are outshone by the lengthy, more experimental instrumental passages. It's interesting, but exhausting to wade through all at once, and the avant-garde/composerly cuts are not as exceptional as his earlier work in this vein in the late '60s and early '70s. That means that this will appeal far more to the Zappa cultist than the general listener, though the Zappa cult -- which has been craving Läther in its original format for years -- is a pretty wide fan base in and of itself. [In 2005, Rykodisc made available the Japanese Mini LP replica version...which is a bit strange since Läther was never officially released on LP.] 

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