You should certainly check out the current crop of 2012 Zappa remasters on CD and 180g vinyl. Then you should compare them to these. I'll post Box 3 eventually.
Two years ago I posted my 1966 mono Freak Out! so I thought it would be a good time to delve a little deeper into the highly ambient domain of FZ mixes and masters. Here we have Frank's 1985 7-LP box of "Old Masters" including the first five Mothers albums and a Mystery Disc of, at the time, previously unreleased early material. While some albums contain their original mixes, Money and Reuben infamously have new 80's bass and drums overdubs and other chicanery. It is all quite fascinating.
You should certainly check out the current crop of 2012 Zappa remasters on CD and 180g vinyl. Then you should compare them to these. I'll post Boxes 2 and 3 eventually.
Anthony Braxton / Richard Teitelbaum – Open Aspects '82
A thoroughly enjoyable outing from two master improvisers. A sumptuous collection of sonorities that scumble the timbre of the horn with the wallop of the synthesizer. Even after two LP's worth, I wish there were more.
#3 [12:40]
#1.2 [7:50]
#2 [13:45]
#4 [5:30]
#5 [10:20]
#6.1 [2:30]
#6.2 [2:35]
#6.3 [2:15]
#1.1 [15:30]
Anthony Braxton: Alto & Sopranino Saxophones
Richard Teitelbaum: Synthesizer, Computer
Digital Recording by Rainer Oppelland at Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg/Germany on March 18, 1982
The highest of Harmolodic High Priests, Blood Ulmer mines the frantic funk of 70’s Ornette Coleman—a tune like Night Lover could have fallen out of Ornette’s gig bag at the session for Captain Black—but works his own soul/blues vein good and hard until all that sifts through is pure Blood.
James Blood Ulmer – Free Lancing All compositions by James Blood Ulmer
"Timeless" - 4:22
"Pleasure Control" - 5:00
"Night Lover" - 5:22
"Where Did All the Girls Come From?" - 4:38
"High Time" - 4:00
"Hijack" -
"Free Lancing" - 4:42
"Stand Up to Yourself" - 4:37
"Rush Hour" - 5:32
"Happy Time" - 5:11
James Blood Ulmer - electric guitar; vocals (#2, 4 & 8)
Amin Ali - electric bass
G. Calvin Weston - drums
Ronnie Drayton - second guitar (#2, 4 & 8)
Diane Wilson, Irene Datcher, Zenobia Konkerite - background vocals (#2, 4 & 8)
David Murray - tenor saxophone (#5, 6 & 9)
Oliver Lake – alto saxophone (#5, 6 & 9)
Olu Dara - trumpet (#5, 6 & 9)
James 'Blood' Ulmer – Are You Glad To Be In America? All compositions by James Blood Ulmer
"Layout" - 5:02
"Pressure" - 3:48
"Interview" - 3:06
"Jazz Is the Teacher (Funk the Preacher)" - 4:19
"See-Through" - 3:50
"Time Out" - 5:19
"T.V. Blues" - 4:32
"Light Eyed" - 3:56
"Revelation March" - 3:18
"Are You Glad to Be in America?" - 4:37
James Blood Ulmer - guitar, vocals
David Murray – tenor saxophone
Oliver Lake - alto saxophone
Olu Dara - trumpet
Billy Patterson - rhythm guitar (track 4)
Amin Ali - electric bass
G. Calvin Weston, Ronald Shannon Jackson - drums
Recorded at RCA Studios, New York City on January 17, 1980.
1. N 508-10 (4G) Piano – Chick Corea Soprano Saxophone – Anthony Braxton
2. J-572 (431) Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Anthony Braxton Bass, Cello – Dave Holland Percussion, Bells – Barry Altschul Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Kenny Wheeler
3. 67M F-12 Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Anthony Braxton Bass, Cello – Dave Holland Percussion, Bells – Barry Altschul Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Kenny Wheeler
4. ZM-F-K Saxophone [Four Soprano Parts Overdubbed] – Anthony Braxton
5. R76-4 Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Anthony Braxton Bass, Cello – Dave Holland Percussion, Bells – Barry Altschul Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Kenny Wheeler
6. 3-24 (Tuba Realization) The London Tuba Ensemble Tuba [C] – Paul Lawrence Tuba [E Flat] – Geoffrey Adams, James Anderson, John Fletcher, Michael Barnes
7. JNK 4 Degrees Piano – Chick Corea Soprano Saxophone – Anthony Braxton
8. 4-16 CJF Contrabass Clarinet – Anthony Braxton
Recorded at Polydor Studios, London.
Arista / Freedom – AF 1902, 1977 Originally released in Europe on Black Lion Records, 1973
