Here’s one not to be missed by super fans of Frank Zappa. Super fan would have know that Frank Zappa had put super shows around his favorite holiday, Halloween, through the 70s and 80s, but sadly, none of the shows in NYC were recorded due to some union issues. Lucky for fans, Zappa did make recordings when he performed at Chicago in October 31, 1973 and the Frank Zappa Halloween 73 Set is that recordings.
Two complete Halloween shows were recorded, spanning over four and half hours and featuring songs from Zappa’s prolific catalog, including his then just-released 1973 album Over-Nite Sensation and forthcoming 1974 record Apostrophe. The performances also include early arrangements of memorable compositions like Penguin In Bondage, Dickie’s Such An Asshole and Village Of The Sun which would later appear in studio and live albums.
If you already own the Halloween 77, then this Halloween 73, goes without say, is a must-have and if you haven’t, well, what better way to start the collection then with the Halloween 73?
Anywho, Frank Zappa Halloween 73 Set will come with a limited run four-disc costume box complete with a FRANKenZAPPA mask and gloves, packed in a “display worthy box,” along with a 40-page booklet featuring detailed liner notes from producer Joe Travers, and Zappa’s band mates Ruth Komanoff Underwood and Ralph Humphrey who played in the shows, plus boatloads of never-before-seen photos from the event.
The 3-CD special can be pre-order as we speak for $99.98 and there’s also a single CD version featuring 16 handpicked performances from both shows, aptly called Halloween 73 Highlights. The latter is also available to order now for $29.98. Expect both items to be available starting October 25, 2019.
Images: Frank Zappa Store/UMe.