FRANK ZAPPA - THE WEASEL MUSIC ACETATE 1969
September 10, 2008 – 4:57 am
Click on the panels for a better view or to download artwork.
FRANK ZAPPA AND THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION
The Weasel Music Acetate 1969 [no label, 1CD]
Taken from one-sided acetate. Very good soundboard?
As early as in the late ’60s, Frank Zappa was already planning a big box called The History & Collected Improvisations of the Mothers of Invention. Among the discs in the collection (it has been reported as a 12-record set, then a 10-LP set and later a nine-disc set) is The Weasel Music.
Some tracks from this big box found their way to Weasels Ripped My Flesh in 1970. According to one review on the internet, “This is Zappa’s most avant garde work. If Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler and Peter Brotzmann got together and made a rock album, it would sound like this.” The wikipedia notes: “Weasels Ripped My Flesh mostly captures the Mothers on stage, where they employ frenetic and chaotic improvisation characteristic of avant-garde free jazz.”
The Weasel Music Acetate would fit right at home on Weasels Ripped My Flesh. As fans know, Zappa’s song titles rarely offer glimpses into what the songs are about. Hence Chamber Music Piece 1 is not a soothing piece to while away a lazy afternoon. It’s actually a free-jazz piece with a “slow” build-up but it doesn’t really turn frenetic. On the other hand, Mozart Ballet would be considered a light classical piece, with tinkling piano, that seems to elicit screaming and laughter from the audience and the song ends with some heavy-duty feedback and guitar wailing. The track, Some Zany MOI Bullshit, might be what happens if Randy Newman had tried his hand at free-jazz.
For those who only read about The Weasel Music, here it is, thanks to TFEC who shared the tracks on the internet. The tracks are taken off the original acetate, which is currently up for auction at eBay. When we last checked, the current bid was US$2,125.
Click here for more.
According to TFEC:
“So I get a call from the widow of the great artist, Neon Park. She says, ‘I’ve been going through Marty’s stuff (Neon’s real name was Marty) and I have a lot of records of his. I was talking to (mutual friend) Betzy and she said you like records. Do you want them?’ and, being the vinyl hound I am, I said, ‘You bet! I’ll take ‘em all sight unseen.’ She said, ‘Okay, I’ll go pull the can back in from the street.’ She had had them all in a trash can waiting for the Sanitation Engineers to pick them up.
“Now I know Neon worked for many years doing album art for Warner Brothers (best known for Zappa’s Weasels Ripped My Flesh and his string of covers for Little Feat) and was on their mailing list for new releases. Upon going through the LPs from the trash bin I found the usual assortment of product, some good, some not to my liking.
“But then… In an envelope addressed to Mr. Frank Zappa at his Laurel Canyon address, I found these studio acetate test recordings: a copy of Jean-Luc Ponty’s Zappa tribute LP, King Kong, and a curious disc labeled ‘The Weasel Music’. Suspecting that this might indeed BE SOMETHING, I cautiously played it once. It seemed to be a live recording of the Mothers goofing around on stage doing what I guessed to be a mock-ballet. While light pseudo-classical piano arpeggios play (Ian Underwood?) you can hear the shuffling of feet and various antics while the crowd respond with laughter and amusement. I would imagine that it was mostly a visual presentation as opposed to an essential Zappa musical composition.”
Click here for more information on The History & Collected Improvisations of the Mothers of Invention.
These tracks are no longer available for sharing.
Track 01. Albert Hall Spoken Introduction
Track 02. Chamber Music Piece 1
Track 03. Mozart Ballet
Track 04. Some Zany MOI Bullshit
Track 05. Chamber Music Piece 2
Click here to order Frank Zappa’s Weasel Ripped My Flesh.
18 Responses to “FRANK ZAPPA - THE WEASEL MUSIC ACETATE 1969”
Winning bid: US $2,550.00 !!!
One mans’ trash …
By Myche on Sep 10, 2008
AGAIN !!! MR. BIGO IS THE BEST !!!
By jonas on Sep 10, 2008
Fantastic !!!!!
PLEASE…..More Zappa…..PLEASE.
I noticed some things that are not available anymore for download.
REPOST…..PLEASE.
Anxiously Awaiting,
Thank You.
By Zakk Zappa on Sep 10, 2008
Great! Unexplored Frank Zappa…. We needs more. Thanx for this far out offering…
By Timmy on Sep 11, 2008
Does anyone know the lineup of Zappas band on this recording? Is Lowell George included?
By hosifeat on Sep 12, 2008
Vielen Dank!!!!!!!!!
By Mülli on Sep 12, 2008
Excellent; still looking for the complete Flo & Eddie Sofa - ideas???
By Sedayne on Sep 13, 2008
A wonderful find. I love Frank’s early chamber music writing, quirky, unpredictable and beautifully scored for just a few instruments then dissolving into the unmistakeable sound of the Mothers improvisation. I would gladly buy 12, 10 or even 9 records of this material if it ever came to light. More, More ,More!
By Al Livsey on Sep 13, 2008
What a great bit of fun! And ‘typical’ of it’s period. The music (and ballet - unseen but easy to visualise from the audiences reaction) is a blend of avant garde and free jazz, rock beats and classical background and influence. This could only be the 60’s … and Zappa, who released Hot Rats in October ‘69. Genius.
By Julian on Sep 13, 2008
Wowee Zowee! this is great I do hope that a lot more of this more musical early mothers stuff appears before all of zappa,s contemporaneous fans die off. Thanks and keep em coming.
By steve Jordan on Sep 18, 2008
God only knows how many, so very many hours of this I could take before the grief set in. FRANK- we all miss ‘ya.
Thanks Big-O & keep ‘em comin’.
By platterpile on Sep 19, 2008
Vielen Dank !!!
By Burkhard on Sep 19, 2008
What a pleasure to discover the elusive. You are great and thank you for your research. Merci les gars et bonne année 2009.
By Matago on Jan 13, 2009
Thanks for the re-post Big O!! One of my all-time faves! FZ is always welcome!
By eponymus on Nov 15, 2011
Anyway someone can please REPOST this??
Possible to even e mail a link, maybe trade??
I just read this a few min’s ago, damn!!
Wish I went on E bay still when that Acetate was up, I woulda bought that sucker.
I know Frank had a bunch of great rare acetate’s made w/ early Mother’s stuff that hasen’t surfaced yet.
Too bad he never released some of them.A lot of the Mother’s stuff haven’t even been heard, sounds that dream’s are made of.
live/demo material from 66-69 there’s some leaked, but a lot isn’t, esp 66-68. Or the bunch of Whiskey A -go go shows that were played but not heard, kind of like the Door’s??
Door’s early stuff and all there early LA show’s are impossible to find too,unfortunatetly..
jim
By James Roberts on Sep 21, 2013
kindly repost FRANK ZAPPA - THE WEASEL MUSIC ACETATE 1969 please. And thank you!
From the backseat of my car.
By Calvin on Jun 29, 2016
PLEASE…..More Zappa…..PLEASE.
By John P McNea III on Nov 29, 2018
Let’s all start suckin’ each others diсks !
By Derrick on Sep 28, 2022