The Grand Wazoo
What
to Get: The 2012 CD, but beware, some people have had trouble playing
it.
Summary: The theory goes as
follows: the vinyl is a dry mix. In the mid 1980s, Zappa transferred
the tapes to digital and added some reverb; this is the version found
on the 1986-era Ryko CD. In 1990, he added some additional processing
and treble, as well as swapping the first two tracks so that the album
began with "The Grand Wazoo" instead of "For Calvin." This version was
released on both the Zappa Records CD and the 1995 Ryko CD. The 2012
UMe version reverts to the dry vinyl mix, but still swaps the first two
tracks. Whew.
ESSENTIAL VERSIONS FOR COMPLETISTS: The vinyl or 2012 CD will
please most people, but there's some lingering fondness for the version
found on the previous CDs (especially those wedded to the album's
original track order who don't believe in CDRs and the like). [completist's guide]
Issues
- Test pressing
(Columbia / Santa Maria MS 2093)
- Original vinyl (Bizarre MS 2093 in the US, December 1972
(repressed in 1973); Reprise K44209 in the UK, January 1973)
- Canadian vinyl (Bizarre/Reprise MS 2093, gatefold cover
with a black maple leaf in the upper-right back corner)
- French vinyl (Reprise 44209)
- German vinyl (WEA Reprise 44209)
- Dutch vinyl (Reprise REP 44 209,
matrix number 31450)
- Japanese vinyl (Reprise P-8306R)
- Mexican vinyl (Gamma GX01-587, with the inner spread story
in Spanish)
- Argentine vinyl (MusicHall 50-14.052, with the inner spread
story in Spanish)
- Uruguayan vinyl (Warner Brothers - record pressed in
Uruguay, cover imported from the US)
- Brazilian vinyl
- Australian vinyl (Reprise MS 2093, 1973 - "more or
less unaltered")
- Cassettes (Bizarre M 52093 and Reprise 444209)
- 8-track (M 82093)
- Reel-to-reel tape
("Bizarre-Reprise Records RST-2093C", 7.5 ips)
- The Old Masters vinyl
(Barking Pumpkin BPR 9999-2, December 1987)
- Original CD (Ryko RCD10026 in the
US, September 1986 (imported into Australia by Festival Records and
re-stickered Ryko D40707); Zappa Records CDZAP31 in the UK, September
1990; VACK 5033 in Japan)
- IRS 970.731 CD (?)
- 1995 CD (Ryko RCD 10517, May 16 1995;
VACK 5124 in Japan, renumbered
5259 in 1998)
- Japanese paper-sleeve CD
(Ryko/VACK 1216, October 24 2001 - Bizarre inner sleeve; sticker
included)
- 2012 UMe CD (Zappa Records ZR3849
August 28, 2012)
Track Titles
- On an old reel-to-reel tape,
"Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus" was called "The Legend of Cletus
Awreetus-Awrightus".
Test Pressing
From Erik Alberius:
This is a test pressing of the Grand Wazoo album by
Frank Zappa released in 1972. As far as I know, this is the only
copy - no others exist. I bought it at the Record Finder on 258
Noe Street for $25. It is probably worth millions and millions of
dollars by now. :)
Reel-to-Reel Tape
This package had an insert with liner notes, and the track
list was:
1. For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)
2. The Grand Wazoo
3. The Legend of Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus
4. Eat That Question
5. Blessed Relief
Note "The Legend of Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus", which
is
usually known only as "Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus".
Dutch Vinyl
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One time I was out by Anza driving with
Katy to look at some desert property that was for sale real cheap and
right in the middle of nowhere came across Elliot Ingber hitch-hiking. |
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Cal Schenkel,
alt.fan.frank-zappa, July 2000 |
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From Harry de Swart:
My LPs of Apostrophe (') and The
Grand Wazoo have a German sleeve (made in Germany by Kinney
Music), but have a Dutch label (made in Holland by NV
Negram-Haarlem), and that's the way I bought them.
Original CD
The original European Zappa Records CD was re-sequenced, with
tracks 1 and 2 flipped
around. The original American CD, on Ryko, had the vinyl track order,
but the 1995 CD flipped tracks 1 and 2 once and
for all, just like the Zappa
Records release. (There was a rumour that "For Calvin" was
shortened on
the CD, but it wasn't true.)
From Pat Buzby:
I do know that The Grand Wazoo is missing
the musician photos from the original album, and that Waka/Jawaka is missing the FZ photos. Boo! [Now
he's happier, because Ryko restored them in 1995!
And UMe probably kept them in 2012! - Ed.]
1995 CD
(There was a rumour that "For Calvin" was shortened on the
CD, but it
wasn't true.) Official statement from Ryko:
New master. New timing sheet. Restored artwork. Frank
flipped tracks 1 and 2 around, so that the title track is first. Louder
dBs than first Rykodisc CD.
From Cal Schenkel:
The tray art is a laser print incorporating sketches from
the preliminary drawings for the album cover.
From A Reader:
This CD has much more high end than the original Ryko CD. I
suspect it matches the "UMRK Digital Remix" found on the 1990's Zappa
Records disc [Ed: Can anybody confirm this?]
Otherwise, it stays in near-perfect sync with the 1980s Ryko disc,
suggesting that it is from the same digital transfer of the analog
master tape.
Japanese Paper-Sleeve Version (2001-2002)
Starting in 2001, Video Arts Music released a limited-edition series (2000
copies each) of Zappa CDs in
paper sleeves - miniature LP sleeves. There was nothing special about this
series other than the covers, which were very well done - inserts and
"bonuses" were reproduced, the albums that originally had gatefold
covers got little miniature gatefolds, and cover track lists were exactly as on
the corresponding LPs, even in cases where the CD has bonus tracks or a
different track order. Included in this series were some entries that never had
"proper" LP issues, i.e. Läther. Additionally, some rarities--like the "green/gold"
cover of Chunga's Revenge--were reproduced as special items in this run.
We need to stress that the sound quality of these discs matches the US
Ryko issues, which they are clearly derived from. These are collectors
items, not new remastered editions.
Late-2012-update: It appears as if the Japanese may be warming up the
mini-LP ovens for a new batch based on the 2012 UMe remasters. We'll let you
know if this happens.
From Biffy the Elephant Shrew:
The lyric sheet for The Grand Wazoo presents
only the first verse of "For Calvin" ... there are hardly any lyrics on
the whole album; you'd think they could squeeze the other lines in
there!
2012 UMe CD
Mastered by Doug Sax with Robert Hadley & Sangwook "Sunny" Nam from
the original analog master. Reverts to the vinyl mix. Note
that some have reported trouble playing and ripping the disc
(this has been encountered on US copies, but not UK copies,
apparently). Be careful and keep your receipts. This is a pressing
defect and will presumably be remedied on future copies.
Questions
- Any details on cassette versions?
- Any details on 8-track versions?
- Any more regional peculiarities?
- Any points to make about the Old Masters version?
- Any more release dates?
- CD variants. Wuh happen?
Additonal Informants
- Neil in the UK
- Phillip A. Freshour
- Biffy the Elephant Shrew
- Marcelo Gasió
- Richard Kolke
- John Henley
- nabisco@pacbell.net
- JWB
- Gonçalo
- Mexpressings
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