FRANK ZAPPA - Guitar (1988-1995) 2xCD / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Released in 1988, Guitar may be the most important and ironically one of the least-known entries in Frank Zappa's voluminous discography -- which spans over seven-dozen LPs as of this writing. His proficiencies as a composer and instrumentalist have long been lauded. However, anthologies of this nature provide an outlet for the remarkable breadth and depth of Zappa's manual dexterity and improvisational scope, which can now be enjoyed on a myriad of levels. The casual enthusiast can revel in the seemingly endless personas and sounds summoned from the soloist and band alike. Devotees of the artist and/or instrument are presented with example upon example of Zappa's ability to create masterworks on the fly and often in the context of larger pieces. For example, "Which One Is It?" is an extraction from "The Black Page" in Munich, Germany, on June 26, 1982. Compare it to the likes of "Move It or Park It," which was likewise lifted from "The Black Page" two weeks earlier in Frankfurt, Germany, on June 11, 1982. Caveat emptor to those following the liner notes, as they are wrought with inaccurate dates. Interestingly, whenGuitar was prepped for CD, several of the mixes were altered. So, the original two-LP set -- despite containing 13 fewer cuts -- is preferred by some. That minutia aside, simply listening to Zappa as a primary player is always a treat for inclined parties and there are a few exceptional selections scattered throughout. "For Duane" -- a nod to fellow stringman Duane Allman -- is made all the more poignant for having been played before a (kinda) hometown crowd in Atlanta, GA, November 25, 1984. Other standouts include a pair of Joe's Garage-related cuts: "Outside Now" -- dating back to March of 1979 -- and the emotional immediacy infused into "Watermelon in Easter Hay," the latter taken from a Jones Beach show on August 16, 1984. On the whole, Guitar joins the Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar trilogy as a key component in unraveling the endless enigma of Frank Zappa as a major fretmeister. by Lindsay Planer
Tracklist 1 :
1    Sexual Harassment in the Workplace 3:43    
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Hendrix Strat] – F.Z.
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Keyboards – Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars
Percussion – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar – Ray White
2    Which One Is It? 3:04    
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Keyboards – Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars
Percussion – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar – Ray White
3    Republicans 5:07    
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Keyboards – Alan Zavod, Bobby Martin
Rhythm Guitar – Ike Willis, Ray White
4    Do Not Pass Go 3:37
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Keyboards – Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars
Percussion – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar – Ray White
5    Chalk Pie 4:52    
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Hendrix Strat] – F.Z.
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Keyboards – Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars
Percussion – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar – Ray White
6    In-A-Gadda-Stravinsky 2:49    
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Keyboards – Alan Zavod, Bobby Martin
Rhythm Guitar – Ike Willis, Ray White
7    That's Not Really Reggae 3:16    
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Engineer [Recording] – Unknown Artist
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Keyboards – Alan Zavod, Bobby Martin
Rhythm Guitar – Ike Willis, Ray White
8    When No One Was No One 4:49
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Keyboards – Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars
Percussion – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar – Ray White
9    Once Again, Without the Net 3:43
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Keyboards – Alan Zavod, Bobby Martin
Rhythm Guitar – Ike Willis, Ray White
10    Outside Now 5:28    
Frank Zappa
Bass – Arthur Barrow
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Engineer [Recording] – Klaus Wiedemann
Guitar [Custom S.g.] – F.Z.
Keyboards – Peter Wolf, Tommy Mars
Percussion – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar – Warren Cucurrullo
Slide Guitar – Denny Walley
11    Jim & Tammy's Upper Room 3:11
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Les Paul Custom] – F.Z.
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Keyboards – Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars
Percussion – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar – Ray White
12    Were We Ever Really Safe in San Antonio? 2:49    
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Keyboards – Alan Zavod, Bobby Martin
Rhythm Guitar – Ike Willis, Ray White
13    That Ol' G Minor Thing Again 5:02    
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Keyboards – Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars
Percussion – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar – Ray White
14    Hotel Atlanta Incidentals 2:44
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Keyboards – Alan Zavod, Bobby Martin
Rhythm Guitar – Ike Willis, Ray White
15    That's Not Really a Shuffle 4:24    
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Les Paul Custom] – F.Z.
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Keyboards – Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars
Percussion – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar – Ray White
16    Move It or Park It 5:43    
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Keyboards – Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars
Percussion – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar – Ray White
17    Sunrise Redeemer 4:00
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Keyboards – Alan Zavod, Bobby Martin
Rhythm Guitar – Ike Willis, Ray White
Tracklist 2 :
1    Variations on Sinister #3 5:16    
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Keyboards – Alan Zavod, Bobby Martin
Rhythm Guitar – Ike Willis, Ray White
2    Orrin Hatch on Skis 2:12
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Keyboards – Alan Zavod, Bobby Martin
Rhythm Guitar – Ike Willis, Ray White
3    But Who Was Fulcanelli? 2:48    
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Keyboards – Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars
Percussion – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar – Ray White
4    For Duane 3:24
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Keyboards – Alan Zavod, Bobby Martin
Rhythm Guitar – Ike Willis, Ray White
5    Goa 4:51    
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Keyboards – Alan Zavod, Bobby Martin
Rhythm Guitar – Ike Willis, Ray White
6    Winos Do Not March 3:14    
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Keyboards – Alan Zavod, Bobby Martin
Rhythm Guitar – Ike Willis, Ray White
7    Swans? What Swans? 4:23    
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Hendrix Strat] – F.Z.
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Keyboards – Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars
Percussion – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar – Ray White
8    Too Ugly for Show Business 4:20
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Les Paul Custom] – F.Z.
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Keyboards – Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars
Percussion – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar – Ray White
9    Systems of Edges 5:32
Frank Zappa
Bass – Arthur Barrow
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Engineer [Recording] – Klaus Wiedemann
Guitar [Custom S.g.] – F.Z.
Keyboards – Peter Wolf, Tommy Mars
Percussion – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar – Warren Cucurrullo
Slide Guitar – Denny Walley
10    Do Not Try This at Home 3:50
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Keyboards – Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars
Percussion – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar – Ray White
11    Things That Look Like Meat 6:54
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Les Paul Custom] – F.Z.
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Keyboards – Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars
Percussion – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar – Ray White
12    Watermelon in Easter Hay 4:02    
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Keyboards – Alan Zavod, Bobby Martin
Rhythm Guitar – Ike Willis, Ray White
13    Canadian Customs 3:35
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Keyboards – Alan Zavod, Bobby Martin
Rhythm Guitar – Ike Willis, Ray White
14    Is That All There Is? 4:08    
Frank Zappa
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Keyboards – Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars
Percussion – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar – Ray White
15    It Ain't Necessarily the Saint James Infirmary 5:15
Bass – Scott Thunes
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar [Custom Strat] – F.Z.
Guitar [Stunt] – Steve Vai
Keyboards – Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars
Music By [It Ain't Necessarily So] – DuBose Heyward, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Music By [St. James Infirmary Blues] – Joe Primrose
Percussion – Ed Mann
Rhythm Guitar – Ray White