Frank Zappa’s 1973 Roxy Residency Focus of New Box Set
Frank Zappa‘s legendary two-night, four-show December 1973 stand at Los Angeles’ Roxy Theatre will be the focus of an upcoming box set packed with unreleased performances, soundcheck and rehearsal recordings and more.
The Roxy concerts were previously featured on the 1974 live album Roxy & Elsewhere as well as the posthumous releases Roxy by Proxy and Roxy the Movie. However, the seven-CD The Roxy Performances marks the first time Zappa and the Mothers’ Roxy residency has been released in its entirety.
“This is one of my favorite FZ line-ups ever. This box contains some of the best nights of music Los Angeles has ever seen with their ears at an historic venue,” Ahmet Zappa said in a statement. “Hold on to your hotdogs people. This box is the be-all-end-all. This is it. This is all of it. It’s time to get your rocks off for the Roxy.”
In addition to the four performances spread over December 9th and 10th, 1973, the box set also features recordings from a December 8th film shoot and soundcheck from the venue, as well as material laid down on December 12th at nearby Bolic Studios, where Zappa and company worked on songs that would appear on 1974’s Apostrophe.
The Roxy Performances, due out February 2nd and available to preorder now, also contains a 48-page booklet with liner notes by Zappa vaultmaster Joe Travers and essays by Zappa associates Jen Jewel Brown and Dave Alvin.
The Roxy Performances Track List
DISC 1
12-9-73 Show 1
1. “Sunday Show 1 Start”
2. “Cosmik Debris”
3. “‘We’re Makin’ A Movie'”
4. “Pygmy Twylyte”
5. “The Idiot Bastard Son”
6. “Cheepnis”
7. “Hollywood Perverts”
8. “Penguin In Bondage”
9. “T’Mershi Duween”
10. “The Dog Breath Variations”
11. “Uncle Meat”
12. “RDNZL”
13. “Montana”
14. “Dupree’s Paradise”
DISC 2
1. “Dickie’s Such An Asshole”
12-9-73 Show 2
2. “Sunday Show 2 Start”
3. “Inca Roads”
4. “Village Of The Sun”
5. “Echidna’s Arf (Of You)”
6. “Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing?”
7. “Slime Intro”
8. “I’m The Slime”
9. “Big Swifty”
DISC 3
1. “Tango #1 Intro”
2. “Be-Bop Tango (Of The Old Jazzmen’s Church)”
3. “Medley: King Kong/Chunga’s Revenge/Son Of Mr. Green Genes”
12-10-73 Show 1
4. “Monday Show 1 Start”
5. “Montana”
6. “Dupree’s Paradise”
7. “Cosmik Intro”
8. “Cosmik Debris”
DISC 4
1. “Bondage Intro”
2. “Penguin In Bondage”
3. “T’Mershi Duween”
4. “The Dog Breath Variations”
5. “Uncle Meat”
6. “RDNZL”
7. “Audience Participation – RDNZL”
8. “Pygmy Twylyte”
9. “The Idiot Bastard Son”
10. “Cheepnis”
11. “Dickie’s Such An Asshole”
12-10-73 Show 2
12. “Monday Show 2 Start”
13. “Penguin In Bondage”
14. “T’Mershi Duween”
15. “The Dog Breath Variations”
16. “Uncle Meat”
17. “RDNZL”
DISC 5
1. “Village Of The Sun”
2. “Echidna’s Arf (Of You)”
3. “Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing?”
4. “Cheepnis – Percussion”
5. “‘I Love Monster Movies”
6. “Cheepnis”
7. “Turn The Light Off’/Pamela’s Intro”
8. “Pygmy Twylyte”
9. “The Idiot Bastard Son”
10. “Tango #2 Intro”
11. “Be-Bop Tango (Of The Old Jazzmen’s Church)”
DISC 6
1. “Dickie’s Such An Asshole”
Bonus Section: 12-10-73 Roxy Rehearsal
2. “Big Swifty – In Rehearsal”
3. “Village Of The Sun”
4. “Farther O’Blivion – In Rehearsal”
5. “Pygmy Twylyte”
6. “That Arrogant Dick Nixon”
12-12-73 Bolic Studios Recording Session
7. “Kung Fu – In Session”
8. “Kung Fu – with guitar overdub”
9. “Tuning and Studio Chatter”
10. “Echidna’s Arf (Of You) – In Session”
11. “Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow – In Session”
12. “Nanook Rubs It – In Session”
13. “St. Alfonzo’s Pancake Breakfast – In Session”
14. “Father O’Blivion – In Session”
15. “Rollo (Be-Bop Version)”
DISC 7
12-8-73 Sound Check/Film Shoot”
1. “Saturday Show Start”
2. “Pygmy Twylyte/Dummy Up”
3. “Pygmy Twylyte – Part II”
4. “Echidna’s Arf (Of You)”
5. “Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing?”
6. “Orgy, Orgy”
7. “Penguin In Bondage”
8. “T’Mershi Duween”
9. “The Dog Breath Variations”
10. “Uncle Meat/Show End”