I don’t think there’s ever been much doubt that Frank Zappa was something of a maverick, and this made-for-TV concert, recorded in 1974, in the private rehearsal hall of the Mothers Of Invention, by Zappa himself, is prime evidence of just how much of a pioneer the uncompromising, left field artist truly was. Sadly, the concert never made it to any major television networks due to certain technical errors, so it never saw the light of day. Until now, thanks to the advancement of modern technology, it sees release in a super deluxe boxset that is presented on Blu-Ray, CD, and 3LP picture disc vinyl, accompanied by a comprehensive 14-page booklet.
One of the main things you take away from listening to Cheaper Than Cheep is just what an amazing experience it must have been to see the great man live, and on songs like ‘Cosmic Debris‘, the first musical number that appears here, you realise that Zappa was no slouch on guitar either – this particular track even evokes memories of Jimi Hendrix, which should tell you all you need to know about The man’s own not insubstantial shredding abilities, really.
Other than that, Zappa has a pleasing, downbeat, dry humour to his between-song patter that just endears him even more to the listener, as do the free-spirited arrangements that permeate these compositions. Prog-rock that’s often beautiful as opposed to the studious, over-the-top meanderings that more times than not sullied the waters of the genre for many of us who felt we were treated with contempt by its purveyors. Zappa never feels like that. He sounds like he really wants us at the party, and what’s more, loves having us there. So much so that he’ll perform goofball impromptu tunes like ‘Penguin In Bondage‘ which, as far as I know, was never actually released in a studio version, or thrilling two and a half minute blues rock such as the brilliant ‘I’m Not Satisfied‘ from 1966’s Freak Out!, which is as commercial as fuck despite being all over the place conceptually.
Lengthier tracks like ‘Dupree’s Paradise‘ entice you in gently, as though you’re entering some kind of magical wonderland, the Mothers’ backing here proving beyond doubt what a close-knit, mind-blowingly tight band they were, with a whole lot of stamina (though this is a more laid back, I would imagine marijuana fuelled, experience than I probably just made it sound). This particular track’s Hammond organ elicits thoughts of Ray Manzarek‘s playing in The Doors, eventually overshadowed by Zappa’s stratospheric lead guitar outbursts.
Of course, not everything here goes off on proggy tangents – ‘Let’s Make The Water Turn Black‘, for one, even treads the waters of being mainstream, owing more of a debt to the likes of Cream or John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. So while most of the tracks here are quite intense, moments like this, or the soulful, bittersweet ‘How Could I Be Such A Fool‘, again from Freak Out!, make Cheaper Than Cheep an extremely enjoyable listening experience.
This is a fine release indeed, and in all honesty, it’s also a great place to start for those of you who find Zappa’s extensive catalogue (62 albums in his lifetime and even more than that posthumously) too daunting.
We’re Only In It For The Money? Nah. On this evidence, Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention were clearly in it for the love of it, and that spirit is audibly captured here.
Cheaper Than Cheep is out now on Zappa Records/UMe.
