Frank Zappa - Remington Electric Razor [1981]

Remington Electric Razor é um clássico bootleg contendo uma coleção de outtakes do próprio Frank Zappa que, dizem por aí, foram roubadas dele ou coisa assim. Muitas faixas são exclusivas deste disco e ainda são essenciais. Duas delas seriam lançadas anos mais tarde em um dos discos da série You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore. Algumas partes destas gravações também aparecem na caixa Apocrypha, transferidas diretamente do vinil pirata. A última faixa, que empresta o nome a este bootleg, tem um vocal feminino creditado à cantora country Linda Ronstadt. A qualidade de áudio é excelente. Maiores detalhes no texto em inglês.

Zappa - Remington Electric Razor

This Frank Zappa bootleg LP from the late '70s stands head and shoulders above most of its pirate cousins because of the top-notch sound quality (on both the live and studio recordings) and the relative rarity of some of the individual tracks. Because of the fidelity of the live cuts excerpted, one can surmise they came from one of Zappa's occasional appearances as a guest DJ on various local radio stations in the U.S., where he often brought along unreleased songs to broadcast. "Freak Me Out, Frank" is nothing more than Zappa discussing an audience member who kept appearing at a number of concerts during a tour and screaming that expression. "Moe's Vacation" is a feature for bassist Arthur Barrow, percussionist Ed Mann (heard on marimba), and drummer Terry Bozzio (the rest of the band sits out this number); it is followed by another instrumental, "Black Page No. 2," which is not listed on the record jacket at all. "Dong Work for Yuda" is labeled as the original version, but only Zappa could have said for sure; this a cappella version is doo wop as only Zappa could create, complete with lyrics that could never be broadcast on the radio. "Dickie's Such an Asshole" (mislabeled "Tricky Dicky") was Zappa's early potshot at then-President Richard Nixon, yet it did not make its commercial debut until the 1989 releases Broadway the Hard Way and You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3" (and it is probably identical to the recording heard on the latter CD) some 15 years after Nixon's resignation. "Nite Owl" is a remake of an old 1950s single, with a falsetto backing vocal by Bob Harris. "My Name Is Fritz" is a circa 1968-1969 comedy bit in the studio; there are several mistakes in the dialogue (Jimmy Carl Black asks if he can shut off his suitcase) that Zappa edited out prior to its release. This track spoofs a stuffy German customs officer, played by Roy Estrada, who is searching the band's luggage. "Interview" is a rare studio outtake from Zappa's film 200 Motels, which was also omitted from the two-LP soundtrack and the later Rykodisc CD reissue. It features a soprano as an inexperienced reporter explaining she is there to interview the rock star; she's backed by an interesting mix of choruses (male and female) as well as some of Zappa's unique orchestrations, which incorporate a wild reworking of his song "A Pound for a Brown on the Bus." "I Can't Get Me No Satisfaction" is a brief song recorded during the 1978 tour; it's of little significance. The odd final track, "Remington Electric Razor," probably was conceived as a way to say that shaving would keep the police from bothering you during the hippie era; Linda Ronstadt is credited as the female singer on this novelty track, but the jury's still out. Although this bootleg LP is rather brief at just under 32 minutes, the great sound and relative rarity of most of these particular recordings make it highly desirable for Zappa fans to acquire.

From -> Ken Dryden, All Music Guide