Frank Zappa and his band, the Mothers of Invention, were riding high in June 1974. They’d just completed a 10th-anniversary tour and, only three months earlier, had released Apostrophe (’), their first and only Top 10 album. Energized by those successes, they filmed a two-hour concert for a small, invited audience on June 21 in their Hollywood, California, rehearsal hall. Zappa intended to shop the show to television networks but shelved it after he discovered that the audio and video were out of sync. Recently, however, his son, Ahmet, restored the tapes.
Ahmet says he and his associates had to “fight through decades of decay, glitches [and] missing pieces,” and fight they did. The result is a three-disc set, coming June 27, 2025, called Cheaper Than Cheep, which presents audio and video versions of the previously unseen concert on CD and Blu-ray. (You can also opt for a three-LP vinyl edition, among other configurations.) The video isn’t widescreen (hey, this was 1974), but the image quality is fine for its time, and the sound is even better. The Blu-ray disc offers it in several formats, including Dolby Atmos, stereo and 5.1 surround. And, yes, everything is now in sync. [It’s available for pre-order in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.]
The band, one of Zappa’s best, features the late composer on guitar and vocals, plus Chester Thompson (drums), George Duke (keyboards, vocals), Jeff Simmons (guitar, vocals), Napoleon Murphy Brock (flute, tenor sax, vocals), Tom Fowler (bass) and Ruth Underwood (percussion, including marimba). A 24-page illustrated booklet includes notes by Underwood and Zappa archivist Joe Travers.
The 23-song program mines some of Zappa’s most noteworthy material. He reaches all the way back to Freak Out, the Mothers’ sterling 1966 debut, for “Wowie Zowie,” “I’m Not Satisfied” and “How Could I Be Such a Fool,” which reflects his affection for early rock ’n’ roll. Other highlights include “Let’s Make the Water Turn Black,” from We’re Only in It for the Money, and “Inca Roads,” which would appear on 1975’s One Size Fits All. Also excellent are “RDNZL,” a showcase for Underwood’s improvisational virtuosity, and the title track from Apostrophe (’), which is the only number not credited solely to Zappa. (He wrote it with drummer Jim Gordon and Cream’s Jack Bruce.)
Related: Our review of the Apostrophe (‘) boxed set
On some of his albums, Zappa’s at times puerile humor gets in the way of the music. On Cheaper Than Cheep, though, it’s his band’s excellence and his intricate, frequently jazz-influenced compositions that mostly command center stage, making this a must-buy for fans.
A top editor at leading consumer and trade magazines for more than 40 years, Jeff has interviewed dozens of musical luminaries, including Bruce Springsteen, Steve Van Zandt, Roger McGuinn, John Sebastian, Wolfman Jack, Tommy James, Tom Waits, the Righteous Brothers, and the members of Steely Dan.
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