Jul 31, 2012 at 11:53 AM | Music News | By Rock Square

Fans of the weird and wild side of rock ‘n’ roll, rejoice: Universal’s promise to reissue Frank Zappa’s expansive back catalogue begins bearing fruit today, with the release of the mustachioed madman’s first twelve albums. Zappa, who passed away in 1993 after blowing musical minds for nearly thirty years, released records at a fearfully hectic clip, which explains the staggering volume of product set to be unleashed by Universal under the aegis of the Zappa Family Trust. 

Today’s reissue of Zappa’s late sixties and early seventies output is only the beginning of the flood. The rest of 2012 will find Universal doling out Zappa product month-by-month, the end result of which will test even the well-off among us, as we are looking at 60--yup, six-zero--Zappa reissues on the market by year’s end.

Dedicated Zappa heads take note, however: Universal’s reissues arrive sans bells and whistles, so don’t go tossing that old Rykodisc version of Weasels Ripped My Flesh, because this fresh batch of Zappa isn’t bent on adding anything new to the man’s canon of strangeness. But those familiar with Zappa’s twisted, irreverent, inventive approach to musical forms know that this was an artist not lacking in bells and whistles in the first place. What else is there to add, really, right?

If nothing else, the reissue push, which will also see Zappa’s catalogue finally making its way to the iTunes market, will deliver a rock legend’s bizarre work to a new generation of freaky kids.

 

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