Mystery Disc Falls Church VA

Mystery Disc

Frank Zappa

Rykodisc, 1998

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 09/28/2005

During the '80s, Frank Zappa created special boxed sets of someof his earlier albums, and sold them to fans as The Old Masters. As an incentive for fans to spend theirmoney on albums they undoubtedly had (albeit in nicer condition),Zappa included a bonus record featuring material never made beforeelsewhere.

After Zappa's death in 1993, all but two of the cuts featured onthese bonus records - known as "Mystery Discs" - were released onthe CD Mystery Disc. (The remaining two tracks had become bonustracks on Absolutely Free.) Yet listening to this disc, I had towonder why many of these selections were even let out of thevault.

Granted, some of these have their own unique charms - "Charva,""Original Duke Of Prunes" and "Theme From 'Run Home Slow'" all areinteresting snapshots of Zappa as a young, up-and-coming artist,and they are enjoyable to listen to. The same can be said for"Speed Freak Boogie," "Black Beauty" and "Wedding Dress Song / TheHandsome Cabin Boy" (which sounds exactly like the version on The Lost Sessions), as well as early versions of "How CouldI Be Such A Fool" and "Plastic People".

So far, so good, right? So why would Mystery Disc also include what sounds like a generousportion of the on-stage play featured on Ahead Of Their Time yet again? If it's not the sameperformance from that night in London in 1968, it sounds damnedsimilar. Granted, I could say that a different version of "Charva"was on The Lost Sessions, but this track is still prettyenjoyable.