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malaise that only consuming a 24-hour news cycle can bring . Dabbling with vintage synths here and there , Yo La Tengo finds ways of expanding their palette while staying true to their unique originality . This album even found a certain hometown fan , Michael Imperioli ( Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos ), jokingly threatening a writer for Pitchfork for only giving the album an 8.5 out of 10 ! This is certainly the best the band has sounded in years and arguably the best Yo La Tengo album since their 1997 high watermark I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One .
– Andy Derer
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FRANK ZAPPA Waka / Wazoo Box Set Waka / Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo 50th anniversary LP reissues ( UMe )
The hallmarks of Frank Zappa ’ s career were change , progression , and experimentation . One of his boldest and most satisfying excursions was marked by the “ electric orchestra ” period commemorated by the 50th-Anniversary reissues of 1972 albums Waka / Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo . A pair of individual gatefold releases on audiophilegrade vinyl represent the albums ’ first LP pressings since the ‘ 70s . Also available is a five-disc box set offering immersion into Zappa ’ s fascination with the fusion of jazz , rock , and R & B . In addition to a tour-concluding December 1972 concert recorded at San Francisco ’ s Winterland Ballroom by the 10-piece “ Petit Wazoo ” ensemble , the box includes a set of previously unreleased Zappa-produced ( and performed ) solo material demos for Mothers of Invention keyboardist George Duke . Maximum intrigue is provided by alternate performances and mixes of each of the nine mostly instrumental tracks split between Waka / Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo . The box is crowned by a Blu-ray disc with Dolby Atmos , surround , and high-definition audio mixes of the main albums . The albums were produced as the restless Zappa recuperated in Los Angeles in a wheelchair after being infamously assaulted and pushed from the stage at the Rainbow Theatre in London on December 10 , 1971 . A20-piece group was assembled to capture Zappa ’ s intricate material at Hollywood ’ s Paramount Studios . The jazzinfluenced Waka / Jawaka was envisioned as a sequel to Hot Rats , recorded with six to nine players . The ambitious jazz-fusion and R & B of The Grand Wazoo required a group ranging from eight musicians to the full 20 . Tracking for both albums occurred within a single week . Sparkling brass , big band influences , and jazz improvisations combine with the already broad Mothers of Invention palette to set these albums apart in the voluminous Zappa catalog . The jumbo-sized group performed eight dates in 1972 before Zappa retooled to feature the scaled-down “ Petit Wazoo ” on the road for nearly two months in the fall . “ You should be digging it while it ’ s happening ,” sings Sal Marquez during Waka / Jawaka track “ It Just Might Be a One-Shot Deal .” Marquez also trades Miles Davis-inspired trumpet leads with Sneaky Pete Kleinow ’ s weeping pedal steel guitar . The comical angles are amplified during the alternate Waka / Wazooversion . The Grand Wazoo ’ s “ Eat That Question ” leads with nimble R & B figures shared between keyboardists George Duke and Don Preston on electric pianos before drummer Aynsley Dunbar comes crashing in alongside Zappa ’ s catchy guitar riff , ultimately closing with brass fanfare . The song is further explored through two longer versions and one more compact performance . The Grand Wazoo ’ s swinging instrumental title track is heard in an alternate iteration with lyrics and a different arrangement as “ Think It Over .” An alternate version of the title track “ Waka / Jawaka ” features an earlier arrangement including a Moog drum solo omitted from the album version . The alternate version also showcases newcomer and shorttimer Alex “ Erroneous ” Dmochowski ’ s nimble and intuitive bass playing alongside Dunbar ’ s free-spirited percussion . Duke ’ s demos include psychedelic treatment on material like “ Psychosomatic Dung ,” which was later re-recorded for the 1974 album Faces in Reflection . “ For Love ( I Come Your Friend )” leads with anthemic trumpets and Zappa ’ s searing psych-blues guitar before settling into a smooth R & B groove and vocalist Lauren “ Chunky ” Wood ’ s soothing delivery . The song would later join “ Uncle Remus ” on 1975 ’ s The Aura Will Prevail . “ Uncle Remus ” also appeared on Zappa ’ s 1974 album Apostrophe (‘). Although the later album versions both included Zappa ’ s lyrical criticisms of class and race , the demo included here is a stirring and Gospelinflected instrumental feature for Duke ’ s piano and synthesizer wizardry . The concert recording by the Petit Wazoo ensemble opens with “ Little Dots ,” topping 18 minutes with skittering drums , improvisational bass , stinging guitar , and acid-jazz brass . The show features a spirited performance of Over-Nite Sensation track “ Montana ,” describing Zappa ’ s loopy plan to get rich farming dental floss . Zappa cuts loose on