On February 2nd, Zappa Records/UMe will release the long-awaited The Roxy Performances, a box set of audio from all four of Frank Zappa’s lauded performances at The Roxy in Hollywood on December 9th and 10th, 1973. Previously, the Zappa Family Trust released Roxy: The Movie in 2015, a film chronicling this renowned Frank Zappa run also featuring George Duke, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Tom Fowler, Bruce Fowler, Ruth Underwood, Ralph Humphrey, and Chester Thompson. However, the film’s soundtrack was limited, as it only contained highlights for the various performances. In contrast, The Roxy Performances will be extensive and rings in at eight hours of music, also including audio from the invite-only soundcheck and film shoot on December 8th, 1973, ahead of The Roxy run.

The box set is currently available for pre-order and can be found here. In addition to eight hours of music, The Roxy Performances also contains a 48-page booklet with liner notes and essays from Zappa family friends. Those who pre-order The Roxy Performances will be rewarded with bonus materials, such as audio of Frank Zappa’s session at Ike Turner’s Bolic Sound in Inglewood a few days after the final Roxy show and an immediate download of “RDNZL” from the December 9th early performance.

As explained by Ahmet Zappa, who helped co-produce The Roxy Performances with archivist Joe Travers, “This is one of my favorite FZ line-ups ever. This box contains some of the best nights of music Los Angeles has ever seen with their ears at an historic venue. … Hold on to your hotdogs people. This box is the be-all-end-all. This is it. This is all of it. It’s time to get your rocks off for the Roxy.”

 

The Roxy Performances Tracklist

DISC 1

12-9-73 Show 1
1. Sunday Show 1 Start 4:59
2. Cosmik Debris 11:33
3. “We’re Makin’ A Movie” 3:16
4. Pygmy Twylyte 9:08
5. The Idiot Bastard Son 2:19
6. Cheepnis 3:44
7. Hollywood Perverts 1:07
8. Penguin In Bondage 5:54
9. T’Mershi Duween 1:56
10. The Dog Breath Variations 1:44
11. Uncle Meat 2:29
12. RDNZL 5:14
13. Montana 7:49
14. Dupree’s Paradise 15:25
TT: 76:43

DISC 2
1. Dickie’s Such An Asshole 10:29
12-9-73 Show 2
2. Sunday Show 2 Start 4:08
3. Inca Roads 8:27
4. Village Of The Sun 4:19
5. Echidna’s Arf (Of You) 4:01
6. Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing? 13:22
7. Slime Intro :59
8. I’m The Slime 3:34
9. Big Swifty 9:01
TT: 58:25

DISC 3
1. Tango #1 Intro 3:50
2. Be-Bop Tango (Of The Old Jazzmen’s Church) 18:12
3. Medley:
King Kong
Chunga’s Revenge
Son Of Mr. Green Genes 9:46
12-10-73 Show 1
4. Monday Show 1 Start 5:31
5. Montana 6:57
6. Dupree’s Paradise 21:26
7. Cosmik Intro 1:05
8. Cosmik Debris 8:05
TT: 74:57

DISC 4
1. Bondage Intro 1:52
2. Penguin In Bondage 6:54
3. T’Mershi Duween 1:52
4. The Dog Breath Variations 1:48
5. Uncle Meat 2:29
6. RDNZL 4:59
7. Audience Participation – RDNZL 3:08
8. Pygmy Twylyte 4:05
9. The Idiot Bastard Son 2:21
10. Cheepnis 4:49
11. Dickie’s Such An Asshole 10:21
12-10-73 Show 2
12. Monday Show 2 Start 5:13
13. Penguin In Bondage 6:33
14. T’Mershi Duween 1:52
15. The Dog Breath Variations 1:46
16. Uncle Meat 2:28
17. RDNZL 5:11
TT: 67:50

DISC 5
1. Village Of The Sun 4:05
2. Echidna’s Arf (Of You) 3:54
3. Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing? 6:56
4. Cheepnis – Percussion 4:08
5. “I Love Monster Movies” 2:10
6. Cheepnis 3:35
7. “Turn The Light Off”/Pamela’s Intro 3:59
8. Pygmy Twylyte 7:23
9. The Idiot Bastard Son 2:22
10. Tango #2 Intro 2:01
11. Be-Bop Tango (Of The Old Jazzmen’s Church) 22:08
TT: 62:46

DISC 6
1. Dickie’s Such An Asshole 15:39
Bonus Section: 12-10-73 Roxy Rehearsal
2. Big Swifty – In Rehearsal 2:50
3. Village Of The Sun 3:13
4. Farther O’Blivion – In Rehearsal 5:34
5. Pygmy Twylyte 6:17
Unreleased Track
6. That Arrogant Dick Nixon 2:19
12-12-73 Bolic Studios Recording Session
7. Kung Fu – In Session 4:50
8. Kung Fu – with guitar overdub 1:17
9. Tuning and Studio Chatter 3:38
10. Echidna’s Arf (Of You) – In Session 1:22
11. Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow – In Session 9:49
12. Nanook Rubs It – In Session 5:41
13. St. Alfonzo’s Pancake Breakfast – In Session 2:46
14. Father O’Blivion – In Session 2:31
15. Rollo (Be-Bop Version) 2:36
TT: 70:31

DISC 7
12-8-73 Sound Check/Film Shoot
1. Saturday Show Start 2:20
2. Pygmy Twylyte/Dummy Up* 20:25
3. Pygmy Twylyte – Part II 14:25
4. Echidna’s Arf (Of You) 3:42
5. Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing? 6:01
6. Orgy, Orgy 3:39
7. Penguin In Bondage 6:30
8. T’Mershi Duween 1:53
9. The Dog Breath Variations 1:45
10. Uncle Meat/Show End 4:01
TT: 64:46