New-ish Release: Frank Zappa’s Halloween '78

The Unmasked Truth - LIVE at The Palladium, New York

As a lifelong devotee of Frank Zappa I approached the new release Halloween 78  with both excitement and a raised eyebrow. So let’s unpack this beast: the music, the performances, and the packaging. Ready? Strap in.

Frank was never a big fan of music critics, but if you go for that sort of thing, and if the critics are to be believed, the music is an absolute, jaw-dropping masterpiece. But, it’s Zappa… So when is it NOT a masterpiece? Granted, less than stellar bootleg recordings of this show have been making their way around the Zappasphere for decades so this “for reals” release of the whole show is quite the upgrade. Vaultmeister Joe Travers went all the way back to the original master tapes to properly mix and master the music so ALL the notes could be heard, which was not the case with the old bootlegs. From that perspective this is indeed a step up and more inline with what you would expect of a typical Zappa audio experience.

This 5-CD set captures the 1978 touring band, featuring the stellar twin-keyboard attack of Tommy Mars and Peter Wolf AND twin-bassists Arthur Barrow & Patrick O’Hearn. Denny Walley provided vocals and rhythm guitar. Ed Mann on percussion, and for the Halloween show specifically Indian violinist L. Shankar sat in from time to time. Drummer Vinnie Colaiuta was just 6 months into his tenure with the band but was already bringing the heat and a new style compared to his predecessor in the drum chair, Terry Bozzio. So, no argument from me of the musicianship on display from this “rockin’ teenage combo” as FZ likes to introduce them, but I could have used another rhythm guitar on stage to help fatten up the sound a bit when Frank wasn’t playing.

The nearly four-hour Palladium marathon included performances of must-have tracks like “Peaches En Regalia” and “Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow” alongside double digit monster jams like “Thirteen” and “Packard Goose” which feature Frank’s unique soloing style and guests like L. Shankar on violin. Of course, there are also the obligatory moments of “audience participation” with story telling, dance-offs, random shouting, people trying to get autographs mid-show and everything else that made for a classic Zappa live show experience in the 70s. It’s everything an archival Zappa release should be: a sprawling, virtuoso celebration of musical genius that confirms Frank’s own belief that “anything worth doing is worth doing in excess.”

Highlights

Ancient Armaments opens the show and immediately sets the bar. The improvisational guitar-solo intro brings that “no holds barred” live FZ attitude: you get a sense of him warming up the crowd, taking no prisoners. For fans of Zappa’s guitar work (and let’s be honest, that describes us all), this is a treat. He’s lucid, playful, aggressive, and really channeling something special from the very first note. Other standouts on the first disc of music include a halftime feel version of Easy Meat (with a blistering if relatively short solo), Pound For A Brown, and Thirteen (both with extended improv jam sections)

Opening the second disc is fan-favorite (or not) Dinah-Moe Humm, but the real fireworks come a bit later. After getting Bobby Brown Goes Down and Coneheads out of the way, the band heads into deep water with the pseudo-orchestral Little House I Used To Live In (finished off with a masterful drum solo from Vinnie) followed by an extended version of Watermelon In Eater Hay with FZ and L. Shankar trading solos.

The third disc includes the near 20-minute version of Packard Goose mentioned above, followed by the always spectacular run of the four opening songs from 1974’s Apostrophe affectionately referred to as the “Nanook Suite.” The show wraps up with a warp speed version of Camarillo Brillo, seamlessly segueing into Muffin Man with guest vocals from the audience and another blistering guitar solo. The closer is a mash-up of 2 live show staples, Black Napkins and The Deathless Horsie, letting this amazing band stretch out for one final, exhausted, spontaneous moment before the lights come down on Halloween 78.

Bonus Show 10/27/1978

This show from a few nights prior contains many of the same songs from the real show, and I’m sure was used as a warm up to ensure the band would be in tip-top shape for the actual Halloween extravaganza. Without the added pressure and expectation of the “big show,” the band feels relaxed and more like they’re having fun with the music. This performance is tighter and offered better versions of most of the songs played but mostly without the extended solos and out-there improvisation of the “stage spectacular” a few nights later. Big standout here is Peaches En Regalia which comes off a little lackluster on the 31st, but really shines on the 27th.

From a lifelong Zappa fan’s vantage point: this Halloween 78 set earns its place in the FZ family. It doesn’t just rest on nostalgia or “oh I have to buy another box set” — it gives enough fresh performances and band interplay to justify attention (I did mention Vinnie was playing drums, right?). It’s so rare to hear rock musicians of this caliber play fully improvisationally in live settings so even if the songs are somewhat repetitive with other live releases, the solos are not, and that’s what makes this set unique.

If you’re a serious fan/collector you’ll love it. The “new” versions, the full show, the improved audio, the jam-heavy pieces – those are gold. If you are a casual listener, you’ll blah, blah, blah, whatever… is there even such a thing as a “casual Zappa listener” at this point? I don’t think so.

Packaging & Extras

It is here we arrive in the realm of spectacle for spectacle’s sake.

While the music is a solid gold treat, the $180+ price tag for the “Super Deluxe Costume Box Set” has fans questioning their life choices. The box includes 5 CDs (full show + bonus from Oct 27, 1978) + packaging featuring Zappa as the devil, a pop-out mask, a UV-light pitchfork (yes really), a “grimoire” book with rare photos and artwork by Fantoons—because nothing screams “serious art” like a plastic prop that probably won’t fit your adult head.

As a longtime fan, I can appreciate the fun… Zappa loved Halloween, loved costuming, loved absurdity. The packaging does channel that and would make me want to buy it. I mean, the UV-light pitchfork and mask make me smile (and slightly cringe) in equal measure all by themselves, but did I buy it? No… I did not.

So go ahead, buy or stream the music for its brilliance, but if you buy the box set, just know you’re paying a premium for a glow-in-the-dark plastic fork you’ll wave around once and instantly throw in a box to forget about.

Music

Spotify:

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/halloween-78-super-deluxe-live-at-the-palladium-nyc/1849229284