Roxy & Elsewhere - Zappa at his best

When we talk about live albums, there are not many that stand by themselves or even outgrow the studio versions. There are few that are not released only for contractual or budgetary reasons. Like “Made in Japan” by Deep Purple or MC5’s “Kick Out the Jams”, this live album by Frank Zappa is a true masterpiece, with renditions of songs that sound much better and much more exciting than the studio originals. Most of the songs on “Roxy and Elsewhere” were recorded at The Roxy Theatre in Hollywood, California on December 8, 9 and 10, 1973 and represent the best live versions from that period of Frank Zappa‘s songs such as “Penguin in Bondage”, “Cheepnis” or “Be-Bop Tango” (oh, that’s a hilarious one), with outstanding playing and acting performances by the band. And Zappa’s bands are known for several things – superb virtuosity, on-stage-creativity, outstanding dynamics and musicianship. At moments this albums will bring tears to your eyes (from laughing, of course) and there is a constant exciting interplay between the musicians. It’s always a pleasure to pick up a Zappa LP and put it on, but so far this is the record I’ve listened to the most. It doesn’t get boring even when you’ve learned all the lines and arrangements by heart.