Great googly-moogly! Frank Zappa’s potty-mouth masterpiece is a half-century old and now fêted with a 75-track box set. The original LP has been expertly remastered to increase separation between tracks without sacrificing analog warmth. Audibly improved, Frank’s wah-wah shred on “Nanook Rubs It” and “Cosmik Debris” still eviscerates after all these decades.

Beyond the LP tracks are nine studio outtakes. Cream superhero Jack Bruce delivered fuzz-bass nirvana on the original title track; now, enjoy the unedited version featuring an 11-minute jam between Frank, Jack, and drummer Jim Gordon. There’s a fresh take of Zappa’s R&B piano gem “Uncle Remus” – inevitably, FZ stomps on his fiery fuzz.

Also look for complete ’74 Mothers of Invention concerts from Colorado and Ohio. Frank’s crack band and guitarmanship are in full glory; listen to “Approximate” for ruthless power chords and fusion runs. Zappa torches “Montana” with fat crunch tone, and takes a particularly magnificent solo on “Stink-foot” from the Dayton show. Here, he deploys that trademark DI-guitar tone and mix of Dorian and Lydian modal ideas.

While there are endless 50th-anniversary boxes, this one is on the money. Zappa was a genius of American music, and this updated box proves it conclusively.

This article originally appeared in VG’s November 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.