The Grand Wazoo
Victor A. Ilenda | 02/01/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Way back in 1987 I bought the Rykodisc CD of Zappa's The Grand Wazoo. Over the years the CD was either lost or sold, leaving me yearning again for another copy. I then purchased the remastered edition of the album (unknowingly) and was quite shocked and disappointed when Zappa's son Dweezil interfered with the mixes and song order from the original master tapes. Gone was George Duke's lush, rock-jazz fused electric piano solo in one particular song. It was completely buried in the mix to benefit Ansley Dunbar's drumming, which now is brought up in the mix. Another flaw was the very first song on the album is not The Grand Wazoo--its For Calvin and his next two hitch-hikers. Please keep away from the remastered edition of the Grand Wazoo and do what I did, which was to buy an original 1987 Rykodisc copy, used of course. This one was mixed and approved by Frank himself. Sorry, Dweezil.
Greg Ilenda"