YOU CAN'T DO THAT ON STAGE ANYMORE SAMPLER

"You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Sampler" is a compilation album by US experimental rock artist Frank Zappa. The album was released through Barking Pumpkin/Zappa Records in April 1988 on double vinyl and cassette tape. As of now (August 2014) it has not yet been released on CD.

The album features 12 tracks that would later appear on the "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 1-4" live albums. "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 5 and 6" are not represented on this release. There are some lengthy versions of "The Torture Never Stops" and "Montana (Whipping-Floss)" on this sampler but to my ears the real treat are the live version of "The Evil Prince" which would later be featured on "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4 (1991)". This version of the track features Ray White on lead vocals. Another track here that deserves a mention is "Dickie´s Such An Asshole" which would later be featured on "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 3 (1989)". The lo-fi live sound quality is really charming and authentic, and I can almost picture how the small venue must have looked and felt like on that particular night. "Nanook Rubs It" appears here in an edited version compared to the version on "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 1 (1988)". It´s a minor issue because edits are seldom a good solution and that also applies here. But keeping in mind that this is a sampler with limited space and running time, I guess the edit choice makes sense.

Upon conclusion "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Sampler" is above all a collector´s item as there is nothing new here if you already own "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 1-4" (...and of course you do). The quality of the material is so high though that a 4 star (80%) rating is still warranted, but you should of course purchase the "real" albums instead.

As along time FZ fan (since DC 101 in Northern Virginia aired a 2-hour special just after Joe's Garage Act I was released one Sunday evening), I feel compelled to offer my concurrance with UMUR. The Evil Prince is one of Frank's greatest tunes, and this live version is a different version from the one included on the cd series. Of course, it is much more lively than the version on the hard-to-sit-through-even-for-real-diehard-fans-such-as-myself Thing-Fish. Ray White absolutely kills it in his delivery. One of my all-time favorites. The superlatives can just keep coming for Dickie's Such An Asshole. This version is also unavailable elsewhere. The aura within this track is dank and sweaty. The band is tight (they always were, so that doesn't mean too much) making for a great, previously unreleased gem. Frank tended to mess with the tracks perhaps a bit too much. He must have found some other versions that suited him better. To my ears, these are worth seeking out. The long version of the Yellow Snow medley on Volume 1 is worth having, for sure. The poetry readings are kind of charming, and that ending coda they worked up is a nice reward. Ike had a lot of charm on that track. My bud has taken to converting his vinyl to CD, making for convenient listens and easy ripping to mp3 format, or whatever your preference might be. In this world of iPods and the like, it's a treat to have this pop up on my player every so often. Life is good when the Zappa Family Trust sees fit to release any thing concern Frank, as far as I'm concerned. "Music is the best!"