FINER MOMENTS

This album, a collection of mostly live tracks recorded by Frank Zappa and the Mothers from 1969 through 1971, with a few of Frank's studio experiments, would be deserving of a higher rating had it been released when FZ originally compiled it, back when he was recovering from an injury caused by an idiot fan in 1971.

But released now, it is good, but the value has been diminished by having about two thirds of the album released on other albums, sometimes with different edits.

But of course, this is Zappa's music, and as such, it is a joy to listen to. While the titles make it appear that this is an album of all previously unknown tracks, it turns out that most of them, even the experiments, are known to the true Zappaphile under other names. My presumption is that these titles are the ones FZ assigned when he completed the album, and the family trust wanted to released it as such.

One low point: I really don't like listening to Frank conducting Roy Estrada, with his shrill falsetto, so having yet another irritating recording of Squeeze It, Squeeze It, Squeeze It is not welcome.