HOT RATS LIVE!
HOT RATS LIVE! Is an on-stage presentation of the entire 1969 classic Frank Zappa album 'Hot Rats.' The concert took place in Birmingham England in 2019.
Performed in the album running order, replete with improvisational solos, the songs were extremely challenging and this recording is 100% live. So much so, you will probably hear a few mistakes, but c'est la vie, we're human!
Eran Ben Zur's Front Of House mix would have been what the audience heard that night and is exactly what you are hearing as you listen right now.
To my knowledge, my dad never performed two of the songs live at any of his concerts, "Little Umbrellas" and "It Must Be A Camel." I arranged them to match the album as close as possible with my band's instrumentation and they were debuted as live performances on that tour.
Much of the sound design for the live show replicates the identical frequency range of the original album. It's a musical time machine and a wild ride! If you were there then you know this was a labor of love and if you're hearing it for the first time I hope you enjoy the show!
Best, DZ
I told your brother this story at the listening party for the Dolby Atmos listening party for Overnite Sensation: One sunny day I was sitting on a bench at LAX waiting for a friend to come in from being on tour with RATT and as I enjoyed my cigarette I heard a voice behind me ask me for a light, I turned around with my Zippo in hand and holy shit, it was your dad. It took awhile to recognize him as he had just come back from the PMRC hearings so his hair was short. He sat down next to me, we chatted about life and music for about i/2 an hour and his ride showed up and into the world he went. A memory burned into my brain and I will cherish it forever...I only had the pleasure of witnessing your dad's prowess onstage once at The Hollywood Palladium in '73, I sat on the floor, the air smelled funny and I was exahusted by the end of Chunga's Revenge. I have caught your show a couple of times and the manner in which you have kept your dad's legacy of music alive is truly stupendous so thanks for that. One last little tidbit, your dad's first recording studio, Studio Z, in Rancho Cucamonga (no Rancho at that time) is a mere 12 minutes from my house and one of the places he lived in, on G Street in Ontario, is even closer..."May your shit come to life and kiss you on the face"
That's a great story and memory, thanks for sharing. I never had the privilege of seeing Frank in concert, but I AM going to see Dweezil this August! I've been listening to a lot of Dweezil's live music, and he's doing an amazing job of promoting and preserving Frank's legacy and genius. I must add though that Dweezil is amazing in his own right!
If I could only have access to a single Frank composition on that proverbial desert island, I would choose It Must Be A Camel. I agree with every single chord change. It's the most beautiful, albeit weird, piece, and it makes my heart sing and cry. The percussive parts are a workshop of Frank's architecture with complex and vivid examples. Very sweet live rendition by the HRO. Love you guys! Thx for this.
