Following this month’s release of three new Frank Zappa albums, the Zappa Family Trust and UMe are continuing their extensive reissue campaign by releasing five works on vinyl for the first time in decades: Cruising With Ruben & The Jets, Joe’s Garage, Lumpy Gravy, Weasels Ripped My Flesh and We’re Only In It For The Money. The albums, all from the late ’60s to late ’70s period, will be pressed on 180-gram vinyl and available December 9.
The five new vinyl releases follow new albums Meat Light (The Uncle Meat Project/Object Audio Documentary), Little Dots and Chicago ’78, released earlier this month. The 50th anniversary of Zappa’s first single “How Could I Be Such A Fool” is also being celebrated with a limited edition pink vinyl 7-inch for Record Store Day’s Black Friday on November 25. The flip side will feature “Help I’m A Rock (3rd Movement: It Can’t Happen Here).”
Related: The Mothers of Invention’s We’re Only In It for the Money is a ’60s classic
Meanwhile, Zappa’s oldest son, Dweezil, has announced a string of new tour dates. When we last heard from him, Dweezil was embroiled in a bitter, ugly dispute with two of his siblings over his right to use the name of his late father in promoting his own concerts. The guitarist has apparently settled on “50 Years of Frank” and has now announced a handful of new concert dates for 2017.
Dweezil Zappa has confirmed a 14-city U.S. tour of the South and Midwest, kicking off January 11 in Pensacola, Florida, and ending January 26 in Minneapolis. Tickets are on sale here, with some shows offering a guitar master class from Dweezil.
Dweezil Zappa: 50 Years of Frank Tour Dates
January 11 Pensacola, FL Vinyl Music Hall
January 12 Fort Lauderdale, FL Culture Room
January 13 Ponte Vedra Beach, FL Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
January 14 Orlando, FL The Plaza Live
January 15 St. Petersburg, FL Jannus Live
January 17 Knoxville, TN Bijou Theatre
January 18 Asheville, NC The Orange Peel
January 19 Raleigh, NC Lincoln Theatre
January 20 Charlotte, NC Neighborhood Theatre
January 21 Nashville, TN Marathon Music Works
January 22 Columbus, OH Express Live!
January 24 Kalamazoo, MI Kalamazoo State Theatre
January 25 Bloomington, IN The Castle Theatre
January 26 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Dweezil Zappa is also launching a Pledge Music crowd-funding campaign to attempt to keep the legal rights to use his own name professionally. Fans can go here for more information.
Related: Frank Zappa’s children are embroiled in an ongoing legal squabble
Watch Dweezil Zappa play “Muffin Man” in the summer of 2016
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