Frank Zappa’s Halloween 1981 Residence at the Palladium of New York will appear in the upcoming 6-CD boxset Halloween 81, the latest entry in a series of collections dedicated to the legendary All Hallows Eve guitar of the great guitar.
Zappa Records and UMe – which were released earlier Halloween 77 in 2017 and Halloween 73 in 2019 – will feature three full-length performances from Zappa’s five-show, four-night stand at the Palladium: Both the early and afternoon Halloween 1981 performances, as well as the November 1 concert the following night. Halloween 81, now available for pre-order, arrives October 2nd.
Portions of the Halloween performances appeared on Zappa concert films as well The torture never stops and within his live series You can not do that on the new Anime, mar Halloween 81 marks the first time the shows have been released in their entirety, with more than 70 previously unreleased live recordings, including first single “I’m the Slime” from November 1st:
Like the previous one Halloween sets, de Halloween 81 is accompanied by a Zappa-themed dress ready; in this case it is a Count Frankula mask along with a red and black cap. The box is also filled with a 52-page pamphlet containing rare photos of the stay and new notes from Zappa’s keyboardist liner for the stay Robert Martin, Vaultmeister Joe Travers and super by Gary Titone, which commemorates’ e show penned.
“Halloween 1981 became one of Zappa’s most popular of all Halloween residences in New York City,” Travers wrote in the set’s liner notes. “The image of Frank in his warm magenta jumpsuit has become an iconic word in the world of rock and roll.”
Just a month after Zappa released his 1981 studio double-LP You are what you are, the set lists of the Halloween performances are heavy on tracks from that album, with Zappa favorites from his entire career mixed in. Zappa’s band at the time included veteran guitarist Ray White, percussionist Ed Mann and guitar virtuoso Steve Vai.
Martin writes in his liner notes, “All in all, the elements of sonic exploration and social commentary that run through all of Frank’s albums and tours, especially well represented in this issue, are perhaps reinforced by the surrealistic aspect of Halloween and the openness of the crowd to participate even more in the experimental atmosphere in which Frank lived and personified. ‘ anything can happen ‘.
The 1981 Halloween residency marked Zappa’s definitive shows at the beloved New York Palladium, and his penultimate Halloween residency; the guitarist would deliver another lighthearted Halloween performance at the New York Felt Forum in 1984.
A single disc version with highlights of Halloween 81 will also be released; this 14-track collection will feature an exclusive version of ‘Strictly Genteel’, released from November 1st.
Halloween 81 follows the release of the Mother 1970 set to celebrate the short life lineup of that band.
Halloween 81 Track List
DISC 1 10/31/81 – 8 p.m. Show 1
1. Revenge of Chunga’s
2. “The most beautiful night of the year”
3. You are what you are – Take 1
4. You are what you are – Take 2
5. Mudd Club
6. The meek shall not prosper
7. Stupid everywhere
8. Heavenly Bank Accounts
9. Suicide Chump
10. Jumbo Go Away
11. Envelopes
12. Drunk witch
13. What’s new in Baltimore?
14. Moggio
15. We turn again
16. Alien Orifice
DISC 2 10/31/81 – 8 p.m. Show 1 – cont
1. Prostitute of teens
2. Flakes
3. Broken hearts are for holes
4. The blue light
5. Tinsel Town Rebellion
6. Yo Mama
7. Bobby Brown goes down
8. City of Tiny Lites
9. “We will not stand for it!”
10. Strictly reproduced
11. Dance Fool
12. Whipping Post
DISC 3 10/31/81 – 12 o’clock Show 2
Black napkins
2. “A Historical Event”
3. Montana
4. Easy meat
5. Society pages
I’m a beautiful boy
7. Beauty knows no pain
8. Charlie’s Enormous Mouth
9. Beautiful girl
10. Teen-age Wind
11. Harder than your husband
12. Bamboozled By Love
13. Sinister Footwear II
14. Stevie’s Spanking
15. Commercial breach
DISC 4 10/31/81 – 12 o’clock Show 2 – cont
1. Cocaine decisions
2. Nig Biz
3. Doreen
4. Goblin girl
5. The black page # 2
6. Try to grow a chin
7. Strictly reproduced
8. The torture never stops
9. “The real show keeps going”
10. Joe’s Garage
11. Why does it hurt when I pee?
12. The Illinois Enema Bandit
13. “The Halloween Tradition”
14. King Kong
15. Auld Lang Syne
DISC 5 11/01/81
1. Zoot Allures
2. “The Last of Our Halloween Shows”
3. I’m The Slime
4. Pound for a brown
5. Dave & Al
6. Cosmik Debris
7. Montana
8. Easy meat
9. Stupid everywhere
10. Heavenly Bank Accounts
11. Suicide Chump
12. Jumbo Go Away
13. Envelopes
14. Drowning Witch
DISC 6 11/01/81 – cont
1. What’s new in Baltimore?
2. Moggio
3. We turn again
4. Alien Orifice
5. Prostitute of teens
6. Sinister Footwear II
7. Stevie’s spanking
8. Cocaine decisions
9. Nig Biz
10. Goblin girl
11. The black page # 2
12. Whipping Post
13. Broken hearts are for holes
14. The torture never stops
Halloween 81 Highlights Track List
1. Chunga’s Revenge (Live at the Palladium – 31/10/81 – Show 1)
2. “The Most Beautiful Night of the Year” (Live at the Palladium – 31/10/81 – Show 1)
3. I’m the Slime (Live at the Palladium – 11/1/81)
4. Montana (Live at the Palladium – 31/10/81 – Show 2)
5. Easy meat (Live at the Palladium – 11/1/81)
Joe’s Garage (Live at the Palladium – 31/10/81 – Show 2)
7. Why does it hurt when I pee? (Live at the Palladium – 31/10/81 – Show 2)
Sinister Footwear II (Live at the Palladium – 31/10/81 – Show 2)
9. Stevie’s Spanking (Live at the Palladium – 11/1/81)
10. Goblin Girl (Live at the Palladium – 11/1/81)
11. The Black Page # 2 (Live at the Palladium – 11/1/81)
Strictly Genetically (Live at the Palladium – 11/1/81) – Exclusive bonus track
13. Whipping Post (Live at the Palladium – 11/1/81)
14. The Torture Never Stops (Live at the Palladium – 10/31/81 – Show 2)
