“This Is What I Call Genius!”

“I owe my career to Frank. When I listen to Sheik Yerbouti and Joe’s Garage, it reminds me of what a giant he was.”
Terry Bozzio

To call Frank Zappa prolific is hardly an illuminating comment. But even by his remarkable standards, what he did in 1979 was impressive: the man not only released five albums, but also a movie.

“Frank really was a workaholic,” recalls guitarist Adrian Belew. “He never seemed to stop. That was one of his defining traits. Apart, of course, from being a genius.”

It must be pointed out that two of these albums, Sleep Dirt and Orchestral Favorites, were actually released without his permission. This happened during a legal dispute between Zappa and Warner Brothers. As the label already had the tapes for these albums, as well as Studio Tan (which came out in September 1978), they went ahead and put them out, claiming that they had every right under the existing contractual agreement. Eventually, Zappa was able to leave Warners and set up Zappa Records, with distribution through Phonogram, leading to the release of Sheik Yerbouti in March ’79.

This double album featured live recordings which were then expanded and enhanced in the studio.

“I had left Frank’s band by the time that he took the tapes into the studio,” remembers Belew, “so I was only involved in what was done live. Now, most of the people who played with Frank could read music, but I couldn’t. The way I learnt my