Frank Zappa’s 1981 Halloween Concert Released With Six-Disc Halloween Costume Box

This new set features more than 70 unreleased tracks and a Count Frankula mask and cape!

For the first-time ever, Zappa’s historic October 31 Halloween night concerts and the closing November 1 show recorded live at The Palladium in 1981 will be released as a six-disc box set featuring 78 unreleased live tracks (!) totaling more than seven hours of live performances from three complete concerts. The specially-designed costume box will include a Count Frankula mask along with a red and black cape so fans can dress like vampire Frank Zappa for Halloween or display alongside their FRANKenZAPPA mask and gloves from last year’s Halloween 73 box or the retro mask and costume of the maestro himself from the inaugural release. Fully authorized by the Zappa Trust and produced by Ahmet Zappa and Zappa Vaultmeister Joe Travers, the concerts have been newly mixed from the original Ampex 456 2-inch 24-track analog tape masters by Craig Parker Adams in 2020.

This king-size offering also includes a 40-page booklet with rare photos from the event by John Livzey (Livzey.com) and new liner notes by touring band member Robert Martin, Vaultmeister Joe Travers and super fan-in-attendance Gary Titone who pens a remembrance of the shows. In addition, a 1CD version titled Halloween 81: Highlights From The Palladium, New York City will also be released, featuring performances from all three shows along with an exclusive track, “Strictly Genteel,” from the November 1 show not included on the box set. It will be packaged in a jewel case with liners by Travers.

Zappa boasted a brand new band with three new players – Scott Thunes on bass, Chad Wackerman on drums and Robert Martin on keyboards – joining veteran members Ray White on guitar, Ed Mann on percussion and Tommy Mars on keys along with that “Little Italian Virtuoso” Steve Vai, now on his second tour as a band member. Having recently released his new album You Are What You Is in September of that year, the setlist is a showcase of many of the songs from that double LP such as the title track, “Teen-Age Wind,” “Goblin Girl,” “Doreen,” “I’m A Beautiful Guy,” “Mudd Club,” “Dumb All Over,” “Suicide Chump,” and others, alongside Zappa classics like “Black Napkins,” “Strictly Genteel,” “Dancin’ Fool,” “Bobby Brown Goes Down,” and “King Kong.” Zappa and Vai’s guitar prowess is on full display throughout the shows and spotlighted here with extensive guitar workouts on “The Black Page #2,” “Easy Meat” and “Stevie’s Spanking.” Other highlights include the band’s feverish take on the Allman Brothers Band’s “Whipping Post” and standout tracks “Drowning Witch” and “Sinister Footwear II.”

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HALLOWEEN 81 6CD COSTUME BOX SET TRACKLISTING

DISC 1
10/31/81 – 8pm Show 1
1. Chunga’s Revenge
2. “The Finest Night Of The Year”
3. You Are What You Is – Take 1
4. You Are What You Is – Take 2
5. Mudd Club
6. The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing
7. Dumb All Over
8. Heavenly Bank Account
9. Suicide Chump
10. Jumbo Go Away
11. Envelopes
12. Drowning Witch
13. What’s New In Baltimore?
14. Moggio
15. We’re Turning Again
16. Alien Orifice

DISC 2
10/31/81 – 8pm Show 1 – cont’d
1. Teen-age Prostitute
2. Flakes
3. Broken Hearts Are For Assholes
4. The Blue Light
5. Tinsel Town Rebellion
6. Yo Mama
7. Bobby Brown Goes Down
8. City Of Tiny Lites
9. “We’re Not Gonna Stand For It!”
10. Strictly Genteel
11. Dancin’ Fool
12. Whipping Post

DISC 3
10/31/81 – 12am Show 2
1. Black Napkins
2. “A Historical Event”
3. Montana
4. Easy Meat
5. Society Pages
6. I’m A Beautiful Guy
7. Beauty Knows No Pain
8. Charlie’s Enormous Mouth
9. Fine Girl
10. Teen-age Wind
11. Harder Than Your Husband
12. Bamboozled By Love
13. Sinister Footwear II
14. Stevie’s Spanking
15. Commercial Break

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DISC 4
10/31/81 – 12am Show 2 – cont’d
1. Cocaine Decisions
2. Nig Biz
3. Doreen
4. Goblin Girl
5. The Black Page #2
6. Tryin’ To Grow A Chin
7. Strictly Genteel
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. Dumb All Over
10. Heavenly Bank Account
11. Suicide Chump
12. Jumbo Go Away
13. Envelopes
14. Drowning Witch

DISC 6
11/01/81 – cont’d
1. What’s New In Baltimore?
2. Moggio
3. We’re Turning Again
4. Alien Orifice
5. Teen-age Prostitute
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 Assholes
14. The Torture Never Stops

HALLOWEEN 81 HIGHLIGHTS 1CD TRACKLISTING
1. Chunga’s Revenge (Live at the Palladium – 10/31/81 – Show 1)
2. “The Finest Night Of The Year” (Live at the Palladium – 10/31/81 – Show 1)
3. I’m The Slime (Live at the Palladium – 11/1/81)
4. Montana (Live at the Palladium – 10/31/81 – Show 2)
5. Easy Meat (Live at the Palladium – 11/1/81)
6. Joe’s Garage (Live at the Palladium – 10/31/81 – Show 2)
7. Why Does It Hurt When I Pee? (Live at the Palladium – 10/31/81 – Show 2)
8. Sinister Footwear II (Live at the Palladium – 10/31/81 – 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)
12. Strictly Genteel (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)

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