You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 5

Personnel: Frank Zappa, Lowell George, Ray White (vocals, guitar); Steve Vai (guitar); Ian Underwood (alto saxophone); Bunk Gardner (tenor saxophone); Motorhead Sherwood (baritone saxophone); Bobby Martin (saxophone, keyboards); Buzz Gardner (trumpet); Don Preston, Tommy Mars (keyboards); Roy Estrada, Scott Thunes (bass); Jimmy Carl Black, Arthur Dyer Tripp III, Chad Wackerman (drums); Ed Mann (percussion).
Disc 1 features material recorded by Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention between 1965 and 1969. Disc 2 contains recordings by the 1982 incarnation of Zappa's working band, about half of which was recorded in Geneva, Switzerland.
Liner Note Author: Frank Zappa.
Editor: Frank Zappa.
Arranger: Frank Zappa.
A subtle--and sometimes not so subtle--point that Frank Zappa was trying to make with this series of live recordings spanning twenty years, was that the much-loved original Mothers of Invention were no match for his later ensembles. This two-disc set has one hour of the '60s-era band and another of one concert from '82 in Switzerland. It is evident that the original Mothers, while simply playing as well as they could, were establishing the foundation upon which all of the later bands were built. Zappa's desires as a composer led him to seek more skillful players, but the chemistry of his band's first four or five years is undeniably engaging. Everything they were trying was new. Later outfits forfeited the inter-band charm for prowess and a certain familiarity. Comparisons aside, the bottom line is that both Zappa's early and later bands possessed a range of staggering originality that's going to continue to sound new for a long time to come.