Frank Zappa
Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar
The Story
"Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar" is a 3-CD boxed set (originally distributed by mail order as 3 separate LPs, and eventually as a 3-LP boxed set). The title says it all: all playin', no singin', no talkin', no 'yellow snow'. Originally released in 1981, "Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar" contains performances recorded between 1977 and 1990. As John Swenson puts it in the liner notes, "These instrumental passages (they're not simply solos; all have beautiful performances from the backing group as well) are used as bridges at Zappa's concerts between more familiar songs and are thus directly related to records like "Tinseltown Rebellion". Anyone who's appreciated the beauty of Zappa's playing and his prolific melodic construction will delight in this material. "Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar" is really just the tip of the iceberg."
The Music
| === DISC 1 === | Vocal | |
| 02:35 | Five-Five-FIVE | Instrumental |
| 02:49 | Hog Heaven | Instrumental |
| 05:38 | Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar | Instrumental |
| 06:00 | While You Were Out | Instrumental |
| 05:35 | Treacherous Cretins | Instrumental |
| 04:42 | Heavy Duty Judy | Instrumental |
| 07:53 | Soup 'N Old Clothes | Instrumental |
| === DISC 2 === | Vocal | |
| 03:58 | Variations On The Carlos Santana... | Instrumental |
| 02:35 | Gee, I Like Your Pants | Instrumental |
| 06:05 | Canarsie | Instrumental |
| 05:20 | Ship Ahoy | Instrumental |
| 06:20 | The Deathless Horsie | Instrumental |
| 06:53 | Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar Some More | Instrumental |
| 04:38 | Pink Napkins | Instrumental |
| === DISC 3 === | Vocal | |
| 01:58 | Beat It With Your Fist | Instrumental |
| 08:30 | Return Of The Son Of Shut Up 'N Play... | Instrumental |
| 02:05 | Pinocchio's Furniture | Instrumental |
| 04:15 | Why Johnny Can't Read | Instrumental |
| 09:08 | Stucco Homes | Instrumental |
| 09:56 | Canard Du Jour | Instrumental |
The Artists
| Frank Zappa | Lead Guitar, Production |
| Warren Cucurullo | Rhythm Guitar |
| Denny Walley | Rhythm Guitar |
| Ike Willis | Rhythm Guitar |
| Steve Vai | Rhythm Guitar |
| Ray White | Rhythm Guitar |
| Tommy Mars | Keyboards |
| Peter Wolf | Keyboards |
| Arthur Barrow | Bass |
| Ed Mann | Percussion |
| Vinnie Colaiuta | Drums |
| Bob Harris | Keyboards |
| Patrick O'Hearn | Bass |
| Andre Lewis | Keyboards |
| Roy Estrada | Bass |
| Terry Bozzio | Drums |
| Eddie Jobson | Keyboards |
| Jean-Luc Ponty | Baritone Violin |
| Mick Glossop | Engineering |
| George Douglas | Engineering |
| Steve Nye | Engineering |
| Tommy Fly | Engineering |
| Bob Stone | Re-mix Engineering |
| John Livzey | Photography |
| Joe Chicarelli | Engineering |
| Alan P. | Engineering |
| Kerry McNabb | Engineering |
| John Williams | L.P. Package Design |
| Ferenc Dobronyi | CD Package |
| John Swenson | Liner Notes |
| Recorded at: Odeon Hammersmith, London (2/17/77, 2/17/79, 2/18/79, 2/19/79), Brady Theater, Tulsa (10/18/80), Unknown Venue, Los Angeles, CA, Berkeley Community Theater (12/5/80), Santa Monica Civic Auditorium (12/11/80), Dallas Civid Arena (10/17/80), Village Recorders, Unknown Venue, Tokyo or Osaka, The Palladium, NYC (10/30/80), Paramount Studios, Los Angeles, CA. | |