Frank Zappa ‘The Last US Show’ Live Archival Release Due In June

Renowned guitarist Frank Zappa‘s final performance on American soil will be released as Zappa ’88: The Last U.S. Show via Zappa Records/UMe on June 18. The previously unreleased audio recording is coming digitally, on 2 CD and as 4LP 180-gram vinyl box and has been previewed with audio of “I Ain’t Got No Heart.”

Zappa ’88: The Last U.S. Show was recorded at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York on March 25, 1988. Bonus tracks include a cover of The Allman Brothers Band’s “Whipping Post” from March 16, 1988 in Providence and a take on Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” from March 23, 1988 in Towson, Maryland.

Frank’s band for what turned out to be his last tour featured Mike Keneally (guitar, synth, vocals), Scott Thunes (electric bass, Minimoog), Ike Willis (rhythm guitar, synth, vocals), Chad Wackerman (drums, electronic percussion), Ed Mann (vibes, marimba, electronic percussion), Robert Martin (keyboards, vocals) and a horn section consisting of Walt Fowler (trumpet, flugel horn, synth), Bruce Fowler (trombone), Paul Carman (alto, soprano and baritone sax), Albert Wing (tenor sax) and Kurt McGettrick (baritone and bass sax, contrabass clarinet). Zappa and company delivered a career-spanning set at Nassau Coliseum that included plenty of classics along with such gems as “The Beatles Medley,” getting its first official release, which combined portions of “Norweigan Wood,” “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” and “Strawberry Fields Forever” with lyrics discussing disgraced televangelist Jimmy Swaggart.

“Sadly after the European run was over,” Zappa archivist Joe Travers wrote in the liner notes, “Frank Zappa chose to disband the group and cancel the rest of the tour, reportedly forfeiting $400,000.00 in revenue and depriving additional audiences the opportunity to witness how special this group really was. With all of the time and money spent to prepare and promote the tour, not to mention the potential within the talented band and crew, now in 2021, it’s an even more historic loss considering FZ was to never tour again.”

Zappa ’88: The Last U.S. Show has been authorized by the Zappa Family Trust and produced by Travers and Ahmet Zappa. Stream “I Ain’t Got No Heart” from Zappa ’88: The Last U.S. Show below:

Zappa ’88: The Last U.S. Show Tracklist (2CD/Digital)

Disc 1

1. “We Are Doing Voter Registration Here”
2. The Black Page (New Age Version)
3. I Ain’t Got No Heart
4. Love Of My Life
5. Inca Roads
6. Sharleena
7. Who Needs The Peace Corps?
8. I Left My Heart In San Francisco
9. Dickie’s Such An Asshole
10. When The Lie’s So Big
11. Jesus Thinks You’re A Jerk
12. Sofa #1
13. One Man, One Vote
14. Happy Birthday, Chad!
15. Packard Goose Pt. 1
16. Royal March From “L’Histoire Du Soldat”
17. Theme From The Bartok Piano Concerto #3
18. Packard Goose Pt. II
19. The Torture Never Stops Pt. I
20. Theme From “Bonanza”

Disc 2

1. Lonesome Cowboy Burt
2. The Torture Never Stops Pt. II
3. City Of Tiny Lites
4. Pound For A Brown
5. The Beatles Medley
6. Peaches En Regalia
7. Stairway To Heaven
8. I Am The Walrus
9. Whipping Post
10. Bolero
11. America The Beautiful