Bob Harris, keyboardist/vocalist of the 1980 Frank Zappa band with guitarists Steve Vai, Ray White and Ike Willis, keyboardist Tommy Mars, bassist Arthur Barrow and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, will soon have his 1986 album The Great Nostalgia released in an expanded format by Crossfire Publications. The Great Nostalgia, originally a self-financed release on his Mastahna label, has been remastered (and in some cases remixed) from the original session tapes.
More than twenty-one years after its first release, The Great Nostalgia has been expanded by six additional tracks. Frank Zappa heard the album in 1986 and thought that the track “Ageless Love†was outstanding and should kick off the album. Bob Harris, who is currently working with ’80s rock legends Axe, wanted to change the song order because he highly valued Zappa’s opinion, but the album had already been pressed. Out of respect for Frank Zappa, “Ageless Love†is now the first track on Crossfire’s reissue, and Jeremy Barber’s violin has replaced the original keyboard emulation of that instrument.
Former Zappa “stunt guitarist” Mike Keneally is interviewed over at Modern Guitars Magazine. You might also visit Mike’s official website AND MySpace page for additional info.
Classic Rock Magazine held their third annual awards show this past Monday. The ceremony at London’s über-posh Landmark Hotel was awash with rock royalty. Winners of the Prog persuasion included:
DVD Of The Year: Frank Zappa Classic Albums
Band Of The Year: Rush
Album Of The Year: Porcupine Tree – Fear Of A Blank Planet