Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch
| Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch | ||||
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| Studio album by Frank Zappa | ||||
| Released | May 3, 1982 | |||
| Recorded | September 1981–early 1982 Live and at UMRK (studio tracks) | |||
| Genre | Hard rock, comedy rock, progressive rock, art rock | |||
| Length | 34:18 | |||
| Label | Barking Pumpkin | |||
| Producer | Frank Zappa | |||
| Frank Zappa chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch | ||||
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Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch is an album by Frank Zappa, released in May 1982 and digitally remastered in 1991. It features five tracks composed by Zappa, and one song, "Valley Girl", co-written with Moon Unit Zappa, his daughter, who provided the spoken monologue mocking some of the Valley girls at her school including "Gag me with a spoon!".[1]
The album's first half consists of studio recordings, while the second half consists of live recordings; its vinyl configuration presented the studio recordings on the first side, while the second side was live. This is Official Release #35.
Contents
Production
Most of Side 1 was recorded at Zappa's Utility Muffin Research Kitchen studio at his home in Los Angeles; while the majority of the material on Side 2 was extracted from live performances during tours in 1981 and 1982. The live material was originally intended for an unreleased album titled Chalk Pie, which was scrapped after it had been bootlegged.
The cover art for the album shows the classic Droodle, by artist Roger Price (from which the album gets its name), whose shapes also suggest the letters 'ZA' (and 'P', sideways), as in 'Zappa'.
The song "Drowning Witch" is one of the most complex instrumentals that Zappa ever wrote, featuring musical quotations from The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky and the Dragnet TV theme.
Release history
The original LP release contained a note that reads "This album has been engineered to sound correct on JBL 4311 speakers or an equivalent. Best results will be achieved if you set your pre-amp tone controls to the flat position with the loudness control in the off position. Before adding any treble or bass to the sound of the album, it would be advisable to check it out this way first. F.Z."
The LP also featured a "letter from FZ" advertising the Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar box set, which had previously only been made available separately in the United States and, at the time Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch was released, was being made available for the first time in Europe. To promote the release of the UK box set, the first pressing of the UK edition of this album contained a 4-song 7" EP with A: "Shut Up & Play Yer Guitar" B1: "Variations on the Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression" B2: "Why Johnny Can't Read?".
Track B1 entitled on label as: "Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch".
It was issued on CD by EMI with The Man from Utopia on the same disc, and separately by Barking Pumpkin, and later Rykodisc.
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
"Valley Girl" was one of Zappa's most successful singles.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Frank Zappa
| Side one | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "No Not Now" | 5:50 |
| 2. | "Valley Girl" | 4:49 |
| 3. | "I Come from Nowhere" | 6:13 |
| Side two | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Drowning Witch" | 12:03 |
| 2. | "Envelopes" | 2:46 |
| 3. | "Teen-Age Prostitute" | 2:43 |
Personnel
- Frank Zappa – Lead Guitar, Vocals
- Steve Vai – Guitar (credited as "Impossible Guitar Parts")
- Ray White – Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
- Tommy Mars – Keyboards
- Bobby Martin – Keyboards, Sax, Vocals
- Ed Mann – Percussion
- Scott Thunes – Bass on "Drowning Witch", "Envelopes", "Teen-age Prostitute", and "Valley Girl"
- Arthur Barrow – Bass on "No Not Now" and the first part of "I Come From Nowhere"
- Patrick O'Hearn – Bass on the guitar solo in "I Come From Nowhere"
- Chad Wackerman – Drums
- Roy Estrada – Vocals
- Ike Willis – Vocals
- Bob Harris – Vocals
- Lisa Popeil – Vocals on "Teen-Age Prostitute"
- Moon Unit Zappa – Vocal on "Valley Girl"
Charts
Album
Billboard (United States)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Pop Albums | 23[3] |
Singles
| Song | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| "Valley Girl" | Mainstream Rock | 12[3] |
| Pop Singles | 32[3] |
