Zappa in New York was recorded in December 1976 at the Palladium and originally intended for release in 1977. It was held up due to arguments between Frank Zappa and his then-record label, Warner Bros. When the two-LP set finally appeared in March 1978, Warner had deleted "Punky's Whips," a song about drummer Terry Bozzio's attraction to Punky Meadows of Angel. When Zappa reacquired the album and released it as a double CD in 1991, he restored "Punky's Whips" and added four bonus tracks. The Zappa band, which includes bassist Patrick O'Hearn, percussionist Ruth Underwood, and keyboard player Eddie Jobson, along with a horn section including the two Brecker brothers, was one of the bandleader's most accomplished, which it had to be to play songs like "Black Page," even in the "easy" version presented here. Zappa also was at the height of his comic stagecraft, notably on songs like "Titties & Beer," which essentially is a comedy routine between Zappa and Bozzio, and "The Illinois Enema Bandit," which features TV announcer Don Pardo. ~ William Ruhlmann

Many Zappa aficionados consider his backing band on the 1978 live release ZAPPA IN NEW YORK to be one of his finest. After all, the group included future Missing Persons/UK drummer Terry Bozzio, Jethro Tull/Roxy Music/UK keyboardist/violinist Eddie Jobson and a fantastic horn section that would gain notoriety in the Saturday Night Live house band (The Brecker Brothers), among others. Although the concert was recorded during a multi-night stand at New York's Palladium in December of 1976, the album's release was held up by Warner Bros. because of their objection to the homo-erotic track "Punky's Whips." Eventually the track was dropped, but was included on the Rykodisc 1991 re-issue, which also featured three other tracks not on the original version.

Surprises abound on ZAPPA IN NEW YORK, such as a cameo by Saturday Night Live announcer Don Pardo, who introduces the aforementioned "Punky's Whips" and other tracks. Fans of technically complex rock will surely love the epics "Black Page (Parts One and Two)" and the lengthy album closer "The Purple Lagoon/Approximate." Zappa manages to inject some of his trademark humor throughout the proceedings--look no further than the unbelievable true story of "The Illinois Enema Bandit" and the album opener, "Titties & Beer."