Frank Zappa - Halloween 78 (Deluxe Edition) Live at The Palladium, NYC - October 27 & 31, 1978 (5 x CDs)

FRANK ZAPPA & THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION

Frank Zappa - Halloween 78 (Deluxe Edition) Live at The Palladium, NYC - October 27 & 31, 1978 (5 x CDs)

Frank Zappa’s “Halloween 78” is a time capsule of irreverent genius, captured in full theatrical bloom across two nights at New York’s Palladium. Released in 2025 as a 62-track Deluxe Edition, this digital archive resurrects Zappa’s legendary Halloween shows with forensic clarity, no frills, no compromise.

The October 31st set opens with “Ancient Armaments,” a rare instrumental that sets the tone for Zappa’s blend of satire and virtuosity. From the sardonic “Dancin’ Fool” to the sprawling, jazz-inflected “Thirteen,” the performance swings between absurdist comedy and compositional complexity. Zappa’s band — tight, fearless, and fluent in his musical language — navigates genre collisions with ease: prog rock, art rock, doo-wop, and avant-garde all share the stage.

The October 27th show, split into its own arc, features gems like “The Black Page #2” and a surreal “Dance Contest” sequence, underscoring Zappa’s love of audience interaction and spontaneous chaos. Tracks like “Little House I Used to Live In” and “Peaches En Regalia” remind us that beneath the satire lies a composer of staggering depth.

This release, catalogued as on Discogs, is not available for sale, a collector’s ghost, circulating only in digital form. With just two users reporting ownership and none seeking it, its rarity is matched only by its historical weight. It’s a sonic masquerade, a document of Zappa’s Halloween mythos, and a reminder that his music was never just about notes, it was about ideas, rebellion, and the joy of the unexpected. (B)

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Track lists

CD1

01 Frank Zappa - 10-31-78 Show Start 1:28

02 Frank Zappa - Ancient Armaments 5:12

03 Frank Zappa - “Happy Halloween Everybody!” 3:44

04 Frank Zappa - Dancin’ Fool 4:34

05 Frank Zappa - Easy Meat 4:56

06 Frank Zappa - Honey, Don’t You Want A Man Like Me_ 5:28

07 Frank Zappa - Keep it Greasy 3:04

08 Frank Zappa - The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing 3:30

09 Frank Zappa - City of Tiny Lites 10:09

10 Frank Zappa - Pound for A Brown 5:17

11 Frank Zappa - Thirteen 17:38

12 Frank Zappa - The Story of Ms. X 8:12

13 Frank Zappa - Nancy 2:02

CD2

01 Frank Zappa - Dinah-Moe Humm 5:16

02 Frank Zappa - Go Cry on Somebody Else’s Shoulder 2:10

03 Frank Zappa - Little Rubber Girl 3:17

04 Frank Zappa - The Idiot Bastard Son 2:30

05 Frank Zappa - Bobby Brown Goes Down 2:47

06 Frank Zappa - Conehead 8:41

07 Frank Zappa - Suicide Chump 11:10

08 Frank Zappa - Little House I Used to Live In 17:29

09 Frank Zappa - Watermelon in Easter Hay 13:25

10 Frank Zappa - Stink-Foot 8:40

CD3

01 Frank Zappa - Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance 5:02

02 Frank Zappa - Peaches En Regalia 2:59

03 Frank Zappa - Strictly Genteel 5:45

04 Frank Zappa - Sofa #2 2:49

05 Frank Zappa - Packard Goose 19:22

06 Frank Zappa - Magic Fingers 2:43

07 Frank Zappa - Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow 2:24

08 Frank Zappa - Nanook Rubs It 5:26

09 Frank Zappa - St. Alfonzo’s Pancake Breakfast 1:50

10 Frank Zappa - Father O’Blivion 2:25

11 Frank Zappa - Rollo 2:33

12 Frank Zappa - Camarillo Brillo 3:27

13 Frank Zappa - Muffin Man 4:51

14 Frank Zappa - Black Napkins_The Deathless Horsie 16:40

CD4

01 Frank Zappa - 10-27-78 Show 1 Opening 4:29

02 Frank Zappa - Dancin’ Fool 3:26

03 Frank Zappa - Easy Meat 4:28

04 Frank Zappa - Honey, Don’t You Want A Man Like Me_ 4:26

05 Frank Zappa - Keep it Greasy 3:03

06 Frank Zappa - The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing 3:30

07 Frank Zappa - City of Tiny Lites 9:41

08 Frank Zappa - A Pound for A Brown 15:46

09 Frank Zappa - Bobby Brown Goes Down 2:55

10 Frank Zappa - Conehead 3:27

11 Frank Zappa - Dance Contest 5:36

CD5

01 Frank Zappa - The Black Page #2 2:46

02 Frank Zappa - Dance Contest Aftermath 1:29

03 Frank Zappa - Little House I Used to Live In 9:05

04 Frank Zappa - Magic Fingers 2:33

05 Frank Zappa - Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow 2:24

06 Frank Zappa - Nanook Rubs It 5:15

07 Frank Zappa - St. Alfonzo’s Pancake Breakfast 1:49

08 Frank Zappa - Father O’Blivion 2:27

09 Frank Zappa - Rollo 3:36

10 Frank Zappa - “Let Me Explain This to You…” 1:11

11 Frank Zappa - Dinah-Moe Humm 5:30

12 Frank Zappa - Camarillo Brillo 3:12

13 Frank Zappa - Muffin Man 4:11

14 Frank Zappa - Peaches En Regalia 3:56

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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

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