Zappa’s historic, final American show will is released for the first time as the new live album, Zappa ’88: The Last U.S. Show via Zappa Records/UMC. The first posthumous archival release from the ‘88 touring band, the album features 29 unreleased performances including two additional performances from the same tour: Zappa’s wild interpretations of the Allman Brothers Band’s “Whipping Post” from the March 16 show in Providence, R.I. and Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” from the March 23 Towson, Md. show. The record is also notable for containing the first official release of the much talked about “The Beatles Medley.”

Fully authorized by the Zappa Trust and produced by Ahmet Zappa and Zappa Vaultmeister Joe Travers, the recordings have been newly mixed by Craig Parker Adams in 2020 from the 48-track digital master tapes. The shows were recorded using two Sony 3324 DASH PCM 24 track tape recorders synced together using a Lynx Time Code Module, thus providing 48 track recording capabilities. The album is rounded out with detailed liner notes by Travers and Zappa ’88 drummer Chad Wackerman, who celebrated his 28th birthday on stage and is serenaded by Zappa and the crowd, as well as photos from the tour by Peder Andersson.

RECORD ONE: SIDE 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


RECORD ONE: SIDE 2

1. Inca Roads

2. Sharleena

3. Who Needs The Peace Corps?

4. I Left My Heart In San Francisco (Cory/Cross)


RECORD TWO: SIDE 3

1. Dickie’s Such An Asshole

2. When The Lie’s So Big

3. Jesus Thinks You’re A Jerk

4. Sofa #1

5. One Man, One Vote


RECORD TWO: SIDE 4

1. Happy Birthday, Chad!

2. Packard Goose Pt. I

3. Royal March From “L’Histoire Du Soldat” (Stravinsky)

4. Theme From The Bartok Piano Concerto #3 (Bartok)

5. Packard Goose Pt. II

6. The Torture Never Stops Pt. I

7. Theme From “Bonanza” (Levans/livingston)

8. Lonesome Cowboy Burt


RECORD THREE: SIDE 5

1. The Torture Never Stops Pt. II

2. City Of Tiny Lites

3. Pound For A Brown PT. I


RECORD THREE: SIDE 6

1. Pound For A Brown PT. II

2. The Beatles Medley (Lennon/McCartney)

3. Peaches En Regalia


RECORD FOUR: SIDE 7

1. Stairway To Heaven (Page/Plant)

2. I Am The Walrus (Lennon/McCartney)


RECORD FOUR: SIDE 8

1. Whipping Post (Allman)

2. Bolero (Ravel)

3. America The Beautiful (Bates/Ward)