Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch

Production

Side 1 was recorded at Zappa's Utility Muffin Research Kitchen studio at his home in Los Angeles; while Side 2 consisted of live performances from Zappa's fall 1981 U.S. tour with studio overdubs. The live material was originally intended for an unreleased double album titled Chalk Pie, which was scrapped after Zappa's label requested a single album instead.

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. Zappa commented that the album version included 15 edits between live performances from different cities.

Zappa's band for the fall 1981 and summer 1982 tours, which he would continue to feature on the next few albums and the You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore series, included Ray White on rhythm guitar and vocals, Steve Vai on guitar, Tommy Mars on keyboards, Bobby Martin on keyboards, sax and vocals, Ed Mann on percussion, Scott Thunes on bass and Chad Wackerman on drums. For studio sessions, he also used past band members including vocalists Ike Willis, Bob Harris and Roy Estrada and bassists Arthur Barrow and Patrick O'Hearn.

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.

It also had a release on 8 track tape.

Reception

"Valley Girl" was Zappa's only single that reached the Billboard top 40. The album itself is one of Zappa's highest-charting LPs in the United States, reaching number 23 on the Billboard 200.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Frank Zappa

Personnel

Album

Billboard (United States)