Classic Frank Zappa Albums Available in Hi-Res On Qobuz for the First Time

“Frank Zappa was passionate about making his music sound as good as possible,” Ume President & CEO Bruce Resnikoff said in advance of news that is sure to please the late guitarist’s legions of fans. On April 2, the label follows through on Zappa’s commitment to quality sound as nine of his iconic albums will be available in Hi-Res Audio for the first time, via streaming and download provider Qobuz.

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The five-week campaign will span a series of drops totaling 29 releases between now and May 7th, with classic and influential albums released for download and streaming in Hi-Res audio quality for the first time.

Leading up to the release date, Ahmet Zappa and Joe Travers- the Zappa “Vaultmeister”- will join Qobuz Chief Hi-Res Evangelist, David Solomon, and the Qobuz team on April 1 for a livestream discussion on Qobuz’s weekly Qobuz Live series. The livestream will cover the story of Zappa Hi-Res archives, the importance of audio quality, and the upcoming Zappa Hi-Res catalog releases. Additionally, Travers is curating an exclusive annotated Zappa playlist for Qobuz, which will be released later in April.

Ahmet Zappa, representing Zappa Records, said, “Qobuz’s awesome combo platter of Hi-Res Audio and the ability for fans to immerse themselves into the album art of their favorite musicians is an incredible listening experience and a perfect fit for Zappa Records. As far as I’m concerned, the ‘z’ in Qobuz stands for Zappa and we know fans of the ‘World’s Finest Optional Entertainment’ are going to love the Zappa Qobuz experience. As FZ said: ‘Music is the Best!’”

According to the announcement, fans will be able to stream and download nine albums exclusively on Qobuz beginning April 2. The albums will be available in native 24-bit Hi-Res FLAC format. Each will include an extensive PDF digital booklet, a feature only available on Qobuz’s streaming apps. The assortment includes the second album from the original Mothers of Invention, Absolutely Free, first released in 1967, and Halloween 81, documenting Zappa’s famed holiday residency at New York City’s Palladium, in both full box set and edited ‘highlights’ versions.

According to Qobuz USA Managing Director Dan Mackta, “Presenting the work of iconic artists in the best possible quality is our reason for existence. Frank Zappa’s music continues to inspire listeners all over the world and Qobuz is honored to be able to promote his artistic vision.”

Frank Zappa on Qobuz

The list of Hi-Res Frank Zappa albums to be released exclusively on Qobuz April 2 are:

Absolutely Free
Burnt Weeny Sandwich 
Bongo Fury  
Chicago ’78
Zappa In New York (40th Anniversary Deluxe)
Orchestral Favorites (40th Anniversary)
Halloween 81
Halloween 81 Highlights
The Mothers 1970 Box Set

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