They run to either 24 or 28 pages (issue 1 only 20 pages) depending on
how much stuff we had at any given time. All issues
contain a round-up of latest news, lots of reviews (everyone wanted to
cover FZ songs for a while), and various fan rambles about first hearing
Zappa and letters if we had any. Hey, it's a fanzine! From issue 6,
there was a series of difficult articles explaining how FZ's music
worked, with odd bits of music transcribed. TD1 (early June 1988
– 20 pp) – all my own work [FT]; initial print run: 300, I seem to
think; Guitar/Stage 1 reviews; 1982 tour; mostly 1988 reviews/news.
TD2 (August 1988 – 24 pp) – first issue produced on the Enterprise
Allowance Scheme; first issue to feature Beefheart articles; start of
subscriptions; FZ and politics; more 1988 reviews; Stage 1 and
Sampler review; Beefheart and FZ; Dweezil's My Guitar review; 1984 tour;
crossword.
TD3 (October 1988 – 24 pp) – first reported sighting of the Greenaway;
start of bootleg guide; FZ potted biography 1; 1982 and 1984 tour
additions; Beefheart – the early years; Dweezil revealed; US Fall tour
1981; Bootleg guide part 1; various bootlegs reviewed; crossword again!
TD4 (December 1988 – 24 pp) – photos improve stacks! Stig Modin's
first bizarre artworks; FZ potted biography 2; Stage 2 review; Fugs; FZ
videos reviewed; Zapparap 1 – guys in the bands; Beefheart and Trout
Mask; Bootleg guide part 2; 1980 US Fall tour; Steve Vai guide.
TD5 (January 1989 – 28 pp) – first G&S advert; Broadway/Baby Snakes reviews; 1980 World tour;
Beefheart and Bongo Fury; Bootleg guide part 3; Zapparap 2 – the Songs;
album tracks not played live 1; Adrian Belew; some new bootlegs.
TD6 (March 1989 – 28 pp) – first of Matt Galaher's 'incomprehensible'
guitar pieces; first of Axel Wünsch's pieces on covers of Zappa stuff; Absolutely Free/Waka/Jawaka/OSFA reviews; Italian
CDs; FZ covers, guests 1; Bozzio in London; album tracks not played live
2; Zapparap 3 – drugs; Bootleg guide 4; Euro tour 1979.
TD7 (June 1989 – 28 pp) – last issue produced on EAS; terrific Bill
Lawson and Geraint Catley cartoons; Beefheart books and Project Documentation reviews;
Zappa covers etc 2; early Beefheart and cartoon; TD poll results; YAWYI
re-assessed; 1978 Fall tour; bootleg guide 5; Zapparap 4 – audiences.
TD8 (August 1989 – 28 pp) – start of David Wheeler's FZ family tree; Broadway/Bongo Fury/Trout and Decals/Real FZ Book
reviews; books about FZ; Aynsley Dunbar; FZ bands 1; 1977/78 world tour;
Zappa covers etc 3; bootleg guide 6; Zapparap 5 – Serious music;
Beefheart – Kid and Spot.
TD9 (October 1989 – 28 pp) – Stuart Penney's Oz release article; Fowler Brothers/Clarke-Duke live reviews;
Beefheart and Brown Star tapes; Zapparap 6 – Lascivious attitudes;
Pierre Boulez and FZ interview; 1976/77 world tour; FZ bands 2;
Australian FZ albums; Zappa covers etc 4; bootleg guide 7.
TD10 (November 1989 – 28 pp) – Stage 3/Uncle Meat and True Story video/books
reviews; Beefheart and DiMartinos; FZ in Eastern Europe; World tour
1975/76; FZ bands 3; Zappa covers etc 5; Zapparap 7 – music; bootleg
guide 8.
TD11 (February 1990 – 28 pp) – first article on Zappa's unreleased
tunes; new boots reviewed; FZ at Pro-Choice rally;
Beefheart and Virgin; Zapparap 8 – critics; 1975 fall
tour; FZ bands 4; FZ covers etc 6; synclavier stuff; more FZ books;
bootleg guide 9.
TD12 (April 1990 – 28 pp) – first colour cover (buff); Apostrophe/ONS/Ed Mann reviews; Broadway who's
who; Conceptual Continuity; FZ covers etc 7; FZ bands 5; Beefheart final
albums; Zapparap 9 – guitars; 1974 world tour; bootleg guide 10.
TD13 (June 1990 – 28 pp) – end of David Wheeler's family tree; Joe's G / Thing-Fish / Zoot / Chunga / Weasels / JABFLA / Tinseltown / YAWYI / Fillmore
East / Video from Hell reviews; Zapparap 10 – guitar playing; unreleased
FZ 2; FZ bands 6; FZ covers etc 8; 1974 US tour; new bootlegs; Conlon
Nancarrow; George Duke; bootleg guide 11.
TD14 (August 1990 – 24 pP) – announcement of FZ's illness; Sheik/Varèse reviews; unreleased FZ 3; Beefheart
and the Magic Band; 1973/74 US tour; FZ in East Germany; Stravinsky 1;
FZ covers etc 9; Lenny Bruce; bootleg guide 12; spoof Stage ad what got
us in trouble!
TD15 (September 1990 – 28 pp) – bootleg/Beefheart reviews; 'Captain Beefheart
vs the Grunt People'; unreleased FZ 4; Zapparap 11 – likes and dislikes;
poll 2 results; 1973 world tour; FZ covers etc 10; Kurt Vonnegut!?;
Stravinsky 2; FZ in Czechoslovakia; bootleg guide 13.
TD16 (December 1990 – 28 pp) – Them or Us/Wazoo/Jazz from Hell/MOP/Ed Mann
reviews; Beefheart and Personal; more Vonnegut;
Kent Nagano interview;
Varèse 1; FZ in Lyon; FZ covers etc 11; unreleased FZ 5; 1972 fall tour;
Zapparap 12 – Serious influences.
TD17 (March 1991 – 28 pp) – Supplement Tape/Bruce Fowler/Ike Willis/George
Duke-Stan Clarke/Nancarrow reviews; FZ in panto; more new boots; Varèse
part 2; Zappa covers etc 12; FZ in East Germany again;
Swedish
radio 1990 interview; 1972 Wazoo tour; Zapparap 12+1 – Dumb All Over;
FZ in Lyon.
TD18 (April 1991 – 28 pp) – Bolero/Best Band/Dweezil's Confessions reviews;
Beefheart and Blues 1; FZ in France 1979;
Ed Mann/Tommy Mars
interview part 1 + live review 1991; 1971 World Tour;
Zappsteetoot
interview part 1.
TD19 (May 1991 – 28 pp) – Dweezil live review; Beefheart and Blues 2; Zappa
covers etc 13; Mann/Mars interview part 2; Zapparap 14 – You call
that music?; Webern part 2;
Zappsteetoot interview part 2; Zappa on
video; 1970 tour; Flo and Eddie; Nicolas Slonimsky.
TD20 (July 1991 –
28 pp) – Stage 4/Jazz Noise/Stravinsky reviews;
New Zealand
1990 interview part 1;
BBC Midweek interview; Freak Out assessed;
Tommy Mars interview part 1.
TD21 (September 1991 – 28 pp) –
Tommy
Mars part 2; more FZ in NZ; Webern (2); 'Torchum' Vol 2; FZ for
President?; FZ and songs (2); more East German stuff
TD22 (October 1991 – 28 pp) – 'Dirt/Tan/Faves/Beat Boots' reviewed;
Nancarrow/Ives article; Preston/Black,
Dweezil interviews; 1970 shows;
'Viva Zappa' & Soc Pages
TD23 (December 1991 – 28 pp) – 3rd poll
results; Zappa's Universe; 'BWS' (CD/ film), 'In NY' reviews; FZ's axes
TD24 (March 1992 – 28 pp) – Roxy' review; Beetheart on video;
JCBlack
interview; 'Louie Louie'; Conceptual Continuity intro; 1968/9 gigs;
'Absolutely Free' re-assessed
TD25 (June 1992 – 28 pp) – 'Perfect Stranger/Francesco/Amazing
Bickford' reviews;
Chad Wackerman interview; Brazil cover bands!;
more
JCB; 'Money'/1967 gigs; groupies
TD26 (September (?) 1992 – 28 pp) – 7
pages reviews (inc 'BTB2'/Stage 5/6);
'Yellow Shark' press conf; FZ and
Hollywood; xenocrony; William Burroughs; 'Lumpy Gravy'
TD27 (October
1992 – 28 pp) – Fred buys computer; 'Yellow Shark' reports;
Art Barrow
chat; 'Playground Psychotics' review; 'Stage' readers reactions; Bozzio
clinic
TD28 (November 1992 – 24 pp) – interview special:
Dweezil,
Bunk
and Don,
Bozzio,
Barrow,
Mann; some Droodles; Bozzio artwork (?)
TD29
(February 1993 – 28 pp) – 'Man from Utopia' review;
Dweezil,
JCB
interviews; Charles Ives; Flo and Eddie; 'Uncle Meat; synclavier; early
MOI shows
TD30 (March 1993 – 28 pp) – 'Ahead of Time/hat' reviews;
Mats Öberg chat; Zappa in comics; FZ on vinyl; Zappa's Universe; Roller
Wilson review; 2000 Tour; 'Ruben'
TD31 (June 1993 – 24 pp) – FZ and
cancer; new CB vids;
Motorhead,
Billy James interviews; Jack and Jim
shows; 'Shampoohorn/FZ In Own Words' reviews
TD32 (August 1993 – 24
pp) – Sheik Yerbouti, Keneally interviews; Dweezil, Jack & Jim live;
'Mothermania/Hot Rats'; Den Simms autobiography
TD33 (September 1993 –
28 pp) Muffin Men, Tom Cernotto interviews; Dr Fruno is back!;
Grandmothers; 'Uncle Meat vid, Miles' book reviews; 'Burnt Weeny'
TD34
(December 1993 – 24 pp) – FZ off on final tour; 'Shark/Zappa's Universe'
reviews; Vai/Muffin Men live;
Martin Lickert interview; 'Weasels'; 'Uncle
Meat' vid (again)
TD35 (January 1994 – 24 pp) – special obituary issue
(sob) (the hardest TD of all to put together)
TD36 (February 1994 – 28
pp) – Cucurullo,
Gail Z interviews; 4th poll results; interview discs;
'Zappa's Universe' vid review; 'Chunga's Revenge'
TD37 (March 1994 –
24 pp) – 1970 FZ interview; old Mothers and current activities; '200
Motels' ; FZ on ex-muzos; silly Willis cartoon
TD38 (May 1994 – 24 pp)
– Watson book review; 1969 FZ interview (part 1); Grandmothers, Flo &
Eddie live; Zappa plays Cage; 'Fillmore East', 'JABFLA' examined
TD39
(July 1994 – 24 pp) – 1969 FZ interview (part 2); Ben Watson's bloody
book; Waka/Jawaka'; FZ and Grandmothers
TD40 (August 1994 – 28 pp) –
Belew interview; start of tape-lists;
brilliant Watson piss-take; FZ and the kids; 'The Grand Wazoo'
TD41
(October (?) 1994 – 24 pp) – FZ and improvisation; Amougies 1969 &
Holland 1970; Warren live; 'Over-Nite Sensation', 'Phaze III'; latest
boots
TD42 (January 1995 – 24 pp) – start of tape reviews;
Santana
interview; unplayed 1988 songs; 'Apostrophe'; lots of trivia/nonsense
TD43 (March 1995 – 28 pp) – 'CP3' reviews; Zappa and RnR Hall of Fame;
FZ & songs (3), live covers reviews; 'Roxy & Elsewhere'; Ryko rip-off?
TD44 (June 1995 – 24 pp) – more Watson; Frank McZappa interview; FZ and
'The Tempest'; 'One Size Fits All'; meeting FZ
TD45 (September 1995 –
24 pp) – Utopia/Mainieri/Composers Ensemble live
reviews; Ryko CD amendments; Ryko and the shops; tapelist part 6 and
reviews part 4; 1995 poll results; Bongo Fury bounced fiercely;
Landplage interview.
TD46 (September 1995 – 24 pp) – Strictly Commercial/LSO 1&2/Omnibus/Meridian
reviews; Beefheart latest news; Jimmy Page?; tapelist part 7 and
reviews part 5; Zoot Allures zipped;
Vai interview; FZ on the
internet; Duckman.
TD47 (December 1995 – 28 pp) – Simon Steensland/Wagga Jawaka live reviews;
Ryko interview
(Jill Christiansen); more Zoot; CP3 stuff; Zappa in New York/Läther; FZ
songs (A-B); tapelist part 8 and reviews part 6; FZ and the lottery.
TD48 (January 1996
– 28 pp) – Mistakes/Utopia live reviews; tapelist part 9
and reviews part 7; Zapparap and Old Masters; FZ songs (more Bs);
Studio Tan sent tiddling; Ryko and the shops (again); Ryko promo CDs;
loads of page-filling trivia.
TD49 (March 1996 – 24 pp) – Mats-Morgan/Tom Lang/Chadbourne-Black reviews;
Yellow Shark in London; FZ songs (C); FZ's (non) headstone; Sleep
Dirt screwed down; FZ and Warners.
TD50 (April 1996 – 36 pp) – Lost Episodes/Humor/Cuccurullo reviews; FZ in
Sweden; Zappa band members' gigs; tapelist part 10 and reviews part
8; the real Bongo Fury and 205 Motels; Zappa Songs (D); Lost Episodes
nonsense; Sheik Yerbouti shakes; full TD printing history (TD1-50);
letters page (a rare event).
TD51 (May 1996 – 24 pp) – Vai/Keneally reviews; 1975 tour; FZ and PCness;
Zappa songs E-F; Cynthia Plastercaster;
Grandmother Roland St.Germain interview part 1
'Orchestral Favorites'; FZ cartoon.
TD52 (July 1996 – 28 pp) –
Grandmother interview part 2; Zappa songs G-H;
Robert Martin interview part 1; Johnny 'Guitar' Watson; 1976 tour;
'Joe's Garage Act 1' assessed; Zapparap about religion.
TD53 (August 1996
– 28 pp) – FZ books, cover band reviews;
Bobby Martin
interview 2; 'Joe's Garage Acts 2 &3' annihilated; 1976 tour stuff
again; Zappa songs H and I.
TD54 (October 1996 – 28 pp) – Z/Vai reviews; Zappa songs J to K; 'Tinseltown
Rebellion' treated; Ike Willis interviews; 1976-77 tour tracks and
reviews.
TD55 (November 1996 – 28 pp) – Muffins review; 'Läther'; Zapparap about 'Joe's
Garage'; Bruce Fowler interview; more 1977 tour tracks and reviews;
Zappa songs L; 'Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar' thrashed.
TD56 (February 1997
– 28 pp) – FZ's Signature Guitar Compositions/books
reviewed; 'Trance-Fusion' previewed (whatever happened to this?);
Zappa songs M; Muffin Men on tour; YAWYI perused; 1977 tour tracks
and reviews; Bruce Fowler interview 2.
TD57 (March 1997 – 28 pp) – 'Have I Offended Someone?'/Belew reviews; 'Ship
Arriving' examined; 1977/78 tour tracks and reviews; Michael Brecker
interview; Zappa songs M to O;
Bruce Fowler interview 3; The Lost
Lost Episodes; Francesco Zappa skit.
TD58 (May 1997 – 28 pp) – MAE/Vai with Keneally/Muffins reviews; 1978 tour
tracks; Fulcanelli exposed; 'The Man from Utopia' indulged; Mike
Keneally interview; more Lost Lost Episodes; Zappa songs N-Lite to P;
The Simpsons; FZ in Michigan 1966!; lots of trivia and letters.
TD59 (July 1997
– 28 pp) – 'Strictly Genteel'/G3/books reviewed; 1978 US tour
tracks and reviews; David Gates on Beefheart; Zappa at the Proms (a
disgrace); yet more Lost Lost Episodes;
Steve Vai interviews (one
with Keneally); Zappa songs P; FZ & the Bible in 'YAWYI'; promo CDs.
TD60 (September 1997, in memoriam Conlon Nancarrow
– 28 pp) – FZ at
Proms/Muffins reviews;
Mike Keneally interview; 1979 tour tracks and
reviews; 'Baby Snakes' pic disc portrayed; 'Them or Us' (the book)
summarised;
David Walley interview part 1; Muffin Men in the UK;
Zappa songs Q to R.
TD61 (October 1997 – 24 pp) – '200 Motels' review;
David Walley interview 2;
Tommy Mars interview; LSO 1 and The Perfect Stranger peeled; 1979
Euro tour tracks.
TD62 (January 1999, in memoriam Tom Cora – 28 pp) – The Mystery
Disc/Keneally/Cuccurullo/JCB/Catholic Girls/Muffins etc reviews;
Ed
Mann interview; Zappa songs S (part 1); 1979 Euro tour tracks,
reviews; even more Lost Lost Episodes.TD63 (March 2000; double issue with TD64 below
– 28 pp) – Vai/Beefheart/books
reviews; great Zappa poem; 1980 US tour tracks; Zappa songs S part 2;
'The Ark' date; Albert Wing interview.
TD64 (March 2000; double issue with TD63 above
– 24 pp) – 'Everything Is
Healing Nicely'/Grow Fins/Vai/Thana Harris book reviews; Tom Fowler
interviews; Zappa songs S part 3; 'The Mystery Tape' (Money 1967);
1980 US tour tracks; 'The World's Greatest Sinner' assessed.