FZ album(s) in which song has appeared

• Absolutely Free (1967), as Brown Shoes Don't Make It, recorded at T.T.G., Los Angeles, CA, November 1966
  • same version on Mothermania (1969) as Brown Shoes Don't Make It
  • same version on Understanding America (2012) as Brown Shoes Don't Make It
  • same version, remixed in 1969, on Frank Zappa For President (2016) as Brown Shoes Don't Make It
• Whisky A Go Go, 1968 (2024), as Brown Shoes Don't Make It and Brown Shoes Shuffle, performed in Los Angeles, CA, July 23, 1968
  • parts on Meat Light (2016) as Whiskey Wah
• Carnegie Hall (2011), quoted in Billy The Mountain—Part 1, performed in New York, NY, October 11, 1971
• Road Tapes, Venue #2 (2013), as Brown Shoes Don't Make It, performed in Helsinki, Finland, August 23, 1973
• Halloween 73 (2019), quoted in Inca Roads, recorded in Los Angeles, CA, October 20, 1973
• Halloween 73 (2019), quoted in Farther O'Blivion, recorded in Los Angeles, CA, October 21, 1973
• Tinsel Town Rebellion (1981), as Brown Shoes Don't Make It, performed in London, UK, February 17-19, 1979
  • parts of the same version heard in Porn Wars Deluxe on Understanding America (2012)
• BTB I: Anyway The Wind Blows (1991), as Brown Shoes Don't Make It, performed in Paris, France, February 24, 1979

 

Tour(s) on which song is known to have been performed (main source: FZShows, v. 7.1)

• October 1967-August 1968 (MOI)—known performances: 1
• September-October 1968 (2nd MOI European Tour)—known performances: 1
• May-August 1969 (MOI)—known performances: 1
• August-September 1973 (MOI European Tour)—known performances: 10; known quotations: 1
• February-April 1979 (Europe)—known performances: 32; known quotations: 4

 

Comments

Foggy G, "The Songs That Were Played," We're Only In It For The Touring

1973: One of the treats of this short European jaunt. The song is eesentially performed as on "Absolutely Free", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with smoother transitions between the many "movements" (a la the Spring '79 version). Unlike either of those other two versions, however, these performances are taken at a much brisker pace, with the post-vocal ending especially taking on a hectic and rather rushed feel. Nonetheless, the song is great to hear, and serves as a major plus in this tour's positive column.

1979: Played as on "Tinseltown Rebellion"—that is, perfectly! Occasional vehicle for secret word usage, but pretty much played note-for-note as on TR. In my opinion, this version has a more fluid and thus more enjoyable sound than the original "Absolutely Free" version. While this is not my favorite FZ band, this '79 ensemble earned a place in my heart and proved their worth for this song alone.

 

Conceptual Continuity

• It Can't Happen Here ("Get a tv dinner and cook it up")
• Florentine Pogen ("Hratche-plche")
• Mothers At KPFK ("Hratche-plche")