Zappa - Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch

A surreal masterpiece of avant-garde rock and satire, Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch is Frank Zappa at his most experimental and cutting. Released in 1982 on Barking Pumpkin Records (FW 38066) and distributed by CBS, the album features the breakout hit Valley Girl, a collaboration with Zappa’s daughter Moon Zappa, that became a cultural phenomenon.

Blending complex compositions, live instrumentals, and absurdist humor, Zappa leads a band of virtuoso musicians including Steve Vai, Ed Mann, Tommy Mars, and Scott Thunes. This LP is a time capsule of Zappa’s peak creative power—fusing jazz, classical, hard rock, and satire without regard for genre boundaries.

Tracklist:

Side One

1. No Not Now – 5:50
2. Valley Girl – 4:50
3. I Come From Nowhere – 6:20

Side Two

1. Drowning Witch – 12:09
2. Envelopes – 2:44
3. Teen-age Prostitute – 2:40

Label: Barking Pumpkin Records
Catalog #: FW 38066
Released: 1982
Genre: Avant-Garde Rock / Experimental / Satire
Format: Vinyl, LP, Stereo
Country: USA
Condition: VG

Personnel Highlights:

• Frank Zappa – lead guitar, vocals, producer
• Moon Zappa – vocals on “Valley Girl”
• Steve Vai – “impossible guitar parts”
• Ed Mann – percussion
• Bobby Martin – keyboards, sax, vocals
• Scott Thunes & Arthur Barrow – bass
• Roy Estrada, Ike Willis, Lisa Popeil – vocals