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Ship Arriving Too Late To Save a Drowning Witch

a Studio release
by Frank Zappa

Release Year: 1982

Date Label Catalog # Comments

Release Information

This was Zappa's highest charting and most popular album of the '80s. Roger Price who did this cartoon called "Droodles" and one of the pictures in the book was called "Drowning Witch. This is the source of the album title and cover art.

The commercial success of this album is no doubt due to the song Valley Girl sung by Zappa's teenage daughter Moon Unit. This song was Zappa's highest charting single in the USA (#32) and got him his second Grammy nomination (for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal).

Valley Girl as a song is not representative of the remaining tunes here - - as the rest of the album is filled with songs that have more in common with the normal work done by Zappa on other albums of this period.
Added To Proggnosis Database on: 3/10/2003 12:00:00 AM
Entry Last Updated on: 10/20/2010 2:42:00 AM by: Rob

Track List

  1. No Not Now (5:50)
  2. Valley Girl (4:50)
  3. I Come From Nowhere (6:09)
  4. Drowning Witch (12:03)
  5. Envelopes (2:45)
  6. Teen-Age Prostitute (2:41)

Performer Credits

Steve Vai
Guitar
Bobby Martin
Keyboards, Saxophone, Vocals
Ed Mann
Percussion
Chad Wackerman
Drums, Vocals
Ike Willis
Guitar, Vocals
Arthur Barrow
Bass
Roy Estrada
Bass, Vocals
Frank Zappa
Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals Bob Harris
Keyboards, Vocals
Tommy Mars
Keyboards, Vocals
Patrick O'Hearn
Bass, Wind
Lisa Popiel
Vocals
Scott Thunes
Synthesizer, Bass, Vocals
Ray White
Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals
Moon Unit Zappa
Vocals
Lisa Popeil
Vocals

Reviews  1

Reviewed by MJBrady on 15 Mar 2003

When Frank is in fusion/prog mode, his music is as good as it gets, and for the most part, the music on SATLTSDW is one of his many strong statements as both a musician, arranger and composer. As usual he is joined by a long list of outstanding talents, and rightly so, as there are some moments of brilliance on this album that only the very skilled musician could partake in.

Zappa was always the prodigeous personality and musician, yet it was on records like this that he offered some of his most ambitious writing skills, and as a result, he was able to tap into the depths of his surrounding performers abilities, and create some of the most technically astouning music in the prog or fusion market. The trick with Zappa's music is to find the predominently instrumental jewels that lie between the more politically charged lyrical ones. Both are valid statements for Zappa, but from a progfusion perspective, it is recordings like this one that leave listeners like myself in utter amazement.

Discography Click to Expand...Close

Freak Out! by Frank Zappa

1966 - Freak Out! 

Absolutely Free by Frank Zappa

1967 - Absolutely Free 

Lumpy Gravy by Frank Zappa

1967 - Lumpy Gravy 

Cruising With Ruben & the Jets by Frank Zappa

1968 - Cruising With Ruben & the Jets 

We're Only In It For The Money by Frank Zappa

1968 - We're Only In It For The Money 

Uncle Meat by Frank Zappa

1969 - Uncle Meat 

Hot Rats by Frank Zappa

1969 - Hot Rats 

Chunga's Revenge by Frank Zappa

1970 - Chunga's Revenge 

Weasels Ripped My Flesh by Frank Zappa

1970 - Weasels Ripped My Flesh 

Burnt Weeny Sandwich by Frank Zappa

1970 - Burnt Weeny Sandwich 

200 Motels [CD] by Frank Zappa

1971 - 200 Motels [CD] 

The Grand Wazoo by Frank Zappa

1972 - The Grand Wazoo 

Waka/Jawaka by Frank Zappa

1972 - Waka/Jawaka 

Over-Nite Sensation by Frank Zappa

1973 - Over-Nite Sensation 

Apostrophe (') by Frank Zappa

1974 - Apostrophe (') 

One Size Fits All by Frank Zappa

1975 - One Size Fits All 

Zoot Allures by Frank Zappa

1976 - Zoot Allures 

Studio Tan by Frank Zappa

1978 - Studio Tan 

Orchestral Favorites by Frank Zappa

1979 - Orchestral Favorites 

Joe's Garage Act I by Frank Zappa

1979 - Joe's Garage Act I 

Joe's Garage Acts II & III by Frank Zappa

1979 - Joe's Garage Acts II & III 

Sleep Dirt by Frank Zappa

1979 - Sleep Dirt 

Sheik Yerbouti by Frank Zappa

1979 - Sheik Yerbouti 

You Are What You Is by Frank Zappa

1980 - You Are What You Is 

Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar by Frank Zappa

1981 - Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar 

Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar Some More by Frank Zappa

1981 - Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar Some More 

Return of the Son of Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar by Frank Zappa

1981 - Return of the Son of Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar 

Ship Arriving Too Late To Save a Drowning Witch by Frank Zappa

1982 - Ship Arriving Too Late To Save a Drowning Witch 

The Man From Utopia by Frank Zappa

1983 - The Man From Utopia 

London Symphony Orchestra, Volume 1 by Frank Zappa

1983 - London Symphony Orchestra, Volume 1 

The Perfect Stranger by Frank Zappa

1984 - The Perfect Stranger 

Thing-Fish by Frank Zappa

1984 - Thing-Fish 

Francesco Zappa by Frank Zappa

1984 - Francesco Zappa 

Them Or Us by Frank Zappa

1984 - Them Or Us 

Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention by Frank Zappa

1985 - Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention 

Jazz From Hell by Frank Zappa

1986 - Jazz From Hell 

London Symphony Orchestra, Volume II by Frank Zappa

1987 - London Symphony Orchestra, Volume II 

The Yellow Shark by Frank Zappa

1993 - The Yellow Shark 

Civilization Phaze III by Frank Zappa

1995 - Civilization Phaze III 

Mystery Disc by Frank Zappa

1998 - Mystery Disc 

Everything Is Healing Nicely by Frank Zappa

1999 - Everything Is Healing Nicely 

QuAUDIOPHILIAc by Frank Zappa

2004 - QuAUDIOPHILIAc 

Trance-Fusion by Frank Zappa

2006 - Trance-Fusion 

The MOFO Project/Object - The Making Of Freak Out! CD by Frank Zappa

2006 - The MOFO Project/Object - The Making Of Freak Out! CD 

Buffalo by Frank Zappa

2007 - Buffalo 

Congress Shall Make No Law... by Frank Zappa

2010 - Congress Shall Make No Law... 

Joe's Camouflage by Frank Zappa

2014 - Joe's Camouflage 

Roxy By Proxy by Frank Zappa

2014 - Roxy By Proxy 

Dance Me This by Frank Zappa

2015 - Dance Me This 

Little Dots by Frank Zappa

2016 - Little Dots 

Funky Nothingness by Frank Zappa

2023 - Funky Nothingness