Frank Zappa’s love for Halloween is as famous as his groundbreaking music. To celebrate the holiday, a new box set titled Halloween 78 is being released. This special edition features a newly mixed and mastered version of Zappa’s Halloween concert from 1978 at The Palladium in New York City.
The Super Deluxe Costume edition includes five CDs in spooky packaging, showcasing Zappa in a ‘70s-style devil mask and holding a pitchfork with a UV light that reveals hidden details inside. It also comes with a grimoire book filled with concert photos by Lynn Goldsmith, notes by Travers, and unique artwork by Fantoons, who designed the mask.
In addition to the box set, there will be two vinyl releases and a 1CD edition. The first 2LP is on 180-gram “Candy Corn” vinyl and includes a pop-out paper mask, a gatefold package, and a booklet with rare photos. The second 2LP is on 180-gram “Blood Spatter” vinyl, also in gatefold packaging. The 1CD features 15 performances from the four-hour concert, while the Digital Deluxe version includes all tracks from the 5CD set and a digital booklet.
Zappa loved Halloween and made it a tradition to perform multiple shows in New York City each year. This tradition started in New Jersey in 1972, moved to Chicago in 1973, and settled in New York by 1974. The 1979 shows were even featured in the film Baby Snakes. Halloween 78 is the first Zappa costume box set in five years and the fourth in the series, following Halloween 77, Halloween 73, and Halloween 81.
