This is taken from theseconddisc.com, and this is all I could find out so far:

Throughout a long career that produced 62 albums during his lifetime, Frank Zappa frequently clashed with the music industry’s major labels. As recently as last year, the late musician’s estate was embroiled in a legal battle with Rykodisc, a unit of Warner Music Group. The irony had not been lost on Zappa fans when Warner acquired Ryko in 2006. After all, Warner was the label from which Zappa acrimoniously split in the late 1970s. But Ryko, one of the first-ever CD-only independent labels, had been the distributor of Zappa’s massive catalogue since 1986 and the label behind a comprehensive reissue campaign that began in 1995.

Today, the once-painstakingly-curated Zappa catalogue is in a bit of shambles, with many titles no longer readily available and fetching high prices on the secondhand market. Others have been released by the Zappa Family Trust in comprehensive, bonus-packed editions under new titles such as The MOFO Project/Object for Freak Out! and Lumpy Money for Lumpy Gravy and We’re Only In It For The Money . These deluxe “audio documentaries” restored original mixes not present on the previous, standardized CDs, and premiered unreleased material. The ZFT has also issued more rarities from the vault including a memorable 1971 live stand at Carnegie Hall and a lost Captain Beefheart album produced by Zappa. The question of just who retains the rights to the Zappa catalogue as of this writing (The Zappa Family Trust? Rykodisc?) hasn’t been fully answered in public view, though Rykodisc prevailed in many aspects of a United States District Court – Southern District of New York order dated August, 2011.

Now, news comes from our friends at MusicTAP that Zappa reissues are on the way from a new label: Universal, or UMe. It appears that June 26 will bring new editions of six early Zappa albums: Freak Out! (1966), Absolutely Free (1967), Lumpy Gravy (1967), We’re Only In It For The Money (1968), Cruising With Ruben & The Jets (1968), and Hot Rats (1969). Oddly, 1969’s Uncle Meat is apparently left out of this batch, which otherwise would contain all of Zappa’s 1960s albums with and without The Mothers of Invention. It’s also worth noting that all but one (Hot Rats) of the above-mentioned albums had releases on the Verve label, which is now part of Universal, and could possibly be reissued on CD for the first time on that imprint. (Verve was the original distributor of Zappa and Herb Cohen’s Bizarre label, which in 1970 was re-established under the Warner Bros. umbrella.)

I had no idea Warner had bought Ryko.

Neither did they.

recently posted on gz sez over at zappa.com

I have a couple questions:
1) I recently got into Frank’s music and my ears crave it all the time, but unfortunately, I never see any of his CDs in stores ANYWHERE. They aren’t in HMV, Amazon, or even on Barfko-Swill (the Ryko releases I mean). Is there a reason why they aren’t circulating? Will they be released in boxsets any time in the future?

1. There is a reason for that and we are going to announce it as soon as some of the dust clears – part lawsuit, part resolution. Watch the skies of April and May.

Original vinyls - replaced vinyls - Old Master box'd vinyls - Ryco original releases - EMI releases - Ryco remasters - some other Ryco re-do's on a few titles - Hot Rats special vinyl - 2 copies of each vault release (one for back-up) - now to purchase the catelog once again.
Will I do it? OF COURSE! happily!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At least I'll get to fill in some missing spots.

Major update:

UPDATE 4/20: The total number of albums being reissued on June 26 has now been revealed as sixteen. Of Zappa’s core albums through 1976, only three are not part of this campaign: 1969′s Uncle Meat, 1970′s Burnt Weeny Sandwich and 1971′s soundtrack to 200 Motels. Here’s the full list:
1.Freak Out! (1966)
2.Absolutely Free (1967)
3.Lumpy Gravy (1967)
4.We’re Only In It For The Money (1968)
5.Cruising with Ruben & the Jets (1968)
6.Hot Rats (1969)
7.Weasels Ripped My Flesh (1970)
8.Chunga’s Revenge (1970)
9.Fillmore East – June 1971 (1971)
10.Just Another Band From LA (1971)
11.Waka/Jawaka (1972)
12.The Grand Wazoo (1972)
13.Over-Nite Sensation (1973)
14.Apostrophe (‘) (1974)
15.Roxy & Elsewhere (1974)
16.One Size Fits All (1975)
17.Bongo Fury (1975)
18.Zoot Allures (1976)

I've been holding out for years to purchase some of my fave FZ albums in hopes that someday this might happen. I'm still curious as to what these will be (and I hope more will follow), but this certainly seems like great news.

The only real question to ask is: WILL THESE BE DEFINITIVE?

And in 5.1?

Or re-definitive?

Alan

I didn't realize Zappa started way back in 1966!?! Always thought of him as more a early 70's act.
Talk about a Freak Out! That was the year of Batman for me.

I don't really like his 60's stuff; my appreciation starts somewhere around 1973.

You know about that time Zappa recorded 4 tunes with Burt Ward (Robin) on lead vocals and some of the Mothers and others backing him.

At the height of Batman's popularity, Ward recorded a series of tracks under the production of Frank Zappa. The first two, "Boy Wonder, I Love You" (which Zappa wrote) and "Orange Colored Sky," were released as a single on November 14, 1966. Two other tracks from these sessions, "Teenage Bill of Rights" and "Autumn Love", remained unreleased.[5]

Did not know.....thanks!

Yes, me too. Just can't get into the 60's stuff (aside from the amazing Hot Rats-I think that was 1969?) at all. But the great thing about FZ is there is sooooo much material there's plenty too choose from.

I came in to Zappa at aorund Sheik Yerbouti in 1979 like alot of people when his humor was a big selling point.
I do own alot of the earlier stuff (Hot Rats) on CD to fill in my collection back in the day (the 80's when the CD was created) but really need to spend time getting to know Zappa's output.



Joe's Garage was another favorite.

My first exposure to Frank was "Dancin' Fool". My guitar teacher told me to get it to teach me to learn by ear. So I picked up the single, but Frank didn't stick that time (although I did listen to the flip side, "Baby Snakes" quite a bit).

A few years later, after I'd started working, I was sitting in the break room when I heard someone shout the words that would help change my musical life.

"Blow it out your ass, motorcycle man!"

One of the guys involved was a guy I hung out with a lot, so I asked him what it was from. Went out and picked up "Joe's Garage Act I" and "Zappa In New York" on cassette. Much to my mother's chagrin, it stuck this time and I became a huge Zappa fan. She did try to take the tapes off of me numerous times, but by this time, I knew her hiding places. Thirty years later, I still listen to Frank a lot, although I am more partial to the 70s and beyond. ("Hot Rats" was 1970, I believe - after Frank got pushed off the stage in London.)

Two proud parenting moments - one was dancing with my daughter to the doo-wop medley on "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4" (maybe 3). It got to the point that she'd come running as soon as it started. A few years later, I was listening to a download of "Peaches En Regalia" from an SNL appearance when my son - about 7 at the time - walked past and said, "That sounds like Frank Zappa, but with more guitar."

Alan

I prefer Zappa without the humor when he plays what he does best, improvised, jazzy rhythmic rock.
Hot Rats is my favorite album he did.

Love side 1 of Hot Rats, but think side 2 drags a bit. Waka Jawaka and Grand Wazoo are similarly stretched out and jazzy.

But my first introduction was Apostrophe and Overnite Sensation - an easy mix of humour, melodies (and you don't always get them with FZ!) and great playing. One Size Fits All and Zoot Allures are similarly fairly easy to get into.

By the way, whatever you think of the "concept", the Zappa Plays Zappa dvd/cd has GREAT versions of loads of the '70's favourites and has Napoleon Murphy Brock on vocals. I actually play it more than the originals. Sue me.

fav song (studio) on record/cd - Watermellon
fav lp - Hot Rats
fav song played live - Don't You Ever Wash that thing?
fav band - tuff question 74 - 68 band with L George - 72 Petite Wazoo - 75 NY band - 88 Best Band U Never Heard - Bongo Fury Band
fav tour - fall 74 (those guys n gal could play those tunes so fast and nearly perfect - my ears cannot listen that fast)

I like the political humor, I don't like the early bathroom humor though. That's what first turned me off to Zappa in Jr High School. Didn't get back into him until Zoot Allures came out, than slowly explored both the newer & older catalog from '73 on. The pre '73 I've heard has mostly been either too 50's influenced for me or Beavis & Butthead humor. I do need to revisit the post-original Mothers albums from Fillmore - Wazzoo; their may be stuff I'd like there.