Simple Minds: Once Upon a Time 40th Anniversary Edition (Virgin/UMe, 5 CDs). The “Once Upon a Time” box set is now available in a cut-down format from the original Super Deluxe set released in 2016 for the 30th anniversary. The 5-CD box set includes a wealth of supplementary tracks, including the original and extended versions of "Don't You (Forget About Me)," single edits, 12" mixes, B-sides, unreleased tracks and the 2-disc “Live in The City of Light” concert. The 36-page booklet has rare photos, new interviews with Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill, and a track-by-track guide.

Originally released in October 1985, coming hot on the heels of the global smash single "Don't You (Forget About Me)" from the film “The Breakfast Club,” “Once Upon a Time” was the album that propelled Simple Minds to the heights of artistic and commercial success. It contains the classic hit singles "Alive and Kicking," "All the Things She Said," "Sanctify Yourself" and "Ghostdancing."

The summer of 1985 was an exciting time for Simple Minds. Live Aid took place in July and Simple Minds was the first band asked to perform at the Philadelphia venue. The request was generated by the band’s capturing of the public’s attention with its unexpected hit of Keith Forsey’s “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” from “The Breakfast Club” soundtrack. The band was somewhat abashed by the song’s popularity, so it was not included on the new album.

It was their seventh studio album, following “Sparkle in the Rain.” At The Townhouse in London, the band began the initial formal recordings for a majority of the album’s songs. Plans were made to finish the album in Bearville Studios in Upstate New York. Simple Minds at that point included Kerr on vocals, Burchill on guitars, Mick MacNeil on piano and synths, Mel Gaynor on drums and backing vocals, and John Giblin on bass. It was at Bearville that producer Jimmy Iovine suggested the addition of Robin Clark from the band Chic, Michael Been of the band The Call, and The Simms Brothers, Frank and George, for additional vocals.

The album sold 2 million copies in the first two months worldwide. It reached No. 1 in the U.K. and broke into the top 10 in the U.S. The four singles all made the top 10 and a 15-month world tour followed. In the U.K., it went triple platinum, gold in the U.S. and double platinum in Canada.

The title track opens up with a kicking musical intro and Clark’s great voice. Drummer Gaynor unleashes his percussion, building to Kerr’s opening vocal. The track, which has plenty of keyboards, sets the tone for the joyous, energetic album. The song has a theme of the changes time brings: “That’s time, time looked around itself, time got excited that’s when we all got started.”

“All the Things She Said” opens with a keyboard. There is a back-and-forth call and response between Kerr and Clark’s vocals. One side attests to how the world is and the other to how we wish it to be. One side says everyone is going to straight to hell, while the other says that heaven is only around the corner. This is one of the band’s songs with an underlying theme of Christianity.

“Ghostdancing” is influenced by the term “ghost dance,” originated by the Paicute prophet dreamer Wovoka, who announced that the return of the departed and the ousting of the white man would be hastened by dances and songs revealed to Wovoka in spiritual visions. Kerr takes that concept and combines it with consideration of Western Civilization’s wrongdoings. The energetic song suggests there could be a better day if wrongs were righted in such places as South Africa and Ethiopia. Burchill’s guitar work stands out.

“Alive and Kicking,” which starts softly, follows as an anthem-like rocker. It is all about holding on to hope through life’s adversity. Next is the upbeat rocker “Oh Jungleland,” with gritty lyrics about poverty in the Third World, but that hope exists for a better day. Back to Christian themes is “I Wish You Were,” which could either be about a missing lover or the return of Christ.

Pounding drums open “Sanctify Yourself,” a song about becoming holy. It has a dance beat as Kerr pleads to the better angels of our nature to turn from evil to good. “Sanctify Yourself” segues into “Come a Long Way,” which has featuring Kerr’s vocals backed by a samba percussion. The track examines time and how things never seem to change, but can change in an instant.

Discs two and three contain extended mixes, B-sides and rarities – 13 on disc two and 12 on disc three. There are three versions of “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” and “Sanctify Yourself,” plus five versions of “Alive and Kicking.” The non-album instrumental “A Brass Band in Africa” has two versions, including a lengthy 9:23 one. Disc three has live versions of “Street Hassle” and “Love Song,” plus two more, longish versions of “Sanctify Yourself.”

There also is a remix of “Promised You a Miracle” and two versions each of “All the Things She Said,” “Ghostdancing” and “Oh Jungleland,” including a fine extended version. A live version of “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” stretches to 9:05.

The 1986 Paris concert, “Live in the City of Light,” on sides four and five contains 14 tracks, with the standouts all being from the new album. They also do a cover of “Dance to the Music” as part of a medley. Grade: box set A

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention: One Size Fits All 50th Anniversary Edition (Zappa Records/UMe, 4 CDs + a Blu-ray audio disc). The album was the 14th by the Mothers of Invention and the 20th overall by Zappa. It was released in June 1975 and reached No. 26 on the Billboard Top LPs chart in August. The box set features 75 percent unreleased material. It includes the album, vault nuggets, a complete live 1974 show from Rotterdam, Netherlands, bonus live tracks from the same European tour, Dolby Atmos mixes and bonus videos. Ruth Underwood, David Fricke and Vaultmeister Joe Travers contribute new and insightful liner notes in the 52-page booklet.

The album followed a momentous 1974 for Zappa. His acclaimed March 1974 solo album “Apostrophe (’)” became his first gold-selling record in the United States, ultimately peaking at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 chart. The perpetually catchy single “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow” had made a splash on the Hot 100 chart, reaching No. 87. The epic double-live album “Roxy & Elsewhere” was issued that September. There also was touring and two special television tapings.

The album features the summer/fall 1974 lineup, with keyboardist/vocalist George Duke, drummer Chester Thompson, percussionist Ruth Underwood, bassist Tom Fowler and saxophonist/vocalist Napoleon Murphy Brock. “Can’t Afford No Shoes” features bassist James Youman, who temporarily joined when Fowler broke his hand while on tour.

The album features one of Zappa's most complex tracks, "Inca Roads” with the basic tracks originating from a TV recording at the KCET Studios in Los Angeles on Aug. 27, 1974, while the guitar solo came from a concert in Helsinki, Finland on Sept. 22 or 23. The basic tracks of "Florentine Pogen" also were from the KCET recording, which later was a source of Zappa's video release, “The Dub Room Special.” In 1988, Zappa released “You Can’t Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 2” from the Helsinki concerts, including the unedited "Inca Roads" solo.

Johnny “Guitar” Watson, one of Zappa's musical heroes, guests on two tracks – the "flambé" vocals on the out-choruses of "San Ber'dino" and "Andy." Captain Beefheart appears under the pseudonym "bloodshot rolling red," playing harmonica "when present" according to the album's liner notes.

The album, presented here in the 2012 remaster by Bob Ludwig, sometimes has juvenile lyrics and Zappa sings in German on “Sofa No. 2.” They are offset by Zappa’s elaborate prog-rock compositions. Highlights are “Inca Roads,” “Can’t Afford No Shoes,” “San Ber’dino” and “Andy.” “Sofa No. 1” is an instrumental.

Added to the first two CDs are 19 alternate versions, outtakes and rough mixes. Highlights are a rough version of “Inca Roads, two versions of “Florentine Pogen” and three versions of “San Ber’dino” with lots of guitar.

The other two CDs contain a complete Sept. 28, 1974 concert from Rotterdam, Holland, and two bonus tracks from a show presented the same month in Sweden. There is more juvenile lyrics in “Approximate.” Both “Inca Roads” and “Montana” stretch past 12 minutes.

The Blu-ray adds newly created Dolby Atmos, Dolby True HD 5.1 and hi-def stereo versions of the original album, plus videos of “Inca Roads” and “Florentine Pogen” from KCET-TV on Aug. 27, 1974. There also is a 1975 quad mix of “Sofa No. 1” and a 1993 6-channel mix of “San Ber’dino.”

“Inca Roads,” “Florentine Pogen,” “Andy,” and “Sofa” found their way onto concert setlists up to Zappa’s final tour in 1988. Grade: box set B+