Frank Zappa's New York Halloween 1981 concerts were filmed Live at The Palladium. This "thing" entitled The Torture Never Stops was created in its entirety by FZ from the original concert production and intended by the Artist as one of 3 Television Specials. This is the longest version of the three - the others, "You Are What You Is" and "Dumb All Over", having actually aired.

Halloween was Frank Zappa's favorite holiday, and New York was the site of Frank Zappa Halloween concerts for years! The billion and a half airings by MTV of the concerts (non-edited) followed on closely from the release of the double album You Are What You Is in September of that year on Frank Zappa's own recently founded and thoroughly independent label, Barking Pumpkin.

Much of the set list is drawn from that work. All Frank Zappa shows were unique experiences with Zappa on guitar and baton, leading his band on flights of improvisation and drawing ever more intense performances from them. And what a band for this show - Steve Vai on stunt guitar, Ray White, Tommy Mars, Scott Thunes, Ed Mann & Bobby Martin! The Torture Never Stops cements Zappa's reputation as one of the most innovative and challenging composers and performers of the 20th century.

The line-up for this show features Frank Zappa (guitar, vocal); Ray White (vocal, guitar); Tommy Mars (keyboards, vocal); Scott Thunes (bass, vocal); Chad Wackerman (drums); Ed Mann (percussion, vocal); Bobby Martin (keyboard, sax, vocal) and Steve Vai (guitar, vocal). Bonus Features on The Torture Never Stops include additional performances from the concert and one short film. Truly this is classic Frank Zappa, The Torture Never Stops is a wonderful document that reveals once again a maverick and iconoclastic musical innovator at his best.