Entertainment For Lively Minds
Frank Zappa
Posted by mojoworking on 28 December 2011 - 10:43am.
What's it called?:
Buffalo
What It Sounds Like:
With a discography now running close to 100 albums, you might think the last thing the world needs is another Frank Zappa CD. There are plenty of die-hards who would disagree, however. They simply can't get enough and the Zappa estate keeps them happy by drip-feeding a steady supply of high quality unreleased live material from the seemingly inexhaustible FZ vaults. This time it's a 1980 concert from Buffalo, New York featuring the "You Are What You Is" era band with stellar players such as Vinnie Colaiuta on drums and stunt guitarist Steve Vai. Long-time front men Ray White and Ike Willis handle most of the vocals, leaving Frank to do what he did best - insult the audience before playing a series of blasphemous guitar solos. Comedy and music are often uneasy bedfellows, but Zappa knew exactly how to play the game. The musicianship here is sometimes otherworldly while the lyrical content walks a fine line between cutting edge satire and piss-funny vulgarity with surgical precision.
What Does It All "Mean"?:
Another month, another fine Zappa CD. Since 1966 'twas ever thus. This one stacks up well against any of his other live albums from the period. though.
Goes well with...:
Nothing comes close. Zappa's music is unique.
Might Suit People Who Like...:
Real musicianship.
That's a treat
to hear Vinnie the monster and Steve Vai playing together in Zappa's band. I'll be checking that one out for sure.
Saw Vinnie
with Jeff Beck a couple of years ago and yes, he's a monster behind the drum kit right enough.
I do think though
that by this era, FZ's bitterness was getting the better of him. It's not that funny. "Bobby Brown" is so repulsive, it almost smears the great work done before.
I know exactly what you mean
but it could be said that some of the Flo and Eddie era stuff from 1970/71 is even more crass, often without the musicianship of the later material underpinning it.
Colin H may be interested to know
there's a loose John McLaughlin connection with this album.
It contains the track Dead Girls Of London, a Zappa song which was often played in concert in the late 70s but never appeared on a FZ album at the time.
Instead, it was given to L.Shankar for inclusion on his debut solo album, the 1979 Zappa-produced Touch Me There. Shankar was briefly a Zappa band member, of course
I don't need to tell you Colin that L.Shankar had earlier worked extensively with McLaughlin in Shakti.
The twist in the tale, however, is the Van Morrison connection. Zappa originally demoed the song with Van on vocals, but it seems The Man's (then) record label vetoed the collaboration and the track was scrapped.
It's long been available on bootleg, of course.