Entertainment For Lively Minds
Zappa (father and son)...
Went to see Zappa Plays Zappa last night in Glasgow, and they were totally amazing. Quite how such music (frequently torturously complex) can be played with such precision, power, passion (and a humour jus) amazes me...
On the strength of his now virtuostic abilities, Dweezil must surely now rank amongst the best electric guitarists on the planet, and his old boy would be proud I am sure...
It got me to thinking: unless I'm mistaken, Word hasn't ever paid much attention to the late Uncle Frank, and with a body of work running to almost eighty albums, surely it's about high time there was a feature which interviews those who knew and worked with him. A more intriguing musical figure would be hard to find, and the breadth of his music is staggering (if not always to everyone's tastes)...
How about it, Word?
john
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Starting point
I've heard so many people telling me how great Zappa is (although tempering that with the fact that his music perhaps isn't for everyone) from a mastering engineer of high repute to a music group specialising in Scottish music of the 17th Century who also play Echidna's Arf (Of You) as part of their live set.
Where is the best place to start? A best-of or a proper album?
My recommendation...
Is probably to start with the two-albums-on-one-cd release 'Apostrophe/Overnight Sensation'. Much as I love the majority of his work (dense polyrhythmic Synclavier stuff aside), the mid-seventies-era Frank is the Frank I always return to.
After that, check out 'One Size Fits All', and then perhaps fast-forward to 1988's 'Broadway The Hard Way' to hear some later Frank. Of course, don't neglect the early stuff - 'Freak Out' was apparently one of the inspirations for 'Sgt Pepper...' and 'Hot Rats' is a classic.
Hope this helps. Happy to answer any and all Zappa questions (if I can)...
I agree
One Size Fits All is the identikit Zappa album and is probably a good place as any to enter the wonderful world of Frank (70 albums and counting).
The matching pair of Apostrophe and Overnite Sensation would be my second choice for the novice, followed by Sheik Yerbouti, Hot Rats and possibly one of the albums of guitar solos (Guitar or Shut Up N Play Yer Guitar.
The career-spanning 12 disc series You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore (all of it unavailable elsewhere) is also choc-full of Zappa wonderment.
The pair of double live albums from Frank’s final tour in 1988 (The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life and Make A Jazz Noise Here) are also essential.
One of the biggest criticisms of Zappa’s music is the plethora of in-jokes which can leave the newcomer baffled and/or frustrated. There’s no way around this other than to take the plunge and familiarise oneself with the man’s huge body of work.
I saw Zappa Plays Zappa in London in 2007 and again in Australia last year. As a Zappa covers band they are probably the best you'll ever hear, but they certainly lack the spontaneity that made Frank's outfits so special. You get the feeling that nothing unrehearsed is going to happen at a Zappa Plays Zappa concert. Dweezil has successfully made the transition from a shred merchant to a passable FZ soundalike, but he's still nowhere near as distinctive and ground breaking a player as his old man was.
Having said that, the ZPZ DVD is highly recommended, especially the disc with the amazing Steve Vai and Terry Bozzio.
I agree too
Very well said you folks up there
Go for Apostrophe + Overnite Sensation + One Size Fits All (the latter the best FZ LP IMHO) and if you don't like them well it's unlikely you'll find anything else to get you interested.
I would also recommend a couple of albums that feature Frank's other less "rock"/"song-oriented" interests -
Firstly "Cruising With Reuben And The Jets" from the late 60's - brilliant doo-wop pastiche, but get the vinyl if possible as he foolishly re-recorded the bass and drums for the CD version and it's HORRIBLE
Secondly his last album "The Yellow Shark" - the Ensemble Moderne, a German classical chamber ensemble playing a selection of FZ music arranged and conducted by FZ shortly before his death.
Hope you enjoy this music which always inspires me.
PS Ignore the Titties and Beer stuff.
Hear hear, Ruben and the Jets
Hot Rats and Ruben are just about the only FZ LPs I still listen to at all these days. Ruben, especially, is a fabulous '50s doo-wop/vocal group pastiche/tribute LP, and yes, get the original vinyl since the CD reissue sounds rather like a Woolworths "Top Of The Pops LP" version.
Also "We're Only In It..." is an astonishing cut-up/collage experience, and all the more remarakable considering its vintage, but you might not want to actually listen to it much.
Unfortunately
The CD version of WOIIFTM also features re-recorded bass and drum tracks by FZ 80s band members Chad Wackerman and Arthur Barrow
Oh blimey... Where to start?
The 'problem' with FZ is he produced so many different types of records it's difficult to know where to start. There's:
The psychedelic FZ
The jazz-fusion FZ
The orchestral 'classical' FZ
The Synclavier FZ
The tittes 'n' beer novelty song FZ
The manic widdly-widdly guitar shredding FZ
They're all hugely different in appeal - to be honest, I can't hink of any other artist who's work spans so many styles.
Strictly Commercial is a greatest hits album but it does tend to lean towards the novelty songs and chart hits. It's a nice easy way in though.
One Size Fits All is a fine example of jazz-fusion FZ and is probably my favourite single album. Remember though it *is* a mid-70s fusion odessey so if you know that's not your bag you might consider starting elsewhere.
The Yellow Shark is a good way in to the orchestral FZ. It would be a bit of a generalisation to call it a 'classical' album but that's a convenient tag for it.
During the 80s FZ produced a few studio albums using the Synclavier, personally I find these suffer from the "Wow! Look at all this cool stuff I can do with this new toy" syndrome but Jazz From Hell is a good way in.
I'd cousel against the live widdle-fests as a start point unless you're a fan of guitar solos extracted from their host songs.
and my list is different too
Bongo Fury with Captain Beefheart - couldn't live without it
Live in NYC - probably my favourite Zappa band
Zoot Allures - tight, tight, just diggit
One Size Fits All - great production, songs and playing
Sheik Yerbouti - see above comment
was fortunate enough to see him on the Zoot Allures and Sheik tours, just wonderful and they were at the Glasgow Apollo
Bongo Fury
I love Bongo Fury...
Also, I started with 'Strictly Commercial' and I still listen to and love Zappa so it may be a good starting point...
Inevitably out of so much music it's not all for everyone and some of it is rubbish, but enough is brilliant so it's worth finding it.
No mention of ...
Freak Out, Absolutely Free and We're Only In it For the Money. His first three albums, all very satirical, where he rips into conservatism, consumerism and counter culture hippiedom with equal vehemence. And for some of the quirkiest music you're ever likely to hear, give Burnt Weenie Sandwich a try. The later contains a memorable interchange at the end of a live recording where a member of the audience is heard berating a security guard, saying "take that uniform off maaan, take that uniform off". Zappa's response is typical: "Everyone in this room is wearing a uniform. Don't kid yourself"
We're Only In it For the Money
and Broadway the Hard Way were my doorway.
I'm a huge Zappa fan
The biggest problem with Frank, is as everyone has already said. There isn't a good way to describe his body of work. Most recommendations have already been given but here is mine.
If you like 60s psychedelic stuff. Go for the first 3 albums. Freak Out, Absoultely Free, We're Only in It for the Money. With We're Only in It for the Money being the best out of those IMHO
If you like Jazzy stuff. I'd go for Hot Rats, Burnt Weeny Sandwich, and a newer one of live stuff called Imaginary Diseases.
If you like 70s jazz fusion
Over-Nite Sensation, Apostrophe, or One Size Fits all. You can't go wrong with any of those
If you like Guitar Solos then I'd start with Guitar. I think it's better than the Shut Up and Play Your Guitar boxset. Though you can't go wrong with either of them.
Dweezil is not Frank
However, he is an excellent musician and I think it's great what he's doing with his Dad's legacy.
And I can't think of any other Son-does-Dad acts. Probably just as well. We wouldn't want Julian doing John would we?
read a book on him recently
bit of a fascist on the home front belying his social libertarian positioning
as for suggestions -all sound advice
if you liked dweezil's show perhaps go to the albums from which the set list came.
It's interesting
that no one has mentioned the early 70s Flo and Eddie era Zappa albums yet: Fillmore East, Just Another Band From LA, 200 Motels etc. I absolutely loved those records at the time, but can't listen to them now.
Once considered risqué and outrageous, the humour employed on those albums now seems ham-fisted and dated and by Zappa's exacting standards the music is clumsy and below par as well.
Someone once described this ill-judged phase of Frank's career as "Cheech and Chong set to music".
That about sums it up I reckon.
the book I read
was particularly scathing
frank.... drssing up hisobsessions and lavatory humour as a campaign to free society of certain forms of when in fact it was all about well ...his obsessions and lavatory humour
Listening to the new
Dweezil Zappa album (Return Of The Son Of) as I type.
It's great to hear some of those creaky old Zappa songs re-done in sparkling modern Hi Fi. I'm thinking here especially of the lengthy and complex Billy The Mountain originally from the album Just Another Band From LA.
Despite the slagging off I gave the Flo & Eddie era albums (above) make no mistake, Billy The Mountain is still an incredible piece of work.
I have only one reservation about the way Dweezil and his band play Frank's songs, however. He performs them exactly as they appeared on the records, complete with 40 year-old band in-jokes, fluffs, asides and ad libs.
In fact, during the entire 27 minute performance of Billy The Mountain, virtually the only deviation from the 1972 script was a reference to Sarah Palin.
Fair enough, you might say, the closer to the original versions the better. Hmmm, yes, but to my ears such a straitjacket approach to originality sounds more than a little contrived this far down the track. Surely there has to be room to let the music breathe?
I get the impression that Dweezil can't decide if he wants to be
a covers/tribute act; recreating the music of his father in exact detail or if he wants to keep the flame alive by playing the music as FZ could have played it today.
My suspicion is Dweezil would prefer the latter but the Zapptistas demand a clone of FZ.
I think that's probably a really hard decision for Dweezil
And I agree that he'd like to do it the way he thinks FZ would have liked but has decided to follow what he thinks is the Zappa fans' preference.
Except that there's actually convergence there - I mean us FZ fans are just happy to see/hear the music played with such reverence and we of course recognise that it's Dweezil and not his dad doing it.
Frank.............hmmmmm
Did Zappa re-record all his 60s material for CD?
I ask because I happened to be listening to the 'Ruben & The Jets' album on CD yesterday and it sounded like it was recorded in the 1980s.
Can I be any more dismissive of the item?
OK I can.
It's the worst record I own, it sounded absolutely abysmal and I question his talent/genius if he at any time he thought the CD modifications sounded alright.
Perhaps it is this that has kept me from really liking Zappa.
That, and I always thought it was easier to be a 'Zappa' than say be a 'McCartney' who had to write poppy tunes for the people otherwise he'd be out on his ear.
Zappa never had that burden.
Is 'Freak Out' untainted or has it too got the 1980s 'effect'?
Are any of the 60s LPs on CD as they sounded when they were released?
Are there any plans to right this incredibly ill-considered wrong?
No
Only Ruben and the Jets and We're Only In It For The Money were tampered with for CD release.
The albums weren't re-recorded per se, but new bass and drum tracks were substituted in the 80s.
Frank's excuse/reason (somewhat lame IMHO) for treating these iconic recordings in such a cavalier fashion was that the original multi track master tapes were in such poor condition that they were unusable as they stood.
If that were the case I'm sure he could have found safety copies somewhere which were capable of being cleaned up enough for CD?
I reckon Frank was just being his usual intractable, dogmatic self. He was in dispute with various original Mothers' members at the time and actually said that he thought those early recordings were not very well performed. Yes, he was missing the point.
You can rest easy regarding the other Zappa albums however. Give or take a few edits, they are all pretty much the same as the original LPs.
As for putting things right, Frank's widow Gail now takes care of the estate and aside from issuing several albums of unreleased material, she has not really touched the original back catalogue for many years now.
A colleague at Rhino told me that she is (allegedly) an absolute nightmare to deal with, so who knows what will happen in the future.
Perhaps when Dweezil takes over.......?
Having seen the FZ tape vault...
on the Classic Albums 'Apostrophe' DVD and heard the stories from those who are better placed that I to know, I'd find it hard to believe that the tapes weren't in as good as possible a condition.
Even if there was some degredation I can't believe that FZ wouldn't be able to get a decent signal off the masters for just the rhythm tracks.
As well as the new bass and drum tracks, the 1980s reissues are a VERY different mix to the originals. Listen to an original copy and a reissue back-to-back and there's a LOT of difference. I've kept a rip of both LPs as well as the CD reissues - they're almost like separate recordings of the same material.
At the time
Frank did say the original multi tracks were virtually transparent due to the oxide falling off.
But, as you say, surely a decent substitute could have been found. I think Frank was just trying to prove a point by re-recording the bass and drums.
Can't say I've noticed too much difference in sound on the other LPs, although Hot Rats does feature some strange edits. Willie The Pimp starts very differently with just violin and drums, while The Gumbo Variations has all kinds of extra material added.
But all the music was recorded during the original sessions and so the changes are (to me at least) more acceptable.
Can you elucidate re Gail?
I have heard that she is very litigious - fair enough, protecting the legacy of her husband who provided for her and their kids via the Zappa family trust.
HOWEVER - I have read that both she and Frank were severely pissed off with Rhino for their re-releases of the Zappa oeuvre - eg the stupid smoky/shaded CD covers - why???
Can you shed any more light on this from your "colleague at Rhino"??
Wasn't it Rykodisc
who issued everything in green tinted jewel cases?
As far as I know Rhino have only done the Beat The Boots box sets.
All I can tell you is that some years ago I spoke to a bloke I know who works there and asked him if Rhino planned to release any more Zappa material.
Knowing my interest in all things Frank related, he imparted details of Gail's visits to their offices.
The upshot was she was just too difficult to do business with.
The controversy over the release of Lather
seems to back that up.
questions
Questions, Questions, Questions, flooding into the mind of the concerned young person today