Record Reviews

FRANK ZAPPA ~ DOES HUMOR BELONG IN MUSIC? ZAPPA 3874 (Barcode: 824302387429) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1984 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 45th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, originally released in 1986. It presents ten tracks recorded live in late 1984 during Zappa’s world tour, eight of which are original compositions by Zappa and two are arrangements of songs written by others, including a Doo-wop song and a guitar anthem. This album has actually nothing in common with the video / DVD of the same title, which features mostly different music and Zappa interviews, but has the same cover art, which altogether is quite confusing. The lineup, in addition to Zappa on guitar and vocals, includes guitarist Ike WillisFind albums by this artist, keyboardists Bobby MartinFind albums by this artist and Allan ZavodFind albums by this artist, bassist Scott ThunesFind albums by this artist and drummer Chad WackermanFind albums by this artist. Zappa’s son Dweezil ZappaFind albums by this artist plays guitar solo on one track. Despite the fact that the group is just a sextet, it creates a sound, which seems to be much larger and richer. The music is the usual Zappaesque amalgam of Rock / Fusion / Humor, brilliantly performed by his group, with some exceptional guitar soloing spicing up the entire proceedings. As usual, despite the incredibly complex music, everything works like a Swiss watch, which of course is hardly surprising to Zappa followers. Overall, this album is another document of Zappa’s superb live performances, as well as his humor and satire, which was growing ruthless and bitter as the folly surrounding as all deepened in time. His Sisyphean workload during his lifetime produced an amazing variety of musical accomplishments, which scaled everything known about music as well as discovered new and uncharted territories, which at the end of the day made him the greatest musical Genius of the 20th Century and one of its most profound observers of the human nature. Side Note Frank Zappa created a vast recorded legacy during his lifetime, which is continuously being expanded using music recorded and stored in his extensive vault. The albums officially released and approved by Zappa are numbered sequentially in the "Official Release" series, from #001 to the last release so far #126. The albums between #001 to #062 were released during Zappa's lifetime and all the others were released posthumously. There are countless unofficial / bootleg releases on the market as well. Zappa's catalogue was remastered for CD release twice: in 1995 for the RykodiscFind albums on this label releases and again in 2012 for the ZappaFind albums on this label Records / UniversalFind albums on this label releases. The Zappa / Universal program includes 60 releases, which cover the entire catalog released during his lifetime (62 releases, except #013 "200 Motels" and the three Box Sets #043, #046 and #049 called "The Old Masters vol.I / II / III"), and 6 posthumous releases (#064, #065, #067, #068, #093 and #094), which were also included.

Updated: 22/09/2022Posted: 14/04/2022

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ PLAYS THE MUSIC OF FRANK ZAPPA: A MEMORIAL TRIBUTE ZAPPA UMRK 02 (Barcode: 824302996126) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 1974 - 1979 Released: 1996 This is the 66th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 1996. It presents what Zappa considered as his “signature” tunes, according to Dweezil ZappaFind albums by this artist, who talked about the subject with his father shortly before his death. The music was recorded between 1974 and 1979 and compares the studio and live versions of three compositions and adds one more tune, which only exists as a live recording, altogether seven tracks of Zappa’s prime compositions and performances. The musicians participating on this album include no less than twenty contributors, who were members of Zappa’s bands in the mid to late 1970s. The list reads like a who’s who of the collective Zappa clan, but Zappa’s guitar playing is the absolute focus of this album, which offers a concentrated dosage of mindboggling guitar madness. Guitar enthusiasts, who are keen to discuss heatedly the genius of their favorite Rock axe players, are sadly mostly unaware of Zappa’s genius. Listening to this album exposes Zappa as a player in his own class, completely outside of any known classification, light-years ahead of anybody else on this planet. Each of his lengthy soli on this album is an interplanetary journey into musical worlds way beyond our galaxy, which makes his legacy as a guitar player no less than a holy relic. Even when Zappa plays a straightforward Blues, his guitar sounds like absolutely nothing else done by hordes of other guitarist over the years. Overall, although over forty years passed since this music was recorded, this album remains an absolute Classic in every respect, which stands proudly as an icon of superb music, which still shines brighter than almost anything else recorded since. Zappa’s genius, not only as a musician, but also as a visionary and a brilliant observer of the human condition and American folly and deceit, remain completely relevant and are even more actual today than ever.

Updated: 27/09/2022Posted: 27/09/2022

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ THEM OR US ZAPPA 3870 (Barcode: 824302387023) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1981 - 1984 Released: 2012 This is the reissue / remaster of the 40th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released originally as a double LP in 1984. The album was recorded partly in the studio and partly live with studio overdubs between 1981 and 1984, but also utilizes older material going back as far as 1967. All the songs, except two, were written by Zappa. The musicians participating on this album include, in addition to Zappa who played guitar and sung, also guitarists Steve VaiFind albums by this artist, Ray WhiteFind albums by this artist and Dweezil ZappaFind albums by this artist, keyboardists Tommy MarsFind albums by this artist, Bobby MartinFind albums by this artist, George DukeFind albums by this artist and Brad ColeFind albums by this artist, percussionist Ed MannFind albums by this artist, bassists Scott ThunesFind albums by this artist, Arthur BarrowFind albums by this artist and Patrick O`HearnFind albums by this artist and drummer Chad WackermanFind albums by this artist. Several additional people are featured on vocals, including Moon ZappaFind albums by this artist. By the late 1970s and early 1980s Zappa concentrated on producing some of his finest Pop / Rock material, which was heavily spiced with hysteric and often outrageous satire and ridicule of American politics, religious radicals, sex, drugs, corruption and many other issues, which in Zappa’s opinion were eating the American society from within. As accurate as his view of the situation was, it did not have any impact on the state of matters, which obviously continuously worsened, effectively disintegrating the so called “American Way of Life”. Framed within brilliant music and some of his greatest guitar playing, this album is sadly one of the last studio albums by Zappa, followed mostly by compilations of archival studio and live recordings and Classical Music recordings up to the time of his death in 1993. Overall, although forty years passed since this music was recorded, this album remains an absolute Classic in every respect, which stands proudly as an icon of superb music, which still shines brighter than almost anything else recorded since. Zappa’s genius, not only as a musician, but also as a visionary and a brilliant observer of the human condition and American folly and deceit, remain completely relevant and are even more actual today than ever. Side Note Frank Zappa created a vast recorded legacy during his lifetime, which is continuously being expanded using music recorded and stored in his extensive vault. The albums officially released and approved by Zappa are numbered sequentially in the "Official Release" series, from #001 to the last release so far #126. The albums between #001 to #062 were released during Zappa's lifetime and all the others were released posthumously. There are countless unofficial / bootleg releases on the market as well. Zappa's catalogue was remastered for CD release twice: in 1995 for the RykodiscFind albums on this label releases and again in 2012 for the ZappaFind albums on this label Records / UniversalFind albums on this label releases. The Zappa / Universal program includes 60 releases, which cover the entire catalog released during his lifetime (62 releases, except #013 "200 Motels" and the three Box Sets #043, #046 and #049 called "The Old Masters vol.I / II / III"), and 6 posthumous releases (#064, #065, #067, #068, #093 and #094), which were also included.

Updated: 22/09/2022Posted: 22/09/2022

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ TRANCE-FUSION ZAPPA 20002 (Barcode: 824302000229) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1977 - 1988 Released: 2006 This is the 79th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2006. The album, which was one of the last albums completed by Zappa before his death, was for many reasons released only thirteen years later. It is a compilation of sixteen tracks focusing on improvised guitar solos played by Zappa. The music was recorded over a period of many years, between 1977 and 1988 (with nine of the tracks recorded in 1988), and involves several lineups of his groups, with a collective list of twenty-four different musicians, including his son Dweezil ZappaFind albums by this artist on two tracks. The music is a stunning display of Zappa’s virtuosic guitar magic, which simply does not compare with any other guitar player on earth (I am not sure about the rest of the Galaxy), which sadly is often forgotten in view of his massive legacy and prolific creative activity. Zappa was a genius composer, activist, bandleader, social prophet and genius comedian, but he was first and foremost a guitar player, like no other, and don’t you forget it. Anybody listening to this album won’t be able to rise any arguments in this matter. Overall, this is an absolutely essential piece of the Frank Zappa legacy and a fitting tribute to his brilliance and most of all his unique and unparalleled guitar playing Artistry. But in addition the listener is exposed to the intricacy and multi-layered arrangements, brilliantly executed by his ensembles, which are amongst the most interesting American recordings ever and considering that all this happened decades ago, clearly proves that Zappa was a visionary / prophetic Genius.

Updated: 22/03/2023Posted: 22/03/2023

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend