Record Reviews

FRANK ZAPPA ~ ZAPPA MAGNOLIA 876964017114 (Barcode: 876964017114) ~ USA ~ Special Products Recorded: 2015 - 2020 Released: 2020 Exactly a year ago to the day, on the eve of my 70th Birthday, I made a decision to dedicate the first year of my eighth decade to writing, as much as possible, about the musician, who influenced my music appreciation more than any other over the years. Of course I love and appreciate a great amount of sublime musicians, who crossed my path over the years in so many ways, but the Genius of Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist remains to be a consistent source of inspiration, not only in music but perhaps even more importantly in my attitude towards the world that surrounds us all. I am often being accused of being highly sarcastic and judgmental and I simply can’t stand ignorance and stupidity in any form or shape. Of course Zappa was a Master of the Trade in pointing out stupidity, folly, bigotry, narrow-mindedness and so many other nasty qualities of our race, and I have learned much from him. The saddest lesson of all was, that human stupidity is similar to the scientific concept of entropy, and any attempt to fight it is utterly futile. Zappa tried to fight it, not because he believed he can win, but because he was convinced it has to be pointed out, and I admired him for that, painfully comprehending the price he had to pay for his convictions. But on the way Zappa did manage to create some of the greatest music ever heard on this tiny planet, which covered virtually a complete cross-genre pollination, and remains unparalleled to this very day, now almost three decades since his untimely passing. So, here we go, now one year later, I managed to write reviews of well over 100 albums of Zappa’s music, almost completely covering his entire official recorded output, something I neglected for too long and hopefully now remedied, both for myself and my many faithful readers the world over. 2020 saw the release of a film, simply entitled “ZappaFind albums with this title”, a documentary, six years in making, directed by Alex WinterFind albums by this artist, who had an unlimited access to the enormous vaults of the Zappa Family Trust. It tells a chronological story of Zappa’s life and music in a coherent, well-organized way and discloses fascinating footage from many sources and even features, in addition to the music composed by Zappa, also an original soundtrack composed by John FrizzellFind albums by this artist (see the review of “Zappa (Soundtrack)Find albums with this title”. The running time is 127 minutes. The film is an important document, oriented mainly towards people less familiar with his biography. Several in depth books published over the years offer a much more profound analysis of his personality, musical outlook, life philosophy and so on, but of course the limited scope of a documentary is able to offer but a glimpse at such complex subjects. Nevertheless, in comparison to the plethora of music “documentaries” produced in the last few years, which are mostly shallow and trivial, this film offers a genuine effort to paint a picture of a multifaceted human being and Artist, notwithstanding its limitations. Personally, I found the interviews with Zappa’s wife Gail ZappaFind albums by this artist, who was already gravely ill with cancer at the time, and several of the musicians who were members of his bands over the years, most revealing. The most touching is the interview with Ruth UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, who explains how Zappa’s music changed her musical perspective and influenced her life. Overall, although offering just a peephole into Zappa’s life and music, the film is absolutely worth watching, and even perhaps revisited more than once. Zappa’s life deserves a much broader documentation, but realistically we won’t probably see that happening before the lights on this planet go out. Thank God and the Zappa Family Trust for reissuing his recorded music legacy for those of us who still care.

Updated: 16/12/2022Posted: 16/12/2022

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FRANK ZAPPA ~ ZAPPA (SOUNDTRACK) ZAPPA 20035 (Barcode: 600753933527) ~ USA ~ Soundtracks Recorded: 1963 - 1993 Released: 2021 This is the 118th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2021. As the title suggests, this is the soundtrack of the documentary feature film “Zappa”, directed by Alex WinterFind albums by this artist, six years in making, one of the most vivid and comprehensive overviews of Zappa’s career, life and the person, who was Frank Zappa. The 3CD album consists of two parts: The first two CDs present a chronological collection of Zappa’s recordings, covering his entire career, as well as some of his work with other artists. Some short monologues by Zappa, as well as works by Classical composers he admired (Igor StravinskyFind albums by this artist, Edgar VareseFind albums by this artist), are also present. Several of the tracks are previously unreleased. The third CD presents the original score for the film composed by John FrizzellFind albums by this artist and a few more Zappa tracks. Of course the mammoth and unprecedented career and the life of Zappa cannot be encapsulated by any book or movie. He was bigger than life and provided us with enough material for a lifetime of study of his work, philosophy and music. But any attempt, like this documentary, as long as it is honest and unbiased, is an important contribution to preserve Zappa’s legacy. Overall, although some of this music is available on other Zappa albums, the unique sequencing and career-spanning scope makes this album definitely worth having, as a memento of the greatest American musician of all time. It is, after all, a “soundtrack of his life”.

Updated: 03/10/2022Posted: 03/10/2022

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