Record Reviews

FRANK ZAPPA ~ JOE`S DOMAGE VAULTERNATIVE 20042 (Barcode: 824302004227) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1972 Released: 2004 This is the 73rd album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2004. This album is the 2nd release in the series of albums compiled by Zappa’s vaultmeister Joe TraversFind albums by this artist, which also includes “Joe`s CorsageFind albums with this title” (2004), “Joe`s XMASageFind albums with this title” (2005), “Joe`s MenageFind albums with this title” (2008) and "Joe`s Camouflage"Find albums with this title (2014), all released on the VaulternativeFind albums on this label label. The lineup that Zappa put together in the studio to record this music is an absolute dream team of superb instrumentalists, mostly Jazz oriented players, which includes keyboardist Don PrestonFind albums by this artist, bassist Alex DmochowskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Aynsley DunbarFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Tony OrtegaFind albums by this artist, trumpeters Sal MarquezFind albums by this artist and Malcolm McNabbFind albums by this artist, trombonist Ken ShroyerFind albums by this artist and others. The material included on this album was never intended to be heard by “regular” listeners, and is a reflection of Zappa’s documenting passion, which prompted him to record every second of his performances in the studio and on stage. It does, however, offer an incredible glimpse into the inner makings of music under Zappa’s guidance and shows the meticulous process involved in creating the music, starting with very basic ideas and developed slowly during these rehearsals. As such it shows Zappa’s genius at work and explains the ability of his musicians to perform the unspeakably tricky parts on stage later on. Overall, although presenting only sketchy outlines of his brilliant compositions, now half a Century old, this album is a treasure of ingenuity and historical documentation of the process of music making by the greatest musical mind of the 20th Century, and as such certainly worth being listened to and perhaps learning something about the process of creating music from the Master himself.

Updated: 13/03/2023Posted: 23/03/2022

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ WAKA / JAWAKA ZAPPA 3848 (Barcode: 824302384824) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1972 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 15th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, recorded and originally released in 1972. It represents Zappa’s exploration of the Jazz influenced Big Band / Orchestral music, which was light-years ahead of its time. The album presents four tracks, two lengthy instrumentals and two shorter pieces with vocals, all composed by Zappa. The lineup that Zappa put together in the studio to record this music is an absolute dream team of superb instrumentalists, mostly Jazz oriented players, which includes keyboardists George DukeFind albums by this artist and Don PrestonFind albums by this artist, bassist Alex DmochowskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Aynsley DunbarFind albums by this artist, woodwinds players Mike AltschulFind albums by this artist and Joel PeskinFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Sal MarquezFind albums by this artist, trombonist Billy ByersFind albums by this artist and Ken ShroyerFind albums by this artist and others. The album is a logical succession to Zappa’s growing interest in composing and arranging music for big ensembles, exploring multi-layered approach and incorporating Jazz oriented soloing. It is another step in the period that started with the recording of “Hot RatsFind albums with this title” (1969) and was followed by “Burnt Weeny SandwichFind albums with this title” (1970) and continued by “The Grand WazooFind albums with this title” (1972), which explored similar tendencies. Since this is instrumental music, it lacks Zappa’s ironic / satirical lyrics about the issues that were in the center of his social awareness, and concentrates on his strictly musical vision, which appears here in its full glory. Zappa was a completely unique composer / arranger and the concept of using big orchestral arrangements outside of the Jazz Big Band idiom appeared only in Brass Rock, which he expanded into Fusion, pioneering that specific stylistic approach. Overall, although this music is now half a Century old, it sounds as fresh as it did when first heard and lost absolutely nothing of its power and everlasting beauty. 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. 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: 19/03/2022

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend