Record Reviews

FRANK ZAPPA ~ TINSEL TOWN REBELLION ZAPPA 3862 (Barcode: 824302386224) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1978 - 1980 Released: 2012 This is the reissue / remaster of the 30th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released originally as a double LP in 1981. The album presents fifteen tracks recorded (all but one) live between 1978 and 1980 at various locations, all composed by Zappa. Since Zappa’s band was changing frequently, the musicians participating on this album include, in addition to Zappa who played guitar and sung, also guitarists Ike WillisFind albums by this artist, Ray WhiteFind albums by this artist, Steve VaiFind albums by this artist, Warren CuccurulloFind albums by this artist and Denny WalleyFind albums by this artist, keyboardists Tommy MarsFind albums by this artist, Peter WolfFind albums by this artist and Bob HarrisFind albums by this artist, percussionist Ed MannFind albums by this artist, bassists Arthur BarrowFind albums by this artist and Patrick O`HearnFind albums by this artist, and drummers Vinnie ColaiutaFind albums by this artist and David LogemanFind albums by this artist. By the late 1970s Zappa concentrated on producing some of his finest Pop / Rock oriented 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 his 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 often considered as a great summary of the period. Overall, although almost 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: 03/08/2022Posted: 03/08/2022

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