 |
Frank Zappa:
|
|
Frank Zappa:
|
| Nineteen-ninety-six has been a
good year for Frank Zappa fans. Thanks to Ryko and Frank
Zappa, we now have two long-awaited Zappa releases,
compiled by Zappa himself prior to his death: The Lost
Episodes, and Leather. One of the most prominent
questions in the mind of many Zappa fans has been, what
should we expect from the Zappa family when all of
Zappa's final projects are released? Ryko holds rights to
Zappa's catalog, but not his vault. The vault and Zappa's
studio, the Utility Muffin Research Kitchen - a
state-of-the-art electronic womb - have been willed to
Frank's son, Dweezil Zappa, leader of the rock group Z.
Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa finally gives
us a glimpse of what we might expect from future releases
based on material excavated from Zappa's massive vault. A mixture of previously released and alternate live tracks, Dweezil Zappa has produced a touching tribute to his father featuring the three works Zappa considered the be his "signature" guitar pieces: Black Napkins, Watermelon in Easter Hay, and Zoot Allures. Two versions of each piece are included on the CD. The first version is one of the earliest versions Dweezil was able to surface from Zappa's vault, while the second version is the original, previously released rendition included for comparison. This approach proves to be very interesting, as you can hear how each piece developed over time. For example, in the early version of Watermelon in Easter Hay you can hear Zappa had not yet fully developed the melody line as it appears on Joe's Garage. While many complain the disk is too expensive, not long enough, and contains three previously released tracks, there is no arguing that these works are priceless Zappa, exuding the essence of his musical character. Currently, the limited edition single CD is only available through Barfko Swill, Zappa's home-grown merchandising company. At $29.95, it ranks as one of the most expensive single-CD releases of the year. The disk sports a high-quality, tri-fold package with a textured black finish. The title appears in gold with a fluffy, furry Zappa mustache and Imperial directly below the title. The Zappa mustache affixed to the front cover is designed for removal. The mustache can be worn by your children, your spouse, the family dog, whomever would like to have that original Zappa look. Opening the tri-fold reveals a nicely matted black and white photograph of Zappa on the outer side of the right fold, with a booklet supplied in the pocket of the left fold. The packaging is exquisite, and reminiscent of the uniquely packaged Civilization Phaze III release (UMRK 01), which earned both Zappa and his wife Gail a Grammy in 1995 for Best Recording Package - Boxed. The CD booklet is written by Dweezil, and walks us through the history of each piece. Dweezil also adds his own personal comments and memories of his father. Also featured on the CD is a superb blues piece recorded live in Paris in 1974. Titled Merely a Blues in A, Zappa solos around a simple blues progression, utilizing a style borrowed from traditional blues soloing. Zappa's guitar playing has been featured and revered many times in the past, and what makes this piece such a gem is the way it's executed. Zappa's soloing is chameleon-like, maturely utilizing all the color and balance of a blues piece. Zappa's vault holds thousands of hours of treasures - over 20 years of concert and studio material. Between 1972 and 1984, Zappa toured heavily. While not touring, Zappa continued working on other projects, completing albums in production, and spending time with his family. One thing that could easily be said of Zappa - he worked constantly. As a result of the large quantity of material in Zappa's vault, Zappa invested an enormous amount of time during his final years documenting and cataloging the contents of the vault. Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa is a superb addition to the Zappa catalog, and a beautiful tribute from a son to his father. |
Return to list of reviews