advertisement


Zappa doc heads-up

I saw it some time back - well worth watching for newbies and die hards. Wish I’d been able to attend the Garrick Theatre shows - there is some footage from their residency.
 
I'm sat wearing my glasses and false nose in preparation....
ndgLZjQ.jpg
 
It took me a long time to get Zappa, and when I finally did I cursed myself for missing out on so much for so long. Ofc nowadays I have everything he recorded and am a total Zappa bore. I think the film did a very good job of demonstrating why, appearances to the contrary, he's one of the most important figures in 20th century American music, and was just extraordinarily brilliant, despite being simultaneously fairly puerile in many ways. He's a lodestar for me, for sure
 
Stunned that he started so late. Most start at the age of four or something. Excellent programme.
 
It took me a long time to get Zappa, and when I finally did I cursed myself for missing out on so much for so long. Ofc nowadays I have everything he recorded and am a total Zappa bore. I think the film did a very good job of demonstrating why, appearances to the contrary, he's one of the most important figures in 20th century American music, and was just extraordinarily brilliant, despite being simultaneously fairly puerile in many ways. He's a lodestar for me, for sure

I’ve actually got very little (from memory Freak Out, Absolutely Free, Just Another Rock Band From LA, Hot Rats and Apostrophe, mix of vinyl and CD). I struggle with the later more puerile and the hard-rock guitar stuff. The thing that amazes me is that he arrived perfectly formed; Freak Out is just amazing and the blueprint for so much that came later. I’ve owned a lot more than this, mainly the CBS stuff (Joes Garage etc), but probably mistakenly dumped it decades ago. I don’t know anything about his orchestral stuff and I didn’t realise he started from that perspective or that Varese (of whom I am a fan) was a key influence. The film was way, way better than I expected as it showed a side and depth I wasn’t really aware of. I always knew he was a totally bonkers musical genius who got his bands to play utterly impossible music, but the film hung a depth on it I wasn’t expecting. I obviously need to reappraise his work to some degree.
 
I’ve actually got very little (from memory Freak Out, Absolutely Free, Just Another Rock Band From LA, Hot Rats and Apostrophe, mix of vinyl and CD). I struggle with the later more puerile and the hard-rock guitar stuff.

In which case you’ll need Uncle Meat, Weasel’s Ripped my Flesh and Burnt Weeny Sandwich. Stravinsky, Webern and Bartok are audible influences too. (See Igor’s Boogie on BWS). The 2015 remasters sound great, most vinyl titles AAA.
 
I recorded it last night - I'll find some time over the weekend to watch it. Never a huge fan of Zappa, had the earlier Mothers albums, lost interest after Hot Rats and then picked up again around One Size Fits All for a few albums. I was always fascinated by the Beefheart connection more than Zappa himself.
 
I was always fascinated by the Beefheart connection more than Zappa himself.

I remember an interview with drummer/percussionist Art Tripp, when he said something like ‘Zappa is good, but Beefheart was the real thing’. Lick My Decals is a personal favourite, and a record I can still fully engage with after all these years.
 
I love Beefheart, but musically he has almost nothing in common with Zappa, their childhood friendship and periodic collaborations apart. Zappa is, pre-eminently, a composer. Beefheart wasn't that at all.
 
It's on iplayer for the next 12 months for those in the UK

I watched it this afternoon. I really liked Zappa in my teens and still have a few records in the house but as I got older his inane frat boy boy lyrics just put me off . At that time I was mar more interested in his guitar playing. It's interesting how little his virtuosity featured in the doc which was far more focused on his composition which now seems to me of far more interest.

I remember a school friend buying The Grand Wazoo and us both being utterly bemused by it. I think I might enjoy it a lot more now.
 
It's recorded and I'm looking forward to watching it. I have a huge stash of Zappa including the three Old Masters boxes.
 
I love Beefheart, but musically he has almost nothing in common with Zappa, their childhood friendship and periodic collaborations apart. Zappa is, pre-eminently, a composer. Beefheart wasn't that at all.

To be fair Beefheart’s blues inflected, rhythmically complex, subtlety arranged music didn’t compose itself. I suppose it depends on how one defines the term composer.
 


advertisement


Back
Top