I love the guitar; I hate the guitar face. Like you’re not pinching any ordinary loaf – you’re pinching a marble loaf. Or you’re trying to sharpen a pencil with your asshole. Bleh. My apologies in advance for Steve Vai.
I’ve anxiously awaited this DVD since I saw the show at the Paramount in 2006. The first run of the Zappa Plays Zappa tour was something magical and momentous. I don’t think there was a soul in the building who didn’t walk out singing the praises of Dweezil for restoring so faithfully the music of Frank Zappa. Sadly, there hasn’t been a void…it just hasn’t been done with such integrity or relevance.
There’s been The Persuasions’ A Cappella release…the Ensemble Modern has faithfully taken on some of Zappa’s orchestral-leaning compositions. And don’t get me started on the Project/Object that frequently makes its way through town. Reproductions to this point have either embraced a very isolated part of Frank’s oeuvre or cashed in on his more absurd leanings. Dweezil Zappa set out – picking a brilliant representation from a catalogue that condenses sixty-five albums – to bring the music of Zappa to a new generation. And he does acquit himself successfully: he brings to the table the most convincing reason why you should be out buying Zappa’s work by the armload.
From a musician / composer standpoint, Dweezil may have a strength that his father didn’t. He acknowledges immediately that he is not the ringmaster his father was; he does not pander to the ‘toilet-humored’ music his father indulged. The DVD is bereft of lyrical tunes. But of all the work put forth by father or son, this DVD may be the most convincing evidence of Zappa as genius composer. Sometimes it takes another person quoting the original to appreciate the thing being invoked – and that is the underlying theme of these 2 spliced performances. Carefully selected musicians executing some of Zappa’s most challenging compositions. The result is a success: a balance between inspiration and intimidation.
When I discovered Zappa, I found something outside of pop music as I understood it. Differentiating between Rock, Dance, R & B, Country…lost its relevance. I interred this idea that there was Pop, Jazz, and Zappa. Pretty simple: he managed to create his own genre and universe. Zappa also taught me there’s a big difference between songwriters and composers. Like between poets and novelists.
I’ve anxiously awaited this DVD since I saw the show at the Paramount in 2006. The first run of the Zappa Plays Zappa tour was something magical and momentous. I don’t think there was a soul in the building who didn’t walk out singing the praises of Dweezil for restoring so faithfully the music of Frank Zappa. Sadly, there hasn’t been a void…it just hasn’t been done with such integrity or relevance.
There’s been The Persuasions’ A Cappella release…the Ensemble Modern has faithfully taken on some of Zappa’s orchestral-leaning compositions. And don’t get me started on the Project/Object that frequently makes its way through town. Reproductions to this point have either embraced a very isolated part of Frank’s oeuvre or cashed in on his more absurd leanings. Dweezil Zappa set out – picking a brilliant representation from a catalogue that condenses sixty-five albums – to bring the music of Zappa to a new generation. And he does acquit himself successfully: he brings to the table the most convincing reason why you should be out buying Zappa’s work by the armload.
From a musician / composer standpoint, Dweezil may have a strength that his father didn’t. He acknowledges immediately that he is not the ringmaster his father was; he does not pander to the ‘toilet-humored’ music his father indulged. The DVD is bereft of lyrical tunes. But of all the work put forth by father or son, this DVD may be the most convincing evidence of Zappa as genius composer. Sometimes it takes another person quoting the original to appreciate the thing being invoked – and that is the underlying theme of these 2 spliced performances. Carefully selected musicians executing some of Zappa’s most challenging compositions. The result is a success: a balance between inspiration and intimidation.
When I discovered Zappa, I found something outside of pop music as I understood it. Differentiating between Rock, Dance, R & B, Country…lost its relevance. I interred this idea that there was Pop, Jazz, and Zappa. Pretty simple: he managed to create his own genre and universe. Zappa also taught me there’s a big difference between songwriters and composers. Like between poets and novelists.
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