Shut Up 'n Play Your Guitar Review

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(More customer reviews)I had to write this review because I found it alarming that the average was only 4 out of 5 stars. There's no need to be a guitar player to appreciate this album, although it certainly doesn't hurt in one's appreciation of just how unorthodox FZ's style was. But the whole point of this set is NOT to showcase how good a guitar player Zappa was, but of how good a musical mind he had. One of Frank's favorite things to do was improvising solos; it was an interesting challenge to him, to spontaneously come up with musical events worth listening to. Lest you think this set is self-indulgent, be aware that Zappa was very critical of his abilities. He considered most of the solos he played to be failures; what you hear on these discs is a collection of the ones which he thought were worth sharing with the world. In fact this was originally a mail-order release and was eventually licensed to CBS for sale in stores due to overwhelming demand. It seems even Frank didn't know how good he was. So how to approach an album like this? We know we're not listening for guitar gonzo show-offy pyrotechnics. We're listening for musical ideas. It's improvised and there is sensitive interplay between FZ and his rhythm sections, but it isn't jazz. It's sort of weird avant-rock, in a very unique style. Nothing else sounds quite like it. It's like beautiful electric improvisations from Mars.

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No Description AvailableNo Track Information AvailableMedia Type: CDArtist: ZAPPA,FRANKTitle: SHUT UP 'N PLAY YER GUITARStreet Release Date: 05/26/1995

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The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the first FZ album I ever heard. My electric bass teacher lent it to me after I keenly asked him "Whose song is this?" at a concert where a band played "Let's Move To Cleveland." I loved the song immediately, and upon listening to it on disc I didn't only love it for its [to me, at the time] eccentric melody, but also for the guitar solo, which I was to find a typical example of Zappa's personal way of soloing.
At close to 130 minutes of music this may be the perfect (and a "light") Zappa introduction to no-know-persons. Although most of the material is taken from FZ's late 60's through mid 70's repertoire, or what some might call his hey day rock material, big variations (thanks to re-arrangements) are being made, and styles vary. There's also a bunch of classic rock covers, such as "Purple Haze," "Sunshine of Your Love," "Stairway to Heaven" among others - even the "Bonanza" theme is included. All cover songs are worth listening to - they're extremely extreme! After listening to any of them for the first time there is NO WAY the words "Just what I expected" will escape from your sincere mouth.
What differs the old FZ studio songs from these 15-to-20-years-later-live-versions are the arrangements and the lyrics. A lot of the lyrics are humorously replaced on the spot (the band seems to have a really good time) and close to all songs on this album feature a horn section armed with five men who handle 10 different horns.
From what I understand, the '88 tour band (the last of Zappa's rock bands) knew 196 songs - songs that Zappa could call off at concerts at any time, and it truly shows that this band have practiced A LOT! The musicianship is, as on many of Zappa's albums, EXTRAORDINARY.
As a musician I can deeply recommend it for inspiration to anyone involved in musical activities.
As an "innocent bystander" I recommend it to anyone with a sense of humor who wants to enjoy well performed quality music, but if you're looking for an album to cry to while enjoying a bowl-size glass of white wine and looking out the window at the pouring rain, questioning the meaning of life and death, then this is ABSOLUTELY NOT it.
To Zappa-fanatics who don't own this album I must ask "Fanatic, are you kidding?"

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Wazoo Review

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(More customer reviews)It's about time this CD became available on Amazon! Not all of the posthumous Zappa releases have necessarily been all that great, but this one is both excellent and crucial. Like Imaginary Diseases, this one fills in a gap in Zappa's discography. In 1972 FZ did a limited 12 concert tour with the big band, comprised of some of the top LA area jazz musicians, that recorded "Waka Jawaka" and "Grand Wazoo". This is as close as Zappa got to jazz.
2006's "Imaginary Diseases" (also highly recommended!) was a recording of the "Petit Wazoo" tour, which had a smaller brass & wind section. The full "Grand Wazoo" band only did 12 shows. This is a recording of the final concert in Boston.
Disc 1 inlcudes "Grand Wazoo" and "Big Swifty", the long songs from each of the two albums, plus "Aproximate", another long-format tune, which is more in the avant-guarde style. The band sections and solos are all excellent, and really give the peces a very different character than the originals. I consider the version of "Big Swifty" superior to the studio version.
Disc 2 includes a lengthy instrumental version of "Greggery Peccary", minus the narration. Though I love the narration on the studio version, it does overpower the music. This version allows you to focus on the instrumental music in a new light. It is stretched out to 32 minutes and, though there is a slow spot or two, is generally excellent. A very interesting cello solo is a highlight. It also includes an instrumental version of "Penis Dimension" from "200 Motels (!).
This is a very enjoyable album. I think this is the best new release since "Lather". Any fan of Zappa's instrumental music will want to get this one. If you like The Grand Wazoo" and Roxy & Elsewhere, you need this!


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The last of a series of eight stunning live concerts of the 20-piece Mothers Of Invention/Hot Rats/Grand Wazoo under the baton of Frank Zappa and thoroughly described by him in the attendant booklet wherein he includes in the description, "A Grown Man Battles Natural Forces to Get the Right Tones from an E-Flat Contrabass Sarrusophone." Call one today.

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Make a Jazz Noise Here Review

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(More customer reviews)That's the noises jazz guys make when they are improvising or blowing their wad as some like to call it. Well, Zappa used to poke fun at these people and there is no exception on this outing. But let the truth be known - for the musician's on the stage for this particular incarnation of Zappa music are all amazing jazz musicians and all have prodigious chops to show off all that talent (and therefore have the right to poke fun at themeselves). This group of twelve of the best musicians on the planet (in any genre of music) play like I've never heard any before them. There are so many amazing moments on these two discs that I could write an entire book on this one album. But a few highlights (especially for the jazz cats) - the guitar solo by Frank on the tune "Cruisin' For Burgers" might as well be the greatest guitar solo you'll ever hear in this lifetime. Another amazing moment is the middle section of "Alien Orifice" where guitarist Mike Keneally realizes Zappa's impossibly difficult scored melody (and if that wasn't enough - listen to this same passage how it is doubled on marimba, alto, tenor, bari, trumpet, trombone, and keyboards). This music is mindblowing on all accounts, and lover's of great progressive rock (Crimson, Genesis, Yes, and others) who obviously respect talented musicians owe it to yourself to check out this disc -it will leave you speechless. Another amazing Zappa record in his MAMMOTH catalog. Full of jazz noises too, in all the right places...

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No Description Available.Genre: Popular MusicMedia Format: Compact DiskRating: Release Date: 2-MAY-1995

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