Record Reviews

FRANK ZAPPA ~ IMAGINARY DISEASES ZAPPA 20001 (Barcode: 824302000120) ~ USA ~ Big Band Jazz Recorded: 1972 Released: 2005 This is the 76th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2005. The album was prepared for release by Zappa before his death from material recorded during the 1972 “Petit Wazoo” tour. The album presents seven original compositions, five of which are lengthy pieces between ten and sixteen minutes in duration, all by Zappa. The music was recorded by a ten-piece band that included Zappa on guitar and vocals, who also conducted the band’s performances, trumpeters Malcolm McNabbFind albums by this artist and Gary BaroneFind albums by this artist, tuba player Tom MaloneFind albums by this artist, woodwinds player Earl DumlerFind albums by this artist, trombonists Glen FerrisFind albums by this artist and Bruce FowlerFind albums by this artist, slide guitarist Tony DuranFind albums by this artist, bassist Dave ParlatoFind albums by this artist and drummer Jim GordonFind albums by this artist. The music reflects Zappa’s interest in Jazz oriented Big Band / Orchestral music, which he recorded for “The Grand WazooFind albums with this title” and other albums at that period. This instrumental music is complex, multi-layered and light-years ahead of its time musically. Since there are no lyrics, the element of satire and social critique are absent on this album, but for enthusiasts of Zappa’s incredible guitar playing there are plenty of delights here. Overall, although five decades 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 early 1970s Jazz / Fusion oriented explorations remain as one of his absolute peak achievements.

Updated: 23/05/2022Posted: 23/05/2022

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FRANK ZAPPA ~ JOE`S DOMAGE VAULTERNATIVE 20042 (Barcode: 824302004227) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1972 Released: 2004 This is the 73rd album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2004. This album is the 2nd release in the series of albums compiled by Zappa’s vaultmeister Joe TraversFind albums by this artist, which also includes “Joe`s CorsageFind albums with this title” (2004), “Joe`s XMASageFind albums with this title” (2005), “Joe`s MenageFind albums with this title” (2008) and "Joe`s Camouflage"Find albums with this title (2014), all released on the VaulternativeFind albums on this label label. The lineup that Zappa put together in the studio to record this music is an absolute dream team of superb instrumentalists, mostly Jazz oriented players, which includes keyboardist Don PrestonFind albums by this artist, bassist Alex DmochowskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Aynsley DunbarFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Tony OrtegaFind albums by this artist, trumpeters Sal MarquezFind albums by this artist and Malcolm McNabbFind albums by this artist, trombonist Ken ShroyerFind albums by this artist and others. The material included on this album was never intended to be heard by “regular” listeners, and is a reflection of Zappa’s documenting passion, which prompted him to record every second of his performances in the studio and on stage. It does, however, offer an incredible glimpse into the inner makings of music under Zappa’s guidance and shows the meticulous process involved in creating the music, starting with very basic ideas and developed slowly during these rehearsals. As such it shows Zappa’s genius at work and explains the ability of his musicians to perform the unspeakably tricky parts on stage later on. Overall, although presenting only sketchy outlines of his brilliant compositions, now half a Century old, this album is a treasure of ingenuity and historical documentation of the process of music making by the greatest musical mind of the 20th Century, and as such certainly worth being listened to and perhaps learning something about the process of creating music from the Master himself.

Updated: 13/03/2023Posted: 23/03/2022

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FRANK ZAPPA ~ LITTLE DOTS ZAPPA 20026 (Barcode: 824302002629) ~ USA ~ Big Band Jazz Recorded: 1972 Released: 2016 This is the 109th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2016. The album was prepared for release by Zappa before his death from material recorded during the 1972 “Petit Wazoo” tour and is the second album originating from the same material, following the “Imaginary DiseasesFind albums with this title” album from 2005. The album presents five original compositions, which are lengthy pieces between six and twenty-four minutes in duration, all by Zappa. The music was recorded by a ten-piece band that included Zappa on guitar and vocals, who also conducted the band’s performances, trumpeters Malcolm McNabbFind albums by this artist and Gary BaroneFind albums by this artist, tuba player Tom MaloneFind albums by this artist, woodwinds player Earl DumlerFind albums by this artist, trombonists Glen FerrisFind albums by this artist and Bruce FowlerFind albums by this artist, slide guitarist Tony DuranFind albums by this artist, bassist Dave ParlatoFind albums by this artist and drummer Jim GordonFind albums by this artist. The music reflects Zappa’s interest in Jazz oriented Big Band / Orchestral music, which he recorded for “The Grand WazooFind albums with this title” and other albums at that period. This instrumental music is complex, multi-layered and light-years ahead of its time musically. Since there are no lyrics, the element of satire and social critique are absent on this album, but for enthusiasts of Zappa’s incredible guitar playing there are plenty of delights here. Overall, although five decades 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 early 1970s Jazz / Fusion oriented explorations remain as one of his absolute peak achievements.

Updated: 16/06/2022Posted: 16/06/2022

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Remastered Recommend To A Friend