Frank Zappa versus John, Paul, George, Ringo, Charles, Joe and Yoko!
Frank Zappa's music is so unusual that it is difficult to compare it with anything else. Nevertheless, here are three of FZ's own albums and one tribute album that I think it is reasonable to consider along side the work of other jazz and pop artists [see the discography for details]. If nothing else, this exercise may shed some light on the question that eternally fascinates us record-collectors: why does some music remain vital for decades, whereas other music quickly loses its appeal?
Frank Zappa, Zoot Allures
Joe Satriani, Flying In a Blue Dream
As Nigey Lennon has pointed out: "Frank at his worst was still light years ahead of most popular music at its best. At least there would be a real thought or two buried in there." Zoot Allures is a classic example of what she was talking about. Although clearly superior to Satriani's effort, it is still one of Zappa's biggest embarrassments. [The two albums really are comparable. Both were made by respected guitarists. Both were produced, written and arranged by their leaders. Both feature a combination of vocal and instrumental tracks. And both Zappa and Satriani play most of the instruments.] Lyrically, all but one of the album's songs are either trivial or downright offensive. That one exception, The Torture Never Stops, is completely sabotaged by a woman's pained/orgasmic screaming. The instrumentals fare no better, tending to either sqander their initial promise (Friendly Little Finger and Zoot Allures) or pale in comparison to other versions (check out the incredible performance of Black Napkins on Make A Jazz Noise Here). As wretched as all this is, however, at least Zoot Allures makes you feel something, even if that feeling is anger.
Then there's Satriani. While it's true that he's a fairly athletic guitarist, he makes no real impression on any other instrument. Both his lyrics and singing stink, and his attempts at humor are simply pathetic. Flying In A Blue Dream is basically just an excuse for Satriani to whiz up and down the fretboard, and that gets old pretty fast. In short, Zoot Allures may be a regrettable waste of Zappa's talent, but Flying In A Blue Dream suggests that Satriani has little talent to waste.
Various Artists, Zappa's Universe
Mingus Big Band, Nostalgia In Times Square
What do Charles Mingus and Frank Zappa have in common? Not much aside from their extraordinary individuality. But that's just the point. Anyone foolish enough to tackle the music of these two great composer/performers—especially, as here, an entire album's worth—may be biting off more than they can chew. Zappa's Universe (a tribute album on which Frank himself does not appear) fares the worst. Recorded live during a multimedia extravaganza dedicated to the Zappa legacy, the CD is an edited and re-sequenced facsimile of the original performance. Since nearly every song the audience heard that night segued directly into the next, the producer—who displays none of Zappa's studio savvy—was forced to abruptly fade down a number of tunes. That in conjunction with the muddy sound and frequently rough and/or mediocre performances mean that this album doesn't hold a candle to any of Zappa's own.
Nostalgia In Times Square, on the other hand, comes closer to the mark. Produced by Mingus' widow, it was recorded under optimum studio conditions by some of the best jazz musicians currently on the scene (Jack Walrath, Ronnie Cuber and Kenny Drew, Jr. are especially noteworthy). Although most of the group plays with fire and soul, especially on Moanin' and Ecclusiastics, there's just no getting around the fact that something's missing: the gritty emotionalism and go-for-broke mentality that only Mingus himself could generate. Close, but no Cuban cigar for this one.
Frank Zappa & The Mothers, Playground Psychotics
John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Sometime In New York City
Anyone with a degree of compassion for others must be troubled by some of the material on Zappa's albums. Playground Psychotics, a quasi-anthropological field recording of the early 70's touring band that featured Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan, is a good example. The album highlights the arrogance and cruelty that appear to be components of Zappa's personality. Band members and others in the entourage are captured in a variety of candid, non-musical situations—in the airport, restaurants, hotel rooms, cabs, etc.—as well as on stage. This behind-the-scenes look at a working rock band poses disturbing questions about not only the group's conduct—which consists primarily of deprecatory remarks directed towards others—but also of their leader's oft-repeated assertion that he is "only documenting social behavior." This comment is obviously disingenuous. Whether or not he endorses what the group does, Zappa is involved in it and his tape recordings preserve and celebrate it. Furthermore, the omnipresence of Zappa's Uher tape machine raises the issue of invasion of privacy. Zappa confronts this in typically bizarre and eerie fashion: band members recite dialogue written by Zappa complaining about his constant snooping. Although none of this is exactly unprecedented in Zappa's work (similar things crop up in Uncle Meat and 200 Motels), it is brought into sharper focus here since the music is rightfully seen as only one small part of life on the road. In short, Playground Psychotics is a brilliant, insightful and unsettling piece of work. The fact that it arouses such a mixture of loving and loathing is probably further testimony to its greatness. But it also explains why sensitive souls have to distance themselves from Zappa now and then. That aside, the music on Playground Psychotics—which comprises about two-thirds of each disc—is mostly excellent. In fact, the only disappointing segment is the jam session with John Lennon and Yoko Ono that concludes disc one.
These same performances (differently edited and with inferior sound) were also released by John and Yoko as the Live Jam portion of their Some Time In New York City CD. Anyone familiar with this double-album should not be surprised to hear it maligned. The studio sessions on disc one are, in a word, dreadful. Aside from poor recording, mediocre tunes and Yoko's unfortunate "singing", the main problem with these relentlessly political songs is their complete lack of subtlety. After forty minutes of the duo's heavy-handed sermonizing, I felt like I'd been taken prisoner and brainwashed by socialist revolutionaries. But that is nothing compared to Live Jam. These may be the worst performances that I have ever heard. Things are so grim that Zappa's brief guitar solo on Well comes off as a moment of spellbinding brilliance. The rest is horribly edited, excruciatingly performed and interminable. Maybe you had to be there, but as far as I'm concerned listening to the second half of Some Time In New York City qualifies as cruel and unusual punishment.
Frank Zappa, The Lost Episodes
The Beatles, Anthology 1
There are some remarkable similarities between The Lost Episodes and Anthology 1. Besides being retrospectives rather than summations of the artist's work, both albums feature historic "low-fi" recordings, spoken material, alternate takes, and a little outright goofiness—all presented in generally chronological order. In addition, both are clearly intended for the dedicated fan rather than the casual listener, and that's where my prejudice in favor of Zappa begins to emerge. Although I do like The Beatles' music, I find much of Anthology 1 to be tiresome, particularly the numerous covers, false starts, and complete takes whose serious flaws make it obvious why they weren't released to begin with. In contrast, The Lost Episodes is almost entirely made up of either new titles or interesting alternates, all but two of them composed or co-composed by Zappa. Whereas The Beatles' album could have easily been shrunk to one disc, there's very little filler on Episodes. Chalk this one up to FZ.
Frank Zappa versus...
1. Frank Zappa / Zoot Allures /1976/ Rykodisc RCD 10523
2. Joe Satriani / Flying In A Blue Dream /1989/ Relativity 88561 1015 2
3. Various Artists / Zappa's Universe /1993/ Verve 513575
4. Mingus Big Band / Nostalgia In Times Square /1993/ Dreyfus Jazz FDM 36559-2
5. FZ & The Mothers / Playground Psychotics /1992/ Rykodisc RCD 10557-58 [2 discs]
6. Lennon & Ono / Sometime In New York City /1972/ Parlophone CDP 7 46782-83 [2 discs]
7. Frank Zappa / The Lost Episodes /1996/ Rykodisc RCD 40573
8. The Beatles / Anthology 1 /1995/ Capitol CDP 7243 8 34446-47 [2 discs]