Rating: 
Summary: Written by Frank Zappa for a wonderful insight.
Review: This book is written by Frank Zappa for a wonderful insight into the composer's life and music experiences. Too often others write books and articles about a composer without having anything real from the course. Zappa did an excellent job of this and the book is unique, just like Zappa was. He is greatly missed.
Rating: 
Summary: Great guy, but he can't write
Review: This is a terrific book. Zappa is nothing if not an individual, and the story of what he went through to stay that way in the music business is inspiring, in an extremely weird sort of way. His devotion to his family (particularly his wife) and his determination to stay true to his beliefs is rare in a rock musician, I think, and a lesson for everyone. The best part is his description of his fight against the Parents Musical Resource Council, and particularly his testimony. People like Zappa are why the First Amendment was invented, and why it still matters. Warning: he is not a writer. He's a musician, and so his writing relies a lot on exclamation points, italics and bold type. This gets old after a while. This is a minor objection, though -- he's truly an inspiration, and this book is well worth buying and reading.
Rating:
Summary: funny mixture of music and politics
Review: Very funny book, frank gives his views on music, beer, rock journalism, televangelists, his own politics('practical conservatism'). You have the biographical stuff when he was a kid, which is very funny (especially the explosives stuff). You then get a history of the original mothers, the freak scene and that stuff. There's a hilarious chapter on frank's dirty lyrics (drool brittania) with some priceless quotes from a court case. Frank talks about his kids a bit, and what he likes to eat. There's some interesting stuff on music,orchestra problems, and music technology. Then Frank talks about more political stuff in the last third of the book. This is hit and miss, alot of this is stuff which was current at the time of writing but it hasn't aged well. (And it isn't that interesting in any case). The pmrc stuff is good, also the televangelism. Non zappa fans can read this and enjoy it, and fz fans definitely need to read this!! Thank you
Rating:
Summary: A peek into the Utility Muffin Research Kitchen
Review: By way of dissing Zappa's famous appearance before Congress to argue against warning labels on records, my favorite conservative columnist Don Feder derisively refers to Frank Zappa as a "rock creature" and makes fun of him for naming his daughter Moon Unit. (You'll find these remarks in _A Jewish Conservative Looks at Pagan America_. Feder is usually better than this.)But the fact is that Zappa was a genuine homegrown American original, a musical genius, and a thoroughly subversive Enemy Of The State. And whatever one thinksof their names, the rest of us should have children like Zappa's. (They're all grown up now, of course, but Moon was a highly poised young lady even at the age of thirteen. I don't remember seeing any of Feder's kids on talk shows when _they_ were teenagers.) Love or hate his music; agree or disagree that his sometimes-acerbic social commentary often went over the line into sheer pornography. If you want to meet the man himself, this book is the only one you need to read. It's all in his own words, as told to Peter Occhiogrosso. The style will be recognizable to anyone who has ever read the liner notes on a Zappa album. And the content is part autobiography, part correction of underground-rock-grapevine misconceptions, part almost-libertarian political activism, part musing on the nature of musical composition. A handful of highlights, chosen from among many: He proposes that music could be digitally downloaded, an idea whose time apparently hadn't come when Zappa first thought of it. The chapter on his "pornography trial" in the UK is hilarious, not least because it includes selections from the actual transcripts. And if you want to know _why_ his kids turned out so well-spoken and mature at such early ages, check out his advice on childrearing. By the way, Zappa did not do drugs, no matter how many well-meaning imbeciles tell you otherwise. On the contrary, he was one of a handful of anti-drug crusaders in the music industry, and one of an even smaller handful who wasn't a recovering addict himself. Reality is better than drugs anyway, and Zappa knew it. His untimely death from prostate cancer left a gaping hole; he was irreplaceable. But thank goodness for this book.
Rating:
Summary: Essential Reading for the Maturing Zappa Fan
Review: This is not casual reading, summer reading, something you just pick up. It's an inside account for the fact- and tidbit-hungry FZ fan-atic, for those FZ-crazed psychos who have to know more than you do about one of rock's ultimate musical geniuses. This book is written for the Zappa fan by FZ himself, and as such it is an essential addition to an FZ fan's collection. If you've listened to your FZ albums to the point where you know the songs' lyrics, have heard/read some of the rumors and legends, and wish to expand "your mythology" and "conceptual continuity," you're ready. FZ's music leads the way, as it should, and you'll either love it or hate it pretty quickly. Reading up on FZ before you start listening to his recordings isn't going to help you, and more likely would serve to confuse. This being said, this book is best for the FZ listener who has made the critical personal decision to become an FZ fan, and who wants to educate himself/herself a little bit more about the man who makes the noises come out of the speaker. And this book is the best place to start. As an (assisted) autobiography, this is the real deal, the observations, memories, and facts directly from the source. FZ says himself in the introduction, "...I do not think of my life as amazing in any sense--however, the opportunity to say stuff in print about tangential subjects is appealing." The countless FZ web pages and fanzines contain all of the information contained in this book and then some, but this is the best place to start your FZ education. FZ's dedication of the book to "Gail, the kids, Stephen Hawking and Ko-Ko" (the 'talking' gorilla) provide the very first indication that the reader is in for a better glimpse of FZ than you can get from listening to the sonic eccentricity of "Billy The Mountain" or "Weasels Ripped My Flesh." The format is essentially chronological, but wide open, free flowing, with quick jumps to new subjects as diverse as "Jazz: The Music of Unemployment" and "How To Raise Unbelievable Children." There are lists, poetry, instructions, lyrics, interview snippets, letters, transcripts of congressional testimony, tables, photos, and wonderful illustrations. The illustrations are fine, detailed and punctuating the text well, done by the mysterious hieroglyph-signature artist whose name escapes me. What is surprising is that FZ couldn't get longtime FZ album cover artist Cal Schenkel to contribute his talents to the book. The book is a great investment, a fine addition to an eclectic library, and a wonderful repeat read.
Rating:
Summary: The Real FZ Book
Review: I have read the Real Frank Zappa Book twice now, and I have to say that it is one of the best books I have ever read. There were some spots that I felt dragged on, but they were few and far in between. I have only been really into FZ for about four years now, so I am fairly new to his work. This book was informative, thought provoking, and often humorous. It is a MUST READ for any Frank Zappa fan!
Rating:
Summary: just who the hell is Frank Zappa?
Review: Read this book and find out. An initial foray into his music wasn't enough for me. I had to find out about him (i actually stumbled across the book in a bargain book store! Shame on them!) The book isn't very detailed, but it does provide a bonafide look into the composer's life through personal anecdotes and recollections. Zappa's very well spoken and brilliant in his arguments, especially in the later chapters where he skewers the Reagan administration and the PMRC. If you are a Zappa fan you must have this book. I'm devouring his music because of it..... If you are starting out listening to Zappa, I recommend "Apostrophe" and "Overnite Sensation". "Joe's Garage" and "Zoot Allures" are also incredible.
Rating:
Summary: The Real Frank Zappa Book
Review: In reading the other reviews, they do not mention the bazaar life that frank Zappa lived. These bazar stories are very exiting! Keep in mind that Frank did not take drugs. In this book, one band member wanted to kick Frank Zappa out of the band because he did not take drugs. Associate the word bazaar with "exiting."
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest books-EVER!
Review: This book succeeds on every level. It's one of the funniest, most insiteful, deepest, most moving books I have ever read, and I agree with the New York Post that it "Belongs in every household." Books like this are as rare as people like Zappa himself, and even people who aren't Zappaphiles won't be able to put this down!
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: Wonderful book by a great musician. Wish he were still around.
|
