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Rating: So, once upon a time in a faraway land, it happened that an unfortunate journalist who had the bad luck to interview Frank Zappa made an unfortunate comment that went something like this: "Certainly, Mr. Zappa, you are undoubtedly a great composer but not an equally valid guitarist...". And that's how Frank got the crazy idea to delight us with a triple album of nothing but guitar compositions... "Shut up and play your guitar!" This was the message Frank sent back to the clumsy journalist who had provoked him. Surely this work is more aimed at guitarists or at least those passionate about guitar music, who will find in these three CDs something to sink their teeth into; you can indeed detect the influences of guitarists like John McLaughlin, Jeff Beck, and Carlos Santana; despite the diverse influences, the album primarily sticks to rock/fusion registers, with some leanings towards contemporary classical avant-garde as in "Canard Du Jour" (one of the very few acoustic episodes present), where in an intense duet between Zappa on Bouzouki and Jean-Luc Ponty on violin, the continuous references to Bartók dominate. Actually, many of the tracks on this work are nothing but solos extracted from live recordings, then edited by Zappa in the studio, such as the track "Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar", a remodeling of a solo played during a live version of Inca Roads. Besides the already mentioned "Canard Du Jour", other noteworthy pieces are certainly the pseudo-reggae of "Treacherous Cretins" and the beautiful "Pink Napkins", not to mention "Heavy Duty Judy", perhaps better known in the beautiful version performed by Frank and his band in the majestic live album "The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life".
Highly recommended.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
05 Treacherous Cretins (05:34)
[includes parts of the leather conversation]
[Hammersmith Odeon, London
February 17, 1979
engineer: Mick Glossop
FZ lead guitar
Warren Cuccurullo electric sitar
Denny Walley rhythm guitar
Ike Willis rhythm guitar
Tommy Mars keyboards
Peter Wolf keyboards
Ed Mann percussion
Arthur Barrow bass
Vinnie Colaiuta drums
Terry Bozzio voice
Patrick O'Hearn voice]
Heh heh heh . . .
Bozzio: It's gone . . .
O'Hearn: What? Your talent for sucking?
Bozzio: I . . .
O'Hearn: Never . . .
06 Heavy Duty Judy (04:42)
[includes an excerpt from Hands With A Hammer and part of the leather conversation]
[Berkeley Community Theater
December 5, 1980
engineer: Tommy Fly
FZ lead guitar
Steve Vai rhythm guitar
Ray White rhythm guitar
Ike Willis rhythm guitar
Tommy Mars keyboards
Bob Harris keyboards
Arthur Barrow bass
Vinnie Colaiuta drums
Terry Bozzio voice
Patrick O'Hearn voice
Davey Moire voice?]
Bozzio: Talk him down, Vic . . .
Moire?: Mmm . . .
O'Hearn: Come on down, Johnny . . .
Moire?: Okay . . .
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