Books on Frank Zappa
Books on Frank Zappa
I have read a few books on FZ, the Miles bio, Electric Don Quixote and the Real Frank Zappa, all are worth reading. What I would really like is a Revolution in The Head type book on Frank's music, track by track.
p*s there such a thing, or does anyone fancy writing it, because I would love to read it.
Failing that any others that I should or shouldnt read.
Ta
ps. I used to work in a record shop in which the bags that the records were put in had a picture of Frank with the legend "Frankly Cheaper" I wish I still had one.
I read everything with a scepital eye but thanks for the tip. I will check out Dangerous Kitchen.
cheers
J
p*s there a Frank Zappa book from his family's point of view of things? I have read all of the Frank Zappa books I could lay my hands on but never came across anything from his family's point of view....
I think you get to really know a person, through hearing or reading what they say, but with also what their family has to say and I'd like to get more more of a sense of knowledge of how Frank was to be around all the time, he died shortly after I was born so I never got to see him unfortunately :( I did see Dweezil live and I very much enjoyed it, it is touching to see him performing his dad's music
One of the hardest things for any writer to do is write about the inside of a person's head. I always look for books that get me in the head's of any musician's head. Interestingly enough, I find that the musician's music does that for me more than reading about it. For example, I love the book on the making of Miles Davis' " Kind Of Blue. " But nothing beats hearing the tunes, which take me back to New York in 1950's. I would like to have a book on Frank's editing techniques and even more musical appreciations on Frank. But most writers would rather write about things that sell books, namely gossip and the like.
I dislike books on gossip, but unfortunately they do sell. I completely agree with you on wanting a books on Frank's editing techniques
for those who never read or heard of this book its definately unique in its approach and the hardest for me to read because of the content.
"negative dialects of poodle play"
by ben watson.
The Negative Dialectics of Poodle Play" was purportedly an attempt to write a book the same way FZ wrote music. Watson basically took the idea of conceptual continuity and attempted to express it as literature, and to do it in a framework of analysing FZ's compositions.
When it was published it upset a lot of Zappaphiles who thought it was intended as a serious musicological analysis. It clearly wasn't.
When the book succeeds, it is both brilliant and hilarious (eg - the section that correlates Nanook with Shakespeare's King Lear).
Unfortunately there are FAR more misses than hits, and it frequently descends into tedious ramblings about leftist political theory.
If you enjoy literature and academic theory then you might enjoy some sections of the book. But it is definitely NOT a biography or a musicological work.
Watson comes across as a guy with a head very, very full of arcane social philosophy, at the seriously post-graduate level, and a similarly deep and full knowledge of the FZ canon, who has found FZ as a way to communicate his vast store of knowlege to the world.
His FZ music guide (on Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Frank-Zappa-Complete-Guide-Music/dp/1844498654/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317121385&sr=1-1) is not so much a guide to FZ's music as it is an extended mental download, complete with his pathological condescension and distaste for anyone who does not comport with his point of view.
I also read his Academy Zappa: Proceedings Of The First International Conference Of Esemplastic Zappology (my review, "Wanking," at http://www.amazon.com/Academy-Zappa-Proceedings-International-Esemplastic/dp/0946719799/ref=pd_sim_b3) and it's more of the same, hundreds of pages of it, including a direct insult to Gail Zappa.
I haven't read Negative Dialectics, and my two prior experiences with Watson have convinced me there's no reason to attempt it.
There's also ZAPPA THE HARD WAY. It's all about the 1988 tour and is pretty cool. Sort of an insider's POV. I have a hard cover version, I think there might be a paperback version too, but I'm not sure. I saw hardcover edition on ebay recently. It's not particularly well written, but it's got lots of stories and stuff.