Frank Zappa - Bongo Fury
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Free Music Notes for Bongo Fury
Free Music Review: oh yeah, it's awesome
Hit: 5 Stars
People often wonder just what IS the ultimate live Frank Zappa experience. I've narrowed it down to two choices- Roxy and Elsewhere, or Bongo Fury. Both REALLY good but for different reasons.
Roxy and Elsewhere is probably a tad better because, well for one thing, it's about 30 minutes longer. It also gives listeners a better idea just what Frank's live performances and capabilities on stage were like with humor, guitar skills and audience participation adding up to one VERY tight, wonderful experience. Plus, Bongo Fury includes vocals from the good captain himself Captain Beefheart, so it's not *entirely* focused around Zappa and his band.
However, none of that really matters because you honestly need BOTH of these live albums in your collection. A major difference between this and Roxy and Elsewhere is that this album has its share of bluesy songs. Of course you have a radically different version of the blues thanks to Zappa AND Captain Beefheart (let's be honest, they BOTH have a very unique take on the blues unlike anybody else at the time, so expect very strange results when the two of them join together).
In addition to that, you're also treated to lots of typically awesome Zappa lyrics with humor and creativity, and a pretty fair amount of guitar solos and jams. Actually the most obvious jam is from "Advance Romance". The jam starts off with good electric blues, then morphs into a REALLY outrageous harmonica solo, then another take on the guitar jam comes in after that. It's great. Actually this jam is centered around the blues and not like, for example, the guitar jam in "Willie the Pimp". Also, that line about a French fry from Captain Beefheart at the end is just priceless!
"Muffin Man" and "200 Years Ago" contain more funny lyrics and excellent guitar work (the latter has great harmonica work as well) and "Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy" is fantastic because, for me at least, that vocal melody is *perfect*. The lyrics are memorable too.
This is seriously one magnificent live performance. I just wish it was longer. That's the only problem with it. Expect more of Zappa's greatness, and if you happen to not find Captain Beefheart a very appealing singer and you're worried he might take up too much space... he honestly doesn't. His voice is more restrained compared to his early albums and his voice even feels like it blends into the background quite often with the instrumental playing so as never being a distraction.
Okay that's not completely true- GET READY when "Debra Kadabra" comes on!! Captain Beefheart takes his voice and makes it scream, soar and just *rip* through a series of uniquely sophisticated vocal sections. This song is written in a way where it jumps all over the place, making it fit in perfectly with the more bizarre portions of Trout Mask Replica. It's just unbelievable! The guy has like, several different ranges, and here he introduces yet another new one. Amazing.
Anyway, pick up Bongo Fury today.
Free Music Review: Some People Like Cupcakes Better . . .
Hit: 5 Stars
. . . I, for one, care less for them!
Oh yeah...what do you get when you cross the Captain with Zappa? BONGO FURY!!!
This is by far, my favorite Zappa recording. The quirky Captain Beefheart, who released the landmark recording TROUT MASK REPLICA in 1969, and who was also a childhood friend of Zappa's in southern California joined the Mothers of Invention during the spring of 1975. This is a quasi-live recording, with most of the material recorded live in Austin, Texas on May 20th and 21st, as well as some overdubbing from the studio such as the spoken word opening on 'Muffin Man'. I must also add that 'Muffin Man' is one of the greatest songs ever recorded in the history of the planet earth. The guitar solo is unbelievable and the hilarity of lines like "arrogantly twisting the sterile canvas snoot of a fully charged icing annointment utensil" are unmatched in their brilliance and originality.
Other superior tracks are 'Carolina Hard-Core Ecstacy' which talks about a "Roger Daltry Gay Bar" and 'music from the other side of the fence' as Beefheart chooses to call it with such daunting tracks as 'Sam With the Showing Scalp Flat Top' and 'Man With the Woman Head.' Listen to the Captain's brilliant dribble. . .
"A mixture of oriental and early vaudeville jazz poofter,
Forming a hard, beetle-like triangular chin much like a praying mantis.
Smoky razor-cut, low on the ear neck profile.
The face the color of a nicotine-stained hand."
These lyrics are a flashback to the magic band! We are also remided of Zappa's musical versatility with the country song, 'Poofter's Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead' (as a testimonial of what not to do on the 'impending 200th anniversary of the U.S.A.'). Zappa also has a nice blues piece here in 'Advance Romance.'
I only wish Zappa and Beefheart would have done more music together. Any fans of late 60's/early 70's Beefheart will appreciate BONGO FURY. It is a magical trip!
Free Music Review: That Prince of Foods, THE MUFFIN...
Hit: 5 Stars
This one's a real rarity in the FZ catalog for a number of reasons, the first and most obvious one being the partnership with Donnie Van V...the Captain. More important, however, is the rare hit and miss ratio of two of Zappa's trademark styles, those being comedy and no-nonsense, end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it guitar solos. In many of Franks' releases, one style ultimately wins out over the other...the comedy is top-heavy or it's an afterthought. Not here. This is Zappa's L.A. Pachuco doo-wop humor married to some of the most talented musicians he ever assembled under one roof. In addition to Frank's own fretboard pyrotechnics, we get Denny Walley on slide guitar. Add Napoleon Murphy Brock, George Duke, and Terry Bozzio and you have one of the greatest all-time "stamina" bands. I saw the Berkeley Community Theater leg of the "Bongo Fury" tour...unfortunately, Beefheart never shared the stage with FZ, but he did perform a mighty tasty "Orange Claw Hammer." Zappa tied his hair back into a ponytail and proclaimed "this is SERIOUS music" as he launched into an extended, brutal "Black Napkins." Brock prowled and stomped and roamed the stage like a werewolf under a full moon, honking brilliant solos from his sax. The same power is found on "Bongo Fury." In "Advance Romance," Zappa invites the Armadillo World Headquarters audience to "look what she did to Denny right now," as rips a beautifully aggressive solo, which blends into a firestorm from Zappa himself. In "Muffin Man"...well, what can I say? As impossible and ridiculous as it might be to attempt a "10 best FZ solos of all time" list, if you COULD, there'd have to be room for this one. From the "Mr. Tambourine Man" reference in "Debra Kadabra" to the interspersed weirdness of Captain Beefheart, this is one of the richest, most complex, most rewarding FZ albums of all time. If you are a fan of "Guitar Frank," grab this one.Free Music Review: Make Me Kiss Your Turquoise Jewelry!
Hit: 5 Stars
Fantastic lyrics and recitation by Captain Beefheart and lots of music reminiscent of One Size Fits All - both were release around the same time. I had this on 8 track tape back in the day! I also had the Lp. I don't recall what happened to them. This CD is worth the price just for the 3 pieces where Beefheart does his wonderfully bizarre poetry readings. Roll skreek! Roll skreek! Sam was a basket case! I just love this stuff. Sadly, this is right around where Zappa's career to a turn that I didn't care for... I think Zoot Allures was the next release. I own every single Zappa release up to Bongo Fury except for Overnight Sensation - I never really cared much for that one for some reason. I'm also a musician and have been playing for about 40 years, seriously for 20. With respect to the actual music (lyrics are very subjective by nature, aren't they?) and the performance of that music, I would not call this Zappa's best release (as one reviewer called it). I don't think it even comes close to being his best (that distinction probably belongs to The Grand Wazoo & Waka Jawaka and there are many others I find more... exciting as far as the music goes) but it is very, very good and very, very entertaining. If you like Zappa's mid 70's catalog (Roxy and Elsewhere, One Size Fits All, Apostrophe (') to name a few) you definitely want to purchase this.
Anyway, this is a great CD. If you aren't familiar with Beefheart, think of Tom Waits rough voice and poetry reading a piece like Ninth and Hennipen (from Rain Dogs) and Zappa array of great guitar licks, impossible lines played in unison by the band, and an assortment of hilarious sounds made by the players on their instruments. Yes, of course Louie Louie is in here too! Bongo Fury!
Free Music Review: I wish I had a pair of bongos!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
.I love it, it's perfect, but I'm a Zappaphile.
The most perfect moment on it for me is simply when the tempo changes in Sam with the Showing Scalp Flattop and Beefheart says, "Sam was a basket case...!" and the blues guitar kicks in. Wow. And the segue into Carolina... yum. I think it's a studio segue, though.
FZ's Mufin Man solo is of course superb, sublime even, it overshadows the other exremely fine guitar work on the album. And the little comeback after the closing band introductions just sends the song right over the top into a universe all its own. It's such a unique FZ solo, just pure id, and maybe even some love, or maybe it's just because Denny Walley was listening, I dunno. By far the most superior version of the song available.
Carolina, 200 years, Advance Romance... it's all great. I have a longer bootleg version of the concert from the night before this one was recorded (as have most of you, I'm sure, lol) and I think this was most certainly one of FZ's best lineups. The bootloeg is pretty crappy quality, but it shows how much more juicy material was available for Bongo Fury. Shame it wasn't a doule album. FZ doesn't seem to have given this one much thought, he didn't put any eyebrows on it, maybe it had to do with Beefheart's presence?
I would never try to argue with someone who doesn't like this album, except maybe for Muffin Man. Bongo Fury's plenty weird enough for us to all agree that it's a matter of taste and generally a matter for those already accustomed to FZ, and hopefully Beefheart as well.
Bongo Fury and Roxy & Elsewhere are probably the two FZ CDs that spend the most time in my car's stereo...
If you're a fan and you're considering buying this album, my advice is to just do it, now.