Frank Zappa - Roxy & Elsewhere
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Free Music Notes for Roxy & Elsewhere
Free Music Review: Go to the Shelter My Baby, My Baby! Go to the Shelter! Go to the Shelter
Hit: 5 Stars
I saw this band during the "elsewhere" part of the tour in May of 1974. They were all STUNNING musicians. Ruth Underwood who, during what must have ultimately become Echidna's Art, was intent on running around on-stage between a small trap set, a marimba, and a set of tuned cowbells (this release does not need "more cowbell"). "Ladies and Gentlemen, watch Ruth! All through this film, Ruth has been wondering, 'what can I possibly do to amaze everyone? ' Just keep your eye on her, I think she's come up with the answer." I love hearing Zappa say that because I can clearly remember just how fascinating it was watching this woman in performance.
The reviewer below who said there is no humor on this record must not have a sense of humor. This recording is fabulously and famously funny. Zappa's monologues and comments to the audience are hysterical, such as his playful critique "No No! You're much too adagio!"of an audience participant trying to dance to "all the fast and funny little notes George is playing"
The musicianship on this recording is jaw-dropping and awesome. There's some great "fusion" music going on here that finds the ensemble of 10 musicians playing impossibly fast lines all in unison (Echidna and Don't You Ever Wash That Thing). Today it is impossible to watch a crappy movie on the Sci-Fi Channel without thinking of Cheepness: "Here comes that poodle-dog, big as a cliff with a rhinestone collar, snapping off trees like they were bonzai twigs on the landscape, keep it away! Don't let the poodle bite me! We can't let it reproduce!"
I don't know if I would say this is Zappa's best live album from a musical standpoint... it is certainly his most entertaining. Make a Jazz Noise Here might be better as far as musicianship goes. Both are stunningly great!
By the way, if you like Zappa's music and humor, I HIGHLY recommend reading his autobiography "The Real Frank Zappa Book". I guarantee you will be laughing your backside off before page 3. I recall the first time I picked this up on a display at a Walden's books. I randomly turned to a page and started to read. I was laughing so hard I was doubled over, convulsing and had tears in my eyes, the store clerks probably thought I was having a stroke.
Free Music Review: Jewel In The Crown
Hit: 5 Stars
I have been an avid Zappa fan for years, back in the 70s, hearing "Apostrophe" changed the way I heard music forever.
Unfortunately, most of my extensive Zappa collection burned in a house fire, so in putting together music, I am sticking with the essentials.
In my opinion, Roxy rates as a "Jewel In The Crown" of the Zappa creative masterworks, sort of bridging the gap between "commercially acceptable" or listener friendly,like "Yellow Snow" or "Valley Girl" and his more complex instrumental only compositions that he focused on at the end of his career.
(If you haven't heard "Shut Up And Play Your Guitar", "Hot Rats", or later albums like "Yellow Shark", you are missing out.)
This live concert features, again IMHO, the best Zappa band ever, which is NOT a slight to the phenomenal bands and musicians that played in later Zappa musical ensembles.
There just seems to be an unspoken joy in the performance that probably reflects a content (if that adjective could ever be applied to Frank) band leader that knows he has some of the best musicians on the planet, at that time, executing his complex and delightfully bizarre compositions.
This can also be evidenced on the DVD "The Dub Room Special", where a laughing, smiling Zappa can be seen conducting the band while leaning on his trusty Gibson SG, also worth getting for a visual documentation of this extraordinary band.
(Chester Thompson, Ruth Underwood, George Duke and "Nappy" Brock could show todays "superstars" a thing or two about chops and edge of your seat musicianship and chops...Watch Ruth!)
This band was one of a kind, ahead of it's time, and ran smoother than a fine watch.
Breaking the songs down track by track would be futile, as one composition frequently runs into the other, but "Cheepnis" has always been my favorite.
If you are a fan of music, or a student, this is essential listening.
Free Music Review: Probably FZ's best live album
Hit: 5 Stars
ROXY & ELSEWHERE is arguably Zappa's best live album. It features what was, for my tastes, the best lineup of musicians he ever shared a stage with: Napoleon Murphy Brock, Bruce and Tom Fowler, Ruth Underwood, the demon-fingered George Duke, and several others you can read about in the liner notes. (Anybody who enjoyed this cast of characters should also check out the studio album ONE SIZE FITS ALL.)Zappa is comfortable and at ease with his audience on this album; he delivers a couple of relaxed monologues about, e.g., monster movies, and his guitar work is always both brilliant and accessible. His musical arrangements are funky and tasteful; his lyrical satire is in top form, has left behind the snide contemptuousness of some of his early stuff, and hasn't yet taken on the bitter, curmudgeonly edge that came to characterize some of his later work. In short, he comes across as what he was: a genius guitarist and composer who was enjoying himself onstage with both the audience and the band.
There are some serious Zappa classic on this album -- notably "Cheepnis," his hilarious but appreciative parody of low-budget monster movies (". . . the monster, which the peasants in this area call FRUNOBULAX . . . "); a redux version of FREAK OUT's "Trouble Every Day," rendered this time out as a slow and bluesy number with an achingly brilliant guitar solo; and the very, very long "Be-Bop Tango (Of The Old Jazzmen's Church)," which occupied an entire album side on the original LP and features both Zappa's signature "audience participation" and some terrific keyboard-and-vocal work from George Duke ("This is even though you think it doesn't sound like that . . . ") -- plus some others I won't list here.
Classic stuff. In short, Zappa at his finest, and a must for FZ fans and neophytes alike.
Free Music Review: Live At The Roxie And Elsewhere
Hit: 5 Stars
Frank Zappa And The Mothers-Roxy And Elsewhere *****
Maybe Frank Zappa's all time best live album, maybe. Bongo Fury and Guitar are both great as well, but I think Roxy And Elsewhere takes the cake. The muscian interplay is just down right amazing and all of the songs on the record are fantastic. Napoleon Murphy Brock, Bruce and Tom Fowler, Ruth Underwood, and George Duke are maybe the best lineup to ever play with the man, well maybe second only to the Zoot Allures line up but thats it. Frank's guitar playing here is amazing, not as promenant on all the songs but still an important musical force here.
As I said this is the best live album but not my favorite by Zappa. It is great to listen to but I often times find myself listening to Bongo Fury or Guitar instead when I want to listen to a live album. But this is a great one because of the interaction with the crowd, Frank truly was the master of ceremonies, and a great one at that.
To me all of the songs on this album are classic's in the Frank Zappa music cannon but no other songs are as essential or as memorable as 'Pygmy Twylyte' or 'Echidna's Arf (Of You)' the later is one of the very best Zappa compositions ever created. The guitar interplay with George Dukes trumpet is amazing. 'Pygmy Twylyte' is just a great song that I can never grow tired of even after all the times I have listened to it. As for the res of the album, as I said all of the songs are great 'Cheepnis' is wonderful, 'More Trouble Every Day' is great not as good as the original but still a masterful song.
So to conclude this is the purest way to explore the genius that is Frank Zappa to hear him is his most comfortable and in his true habitat....live on a stage with one hell of a backing band. To all who dare this is a excellent live album by one of the music worlds true virtuosos. Highly recomended to all.
Free Music Review: Near-PERFECT Encapsulation of Frank Zappa!
Hit: 5 Stars
Ladies and gentlemen, this one has it all: compositions that defy description, mind-twisting viruosity, humor, satire, and classic "air-sculpture" guitar solos from The Man himself! I cannot recommend this CD highly enough for Zappa newcomers and old-timers alike. If I had to own just one Zappa disc, this would be it ("Joe's Garage" is second).If you like jam-jazz-funk-prog-rock (Phish, Yes, Rush, Widespread Panic, early Genesis, King Crimson, etc.), chances are your heart will stop in amazement when you hear this - you simply won't believe this music was created by humans, much less back in '73! As astounding as their compositions are, Phish has yet to come close to matching Frank's wizardry (maybe YEM, but not really). "Blasphemy!" you say? PLEASE listen for yourself, I BEG you!
I play this CD all time when I go to shows/festivals, and people (heads, preps, old, young, etc.) ALWAYS come over and ask me, "Man, who IS this?" Some will debate (endlessly . . . . YAWN!) how some other FZ release showcases one aspect of his music better than "Roxy . . .", but for an all-around "THIS IS FRANK ZAPPA" encapsulation, you simply can't beat it.
This collection of songs are all from his '73 tour (backed by what is generally accepted as his finest band ever), hand-picked and set in order by Frank himself to sound like ONE show - astounding! BUY THIS NOW, get some friends together and spend an evening with Frank. You will laugh at his wit ("Ready? . . . DANCE!"), wonder at his (and his band's!) skill (trust me, you WILL gape in awe at your speakers several times while playing this CD), and, in the end, you will KNOW why Matt Groening ("Simpson's" creator) said, "Frank Zappa is my Elvis."