Amazon.com
This is the second-best way to expose yourself to the particular genius of Frank Zappa (music is the best, after all)--through his own words. In addition to being an idiosyncratic American composer of some degree of controversy, Zappa was an orator of no small ability or scope. He was known for his ability to expound at great length (and to hilarious effect) on any number of topics. The Real Frank Zappa Book faithfully captures this side of its author, composed of essays on everything from his background and upbringing, to politics, capitalism, and raising children. Zappa takes the opportunity to dispel some of the most pervasive rumors that surrounded him right up to (and even persist after) his death in 1993 (no he didn't do drugs, or sleep with all those groupies). If you're familiar with the man, you will be able to hear his distinctive enunciations (aided by the bold-facing of certain words and Zappaisms) as you read the assorted road stories, his views on making music for a living, and scenes from two--count them, two--organized hearings on obscenity in music. Of course, the chapter titles speak for themselves and include such Zappa winners as "All About Schmucks," "Marriage (As a Dada Concept)," and "America Drinks and Goes Marching."
Customer Reviews:
The man himself..........2007-03-09
It has everything every zappa fan wants to know about this amazing man, it is true that sometimes the book tends to get too political but I am sure some people will apreciate the fact that they can even get to know how would Zappa would've been if he got elected to be president XD.
It shows us the musiscian, political, personal, and overall personality of this great character.
Eat Those Questions!.......2006-06-24
All of the answers you wanted to your questions about Zappa are here!
If you like Zappa's music and humor, I HIGHLY recommend reading his autobiography "The Real Frank Zappa Book". You'll get the real story behind all the ridiculous urban legends you heard about this man.
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. It was all about how to deal with militant Islamic jihadiis. 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.
*Learn about what Zappa really likes to eat and what he thought of the food at a Fayetteville North Carolina Holiday Inn buffet.
*Read about how his kids used to raid his studio fridge so he inevitably didn't get to eat that stuff he really liked.
*Become enlightened to learn that "coffee and cigarettes are food" (no wonder this man died so young)
*Discover the secret ingredients of the "Burnt Weenie Sandwich" and how to make your very own burnt weenie sandwich.
*Uncover the horrible, disgusting historical facts about those New Yorkers who were willing to climb and writhe around on stage and "Call Any Vegetable".
*Revel in the outrageous details of life in that rental home up in Laurel Canyon.
*Find out who the weird chick is peering up out of the crypt on Hot Rats.
*Discover why Zappa hated England and the Queen.
*Get the sordid biological facts about Kenny's little creatures and his disgusting bedroom window.
*Find out how a young Zappa nearly blew his "nuts" off with a jar of ping-pong ball filings and a book of matches
Zappa is lovably irreverant from page one all the way to the end. There's lots of interesting pictures including a 3 year-old Zappa in shorts with a cap gun. By the time I finished this book I found myself wondering how someone so incredibly brilliant could also be so stupid and ignorant with respect to basic nutrition and health.
The man of many faces.......2006-03-04
Learning all the history Frank Zappa and the Mothers went through was outstanding. The last chapter got a little preachy, but I never stopped laughing throughout the entire book. I'd think anyone that wants to know not only the "how" it was done, but some of the experiences along the way, are priceless to hear about.
Frank Zappa Invented Music Downloading.......2006-03-03
In this illuminating book, Frank Zappa shares his life, advice on child-rearing, tour stories, etc.
However, the most amazing revelation is contained in the chapter entitled, "Failures". In this chapter, Zappa details various ideas that he had proposed to venture capital companies. The most astounding of these is the idea to digitize music, and have it available to be transferred via high-speed phone lines to the consumer. Keep in mind that this book was written in 1988, and he explains that this proposal was prepared in 1982, before the invention and widespread popularity of the Compact Disc! He knew, twenty years before the fact, that purchasing music at a store, on media was an outdated process.
Regardless of how you feel about Zappa's music, this shows his absolute genius. He foresaw digital music, the transfer of digital music, the use of telephone lines to transmit this music.
Brilliant
The Real, but Out-Dated, Frank Zappa.......2005-10-26
This book is a very interesting read, from the political cartoons that begin each chapter, to the doodlings in the margins. The book starts off with a basic history of the man himself, and progresses on into anecdotes from the road and assorted rather hilarious stories from Zappa's life. Being Frank Zappa this makes for an incredibly ridiculous, and almost fantastical series of chapters. the books previous momentum tails off toward the last third of the book as Zappa launches into numerous tirades about the Reagan administration and Cold War, which are by now terribly outdated. However, buried in this criticism is an entertaining account of the proceedings of the Senate hearings involving the Parent's Music Research Center. Overall this is a good read, although flawed, but even Zappa's beration of Reagan translates to the present, and it is easy to think of what Zappa considers of today's society.
Book Description
Tofu casseroles, communes, clothing-optional kindergarten, antiwar protests - these are just a few of the hallmarks of a counterculture childhood. What became of kids who had been denied meat, exposed to free love, and given nouns for names? In Wild Child, daughters of the hippie generation speak about the legacy of their childhoods. The writers present a rearview mirror to contemporary culture; with an eye on the past they remind us that there is more than one path through the present. Contributors include Lisa Michaels (Split) and Ariel Gore (Hip Mama).
Customer Reviews:
truth & memory.......2007-01-18
When I read 'Wild Child' my first thought was, "It wasn't just me!" Having grown up in San Francisco in the '60s I can vouch for the fact that although the specifics for each girlhood remembered here vary, the overriding themes are shared. I gave copies to my parents to help them have some insight into the impact their "flower child" choices back then had on me. If you were there or know someone who was, I highly recommend this book.
The Love Children; Girls of the Hippie Age.......2005-06-12
Goats milk and free love. Traveling cross country in a mail truck and tempeh in the bathtub, "Wild Child" portrays numerous essays of young girls exposed to the counter culture of the late 60s and 70s. I had half expected a cold analytical study of young girlhood, another example of the growing tend to categorize life to a shallow limited cultural studies perspective. But thankfully the book did expose some valid truths and portrayed the revolutionary time and the extraordinary women,(the girls mothers)who influenced their daughters, in many ways that would effect the following generations, especially in the women's movement.
While I enjoyed this easy breezy read, and found each individual essay interesting, I couldn't help but hope that there would be more of a synthesis between these young womens' stories of their childhood during this culturally explosive time. For instance, all the girls were white( except one who was half chinese), and parents that had come from middle class backgrounds. And I didn't really enjoy the end essay on Rainbow Gathering, especially the way Chelsea Cain "reports" what goes on at them. I feel like she never made the effort to really get to know what these Gatherings are all about, and in doing so keep the dream positive.
So all in all an interesting read, but not a great one. Perhaps it was because of the shortness of the book, I finished it in a couple of hours. But if you like the hippie era and want some more knowledge about it and have the patience to read each account, then I do recommend this book. If not, then read better accounts of the sixites, like a bio of Jerry Garcia or the Hippie Handbook.
peace.
Testimonies about a Sweet, but Brief, Dream.......2002-05-07
As a mom who raised two children partially within hippie culture, I am intensely curious about how other kids raised similarly turned out. Wild Child didn't completely sate my curiosity, but it whetted my appetite to go out and read more books on this topic (they're coming fast and furious now).
One funny thing about "being a hippie" is that many of us feel like we weren't *real* enough, compared to, say Wavy Gravy or the Deadheads. Sure, my kids went to alternative schools, witnessed more sex than shrinks would advise, and loved riding around in our beige VW bus, standing on the seats so they could wave to passers-by from the open sunroof. But I only lived communally for three years; I held down a respectable office job; and at one point I even cut my hair.
Wild Child quelled my feelings of being a fraud by showing that there were a lot of different ways to be a hippie. One girl's family traveled back and forth cross-country in a mail truck bought at auction; another spent time working the sugar fields of Belize. About the only thing they all had in common was being embarrassed to reveal the contents of their lunchboxes to classmates-and having a lot of strange people wandering around their homes, whether they lived in a house, bus or teepee.
For me the most powerful piece was the editor's: "Welcome Home," in which she describes attending a latter-day Rainbow Gathering. Having already lived the real thing, the gathering's painstaking efforts to replicate hippie life cannot possibly impress or move her.
Only one contributor is angry about her childhood: she is furious about the omnipresent sexuality she was exposed to almost from infancy. For the most part, though, the contributors enjoyed their childhood and still love and appreciate their parents and what they were trying to do. Interestingly, none of them have chosen to adopt the hippie lifestyle--though many have retained its core values of peace, love, and self-sufficiency.
I recommend Wild Child to anyone with a vested interest in hippiedom-for instance, parents seeking validation for their child-rearing methods. It's also a fine antidote to hippie-bashing, considered sophisticated now even by those who once embraced the lifestyle. The truth is, it was a brilliant and optimistic moment in history. If it didn't transform the world completely, well, it did affect future generations-as Wild Child eloquently testifies.
Honest.......2001-10-10
This book was excellent, on the topic of family, friends and lovers. I loved it and had a hard time sleeping!
Honest.......2001-10-10
This book was excellent, on the topic of family, friends and lovers. I loved it and had a hard time sleeping!
Book Description
When Frank Zappa died of cancer in 1993, the world lost a talent with a memorably irreverent, intelligent personality. Here Michael Gray follows the trajectory of Zappa's career, documenting his move to California and the formation of The Mothers of Invention. The short but remarkable life of one of rock's most un-compromising figures is updated here to include a reassessment of Zappa's continued influence on a new generation of artists and fans. 60 black-and-white photographs are included.
Customer Reviews:
Zappa: The Enigma.......2001-10-28
I have read the following books by or about Frank Zappa. In addition, this list constitutes a ranking of my assessment of the quality of these books.
THE REAL FRANK ZAPPA BOOK by Frank Zappa and Peter Occhioigrosso
MOTHER! THE FRANK ZAPPA STORY by Michael Gray
ELECTRIC DON QUIXOTE: THE DEFINITIVE STORY OF FRANK ZAPPA by Neil Slaven
NECESSITY IS... THE EARLY YEARS OF FRANK ZAPPA AND THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION by Billy James
COSMIK DEBRIS: THE COLLECTIVE HISTORY AND IMPROVISATIONS OF FRANK ZAPPA by Greg Russo
NO COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL: THE SAGA OF FRANK ZAPPA by David Walley
THEM OR US by Frank Zappa
UNDER THE SAME MOON by Suzannah Thana Harris
BEING FRANK: MY TIME WITH FRANK ZAPPA by Nigery Lennon
To my knowledge, this list includes all of the Zappa biographies. Of these, I think MOTHER! THE FRANK ZAPPA STORY by Michael Gray is the second best. Each of these biographies illustrates a different dimension of Zappa's complex personality. It is almost like each author is writing about a different person. Some book reviewers have suggested that some of the authors are not accurate (less delicately - lying). No, it is simply a matter of focusing on a single dimension of the multidimensional, Frank Zappa.
Gray creates a picture of Zappa that the other authors missed. Unlike other authors, Gray offers the reader details of Zappa's perspective on the political economy. He was a libertarian! Fans of Zappa know he was a paradox and an enigma, but Gray is able to help the reader understand this perception with his focus on Zappa's interest in the economy. This is a fascinating excursion into Zappa's life story
My favorite poster of Zappa can be found on the 5th page after page 64. It is a poor reproduction of the original. It's grainy. The key point is, this picture of Zappa offers great support for Gray's thesis.
Gray's portrayal of Zappa is different from the other biographies. Zappa is an enigma. Gray's writing style is informative, enlightening and thought provoking. This book is an important part of everyone's Zappa library.
informative, explains FZ's growing up........2000-03-28
When I 1st got into the complex & twisted world of Zappa, this was the 1st book I read. It is good especially because it explains the situation in which Frank grew up, talking about stylistic differences between the 40s & the 50s, apparently decor was more bulbous & interesting in the 40s whilst the music was dull & in the 1950s the music got better & architecture/design got boring/staid. Then of course it traces thru the pre- Freak Out! era & many eras past that as wellas discographies & stuff. There are other books on FZ but to get a well-rounded view of him, you probably should read several of them including this, No Commercial Potential, Negative Dialectic of Poodle Play & of course the Real Frank Zappa book. Shoving Burnt Weeny Sandwich on in the background might be a good idea too.
Product Description
Music historian Neil Slaven has brilliantly chronicled the complex strands of Zappa's life and work in a book that will please not just Zappa fans but anyone interested in the history of rock music.
Customer Reviews:
Easy Read / Not Very Deep.......2007-01-04
The Book is very nicely written and well researched, however in my opinion it does not shed much light on the person that Frank Zappa was. Much rather it is organized straightforwardly in a chronological way and at times reads like a list of gigs and tours.
If someone is interested in the person Frank Zappa my advice would be to read interviews (with F.Z., colleagues and bandmembers), his own biography (with Peter Occhiogrosso) and brwose through the contents of F.Z. devoted websites.
A deeper analysis of F.Z.'s musical works, if at all possible, would be noting short of a heroic task. This work does not attempt to do so, and the smaller passages where some musical aspects are discussed, the content is - for my taste - barely touching the surface.
On the positive side, the author tries to remain balanced and writes from a clearly neutral perspective, which seems appropriate. Most of the political, sociological and/or anthropological (if you will) viewpoints - for which Frank Zappa was also famous - are kept at a minimum in this book.
All in all I can recommend the book as a chronological guideline through F.Z.'s life, but would warn readers (or fans) not to expect answers or a portrait of F.Z. as a person.
The present day composer.......2006-05-29
This is a compelling account of the work and life of Frank Zappa, in that order.
Throughout this book it is the music of Frank Zappa and it's creation which is always to the fore. To be fair this makes it a little unbalanced in reading it because of the cast of characters with whom he worked about whom we would like to know a little more. Given that it's main concern is his work then this is one defect I am prepared to overlook.
This is a story of an individual for whom compromise is a dirty word. The emphasis is on the individual here because what Frank Zappa produced is an idiosyncratic view of the world which he was not afraid to bring to public attention regardless of the pressures not to do so.
Frank Zappa, as portrayed here is someone who knows what he wants to do in his mind then does whatever he has to do to convert that vision into reality. This clarity of vision is borne out in this depiction as a workaholic and a perfectionist in the persuit of an ideal. His clarity of vision too extended into the social realm where he understood the reality of living in Amerika and how the system established by the founding fathers had been subverted by the politicians and corporations who had benefitted so much for it.
In this fascinating account people move like shadows throughout the pages like extras in a movie that was Frank Zappa's work. His search, nay quest for perfection led him to the extensive rehearsals for his bands and his demands for the highest standards for them. Similarly his intolerance for audiences who cheered him while not understanding his music became bemusement with his growing popularity as the music became more complex.
In a latter section where he was proppelled into the political arena to fight against censorship, he broke the mould of rock stars as imbecililes with eloquent and humorus defences against the forces of darkness massed against him and became a spokesman for a generation. This can be compared with his popularity as almost a samizdat artist in communist countries prior to that system's collapse where he was seen as a staunch defender of liberal (in the European sense) ideals.
His death robbed the twentieth century of one of it's greatest figures in music and in the fight for freedom for individuals. I think that this book is a marvellous tales of single minded persuit of excellence and fighting against adversity. Five stars.
Evocative and useful companion.......2005-04-11
If one thing defines Frank Zappa it's that he strove for perfection with such single-minded purpose. And, if there's one thing that the life of Frank Zappa highlights it's that perfection is unobtainable. This conclusion in no way negates his achievements, which were phenomenal, but humans make mistakes and these are celebrated in the performance of his music just as much as any other human characteristic. These comments are the first that came into my head when I sat down to write a review of Neil Slavens' admirable effort. There has been some criticism about various inaccuracies in his book and I spotted a few, but for me, this in no way marred the experience and is a very human portrayal of a very remarkable human being.
The best feature of this book, regardless of how you personally may find the style, is that Slaven maintains it consistently throughout. It is comprehensive and well connected and not just hacked together. Since I've finished reading it I've used it many times as a reference and it is particularly useful for locating the timing of certain significant events, such as album releases. Biographers in general make subjective comments about their subjects and here you will find no exception, but Slaven has kept these to a respectable minimum and the book is much more a life story than a critique and leaves readers room to make their own judgements.
Until I read this book, my knowledge of Frank Zappa's life was somewhat fragmented, but after reading it I felt I finally had closure. Electric Don Quixote by Neil Slaven is an unputdownable read and continues to be a useful member of your library after you've finished. Whatever your level of interest in Frank Zappa you should get this book.
Comprehensive, well-researched, POORLY edited.......2004-09-03
This book is an even-handed representation of Frank's life and (especially) his work. It is a very good companion to "The Real Frank Zappa Book," but no replacement.
Unfortunately, the editing is horrible. There are entire sentences that are unintelligible even in context, suggesting that words or phrases have been lost to the printer's art. Misspellings abound, particularly in proper names...a reference to "Mick Dagger" clearly indicating that someone went hog-wild with a spell-checker. It's hard to find three consecutive pages that don't have at least one of these gems.
All told, a worthwhile read for any Zappa fan. Hopefully a future edition will address these errors.
Thought Provoking Bio - The Best So Far.......2003-11-18
Those familiar with the life and music of Frank Zappa might conclude that Neil Slaven has explained Conceptual Continuity better than Frank ever did. Slaven has written a masterpiece biography of one of the most difficult personalities to ever stir the stew of artful politicosociology. Other Zappa biographies, even that written by Frank himself, come across as dry and disorganized in comparison to Electric Don Quixote. Slaven's analysis seems even-handed to me and is far from being the drippings of a starry-eyed Zappa fan. Punches are not pulled, but then again, praise is dealt out when deserved.
Compared to other sources of all things Zappa, Electric Don Quixote is like a spotlight that illuminates not only the facts and chronology, but also the mood and mentality surrounding Frank and the key individuals in his immediate circle. I'm reminded of how much a step forward the new Jimi Hendrix biography (Musician, by Keith Shadwick) is in comparison to the competition. Musician takes the reader into the musical mind of Hendrix and Electric Don Quixote does the same for Zappa, except that Frank's years in the industry were longer, his story more complex, his art less popularly appreciated and his psyche far more difficult to analyze. But Slaven was up to the challenge and we are all the richer for his ability and dedication.
As good as Electric Don Quixote is, I do not consider it adequate to stand completely on its own. It stands on the shoulders of past Zappa bios and without reading at least one or two of them, the reader might lose the sublety Slaven has incorporated. I'd recommend "No Commercial Potential" and "The Real Frank Zappa Book" as possible starting places. These other books provide factual detail, such as info about Frank's settlement with Warner Brothers that could and probably should have been discussed more clearly in Electric Don Quixote.
I'll also warn that the reader is in for a long ride because, as the years pass, this hardcore fan has witnessed the evolution of Zappa's impact. The body of work is so immense and so dense, that it must be digested sequentially, with periodic rest breaks, then the process restarted anew. Zappa's art is like a perrineal flower that slowly mutates over time, reemerging the next spring, or even in winter with newly discovered clues and perspectives. Thanks to Neil Slaven for shining the spotlight in a way that illuminates previously darkened corridors.
Book Description
A comparative account of the musical and cultural acts of Zappa and his cohort, collaborator and antagonist Captain Beefheart. Written in the iconoclastic spirit of Zappa's art, this book traces the mixed media experiments of California freakdom through the dada blues of Beefheart, mapping out the pleasures of imaginative excess.
Book Description
Ten years after his death, Frank Zappa continues to influence popular culture. With almost one hundred recordings still in print, Zappa remains a classic American icon. Scores of bands have been influenced by (and have shamelessly imitated) his music, and a talented roster of musicians passed through Zappa’s bands. Now comes the definitive biography of Zappa by Barry Miles, best-selling author of Hippie and Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now, who knew Zappa personally and was present at the recording of some of his most important albums. Miles follows Zappa from his sickly Italian-American childhood in the 1940s (his father worked for the military and was used to test the effectiveness of new biological warfare agents) to his youthful pursuit of what was a lifelong dream: becoming a classical composer. Zappa brings together the many different personalities of this music legend together for the first time: the self-taught musician and composer who gained fame with the “rock” band the Mothers of Invention; the political antagonist who mocked presidents while being invited by Vaclav Havel to represent Czechoslovakia’s cultural interests in the United States, and Zappa the family man who was married to the same woman for over thirty years.
Customer Reviews:
Disapointing; you can safely skip this one.......2007-09-19
Other reviewers have already dinged this book for its inacuracies, lack of original research, and opinionated conjecture. I agree whole-heartedly. I found the prose to be rambling, and the overall treatment to be superficial. The book focuses almost exclusively on Zappa the man, with very little about the music. In other words, don't expect to learn any new "conceptual continuity" clues. Even then. I knew most of what was in this already, which was probably the biggest let-down. I can't recommend this: it's the type of "rock journalism" Zappa himself railed against.
A 'must' for any who would understand Zappa's influences, life, and power........2007-01-07
It may surprise many who know of Zappa only as a rock icon to discovery here, in ZAPPA: A BIOGRAPHY, that he was a classically-trained guitar virtuoso. Zappa holds many facets beneath the fame of his music, and for a complete overview of these worlds, ZAPPA: A BIOGRAPHY brings them all together in an in-depth, detailed survey. Barry Miles knew Zappa personally and was present during the recording of many of his most important albums, so he's much more than an outside biographer and can provide the depth and insights lacking in other books on Zappa. A 'must' for any who would understand Zappa's influences, life, and power.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Terrible.......2006-12-12
If you were going to write a biography of a person, you should at least be able to get the date of death correct.
His father always wanted him to be a chemist. .......2006-06-13
Frank Zappa is one of those guys you either love or you hate. It is one of those black and white issues. Anybody looking at these reviews is here 'cause they love Zappa. Everyone that wrote a review here loved Zappa, they wouldn't have wasted their time if they didn't.
If you love Frank Zappa and are not looking for some extrodinary new insight (I'm sure he would have called it stupid) on how the guy ticked, I would recommend reading this book. Some of it is a bit jumbled but overall it was an easy read of a totally fasinating person who left an incredible musical impact on anybody that came face to face with his art and had the guts to hang in with it. All the facts are backed up by a biblography for each chapter and I would say that Mr. Miles did a really good job on a very difficult complex subject.
Return of the Son of Monster magnet.......2006-06-08
I read this user friendly book shortly after completing Electric Don Quixote by Slavin. Whereas the latter was about the work and life of Frank Zappa in that order, this tome is more about the life and work.
As others have discovered this book is predicated upon secondary sources and is not dependent on any primary material whatsoever. It is very easy to read and the thing that sticks in my mind most after reading it is Frank's little witticism about rock critics.
There is much of Slavin's work in this book, literally and I found myself recognising verbatim statements while the other information was fresh in my mind. The author makes much of Frank's predilection for hookers and groupies which is neither here nor there as far as I am concerned but I am sure that there is a market for such salacious tidbits out there.
My main concern has always been about the music but the man portrayed here is pretty much a bit of a mystery. The figure that emerges is a rough and ready conservative intellectual who has strong beliefs in personal liberty but we learn little of the inner man himself.
Still, aside from his legacy of music, another insight (what little there is here) into Frank Zappa is of some value but for the reader in search of a study of the real man, look at Slavin first and leave this piece of pop journalism until later. Much later.
Book Description
"Billy James's book about Frank Zappa and his early entourage is flat-out wonderful."-Booklist
"What makes James's book such a delight is, this time the story gets told by the original group members, who give a clearer insight into the natural history of The Mothers, their music, their hidden talents, and Zappa's tightly disciplined, drug-free working methods and demands. To give away too many of the truly freaky anecdotes sprinkled throughout the text would spoil the fun."-The Wire
Customer Reviews:
Nice Little History of Mothers Mk I.......2007-08-04
This book contains a pretty decent history of Zappa and the Mothers from 65 - 70. The anecdotal information is delivered by the guys who lived the experience, Preston, Black, Collins, Estrada, Gardener, and others who joined later. The actual history is a wee bit short and the writing style is somewhat... well, James clearly doesn't write books and wasn't educated to write books for a living, let's just put it that way. Still, it is and enjoyable, quick read.
An interesting read for all who want to learn about the early Mothers. Don't expect to understand the contradictions that are Frank Zappa after reading this. There probably isn't anything that could impart that kind of understanding.
Fun quick read for Zappa fans.......2007-04-29
This was a fairly entertaining read about the early years of Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. Overall this was a fun, quick read but it would probably only interest you if you were into Zappa.
Hey! Someone actually wrote a decent book on Frank Zappa!.......2005-02-22
Billy James has actually written a decent book on Frank Zappa. Unlike most authors who have written on this subject, James refrains from blathering prose that seems to exist mainly to show readers how "literate" and "intellectual" they are. His book is mainly based on interviews that he conducted with members of the early Mothers, and in a style not unlike Stephen Ambrose, transcription excerpts from these interviews form the foundation of the book. I found this book engaging, readable, with only a few minor, forgiveable inaccuracies. Well done, Billy James
Excellent view from a different perspective.......2002-01-15
I've read many books on Zappa and found Necessity is.... to be a
great viewpoint from inside the band itself. So many other books have many stories and thoughts from the authors; many who have interviewed or maybe travelled a bit with FZ to learn more about the inside world, but this book is essentially taken from his bandmates and the stories that they have to tell from that early era of MOI. All of the other FZ books I've read were very good. Its just great to see what it was like for everyone else who worked for the great FZ.....
This Is A Necessity!.......2001-07-29
"Necessity is.....the early Years of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention" by: Billy James (c) 2001
(Forward by Don Preston)
Published by: SAF Publishing Ltd. - Unit 7 Shaftsbury Centre 85 Barlby Rd - London W10 6BN
ýNecessity is...ý in their own humorous anecdotal remembrance, an insiders view of the original line up of The Mothers Of Invention composed of Roy Estrada, Bunk and Buzz Gardner, Motorhead, Ray Collins, Jimmy Carl Black ...and Don Preston, who can be reached at: ....
The significant difference, as compared to the many other MOI biopathies and memorics is that the infinitely covered life and times of Frank Zappa are herein represented largely in the background to the antic histrionics and talented virtuosity of the other Mothers. As die hard MOI fans we always knew that they were an ensemble of great musicians, but we werenýt exactly sure why. For those of us who weren't completely bamboozled by Frankýs talented ego, ýNecessity is...ý finally offers up a member by member biography of their musical foundations and pre-Mothers work which is notably diverse, and avant garde to say the least. For all that has been written about Frank Zappa and his diverse ensembles, this book is a necessity which factionally (versus fictionally) represents our Mothers like no other, including marvelous notes on MOI concert listings and the formation/continuation of The Grandmothers. If Frank is what you are looking for, see the present day composer who unfortunately died on December 4, 1993 of prostate cancer at ...
Book Description
The life story of Suzannah (Thana) Harris, the only Frank Zappa vocalist that successfully mastered the difficult vocals on Zappa's album "Sleep Dirt."
Customer Reviews:
Exploitative rubbish.......2002-04-23
This is a dismal book. Badly written, unedited, and full of mistakes, this is truly a vanity project. Unless you are a member of Thana Harris' immediate family there is no reason whatever to purchase this. Frank Zappa fans looking for informative details on the recordings of Ms. Harris's overdubs on the "Sleep Dirt" tracks will learn nothing new. Fans of Bob Harris and/or Steve Vai may be a little less disappointed, but this is just one more book that only got published because it has a tenuous connection with Zappa. ...
Nice Biography.......2001-06-25
The subtitle of UNDER THE SAME MOON is MY LIFE WITH FRANK ZAPPA, STEVE VAI, BOB HARRIS AND A COMMUNITY OF OTHER ARTISTIC SOULS. I purchased the book because of the subtitle.
Suzannah Harris has a nice writing style and is quite a romantic. However, I was really disappointed. I was much more interested in capturing the unique picture of the Frank Zappa, etc. UNDER THE SAME MOON is a personal biography with little emphasis on the community of artistic souls.
Thus if you are seeking greater insight to the community, you need not read this book. If you want to read the thoughts and feelings of a person moving from girl to woman, this is the book for you.
HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS BOOK EXISTED?.......2001-02-04
I've been a huge fan for years of Frank Zappa and Steve Vai, so it was with much happiness that I discovered this book and ordered it... Just for those parts of the book alone, it was well worth the purchase.
Light, believable biography.......2000-03-18
This book isn't so much a tell-all as a tell-what-she-knows-and-make-it-interesting. Thana Harris relates her experiences working and recording with Frank Zappa, which led directly to her meeting and working with Steve Vai and her future husband Bob Harris.
Thana has a nice style that sounds more like a spoken conversation than a written treatise. She does seem to be hinting at some sort of spiritual belief that brought her together with these musicians, but she never really explains too well just what that belief might be.
Not an absolute MUST, but if you're a Zappa fan it's nice to see him described by a female who doesn't claim to have slept with him. You come away from this book feeling like you've just met a very nice person.
Amazon.com
Once considered the best biography on American composer Frank Zappa available, David Walley's No Commercial Potential: The Saga of Frank Zappa still contains the most compelling and accurate portrait of Zappa at the beginning of his career. The latest edition has been updated by the author--which is odd, as Walley seems almost completely disenchanted with Zappa in the closing chapters--to quickly gloss over the last two decades of Zappa's life up to and including his death in 1993. The gold of this biography is still the original material from the seventies, which Walley wrote after spending a great deal of time with his subject. Anyone interested in Zappa and his music will not want to miss this fascinating, firsthand account of the man in what many consider to be the prime years of his career. Anyone interested in a broader view of Zappa's life will also want to investigate Ben Watson's astounding intellectual analysis of Zappa's work, The Negative Dialects of Poodle Play, the collected offerings of The Frank Zappa Companion, and the word from the man himself, The Real Frank Zappa Book.
Book Description
For nearly thirty years Frank Zappa (1940-1993) pursued an idiosyncratic but influential course in music-rock, jazz, and classical composer (releasing over fifty albums); founder of the Mothers of Invention; guitarist, conductor, and producer; as well as social satirist, sonic scientist, First Amendment champion, and all-around iconoclast. This updated edition of David Walley's cutting-edge classic includes a new foreword, a substantial chapter carrying the Zappa saga through his death from cancer, an afterword, bibliography, discography, videography, and guide to Zappa on the Internet. From 1960's Freak Out! to the posthumous Civilization Phaze III, No Commercial Potential offers converts and connoisseurs the most practical and penetrating book ever written on the musical phenomenon known as Frank Zappa.
Customer Reviews:
I admit it, I knew Zappa.......2005-11-02
And because of that, it's the first part of this book that galls me, rather than the part added much later. Clearly the well-named Walley is what is called in England, a compleat "wally," meaning a man without a backbone. When he's in love with someone, they are as a god. When he falls out of love (did Zappa turn him away, insult him? very easy to imagine), then he becomes a kicked dog, lifting his leg to piss on his idol, chewing his old Zappa posters off his walls. Does any of this tell us about Zappa? Not really. It tells us about Wally. And all the other wallies of the world of fandom. Other than that, Wally writes as if he were under the strong impression he writes well, even brilliantly. What a moron. As for Zappa, he was an ass. The Spike Jones of his day, claiming credit for the work of better men, and even some women. His lyrics are moronic, pure male juvenalia. But then there's some of the instumental music. This is the best of Zappa. But to know him, was not to love him. My advice is to love the best of a gifted man, and keep far far away from the rest of him.
condescending.......2005-01-22
This was a pretty comprehensive biography of Frank's earlier years, but the last hundred pages or so are terrible. The author simply pontificates on Frank's life and work, making judgement after judgement. This part of the book is extremely condescending toward Frank, as if the author were Frank's teacher and making notes on his final report card. This incredibly superior, pompous attitude toward the book's subject was very annoying. Including negative opinions about Zappa from people like Captain Beefheart is interesting and informative, but the author should have kept his own heavy hand out of the mix. A really good biography leaves conclusions about what kinf of guy the subject is up to the reader. Not so here, where toward the end the reader finds him/herself struggling to crawl out from underneath the heavy pile of the author's ponderous philosophy to glean any information at all about Zappa.
I did listen to all of the albums mentioned in the book, which, I guess, is all of them. I got a lot more out of listening to the records than I did this book.
The Present Day Artist Refuses to Die!.......2003-12-13
This is an older book with a bit of updates and the old part is still a fun read for those who don't know anything about Zappa.
Aside from composing, the amazing thing that appears to get lost is that Zappa was one of 3 or 4 great guitarists of the 20th century. His use of the mixolydian mode combined with dissonance and fairly progressive technological effects throughout his career (speeding up oboes a minor third on Uncle Meat (1968) is an example) was extremely original and give his work its particular quality. It is true that Zappa was a control freak and he did abuse musicians since, as Gail Zappa has said, they (and anyone associated with Frank's work) were `hired hands'. Anyone who views their fellow musician like that is going to be hard to work with. The accusation, however, that "Zappa endlessly recycled his own material rather than spend his time coming up with worthwhile new works" is a bit harsh. The progression of musicianship from Freak Out to The Yellow Shark is clear.
No Commercial Potential does not discuss musical and working relationship issues but is more of a cultural look at how excessive and insular the 60's rock scene was - even though one has to realize that it does try to deify Frank in the first 150 pages.
Truly weak........2003-07-05
Not surprisingly, there are numerous rave "reviews" of this book here by other Amazonians. Most of these people are the types who think "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" is a significant work of late-20th century music and who throw around words like "genius" and "philosopher" whenever Zappa's name comes up. They think that Zappa's songs, which they always rush to point out were "complex," included serious, penetrating social commentary in addition to their "killer solos" and "freakin' funny" lyrics. Unfortunately, for most of this book, its author, David Walley, also falls into this category of Zappaphile.
I'll be honest. Frank Zappa's serious music (read: "instrumental music"), from the early "Hot Rats" to "Jazz From Hell," his guitar solo discs, "The Perfect Stranger," and "The Yellow Shark," I find fascinating, exciting, and worthy of placement beside the works of other major late 20th century composers. I write this as a classically trained musician with a background in piano, theory, and musicology. Zappa loved (LOVED) name dropping Varese, Stravinsky, Webern, Takemitsu, and Penderecki, and in my opinion, his best music ranks with theirs.
His other music (read: anything with lyrics) I find about as scintillating, witty, and sardonically insightful as the latest opus by Weird Al Yankovic. This is the junk by which he made his fortune, and while I respect the demanding nature of much of it, it's also ephemeral, juvenile, utterly worthless stuff. Sadly, this is what attracts a lot of his fans, most of whom are not musicians and many of whom are fanatics who mistake FZ for a philosopher.
What does all this have to with this book? David Walley is obviously not a musician, and so his relentless references to the "complexity" of FZ's music and his inevitable references to Webern, et al., mar this book with the stupidity of the musically unlettered geek who tries to write about music. His attempts to write a "with-it," Zappa-esque book make his social commentary approximately as riveting as his attempts at musical analysis. His humor is heavy handed and usually annoying.
On the personal side, when he's not writing embarrassingly sycophantic psychobabble about Zappa, he does manage to reveal some interesting aspects of his subject. Zappa was a control freak who used and abused musicians, stole many of their ideas while crediting himself, endlessly recycled his own material rather than spend his time coming up with worthwhile new works, and, in three decades of near-constant labor, managed to produce only a handful of worthwhile discs. Not an appealing person. His annoyingly smug cynicism had a dark side; Steve Vai once claimed that he almost had a nervous breakdown after leaving Zappa's band, thanks to his own adoption of Zappa's startlingly bleak and nasty worldview. Apart from the (relatively little) good music, that is the man's legacy.
I hope someday a biographer will approach this subject responsibly and from a position of musical knowledge. In this book, we have an author with no knowledge of music who is blinded by his personal feelings both for and against his subject. From his early ecstatic proclamations of Zappa's genius ("philosopher"! "composer"! "social critic"! "film maker"! "scientist"!), he descends into a scathing attack in the afterword. Over three decades after its first appearance, this book remains as amateurish as its author's prose.
Not the most complete view of Zappa's life.......2001-12-05
This book gives a good description of Frank's early days with the Mothers of Invention, and it is loaded with interesting quotes from various band members, friends, and Frank himself. The book was originally published in the early 70's, which is where the problem comes in. Walley updated the book some time in the early 90's, but the added material really just skims through Frank's career from the mid-70's to his death. Walley's loss of interest in Zappa in the 80's is very evident, and he seems to have an irritatingly negative view of Frank and his music near the end of the book. This is probably the best book if you're looking for information on Zappa's early years, but if you want a more complete biography, you should look elsewhere.
Average customer rating:
|
No Commercial Potential: The Saga of Frank Zappa Then and Now
David Walley
Manufacturer: E. P. Dutton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Instruments & Performers
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Rock
| Musical Genres
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0525931538 |
Books:
- Reverse Heart Disease Now: Stop Deadly Cardiovascular Plaque Before It's Too Late
- Rock and Roll Year By Year
- Rocket Propulsion Elements, 7th Edition
- Scooby-doo Storybook Collection (Scooby-doo Bind-up)
- Sentimental Fabulations, Contemporary Chinese Films: Attachment in the Age of Global Visibility (Film and Culture Series)
- SIGN with your BABY Complete Learning Kit: US DVD Version, Book, Training Video (DVD), Quick Reference Guide
- Sleeping with Strangers
- Sophocles, The Oedipus Cycle: Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone
- Study of Orchestration, Third Edition
- Study of Orchestration, Third Edition
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market
- Mauser: Military Rifles of the World
- Fire Stream Management Handbook
- History: Fiction or Science
- Mozart and the Whale: An Asperger's Love Story
- Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts Workbook for Men: Seven Questions to Ask Beforeand AfterYou Ma
- Introduction to Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
- Tax-exempt hotel financing: A primer for finance officers.: An article from: Government Finance Revi
- Getting Started in Tax Consulting
- United States-Italy Trade Directory and CD-ROM 1998-1999
Electric Don Quixote: The Definitive Story Of Frank Zappa
Does Humor Belong in Music? Frank Zappa Live
One Size Fits All
Frank Zappa - Baby Snakes
Frank Zappa: Dub Room Special
