Considering what has been on the pop charts over the past fifty years, it's such a disappointment to realise that Frank Zappa was indeed one of the most under-appreciated artists in the history of music. Fortunately, video artifacts like this one can show the uninitiated what a terrific composer, guitarist and bandleader FZ really was.
There are some flaws here -- this NYC concert was from his 1984 tour, probably his weakest ever, and the selection of songs favours the raunchy crowd-pleasers over the wildly inventive complicated instrumentals -- but overall it's a fantastic representation of Frank's fabulous guitar playing, his band's instrumental capabilities, the great humour and FZ's penchant for just not caring about what people think.
If you want a better FZ band and performance, try and find a copy of the May 1988 Barcelona concert. In the meantime, get yourself a copy of DHBIM and witness rock's only true genius in action.
There are some flaws here -- this NYC concert was from his 1984 tour, probably his weakest ever, and the selection of songs favours the raunchy crowd-pleasers over the wildly inventive complicated instrumentals -- but overall it's a fantastic representation of Frank's fabulous guitar playing, his band's instrumental capabilities, the great humour and FZ's penchant for just not caring about what people think.
If you want a better FZ band and performance, try and find a copy of the May 1988 Barcelona concert. In the meantime, get yourself a copy of DHBIM and witness rock's only true genius in action.
