Musikexpress
Article on MIDEM convention 1970 is about best
performers on this festival. The FZ picture is included, but
Zappa is not mentioned in the text. As we know, FZ jammed with
French group Docdail during MIDEM convention, see
Best, March 1970.
The corresponding Dutch issue (May
1971) has an article on 200 Motels. German issue
contains only a full-page poster.
1972 February
No. 194
200 Motels: Ein Spiegelbild der
Wirklichkeit (A reflection of reality)
pp 36-39
Page 37 is an abbreviated translation of the
"Hypothetical
interview with Frank Zappa ..."
1972 April
No. 196
Captain Beefheart: von Zappa zum
Genie ernannt (Proclaimed a genius by Zappa)
By ?, p 20
1973 March
No. 3
Frank
Zappa "Grand Wazoo"
By Karl Heinz Borchert, pp 42-43
Im Plattentest
By Walter Quintus, p 45
1973 November
No. 11
Nektar: ganz sicher nicht mehr
mit Zappa (Nektar: definitely not with Zappa anymore)
By ?, p 43
1975 December
No. 12
ME Special Story: Frank Zappa
Rock-Genie und Bürgerschreck (Rock genius and citizen
fright)
By ?, pp 60-69
Labelträume-Labelschäume (Label dreams - label
foams)
By ?, pp 22-24
Automatic translation:
Georgie Duke on keyboards, Chester Thompson, who now plays with
Weather Report, on drums, Bruce and Tom Fowler on trombone and
bass (according to the cover also as dancers), Don Van Vliet
aka Captain Beefheart on vocals, plus three other Mothers and
of course Frankie-Boy Zappa - can it get any better and more
fun? (read
more)
Source: musikexpress.de
Automatic translation:
With “Zoot Allures” Zappa seems to open a catchy chapter. Calmer
and more serene, he seems to be down from his jazzy speed collage
trip. The pieces are no longer cluttered like they used to be.
Maybe it's because of his current companions, who aren't nearly
as clever and experienced as the pros George Duke or Ruth Underwood.
(read more)
Source: musikexpress.de
1977 March
No. 3
Frank Zappa unterwegs (Frank Zappa
On The Road)
By Hermann Haring, pp 24, 26
Originalton Zappa "LSD vom CIA"
By Jim Ladd, p 26
The second article about LSD and CIA is taken
from US radio interview -
Innerview, Radio show with Jim Ladd. This interview is also
contained in
GSW Project vol 17.
Source: Pittylabelle @ zappateers
Automatic translation:
Even though Frank Zappa changes his musicians like other people
don't even change their underwear, after all these years he
is managed to preserve his joy of playing and his spirit of
experimentation. This album was recorded live in New York in
late 1976. With an unparalleled sovereignty, Zappa spits, moans
and roars through the four sides of the LP.(read
more)
Source: musikexpress.de
1979 January
No. 1
Frank
Zappa "Studio Tan"
By in, p 43
George Duke: Jazzrock aus dem Zauberstab
By wof, pp 10-11
Automatic translation:
So it's clear: George Duke, Ruth Underwood, Chester Thompson
and also Zappa (the album was recorded a year ago) are good
musicians. 'When someone becomes a musician, the music is no
longer human'. This Iggy Pop quote hits the nail on the head
with Zappa. (read
more)
Source: musikexpress.de
Automatic translation:
Zappa is enigmatic again – he claims his fellow players are
“unavailable” (unusable, not available), and WEA, his previous
sales company, doesn't know anything specific either. It could
be that he tricked everything on this LP, or most of it alone,
because weaknesses cannot be hidden, especially in the rhythm;
on the marimba, however, Ruth Underwood comes under suspicion.
(read more)
Source: musikexpress.de
Automatic translation:
With a play on words (Sheik Yerbouti – shake your booty), Frank
Zappa makes his promising debut on CBS. And it can't be compared
at all with the DiscReet latecomer album "Sleep Dirt" by WEA
(see ME 3/79). A usual Zappa circus is rolling here again: garish,
dazzling, deafening, raising dust - number for number breathtaking.
(read more)
Source: musikexpress.de
The same interview was later published in Yugoslavian
monthly Džuboks.
Publications in English are not known.
Automatic translation: ME:
Have you ever heard a guitarist that resembles you?
Zappa: Yes. Warren [Cuccurullo]. He is the only one.
He sits at home and memorizes my guitar solos. I can't even
play those solos anymore. On stage we play "Andy" from One Size
Fits All and he solos note for note. I just sit there and he
plays it. I couldn't do it anymore. (read
more)
Automatic translation:
One of the most provocative albums to ever leave Frank Zappa's
stable is said to be his latest opus "Joe's Garage"; a kind
of rock opera and the first part of a triology. The story: Joe
wants to be a rock guitarist and The Central Scrutinisizer (Frank
Zappa) advises him to study with religiously oriented people
first. Joe promptly falls in love with a Catholic girl. This
was in response to Sheik Yerbouti's Jewish Princess, which got
him into trouble with a Jewish association. This time good old
Frank will have to mess with the Catholics who are so obscene
Insinuations will not be left behind on their girls.
Automatic translation:
The latest work from Zappa's ongoing band: the first act of
a trilogy. It's kind of a teenage drama - a band rehearses in
Dad's suburban garage, falls apart. One develops into a sleazy
businessman, the other finally has the long-awaited hit after
years of waiting and therefore also falls under the wheels of
the business. In between there's the meanwhile obligatory groupie
smuts (underlaid by the unmistakably dirty laugh of the Maestro),
Catholic priests turn out to be leather fetishists, abduct some
fiends from a roadie crew and... uh-mmm, well you know... cuties,
cute teen girls in white dresses and at the end Joe asks: "Why
does it hurt when I pee?" (read
more)
Automatic translation:
As might be expected, Papa Zappa filled up the half dozen for
'79 when he released the two remaining acts of his mammoth work
Joe's Garage as a double album - just in time for the holiday
season." (read
more)
1980 April
No. 4
Captain
Beefheart and The Magic Band "Shiny Beast"
By Dankmar Isleib, p 55
Mother
Of Freaks
By Ray Bonici, pp 68-70, 72-74, 76
1981 May
No. 5
Frank Zappa
"Tinsel Town Rebellion"
By mk, p 68
The Grandmothers "An anthology of previously unreleased
tracks by ex-members of the mothers of invention"
By pbo, p 71
Automatic translation:
Grace Slick, then with Jetterson Airplane, once said of Frank
Zappa: 'He's the smartest asshole I've ever met.' With his live
double LP TINSEL TOWN REBELLION, Zappa of all people sets out
to demonstrate what Grace Slick might have meant. After all,
no one would doubt that Frank Zappa is highly intelligent. However,
we still have to come to the other attribute in the following.
(read
more)
Source: musikexpress.de
Automatic translation:
High school students from all countries, unite! Because here
comes your senior teacher, cracking the same joke for the umpteenth
time that he tells every year when he wants to ingratiate himself
with a new class. (read
more)
Source: musikexpress.de
Automatic translation:
In fact, I think this LP set is the best album Zappa has ever
made. What's more: he almost makes kindling out of the efforts
of those guitarists who sail in the fairway between jazz and
rock. (read
more)
Source: musikexpress.de
Automatic translation:
Who is Zappa trying to annoy? Or does he really want to address
someone with the bombardment he has been unleashing on the already
flooded sound carrier market for years? Is it about the fans?
- God knows they've seen him better than on SHIP... (read
more)
Source: musikexpress.de
Automatic translation:
Why do you usually release double albums?
"Some authors write short stories and others write long
stories. It's hard for me to make easy albums, although my next
record will be one. I don't like the format."
Is a double album enough?
"No. Just one example: in the last few months we've recorded
eighteen album sides. I could release them all at once if someone
could afford to buy them. But nobody can, so it will be a single
album." (read
more)
Source: Pittylabelle @ zappateers
Automatic translation:
Fortunately, at least Zappa himself keeps a record of the production
of his works. As has been heard, he is said to have created
an Opus directory. Something like this might be important for
later authors of rock music histories, because the fact that
one now loses track of his records is not only due to their
quantity, but certainly to a considerable extent to their quality.
(read
more)
Source: musikexpress.de
1984 November
No. 11
Frank Zappa
Interview by Alan Bangs, pp 26-28, 30
Frank
Zappa "Them Or Us"
By Steve Lake, p 92
Automatic translation:
Actually, he was fed up with Europe. In Germany in particular,
he growled after his last tour, they wanted to reduce him to
the role of frightening citizens and making political speeches.
At 44 years of age, however, he no longer wants to be a prayer
wheel for calcified political freaks. He says. But when he opens
his mouth, he'll be the old revolutionary Frank again. Alan
Bangs met the master of the all-rounder at the beginning of
his tour in Brussels. (read
more)
Source: Pittylabelle @ zappateers
This issue features pictures of Wolfgang Wesener,
a German photographer active for the last three years in New
York. Included is a picture of Frank Zappa, made obviously in
Limelight, New York. See also
Details, February 1987.
Source: Fulvio Fiore
Automatic translation: Subtle tone
puzzles, sophisticated arrangements, cacophonous free jazz attacks,
obscene text structures, mathematically strict music that draws
on every imaginable source... That's right - it can only be
Frank Zappa. (read
more)
Automatic translation: Once upon a
time there was a shock of the citizens.
He posed naked on the toilet bowl, exposed the state and church
on the stage and frightened prudish America with pornographic
texts. And private? What is it like when the father is
a freak? ME / Sounds brought Frank and Dweezil Zappa
to the table. (read
more)
These pictures are taken by
Lynn Goldsmith
in 1988. The article here is titled as "Zappa Zoo – Holiday
on the Freak Farm". See also
Zappainfrance.
Source: Pittylabelle @ zappateers
Automatic translation:
It was well known that he was a political mind. It was not to
be expected, even from a lateral thinker like Zappa, that he
would now apply for the post of American President. ME/Sounds
contributor Rudi Dolezal met the candidate in Prague, where
he spoke to Czech President Václav Havel about what is on his
mind most at the moment: politics. (read
more)
1992 November
No. 11
Haifisch
mit gelben Zähnen: Frank Zappa wildert in fremden Gewässern
By Detlef Kinsler, pp 62-63
Automatic translation:
Frank Zappa mothballed his guitar and turned his back on the
rock 'n' roll business with its adolescent excesses. "At my
age you just have to look around for something more serious,"
he responded succinctly to comments that he has now finally
changed fronts - from the eternal enfant terrible to the established
e-musician. (read
more)
Source: Fulvio Fiore
1992 December
No. 12
Punkt Punkt Komma Strich
(Period period comma dash. Can musicians paint too?)
By Walter Dahn, pp 12-14, 16
1993 May
No. 5
Frank Zappa "The Man From Utopia"
By Uwe Schleifenbaum, p 94
Frank Zappa "The Amazing Mr. Bickford"
By Uwe Schleifenbaum, p 98
Zappas Geige (Zappa's violin)
By Franks Sohnemann, p 100
1993 June
No. 6
Frank Zappa & Das Ensemble
Modern "The Yellow Shark"
By Werner Theurich, p 77
Mothers Of Invention "Ahead Of Their Time"
By Uwe Schleifenbaum, p 84
1993 November
No. 11
Frank
Zappa "Hot Rats"
By Holger True, pp 102-103
Frank
Zappa "Over-Nite Sensation"
By Holger True, pp 97-98
1994 February
No. 2
Special – Frank Zappa komplett
By Steve Lake, pp 92-97
Captain Beefheart
By Uwe Schleifenbaum, pp 30-31
1994 December
No. 12
Grüße aus der Gruf (Greetings
from the crypt)
By Albert Koch, p 20
Schräg
- Frank Zappa "Civilization Phaze III"
By Michael Ruff, p 75
2003 December
No. 12
Zappa für Einsteiger (Zappa for
beginner)
By Christoph Lindemann, p 91
Does Humor Belong In Music? DVD (review)
By Uwe Schleifenbaum, p 93
2017 February
No. 2
Neu Auf Vinyl (reviews)
We're Only In In For The Money
Lumpy Gravy
Cruising With Ruben And The Jets
Weasels Ripped My Flesh
By Albert Koch, p 101
2020 February
No. 2
Frank Zappa. Hot Rats Sessions
50th Anniversary Limited Edition (review)
By Mike Köhler, p 97