Depending on which side of the critical fence you may be standing, Francis Vincent Zappa is either our greatest living composer or a self-opinionated, tetchy old cynic whose best work was made with the long disbanded Mothers Of Invention. Both sides are hopelessly biased, however, as this latest batch of re-mixed, re-packaged (but happily not redundant) re-issues clearly shows. (read more)

Source: Fulvio Fiore

This has got to the most bizarre release ever - the official repackaging of ten FRANK ZAPPA bootlegs, all in their original form by arrangement with Uncle Meat himself, however, Cap'n Zappa insists (that though he performs on them) he has ·never heard the selected records and I have no intention of listening to them either."

Nevertheless, though he's ready to admit that these ten records "may contain no music of value', he's sanctioned the release of these facsimiles on Rhino Records' Zappaonly Foo-Eee label.

The accompanying package will also comprise a 'Beat The Boots' T-shirt and badge.

Source: Fulvio Fiore

Zappa’s second and third double CD releases of the year challenge the dedication of his followers. Vol 4 draws mostly on the bands of 1979, 1982 and 1984, with a trio of “happenings” from The Mothers of 1969. Throughout the ’80s, Zappa relied upon the fiendishly accomplished rhythm team of Bobby Martin, Ike Willis, Scott Thunes and Chad Wackerman. They bring a bright, hard glaze to the tortuous arrangements that ultimately numbs the ear. These include Archie Shepp's anarchic solo on ‘Let's Move To Cleveland’. Peter Wolf’s mini-moog mooning on ‘Pound For A Brown’ and Zappa and Steve Vai making stunts of themselves on a marathon version ‘Stevie's Spanking’. (8)
Make A Jazz Noise Here draws from the 1988 band already documented on The Best Band You Never Heard. With only a handful of vocals out of 25 tracks, the accent is on instrumental ensembles and solos. Medleys such as ‘Let's Make The Water Turn Black/Harry, You're A Beast’/‘The Orange County Lumber Truck’ are performed at tempos that render them perfunctory, while old stalwarts like ‘King Kong’, ‘Big Swifty’ and ‘The Black Page’ deserve to be put out to pasture.
Although Zappa dismisses his fans’ regard for the original Mothers, it is only when this band adopts their ‘burp and squeak’ methods on ‘When Yuppies Go To Hell’ that something vital seems to happen. (7)  

Source: Fulvio Fiore

Although Frank Zappa holds his nose regarding the quality control of this batch of bootlegs he has picked to officially release, much is of value and (gulp) historical importance. (read more)

Source: Fulvio Fiore

After 25 years of unique musical anarchy and as many confrontational albums, Frank Zappa is facing his greatest adversary – prostate cancer. Undulled, he relates his diverse career of sophisticated subversion to Neil Slaven.

Since 1967, when the panel of BBC's Juke Box Jury were mystified by 'It Can't Happen Here' (a degenerate doo-wop ditty), Frank Zappa and his music have persistently defied categorisation. Comedian Groucho Marx once opined: "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member!", and Zappa has acted likewise. His refusal to become part of the rock establishment has been bolstered by constant subversion and much else besides, all underpinned with savage wit and perception. A prophet without profit in his own country, in Britain and Europe Zappa remains music's seminal cult figure. (read more)