Rock & Folk

 France

Rock & Folk is a French music magazine published since 1966. Excellent long-running French mainstream rock monthly. Now incorporating other popular musics such as rap, reggae, dance etc. Good coverage of both the French & international scene. Highly recommended. (rojaro)

1967 February

No. 4

Rock Folk et beatniks aux USA
By Alain Dister, pp 24-29


... Pour me remettre de ces émotions, les " Mothers of Invention " m'offrent un festival de cocasserie et de bonne humeur. Ces six garçons absolument dingues sont en train de révolutionner l'univers musical en Californie. Pour eux, le rock est un spectacle total qui demande l'adhésion sans réserve du spectateur. Cela donne les plus beaux " happenings " de la côte ouest, dans l'atmosphère la plus délirante qui se puisse imaginer. À cote de leurs prestations, la plus folle nuit de Palladium ressemble à une exhibition de patronage un jour de distribution des prix.

Automatic translation: ... To recover from these emotions, the "Mothers of Invention" offer me a festival of fun and good humor. These six absolutely crazy boys are revolutionizing the musical world in California. For them, rock is a total spectacle which demands the full support of the spectator. It gives the most beautiful "happenings" of the west coast, in the most delirious atmosphere imaginable. Alongside their performances, Palladium's craziest night looks like a patronage exhibition on a prize-giving day.

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1967 October

No. 11

Les hippies
By Alain Dister, pp 21-28, 53

Em ... les adultes (Em ... adults)
By Philippe Rault, p 24

Si ton ame est inculte ... (If your soul is uneducated)
By Philippe Constantin, p 28


Automatic translation: Who are these hippies that we talk about so much? Their manners, their ideas and their music can only fascinate Rock & Folk readers. It is therefore a real dossier that we present to you. You can read, in the following pages, Alain Dister's first report, an objective and in-depth description of the phenomenon. In addition, you will find the opinion of Philippe Rault, who is returning from the United States, and a position taken against it by Philippe Constantin who takes place on a purely philosophical level. We wanted to approach the subject from all these aspects. It's up to everyone to make up their own mind.

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1967 November

No. 12

Au secours! Voila les Mamans!!!
By Philippe Rault, pp 22-25, 60


This is the first half of an early and important interview by Philippe Rault. 2nd part was published in December issue. The translation feature is added to the page with full text in French.

Read that FZ finally discovered a real psychedelic music in London (Pink Floyd and Tomorrow); if we put the same amount of money to promote Xenakis as we do for Monkees, teenagers will buy Xenakis discs etc. etc. (read more)

Source: slime.oofytv.set

1967 December

No. 13

Au secours! Voila les Mamans!!!
By Philippe Rault, pp 42-45, 53


This is the second half of this remarkable interview. (read more)

Source: slime.oofytv.set

1968 May

No. 18

Mothers of Invention: Absolutely Free
By Kurt Mohr, 1 p


 Oui, évidemment. Évidemment. Oui. Nous disions donc... euh, les Mothers. Oui. Faut l'faire ! Vous pigez l'anglais ? Bien ? Parce que sinon, pas la peine d'insister ! Car c'est une œuvre de démolition, impitoyable, de toute la civilisation bidon, plastique et artificielle américaine, à laquelle s'adonne Frank Zappa et ses bourreaux. Oui, on sourit par endroits, mais pas pour longtemps, car là n'est pas le but visé. Zappa veut choquer, secouer, faire prendre conscience à ces robots, ces végétaux qui se nomment pompeusement citoyens. Une bonne fessée, une bonne engueulade, peuvent parfois s'avérer salutaires, mais vaut-il la peine de les encadrer, de les immortaliser en quelque sorte, sous forme d'enregistrement (on ose à peine parler d'œuvre musicale) ? Le personnage de Frank Zappa m'était déjà apparu comme intéressant et sympathique dans ses interviews (cf. celui de Philippe Rault, R & F n° 12) ; l'écoute de ses disques ne fait qu'illustrer sa thèse mais n'apporte rien d'essentiellement nouveau. Le fait qu'ils se soient bien vendus aux États-Unis est un bon signe, mais je ne pense pas qu'ils puissent être d'une grande portée en France. Ce ne sont certainement pas eux que vous choisirez comme musique intime, ni pour faire danser vos invités lors de vos surprise-parties. Si vous cherchez par contre à vous documenter sur les mouvements d'avantgarde, de protestation contre la civilisation décadente, le disque des Mothers est pour vous.

 Automatic translation: Yes of course. Obviously. Yes. So we were saying ... uh, the Mothers. Yes. Must do it! Do you understand English? Good? Because otherwise, no need to insist! Because it is a ruthless work of demolition of all the bogus, plastic and artificial American civilization, to which Frank Zappa and his executioners devote themselves. Yes, we smile in places, but not for long, because that is not the goal. Zappa wants to shock, shake, make these robots aware, these plants which pompously call themselves citizens. A good spanking, a good shouting, can sometimes be beneficial, but is it worth the trouble to frame them, to immortalize them in a way, in the form of a recording (we hardly dare to speak of a musical work)? The character of Frank Zappa had already struck me as interesting and likeable in his interviews (cf. that of Philippe Rault, R & F # 12); listening to his records only illustrates his thesis but does not add anything essentially new. The fact that they have sold well in the United States is a good sign, but I don't think they can be of great significance in France. They are certainly not the ones you will choose for intimate music, nor to make your guests dance during your surprise parties. If, on the other hand, you are looking for information on avant-garde movements, of protest against decadent civilization, the Mothers disc is for you.

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1968 June

No. 19

Mothers of Invention: Freak Out
By J.B., 1 p


Freak OutMOTHERS OF INVENTION FREAK OUT, Hungry freaks, daddy. I ain't got no heart. Who are the brain police? Motherly love. Woowie Zowie. You didn't try to call me. I'm not satisfied. You're probably wondering why I'm here. Trouble comin' everyday. Help I'm a rock. The return of the son of monster magnet.
VERVE 710.003 (30 cm 26,90 F)
Je confirmerai ce qu'a dit Kurt Mohr le mois dernier: « Pour apprécier vraiment pleinement les Mothers, il faut sans doute comprendre parfaitement l'anglais, pardon, l'américain car bien que comprenant l'anglais, j'ai des difficultés immenses à « déchiffrer » ce que disent les gens de Frank Zappa ». Cet album est composé de neuf chansons, une suite en trois mouvements (Help I'm a rock) et un ballet inachevé en deux tableaux (The return of the son of monster magnet). « Motherly love », « Hungry Freaks out, daddy » et « You didn't try to call me » sont les passages qui me remuent le plus.

Automatic translation: I will confirm what Kurt Mohr said last month: "To really fully appreciate Mothers, you must undoubtedly understand English perfectly, sorry, American because although I understand English, I have immense difficulties. to "decipher" what people say about Frank Zappa ". This album is composed of nine songs, a suite in three movements (Help I'm a rock) and an unfinished ballet in two tables (The return of the son of monster magnet). "Motherly love", "Hungry Freaks out, daddy" and "You didn't try to call me" are the passages that move me the most.

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1968 August / September

No. 20

Le soleil se couche a l'ouest (The sun is setting in the west)
By Philippe Paringaux, pp 40-42


... Le drame des Mothers
Les plus originaux, dans un pays où l'originalité et même l'extravagance sont monnaie courante, sans conteste les Mothers of lnvention. Le pittoresque Frank Zappa et sa troupe ont tenté de rependre en I'amplifiant la protestation des folk-singers (Dylan, Baez, Seegers, Guthrie), et l'ont transformée en provocation, tout comme l'avaient fait avant eux les Fugs dans l'Est. Les Mothers ont élevé à hauteur d'institution la violence du verbe et de la musique, la provocation permanente, l'insulte jetée à la face du monde. Leur message n'a pourtant atteint qu'une petite minorité déjà convaincue, ce qui atténue singulièrement sa force d'impact. Les autres, le premier étonnement passé, se sont bouchés les oreilles car la musique des Mothers n'était pas le véhicule idéal pour leur pensée. Le drame de Zappa et de ses hommes, c'est que leur musique est extrêmement limitée du point de vue technique et ne s'appuie sur aucune base solide. Et si l'invention verbale des Mothers est prodigieuse, elle ne peut concerner qu'un petit groupe, le langage d'abord étant un obstacle, ce qui n'est pas grave en soi, mais la musique aussi, ce qui l'est beaucoup plus. Si Joan Baez ou Bob Dylan ont réussi à faire entendre leur protestation à travers le monde, c'est bien parce que cette protestation était véhiculée par une musique de qualité qui, à la longue, forçait l'auditeur à se demander ce que l'on pouvait bien dire sur d'aussi jolies harmonies. Or la musique des Mothers produit l'effet contraire, elle blesse l'oreille (volontairement peut-être, mais on aimerait bien en avoir la preuve par le contraire), irrite et lasse dans un temps relativement court par son manque de construction et, en un mot, sa pauvreté. Sans doute faut-il voir les Mothers sur scène pour comprendre, mais alors leur voie est dans le théâtre et non plus dans la chanson. Car chanson rime avec musique. ...

Automatic translation: The drama of the Mothers
The most original, in a country where originality and even extravagance are commonplace, undoubtedly the Mothers of Invention. The picturesque Frank Zappa and his troupe tried to take over by amplifying the protest of the folk-singers (Dylan, Baez, Seegers, Guthrie), and turned it into a provocation, just as the Fugs had done before them in East. The Mothers have elevated the violence of words and music to the level of an institution, permanent provocation, insult to the world. However, their message only reached a small minority already convinced, which singularly attenuates its force of impact. The others, the first astonishment passed, stopped their ears because the music of the Mothers was not the ideal vehicle for their thought. The tragedy of Zappa and his men is that their music is extremely limited from a technical point of view and does not have any solid foundation. And if the Mothers' verbal invention is prodigious, it can only concern a small group, language first of all being an obstacle, which is not serious in itself, but also the music, which is. much more. If Joan Baez or Bob Dylan managed to make their protest heard around the world, it is because this protest was conveyed by quality music which, in the long run, forced the listener to wonder what the one could well say about such beautiful harmonies. But the Mothers' music produces the opposite effect, it hurts the ear (on purpose perhaps, but we would like to have proof of it on the contrary), irritates and tires in a relatively short time by its lack of construction and, in short, his poverty. No doubt you have to see the Mothers on stage to understand, but then their voice is in the theater and no longer in the song. Because song rhymes with music.

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1968 December

No. 23

Zappa génie?
By Philippe Constantin, 5 p


Automatic translation: On Frank Zappa and his Mothers of Invention, Philippe Constantin has a well-defined opinion.
The drama of someone who scribbles about music is that he inevitably finds himself one day in front of a new phenomenon that he does not understand. The critic postulates that he cannot be wrong. He naturally draws the following corollary, that it is therefore the music that is wrong. Classical music was "wrong" with Wagner, Berlioz or Bartók, all murdered by the fashionable critics of the time. (read more)

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1969 July

No. 30

Mothers encore ... ou les caprices du grand Zappa ...
By Philippe Paringaux, pp 37-39


Automatic translation: An Olympia two-thirds full for the Mothers, it is proof that the times they are a-changin and that today it has an audience for groups or artists who would not have made a trip there two years ago. (read more)

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1969 August

No. 31

The Mothers of Invention - Uncle Meat
By Philippe Paringaux, 2 p


  Automatic translation: If we didn't talk about this record in Rock & Folk last month, it's because there was already a long article on the Mothers there. But a double album from this group and of this quality, it deserves that we dwell on it a bit. It's the music for a movie, it seems, a movie the Mothers started and haven't finished yet for lack of money. (read more)

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1969 September

No. 32

Pop et jazz a Newport
By ?, 1 p


Source: Fulvio Fiore

1969 December

No. 35

Les folles nuits d'Amougies (The crazy nights at Amougies)
By Paul Alessandrini, pp 46-57


Source: Javier Marcote

1970 February

No. 37

Ansi parlait Zappa (Thus spoke Zappa)
By Paul Alessandrini, p 93


 Automatic translation: "I was tired of playing for people who applaud for all the wrong reasons!" So spoke Zappa ... On the dull gray plain, in the thick fog, he was there, vigilant, always ready to play, to pull and to twist the strings of his guitar ("my guitar wants to kill you, mamma" ); it was a great pleasure to see Zappa again, a lonely Zappa, yet buried in the memory of six years of experience, that of the Mothers of Invention. (read more)

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1970 May

No. 40

Captain Beefheart "Trout Mask Replica"
By Paul Alessandrini, p 82


Beside Trout Mask Replica review on pages 46-49 is an article on the band Flock. Ecerpt from a paragraph titled "Zappa is a friend":

Automatic translation: “The West Coast is America's anus,” Fred [Glickstein] tells me bluntly. “But that's where it all started with the freaks who introduced acid and all that stuff, that mindset. Their music? Ah, I don't know, that's not what I like. But Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, it's certainly very worthwhile. I find Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young a bit commercial. There is a group that I like, it's Spirit. They make very good music. There is also Zappa, who is a friend of ours. You know him? I tell him that the Mothers are quite well known in France and that French musicians seem to be very marked by people like the Mothers, Pink Floyd or Soft Machine. I ask him if there are still a few bands of their style in Chicago. “Like us, I hope not! But you want to talk about bands that would have a bit of the same sound? No, really, I don't think so. You know, it's so hard to eat in Chicago when you're a musician who doesn't want to play soup or the blues, the same for fifty years... No, we didn't do like the Chicago musicians, we didn't go on a West Coast course. We're all from Chicago, we did everything there. We're almost all jazz musicians, so we almost never had to do things we didn't like before we started the band. This is the tragedy of this town: nothing is happening, in fact. In California, it's prodigious!”

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1970 July

No. 42

Une porte s'ouvre
By Paul Alessandrini, pp 42-45, 69


In addition to the article "A door opens" on page 9 is Riviera Festival ad and on page 83 King Kong review.

1970 August

No. 43

Bath
By Jean-Pierre Leloir


Tout autre est Frank Zappa, ou sa musique du moins, car sa façon pincesans-rire de voir le monde n'est pas très différente de celle de Country Joe. Zappa présentait ses nouvelles Mothers sous un ciel miraculeusement lavé, et personne ne fut déçu. La musique de Zappa, aujourd'hui, peut plus facilement être qualifiée de rock qu'hier. L'homme a, semble-t-il, décidé de se disperser, de s'adapter aux circonstances, aux publics devant lesquels il se produit. Grand orchestre ici, combo là, l'esprit de Zappa souffle toujours mais peut prendre dix formes différentes sans perdre de sa force. A Bath, Zappa présenta le groupe qu'il fallait, jouant la musique qu'il fallait, c'est-à-dire une épure de ce que fut l'art des Mothers d'antan, moins foisonnante, plus immédiatement accessible, moins ostensiblement ricanante. Plaire plutôt qu'agresser. Agresser en plaisant. Difficile équilibre que seul un homme de la trempe de Zappa peut maintenir. Lui, au moins, on est sOr qu'il ne tombera pas dans le piège de la facilité. Le groupe tournait merveilleusement rond, donc, propulsé par le magnifique jeu de batterie d' Aynsley Dunbar, dessinant à l'unisson les lignes si particulières des thèmes dus à Zappa, belles et grinçantes, libérant tout à tour des solistes d'un tel niveau qu'aucun groupe ne peut se prévaloir d'en posséder autant : Zappa, le fabuleux lan Underwood, seul survivant des Mothers, qui fit, sur un ténor presque aussi grand que lui une démonstration à vous couper le souffle, George Duke, pianiste d'exception que l'on entendit malheureusement trop peu, et Dunbar, l'enfant du pays. Quelle heure pouvait-il être? Cinq heures du matin? Six? Quatre? Qui savait encore l'heure? C'était la fin.

Automatic translation: Frank Zappa is completely different, or his music at least, because his tongue-in-cheek way of seeing the world is not much different from Country Joe's. Zappa presented his new Mothers under a miraculously washed sky, and no one was disappointed. Zappa's music today can more easily be called rock than yesterday. The man has, it seems, decided to disperse, to adapt to the circumstances, to the audiences in which he performs. Big orchestra here, combo there, Zappa's spirit is still blowing but can take ten different forms without losing its strength. In Bath, Zappa presented the right group, playing the right music, that is to say a sketch of what Mothers' art was of yesteryear, less abundant, more immediately accessible, less ostensibly sneering. To please rather than to attack. Aggress in jest. Difficult balance that only a man of the caliber of Zappa can maintain. Him, at least, we are sure that he will not fall into the trap of the easy way. The group turned wonderfully round, therefore, propelled by the magnificent drums playing of Aynsley Dunbar, drawing in unison the so particular lines of the themes due to Zappa, beautiful and squeaky, freeing all in turn soloists of such a level. that no group can claim to have so much: Zappa, the fabulous lan Underwood, the only survivor of the Mothers, who gave, on a tenor almost as tall as him, a breathtaking demonstration, George Duke, pianist of an exception that unfortunately too little was heard, and Dunbar, the native of the country. What time could it be? Five in the morning? Six? Four? Who still knew the time? It was the end.

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1970 September

No. 44


On pages 42 and 43 are photos of Jean Luc Ponty and Frank Zappa from Valbonne Festival ´70.

Source: Javier Marcote

1970 October

No. 45

The Mothers Of Invention "Weasels Ripped My Flesh"
By Paul Alessandrini, 1 p


  Automatic translation: More than listening to any other record of the Mothers, we realize here the extent of the musical and sound culture of Frank Zappa. Musical: it is the world of the precursors of free-jazz, Coltrane, and especially Eric Dolphy; sound: it is the acoustic research of Varese, or, closer to us Ligetti; all redefined by Zappian magic, the arrangement of the instrumentation, the support of two drums and the richness of the arrangements. (read more)

Source: Fulvio Fiore


[1] Automatic translation: "The most absurd thing that has ever happened to me?" Frank Zappa said. "Oh, sure when I was arrested for conspiracy to spread pornography, lust and lustful attitudes." Didn't you know that? With his eye lit by the enormity of the memory, he tells the story, which is a parable that does a good job of explaining the music he has made with the Mothers for the past five years. (read more)

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1971 January

No. 48

Zap is back
By Paul Alessandrini, p 23

Capitaine Coef de Boeuf
By Paul Alessandrini, pp 35-36


Automatic translation: It was a comeback, a big comeback in more ways than one. In this Zappian adventure which is now already sinking into history, there are two musical stages which emerge, the one which covers a period started with "Hot Rats", and the one which seems to have ended with "Weasels ripped my flesh ”. This third Zappian phase that we were given to discover at the Gaumont Palace seems to be a synthesis of the two preceding ones ... (read more)

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1971 February

No. 49

L'oeil de Zappa
By Philippe Paringaux, pp 42-45, 105

Zappa supériour
By Dominique Chevalier, pp 103-104


Later between 1980-1982 a fanzine named L'oeil de Zappa was published by Dominique Chevalier.

Source: slime.oofytv.set

1971 April

No. 51


1970 Readers' Poll results. Frank Zappa is Music of the Year #2 and Composer #2 in World section. Jean-Luc Ponty is Music of the Year #1 in French section.

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1971 May

No. 52

Blues de la canne a sucre (Sugar cane blues)
By Michel Marchon, pp 21, 111

La fin d'un voyage (The end of a journey)
By Paul Alessandrini, pp 46-53


This issue has an interview with Don Sugarcane Harris and overview article on the 60s rock music.

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1971 June

No. 53

Le violon selon Jean Luc (The violin according to Jean Luc)
By Michel Marchon, pp 46-49


Source: Fulvio Fiore

1971 October

No. 57

Mothers Of Invention "Fillmore East - June 1971"
By Paul Alessandrini, pp 81, 83


  Automatic translation: A record that marks the great return to the Mothers of Invention for Zappa; unlike the previous album which presented itself more disjointed, a series of songs ("Chunga's revenge"), here consistency is fully claimed. As suggested by the last Parisian concert, it is the return to the great era of the theatricalization of music made of humor, satire, parody vocals. (read more)

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1971 November

No. 58

200 Motels - Tournee US avec les Mothers
By Philippe Paringaux, pp 52-59, 93-95


Full text available @ www.fredunzel.com → Traductions → Articles.

1971 December

No. 59

200 Motels - Tournee US avec les Mothers (part II)
By Philippe Paringaux, pp 60-67, 108

200 Motels (review)
By Paul Alessandrini, pp 82-83


Part II of the article, which full text is available @ www.fredunzel.com → Traductions → Articles.

Source: slime.oofytv.set

1972 January

No. 60

Les malheurs de Zappa (Zappa's woes)
By Philippe Paringaux, pp 5-6


Automatic translation: "Oh, a little incident: someone had the crazy idea of ​​shooting a fireworks rocket at the ceiling, while Don (Preston) was attacking his 'King Kong' moog solo. I said “Fire, Ladies and Gentlemen, by Arthur Brown. They thought it was a joke, but a few minutes later there was no more ceiling and soon no more Casino de Montreux ... (read more)

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1972 May

No. 64

Mothers Of Invention - Just Another Band From LA
By Paul Alessandrini, 1 p


Just Another Band From LAJust Another Band From LAAutomatic translation: A new Mothers album recorded in public, the skilful, professional exploitation of a repertoire and an orchestral formula. What was the subversive, provocative creation ("Freak Out", "Absolutery Free") of the Zappa of the first era, what was the instrumental experimentation ("Uncle Meat") gave way to a perfectly put together show that relegates music to the background to make way for the theatricalization essentially assumed by the voices of Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. (read more)

The rock composer of the yearIn this issue are also results of the "rock composer of the year" poll, with Frank Zappa as #1 with 42880 votes. The composer of the year

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1972 June

No. 65

Fracasse Captain
By Paul Alessandrini, pp 50-53, 105-107


Source: Fulvio Fiore

1972 July

No. 66

Zappin' L.A.
By Alain Dister, p 69


 Automatic translation: Frank Zappa was born in Los Angeles. The Mothers Story Begins in LA This sprawling city is the blessed setting in which all Zappian tragedies take place. But that doesn't matter, after all. LA is New York, San Francisco, and Des Moines; it is also. London, Paris, and Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche. That is to say the dismal existence of millions of kids and chicks, divided between an insipid school, a sad family to throw up and all the schemes of merchants attracted by these consumers of a new species. (read more)

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1972 October

No. 69

Symphonie en rock mineur
By Philippe Paringaux, pp 70-73

Waka/Jawaka (review)
By Paul Alessandrini, p 82

Mark & Howard Happy Together
By Marjorie Alessandrini, pp 31-32


Automatic translation: It must be admitted, the favorite interlocutor of rock music has never been the intellect. This is also what largely constitutes its strength. The emotion that the genre gives to those who listen to it as well as to those who play it is generally (and this "generally" is situated at the extreme border of "always") divided between raw emotion and a seductive tenderness ( verbal or instrumental, it doesn't matter) that one could qualify as poetic. In both cases, communication between artists and their audiences takes place on an epidermal, sensual level. In all cases and whatever the detour used, the listener is stirred, brought to feel a feeling, whatever it is. (read more)

Source: slime.oofytv.set, Fulvio Fiore

1972 September

No. 68

Mark Volman & Howard Kaylan "The Phlorescent Leech and Eddie"
By ?, 1 p


Automatic translation: Here are two that the nostalgia of the Turtles had to start to itch. Meanwhile they met Frank Zappa, who lent them his Mothers to please them. We will therefore find Jim Pons, Aynsley Dunbar and Don Preston at the control levers. With such musicians, you can't miss your shot. Obviously, Volman and Howard without Zappa is a good sauce without a salad to go with it. Lack of crispiness. Obviously, this was not the goal of the two friends, who should be happy to find an audience closer to their ambition, that of teenagers.

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1974 October

No. 93

Zappa Roma
By Alain Dister, pp 60-67

Billy Bastard (comics)
By Guynard, pp 102-103


Source: slime.oofytv.set

1977 January

No. 120

Frank Zappa "Zoot Allures"
By Michel Bourre, pp 114-115


  Automatic translation: Instrumentally, the album is a performance. Zappa does the vocals and all the guitar parts, many of which are worth the trip alone, but also the bass on most titles, the keyboards and the synthesizer; Terry Bozzio, the drummer, is the only one to accompany him through all his outpourings: in this thankless role of drum blaster, he is effective and powerful, both in the most traditional rocks and on slow and supported where crawl the perverted figures of the zappesque universe: the Fellini of rock, grotesque satyr and grotesque satire. (read more)

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1977 February

No. 121

Cher batteur (Dear drummer)
By Philippe Manoeuvre, pp 62-65


On page 13 is an excerpt from FZ interview translated from Sounds, December 18 1976.. The article "Cher batteur" is on Aynsley Dunbar.

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1977 March

No. 122

Une place au soleil (A place in the sun)
By Michel Bourre and Patrick Coutin, pp 114-117


Interview with Frank Zappa before concert in Pavillon de Paris, February 2, 1977.

Automatic translation: “I am another person. On his black T-shirt, Frank Zappa proclaims his walking schizophrenia. In the middle of a European tour, he receives us in the suite of the hotel, rue des Beaux-Arts, which he occupies for two days. The look, not tired but slightly bored, of someone who is about to answer the same question for the hundredth time. The small table is cluttered with glasses of liquor and cups of coffee. On the floor, an open suitcase lets out a collection of mysterious cassettes, the universe of an architect of sounds on the road, the close and immediately accessible environment of someone who earns his living by manipulating notes and concepts, and to constantly imagine new ways to organize them and link them to an overall project. The atmosphere is a bit stuffy, but thick green curtains protect us from the winter. (read more)

1978 February

No. 133

L'aigle des meres (The eagle of the mothers)
By Jean-Marc Bailleux, pp 90-95


Automatic translation: Alleged musician, perverse me(ga)lomaniac, the accused fought for more than ten years to undermine the foundations of our advanced liberal society, making a mockery of all the moral values ​​on which the said society is based ... (read more)

1978 March

No. 134

Frank Zappa. Pavillon de Paris
By Alain Dister, p 41


Source: Fulvio Fiore

1978 May

No. 136

Frank Zappa "In New York"
By Alain Dister, pp 123, 125


  Automatic translation: Sigmund Freud would have loved that: if you quickly say the title of the first track, "Titties & Beer", you get something like "Teddy the Bear". Hence the equation "Beer and Big Tits" = "Teddy Bear", or if you prefer, the two favorite pastimes of the average American man are just a monstrous twist of innocent child's play. (read more)

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1978 November

No. 136

Frank Zappa "Studio Tan"
By Francis Vincent, pp 143, 145


  Automatic translation: Here is an album which will delight the old fans, those which were impassioned for “Uncle Meat” and which remained on their hunger for some time, it must be said well. An album which will surprise those who discovered FZ with "Apostrophe". (read more)

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1979 March

No. 146

Le Grand Zazou
By Francis Vincent, pp 70-77


"The zazous were a subculture in France during World War II. They were young people expressing their individuality by wearing big or garish clothing (similar to the zoot suit fashion in America a few years before) and dancing wildly to swing jazz and bebop. " (wikipedia)

1979 October

No. 153

Frank Zappa "Joe's Garage, Act I"
By ?, 1p


 Automatic translation: From album to album, Zappa's work takes a noticeable form. Like the great vintages, it also takes on “body” and an increasingly subtle “bouquet”. No wonder it becomes almost tedious to find each new album more interesting than the last. (read more)

Source: Fulvio Fiore

1980 June

No. 161

Zappa: cheveux courts et ides longues
Interview by Francis Vincent & Jean-Marc Bailleux, pp 89-95


English translation by A.Murkin: Part One and Part Two.

1982 February

No. 181

Frankie Solo
By Jean-Marc Bailleux, pp 54-61

1988 July

No. 254

Frank Zappa Zénith (20/05)
By J.P., p 102


Zappa May 20 Paris gig review.
Zappateers gig recording

Source: Javier Marcote

1993 September

No. 313

Frank Zappa
By Thierry Chatain, pp 26-31

1994 April

No. 320


On page 9 are the Grandmothers of Invention concerts announced - Rennes, 30. March and Paris, 31. March.

1995 November

No. 339

Zappa
By Dan Ouellette, pp 62-65


French transition of the article by Dan Ouellette, originally printed in Pulse, August 1993.

1995 December

Hors-série No. 11 : 300 Disques incotournables 1965 1995

Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention "Freak Out!"
By Alain Dister, 1p

Frank Zappa "Hot Rats"
By Alain Dister, 1p


Source: Fulvio Fiore

1997 December

Hors-série No. 13 Absolutely Live

Le cas Zappa
By Philippe Thieyre, 1p

Frank Zappa - Zappa In New York
By Stan Cuesta, 1p


Source: Fulvio Fiore

1999 December

Hors-série No. 15 : Disco 2000 les indispensables

Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention "Uncle Meat"
By Philippe Thieyre, 1p

Frank Zappa "Hot Rats"
By Alain Dister, 1p


Uncle Meat / Hot Rats

Source: Fulvio Fiore

2003 January

No. 425

Réputé invendable
By Philippe Thieyre, pp 102-103


Article on albums produced by Frank Zappa.

Source: Fulvio Fiore

2004 April

No. 440

Frank Zappa
By Eric Dahan, pp 50-55


Source: Kristoftof @ zappateers

2005 December

Hors-Serie No. 21 : John Lennon & les Rebelles du Rock


 Zappa ou la vérification du principe selon lequel tout rebelle n'est pas forcément rock. Zappa le trublion goguenard, le contestataire, lw multi-instrumentaliste virtuose. Zappa l'exemple parfait d'une approche cérébrale d'une musique qui pourtant presque par définition part d'un peu plus bas que le crâne. A la tête de ses Mothers Of Invention, fleuron de l'underground arty californienne, Zappa fustige avec une ironie féroce l'american way of life dès "Freak Out!", double album collage (1966), où le caniche (The Poodle) devient le symbole risible et dérisoire de la vie domestique. Iconoclaste, il en a autant au service des hippies ("We're Only In It For The Money" et sa pochette parodiant "Sgt.Pepper ..."). Mais son éclectisme musical, son engagement contre la discrimination raciale, n'ont d'égal que de son despotisme au sein des MOI (question d'ego?) qu'il vire pour déviance rock'n'roll, lui-même ne dédaignant pourtant ni les groupies, ni l'herbe. Se satires continuent d'être mordantes. Elles manquent simplement de venin, laissant un léger accroc au pantalon comme ceux que font ces petits chiens agressifs. Roquets ou ... caniches!

Google translation: Zappa or the verification of the principle that not every rebel is necessarily rock. Zappa the mocking troublemaker, the dissenter, the virtuoso multi-instrumentalist. Zappa is the perfect example of a cerebral approach to music which, however, almost by definition starts from a little lower than the skull. At the head of his Mothers Of Invention, flagship of the Californian underground arty, Zappa castigates with ferocious irony the American way of life from "Freak Out!", Double album collage (1966), where the poodle (The Poodle) becomes the laughable and ridiculous symbol of domestic life. Iconoclastic, he has the same in the service of hippies ("We're Only In It For The Money" and its cover parodying "Sgt.Pepper ..."). But his musical eclecticism, his commitment against racial discrimination, are matched only by his despotism within MOI (question of ego?) Which he transfers for rock'n'roll deviance, himself not disdaining yet neither the groupies nor the grass. Satires continue to be biting. They simply lack venom, leaving a slight snag in the pants like those these aggressive little dogs do. Pugs or ... poodles!

Source: Fulvio Fiore

2006 June

No. 466

Jam dans le jardin - Ahmet & Dweezil Zappa
By Philippe Thieyre, pp 42-43


Source: Fulvio Fiore

2008 May

Hors-Serie No. 24 : L'impossible Révolution

Les Politiciens du Rock
By Pacôme Thiellement, pp 106-110


Source: Fulvio Fiore

2009 January

No. 497

Cher Erudit - Jimmy Carl Black
By Philippe Thieyre, pp 102-103


 Automatic translation: The Indian of the group, as he liked to introduce himself, James Inkanish Jr (born February 1, 1938 in El Paso, Texas) is a descendant of the Cheyenne Indians. He would later adopt his stepfather's name, Black. He first learned the piano and the trumpet, then turned to the drums during his time in the US Air Force. (read more)

Source: Fulvio Fiore

2010 June

No. 514

Demandez le prog rock. Anthologie du rock progressif.
By Jonathan Witt, pp 60-63


Hot Rats album review is on page 60.

2010 September

No. 517

Dweezil Zappa "Return Of The Son Of ..."
By Bertrand Bouard, p 66

2010 November

No. 518


On page 8 is a short news about the coming Grandmothers' concert. Page 116 has a Zappa Plays Zappa ad.

2011 January

No. 521

Frank Zappa "The Torture Never Stops"
By Jérôme Soligny, p 96


Automatic translation: The world is divided into two categories: the freakish geniuses, who are an excessively small minority, and all the others, who we qualify as human beings when we are in the mood. Unquestionably, Frank Zappa was part of the first. (read more)

2011 February

No. 522

Captain Beefheart
By Pascal Comelade, Philippe Thieyre, pp 44/53

2011 July

No. 527

Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band
By Agnes Leglise, p 132


The book by Benoit Delaune is reviewed.

2011 August

No. 528

California Dreamin'
By Basile Farkas & Philippe Manoeuvre, pp 70-75


Automatic translation: ["Freak Out!"] This double album is essential to a understanding of city rock. Got out in 1966 he depicted the Mothers ("us") at the center of a "cultural desert" called "Hollywood". An inspired underground theorist, Zappa vampirizes the riffs of the Stones to make the voices of the freaks heard, many bar rock fans in town. Kim Fowley (another local cultural luminary) plays the “Help I’m A Rock” side brilliantly.

2016 October

No. 590

Frank Zappa
By Eric Dahan, pp 40-43


Automatic translation: Is "identity" "happy" as Alain Juppé claims? Is the burkini a swimsuit like any other, as stated by Abdallah Zekri, president of the National Observatory against Islamophobia? We would have liked, on these questions and the dozens of others, having recently stirred up France, that Frank Zappa spoke, through songs that would have been so many middle fingers proudly raised in the face of the world. Twenty-three years after his disappearance, his humor and his musical genius are lacking, more than ever, to mock the flight of our societies into the imagination, this ocean of signs in which are bathed financial actors, remaining terrorists, cynical politicians, illiterate visual artists and psychotic rappers, not to mention all those who have kindly enriched Nintendo with a few billion by playing Pokemon Go.

2017 February

No. 594

Frank Zappa: Lumpy Gravy, We're Only In It For The Money, Cruising With Ruben & The Jets, Weasels Ripped My Flesh, Joe's Garage
By ?, p 86

2018 April

No. 608

L'Avant-Garde
By Patrick Eudeline, pp 67-69


This article reviews 3-disc compilation album L'Avant-Garde 1888-1970, which contains music of Stravinsky, Varèse, Boulez, Sun Ra, Moondog, Yoko Ono etc. Included also is a song by Frank Zappa "Dear Jeepers".

2018 May

No. 609

Dépasser la lettre pour célébrer l'esprit Frank Zappa
By Eric Dahan, pp 18-19


This is The Roxy Performances box review.

2019 May

No. 621

Un sosie de Reagan sur une chaise électrique - Frank Zappa
By Eric Dahan, pp 34-36


Article on Zappa in New York re-release.

2019 August

No. 624


In the article about photographer Jerry Schatzberg on page 46:

Automatic translation: “He called me. He had seen the pictures of the Stones for 'Have You Seen Your Mother...' and he wanted him and all his group is cross-dressed. He was an amazing guy. In the exhibition I added quotes from him, he was very funny. When I got finished shooting for his record cover, I wanted to take my own photos. This shot comes from there and always sticks me, he represents it well. He is expressive, intelligent, not aggressive. He talked about the real things in life and made you think.”

2020 February

No. 630

Frank Zappa "Eat That Question"
By Jérôme Soligny, p 106


On pages 100 and 101 is an article on Little Feat, where Frank Zappa is many times namechecked.

Source: Fulvio Fiore

2022 May

No. 657

Frank Zappa "Hot Rats"
By Patrick Boudet, p 78


The review is about album's visual history. Therefore it is mostly on Cal Schenkel and Christine Frka.

Source: Fulvio Fiore

2024 February

No. 678

Frank Zappa L'excentrique
By Philippe Thieyre, pp 52-61


The scans will be added sometime later.