Zappa.com

I've recently finished reading the bio by Barry Miles. It was OK as a general overview of Zappa's life, but I want to read a book that's more specifically about the music.

Can anyone recommend anything?

I've gotten a lot of mileage out of Ben Watson's Frank Zappa: A Complete Guide to His Music, which analyzes each album in order. Watson has a tendency to go overboard in reading too much into the meaning of the albums/songs, but that's all part of the fun. Plus, it's just about the music - specifically the albums - which sounds like what you're looking for.

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Let's hear it again for the London Philharmonic Orchestra!

The Real Frank Zappa Book. It is not SPECIFICALLY about his music, in technical sense, but is certainly better than Barry Miles' one.

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I love monstermovies..and the cheaper they are the better they are.

Lots n lots bout beams n dots:

http://www.zappa-analysis.com/index.html

vcf

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There isn't much chance that you'll get people to like you. The best that most folks can hope for is that people will put up with their shit. MTF

Revel in your otherness. MK

STILL pissed at Tipper. VCF

Thanks! Much appreciated.

I think I'll see out The Real Frank Zappa Book and the Ben Watson guide. Nice.

this thread may be old, but I also recently read the Barry Miles autobiography. It was interesting, but his criticisms of Frank weren't really necessary. I prefer Biographies to be neutral and the reader can decide if they approve of the person or not. Barry previously published the excellent Visual Documentary of FZ, which I've read through many times, and had no criticism at all, and he seemed then to really like Frank. But after reading the recent Bio, I think perhaps halfway through or so, he really began to dislike Frank as a person, and it comes out in his writing.

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"You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer" - FZ

That's a great website. I actually learned a lot, musically speaking, from that site.

I loved this one. I know the thread is dated but Nice Man Washing, this is one you'd really like I reckon:

http://home.comcast.net/~eichler2/index.htm

I emailed that guy too. He's a real gent. Obviously its all subjective but fair play to him for putting the time and effort into expressing all his opinions on every song on (I think) every album. Its a must for all of us.

I think the best Frank Zappa book not by Frank Zappa is Electric Don Quixote: The Definitive Story Of Frank Zappa because it goes chronologically, discussing albums, tours, orchestral projects, group members and members. EXTREMELY informative and very little OPINIONATING. Highly, highly strongly recommended.

I'd like to see Them Or Us (The Book) available once more.

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Arf.

"The Dangerous Kitchen: The Subversive World of Frank Zappa"