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After the death of Frank Zappa in 1993 there remained a gap in my musical world. Indeed, over the years since about 1977, when I had my first encounter with his music, I became very familiar not only with his music – album after album - but also with his artistic concepts which were new an exiting to a young person – and possibly even in the entire world of music which you might refer to as rock 'n' roll.
There were some efforts to bring his music on stage again – e.g. by Finnish chamber musicians „Ensemble Ambrosius“ – „The Zappa Album“, 2000; or „Le Bocal“, a big band jazz orchestra - „Oh No!... Just Another Frank Zappa Memebrial Barbecue“, 2003. But there were not particular convincing performances in terms of accuracy, but more in terms of interpretation, new arrangement and instrumentation. Of course, I knew of Dweezil playing the guitar as well, since he had some occasions to show his then early but remarkable skills on the FZ albums „Them Or Us“ or „Does Humor Belong In Music“. I also know his few CDs from the 80/90ies. But what I always missed in his playing or his own compositions was some kind of musical soul, basic ideas or a general concept.
Being very sceptic if the „Zappa Plays Zappa“ concept could and would work, I yesterday - 07-10-03, Stuttgart, Liederhalle - had my first chance to attend a show with Dweezil as a front man. And it did work, I can say now surprised - and gladly. As Frank has stated once to many people the Roxy&Elsewhere band was still the favorite ensemble at all. Thus, it seemed to be necessary to play relatively many of the songs of the repertoire of this formation (listen to "The Helsinki Concert", You can’t do that on stage Anymore Vol. 2). There was „Montana“, „Cheepnis“, „Pygmy Twylyte“, „Uncle Remus“ (!), „Uncle Meat/Dog Breath“, and even „Dupree’s Paradis“, originally written for a classical orchestra, but similarly performed by The Mothers/Zappa around 1974.
According to these special scores: Have they been only copies of the "good old" popular tunes played by the 1974-band? I tend to say: not at all. I feel, Dweezil gives his father‘s music even a new meaning and dimension. Just by the fact that this music was brillantly performed I dare to say, technically possibly even better than in the 1970ies – 30 years later, it gives it an new meaning. Over all these intervening years in general, the music performed (or mostly otherwise delivered) has degenerated qualitatively more an more. At the same time, not the music itself but everything around became more an more important – the show, video and digital effects, lighting and, sad but true, the star as a person, not his skills or his thinking. And even the musical ideas stars pretend to have are in fact often born by other persons, not the ones performing them. („Come to see an not to hear“, FZ put it in his song „Tinseltown Rebellion“ already in 1979 – listen to the Record of the same title, 1981.)
But what else makes Dweezil‘s - and of course his side(wo!)men - performance especially convincing? I feel, it is the fact that these musicians perform with a iron will of accuracy and also authenticity (due to the fact, that at least Dweezil, Joe Travers and Ray Wite are closely related to this music). To be honest, in FZ’s recordings dating back from 1988 („Best band“, „Jazz noise“ etc.) to me, there was too much routine in it. Every piece might have been peformed technical correctly but with less dedication than at the time, Frank Zappa was working hard to bring his concepts out in the world (extensively in the 1970ies). That is true especially for the guitar solos, Frank played at this time. I guess, at this time it became clear that he was performing rather due to the necessity to deserve money, on the one hand tired of touring around extensively in the 70ties and early 1980ties, on the other hand meanwhile focussing on even higher evolved musical ideas, finally achieved by the aid of computers and digital techniques.
But Dweezil and „his“ band, however, somehow still seem to have to fulfill a mission. And this is on the one hand, obviously, to perform accurately but on the other hand also with love to this special music, sympathy and admiration – basically maybe exactly the "human elements", Bristish journalists were missing in the synclavier recordings of e.g. „Jazz from Hell“ in 1986/1987. So, I feel, there was really warmth, brightness and hope in the music yesterday which are new and quite neccesary qualities in a world where humatity is not a main focus anymore. An this is a new dimension, Dweezil evokes. It is visible in the way he is acting on stage. His appearance is quailfied by modesty, calmness an friendliness. Frank could be that way, of course, but on stage he was all-dominant. He made the musicians do the music, and he was obviously the ruler on stage. From this point of view, Dweezils performance has an new quality, also. In is acting, the appreciation of each an every band member is visible at every moment on stage.
Frank’s provocative, offensive an sometimes offending statements are certainly a part of the negative image he got; an image that in the mind of many persons – even so called specialist writing for either magazines of serious music or pop magazines - did never go together with his great an basically outstanding efforts in music (history). Consequently, Dweezil has the focus on the musical aspect in the first place – not socio-political aspects. The way I see it, this is a senseful concept, and hopefully, it will work fine. To Dweezil it seems not to be necessary to repeat songs which deal for instance with sexual abnormities or liberation, which for his father’s generation was possibly still important.
Speaking of lyrics and words, nonetheless, Ray White’s voice was extraordinarily important for the concert and as fine as in the 80ties when he was a steadily working for/with Frank. In songs like „City of Tiny Lites“ or „The Illinois Enema Bandit“ he showed his abilities again, about 30 years after he first appeared with Frank (listen to „You Can‘t Do That On Stage Anymore“, Vol 5, Disc 2, and „Zappa in New York“) .
Im am deeply grateful that there was – as far as I know - the first rock band performance of „G-Spot Tornado“ . This score is increadibly complicated in terms of its polyrythmic structure, tempo, the bright colorful instrumentation and harmony. It was originally done on a computer (synclavier) and appeared for the first time in 1986 on the Grammy winning aforementioned album „Jazz From Hell“. On „The Yellow Shark“ with the Ensemble Modern it was performed together with Zappa short before and after his death. Though brilliantly performed, too, Dweezil yesterday demonstrated that „G-Spot Tornado“ is really a composition for a rock band – or at least works breathtaking well if done by „rock musicians“. At the end (as part of the encore), Dweezil announced this piece (togehter with „Uncle Meat“ and „Muffin Man“) as a „Classic“. Before the strated to play, I was afraid, they were going to play these even nowadays often heard compositions „Orange County Lumber Truck“, „Let’s Make the Water Turn Black“. Luckily they did not: After „Uncle Meat/Dog Breath“ – performed similarly outstanding as in the arrangement on „The Yellow Shark“ – they presented „G-Spot“ almost in the end of the concert. And this masterpiece gave the concert and the ensemble a special meaning, again.
I rather like to encourage Dweezil to cope exactly with these works from the 1990ies. He and the other incredibly well-trained musicians are good enough - without any doubt - to interprete these tricky, never-heard compostions, established on the synclavier – and „lurking in the vaults“. Maybe the concept – play but not interprete, only – has to be corrected to some degree. So please – do this on stage some more... and more... and more.
Already, even my children like FZ‘s music though – or better because - they are still very young. So you see, FZ‘s music will outlast, I’m convinced.
Kind regards,
Rainer D.
(I hereby apologize for mistakes: I usually write in German.)
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