The Frank Zappa Companion: Four Decades of Commentary [Import] [Paperback]

Richard, editor Kostelanetz (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Schirmer; Reprint. edition (1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028646282
• ISBN-13: 978-0028646282
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,457,859 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A cross-section of pop culture, March 31, 2000

By 

Kyle W Myers - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Frank Zappa Companion: Four Decades of Commentary (Paperback)

This book does more than just look at forty years of writing about Zappa. The "Companion" comes across as a sometimes scholarly journal of the times in which Zappa's music could actually get produced. Kostelanetz does a superb job of fitting together a diverse mixture of writings from various authors to draw a vivid picture of popular culture and real life in the last half of the 20th century. Through his clever arrangement and organization of these writings, Kostelanetz demonstrates that the youth culture, dada in art, and breakthroughs in recording technology helped shape an environment in which a stubborn, rebellious, and meticulous genius like Frank Zappa could make a forum for his unique talent. This book is thoroughly readable and contains little technical language, yet it does offer much that would be of interest to musicologists, sociologists, historians, and especially artists and musicians. Of course, Zappa fans will appreciate the wealth of details about the man, the composer, the musician, the guitarist, the politician, the social critic, etc. - you get the idea. BUY THIS THING!...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A little insight into Zappa's world, April 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Frank Zappa Companion: Four Decades of Commentary (Paperback)

This book is an informative mish mash of different interviews and record reviews by various authors. It covers early Mothers stuff and goes right up through the 90s. Interesting interviews that originally appeared in Guitar, Rolling Stone, and many others. If ya don't know much about Frank and how he was percieved by the public, check this one out.