Customer Reviews

Zappa Plays Zappa

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4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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After weathering a plethora of FZ tributes, some of which are rather good but sometimes sloppy and self-indulgent, many of us fans were resigned to the fact that the man who left on his final tour in the early 90s was the only presence who could truly deliver this very particular musical content. Whether it was a Euro jazz group, a virtuoso chamber ensemble, or reunion of veteran band members, respectful and well-intentioned as it was, it all just seemed to come across as lip service. Something was missing.

After viewing this filmed performance of ZPZ, one may realize that what was missing was blood. Though Dweezil doesn't bleed in quite the same way as father Frank, it is apparent that here is the man who immersed himself in the music (not many others could have the same opportunity) to the degree where he could take it on the road and deliver what really feels like a Zappa concert. Not exactly 100%, but closer than anyone in this generation will experience elsewhere.

And that is the point. Dweezil's mission has been to reintroduce the inimitable music of Frank Zappa to a younger demographic starved for alternatives to the mind-numbingly insipid consumer sock stuffers that pass for popular music in this day and age. With little to compare it to, Zappa's music can't be anything but fresh, a challenging listen but always entertaining. To do this Dweezil has assembled an enthusiastic ensemble that comes close to looking like a group Frank would have hand picked. Scheila Gonzales in particular (a music teacher at a high school in Simi Valley of all places), who accompanies herself on keyboard while improvising on sax, is someone to watch for, both in this show and her future career. Percussionist Billy Hulting nicely fills the void left in the absence of Ruth Underwood. All players of this really difficult material not only pull it off, but make it look really fun. Dweezil himself is both participant and observer onstage: at no point does he attempt to BE Frank, his playing style is his own when he improvs (more fluid and high register), and he has wisely avoided presenting songs like Dinah Moe Hum, TTs & Beer, Bobby Brown Goes Down, etc., because it's just not who Dweezil is and he didn't want the material to seem "like a cheap imitation".

Of course veteran performer Napoleon Murphy Brock is more than up to the task of putting that "snarky" personality into his vocal performance, and as such takes on a gargantuan task of singing most of the songs and making them sound like the real deal, along with the meticulously researched arrangements, obviously taken note-for-note from the original recordings. Another very welcome guest presence is Terry Bozzio, whom many consider the greatest drummer who ever worked with Frank. The camera dawdles lovingly over his considerable percussive kit, which resembles a cross between a space shuttle console and a sea anemone. And the songs "I'm So Cute", "Trying to Grow a Chin" and the epic "Punky's Whips" (best recorded performance of this IMHO) are only included as only Bozzio can deliver. "You know, TECHNICALLY," he assures the audience, "I'm still alive." That's an understatement.

And as if that weren't enough, Dweezil brings in Steve Vai, the man who actually taught him to play guitar (dad was too busy I guess, and didn't want to "work" while with family). As you can imagine, much of this generous show's second half is devoted to some scorching guitar battles, particularly on "Montana", "Zomby Woof" and "Trouble Every Day". Earlier on, we are treated to a stunning improv section in "Pound for a Brown", where Dweezil sheds his guitar and conducts the band with a series of secret hand signals. This is one of the more magical moments when you KNOW you're witnessing a genuine Zappa concert.

Don't approach this video expecting a sort of nostalgic experience.... unless you define "nostalgia" as a time in the past, where artists had the unmitigated audacity to intrude upon rock audiences with truly exciting, challenging, thought-provoking and perversely fun music. It's still there, and will continue to be so, as Dweezil Zappa has stated his intention to continue the legacy of his extraordinary father's music.... minus the Winstons, of course. DZ may not have the same edge as FZ did, though this could work in favor of the music, which may have not enjoyed sufficient reach in the past due to how many felt about Frank's personality. Whatever. To paraphrase the composer (who refuses to die): Zappa isn't dead, he just smells younger.

Let go of any preconceptions, and enjoy a smashing delivery of Zappa music as it sounds today.

Just for everyones information, the fan pack consists a 2 disc DVD set combines with the a 3 disc audio cd of the same material.

There is also a 2 disc DVD only set.

The third product listed on Amazon contains an single audio cd compilation

I went to see these guys last year, and don't let the fact that Frank is not playing with them put you off. It was AMAZING! It was like going to see a Zappa's greatest hits show.
I have seen Frank twice live, and although I am a HUGE fan of his work, in my humble opinion there is a lot of detrius that you have to sit through, to get to the good bits. This show and disc set contained everything that I ever wanted to hear live.
The band are awesome and Dweezils guitar work is jaw droppingly good.
Enjoy!

WARNING: at the time of this review, the product description here on Amazon is just plain wrong. It states that the band "duet" with Frank via video on the tune "Chunga's Revenge." Neither that song nor any other duet with Frank is on the dvd, cd, or dvd/cd version of this release.

That aside, this is an delightful release. Dweezil has selected some of his dad's most accessible tunes, assembled an utterly amazing band to perform them, toured the world for months, and captured for our video amusement and amazement the performances of two consecutive nights.

The songs are among the most popular from Frank's catalog, emphasizing the albums Over-Nite Sensation, Apostrophe', and Roxy & Elsewhere. That was a period in Frank's career when all of his skills hit their zenith together for the first time - his uniquely classical sensibility of long sections of composed instrumental complexity, interspersed with a jazzer's delight of great chord progressions underlying portions of free improvising, overlaid with pure rock band distorted tones, and pop vocal melodies, but minus most of the scatalogical explorations that alienated some listeners (and prevented radio play) a little later in Frank's career.

Dweezil's band is comprosed of mostly unknown musicians, of such a caliber that each of them could easily have been in any of Frank's bands. The one exception, and a brilliant decision on Dweezil's part, was to include Napoleon Murphy Brock on lead vocals, from Frank's band of the mid-70's, and indeed those three key albums listed above. Several reviewers have noted Napoleon's obvious delight at the performances of these tunes by this band, and his delight becomes ours as we discover what he already knows - these kids nail some of the most complex music ever written, at least in the rock realm, and make it look easy, and fun.

A couple of other Frank alumni, Steve Vai and Terry Bozzio, are on this dvd as well, but appearing in cameos in the middle and again at the end. Frankly (pun intended), these are the weaker parts of the show. These guys are phenomenal players, but part of what is so delightful about this concert is the ego-free devotion of the core band to this wonderful music, and the purity of that is somewhat disrupted by inserting "special guest stars."

The video production is as astonishing as the music. The average in-concert dvd is taken from a recording of the video that is on the side screens at the show, or a tv broadcast of a show along the tour. It's usually pretty well-done, but with several cringe-inducing moments where we're stuck looking at the wrong guy, such as the guitar player taking it easy while the sax player solos his brains out, just not where WE can see it. Or, just lots of shots of band members playing the song, mindlessly quick-cut mtv-style for no apparent reason...

None of that here - this video is comprised of many shots, true, and they cut from camera to camera rapidly, but it's different: every single shot is on-screen for a reason. We see the bass player when he is doing something intricate, we see the sax player when she reacts to something the drummer did, we see Dweezil as he points to who gets the next solo, we see guitar and keyboards side-by-side while they play a complex melody in unison. There's a lot of shots because this is intricate music played by 8+ musicians, so there's a lot going on, at almost all times. But not only are no details missed, but while this writer has repeatedly enjoyed many of these tunes for 30+ years since their original release, the video has actually revealed, through the intelligence of the editing, little compositional details that I had never noticed before. Amazing...

Great tunes, a fabulous band, superior video production - what's not to like? This release is recommended for those who have been lucky enough to see one of these shows, as well as those that haven't. If you are a fan of Frank's music, it is essential. If you're not, this would be a great way to get to know some great music that you've been missing.

THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT ONE OF THE FINEST LIVE PERFORMANCES I HAVE EVER SEEN. I AM 48 YEARS OLD AND A HUGE FAN OF FRANK ZAPPA'S MUSIC. PLEASE ALL AGE GROUPS BUY THIS ! WATCH LISTEN AND LEARN. THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS REALLY PRODUCING NOTHING BUT CRAP TODAY. VERY LITTLE TALENT, IT ALL SOUNDS THE SAME.
FRANK ZAPPA WAS LIGHT YEARS AHEAD OF EVERYBODY ELSE. A LITTLE STRANGE ABSOLUTELY, NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. LISTEN TO THE COMPLEXITY AND BEAUTY OF THE MUSIC.
A HUGE THANK YOU TO DWEEZIL ZAPPA (SEE YOU IN ALBANY N.Y.)THE ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA BAND AND THE ZAPPA FAMILY TRUST FOR KEEPING THIS INCREDIBLE MUSIC GOING. I HOPE YOU WONDERFUL MUSICIANS HAD AS MUCH FUN PLAYING THIS AS YOU SEEMED TO ON THE DVD.
I SAT MY 11,12,AND 17 YEAR OLD SONS DOWN AND MADE THEM WATCH THIS WITH MY WIFE AND I. THEY WERE BLOWN AWAY AND TOLD ALL THEIR FRIENDS ABOUT IT.
BUY THIS, BUY THIS, BUY THIS. ENJOY !!! FRANK WE MISS YOU !

If you haven't had an opportunity to catch one of the performances of the Zappa Plays Zappa tour (or even if you have!), this is a must-have!

When I discovered Frank Zappa's music, he was no longer touring so I never had a chance to see him perform. I saw the ZPZ tour in '06 and '07, and have my ticket for this summer's tour. Led by Dweezil Zappa, an incredible guitarist, this group is made up of absolutely top-notch musicians. Each time I saw them I was blown away by their musicianship, and continue to be blown away each time I watch the DVD. Their reproduction of FZ's music is nearly flawless.

Help make the musical world a better place - BUY THIS TODAY!!!!

When I first heard about the ZPZ project I admit I was a bit more that skeptical.

This DVD/CD combo more than dispels any apprehension.
The band is beyond top-notch. Each and every one of these musicians demonstrates a mind-boggling level of skill and most importantly, passion for these performances. And it's great to see Napoleon Murphy Brock having such a great time AND holding his own with a band all (?) young enough to be his children. I hate that he's not still touring with them.

The song selections are great and the execution is perfect. On the DVD, the camera work is really good there are a lot of quick cuts, but let's face it, with Frank's music to follow the action a lot of cuts are really needed.

Are there any other quibbles? Sure. (I still get annoyed with Steve Vai's 'stunt guitar') In the long run, the quality and the overall care put into this package really stands out.

I've been a Frank Zappa fan since high school, when a friend gave me a mix tape. We often lament that this modern composer died before we could see him in concert. So when Zappa Plays Zappa came around, we zipped up to Portland in the middle of a December rainstorm with slim wallets and wobbly crutches.

That's the only way to go in Oregon. Especially for a 65th birthday concert being recorded for a commercial release! Now it's your turn to enjoy Frank with the ZPZ fan pack.

The rock maestro left the building in 1993, but his son Dweezil carries on the legacy. Joined by Joe Travers, the vault-meister responsible for Frank's master-tapes, ZPZ includes a rotating guest list of Zappa alumni. For taped shows in Portland and Seattle, this meant vocalist vet Napoleon Murphy Brock, drum-master Terry Bozzio, and guitar god Steve Vai.

You can experience them in several different versions:

>2 DVD set--the core package
>1 or 2 disc CD
>The most expensive 2 DVD/3CD fan pak.

The shows focuses on cuts from the mid-to late 1970's with a few Sixties classics thrown in. More pop and less socio-political, it's a crowd and company-pleasing performance.

For the most part, ZPZ sounds to me like it is interpreting Frank's music directly from the discography, with little in the way of new flourishes or rearrangements. Right down to the Don Pardo impersonation by Billy Hulting on "I'm the Slime". However, they make a fair amount of solo improvs and lyrical ad-libs. Also, it's their own live performance--no samples slipped in that I can tell (aside from effects like the wind in "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow"). That matches my memory of the show.

Unfortunately, the same disability which gave us head-of-the-line entry also put my friend at the back of the audience (the bouncers said his crutches were a crowd hazard). Aside from cheating us out of front row seating and video immortality, I had trouble seeing certain performances.

Fortunately, the DVD footage offers a good view. Some sound and visual edits are a little awkward or nonsensical, but the overall presentation alternates between strategic and tactical shots of the band. The former lets you see how they play together, holding or jumping between members within a given section of music. The latter pays attention to hands, sticks, and lips during notable passages. Dweezil also uses a Fret Cam to showcase his licks. Occasional split screens also let the viewer compare different members during the passage, with the camera centered on the performance.

But don't mistake this for an instructional video. Ya got plenty of spins, jumps, pans `n' zooms to stimulate your eyes. As others have pointed out, there's never a moment when the picture is facing the wrong way or too tricked out with effects to see what is going on. Sometimes you get a mike stand blocking someone's face, or a camera craning around the frame, but nothing that spoils a moment.

That said, most of the footage comes from the Seattle show.

The Roseland is what the liner notes charitably call "a very rock `n' roll looking venue"--with a low ceiling, lots of obstructive pylons and the standing crowd pushed close to the stage. Some of the more rockin' portions of the set come from this footage.

Seattle's Paramount, by comparison, looks open and bright. The crowd is neatly seated, the band elegantly framed onstage, and you can see right in the footage that camera operators had more room to operate. Especially for long shots, it makes sense. Plus, Frank Zappa had history here.

Most performances are taken wholly from one venue or the other. But "Trouble Every Day" cuts back and forth, and includes a guitar duel, saxophone duel, and drum duel in a 24-minute epic of sound.

The audio is coherent. No funky echoes, mike squeals, or muffling. You can hear the crowd when Dweezil wants you to hear it, and you can hear the music.

The CDs sound like slightly trimmed and remixed audio of the DVDs... adding "Cheepnis" and cranking up the drums a bit, but otherwise offering little variation. That's fine with me, because I'm tired of going to great shows that don't end up on disc at all. I'm gratified this program includes the Portland performances of "Punky's Whips" and "Peaches En Regalia"--two of the few songs in the set from that long-ago mix tape. A good set list overall.

Overall, this is a good set for Zappa veterans and noobs alike. I was introduced directly to Frank's social works, like "Bobby Brown Goes Down" and "Honey, Don't You Want a Man Like Me?" in my status-avoiding days at the high school. But these cuts would probably scare off current generations, who sometime seem more like Bobby and Betty than ever before. The real gift of ZPZ is that it offers Frank's art through his more accessible and yet signature works.

Some fun stuff is still missing from the set. Such as Dweezil conducting the audience, the word of the night, or the Roseland singing "Happy Birthday" for Frank. Dweezil's video duet with Frank doesn't make it either.

"Cheepnis", one of the Portland encores, is relegated to the Bonus features. That and a short interview with Dweezil are it for extras. Setup is limited to PCM Stereo and 5.1 English--no subtitles for the French or hearing impaired.

The box itself is a digipak in a cheap cardstock sleeve. But it looks sturdy enough, with the same width as two DVD cases, so it should do fine on your shelf. However, it uses those overlapping trays that force you to peel off a disc to reach one underneath.

That's okay. ZPZ offers a historic and well-documented show from the safety of your living room. No parking hassles on Burnside, no muggers or drug dealers lurking around the side streets, and no 70-mile drive on the I-5. Just you, your couch, and Zappa all the way, baby.

I picked this up of my porch as I came in from work saturday, in a nasty mood and wanting to just relax and decompress. I put the 1st DVD in the computer intending to just skip thru it and get a feel for it before I could put my mind in the right place and enjoy it. 2 dvd's later, I'm picking my jaw up off the floor in amazement. What a wonderful, masterful thing Dweezil has put together and released to the world!
The band is incredible, a real Frank quality ensemble. Their precision playing, coupled with the unbridled fun they are having jumped out of my monitor at me. Throw in Terry Bozzio and Steve Via and Oh MY what a show. And, unlike previous reviews, I thought Steve Via brought alot to the party.
This DVD will make it easier for me to pass on Frank's music to my kids as my 14 year old said as she stopped in, "Those guys can play, who is that?" As I told her, it's the son of Frank Zappa, the guy whose song titles you say are wierd, playing his Daddys music, she actually, finally agreed that maybe she needed to give it a listen. From that statement alone, Dweezil's grand plan of spreading Frank's music to a new generation is on the mark.
Frank Fans and Parents.....buy this astonishing work and play it where others cant help but hear it. Then let the music of this great composer work its magic.

This box set (DVD&CD) is awesome. I have seen this tour several times and had been waiting for the boxset to come out. Needless to say I was not disappointed when I got it. The footage is awesome of this super talented band that Dweezil has put together to keep the music of Frank Zappa alive. I strongly recommend that anyone who claims to be a Zappa fan add this to their collection. Dweezil has done it right in honoring his father's music.

I was fortunate enough to see the show in Portland, where I live, which was recorded on Frank Zappa's birthday. There are only a few excerpts from that show on the DVD with the rest in Seattle which is by far a better and bigger concert hall, thus, probably the reason why they used most of that footage. Regardless of this fact, this fan pack is a must have for any musician, true music lover, as well as a fan of Frank Zappa. Dweezil has changed his style completely to emulate his father's playing and he has become quite the guitar vurtuoso. The band is incredible and I consider them one of the best musical groups put together in a long time. Yes this show is a long one but one doesn't notice if they are into it because there are so many great songs. I read some other reviews where they didn't watch the entire DVD because of Terry Bozzio coming on stage to do some of the tunes Frank wrote for him to perform. Terry is what us drummers refer to as the "Drum God". He is phenominal. Also what these reviewers failed to see not watching the entire show was Steve Via coming out and playing. He is one of the best guitarist in the world and when he and Dweezil do the dueling guitar solo is a definite highlight. One has to realize also that the show was filmed as is. The band never takes a break, there are a couple individuals who may leave for a few moments, otherwise it is one song after another with the only gaps where Dweezil talks a little or introduces something. This is a feat in itself considering Dweezil never leaves the stage for over three hours. If you loved Frank's music, love the dense complexety of his music, and have an open mind, I highly recommend this DVD as being one of the best tributes to a musician to ever be released. I have seen the tour the second time around this year, they performed all different songs, and will be back in Portland in Jan of 2009 where I get to see them again with a special VIP pass. They promise to do different songs again. In case you didn't know, Frank had produce and recorded over a 110 cds, a lot of them live recdordings, but there is so much music that Dweezil's band could tour for many years before having to repeat songs. Hopefully they will release another DVD for those who don't get a chance to see them. I give this one 100 stars. I shall never grow tired of this one.