Guitar [LIVE] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Frank Zappa

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 2, 1995)
• Original Release Date: April 1988
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Live, Original recording remastered
• Label: Zappa Records
• ASIN: B0000009TH
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,542 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #28 in	Music > Rock > Live Albums > Progressive Rock
  #74 in	Music > Indie Music > Rock > Progressive

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The sequel to Shut Up and Play Your Guitar, Guitar is a two-part collection of improvisations by Frank Zappa, assembled from live recordings between 1979 and 1984. Zappa's bands from this period provides a solid foundation for what is essentially a one-man show, as Zappa carves his "air sculptures" from fluid, lyrical guitar notes. The backdrops vary from rock to blues to free-form embellishments to Zappa-defined reggae all the while giving the soloist plenty of room to explore his instrument. While it lacks the interplay between Zappa and drummer Vinnie Colliuta (he appears on only one track of this set) that made its predecessor so remarkable, Guitar contains more than enough of Zappa's musicianship to carry the day, making this an essential part of any Zappa or guitar fan's collection. --Andrew Boscardin

From the Label
You want more solos, you got 'em. Lots of 'em. This double-CD follow-up to SHUT UP 'N' PLAY YER GUITAR compiles live recordings of FZ guitar solos collected from 1979-1984. At the time Zappa's live solos were the most unpredictable parts of his shows; they would appear as bridges between familiar numbers and vary greatly in style and content from night to night. Thus FZ's live tapes would yield a wealth of once-ever solos, the best of which would be worked into his albums. Some of these solos were used extensively on JOE'S GARAGE, while GUITAR collects the solos that FZ felt would stand best on their own.

This wall-to-wall guitar showcase brought Zappa his 6th Grammy nomination, for "Best Rock Instrumental Performance." Among the highlights are the bluesy "Sexual Harassment in the Workplace"; the self-explanatory "In-a-Gadda-Stravinsky" (yes, that's Igor meets Iron Butterfly); the suitably grisly "Republicans," the slide-guitar driving "For Duane" (excerpted from a live version of "Whippin' Post"), the reggaefied "Too Ugly for Show Business," and more. The usual impeccable cast of support players is also on hand.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you're up for a challenge..., January 8, 2005

By	M. A. Pierry - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

An album like this will challenge your ears in several ways. Like most of Zappa's output, this CD isn't for everyone. Those who criticize Frank's guitar playing from a technical standpoint, however, are completely missing the point. Steve Vai et al. are certainly better technically on the guitar, but I think Vai would be the first person to admit that he couldn't improvise in a live setting on this level. Zappa was trying to create spontaneous compositions as he played, and he was unafraid of trying absolutely anything in his quest to do so.

If you hear on this set a lot of repetition, a lot of exploration of similar melodic/rhythmic themes, this is mainly due to the fact that a lot of the solos were recorded around the same time (even at the same shows) so that was what was in his head. I think of them as variations, not perhaps in the classical sense of a "theme and variations" but multiple explorations of the same material.

On the other hand, I think if you listen closely it's amazing from a compositional standpoint. There is an inner logic and coherence to the solos, whether self-proclaimed "expert guitar players" choose to acknowledge this or not. Frank's guitar technique was highly unorthodox and it might not be what you would like to hear from a guitar player, but he wasn't interested in playing clean, perfect lines. He was interested in doing something different every single time he got out there to play a solo, and this is a document of his attempts to do just that. It is a record of experiments with an audience.

The other major complaint about this CD is the sound, particularly the sound of the band playing behind Frank. As an experimenter, Frank Zappa was bound to be drawn to the new synthesizers and other gadgets that came out at this time, just as many, many other bands and musicians were in the 80's. However, when I listen to this album I am always struck by how natural-sounding it actually is versus a lot of other material from the 80's. I mean we are talking about the decade of Duran Duran, Devo, Joy Division, Culture Club, Madonna and a ton of other bands that sounded far more "plastic" than Zappa's band ever managed, even during the much-maligned 1984 tour (the one with all the fake handclaps and electronic drums).

Any modern music listener who isn't able to have an appreciation for electronic sounds is pretty much lost at sea as far as I am concerned. Compare this album with the Postal Service or the Prodigy and you tell me who sounds more machine-like. To my mind there's nothing cold or unexpressive about machine-made music at all. I think the real issue is that the sounds on this album serve to underscore the emotional coldness of Frank Zappa himself, something with which a lot of his fans are uncomfortable.

I don't see a huge gulf between Frank's playing or his tone in 1979 versus 1984. It's different, yes, but it's clearly the same guy playing and I don't immediately prefer one to the other. I agree that Vinnie Colaiuta is more attuned with what Frank was doing than Chad Wackerman is. However, Wackerman is more than competent and he does have his moments if you're willing to listen without prejudice. Also, critics of Scott Thunes' playing on bass have no idea what they're talking about. Just listen (with a really good pair of headphones or a great stereo) to the first track, "Sexual Harassment.." and you realize that Scott is playing his ass off while still completely supporting Frank.

I think Guitar deserves to be listened to very carefully by anyone who enjoys experimental music and wants to hear someone who is reaching for something rather than trying to stay inside a musical box or do what is expected. And I actually enjoy the hell out of this album. I get a lot of pure pleasure listening to Frank and the musicians he was playing with on these recordings. So there are those of us out there who truly enjoy listening to Guitar in its entirety.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars INTENSE, July 12, 2002

By	kaysixone - See all my reviews

This is awesome stuff. Two hours and ten minutes of intense and relentless fret abuse. No vocals, no tunes, just guitar solos and nothing else. "Guitar" was more than good enough when it was first released in 1988, but this expanded edition with extra tracks is a considerable improvement on the original. The material is culled from live performances recorded over a five year period (1979 to 1984), and from the opening chords of "Sexual harassment in the workplace" (the album also features some of Frank's most creative titles) it just builds and builds with no pause for breath. Although the sound isn't always 100% perfect, I much prefer the raw spontaneity of "Guitar" to the more refined approach of its predecessor "Shut up and play your guitar", which seems positively weak in comparison. Frank didn't recommend it for children or Republicans, but to the rest of us this is one of the truly essential Zappa albums.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not "Shut Up & Play...", but still a great record, March 2, 2002

By	Scott Woods (Columbus, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This collection of Frank's live playing skills is a great showcase of not only his compositional skills, but his incredible playing. He can make a slow groove smoke and we already know what he does to the not-so-straight-ahead rock tunes.
The fact that they're instrumentals really gives you the chance to appreciate the songs and his abilities, but also shows you the record's one pain: the songs aren't as great as the ones on his similar collection, "Shut Up and Play Your Guitar". If you want great Zappa or just great guitar, you have to eventually own this record...just not before you get his "Shut Up" record.