Laurie Anderson introduced her film Home of the Brave with the warning "Welcome to Difficult Listening Hour." She then presented an hour and a half of distinctly undifficult music. Frank Zappa, who has taken to his caustic bosom Charles Ives's observation that "Beauty in music is too often confused with something that lets the ears lie back in an easy chair," consistently introduces his pieces as "little ditties" or "disco vamps," then proceeds to explode all expectations with his bands' masterful ensemble playings of exhaustingly difficult compositions. Each edition of his many Mothers of Invention touring groups has been more accomplished than the one before, and his studio groups – from '50s doo-wop to hard rock to jazz blowing to chamber orchestras (some conducted by Pierre Boulez) to big bands to full symphony orchestra sessions – have consistently stretched their limits and straddled (though not always gracefully) as many musical boundaries as possible. (read more)

Source: slime.oofytv.set

Rykodisc, the distributor of all but two of these releases, should be commended for their commitment to Frank Zappa's back catalog. Throughout, they have made efforts to provide sumptuous packaging and full annotation. In fact, in the case of the 2-CD releases, each has not only one, but two booklets. Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar included a long, illuminating essay/review, and in all cases all song lyrics have been printed in full, along with most, if not all, of the original album-cover art and gatefold spreads. Connoisseurs of Zappa's Conceptual Continuity should be thankful. (read more)

Source: slime.oofytv.set

Did you know that once upon a time, way back a long time ago, before the Big Bang, there was this portly maroon sofa? That an infinite (well, from Belfast to Bognor Regis, anyway) expanse of oak flooring came next, followed by a chrome dinette set? That the Big G, whenever He gets down to some serious creating, speaks German? My, but there's a lot to learn.

But so it is taught in the Gospel According to Frank Zappa which begins Vol.1 of You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore (YCDTOSA). This long-awaited series of six live double-CD sets, all of which should be available by the end of 1989, is unprecedented in the history of releases by living rock, pop, or jazz artists; Keith Jarrett's 10-LP Sun Bear Concerts pales by comparison. Self-indulgent? So far, an emphatic "No." As a regular attendee at Zappa fetes, I've always been astounded at the overabundance of near-genius material presented, and invariably disappointed at how little of that music ever made it onto records (even with Zappa releasing twice as many discs as any other rock musician). That imbalance seems finally to be righted by the Zappalanche of CDs and LPs under review here. (read more)

Richard Lehnert's magnum opus continued as follows:

• The Old Masters, Stereophile Vol.12 No.6 1989 June
• The Yellow Shark Vol.17 No.2 1994 February
• The Present Day Composer...  Vol.18 No.9 1995 September

John Swenson listens to a new explosion of recordings from the original Mother of Invention, while Richard Lehnert offers a minority report.