The purpose of this site is to provide a little help to those that are looking for written material about Frank Zappa.
afka (at) afka.net
- Frankly Zappa by John Klein Sloatman III, 2024 ?
- Earth To Moon: A Memoir by Moon Unit Zappa - August 2024
- Frank Zappa. The Man From Utopia by Michele Monina, October 2024
- Mother Superior : The Saga of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention: The Authorised Biography by Alan Clayson - 2024 ?
- Frank Zappa’s America: Music, Satire, and the Battle Against the Christian Right by Bradley Morgan - Spring 2025
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Zappa Books
New Entries.
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26 July. Classic Rock, January 2016. The film Roxy: The Movie was reviewed.
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25 July. Czech fanzine Zappostrophe, issue #152 is out.
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25 July. French Best, July 1974. A 4-page article on Captain Beefheart.
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24 July. Modern Drummer, April 1985. "Update: Jimmy Carl Black".
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23 July. King Kral is a monthly zine created by Joe Kral, an artist based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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20 July. The Belgian designer Dries Van Noten presented in 2012 his psychedelic elegance collection, inspired by Oscar Wilde and Frank Zappa. Another Man magazine covered the event with "A Conversation Between Oscar Wilde and Frank Zappa".
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18 July. Stanley Hope: "This cheesy little home-made book was cobbled together for the amusement of Zappa fans. It is not for the highbrowed or lowdown." The Frank Zappa FUQ by Andrew Greenaway, published in June.
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17 July. Another album review by Riccardo Bertoncelli - Jean/Luc Ponty's King Kong. Musica Jazz, June 2022.
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16 July. Funky Nothingness reviewed by Riccardo Bertoncelli. Musica Jazz, July 2023.
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14 July. Time, 28 February 1969. Manners And Morals. The Groupies.
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13 July. "Absolutely Frank" - Alan di Perna reviewing the Frank Zappa Catalog. Guitar World, August 1995.
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12 July. The German fanzine Arf Dossier #120 is out. Don't forget that the Zappanale Festival is coming soon - 19.-21. July.
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7 July. "Pizza, hamburgere etc" - an interesting picture of New York in 1967, where Zappa performs, where jazz giants give way to a new generation, new music. Written by Torben Ulrich, a fine clarnetist, writer, world class professional tennis player, and father of Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich. Jazz Revy, June 1967.
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6 July. Dale Bozzio: "I genuflect to Frank. I idolize Frank for his knowledge, his graciousness, his genius, and I’m indebted to him forever, forever and ever. He’s the hero of my book." Life Is So Strange.
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5 July. Muppet Magazine, Spring 1983. "Moon Zappa Meets Janice, or 'Tubular Meets Groovy'".
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3 July. The largest page on our site is the Italian magazine Ciao 2001. It is an inexhaustible source of information. Added four editions from 1984:
- April 22 : For astrology enthusiasts. Zappa's birth chart.
- September 6 : Review of the very first concert of the 84 tour in LA.
- November 11 : Them Or Us
- December 16 : Legendary adventures of Robert Hyams and Zappa's reaction. -
2 July. French magazine Guitar Part:
- 2018 April : The Roxy Performances
- 2019 January : "Jimi Plays Zappa"
- 2019 December : Review of the Zappa book trilogy -
1 July 2023. Volume 2 of The Mother People Anthology features the next 13 issues of Mother People [##14 - 26], a Frank Zappa fanzine produced from 1981 through 1989 by Rob Cerreta. This anthology is compiled, edited and published by Scott Parker.
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19 June. Last set of album reviews from Cash Box:
- 1987 January 17 : Jazz From Hell
- 1988 December 3 : Broadway The Hard Way
- 1991 July 13 : You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol. 4
- 1993 November 27 : The Yellow Shark -
18 June. Cash Box is still on the agenda.
- 1981 May 16 : Tinseltown Rebellion
- 1981 September 19 : You Are What You Is
- 1982 June 5 : Ship Arriving Too Late ...
- 1983 March 12 : The Man From Utopia
- 1983 July 9 : Zappa Vol. I, LSO -
14 June. A few Cash Box single reviews for a change.
- 1979 October 27 : Joe's Garage
- 1980 April 12 : I Don’t Wanna Get Drafted -
14 June. Cash Box album reviews again.
- 1978 April 1 : Zappa In New York
- 1978 September 30 : Studio Tan
- 1979 March 3 : Sheik Yerbouti
- 1979 May 19 : Orchestral Favorites
- 1979 September 8 : Joe's Garage, Act I
- 1979 December 1 : Joe's Garage, Acts II & III -
13 June. More album reviews from Cash Box.
- 1972 July 22 : Waka/Jawaka
- 1973 September 23 : Over-Nite Sensation
- 1974 April 6 : Apostrophe (')
- 1974 September 21 : Roxy & Elsewhere
- 1975 July 5 : One Size Fits All
- 1975 October 18 : Bongo Fury
- 1976 August 14 : Grand Funk - Good Singin' Good Playin' -
11 June. Cash Box album reviews continue.
- 1969 April 19 : Uncle Meat
- 1969 November 15 : Hot Rats
- 1970 February 21 : Burnt Weeny Sandwich
- 1971 August 7 : Fillmore East, June 1971
- 1971 November 6 : 200 Motels
- 1972 April 8 : Just Another Band From L.A. -
9 June. Several short reviews from Cash Box:
Singles:
- 1967 May 20 : Why Don't You Do Me Right
- 1967 December 2 : Sonics - Any Way The Wind Blows
- 1967 December 30 : Lonely Little Girl
Albums:
- 1967 June 24 : Absolutely Free
- 1968 March 9 : We're Only In It For The Money
- 1968 May 11 : Lumpy Gravy
- 1968 November 30 : Crusing With Ruben & The Jets -
8 June. German Good Times, December 2023. A set of articles on FZ plus centerfold poster.
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8 June. German Good Times, August 2021. The drummer (Joe Travers) in the master's vault.
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7 June. American Rock Scene. Two "Hot Pix" columns. 1977 January with FZ and Grand Funk, 1981 March with Captain Beefheart.
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6 June. Danish GO magazine, October 1970. Have you heard of conductor Edo de Waart?
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5 June. British ZigZag, #17, December 1970. Chunga's Revenge album ad on the back cover.
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4 June. Hungarian men's magazine CKM, October 2004. Zappa's photo is used to illustrate an article about Ronald Reagan and George H. Bush.
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3 June. Norwegian women's magazine Det Nye, May 1979. Interview wit FZ "I don't like people".
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2 June. Zappa & The Mothers concert ads from June and October 1970. The Eagle Bone Whistle.
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1 June. The Eagle Bone Whistle from San Antonio, Texas. Interview with FZ from July 1970.
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13 May. A couple of editions of the Amercian Audio magazine:
- 1995 October : "Zappa's Rules on Ryko"
- 1996 July : Omnibus Wind Ensemble: Music by Frank Zappa -
10 May. "Kiss my Aura, Dora" is a full page ad in Hi-Fi World, January 1994. And we added some issues more:
- 2018 August : Review of the Arthur Barrow's book
- 2020 February : Halloween 73
- 2021 October : Beefheart: Through The Eyes Of Magic -
6 May. Percussive Notes, April 2024 has a cover story "The Mallets of Invention: A listening guide to Frank Zappa’s percussionists" This research on Zappa's percussionists Art Tripp, Ruth Underwood, and Ed Mann is available at the Percussive Arts Society's website.
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2 May. Arf Dossier #119, March 2014 reached us.
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27 April. Bay Area music magazine BAM, 6 May 1983. Interview "Big Bad Frank Rails Against the World".
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25 April. "Meeting Of Musical Extremes", a review of The Perfect Stranger album by John Rockwell, a classical and contemporary music critic at The New York Times 1972-94.
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24 April. Frank Zappa was in London for a digital recording sessions with the London Symphony Orchestra. Karl Dallas went along to find out more about the man and his ideas on digital recording. "Rebel With A Cause" from Hi-Fi for Pleasure, April 1983.
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23 April. Added several 1971-72 issues of the great at the time Argentinian magazine Pelo, featuring both album reviews and other articles.
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22 April. Podcaster Tony Trombo has a new book out called Talking Zappa. It contains interviews with Ike Willis, Ed Mann, Mike Keneally, Lisa Popeil, Howard Kaylan, Don Preston, Bobby Martin, Arthur Barrow, Cal Schenkel, Candy Zappa and Essra Mohawk.
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22 April. MusikExpress, November 1981. You Are What You Is - a half page ad and a very depressing review on the same page.
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21 April. German MusikExpress, April 1980. 7-page artile by Ray Bonici and review of Shiny Beast album.
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18 April. Joe's Garage, Act I reviewed by the magazine Circus editor Shel Kagan: "Zappa still makes bizarre music".
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15 April. Rounding up the album reviews in DownBeat magazine:
- April 1987 : Jazz From Hell
... and two longer reviews of many FZ albums by Art Lange and Bill Milkowski:
- April 1988 : "FZ on CD"
- May 1990 : "Son of FZ on CD" -
14 April. DownBeat. Two album reviews
- May 1977 : Zoot Allures (5 stars!)
- January 1979 : Studio Tan
and one long interview: "Ian Underwood – Free Lance Energizer" -
13 April. Album reviews from DownBeat magazine continue:
- January 1975 : Roxy & Elsewhere
- February 1976 : One Size Fits All and Bongo Fury -
9 April. Back to the DownBeat.
- January 1974 : Over-Nite Sensation
- May 1974 : Apostrophe (') -
8 April. For a change, album reviews from recent American press. Illinois Entertainer:
- July 2020 : The Mothers 1970
- November 2020 : Halloween 81
- July 2021 : Frank Zappa ’88: The Last U.S. Show
- February 2022 : 200 Motels 50th anniversary
- April 2023 : Waka/Wazoo box set
- July 2023 : Zappa ’80: Mudd Club, Zappa ’80: Munich
- March 2024 : Over-Nite Sensation 50th anniversary -
7 April. It seems that in the early 70s, DownBeat was possibly even the most positive music magazine towards Zappa's work.
- January 1972 : Album review - 200 Motels
- September 1972 : Just Another Band From L.A. (5 stars!)
- May 1973 : The Grand Wazoo -
6 April. DownBeat magazine, 1971:
- April 1971 : Chunga's Revenge
- December 1971 : Film review - Frank Zappa's 200 Motels -
5 April. A couple of very complimentary album reviews from DownBeat magazine:
- June 1969 : Uncle Meat
- March 1970 : Hot Rats
- June 1970 : Burnt Weenie Sandwich (5 stars!) -
2 April. In April 1988 Zappa visited Finland the fourth time. FZ: "My two albums, which have sold the best in Finland, have not been successful anywhere else on this planet. They are The Grand Wazoo and Waka/Jawaka released in 72". Coverage in the local press:
- Mai 1988 Apu
- July 1988 Suosikki -
28 March. Rock N Roll Industries magazine #10, February 2014. Review of Zappa Plays Zappa show at Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, 19 October 2013.
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27 March. Some issues of the Spanish film magazine Fotogramas from 1975 and 1976.
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25 March. Another year, another UK Hi-Fi magazine, same subject – Hot Rats album. Hi-Hi World, December 2012.
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24 March. Hi-Fi News & Record Review, August 2009. The first album to make audiences proclaim, 'Wow, Frank Zappa can really play guitar', Hot Rats was a pioneering fusion of jazz and rock created using prototype 16-track recording equipment. It is still revered 40 years after its release... Very good write up by John Bamford.
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23 March. Hi-Fi News & Record Review, November 2006. Jason Kennedy: "While 'Inca Roads' is generally considered the highlight of this album I consider it to be one of nine superb pieces that go toward making One Size Fits All the most solidly consistent and entertaining album in Zappa's oeuvre."
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22 March. Hi-Fi News & Record Review, September 2000. Ben Watson is reviewing Everything Is Healing Nicely. "Just a cynically released CD of some rehearsals? Far from it! This is essential Frank Zappa."
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11 March. New issue #151 of Zappostrophe fanzine from Czechia. This edition is dedicated to the artist Cal Schenkel.
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9 March. Hi-Fi News & Record Review. One very thorough review by Ben Watson - "Mystery Disc" and a whole series of short reviews:
- 1995 January : The Negative Dialectics of Poodle Play
- 1997 February : Apostrophe. One Size Fits All
- 1997 July : Have I Offended Someone?
- 1997 September : Strictly Genteel
- 1998 January : 200 Motels
- 1998 December : Mystery Disc -
5 March. German Filmdienst, August 2013. The edition includes a larger review article about Zappa and the medium of film, as well as a review of the Jimmy Carl Black film.
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4 March. Hi-Fi News & Record Review:
- 1986 May : Does Humor Belong In Music?
- 1986 June : Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers Of Prevention
- 1987 March : Jazz From Hell -
3 March. Portuguese Pop-Clube, May 1977.
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2 March. Guitar Player, November 2007. ... pigeonholing Zappa as a rock artist is a bit like labeling Johann Sebastian Bach a church organist ... "Frank Zappa - Guitar Heroes A-Z" by Josh Workman.
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1 March. Some album reviews according to the oldest hi-fi title, British Hi-Fi News & Record Review:
- 1982 January : You Are What You Is
- 1985 February : The Perfect Stranger
- 1985 March : Them Or Us
- 1985 July : Thing-Fish
- 1985 September : Francesco Zappa -
29 February. Finnish anarchist cultural magazine Loimu, November 1974. "The anti-guru of progressive music".
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28 February. Argentinian Expreso Imaginario, August 1979. Sheik Yerbouti.
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27 February. The "America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine" Creem:
- 1973 August : "The Androgyny Hall Of Fame" including The GTOs, Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart
- 1973 December : A review of the As They Were, a book by Tuli Kupferberg and Sylvia Topp. -
26 February. Finnish Suosikki, February 1977. Exclusive Zappa interview made in New York "I'm PA I need money!"
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24 February. Two Stereoplay album reviews more:
- 1982 June : Grandmothers "Looking Up Granny’s Dress"
- 1982 July : Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch -
23 February. German Stereoplay, some five star album reviews:
- 1979 February : Zappa in New York
- 1979 March : Sleep Dirt
- 1979 December : Joe's Garage -
22 February. Touch! was the first glossy magazine for Adult Entertainment in the Benelux. The very first edition in 2006 included an article on Frank Zappa by Piet Davelaar.
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21 February. Probably the very first Zappa fanzine was Inventions, started by 16 years old Piet Davelaar in 1971 in Amsterdam. It had about 50 subscribers, mostly in The Netherlands, but also in Belgium, Switzerland, UK and even Brasil. The page is updated with some valuable information got from Piet Davelaar himself.
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14 February. Three album reviews from High Fidelity:
- 1985 July : The Perfect Stranger
- 1987 April : The CD Software Parade - Frank Zappa (8 CDs by Rykodisc reviewed)
- 1988 October : All CDs Great And Small -
11 February. American High Fidelity:
- 1974 April : Over-nite Sensation
- 1976 November : Grand Funk: Good Singin', Good Playin'
- 1978 July : Zappa In New York
- 1979 January : "Top 12 Best Pop Album Covers of 1978", including Studio Tan !!! -
9 February. Three album reviews from 1972, High Fidelity magazine:
- 1972 Februar : 200 Motels
- 1972 July : Just Another Band from L.A.
- 1972 December : Waka/Jawaka – Hot Rats -
5 February. To wrap up Musician for now, here's another list like this:
- 1985 March : "Grand Wazoo Refuses to Kazoo"
- 1986 September : FZ on CD full page ad
- 1988 January : The Return of FZ on CD full page ad
- 1994 October : Asteroid Zappafrank
- 1995 June : Civilization Phaze III
- 1996 November : Läther -
4 February. Still Musician magazine.
- 1983 April : Carvin full page ad w FZ and artcile on Missing Persons band.
- 1983 October : AKG microphones ad with FZ
- 1984 August : What's the Role of the Rhythm Section in Frank Zappa's Music? Scott Thunes and Chad Wackerman, -
3 February. Musician magazine. Two album reviews from Dan Forte, who really likes FZ's work.
- 1981 August : Tinsel Town Rebellion
- 1982 August : Ship Arriving Too Late ... -
2 February. Two editions of the Musician magazine:
- 1980 March : Joe's Garage II & III
- 1980 Deember : "Captain Beefheart's Iridescent Logic" by Lester Bangs -
28 January. The Beat Instrumental had two album reviews from Peter Douglas, who wasn't happy with what he was listening to:
- 1978 June : Zappa In New York
- 1978 Deember : Studio Tan -
27 January. Interview with Mick Glossop, who mixed Joe's Garage and engineered Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar. Sound International, March 1981.
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26 January. Pop/Rock Music, December 1968. Text and pictures added.
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25 January. A recent review of the Czech edition of Pauline Butcher's book "Freak Out!" by Petr Dorůžka in magazine UNI.
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23 January. Attention! Viva Zappa! French magazine Rock & Folk, current February issue.
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23 January. Another critical review - German magazine Sounds, May 1978 gives a devastating assessment of Zappa's album In New York.
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22 January. The oldest hi-fi title published since June 1956 - British Hi-Fi News & Record Review. Two fairly critical album reviews from the 70s:
- 1974 August : Apostrophe
- 1979 January : Studio Tan -
21 January. Argentinian magazine Pelo, 3 editions from 1971. Issues 12 and 13 both feature the Hot Rats local version called Ratas Calientes. Number 14 presents five of the greatest guitarists - Peter Green, Alvin Lee, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Frank Zappa.
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20 January. "America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine" Creem:
- 1972 July : Just Another Band From L.A. full page ad
- 1972 September : Rock 'n' Roll News on No Commercial Potention book -
19 January. The Man From Utopia reviewed in Italian Ciao 2001, July 1983.
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18 January. A long-living American magazine Modern Drummer, July 1999 issue. Great overview of all of Zappa's work from a drummer's point of view - "The Drummers Of Frank Zappa" by Mark Griffith. A very thorough, good and recommended read.
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17 January. Cosmic Lion Retrospective 2021. A comics book containg Zappa appearances.
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17 January. Sounds, 8 April 1978. Reader's letter about the f word.
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16 Januar. 30 Jahre ohne Zappa - 30 years without Zappa - this book was printed in December in Germany.
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15 January. Entertainment magazine After Dark, April 1980. Frank Zappa on Bette Davis and Sparky Parker from the GTOs.
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14 January. German fanzine Arf-Dossier, #118, December 2023. The table of contents is right here.
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13 January. Several very positive record reviews from High Fidelity magazine:
- 1970 September : Burnt Weeny Sandwich
- 1971 February : Chunga's Revenge / Lick My Decals Off, Baby
- 1971 September : The Worst of The Mothers
- 1971 November : Fillmore East, June 1971 -
13 January. Cash Box, 12 November 1966. Newcomer Picks - Trouble Comin' Every Day. "This wild workout by the Mothers of Invention, called “Trouble Comin’ Every Day,” is just far enough to attract lots of attention from buyers and spinners. Group may finally break out with this one. “Who Are The Brain Police” is an eerie cacophony in the psychedelic vein."
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12 January. Czech fanzine Zappostrophe, issue #150. Published in October 2023.
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12 January. Portuguese Musica & Som, October, 1982. Reader's letter on three pages.
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11 January. Creem, September 1971. Glendora High School wall painting.
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10 January. Vintage Creem, March 1971, has a lot to read: album review (Chunga's Revenge), single review ("Tell Me You Love Me"), film news and a 6-page article on Wild Man Fischer.
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9 January. Two interviews with Milan Jakobec, a former Czech diplomat who was ambassador to Costa Rica and also worked at the embassy in London. He is now retired and recently translated Pauline Butcher's book Freak Out, which was published in Czechia.
- Lidové Noviny, 21 December 2023
- UNI, December 2023 -
8 January. Zoot Allures review in British Beat Instrumental, January 1977. "Vintage stuff. Don't play it in front of your parents." out Zappa, but you can still find some photos.
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6 January. More from the New Year's mailbox.
- Germany's two Hi-Fi magazines Audio and Stereoplay merged in October. Their common December issue includes a comprehensive review of the Over-Nite Sensation 50th Anniversary album.
- The Over-Nite Sensation Anniversary 50 review is also in December's Record Collector magazine. In addition, there are other readings, such as an overview of the work of Shankar, a violinist who collaborated with Zappa. -
5 January. Not exactly a Zappa special, but still a cover story where Zappa's name appears dozens of times. British Shindig!, November 2023 issue has a 9-page story "LA Freak Scene" starring Zappa, Beefheart, Kim Fowley, Vito Paulekas, and more.
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4 January. Another great Zappa special. The French Jazz Magazine regularly publishes a special Zappa issue every few years, which contains a valuable Zappa dossier. Once again in this December issue, it is compiled by the well-known author of Zappa books Guy Darol. Most of the content this time is dedicated to the female musicians who collaborated with Zappa.
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3 January. A couple of interesting Zappa special magazine editions were released for the New Year. Here is the latest December issue of the German bimonthly magazine Good Times, with an 8-page Zappa dossier. Most of it is taken up by an interview with the main organizer of the Zappanale festival, Peter Görs.