Zappa

Who doesn't like Frank Zappa? Probably quite a lot of people, but do they know Zappa, have they listened to his records? He's one of those divisive artists that I think a lot of people don't give enough time or respect to. Getting into Zappa is daunting. There are a lot of records, over a hundred (seriously). I've not heard them all but some can be quite... challenging. That for me sums up Zappa, challenging. If indeed he can be summed up at all. I suspect director Alex Winter (yes that one) has listened to them all and loves every one. A prolific recording artist, targeting politics, social issues, pretty much anything he tuned his brain to, he's an interesting guy. Musically he was all over the shop, but it's the scale of Zappa's output that's, well... quite daunting. This doc tells Franks life in his own words. Thanks in large to an incredible self curated archive that Frank introduces us to. Recording masters, photos, videos, all labelled on shelves. I like Franks dedication to his work. Considering it's scope, there's an amazing clarity and focus to it. Inspired by Edgar Varèse as a teen, he's drawn to the weirder side of music, alongside some rhythm and blues. Self taught on the guitar and pretty much everything else, Zappa wasn't constrained by rules. It's a dizzying trip, there's a lot going on in Franks early life. Scoring b-movies, illustrating greetings cards, buying an old studio, seriously don't blink or you'll miss some interesting detail that makes up the fabric of the man. 1965, The Mothers of Invention are born and this is probably the beginning of how most people identify Zappa. He's he's the source at the centre of the band, of everything really. A workaholic perfectionist. Uncompromising and not afraid to go against the grain, piss people off and generally be very demanding. It was a trippy time in California though and there was an audience for Zappa's far out experimentation. An articulate composer creating undefinable music, whilst also keeping an eye on the business side of the industry. Zappa was savvy. Perhaps a control freak, but a capable one. There's a real sense that Frank was the most capable in any room he put himself in. Genius might not be a ridiculous word by any stretch. The centre of the music scene in West Coast America, he's the artist that others want to be and be with. The Stones, Beatles, Clapton, Bowie, Alice Cooper all get a mention... oh and Charles Manson. He's not concerned with success, with hits, just expression. Be it through music, animation, theatre or perhaps most of all, everything together at once. This covers Zappa's dizzying life remarkably well. Never getting too bogged down in any one place and although it's the albums that make him (in)famous, there's a ton of fantastic live footage to enjoy here. If you're not a fan, it probably won't convert you, but I think will give you an appreciation to a genuinely interesting musical icon. A serious man, realistic, artistic, funny, principled and political. Winter has done him justice.

This film was interesting in a lot of ways but there seemed to be large portions of Frank's life missing here...the focus really concentrated on FZ as the composer and the early beginnings through the Mothers...after the Mothers disbanded there seemed to be a large gap and fast forward to his final performance as a composer with the final notes stating he released 62 albums......would have been nice to at least walk through the 70's and 80's a bit more than the Warner Bros. Release fiasco and the Senate hearings.....ohhh well...worth a watch for content otherwise not seen....

I was expecting all sorts of over-the-top freaky posturing and interviews for the sake of a buck, which Frank would have despised. Instead it was a decent and accurate synopsis of a man who will forever be shrouded in mystery.

The impact Frank Zappa had on many generations of slowly aging young persons coming of age, listening to FZ albums and never being the same again, seems to be the point of this documentary.

I was impressed through the whole thing. The production was never sensationalist. It is a somewhat gripping bio of a man finding his way as an artist. I think they call themselves "influencers" now.

I have been a lover of Frank Zappa's music since the late 70's. In the Fall of 1977, a friend asked me if I had ever listened to Frank Zappa, and I responded with disgust, relating to him the (false) urban legend of Zappa winning a "gross-out" contest with Alice Cooper by eating one of Cooper's own fresh turds on-stage. Without another word, my friend jumped up and put an album on - I didn't see (or ask) what album it was. After the first minute or so of music, I was really digging it, so I asked my friend who the artist was. "Frank Zappa," he replied (the album was "Roxy and Elsewhere," the side with "Village of the Sun" on it).

I was transfixed - I spent the rest of the afternoon in my friend's dorm room, cutting classes and going through my friend's Zappa albums. I have been a "Zappacolyte" ever since.

Winter's documentary offers a view of Frank Zappa as seen "from behind the curtain." There are loads of interviews with Frank, but also with Gail Zappa and with many members of Frank's bands over the years, as well as with friends and associates (for example, Alice Cooper appears in the movie). I found the interviews of Ruth Underwood and Steve Vai particularly insightful and touching. Along with the interviews, a huge treasure trove of footage is presented which is edited and spliced perfectly with the voice-overs.

Thankfully, Winter worked extra-hard to show us the "real" Frank Zappa. To do anything less would've allowed the movie to descend into a hagiography that would've been the ultimate insult to the memory of a unique genius like Frank.

"Zappa" starts somewhat slowly and perhaps a little pedantically, but this helps to lay the foundation for the presentation of Frank's later years. By the end, I had tears in my eyes as Winter's biography culminated in a heartfelt yet "open-eyed" tribute to one of the greatest musicians, composers, and spokesmen of our time.

A decent documentary, but certainly not "definitive". Given the fact the Alex Winter had unlimited access to the Zappa vault I had expected more rare footage. Still, as a general introduction to the person Frank Zappa it's not a bad starting point.