Frank Zappa - Baby Snakes
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Movie Reviews of Frank Zappa - Baby Snakes
Movie Review: Great stuff!!!! An Easy FIVE star as ever.
Summary: 5 Stars
About the packaging of this DVD. Gail Zappa and the ZFT did a fantastic job. The whole Secret/Top Seceret type of theme, complete with the little envelope full of clippings from newspapers and articles from the show really spice up the otherwise fantastic DVD. This attention to detail is JUST the type of thing that FZ used to do when he issued his music. I used to read every little thing, all the comments... if you buy any of the You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore series CD's he comments on just about every song in the liner notes. Gail should be given a pat on the back just for the packaging alone.. FZ would be proud. (I have to note that EMI has just released DOES HUMOR BELONG IN MUSIC DVD-- and the packaging is non existant... just a DVD... without anything else... really crappy -see my review of that)Now onto the DVD content:
There are some of the reviewers out there that for whatever reason didn't like the extra stuff on this DVD. I am NOT one of those. I totally enjoy Roy Estrada doing the silly things with the blow up doll... yes it was silly, strange and not normal.. but hey, wasn't that the theme of this whole film in the first place?
Anyone who coudn't enjoy the back to back greatness of FZ's guitar playing on this just doesn't really like FZ's playing... I enjoyed the claymation and the interviews that FZ had with Bickford as he explained the process of the plot... very entertaining.
In short, if you are also into the wierdness of FZ and those he associated with, then you will enjoy this movie.. if you are only into the music and the music's wierdness, then you may have parts that you do not like.
I however, enjoyed it all and really thought the parts that were not music was really fun to watch. Watching FZ orchestrate, by pointing to his band members, is just astonishing.
Terry Bozzio is just amazing... how he just pounded the drums with no mercy with as much authority as someone like a Bruford or Ehart.
Great stuff.
Movie Review: Zappa as Artist
Summary: 5 Stars
Having read all the other reviews, I'd like to focus on the aspect of FZ as an Artist. Because that's what's on display, and is one reason for the extended bit with Bruce Bickford, who I think Frank saw as the claymation-artist version of himself. Someone gives Frank a card, and it has a quote, "The modern-day composer refuses to die," which Frank says must have its proper attribution to Edgar Varese- Edgar Varese was a composer/artist. Watch Frank as he manages to interact with the audience, shake everyone's hand, and sing his lyrics flawlessly. Despite a couple of "Go ---- yourself"s, Frank shows a lot of sensitivity to his young audience. The girl Angel, who basically wants Frank's baby, tries to interject something when he lets her onstage- his response is hilarious: he looks at her as if to say "Are you crazy?" then says, "Sounds like fun," and shuts her up with a munchkin-voiced "Stop it!" The key word to describe FZ here is "masterful," he is in charge every moment. The bit onstage with the toy police car, with the fake trombone-playing, and with Roy E. and his faulty improv with the gas-mask, are all about Frank incorporating something new into his music, improvising, having the band follow his descriptive hand-gestures, only to roll it all up in a ball and throw it in Roy's face, to see what reaction it will get. Was he self-indulgent, egocentric? Sure. Confident and cocky? Absolutely. You can be taken in by it or put off by it. Is the "Poodle Lecture" really a philosophical statement of life on earth? Nah. But it's funny, and draws the audience into his surrealistic world. The blow up doll and the raunchy lyrics, are all part of FZ's assault on mainstream attitudes. In the '60's, he trashed the middle-class, but he trashed the hippies, too. So he was an iconoclast, too. We need more of them.Movie Review: They're wet and they're pink...!
Summary: 5 Stars
Zappa released with BABY SNAKES a concert film by which others should be measured. Contained on this DVD rings out truly amazing music played by an amazing band in front of a ravenous audience of stirred up fans. Afficionados of FZ's will eat this one up. Music fans in general should check this one out to witness how a live band should perform UNMITIGATED ENTERTAINMENT. This 2-1/2 hour concert video is interspliced with hilarious backstage antics and mind-boggling claymation by a chap that probably can ONLY do claymation (you'll understand after his cameos). The recording quality of the concert sound resounds clear and strong. Zappa conducts this band at points as if it were a rock orchestra but the TIGHTNESS by which he rehearsed his bands more accurately translates his conduction into a neat little artifact that LIVE, FZ PLAYS HIS BAND JUST LIKE ANY OTHER INSTRUMENT. Some truly inspired live improvisation is documented whereby Uncle Frankie conjures music out of his finely tuned musos (his swirling stage ministrations call to mind a magician!) that only he can create. Buy the DVD and witness singular sonic events that FZ opportunistically captured for us on this wonderful film. The claymation is WAY-TRIPPED OUT: I can only describe the animation as phantasmagorical visual spewings that involve sex, peccaries in car chases, and Billy the Mountain. The animation more than aptly flows alongside Zappa's sonic brain candy. Performed are many classic FZ tunes like "Dinah-Moe Hum" and "Camarillo Brillo" as well as more esoteric rock-orchestrations like "The Black Page" or "Zoot Allures". Prime FZ at the height of his creativity. And this film reveals the maestro to be revelling in every second of the zany stage insanity. You will, too. "The present day composer refuses to die" - indeed, long live Frank Zappa!Movie Review: The Best
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my favorite band line-up of Frank's, too bad I never got to see it in person (saw him in 1981 at the Fox Theater in Atlanta). IS there a better drummer than Terry Bozzio?!?!? I don't think so. And, with Frank's obsessive recording and filming, I wish they would release more video of this band.
Now....to those who bashed me for stating that I personally think the VHS sounds better than the DVD (one even called me an idiot).....GROW UP!!..It's only an opinion. Just being 5.1 doesn't ALWAYS mean it sounds better!! On MY high-end living room stereo, the VHS does sound better than the DVD with the exception of the bottom end, I'll admit the DVD has more bass. Other than that single fact the DVD is real "muddy" sounding, no where NEAR as crisp and bright as the VHS. Heck I can even hear Terry's sticks HITTING the cymbals at the beginning of "Pound for a Brown", on the DVD all I hear is the cymbal itself!!!
To those who honestly think the DVD sounds better...well I can only say 3 things....1) your main speakers aren't as good as mine, 2) Your VCR never truly found the Hi-Fi tracking setting or 3) You're so used to Rap, Hip Hop and other bass dominated current garbage that you have no clue what REALLY good high end sounds like!!
But does that mean I'm not watching the DVD?? No...I just have to crank the high end of the equalizer up a little more...I gave the VHS to a friend :)
Movie Review: great movie
Summary: 5 Stars
You have to remember this was Halloween, thus some of the silliness that wears thin after all these years. I saw this at a theater when it first came out. We all left joyously bouncing from the complete onslaught the film gives. I think we can all relate to "shut up and play your guitar" anybody remember those albums?
But this was a cornucopia of weirdness and now is a picture of a distinct shot in time. I was lucky enough to see Zappa several times, once at the Palladium for Halloween. As to his musicianship and love of the music one time I saw him play for 5 and 1/2 hours straight with no break, not even for an encore, he just said lets pretend we left the stage and this is the encore and played 5 more songs. And, believe me he played his guitar most of those 5 and 1/2 hours-totally mesmerizing.
Sure, I wish there was better video out there of just him playing, but you take what you can get. Personally I think a lot of his adolescent lyrics was a direct attempt by him to sell records to teenage kids. Hot Rats is my favorite album, but I listened to my share of Billy was a Mountain and Suzie Creamcheese too. People forget how much of his music was jazz also, the grand wazoo comes to mind. You can't compare him to cream, miles davis would be more apt comparison.
Jazz isn't dead it just smells funny