Search - Frank Zappa :: Zappa in N.Y.

Good and a half

Bill Your 'Free Form FM Handi Cyber | Mahwah, NJ USA | 12/18/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"When discussing Zappa, do you compare an album to his other work? Or to the rest of music, where Zappa by default trumps.



Live In New York features the fat mid-1970s funk and jazz rock Zappa was preforming during this period, and of course, musically, this album has the aces. You are never going to get bad music with Zappa because he was one of the best composers and always had the best musicans.



And there is some increadible music on New York, not the least of which is "Black Page," which may be rock's most complicated drum solo.



But with "Punky's Whips," "Don't You Want A Man Like Me," you get the feeling Zappa is coasting on the sexual comady he used to saterize. Deep down, yes, this is still master Frank poking fun at the conventions and the extremes.



The Bozio monolouges, however, can be a little sophmoric, and the whole sexual stage play this album becomes is a little overblown for the subject matter. It all seems gears towards frat boys who won't really get it.





Should you buy New York? Its Zappa funk. Of course you should buy it--what's the matter with you?"