BBP - 21-10-2015 at 16:02
Haagsche Courant translations: from the local newspaper of The Hague.
Since the Haagsche Courant hasn't yet got free rights, their newspaper archive only goes up to 1966 online. These I had to translate from microfiche
with the two dates I had: Zappa's passing and the 1972 Houtrusthallen concert.
6-12-1993
Pop musician Frank Zappa died of cancer
Los Angeles - The pop musician Frank Zappa (52) has passed away of prostate cancer. Zappa died last Saturday in his home in Los Angeles and was buried
yesterday in a private ceremony.
Zappa took centre stage for the first time in the early 60s. With his group the Mothers Of Invention he concentrated himself on a-melodic music, which
he called "sound mutilation". Zappa mixed rock, jazz and classical music, to which he sang satirical lyrics filled with social commentary. With his
band and as solo-artist, Zappa made around 50 albums.
Francis Vincent Zappa Jr. was born on December 21st 1940 in Maryland. His parents were Italian immigrants. Zappa startedwith music at age 12. First as
drummer, later as guitarist. For the last years Zappa battled cancer. He remained active until the end and said he didn't care how humanity thought of
him after his death. Among the mourning fans, the Czech president Vaclav Havel is one of the most famous. He named Zappa as special culture
ambassador. The radio show "Nieuwe maandag" (Radio 4 at 20.00) by Co de Kloet will be entirely devoted to Zappa tonight.
FRANK ZAPPA 1940-1993
Musical genius with provoking lyrics
By our art editors.
Los Angeles - With the death of Frank Zappa, the music world has lost a richly talented phenomenon. Lyricist, composer, accomplished guitarist, but
also producer, director, talent scout and author: Frank Zappa wanted to be a jack-of-all-trades and let himself be lead on by experimentation. This
made him an unpredictable media player, who made as many good as bad albums and as many good as bad films. It made him one of the most genial for
some, and the most debated for others, musicians. Zappa was arrogant and cynical and very proud of it. In his lyrics he gave a sharp and often
satirical view of American society. With this he injected many puns and slang, so that outside the English linguistic zone he wasn't always understood
as well, and in the zone often dealt with censorship.
PROVOKING
He was often (and keenly) provoking, songs like "Titties and beer", "He's so gay" and "Jewish Princess" speak volumes. In one interview Zappa objected
to being too direct in his lyrics. "This time asks for a baseball bat."
For that reason the singer was active against Tipper Gore, the wife of vice-president Al Gore, when she started a campaign against unconventional
lyrics on geluidsdragers. "Lyrics are always a problem. The question is whether people want to hear how I think about a certain subject. Often I think
they'll accept "I love you.""
The result of that point of view is that the social involvement of Zappa's music was replaced by personal experiences or strange, fictional
occurrences, where verbal originality gets the upper hand.
As a musician Zappa had more theoretical and practical knowledge than many of his colleagues. His affinity was with contemporary classical music,
electronic avant-garde, jazz, rhytmhm and blues, and rock. His compositions have been filled with them since the 1966 album Freak Out. For the last
years he worked chiefly as a composer for classical orchestras and ensembles, like in 1992 with the Ensemble Modern. For these musicians he wrote
Yellow Shark, an evening's worth of classical music, that was coloured visually with dance by the Canadian La La La Human Steps.
Zappa was born as Francis Vincent Zappa jr. on December 21st 1940 in Maryland. His parents were Italian imigrants. As a twelve-year-old, he started to
drum Two years later he learnt to compose and switched to guitar. After having been with a lot of groups in the early 60s, he founded The Mothers Of
Invention in 1964. With this group, with continuously changing line-up to meet Zappa's musical demands, famous records like Uncle Meat, Joe's Garage
act I, II, and III, Shut up 'n play your guitar. It gives him hits like Dancin' Fool - a satire on disco - and Valley Girl, in which his daughter Moon
Unit kicks the spoilt Californian children.
Inbetween his musical outings that shine on live recordings, Zappa also works as film producer. His best-known work is probably 200 Motels (with Ringo
Starr). In 1980 there's Baby Snakes, of which the sound track is published. By then Zappa has a tremendous fight with record company Warner Bros. who
wanted to censor him. The case was fought in court. To escape third party interference he founded Zappa Records.
For the last years Zappa battled cancer - the only reason for him not to be a candidate for the presidential elections. Until the end he remained
active and said he didn't care how humanity would think of him after his death. "People who worry about how they're remembered are people like Reagan
and Bush... It doesn't matter to me," Zappa said in May.
---
18-9-1972
Zappa with Grand Wazoo; tantalizing music
by Thom Olink
NOTE: Paul Acket was concert organizer for Houtrusthallen.
The Hague - Zappa will always be a man of surprises. Pleasant ones. He delivers music with many moods. Sometimes he drives you in a big fat American
limo through a beautiful landscape and at other moments he's quartering you.
Since he became a man of status in this country and expressed his thanks for that, Zappa continuously proved his music is changing.
Since the early days of '64 his following tried to imagine what would happen after his accomplices were announced.
Accident
For the trip surrounded with mysteries, that brought him to the Haguian Houtrusthallen, there was one drawback for the organization. Paul Acket (the
organizer) who won the tough battle for this event with major orchestra. The people heard that over 20 musicians flew along, and that the tandem
Kaylan and Volman would be missing. And with the name of bigband Hot Rats - Grand Wazoo (eventually the Mothers of Invention) the suspicions were
given more body. Not a repeat of last year's Ahoy concert that sold out in one day and became history.
No smooth running vocals and big fun with the Turtles, but instrumental music from his most progressive angle. That there is interest in this side of
Zappa was proven last night. Still many thousands in Houtrust, who wanted the bottom of the barrel. While thanking the best audience the band started
without rocking warming-ups. With Frank Zappa, who was evidentally still suffering the consequences of the Rainbow "accident" with a brace around his
leg, as director. With a stick and guitar one rarely heard him play more penetrating than last night.
He clearly received the message from his faithful audience. The programme brought new music, fresh music and sounds known from albums like Uncle Meat
and Ponty's King Kong.
Grand Wazoo, let's use this name for the group of musicians, debuted on 10 September inthe Hollywood Bowl and wraps up a series of 8 concerts next
week in LA.
After Berlin and London, The Hague looked quite favourable in the reactions, and that's justified as the series of compositions by Frank Zappa evolved
into an event that at the very least equated the Ahoy'.
With an old faithful like Ian Underwood (thunderous ovation), with men from his new Waka/Jawaka record, of whom I'd like to name Sal Marquez, and a
very tight reed- brass- and percussion section with allrounders like Mike Altshul, Ray Reed and Bruce Fowler.
The opening number was New Brown Clouds, part of his Adventures of Greggery Peccary, like Hutchentoot (book, film? and certainly album this autumn),
one of the many projects Zappa created overtime. Big Swifty followed, that filled a side of Waka/Jawaka and stimulated thought last night thanks to
Sal Marquez and Zappa.
It became more chaotic with Approximate, for as far as the tightly directing Zappa allows chaos. For Calvin and his next two hitch hikers and Greggery
Peccary may be filled with the voices of both ex-Turtles.
Power
The most beautiful moment between all the musical beauty of the big band music: everything from Stravinsky's L'Histoire du Soldat to Ellington's Black
Brown And Beige and Mingus' The Black Saint and the sinner lady came with "Think it over" (The Grand Wazoo), that stems from his scifi-musical
Hutchentoot.
Music with a power to float away everything and everyone. Marquez, Zappa, Underwood, Jay Migliori (flute), Glen Ferris (trombone and euphonium) and
Earl Dulmer (oboe) were the most notable soloists.
Zappa complained about the hall, that sounded like a cave, but I have to admit that this "hollow" gave this music extra power. Ook loodware
collectieven bleven in alle hevigte helder en onvervormd.
Zappa expressed his thankfulness for the waves of applause with a compilation of Uncle Meat and King Kong, Ponty's record.
Two and a half hours of music composed by Zappa, beautiful!
The Grand wazoo, the big band, will see a repeat for the next tour if it won't lead to financial catastrophe.
What if Zappa has to switch again. So what? Ever since he bafflingly introduced the Mothers in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw he brought grace and
pleasure every year.
Perhaps Paul Acket wanted to open the concert season with more people in the audience. With better music would be impossible.