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Royal Library Translations
De Waarheid 14-02-1978
Frank Zappa shadow of his former self
Monday night, Frank Zappa and his band played in the Rotterdam Ahoy-hall The man who once initiated a revolution in pop music with his completely new
music, only managed to harvest a weak applause. Not that it lacked perfection, that's always right with Zappa. It wasn't the length either. Zappa
always gives value for money. But although the Zappa-sound was present on set moments, the soul had disappeared.
Since the fantastic Grand Wazoo-concert five years ago, although the music arose in exceptional circumstances, Zappa repeated himself and turned his
music into a number of clichés that he rolled out flawlessly, but bloodlessly last Monday. Following the Zeitgeist, Zappa gathered more and more
equipment around him.
Another harmful change from my point of view was the disappearance of the sax from his band, while Zappa also had more subtle drummers than Aynsley
Dunbar. Add the annoyed arrogant face of the master himself and you have an image of the concert. Zappa himself is as authoritary as every classical
conductor. It was no disturbance in the past, because the music was fantastic. Now that the music has become less, an injection
of spontaneity wouldn't harm.
What happened to Zappa's music is a justification of the punk-revolution. The jammed Frank Zappa could learn something from punk.
H.v.W.
Limburgsch Dagblad 28 jan 1970
Frank Zappa to Holland Festival?
The Hague, 28 jan - Mr Elsendoorn of the Holland Festival has spoken this weekend with pop musician Frank Zappa on a potential participation of Zappa
in Holland Festival.
The American composer Zappa, who stayed in The Netherlands for several days, wants to perform a concert by his own hand in The Netherlands. Initiall
it was to performed in America and England. These appointments were cancelled. Zappa now hopes to take the world- or European premiere to Amsterdam.
If the meetings with Zappa progress positively,then the Dutch symphony orchestra combined with Frank Zappa and his band, will perform it all.
Limburgsch Dagblad 6 May 1993
Announcement of Z-concert in Unitas in Brunssum, with Shampoohorn picture.
Amigoe, 18 feb 1983
Acket has FZ summoned
Concert organiser Paul Acket had a Haguian bailiff summon the American pop artist FZ to appear before the Gerechtshof in The Hague on April 7. This
summon was placed in an advertisement in the Haagsche Courant, because it's not known where Zappa is at present.
Acket and Zappa have been in conflict for years, because the organiser cancelled a Zappa concert in 1978, when it turned out there was too little
public attention for the presales. Frank Zappa did not agree with that and demanded a settlement through the Haguian court. Acket believed he
protected Zappa from a loss, but the court agreed with the artist.
The Haguian organiser has appealed against this verdict. Zappa's former attorney has no more contact with his client, hence the public call. As far as
we know, Zappa hasn't got a subscription to that newspaper, but Acket's lawyer assumes that perhaps someone from the agency world can contact him.
Limburgsch Dagblad, 2 Jan 1991
FZ doesn't want a school with his name.
Resiliant, principle and going against the grain as always, (anti)rock star Frank Zappa has announced not to be very enthusiastic about the idea of
naming a school after him.
The simple reason Zappa gives is the bad state of education in the USA. The board of Valley Union High School gave 132 ideas for names for a new
school north of Los Angeles, to open in 1995, among the names that of the musician/performer. Zappa graduated at this school himself in 1958. {eh?}
"In view of the miserable conditions of education they'd better name the school after Ronald Reagan," as Zappa commented. FZ recently celebrated his
50th birthday.
Limburgsch Dagblad, 7 Dec 1993
Frank Zappa died of cancer
LOS ANGELES- The rock singer and musician FZ has passed away this weekend, age 52. Zappa suffered prostate cancer and has already been buried in his
home town Los Angeles.
He was known especially for his satiric and extravagant songs. Zappa got his biggest successes in the 60s with his band The Mothers Of Invention. Some
critics called his avantgardistic music genius. Zappa released over fifty albums, among them the bestsellers Freak Out and Hot Rats.
His sharp and raw lyrics often had a social and political content. Before Al Gore became vice-president, among others his wife Tipper was one of
Zappa's prime targets of mockery. Tipper campaigned to make pop music more civilised.
(page 2, article by Louis du Moulin)
Frank Zappa was a creative and critical spirit
Groucho Marx of rock refused to pipe down.
HEERLEN- With Frank Zappa, America lost one of the most creative and critic spirits of the post-war era. Kick down everything that's holy, that was
his speciality, that he practiced in many disciplines. As lyricist, composer, band leader, producer, director and actor the son of Italian immigrants
from Baltimore mocked mercilessly with American society. Inbetween he also acted as discoverer and strict guardian angel of talent. The list of
musicians whose career got jumpstarted by Frank Zappa, is long.
Francis {sic} Vincent Zappa Jr., born on 21 December 1940, got into focus by the mid sixties, with his band The Mothers Of Invention. He -started at
age 12 as drummer but moved to guitar two years later {sic}- had worn down numerous bands and unsuccesfully finished experiments. Such as the never
completed film "Captain Beefheart Meet The Grunt People" {sic},
that left his partner and childhood friend Don van Vliet with his pseudonym.
With The MOI, born from the Soul Giants in 1964, Zappa focused on a-melodical music, which he sometimes called "sound maiming". As an undoubted leader
he mixed rock, jazz and classical music, to which he sang satirical lyrics filled with social commentary. Initially he only reached a small audience,
but along the way - through albums like Hot Rats (1969), Chunga's Revenge (1970) and 200 Motels (1971) he would reach a wider and wider audience.
Hence the fact that for an original "Freak Out" pressing hundreds of guilders are being offered.
Nothing was safe from him. Zapp struck a vicious double strike with the third Mothers-album WOIIFTM, in which both the dominant hippie culture and the
capitalist side of pop music were being mocked. Zappa would never have a good relationship with record companies, if there weren't censorship issues
then there were problems with distribution. Eventually he founded his own label, Zappa Records, in 1988. At that time he could boast an enormous
record production of over forty albums, that had been released by his own name starting with Waka/Jawaka (1972). After that, Zappa overflowed the
marked with reincarnations of old and new works, with as a goal to acquire the capital he believed he was entitled to.
Like a record company bigshot, he held a press conference on the occasion of his last concert visit [to The Netherlands] in Ahoy (May 3, 1988). He let
the world know that he knew very well what his importance was for present-day pop music: "My influence has been that I used techniques on my records,
that non-music school students would never deem possible. You can say that I meant more to musicians than to the average Joe audience that I could
never reach well thhrough radio and television."
The "Groucho Marx of rock", who would occasionally go classical (with Pierre Boules, LSO) placed himself over other present-day composers. "Because I,
as one of the few, am active in all styles and in rock business. I live like a rock artist and play in halls that weren't made for my music, like this
sports hall," said Zappa, who let us know he couldn't do without music for more than 15 to 20 minutes. "It's my calling and for all those years I've
known exactly what to do."
Given this mentality nobody was surprised how active he remained, even after it became known by the end of 1991 that he suffered cancer. Some of the
many projects he started after that were a collaboration with the avant-gardistic Ensemble Modern, with which he gave a series of shows under the code
name Yellow Shark. With the author-president Vaclav Havel Zappa planned to make a movie about his country.
Baseball Bat.
Zappa didn't care how mankind would remember him. "People who worry about being remembered, are people like Reagan and Bush. I don't care," he
confessed on television. He wouldn't grow any milder: "The current age asks for a baseball bat," said Zappa,who had lately battled Tipper Gore, wife
to vice president Al Gore, when she campaigned fiercely against unconventional lyrics on records.
Among the scarce hits FZ scored, were "Dancin' Fool - satire on disco- and Valley Girl, wherein his daughter Moon Unit kicked the spoilt Californian
children. Zappa won a Grammy in 1988. By doing so he remained ahead of his son Dweezil, who's also a respected rock guitarist.
[Edited on 3-8-12 by BBP]
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Telegraaf 4 Dec 1993: announcement Zappa's seriously ill.
Amigoe 18 Dec 1971
Pop musician FZ seriously injured.
The American pop musician FZ, who got international fame with his rock symphony 200 Motels, lies heavily injured with a broken leg and brain damage in
the London hospital. He acquired these injuries in the night of Friday and Saturday last week during a concert. A man suddenly jumped onstage and
grabbed the pop guitarist/singer who landed three meters lower in the orchestra pit. The culprit, 24-year-old worker Trevor Charles Howell has
already been put to court. He would have attacked Zappa because he was angry over the fact that his girl spoke of nothing but FZ.
LD 9 feb 71: FZ too "dirty" for Royal Albert Hall, short announcement on the RAH censorship case.
14 Jan 1972 De Waarheid:
in cinema announcements, 200 Motels is briefly reviewed as a lengthy rush hour, much ado about nothing.
7 July 1982 De Waarheid:
short article describes Geneva incident, concert that ended because somebody threw cigarettes on stage.
8 Jan 77 LD:
Positive review of Zoot Allures, shouldn't be missed in any Zappa collection
13 March 81 LD: press announcement that the Zappa concert with the Residentieorkest will be cancelled.
13-04-74 LD: positive review of Apostrophe with an en passant negative review of Over-Nite Sentation.
8 feb 86 Waarheid:
section of article on the PMRC:
Zappa has always strongly opposed any form of censorship. This can be seen in his lyrics.
Zappa acknowledges the danger of a society in which religious fanatics deal the cards, with all the horrible consequences. In 1979 and 1980 he made
three albums on this subject (Joe's Garage act 1, 2 and 3). The story is about a bad starting out that is being bothered in all ways by shocked
people. Lead character is the Central Scrutinizer, a sort of Big Brother from Orwell's 1984, who has to guard the moral. Zappa has gone in
counter-attack mode. He recorded the entire discussion from the hearing.In snipped form the speeches by the senators have just appeared in the song
Porn Rock on Zappa's newest release FZ meets MOP.
Zappa makes the senators look ridiculous by repeating several statements constantly and distorting them electronically. As if that wasn't enough, he
also mentions them as vocalists on the cover. To be one move ahead of the moral-frustrated, Zappa put a sticker on the record, of which the last line
goes: "If there's a hell, its fire waits for them, not us."
11 Nov 1989
For and By Zappa: Hilarious!
Bio- and autobiographies are rising in popularity in NL. In the past, the genre only seemed to bloom in Anglo-Saxon countries bit in the last few
years - synchronous with the TV-career of Adriaan van Dis? - the lives of Picasso, Sartre, Callas and Capote are bought eagerly in NL. The literary
trade in living pop musicians joins this boost. Miles Davis is coming up, and FZ, who has also passed midlife crisis, is in stores now.
-By Wim van Klaveren.
TRFZB is the name of the autobiography FZ wrote in collaboration with journalist Peter Ochiogrosso. One of the reasons to release this book is,
according to the controversial genius, to add to the mountain of nonsense that has been written about him, some real stuff. In a number of short,
catchy chapters he tells about his childhood in Baltimore, Florida and California, and his introduction to music (among others Edgard Varése, and Igor
Stravinsky) and the first band in which he played, that already gave him a collision with the establishment.
He claims never to have used narcotics. A white raven among people of his generation and trade, like Captain Beefheart, Eric Clapton, Paul Simon and
Jimi Hendrix. Those colleagues get solos in anecdotes where the life of Zappa and the MOI members are given commentary.
Particularly the brutal emphasis on complicated sexual highlights caused a commotion among American and Dutch audience. By the end of the 60s, a Zappa
performance in the VPRO-show Picnic resulted into parliamental questions!
The interaction between Zappa and authorities never went without problems. The book gives several examples. For instance, he printed records of a
trial from 1975 in England, because [FZ's} lyrics would be damaging to the moral. Reading it is a pure slapstick experience. But the most interesting
bit is where Zappa talks abouthis music. That's the terrain where he performs his creative, innovating work. In a large chapter he answers questions
about the nature of music, the differences between composing for rock band and symphony orchestra, the relation to lyrics and music, etcetera.
It's a pity that a large part of the enormous amount of records Zappa made is barely touched. Nor is there much talk about the various musiciand he
worked with in the past, although there were some interesting characters there. When you worked with people like Ian Underwood, George Duke, Eddie
Jobson,Flo and Eddie, Randy Brecker and Johnny Guitar Watson, there has to be something you can say about it.
The book contains many entertaining stories about Zappa's chaotic family life, his kids and his 24-hour work days, but the main line is his
never-ending battle against censorship.
Because of his free lyrics Zappa frequently collided with authorities, like the 1975 trial showed, but also record executives and radio bosses like to
control the red pencil.
As Zappa found out during the Edison award ceremony, which he won in 1968 for WOIIFTM, that a few lines were cut out of the original take. Although it
was about an innocent, misunderstood line, he refused the award, with the argument that the work of the censor would be awarded instead of his
work.
Senate hearings.
The fight against censorship peaks in Zappa's activities combating the PMRC, the Parents Music Resource Center, a committee of worried women nd
senators, that pleads for an age check for records, similar to film check.
Zappa appeared before several senator committees to speak out against them. (A result of it can be found on the LP FZ meets MOP).
In the last part, Zapa blurts his opinions on the world and its suburbs, in which every possible and impossible subject (Star Wars, beer,
televangelists, South Africa) is touched. This is exhaustive for the readers. Once you regain your puff, you can close the book with the feeling to
have had some fine hours of entertainment bythe anthropologist of pop music, as he calls himself. And then to play some of the records that were given
the stepmother treatment in the book.
{First edition cost Fl 49,50.}
3 Dec 1971 De Waarheid
Review of 200 Motels record that calls it a chaotic circus.
18 sep 1984 Waarheid
A journey with Frank Zappa
Sunday night the sports palace Ahoy was filled to the roof for the rock giant FZ. The stage was opened so that even behind the podium the audience
could watch most of the show. Zappa's music is almost undefinable, but a cross betweenrock 'n roll and latin rock, yes even reggae is in his
repertoire. The opening Chuckers Revenge struck like lightning.
Variation by short solos by the well playing band. Tight but relaxed, operating in the form in which Zappa feels best. With numerous solos by band
members he sits on a chair and takes it all in calmly. Even applauds and encourages.
His own solos are like a cutting sword. With a burning cigarette on the neck of his guitar he lets the audience enjoy a class that would've been lost
with most musicians at age 43.
Singing too isn't just for Zappa. Keyboard player Bobby Martin sang a tearing piece called Whipping Post. Ike Willis and Ray White too let hear a warm
part of the singing.
Zappa loves to play almost everything segue. With a few breaks of not more than 5 seconds long the first part of the show was completed.
For an encore FZ had two acs of almost twenty minutes. With bouquets of pink and red roses Zappa left satisfied for the dressing room.
For the audience that didn't get fiery enthusiastic until the very end, this was a memorable concert. In any case for yours truly it was important
that Zappa himself seemed to have so much fun with it that he choked in his own jokes. To the delight of audience and the other band members.
-Roeland de Bruyn.
LD 29 July 1992
YCDTOSA informative review
LD 18 feb 1981
Notice that Crush box set is delayed again, this time because FZ wanted to release it on his own label. Also mentions FZ will be guest of honour on
Holland Festival.
LD 25 jan 1991
Note in larger article that FZ will be invited as guest of honour by the Czech government.
LD 23 aug 1973
Notification that FZ will come to the Amsterdamse Concertgebouw on Sept. 9.
6 Sept 94, Amigoe:
Under the header "Heavenly Zappa", announcement of the asteroid named after FZ.
25 oct 1969, Friese koerier
announcement that MOI split.
LD 16-nov-1974
Ten years FZ: ten stormy years of the phenomenon. Calls FZ's contribution to popular music unique: one of the first to use classical themes in his
work. Follows with positive review of Roxy & Elsewhere.
8 Jan 1972 waarheid:
Negative review on the Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser-book,calls it sickening.
7 May 1988 Waarheid
Zappa-concert: Anthology of 20 years of genial madness.
Tuesday May 3rd. On the Ahoy-stage there's an 11-piece band ("orchestra" would be a better description), in it many familiar faces. The conductor
first reads out the programme he compiled just before the start and signals to commence the first musical adventure, the piece Black Page. FZ is in NL
again, his audience is happy.
By Arjan Boonacker and Martin Zijlema
A strikingly mild and friendly FZ on the press conference prior to the two Ahoy concerts.
Even the usual stupid Veronica {note: Dutch low-brow broadcaster) are dealt with using only mild sarcasm. "Do you still want to become president of
the USA?" "Not just this week," is the answer. He'll talk more about his recently re-sparked passion for guitar playing. He hadn't touched a string in
almost 4 years, but the lure was there again: "Classical composing isn't everything. I write what I want and it gives me the advantage I can sometimes
make a nice and dirty song."
There's enough dirty songs on Zappa's latest baby: YCDTOSA. Recently part one from a seried of six (!) double CDs was released. A collection of
live-recordings from the era 1968-1988. Some well-known, others previously unreleased. Some 24-track digital recordings, others with a mini-recorder
in a bar in The Bronx. And all that through each other. There won't be a more complete synopsis of Zappa's work. An anthology of 20 years of genial
madness as he can still give today. But we'd see that later in the evening.
Concert.
The theme of the Zappa '88 World Tour is Broadway The Hard Way: old material (often rearranged), new songs, covers from Beatles (note: Zappa-style)
and all what with a light whim of theatre, played in an area that is by definition not suited for that.
There were barely new pieces played last Tuesday. Why became clear after the break, when Zappa read the setlist of Wednesday's concert. On this was
the lion's share of the new material.
The concert was a party for the hardcore fan and an impressive introduction for the uninitiated. In a high tempo, oldies like Ain't Got No Heart, Find
Her Finer, Advance Romance, Peaches En Regalia, More Trouble Every Day and Penguin in Bondage (with the new Zappa-expletive fishbone) rapidly followed
eachother, in which there was no rest for the audience or the band members. That band, plus five wind instruments, put the musical execution in a
cheerful but disciplined style. Quick riffs, absurd transitions and comlex time signatures were no problem.
Zappa hmself was in a good mood and made this clear by putting on a captain's hat. Besides his own work, some classic rock songs were performed, among
them some Beatles: the final taboo. And so it could happen that during the tones of Strawberry Fields Forever the lyrics had suddenly changed into
"Let Me Take You Down 'cause we're Going to the Texas Motel. Don't Mind The Smell (...)", much to the delight of the audience.
Fantastic was the closer, Ravel's Bolero. Catching, with a stellar part for trombone player Bruce Fowler (an oldie for the Zappa-connaisseurs). Three
times more the old master and his orchestra returned and during the reggae-version of Stairway To Heaven the first knickers came on stage. We call it
audience participation. And that couldn't be missed either.
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7 dec 84 Amigoe
Positive review of Them Or Us.
16 June 79 Amigoe
Positive review of Sheik Yerbouti
28 jan 70 Waarheid
FZ has apparently said he wanted to organize a festival in NL: sadly, the article is cut off towards the side.
17-12-71 Amigoe
Doubtingly positive review of 200 Motels film which premiered in a packed Ahoy, all 8500 seats sold. Author points out that FZ has gotten more
commercial.
12 dec 1985 LD:
Article on the first Zappa-day in Eindhoven, organized by my friend Guus Veldhuis and premiere of Dub Room Special videos. Entry was FL 7,50
29 nov 71, Waarheid:
MOI or the Mothers of Top-pop entertainment.
Saturday at 8:15 everybody who had managed to get a ticket could enjoy the rapidly-sold-out Zappa-fest. It was definitely worth the effort to travel
to the Ahoy-hall. Thousands went with the Zappa-express to Rotterdam, so that railway workers didn't know what to do with the stuffed trains and
bursting metro. Those were the signs of a sold-out Ahoy-hall.
Almost exactly in time the lights went out and the peep-peep-grunt sounds of Ian Underwood and Don Preston rang from the speakers until everybody was
onstage and the party ready to start.
Call Any Vegetable was the opening song, Volman and Kaylan brought it to greater heights than on the Absolutely Free-record. The extensive
instrumental part was also fine. After Sharleena and an instrumental part of Burnt Weeny Sandwich there was a technical problem with the synthesizer,
that was easily fixed. Then Zappa asked if the lyrics could be understood and they started singing a bit of Duch: Ik wil vloerbedekking onder een
vette zwevende sofa. A sort of prayer was put on too, with spot-on dialogues and every time the lights came from the sky, a large spotlight that
flashed a beam from the stage into the audience and up.
The ex-Turtles turned it into a cabaret with their wits and jokes. With some new songs and Cruising for Burgers and Dog bread {sic} off Uncle Meat,
there was a 15-minute intermission. Then it started: Peaches en Regalia and Tears Began To Fall off Fillmore East were received with applause. The
bass-part was barely heard in the last song and on the whole, Jim Pons was a bit below level, except for the dialogues. Howard Kaylan gave a
beautiful addition in the song Practisan and practicy.
Quickly they continued with the much-mentioned song Billy The Mountain. Billy The Mountain is the story of a mountain where on the steep side, there
is a tree named Ethel. One day, Billy (Kaylan) says to Ethel (Mark Volman) that they're going on vacacion to New York. Especially in this part, the
dialogues are hysterical. Every moment, the radio reporter (Pons) gets inbetween to report the journey. The hall was roaring; when they came from Las
Vegas into Amsterdam and visited Soestdijk {a royal palace} and via Berlin ended up in New York. This extensive song with beautiful songs by
respectively Don Preston on synthesizer, Ian Underwoon on alto sax, who brought King Kong off Uncle Meat back to life, and a grand drum solo by
Aynsley Dunbar, who keeps on drumming furiously all night, was very good. Especially when Zappa's solo started, the audience was impressed and joined
in, clapping rhythmically. In the evening concert by the Mothers, there's so much fired at you that words are not enough to summarize it all, you must
have been there.
As an encore, several songs off 200 Motels were played and the showstopper I Wanna Hold Your Hand by the Beatles. This all in continuing applause with
which many in the audience stood on their chairs.
This show filled with original ideas on music and lyrics was a truly grand party for the Zappa-fans.
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1983: A parrot named Zappa is named bird of the year.
7 jan 71, Waarheid
Ridiculously immature pissfest review of 200 Motels.
22 Sep 73 LD:
Negative review of O-S: called disappointing and chaotic although praising the musicianship and three songs.
8 jan 77 LD:
Positive review of ZA. The master Zappa keeps on intriguing his fans.
Apparently there's a Danish children's film called Zappa. Which is the name of the nasty goldfish of the big bad.
8 Sep 78 Waarheid:
Announces the cancellation of the festival in Zuiderpark. Names other performers: The Tubes and The Boomtown Rats.
28 May 88 Amigoe
Zappa even mangles Beatles.
is many young fans won't know, but FZ once sang a Dutch song. Geef mij wat vloerbedekking onder deze vette zwevende sofa, was the name of that bizarre
song that, apart for three bootlegs, never appeared on record. It happened in 1971.
During a press meeting in NL it became clear that the 47-year-old centipede, who can put lyricist, composer, guitarist, band leader, producer and
talent scout in his passport, is marching off to war again.
Beatles
A young journalist wanted to know why he always mangled the Beatles? Zappa easily came with an answer. "What's so holy about those boys?" Or even
stronger: "Why shouldn't somebody piss on their shoes". FOr a similar reason he found it necessary to deal with the classic Led Zeppelin-song
Stairway To Heaven. "We do something they never succeeded in: we add humour," Zappa said to defend his choice.
His hideous MOI have moved over for 11 people who most mothers in laws would want to boast. But the other ingredients are still there. Moreso than
during previous visits to NL Zappa chose a high difficulty level. As if he hadn't promised to put down his guitar for good in 1984, it was string
wonder Zappa who demanded the lead. Sinister Footwear, Trouble Every Day, and Green Hotel were some of the many songs that got a lengthy guitar solo.
That was a shame. Although Zappa is technically soloing fine, his chord schemes reach a too little area to keep focused on for too long.
"If I go on tour, I'll have to play guitar," he'd said this afternoon. "I can hardly look at how the band is playing from the edge. It wouldn't be bad
for me to use my machine, but I don't think the audience would buy a ticket for that. No matter how good the music is."
Much guitar
A lot of guitar, but also a lot of "musical theatre", as Zappa likes to call his current show. The term "Broadway the Hard Way" wasn't picked for the
good sound. "Broadway means musical-like elements and hardway means that it's damned hard to perform something like it in a hall that was made for
cycling races."
Even so, he succeeded well to give more than a traditional rock show from the 105 songs he had studied. articularly his 5-part wind section gave the
material with the tooting a cheerful aspect. Sometimes they threatened to get derailed, but there was conductor Zappa and his rhythm tandem to bring
them back in line.
BTHW grew into a show that balanced between technical perfection and musical anarchy. Perhaps Zappa had never desired as much discipline or quality
playing from his bands as he did now. Zappa dared to pick up Ravel's Bolero in his programme. Strangely enough his own version did not clash with his
typical rocksongs like Joe's Garage and the Illinois Enema Bandit.
It's a sign of his confidence (some call it arrogance driven to the max) to put his pupils under so much pressure.
This afternoon he related of his belief in his capabilities. "I expect to be appreciated later as a man who encouraged musicians to get more out of
themselves than they ever deemed possible. Because let's be honest: playing with me is the best school a musician can wish for. My band members play
on a higher level than most music school graduates."
Voting tips
Clear speech, but who expected anything different? Zappa is not the type to use worn cliches and caution to talk about his fellow men. If he's asked
for an advice on who to vote for in the American elections, he does not mince words.
He goes: "Bush was once head of the CIA and you can never get free from that. With him at the helm, the CIA will be in the White House. Dukakis is
soooooo boring and Jackson is an opportunistic little fuck."
Primarily that last remark deserves some explanation. Zappa answers with pleasure: "Jackson always said that Martin Luther King died in his arms, but
in reality that was different. He was near, heard of the assault and ran over there to cover his hands in blood. Then he told that story to everybody
who wanted to hear it.
The presidential aspirations he outed himself seem to have faded away. "Not this week, maybe next week", he hinted when asked. A clear indication that
he even likes to put humour in serious business.
18 Sep 72 De Waarheid
FZ as genuine conductor.
Listening to FZ and his orchestra, the question pops up inevitably what on earth is pop. This strange concept is barely able to cover music like that
of Randy Newman, Eric Burdon and aforementioned Zappa. There is probably no use to try to find out, even though some time a musicologist will graduate
on it. Sticking labels becomes mind-numbening work in the long run.
FZ with an alternative big-band in the Houtrusthallen. With such an event one must be prepared for anything: just like on his records it can exceed
expectations or disappoint. The concert in The Hague - one of the three this group gives in Europe) wasn't exactly overwhelmingly good. Perhaps it had
something to do with the fact that they had only just flown in that afternoon, but the songs that were depending on solos were rather annoying, and
there were plenty. Zappa's own solos were unlike what can be expected from him, the trumpet solos we often heard were all trite. Zappa stood like a
genuine conductor on a platform waving a baton {author uses derogatory term stokkie}, but that didn't always help as much.
The pieces that depend on structure were a lot more bearable. Zappa knows how to screw together very clever things, balancing the big-band kitsch and
experimental sounds. When they're at their best, the Hot Rats Orchestra gives a sound thats as wonderful and fascinating as the fact of his existence
itself. Which led to the deep question about the Meaning of Pop.
Touring with this miraculous company is a dangerous enterprise. You have a lot of pretence to make up to, and you don't do that by playing a half hour
long mediocre solo to a barely changing background. And that was what happened a lot.
So Frank, if you'd like to do me a favour, bring the good ol' MoI next time.
-Bas vd Horst.
9 Nov 1974 De Waarheid
Immature pissing review of Roxy & Elsewhere.
2 March 79 De Waarheid
Another not too mature review by the same author, this time on Sheik Yerbouti.
7 Dec 1993 Amigoe
Nothing and no-one safe from rock-gramps.
Parents were filled with horror by the lyrics. Homosexuals were offended. The american union against libel attacked him on his song jewish princess.
Countless people demanded apologies, but the long-haired rock-gramps FZ refused stubbornly.
Although the American singer who passed away last weekend tended towards the political left, nothing or no-one was safe from his sharp tongue. His
satirical lyrics crossedall ideological viewpoints, colliding with both the American human rights activist Jesse Jackson and televangelists. Main line
was criticism on the American disposable society.
His criticism didn't spare the wife of current vice-president Al Gore either. Tipper, and the wife of former secretary of foreign affairs James Baker,
Susan. In 1985 Zappa showed he was peeved by their aim to grade lyrics by putting warnings on the cover.
As witness to the state committee, he mocked the group of "bored Washington wives". The duo would want to subject all composers and performers to
censorship, just because of the lyrics of a few musicians. "Masturbation isn't forbidden. Why should it be outlawed to sing about it then?"
Zappa, born in 1940 in Baltimore, grew up in California. He was the son of a meteorologist, who studied toxic gasses for the army. There were gas
masks everywhere in the house, in case something went wrong while testing.
The self-taught artist began his musical career in 1956 as drummer in the school band The Ramblers from San Diego. But he could leave soon enough. He
earned his first bread with soundtracks and dance music. Ten years later he recorded his first album with his own group the MOI. The LP Freak Out was
the breakthrough for the enfant terrible of pop music.
His best known song is probably the society-critical Bobby Brown off the album Sheik Yerbouti, from 1979. And that at the zenith of the disco wave,
and at the time radio stations in America boycotted his band. In 1987 Zappa received a Grammy for his LP Jazz From Hell {sic} with instrumental
music.
With Jimmy {sic} Hendrix Zappa developed himself into the most fruit-bearing representative of American underground-pop of the 60s. The virtuoso
singer and guitarist was always crossing borders, who had a place for neoclassical music in his heart, as well as for rock and jazz.
The Zappa performances were often a massive show. In his wild age, he'd spray litres of whipped cream into the audience. On posters he presented his
bare behind over a toilet seat. At his last performance of the clasical composition The Yellow Shark in September 1992 in the old opera house of
Frankfurt, Zappa bore the signs of the destructive prostate cancer.
Among the fans who mourn his death, is Vaclav Havel, one of the most well-known fans. In the transit away from socialism he named FZ "special cultural
attache", but Washington prevented that. Eventually the American didn't shy away from capitalism anymore. "It doesn't matter what social bite is given
to people by the state. If private ownership is not allowed, such a state is doomed to failure."
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3 Apr 1991 Telegraaf
Article on DZ covering Stayin' Alive with Donny Osmond.
24 Dec 75 De Waarheid
Grouchy Bongo Fury review.
12 June 91 Telegraaf
Interview with Dweezil Zappa on Confessions.
10 Sep 1973 Waarheid
Zappa works according to plan again
Frank Zappa made it up to us again. After his concert last night in Amsterdam, we'll attribute the miserable performance with the 20-iece Hot Rats
Orchestra to the head wound he got in London at hands of an individual that looked suspiciously like ex-Mothers bass player Jeff Simmons, but
wasn't.
Personally I (almost) always preferred Zappa's instrumental work over the theatrical songs, that would sometimes work on surprisingly cheap effects.
The group that had joined in the Concertgebouw last night, under the name of MOI, was almost entirely focused on instrumentality. The most remarkable
character in the group at the moment is Jean-Luc Ponty, who plays electrical violin. Ponty was very excited in his solos, not as emphasizing the
technical highlights like Don Harris, but much more inventively.
Zappa himself played a lot and prettiy inbetween his usual conducting. That last function is not surplus, because he doesn't make it easy for his
company with his bizarre compositions.
Sometimes, such a segue between tempo-, theme- and soloist-changes sounds a bit forced: you get the idea Frank is playing "Who doesn't join in, is
out" with his band, but it's usually justified. The improvised sections with simpler background did not appear to be less than the compositions, which
was caused by the soloists, who were all in the mood. It's good to know that Zappa's brain works according to plan again and that the Master does not
need to surround himself with surplus musicians. Even if it won't surprise anyone if he brings a barrel organ to the Concertgebouw next time.
17 Mar 79 Waarheid
Not in depth, but positive review of Sheik.
24 Dec 71 Waarheid
Uninterested TV-review of the VPRO 200 Motels documentary: calls it amateuristic.
21 Oct 68 Waarheid
The MOI
Last night, the MOI gave two concerts in the Amsterdam concertgebouw. IN the reasonably filled hall I visited the first concert. This American group
that passes as progressive (two drummers, a tambourin player, two saxes, Hammond-organ, bass, solo guitar) made a very conservative impression on me.
Leader FZ used a tight organization and let little initiative of his band members pass. The MO before the break was, Zappa handed out a couple of
chords to his musicians and the drummers played beat rhyth,; when they had gotten into the tempo, a couple of annoyingly long solos vame, and we
noticed the tenor sax came to a reasonable Herman-Schoonderwalt-level. The rest wouldn't have even gotten into the finals of a Jazz contest
(Loosdrecht) in light of their inventivity. A disaster was the boy, who sat for half an hour crouched with the tambourine and tried to play a bit of
baritone sax.
Also with the added 30-year-old themes, the amplified saxes and the constant un-changing sound, this concert remained dozy before the intermission.
After the break came a number of humorous spoofs (English pop, Italian beat, American conditions) with excellent monologues by Zappa. The text in the
fifth piece seemed excellent, but the little musical material and the poor soloing became vexatious, although they put in a sound barrier and a choir
Except for the transitions, I thought the oriental piece for two clarinets and solo guitar the best of the concert.
It's a pity to find that their records, where it's clear they've selected from a large amount of material, are a lot better inventively.
The most curious is that Zappa boasts, according to the F 2,25 costing programme filled with nonsense, contrasting characters like Varèse, Strawinsky,
Boulez, Stockhousen {sic}. Come on, you can add more. He appeared to have learned very little from his French-American idol the composer Edgar Varese
+ {sic} in view of the concert last night, and I wonder what he thinks of his fellow American Charles Ives +. {Pluses are to indicate said person is
deceased}
Satirizing the American conditions and politics is excellent, but what they have done to themselves, sold out to thir agency and one must pay f20 to
attend their concerts.
25 Sep 67 Friese koerier
MOI photo and "warning".
1 Oct 68 LD
Brief article about the concert in Essen on the Internationale Songtage: newspapers had written against the "fests for slow-minded boozers", with
rebellious audience screaming for Zappa.
Using a chair, a microphone was thrown behind a lady on the run, with a plank a TV was tipped over, and conductor Kriwet was pushed in the back Until
FZ and his Mütter der Eingebung appeared on stage and the subculture briefly cherished the true Underground-atmosphere. Zappa: "Please keep cool. I
know you are under pressure." Deutschland wakes up. Does Germany wake up?
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24 Dec 71 LD, quotes section:
"I don't like those drop-outs who want to throw away everything at the same time, even the useful stuff. You know, living in a hut on the heath,
pumping water out of the ground and eating home-grown radishes. Those people should realize, that if it goes on like that and everbody who doesn't see
it anymore drops out, in ten years there will be no more huts on the heath with clean water coming out of the pump. And then their radishes won't grow
all too well anymore either."
28 Oct 80 LD
Apparently FZ appeared in a documentary on the Dutch Wind Ensemble.
28 Nov 1981 Waarheid
Apparently FZ contributed to the film More Than A Concert, by Roeland Kerbosch.
12 Jun 71 LD
Positive review of FZ sampler Mother's Day.
18 Mar 1976 Waarheid
Apparently FZ signed a petition against closing the student restaurant on the Damstraat {street in Amsterdam}. I guess he probably hasn't eaten
there.
{rimshot}
4 Sep 71 Waarheid:
Positive and extensive review of Fillmore East.
23 Aug 75 LD:
Timidly positive OSFA review.
25 Jul 67 Amigoe
Reviews the café a gogo (unknown location) where you could pay 2 and a half dollar to enter a type of cinema where you could listen to the MOI. Says:
"The Mothers are getting more and more popular in the Village. Buttons with texts like Frank (Zappa) for Mayor and the Mothers for Government are
being sold. I love Frank-shirts are also available."
23 Sep 72 LD
Review calls W/J a pleasant album.
20 Sep 83 LD
Frank Zappa is going to release a musical on Broadway, entitled "The Works". The show, that was previously just entitled "Zappa", will probably
premiere in 1984.
12 July 78 Waarheid
Not so positive review of Live In New York.
8 Now 75 LD
Positive review of Bongo Fury.
31 jan 84 Amigoe
Announcement that FZ is working with Pierre Boulez on Perfect Stranger.
17 Dec 71 Amigoe
Fair review of 200 Motels film.
2 Nov 79 Amigoe
"Angry fans of the American pop phenomenon Frank Zappa blew up the toilet in his house. As a revenge because Zappa refused to give an encore during a
concert in his residential city.
22 Aug 67 Amigoe
A girl, an electronic organ, an electronical harpsichord, an ordinary piano. Enormous, gigantic amplifiers and speakers, three timpani, two gongs, a
triangle, bass, solo guitar, a well looked after drum kit, a bunch of tambourines, that is the gear of the MOI, who give four shows every day in the
café au Go Go in the New Yorkish artist neighborhood: Greenwich Village (Bleeker Street). 8 musicians and a girl (I have no idea what she's doing
there) approach their record sound which is also becoming known on Curacao by now. FZ plays solo guytar, makes dark jokes, and scolds america. When he
plays he turns out to be a fantastically good guitarist.
Oh yes, there's more. An alto sax, trumpet, flute, a flute and more of those things to blow on. Winds.
The timing of the band is enormously perfect. Jokes (sometimes silly) and small shows (like one with a dog that shits yoghurt) are mixed in with
excellent songs, that were almost all new to me. The psychedelic lights didn't work, but the MOI managed to get the audience wildly enthusiastic.
19 Oct 1967 LD
Quote page:
FZ - "In every village there's a village idiot, but he's accepted. People are scared of things they don't understand."
17 Jun 72 LD
Positive review of JABFLA.
18 Feb 1970 LD
Right next to a hilarious Freudian dissertation on the characters of De Fabeltjeskrant, there's an article announcing FZ's possible participation in
the Holland Festival: the festival people are enthusiastic about the score, but they fear he came a bit too late to still be added to the programme.
Intended musicians were: MOI, Nederlands Blazersensemble, slagwerkgroep Amsterdam and freelance strings with Christiaan Bor and Emmy Verhey.
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Piccies!
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8-12-89
There's resistance against Phil Collins playing on May 4th, which is Remembrance Day in The Netherlands, when all WW2 victims are being remembered
with 2 minutes of silence at 8 o'clock. The article states that in the FZ concert of 4 May 1988, there were two minutes of silence at 20:00.
8 Jul 83: Amigoe
50-50 review of TMFU
12 Mar 88 Amigoe
Reports on FZ's attempts to get kids into politics.
19 Jun 81 Nieuw Israelietisch Weekblad
Announces FZ will be in Holland Festival.
25 Sep 67 Nieuwsblad van het Noorden
Musical slapstick in Concertgebouw
A jam session by nine American village idiots: that was the impression of several minutes of the MOI concert.
Rarely the Amsterdam Concertgebouw had a stranger audience than last night. The hall was filled with ringing, whistling, overly hip fans, who were
probably completely surprised by the overwhelming show of The Mothers. The group is one of the first formations who lets so-called freak out-music
ring from the amplifiers. What could be heard now, can best be described as musical slapstick.
All pop styles of the past 10 years, skillfully mixed with snippets of jazz (varying from dixie to free) were mixed together. The name MOI created in
the States was also maintained in Amsterdam. The nine made very obscene gestures during the show. Leader FZ, the man who recently got into the news by
letting himself be photographed in drag and with his pants down, conducted it all sternly.
12 Feb 79 Waarheid
Sleep Dirt review snippet that only says "he's learnt to play guitar a lot".
25 Feb 71 LD
Author calls the FZ VPRO doc "filth" and nags about the pillarization.
25 Apr 84 Amigoe
Announcement FZ will perform Francesco Zappa in May in SF.
22 Aug 70 LD
Very positive review of Ponty's King Kong.
6 Jun 81 Waarheid
Why Another Live Album review on TTR.
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24 Feb 1973 LD
Confused but positive review of The Grand Wazoo.
4 Jul 92 Telegraaf
In a competition looking for creative definitions for words, somebody describes zeppelin as "wife of Frank Zappa".
28 Oct 67 LD
In an article on drugs becoming more and more popular in the states, one paragraph is devoted to the MOI showing their eschewing of drugs. "Frank
Zappa said in an interview with Hitweek, as a reply to whether or not one should stay away from LSD: "I think it's a disastrous narcotic in comparison
to music. But I think a lot of people will be pissed off when you tell them to stop. I don't tell anybody anything. When someone wants to explode his
chromosomes, that's his business. The only thing I care about is that people get interested into politics.""
25 Sep 71 LD
Uncertain review of Fillmore, praising the lyrics but is negative about the musicianship.
14 Aug 91 Telegraaf
Quotes list
Dweezil 'son of' Zappa:
"The only thing I really shouldn't do to my father is become label-manager of a record company. I'd get kicked out of the house immediately."
11 Jul 70 LD:
The GTO's get a positive review.
31 Dec 1993 Telegraaf:
In & Out / Hot Or Not:
Frank's tash is In.
25 Apr 87 Amigoe: FZ mentioned in an article about Tom Waits, whose name in the title is misspelled as Tom Waist.
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BBP
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Thread Opened
7-8-2012 at 18:29 |
BBP
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De Waarheid
Initially the magazine of the Communist party, became a resistance newspaper in 1940 during the German occupation. Its makers were persecuted by the
Germans: many of its makers lost their lives over it. After the liberation it became the biggest newspaper of Neth.: as one of the few it spoke out in
favour of Indonesian independence. When the Cold War came, De Waarheid became isolated as communist newspaper, the Dutch CIA noted all its
subscribers. The newspaper was not depending on the Soviet Union and opposed the Russian suppression of the Prague Spring. De Waarheid dissolved in
1990 after the Dutch communist party disbanded.
Limburgsch Dagblad
Regional paper of the south-east province Limburg, became part of Telegraaf in 1971. Still exists. Abbreviated to LD in my posts.
Amigoe
Newspaper in the Dutch language, focuses on the Netherlands Antilles and resides on Curacao. Since 1884.
Telegraaf
Dutch national newspaper with penchant for sensation and celebs, known for lack of nuance.
Friese Koerier
Regional newspaper of the Northern province Friesland, appeared between 1952 and 1969, later became Leeuwarder Courant.
Nieuw Israelietisch Weekblad
Jewish weekly magazine since 1865.
Nieuwsblad Van Het Noorden
Oddly, this one NvhN article didn't show up in my earlier Northern translations. NvhN appeared in Groningen and Drenthe and Friesland for the first
time in 1888, merged into Dagblad van het Noorden in 2002.
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BBP
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Thread Moved
13-6-2023 at 20:41 |
BBP
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Thread Untopped
13-6-2023 at 21:23 |
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