Frank Zappa - Jazz From Hell
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CD Details
Artist: Frank ZappaEdition: Music CD
Format: Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 1995-05-02
Music Label: Zappa Records
Product features:
- Frank Zappa
- Night School
- The Beltway Bandits
- While You Were Art ll
- Jazz From Hell
- G-Spot Tornado
- Damp Ankles
- St. Etienne
- Massaggio Galore
Music reviews of Jazz From Hell
Music Review: FZ Journal Entry #3.5
Rating: 4 Stars
Awhile back I subconsciously discarded the original version of G-Spot Tornado. Being in the Music Education field, and having a strong emotional reaction to the Yellow Shark version, I decided that if I wanted to listen to that piece, I should listen to the Ensemble Modern's (seemingly definitive) version. However, listening to the original today in class stood the hairs on my arms on end, while the Yellow Shark version seemed too familiar. Although I had decided to listen to Freak Out (an album I have mixed feelings about) during my readings today, a combination of inspiration and circumstances led to me to listen to another of my favorites, Jazz From Hell.
My first experience with Jazz From Hell was from MTV (or maybe VH-1) Believe it or not, there is a video of G-Spot Tornado that was shown super-ultra-late night on one of those early networks. The video stuck in my mind until a college friend of mine who was into Steve Vai , who I got into because of David Lee Roth (another rebellious musical selection), suggested I check it out.
Of course, Vai barely plays on this album. With the exception of St. Etienne, Jazz From Hell is comprised of Frank's synclavier work. At its most accessible, it features Night School, which could have easily been the theme song for an `80's cop drama. Many of the other tracks could also sneak their way into the `80's soundscape by way of compositional strength, but may not be so accessible to the average listener, with G-Spot Tornado being the most obvious exception.
However, even with his least accessible (herein referred to as "out" or "outside") works have a strength that has long been a fascination of mine in regards to Frank's music, and that is one of melody. Doubtlessly, Frank's idea of melody is not easily digestible, but as one familiarizes oneself with his work, his melodic conception makes itself apparent.
Most importantly, I think that his treatment of melody represents an interesting syncretization between American/German the African/American traditions, and that Jazz From Hell stands as a testimony to the possible common ground between these two. Of course, by American/African, I mean the blues tradition. His stylistic predilection towards "really long" guitar solos is an expression of this appreciation towards this tradition. In the blues, "really long" solos are improvised, and take into account the sort of inner directed temporality that Ed Sarath mentions in his article "A New Look at Improvisation". However, his type of temporality does readily not make itself apparent on studio recordings, and the recording studio was as much an instrument of Zappa's as the guitar.
To compensate for the lack of immediate interaction, Zappa created a "stream-of-consciousness" melodic concept. By this I mean that pieces are easily identified by feel, key, timbre, and context, but that the obvious melody seems to be improvised. Although we know that Zappa had very specific melodic ideas, the melodies of the songs on Jazz From Hell are not easily accessible. For example, the guitar playing in St. Etienne displays the cohesiveness of the blues, but has very little melodic repetition. This concept is omnipresent on Jazz From Hell, even in the "composed" pieces.
The Lowdown: Jazz from Hell is a great representation of Frank's melodic concept , but is most certainly not a for a Zappa "beginner". After owning the album for probably ten years, I'm just beginning to make sense of it - but it DOES make sense.
Description of Jazz From Hell
Japanese reissue of 1986 album, packaged in a miniature LP sleeve. Ryko.Alternative Rock CDs
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