Originally recorded to be a major movie back in the 70s, but unable to be released due to technical difficulties at the actual Roxy show, the film of Frank Zappa’s legendary 1973 show is finally able to be seen as well as heard.
For this show, Zappa pulled out all the plugs and brought together a bunch of jazzers like George Duke/key and Chester Thompson/dr (who later joined up with Weather Report0 aw well as Ruth Underwood/perc, Ralph Humphrey, Tom Fowler, Bruce Fowler and Napoleon Murphy Brock. During this period, jazz-rock (or fusion) was the rage, and Zappa approaches the genre from the rock point, with some hip guitar solos mixed with a swinging rhythm section
The most surprising thing here is how jazzy Zappa could get. While tunes like “Dog/Meat” and “Echidna’s Art” have deep debts to the likes of Carl Stallings and Spike Jones, the sizzle of percussion on “Cheepnis” is overwhelming, as is the hairpin turns and step on a dime precision of the band between Zappa’s sardonic platitudes. Duke’s bebop vibe comes out on a audience participation of “Be-Bop Tango” which doesn’t come across on the soundtrack as well as on the dvd. Still, the music sounds amazingly fresh for 50 years of waiting to be seen and heard.
The quality of the dvd is analog, so a bit hazy at times, but still worth the visit. On a side note, the introduction to the film has a diatribe against Christians, claiming that they are against “free expression.” which is ironic in that this show would have gotten Mr. Z arrested in any country that didn’t have a Judeo-Christian background.
Eagle Rock dvd