Frank Zappa - Baby Snakes

All of Frank's albums are great!

Having read all the other reviews, I'd like to focus on the aspect of FZ as an Artist. Because that's what's on display, and is one reason for the extended bit with Bruce Bickford, who I think Frank saw as the claymation-artist version of himself. Someone gives Frank a card, and it has a quote, "The modern-day composer refuses to die," which Frank says must have its proper attribution to Edgar Varese- Edgar Varese was a composer/artist. Watch Frank as he manages to interact with the audience, shake everyone's hand, and sing his lyrics flawlessly. Despite a couple of "Go ---- yourself"s, Frank shows a lot of sensitivity to his young audience. The girl Angel, who basically wants Frank's baby, tries to interject something when he lets her onstage- his response is hilarious: he looks at her as if to say "Are you crazy?" then says, "Sounds like fun," and shuts her up with a munchkin-voiced "Stop it!" The key word to describe FZ here is "masterful," he is in charge every moment. The bit onstage with the toy police car, with the fake trombone-playing, and with Roy E. and his faulty improv with the gas-mask, are all about Frank incorporating something new into his music, improvising, having the band follow his descriptive hand-gestures, only to roll it all up in a ball and throw it in Roy's face, to see what reaction it will get. Was he self-indulgent, egocentric? Sure. Confident and cocky? Absolutely. You can be taken in by it or put off by it. Is the "Poodle Lecture" really a philosophical statement of life on earth? Nah. But it's funny, and draws the audience into his surrealistic world. The blow up doll and the raunchy lyrics, are all part of FZ's assault on mainstream attitudes. In the '60's, he trashed the middle-class, but he trashed the hippies, too. So he was an iconoclast, too. We need more of them.

Zappa released with BABY SNAKES a concert film by which others should be measured. Contained on this DVD rings out truly amazing music played by an amazing band in front of a ravenous audience of stirred up fans. Afficionados of FZ's will eat this one up. Music fans in general should check this one out to witness how a live band should perform UNMITIGATED ENTERTAINMENT. This 2-1/2 hour concert video is interspliced with hilarious backstage antics and mind-boggling claymation by a chap that probably can ONLY do claymation (you'll understand after his cameos). The recording quality of the concert sound resounds clear and strong. Zappa conducts this band at points as if it were a rock orchestra but the TIGHTNESS by which he rehearsed his bands more accurately translates his conduction into a neat little artifact that LIVE, FZ PLAYS HIS BAND JUST LIKE ANY OTHER INSTRUMENT. Some truly inspired live improvisation is documented whereby Uncle Frankie conjures music out of his finely tuned musos (his swirling stage ministrations call to mind a magician!) that only he can create. Buy the DVD and witness singular sonic events that FZ opportunistically captured for us on this wonderful film. The claymation is WAY-TRIPPED OUT: I can only describe the animation as phantasmagorical visual spewings that involve sex, peccaries in car chases, and Billy the Mountain. The animation more than aptly flows alongside Zappa's sonic brain candy. Performed are many classic FZ tunes like "Dinah-Moe Hum" and "Camarillo Brillo" as well as more esoteric rock-orchestrations like "The Black Page" or "Zoot Allures". Prime FZ at the height of his creativity. And this film reveals the maestro to be revelling in every second of the zany stage insanity. You will, too. "The present day composer refuses to die" - indeed, long live Frank Zappa!

I went to this concert, and looking back on it I just went because I thought it would be a happening event. I did think that it was silly and fun, and of course Zappa's solos were amazing. I felt cool because I was into jazz then and more often would go hear something like McCoy Tyner, and not many rock concerts any more. Now I have introduced my kids to this music and am rediscovering what a genius Zappa was, and I feel bad that I missed the point while he was still alive. It is a bit like Alfred Hitchcock, how it was only after he died that I realized he was an artistic genius. I am saying this because of some comments about his not being a good guitar player. Aside from being a superficially foolish comment, it is also deeply idiotic. Zappa was not only a great technician and improvisor, he wrote, arranged and conducted brilliantly, and had a completely original concept of music. You don't have to like it, but you should understand what went into this music -- especially today when the young generation is growing up on some really bland uninspired stuff.Zappa's concerts were like Dadaist events. The only thing missing was a shocked audience that thought they were going to see something like the Jonas Brothers -- like Jimi Hendrix when he was an unknown warmup band for the Monkees.

The video illustrates Frank Zappa's mastery of live performances and the tight playing of his backing musicians. Bruce Bickford's clay animations are fantastic. A few segments could have been deleted to make everything flow more smoothly, but Baby Snakes is still great entertainment.