Published on Apr 26, 1998
Today, we continue with our year-long look at
You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore, the six-volume set that
can be considered
the piece to own when looking to discover the many facets of
the late Frank Zappa.
You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Volume 2 featured the
only complete concert in the entire series, a 1974 show recorded in
Helsinki, Finland. It’s a strange choice for Zappa to have made,
despite the fact it’s a great show. But for the newer fan, some of
this might be a little confusing.
Featuring many of the songs that can also be found on the live
album
Roxy And Elsewhere (one which I really should dig out and
listen to again), Zappa leads this six-piece version of his band
(featuring Chester Thompson on drums) through material that, as
Zappa says in the liner notes, “they could probably perform…
blindfolded.” Given the level of complexity to the music, this
boast is even more incredible – one wonders how they got through it
even with sheet music.
Some of the selections on this set (referred to as
YCDTOSA2) show how much fun the band was having at this
point in the tour; stopping selections partway through the
introductions and references to recent events in the band’s
activities (such as someone getting maced at the hotel) are common.
Such events show that Zappa was reverent to music while thumbing
his nose at convention. Look at how Zappa modified lyrics in
“Montana,” partially spawned by an audience member’s request for
the band to play “Whipping Post.” (Zappa eventually did add the
song to the band’s setlist on occasion.)
Zappa’s humor borders both on dry and obscene – just the way he
liked it. The dialog portion of “Room Service” is a prime example –
and it’s very enjoyable, both for the comedic dialogue and the
music. Of course, on better-known songs like “Stinkfoot,” Zappa’s
sense of humor comes through in the song itself.
Whether you’re pleased or offended at words, there’s no denying
that Zappa was one of the best guitarists who ever lived. His solos
throughout the album captivate and mesmerize – it’s hard to believe
this man claimed he hired other guitarists to play what he
couldn’t.
Especially pleasing on this set is the inclusion of two numbers
from
Uncle Meat, a work that I don’t think ever got the credit
that it deserved. On that note, it is a little disappointing that
one of the numbers that wasn’t performed at this particular show
was “King Kong,” possibly
the defining piece of jazz rock. Oh, well – there are other
versions out there awaiting our discovery at some point in the
future.
YCDTOSA2 gets a little difficult for newcomers in two areas.
First, they may not be ready for the stamina some of the pieces
require from the listener. The almost 24-minute long “Dupree’s
Paradise” requires a lot of patience to get through, but is
definitely worth it. Likewise, some of the selections on the first
disc, like “Echidna’s Arf (Of You)” and “RDNZL” aren’t always the
easiest pieces to put a lot of concentration into – especially if
you’re not very familiar with Zappa’s style and eclectic
tastes.
But in the end, the quality of the music and the stellar
performances win out – and if you’re able to grasp Zappa’s style of
humor, then
YCDTOSA2 will be most enjoyable for you. If you’ve never
bought a Zappa album before and are looking for a place to start,
this might not be the best place – but once you’ve gotten a taste
of Zappa, this is the obvious next step. It’s a great example of
how good a band can be, and how demanding Zappa was of the
musicians he hired. It’s not a bad way to spend two hours.
Zappa was just getting warmed up in creating what would become
the eventual retrospective of his career that no box set could ever
match – oh, wait, there was a collector’s “road case” that was sold
for a while. (It’s where I house all my volumes of this series.)
And when we pick up exploring this set in June, we’ll see to what
further limits Zappa will push us.