Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life, The (Japanese Import) [Digipak] - Frank Zappa

Advantages: Superb Musicianship, Superb Music and a sense of humour
Disadvantages: No Bloero (on Mine)

...The title is The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life. This is an amazing album. My only complaint is that my version doesnt include their version of Ravel's Bolero. This was masically , the best band that Zappa ever put together, recorded in 1988 and released in 1991. The blurb say that it's "big band arrangements of concert favourites and obscure album cuts along with deranged cover versions and a few premiere recording", which sums up the album. The album opens with "Heavy Duty Judy" basically a jam over three chords with lots of twiddly bits, which segues into a reggae , big band version of "Ring of Fire" complete with spot on Johnny Cash impersonation. The first CD continues in a similar vein , touching down on "I left My Heart in San Franciso" culminating in "Inca Roads" and the sublime "Sofa No 1". The second CD opens... Read review

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Advantages: a brilliant 1974 concert with a top notch Zappa band
Disadvantages: not quite the whole gig and the instrumentals may be a little off putting to newcomers

...YCDTOSA volume 2 is culled from two concerts In Helsinki in 1974, expertly mixed together and presented as one complete set. The band included keyboard wizard George Duke, sax player and vocalist extraordinaire Napoleon Murphy Brock, Chester Thompson on drums (later to be in Genesis) Tom Fowler on bass and Ruth Underwood on all manner of percussion. This ensemble, small by Zappa's standards, is arguably the best he'd ever work with. The show opens with the band vamping on "Tush Tush Tush" as George and Nappy discuss backstage goings on. As soon as Zappa appears he swiftly introduces the band and we're off into "Stinkfoot", one of FZ's preferred opening numbers. A squalling guitar solo at the end and it's straight into "Inca Roads". Now listeners familiar with the studio version of "Inca Roads" on 1975's One Size Fits All... Read review

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Advantages: Classic track 'Bulldozer' & 4 bonus tracks, good production job
Disadvantages: By far the worst Machine Head Album let down by weak lyrical content

...what the (No longer a member thank God) guitarist Ahrue Luster was trying to do to Machine Head, he wanted the band to float into Leftfield. Balladry clean sounds and less of the heavy stuff, not suited to these guys at all and a track that can easily be skipped. This one is like an awful Nu-Metal version of 'Death Church' from the bands first album. 'All In Your Head' and no this isn't a Kosheen cover song. Instead we get a charged up song about an American Highschool that pains the frontman. Unbelievably like 'From This Day', but just pure Rap Metal nonsense over a great guitar riff. It is somewhat catchy however, and is probably the best track to remember from this album if you like singing in your head (It's 'all in your head' get it, no... ok forget that one). "I was that kid getting drunk after school..." What? where's the brutal... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful