Eat That Question - ZAPPA

[Bob Romano]

Can't wait to see this whole film on the life and music of Frank Zappa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY8M13BAO7g

Incidentally, I highly recommend "The Crux Of The Biscuit" which is a new CD that contain outtakes from the Apostrophe sessions. A KILLER 9 minute version alternate mix of Apostrophe is included.

 

[GOS]

Cool. Something tells me you are a Zappa fan Bob.

 

[Cyber 1]

cool but with Gail as an executive producer it will be sanitized for your protection

 

[Bob Romano]

Cool. Something tells me you are a Zappa fan Bob.

li'l bit

 

[elroy]

Nice review in the LA Times:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-zappa-doc-review-20160620-snap-story.html

 

[~dave~~wave~]

Gotta love Frank. First liner notes I ever read with guidance on proper reproduction for listening at home.

FZ:

This album has been engineered to sound correct on JBL 4311 speakers or an equivalent.
Best results will be achieved if you set your pre-amp tone controls to the flat position with the loudness control in the off position.
Before adding any treble or bass to the sound of the album, it would be advisable to check it out this way first.
F.Z.

:yikesHoly crap, though, I just read about his kids fighting over the estate in the latest Rolling Stone. :yikes
I looked for a link, but it doesn't appear to be up on their web site yet.

:flame


Moon:

I was hoping to keep the fact that we were a Grey Gardens family a secret.

Dweez:

There were cease and desist letters for so many bands trying to play Frank's music. And then I get one.

Ahmet:

I thought they [Moon & Dweezil] were much cooler than that. We're not the Kardashians.

 

[quadtrade]

Gail his ex wife, she passed and gave all rights to the 2 younger children, who abuse them and have no idea about music - sad sad situation. FZ did not have enough time to sell his masters and clean house. Money changes people. And now in America greed is good. So they say.

 

[keenly]

Gail his ex wife, she passed and gave all rights to the 2 younger children, who abuse them and have no idea about music - sad sad situation. FZ did not have enough time to sell his masters and clean house. Money changes people. And now in America greed is good. So they say.

Gail stole money from Dweezil. She was evil. He never got paid for a decade of work.

Before Frank died he actually said to her sell everything, then the money could go to the family. Instead she messed everything up.

Ahmet is now in charge and he wants his brother to PAY HIM just to play Frank's songs. It is a disgrace. Dweezil should be in charge, not that idiot.

 

[quicksrt]

Gail his ex wife, she passed and gave all rights to the 2 younger children, who abuse them and have no idea about music - sad sad situation. FZ did not have enough time to sell his masters and clean house. Money changes people. And now in America greed is good. So they say.

There was 20 million in the bank when Frank died. The account is now reportedly near zero. Gail blew the family fortune.

 

[fizzywiggs41]

The Zappa canon is likely worth a small fortune, both to an investing label and the family.

Litigation is required to finally settle the affairs so that not only "all"in the Zappa family benefit , but the established fan base.

 

[EMB]

This is one example why, when planning an estate when someone has a sizable fortune--or even a small one--it makes sense to assign a professional to oversee things. Prince didn't do that, apparently, which is why the courts, as of this time, have sifted through the dozens of wanna-be heirs and, as of now, have whittled that number down to six (now the REAL weirdness begins!)

I'm surprised that FZ didn't take care of this before his passed. If I were to guess, he might have felt his family strong enough to take of their (and his) business after he was gone. Gail did--up to a point--but now that she too is gone, the mess has blown wide open.

The logical thing to have done was divide the estate equally between the three children; of those three, if I were an executor, I'd have made sure Dweezil--the musician--got possession of FZ's tape stash and catalog, the others perhaps cash and future royalties. Too late for that, apparently.

You just never know....

ED

 

[blue.monk]

I really enjoyed this film. I was happy they went with the "in his own words" approach, using only period interviews and concert footage. It should be a treat for any Zappa fan although it may frustrate those hoping for a more traditional overview of his life and music.

 

[Wissing]

I can't wait to see this. The idea is brilliant. FZ had a razor sharp tongue and generated a lot of great quotes.

 

[fizzywiggs41]

Should be a great watch, when it's out on Bluray and DVD ? Both the audio and video.

 

[~dave~~wave~]

Got to see this at my local campus art house theater.
Well-done historical look at his entire life, from his first TV appearance on the Steve Allen show to his sad farewell interview on Today.
Highest recommendation.

For once, no real reason to watch this in a theater.
Since most sources were low-res video, this is one film you could just as well watch on a phone.

Much of the footage I had seen before, but some rare gems, well-edited with narrative flow.
Officially sanctioned by Gail and the family before her death and the subsequent fragmentation.

Not mentioned is the life-threatening injury he suffered in 1971 when a crazed fan knocked him into the orchestra pit of the Royal Albert Hall.
I think any understanding of the man he became later has be seen in that light.

Many little historical tidbits, i.e.:
When "cut and paste" in a musical score or magnetic tape meant razor blade and tape
A tour of the Synclavier sampler / workstation, when computers were text only, no graphical interface

You get a great sense of a serious musician trapped in his own myth.
He was very conscious of how he was more famous for the poster of him naked on the stool than his work.

Much of the public were aware of him as the freak who "[crapped] on stage and stepped on baby chickens" and never heard his music.
His fearless standing up to the clueless Mothers of Prevention record label warning crowd makes my heart swell with admiration to this day.

* * * * *

I recently saw three worthwhile documentaries along the same lines on Amazon video.
All were made about five years ago and feature interviews with many musicians who worked with him, who are now up in years and some of whom have passed.

Frank Zappa - From Straight to Bizarre about the record labels he started and the artists he promoted, from Alice Cooper to Wild Man Fischer

Frank Zappa - The Freak Out List explores his musical influences listed on the cover of his first album

Frank Zappa - Freak Jazz, Movie Madness & Another Mothers 1969-73 about the evolution of the band and the making of 200 Motels

 

[4-earredwonder]

Zappa's Eat That Question is NOW available on FIOS on demand under NEW movies and IS available to Rent in HD for $4.99.