Dweezil Zappa - Return of the Son of...

by Lisa Torem

published: 11 / 8 / 2010

Label: Earmusic
Format: CD

intro

Exhilirating and provocative double CD collection of covers from Dweezil Zappa of his late father Frank's work

Dweezil Zappa defends his lengthy guitar solos on ‘Return of the Son of...’ by proclaiming:,“It’s the place where I connect most with my father’s music. Each time I play a solo I try to imbue my own playing with some of my Dad’s idiosyncrasies, both technically and sonically.” But, that explanation merely begins to unravel the reasons why Frank Zappa’s guitar-twaddling son blows our minds. The collection contains two discs and a quick browse of the titles inspires an appreciation for all things bizaare. ‘Broken Hearts are For Assholes’ and ‘The Torture Never Stops’ are two that come to my immediate attention.’Bamboozled by Love’ could be sung draped across your therapist’s chaise longue, if you can keep up with the banter, that is. What we have here is a tribute to Father Frank whose original, wildy imaginative stock exemplified the hippie counter culture. Here no rules applied. Spoken word was used and echoed, before it became a hot item. Dweezil’s elongated guitar work and progressive tempo changes help provide a framework, if that’s what you’re looking for. But, park your straight-laced sensibilities at the convenience store, and you’ll discover some remarkable home-grown delights. That said, this is a collection of pieces that are inherently connected because of the songwriter, Frank Zappa, and his musical son’s passionate instrumental work, but make no bones about it, you shouldn’t waste your time trying to find other common denominators. The album is about finding the freedom to create. What follows is not just a work that won’t colour inside the lines. The lines aren’t there in the first place. But, that’s why it’s so flipping intriguing. ‘King Kong’ does indicate that it spouts “band solos.” The soloists take their sweet time, but even the concept of time doesn’t seem to register on the album. There’s “no there there” and so what? What’s happening is that Dweezil wanted to capture the Zappa Plays Zappa project’ To that end, live performances, over a two-year period, which were mostly played at the Morse Theater, in Chicago, in the fall of ’08, provided the inspiration. Concert work from NY and the UK are also represented. But, the goal was not to create a pristine reenactment of these performances. Dweezil wanted the unblemished recording, pock marks and all, to reign, and what transpires is a gnashing mix of songs that hinge on humour, cacaphony, lyrical irony and layers of wickedly, irreverent wordplay. Tons of sax, bass, percussion, flute and marimba combine to spice up the recordings; not that they wouldn’t stand alone, given the richness of the lyrics and clever production, but it all adds to the over-the-top excitement. So, if you’re the poet who only exists for iambic pentameter, or the songwriter who solely cherishes the changes in ‘The Streets of Laredo’ this album will destroy your faith in humanity. But, if you want to set the bar high for fun and exhilarating songmanship, tap into Dweezil while he taps into Frank.

Track Listing:-

1 The Deathless Horsie
2 Andy
3 Magic Fingers
4 Broken Hearts Are For Assholes
5 Bamboozled By Love
6 King Kong
7 Montana
8 Inca Roads
9 The Torture Never Stops
10 Dirty Love
11 Zomby Woof
12 Billy The Mountain
13 Camarillo Brillo
14 Pygmy Twylyte

Band Links:-

https://www.dweezilzappa.com/
https://www.facebook.com/DweezilZappaOfficial/
https://twitter.com/DweezilZappa

interviews

Interview (2017)

American guitarist/composer/actor Dweezil Zappa chats to Lisa Torem about his forthcoming UK tour and his father Frank's legacy

Interview (2011)

live reviews

City Winery, Chicago, 7/7/2017

American guitarist and educator Dweezil Zappa entertains fans at City Winery Chicago with delightful stories about his father, formative career and more, using his red SG for effect.

Chicago Music Exchange, Chicago, 10/10/2013

Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, 12/11/2012