Search - Zappa Plays Zappa (Brilliant Box) on DVD

DEFINATELY his son's band

Paul Beauparlant | east coast USA | 05/04/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Watched all of this, both discs, last night. All of it was extraordinarily excellent.
Me and my fellow big Zappa friend sat there watching this and repeatedly remarked how excellent it all was, frequently saying it was just, JUST shy of the old man's bands himself. Extraordinarily close.
Impossible reproductions: check.
Blinding fast and accurate mallot and vibes play: check.
Incredible sax solo from multi-talented Scheila Gonzalez: check.
Dweezil doing his father proud in the guitar solo dept.: check.
With Napoleon Murphy Brock singing much of the lead vocals along with his on-stage spirited personality there comes an air of authenticity that Zappa fans want. Terry Bozzio's contribution was a real treat.
The only thing I missed was Frank's patented unique voice on songs like Cosmic Debris, I'm The Slime and Trouble Comin Every Day et al.
Dweezil gives a heartfelt thank you to all the fans at the show(filmed in Portland and Seattle) for supporting his father's music.
Also the disc concluding interview with Dweezil describes the coming together of this project and of this band.
Not a Frank Zappa and band live performance but I swear there is a hair's width of difference between the two."

Wow!!

WillieB | 06/21/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"No one on this planet is composing music like this anymore. It's intricate, heartfelt, melodic, humorous, and takes talented musicians to play it. Too many people have closed their minds to Zappa's music just because of his lyrics, and that's too bad, because the music speaks for itself, and for me, lyrics are secondary.

Dweezil assembled a smoking hot band, hit the road, and now we have a document of some of these shows. This DVD has performances from two, maybe three, shows. The set list is phenomenal, although not one song from "Joe's Garage" or "You Are What You Is" (two of my favorite Zappa albums) is included. The audio mixes, stereo and DD 5.1, sound great. The video is clear and the editing is good, but there are plenty of spilt-screen shots, and the camera angle from the guitar headstock looking down on the strings, when used, doesn't show much. The video is presented in a widescreen format. Disc one is 1 hour 54 minutes long; disc two is 1 hour 34 minutes and has a ten-minute interview with Dweezil and "Cheepnis" as bonus features.

The only thing missing from this performance, that was routine at Frank's show, is the audience participation and general weirdness that was played out on-stage. And that's ok by me. I've had the pleasure to see Frank about a dozen times in concert and some of these theatrics were too much and I wished they had focused more on the music. You can only throw around an inflatable doll so many times before it gets boring. One gig I remember Frank did nothing but sit down in a chair facing the audience, smoke cigarettes, and conduct the band. I felt a bit ripped off that he didn't play his guitar or sing. But all I feel when watching this DVD is amazement and pleasure. This is such a killer DVD, the music is timeless, and hopefully Dweezil has sparked some interest for this music to a younger generation. Highest recommendation!
"

A Job Well Done By Dweezil!

John Giacchino | Kissimmee, FL USA | 06/04/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's not easy to follow in the footsteps of a legend! Young Dweezil gave himself a huge task to put together a group of musicians, Frank's music
and put it all together in a live performance! I probably would not have purchased the DVD if it were not for these reviews! I've seen 11 Zappa concerts dating back to 1969. This DVD is well worth the price!
GOOD JOB DWEEZIL!!!
"

Zappa plays zappa

Edmund Jones | Anaheim,CA | 05/27/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw this show in L.A. This is one great band. The musicians in the band
are some of the best in world. If you are into the music of Frank Zappa,
or if you just want to learn about his musical legacy, this is a great place to start. The song selections are from all different aspects of Frank's catalog. Dweezil has really stepped up and taken on the role of getting his dads music out there in a manner that it should be, with respect and dedication. This disc is worth owning. GET IT NOW!"