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Frank Zappa - Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar Audio CD

A fair review of the Frank Zappa "Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Frank Zappa reviews here, or go back to the Frank Zappa tabs.

Frank Zappa Band: Frank Zappa
Title: Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar
Rating:
Release Date: 1995-05-30
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Five-Five-Five 2: Hog Heaven 3: Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar 4: While You Were Out 5: Treacherous Cretins 6: Heavy Duty Judy 7: Soup 'n Old Clothes 8: Variations on the Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression 9: Gee, I Like Your Pants 10: Canarsie 11: Ship Ahoy 12: Deathless Horsie 13: Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar Some More 14: Pink Napkins 15: Beat It with Your Fist 16: Return of the Son of Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar 17: Pinocchio's Furniture 18: Why Johnny Can't Read 19: Stucco Homes 20: Canard du Jour

A Must Have


. This is a must have CD for anyone interested at all in either playing guitar or in learning about the legendary Frank Zappa.


Fantastic
Only Zappa can play Zappa. And this is the original. . . Turn it up and its Frank playing like only he does, turn it down and its perfect dinner music. . Fantastic. . A must have. . . . . .


classic


He is one of the true unsung guitar hereos. All three Zappa guitar solo CD sets, where he cut and pastes different solos together, are essential if you are a fan. He never used cleches, played in wierd time signitures, and had such a unique take on rhythm, you will never mistake him for any other axeman. Where most guys subdivide into eighth and sixteenth notes, Zappa was obsessed with picking the time apart, syncopating and disecting the beat in ways most others don't know how. Don't forget, he was a guitarist, but also a trained composer, playing the guitar, so his take is more imformed than most others.

Hearing an hour of guitar solos can be a little taxing, and there are parts here with little variation. (Although, he plays a bazuki on one track, and if you ever doubt him as an artist, just listen to this. ) The other issue is, he did some great guitar work in the 60s and early 70s. I don't know why this is neglected; my guess is concerns about audio drops from solo to solo.


Now, THIS IS NOT THE PLACE TO START--THIS IS A FANS ALBUM. This will not give you a broad idea of what his music is like. If you are already a convert and want to delve into this series, take this a little at a time, unless you really, really like guitar solos.

But absolutely get all three of these sets. .


This set is a fantastic musical voyage for fans of the guitar and improvised music in general
The fact that most of the tracks occur as `one off' jams or improvs between frank and his various musical foils over the years makes this set even more unique and exciting since the risks taken in improvisation often yield strange but beautiful fruit. Frank Zappa's Shut Up `N Play Yer Guitar is a three disk set that defies categorization in that it spans so many styles and flavors of music (much like Frank's career). I have personally owned this set for around a decade now and I can still listen to these same songs and find gold in the phrasing, the interplay of instruments, the tonal variations. . . on and on. I love just about any great improvised music of merit and this definitely is that! Listen to some of the track samples and see for yourself (I find that headphones give you a really focused representation of the nuances, but if you have a bazillion dollar audiophile system then I guess you can just use that instead).
The tracks I would recommend: Treacherous Cretins, Variations on the Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression, Ship Ahoy, Deathless Horsie, Canard du Jour and Pink Napkins. If you have this set and love it, get Guitar and Trance Fusion, you won't be sorry.
.


Essential
While Frank is well known for his sleazy humor, his guitar skills are often overlooked by non-Zappaphiles. . this is a shame, because he is quite possibly the greatest electric guitarist that there has ever been. Remember, virtuosos like Vai and Belew played rhythm behind Zappa! This album really showcases his mind blowing virtuosity and unparalleled improvisational abilities. Stated simply, this is absolutely essential listening for any guitar player, Zappa fan, or just anyone who can appreciate master practicing his craft.


You can see a complete list of all Frank Zappa discography, or go back to the Frank Zappa tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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