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Frank Zappa - Trance-Fusion Audio CD

A fair review of the Frank Zappa "Trance-Fusion" 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: Trance-Fusion
Rating:
Release Date: 2006-11-07
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Chunga's Revenge 2: Bowling on Charen 3: Good Lobna 4: Cold Dark Matter 5: Butter or Cannons 6: Ask Dr. Stupid 7: Scratch & Sniff 8: Trance-Fusion 9: Gorgo 10: Diplodocus 11: Soul Polka 12: For Giuseppe Franco 13: After Dinner Smoker 14: Light Is All That Matters 15: Finding Higgs' Boson 16: Bavarian Sunset

Geeetah!!
This is no surprise coz Zappa had about eight billion hours of material he never released. Like Kurt Cobain and 2Pac, Zappa continues to keep cranking them out long after he passed away. Many of his posthumous releases consist of material already released, but this isn't the case with Trance-Fusion. Trance-Fusion is a project Frank had been working on to be released as his third "guitar" album, but it got put on the back burner, and he passed away before completing it. Gail Zappa has been sitting on this one for many years, but here it is!!
The other reviewers are correct when they say the sound quality here is top notch. I have no quarrels with the Ryko discs, but the Zappa Family Trust are serious as a heart attack about making their discs sound good.
So, what's it like? Well, it's an hour of Zappa guitar solos from various eras of his career(though the 80s lineups get the most time). If you're familiar with Shut Up And Play Yer Guitar and Guitar, you'll know what you're getting into. The first and last tracks showcase Dweezil(a very skilled and underrated guitarist himself) on guitar.
Definitely a keeper if you like the two aforementioned albums. If you haven't heard them, but dig excellent guitar playing and can-God Forbid-listen to an hour of instrumental music, it'd do you much good to check it out. I know instrumental music isn't the "in" thing, but this may enlighten you. I get a kick out of my kid when I put this(or albums similar to it) on in the car and she says, "When do they start singing?", to which I joyfully respond, "They don't! And there won't be any singing for the next hour!! Ha!! Ha!! Ha!!!"
Anyhow, it's Zappa, it's guitar, it's music. . . . and music is the best!.


Where's Frank?
Dweezil, maybe you should heed one of your daddy's quotes. When I discovered that the guitar on the first and last cuts was not Frank, I was really turned off by this rehashed stuff. . . . . . . . . . . . . Only in it for the money.


Easy on The Hot Sauce..
This album is straight ahead Heavy guitar solos ONLY,
even a few lighter solos like "Watermelon in easter Hay" could have given it some balance which it needs badly to be listenable for my preferences. A cleanly produced good sounding live album, but too much hot sauce can spoil the enchilada.
No vocals, boring after a while and only for the guitar afficionados.


Guitar Heaven.

Amazing & unique solos taken from various Zappa tours, mainly the '88 big band. For fans of "Shut up 'n' play your guitar" and the Zappa "guitar" album. A pure indulgence. Warning: - if you don't like the old Zapp-attack instumental - do not start here.
Includes great artwork and info about the recordings etc.


Best of the "Guitar" albums
These are albums of guitar solos that were taken out of the middle of songs from different concerts. This is the third "Guitar" album set that Frank Zappa has put out.

The first set was the 3 LP set "Shut Up and Play Your Guitar". It was originally released through mail order, only,as 3 separate LP's over a period of time. It then could be bought as a complete set as a very expensive Japanese import (unless you were in Japan). Finally, it was released as a 3 CD set, although it could have almost been squeezed on to one CD. It was very good.

The second set was a 2 CD set called "Guitar". It was poorly executed. It was short snippets just yanked out of songs. The editing and splicing was poorly done. It was just annoying, short pieces and the album did not have any flow.

Trance-fusion was a project started and almost finished by Zappa before he died. It was resurrected, remastered and released 10 years later. It is 61 minutes long and the sound quality is excellent. You wouldn't know it was live, except for some light background audience cheering in a few spots.

One thing I like is that it was taken from a number of different time periods. The selections are long guitar solos that sound like complete pieces. The editing is pretty good so that everything flows.

Some of Zappa's guitar solos have a strange aura to them. With the solos pulled out of songs, and the song parts edited out, there sections of the CD that have an eerie atmosphere.

This is a great album. Imaginary Diseases, another recent Zappa release, is even better. .


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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