Since it's 100 degrees down here in Austin, what's the best way to get out of the heat? Go to this movie.
The Summer of 1966 was truly a great year for music, (check out the Billboard Top 100) and the first time I heard Freak Out in it's entirety at a friends house. ('Trouble Every Day' is still a killer track by the way...)
The movie is nothing but filmed and taped interviews, and some concert footage, in basic chronological order. Here's my takeaways:
1) Zappa's music is like a huge musical buffet. Some things, genre wise, you're familiar with and can relate to at one level. Or it's like, 'well it looks good, but just to spicy to try' or 'yes it tastes kinda good, but just not for me' or 'ugh...whew that's really not to my taste at all and why do people like this stuff?'
2) My musical comprehension goes like this: Blues--->Jazz/Classical--->Zappa, The Great American Maestro.
3) He always hired the best available singers and drummers that could execute with exact precision his compositions live from memory.
Bottom line: If you have ever been curious and wanted to see and hear Frank speak about a wide variety of subjects from the music business to politics?
Check it out.
Check your calendars: Dweezil is on the road starting in September here in the States. The BEST ensemble of musicians I've ever heard. Saw them in May 2015 'One Size Fits All' Tour'.
http://www.dweezilzappaworld.com/pages/tour-section