The Words and Music of Frank Zappa

Subjects:

• Popular Culture » Popular Music
• The Arts » Music (General)
• The Arts » Jazz
• Popular Culture » Popular Culture (General)

Awards:

• 2007 ARSC Awards for Excellence BEST RESEARCH in RECORDED ROCK MUSIC Certificate of Merit

Reviews:

• In examining the songs of American composer Frank Zappa, Lowe offers introductory essays that examine Zappa's unique place in American music; his compositions in relation to other forms of popular music, most notably progressive rock; and his special brand of caustic social criticism in the tradition of satirists like Jonathan Swift and Lenny Bruce. The author then examines Zappa's songs by looking at his albums in four groups/chapters: "The Mothers of Invention"; "Hot Rats, the Last Two Mothers Albums, Flo & Eddie, and The 'Jazz-Rock' Albums"; "The Duke-Brock/Progressive Rock Bands, Läther (Lather), and the Terry Bozzio Albums"; and "Politics: 1979-88." One of the strengths of Lowe's treatment is his contextualization of pop-culture references in the lyrics, explications that result in a clearer reading of Zappa's texts. Also useful are the discography of Zappa recordings and a critical bibliographic essay on the major contributions on the life and works of Frank Zappa. Students of popular or American music will appreciate this title. Recommended. Lower-/upper-division undergraduates; general readers.
  —Choice November 2006
• The book is organized chronologically and divided by the artistic periods, beginning with The Mothers Of Invention (Zappa's first influential group) and ending with the Terry Bozzio albums an era identified by the presence of Zappa's greatest percussionist. Each of Zappa's albums is analyzed within these larger divisions, often scrutinized for entities as detailed as specific phrases, both musical and verbal. Sections on satire and politics bookend the sequential chapters, creating an excellent in-and-out to the chronological sections. To be sure, Lowe knows his Zappa, and he writes with an obvious affection for the subject, the artist, and the man. Frank Zappa is already important and respected part of music history. His reputation, influence, and contributions will continue to be more widely recognized, and The Words and Music of Frank Zappa is a publication sure to foster that growth.
  —Maximum Ink August 2006
• Ever wonder about the significance of the kazoo in Freak Out!'s "Hungry Freaks, Daddy?" Kelly Fisher Lowe will tell you his theory. In examining Frank Zappa, the author does everything short of having his subject turn to the side and cough, addressing album after album and song after song in Da Vinci Code detail. Sure, the readings are occasionally questionable, but this is exactly what makes the book--and Zappa himself--so interesting.
  —chart September 2006
• As part of a series on the work of singer-songwriters, this volume studies the music of Frank Zappa, looking at his songs as well as how he was a satirist. Lowe offers a reading of his rock and classical music from the 1960s to the 1980s, explores how Zappa was a satirist through his critique of pop culture, and analyzes his albums with the Mothers of Invention, as well as his jazz-rock and solo music, and political statements in the music on Joe's Garage.
  —Reference & Research Book News August 2006
• Author Kelly Lowe has left no aspect of Zappa's work unexamined, from his role as a satirist of the highest order, to his place within the genre of "progressive rock" and his importance as one of the foremost critics of American culture and society....[a] surprisingly clear perspective of his personal views is also provided, shedding light on his treatment of such topics as the falsified notion of love in popular culture, the compromising influence of money on popular music, and the concept of freedom in a systematized society.
  —Free Bird Times July 2006
• [T]he first book to move beyond the details of Zappa's biography toward a focused treatment of his rock and pop songs. Author Kelly Lowe has left no aspect of Zappa's work unexamined, from his role as a satarist, to his place within the genre of "progressive rock" and his importance as one of the foremost critics of American culture and society. This title also features a bibliographic essay that discusses the current state of Zappa scholarship.
  —Library Media Collection April/May 2006

• Endorsement From Kevin Courrier
  author of Dangerous Kitchen: The Subversive World of Zappa: Kelly Lowe's The Words and Music of Frank Zappa is a smart and engaging examination of one of America's most original and confounding composers. Lowe bravely enters the labyrinth of Zappa's world with a clear head and a breezy conversational style that brings all the rich paradoxes of Zappa's work to life.

Table of Contents:

• Series Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Frank Zappa and the Art of Satire
• You Call That Music? Listening to Frank Zappa
• The Mothers of Invention
• Hot Rats, the Last Two Mothers Albums, Flo & Eddie, and the "Jazz-Rock" Albums
• The Duke-Brock/Progressive Rock Bands, Läther, and the Terry Bozzio Albums
• Politics: 1979-1988
• Conclusions
• Critical Bibliography
• Bibliography and Works Cited
• Discography
• Index

PDF Catalogs:
Praeger Public Library Spring 2008.pdf	Pop Culture Spring 2008.pdf