Initially issued as a cassette from Guitar World magazine (and long available in various bootlegged forms as Guitar Hernia and other names) The Guitar World According To Frank Zappa was officially released on vinyl in 2019 as part of Record Store Day. That's the copy I have and it is a remarkable record, both musically and from a production perspective. It highlights the genius of Frank Zappa - and he really was a genius - especially considering it's basically just him noodling around on guitar.
There are several other Zappa-on-guitar compilations out there, and this one is one of the best. Actually, they're all as good as each other.
An eight-song mini LP, The Guitar World According To Frank Zappa sounds really clean and polished, not unlike almost everything else Zappa put out through the years. I think it's mostly an analogue recording - it was released in '87 on cassette, after all - but there probably is at least some digital post-production enhancement in here somewhere. Everyone knows Zappa got into digital in a big way, so that wouldn't be surprising at all. Whatever, it all works wonderfully well.
The record is released on clear vinyl, and was mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering. The vinyl is very quiet and sounds lovely.
It is such a great record, even if it's only 31 minutes long. The album begins with the beautiful Sleep Dirt, recorded on acoustic guitar (rare for Zappa). It is a beautiful composition. There are also several Zappa compositional processes on display here, where he would extract portions of recordings from various sources and then combine them to make an entirely new composition. He must have had so much fun!
There is so much killer stuff here! A Solo From Atlanta (recorded at the end of the 1984 tour) is one that certainly stands out. I'll admit that the first time I listened to this record was immediately after I ingested some legally-acquired medical marijuana, and at first I thought that may have had something to do with how good it sounded. But no - it's just a really great record, no matter what's helping you hear it.
Another great release that proves the Zappa Vaults are continuing to issue some excellent long lost treasures.
Initially issued as a cassette from Guitar World magazine (and long available in various bootlegged forms as Guitar Hernia and other names) The Guitar World According To Frank Zappa was officially released on vinyl in 2019 as part of Record Store Day. That's the copy I have and it is a remarkable record, both musically and from a production perspective. It highlights the genius of Frank Zappa - and he really was a genius - especially considering it's basically just him noodling around on guitar.
There are several other Zappa-on-guitar compilations out there, and this one is one of the best. Actually, they're all as good as each other.
An eight-song mini LP, The Guitar World According To Frank Zappa sounds really clean and polished, not unlike almost everything else Zappa put out through the years. I think it's mostly an analogue recording - it was released in '87 on cassette, after all - but there probably is at least some digital post-production enhancement in here somewhere. Everyone knows Zappa got into digital in a big way, so that wouldn't be surprising at all. Whatever, it all works wonderfully well.
The record is released on clear vinyl, and was mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering. The vinyl is very quiet and sounds lovely.
It is such a great record, even if it's only 31 minutes long. The album begins with the beautiful Sleep Dirt, recorded on acoustic guitar (rare for Zappa). It is a beautiful composition. There are also several Zappa compositional processes on display here, where he would extract portions of recordings from various sources and then combine them to make an entirely new composition. He must have had so much fun!
There is so much killer stuff here! A Solo From Atlanta (recorded at the end of the 1984 tour) is one that certainly stands out. I'll admit that the first time I listened to this record was immediately after I ingested some legally-acquired medical marijuana, and at first I thought that may have had something to do with how good it sounded. But no - it's just a really great record, no matter what's helping you hear it.
Another great release that proves the Zappa Vaults are continuing to issue some excellent long lost treasures.
BONUS TRACK
Frank Zappa's playing style was so far removed from everyone else's it is hard to draw comparisons.
Hendrix? Nope.
Steve Vai (who joined Zappa's band in 1980 at 18 and played with him for three years? Nope, although you can spot Zappa's influence in Vai's subsequent playing if you listen close enough.
Zappa played with abandon. Utter, complete abandon. It's easy to think the arrangements behind his playing were built up around the guitar bits after the fact, although it is known that this isn't usually how Zappa did things.
This record is as engaging as it is unique, though perhaps a bit overwhelming to the uninitiated listener. And Zappa is probably the most often overlooked guitarist this side of Danny Gatton (you never see him topping the be Best Guitarist polls, for example).
There are several Zappa guitar compilations, the most famous being Shut Up And Play Yer Guitar, but this is a more than worthy addition to the canon.
Listening to this record - indeed, any Zappa guitar compilation - makes me wish he was still around making them. Because I just know they would be even more incredible.
Frank Zappa's playing style was so far removed from everyone else's it is hard to draw comparisons.
Hendrix? Nope.
Steve Vai (who joined Zappa's band in 1980 at 18 and played with him for three years? Nope, although you can spot Zappa's influence in Vai's subsequent playing if you listen close enough.
Zappa played with abandon. Utter, complete abandon. It's easy to think the arrangements behind his playing were built up around the guitar bits after the fact, although it is known that this isn't usually how Zappa did things.
This record is as engaging as it is unique, though perhaps a bit overwhelming to the uninitiated listener. And Zappa is probably the most often overlooked guitarist this side of Danny Gatton (you never see him topping the be Best Guitarist polls, for example).
There are several Zappa guitar compilations, the most famous being Shut Up And Play Yer Guitar, but this is a more than worthy addition to the canon.
Listening to this record - indeed, any Zappa guitar compilation - makes me wish he was still around making them. Because I just know they would be even more incredible.
