Francesco Zappa
Francesco Zappa was a little-known Italian 18th century composer whose work is now being rediscovered after many years of neglect; how Francesco managed to get his hands on 20th century electronic equipment is anyone's guess. Or so the legend goes; actually this is FZ spinning Francesco's classical pieces on his Synclavier. A companion piece to the more contemporary-styled JAZZ FROM HELL, this is one of the early products of Zappa's productive electronic-music period. Originally released in 1984.
Yes, Zappa did indeed do some strange things. People who enjoy only the latest pop singles on the radio would be quick to dismiss this as childish nonsense, or something that "sounds like a hoover advert."
They're truly missing out.
If you can open your mind to it a little, Francesco Zappa could very easily become one of the most treasured albums in your collection. Its one of the more obscure items in the Zappa catalogue- there's no rock, no contemporary or freeform jazz, no avant guarde... only 18th century chamber music. Sounds a bit weird and frightening? Don't let that put you off at all.
As mentioned elsewhere, this was written not by Frank but by another composer who lived in the 18th century named Francesco Zappa. I have to say myself the man was a genius. As they are presented here, his compositions were rich in texture and full of melody and structure. FZ's renditions using his trusty synclavier are full of clarity and really quite soothing. Don't expect anything other than soft electrical sounds here. No percussion, no guitars, nothing other than the synclavier. I'd daresay its probably FZ's softest release. If you're a FZ novice looking for a good FZ album to begin your collection with then I wouldn't recommend this. I'd recommend one of his more contemporary classics such as Hot Rats or Joe's Garage.
If you're debating as either a FZ fan or just someone looking for something different, a listen to this album will create images in your mind and take you to a much more pleasant place. Truly, for me it is the ultimate stress-reliever. Francesco Zappa will make you forget every worry you had prior to putting it in the player, and will leave you smiling without a care in the world.
Like I said before, it IS an acquired taste, but if you're the type of person who wants some easy-listening, beautiful, absorbing stress-relief in their music collection then this will fit the bill perfectly. Truly a theraputic, uplifting and wonderful experience.
Yes, Zappa did indeed do some strange things. People who enjoy only the latest pop singles on the radio would be quick to dismiss this as childish nonsense, or something that "sounds like a hoover advert."
They're truly missing out.
If you can open your mind to it a little, Francesco Zappa could very easily become one of the most treasured albums in your collection. Its one of the more obscure items in the Zappa catalogue- there's no rock, no contemporary or freeform jazz, no avant guarde... only 18th century chamber music. Sounds a bit weird and frightening? Don't let that put you off at all.
As mentioned elsewhere, this was written not by Frank but by another composer who lived in the 18th century named Francesco Zappa. I have to say myself the man was a genius. As they are presented here, his compositions were rich in texture and full of melody and structure. FZ's renditions using his trusty synclavier are full of clarity and really quite soothing. Don't expect anything other than soft electrical sounds here. No percussion, no guitars, nothing other than the synclavier. I'd daresay its probably FZ's softest release. If you're a FZ novice looking for a good FZ album to begin your collection with then I wouldn't recommend this. I'd recommend one of his more contemporary classics such as Hot Rats or Joe's Garage.
If you're debating as either a FZ fan or just someone looking for something different, a listen to this album will create images in your mind and take you to a much more pleasant place. Truly, for me it is the ultimate stress-reliever. Francesco Zappa will make you forget every worry you had prior to putting it in the player, and will leave you smiling without a care in the world.
Like I said before, it IS an acquired taste, but if you're the type of person who wants some easy-listening, beautiful, absorbing stress-relief in their music collection then this will fit the bill perfectly. Truly a theraputic, uplifting and wonderful experience.
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