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Music : The Man from Utopia
Rating: 
- What can you do that;s fantastic?
Steve Vai, erstwhile student of Joe Satriani, was looking for his break and decided to plug himself to Zappa by sending him a transcription of one of Zappa's guitar solos.
Zappa was impressed and called young Vai to the studio. As it says above, Zappa entrusted the new guitarist with nothing so mundane as transcribing further solos, but instead, transcribing Zappa's improvised vocal "melodies" (Dangerous Kitchen & Party Hats). Thus the guitaring on these tracks. Not only did Vai transcribe them, he played them, too.
Technical ability above and beyond... Just what Zappa liked from his musicians.
There is some good music on this album, but, as hinted at, this is not an accessible album.
When talking to Tony Palmer a few months after Zappa's death, Palmer told me he believed Zappa was never the composer he wanted to be. He said that Zappa yearned to be recognised by the cogniscenti of the classical world.
I don't know about that, but if he wanted to be taken seriously, then he should perhaps have steered clear of the sort of lyrical content albums such as this contain.
Irreverent, funny, silly and sometimes witty, the words will either please you or annoy you, but the music remains a tribute to Zappa and the musos he was able to attract throughout his life.
The brave will buy - the meek: stay away.
Rating:
- A listener's utopia
New to Zappa? Start somewhere else.
Brave? LOVE music and fancy a challenge? Jump right in!
I own 25 Zappa albums and was truly thrilled when I first heard this. Ship Arriving Too Late TSsDW is brilliant and challenging, ground breaking and unusual, but Man from Utopia brings in the most overt and cringingly unapologetic experiments.
Dangerous Kitchen and Jazz Discharge Party Hats have something going on with voice and guitar that still has me scratching my head and playing it to friends saying "How do they do that? What the heck is going on?"
Buy this album. It will never fail to raise your social standing when you play it at dinner parties. You can noncholantly discuss the voice and guitar work while the lyrics scare the heck out of your guests. You'll look positively intelectual until you start using your pants for a hat.
Rating: - Quiet respect due
This is a recording that divides Zappa fans like no other. Interesting that only two have so far taken the time to recommend it. The silence from the rest of the legions of Zappa loyalists is deafening.
This is an album that contains some instantly pleasurable gems (Cocaine Decisions, Tink, We are Not Alone). If this were an EP consisting solely of its most commercial tracks, it would be raved about from here to Montana. It would be the second Zappa album that fans of Hot Rats ever bought!
However, and as always, Zappa cares not for this. He seems intent on spoiling the party with atonal, offensive interjections. Any critism of this is to misunderstand Zappa himself. If you wish for catchy, cool music you can play at a party, buy a Michael Jackson CD. If you want something challenging and deep, something that rewards repeated listening, something that responds to personal effort and provokes self-analysis of your own response to aural-stimulae and attitudes towards music as an art form, then buy Zappa.
Zappa fans are silent because while they are collecting more Zappa CDs, this one is quietly collecting cobwebs. However, they know that it deserves a quiet respect, and critism would say more about them than the music.
Rating:
- The Dangerous Utility Muffin Research Kitchen
My all-time favourite Zappa album cover, more subtle than it appears. Ever notice how in those Vietnam movies that the soldiers are all represented by huge muscular stallions? In reality they were skinny kids lost on an alien continent. This album is a powerful criticism of Corporate America bestriding the world like a colossus. Why send soldiers when you can send fast food?
The music is as immaculate as you would expect from such a master of composition. There is even a song which should have been a hit single (Cocaine Decisions). What more do you want for your money?
Rating: - Genius!
This album proves that despite the decade it was produced in, interesting music was being made. The Man From Utopia successfully combines the silly with the avant garde. This is a lot of fun and musically it makes you think. Buy a million copies and make this album number one in Britain.
- What can you do that;s fantastic?Steve Vai, erstwhile student of Joe Satriani, was looking for his break and decided to plug himself to Zappa by sending him a transcription of one of Zappa's guitar solos.
Zappa was impressed and called young Vai to the studio. As it says above, Zappa entrusted the new guitarist with nothing so mundane as transcribing further solos, but instead, transcribing Zappa's improvised vocal "melodies" (Dangerous Kitchen & Party Hats). Thus the guitaring on these tracks. Not only did Vai transcribe them, he played them, too.
Technical ability above and beyond... Just what Zappa liked from his musicians.
There is some good music on this album, but, as hinted at, this is not an accessible album.
When talking to Tony Palmer a few months after Zappa's death, Palmer told me he believed Zappa was never the composer he wanted to be. He said that Zappa yearned to be recognised by the cogniscenti of the classical world.
I don't know about that, but if he wanted to be taken seriously, then he should perhaps have steered clear of the sort of lyrical content albums such as this contain.
Irreverent, funny, silly and sometimes witty, the words will either please you or annoy you, but the music remains a tribute to Zappa and the musos he was able to attract throughout his life.
The brave will buy - the meek: stay away.
Rating:
- A listener's utopiaNew to Zappa? Start somewhere else.
Brave? LOVE music and fancy a challenge? Jump right in!
I own 25 Zappa albums and was truly thrilled when I first heard this. Ship Arriving Too Late TSsDW is brilliant and challenging, ground breaking and unusual, but Man from Utopia brings in the most overt and cringingly unapologetic experiments.
Dangerous Kitchen and Jazz Discharge Party Hats have something going on with voice and guitar that still has me scratching my head and playing it to friends saying "How do they do that? What the heck is going on?"
Buy this album. It will never fail to raise your social standing when you play it at dinner parties. You can noncholantly discuss the voice and guitar work while the lyrics scare the heck out of your guests. You'll look positively intelectual until you start using your pants for a hat.
Rating:
- Quiet respect dueThis is a recording that divides Zappa fans like no other. Interesting that only two have so far taken the time to recommend it. The silence from the rest of the legions of Zappa loyalists is deafening.
This is an album that contains some instantly pleasurable gems (Cocaine Decisions, Tink, We are Not Alone). If this were an EP consisting solely of its most commercial tracks, it would be raved about from here to Montana. It would be the second Zappa album that fans of Hot Rats ever bought!
However, and as always, Zappa cares not for this. He seems intent on spoiling the party with atonal, offensive interjections. Any critism of this is to misunderstand Zappa himself. If you wish for catchy, cool music you can play at a party, buy a Michael Jackson CD. If you want something challenging and deep, something that rewards repeated listening, something that responds to personal effort and provokes self-analysis of your own response to aural-stimulae and attitudes towards music as an art form, then buy Zappa.
Zappa fans are silent because while they are collecting more Zappa CDs, this one is quietly collecting cobwebs. However, they know that it deserves a quiet respect, and critism would say more about them than the music.
Rating:
- The Dangerous Utility Muffin Research KitchenMy all-time favourite Zappa album cover, more subtle than it appears. Ever notice how in those Vietnam movies that the soldiers are all represented by huge muscular stallions? In reality they were skinny kids lost on an alien continent. This album is a powerful criticism of Corporate America bestriding the world like a colossus. Why send soldiers when you can send fast food?
The music is as immaculate as you would expect from such a master of composition. There is even a song which should have been a hit single (Cocaine Decisions). What more do you want for your money?
Rating:
- Genius!This album proves that despite the decade it was produced in, interesting music was being made. The Man From Utopia successfully combines the silly with the avant garde. This is a lot of fun and musically it makes you think. Buy a million copies and make this album number one in Britain.