Frank Zappa
Does Humor Belong in Music? (Virgin/EMI) There’s little doubt Frank Zappa would’ve taken to the technical leap-frogging of the last decade like Hot Rats on a Burnt Weeny Sandwich if not for his untimely death in 1993. For starters, Zappa would’ve put a lot more into this newly reissued, hourlong NYC concert video from 1984’s Them or Us tour. Does Humor Belong in Music? lists for $19.95, yet the DVD is packaged like a budget throwaway, with marginal sound and no bonus features whatsoever. The overall graphic design looks like a 10-minute Kinko’s job. It does, however, offer a decent portal into Zappa’s relentlessly inventive rock. While not all of the singer-songwriter/guitarist/composer’s output from this period has aged gracefully (e.g., the now-quaint “Be in My Video”), tunes like “Tinsel Town Rebellion” and “Bobby Brown” remain uncouth, gut-busting barbs from the mind of a man who embodied the equal opportunity offender ideal. Zappa also mines the vaults for extensively reworked versions of classics like “Trouble Every Day” and “Dinah-Moe Humm.” In retrospect, Zappa’s 1984 band may have been a bit too enthralled with electronic wizardry, which sometimes leaves them sounding off-puttingly dated. Nevertheless, these guys could really bust it out, as evidenced by blazing versions of the longtime tour favorite “Honey, Don’t You Want a Man Like Me?” and a dynamic cover of the Allman Brothers’ “Whippin’ Post,” allegedly undertaken in belated response to a Finnish fan’s request in 1974. Zappa’s guitar coda at the conclusion of the jam classic and a close-up of his intense facial expression as he plays it are both priceless. With supertalented side men like Ike Willis and Bobby Martin on board, the far-ranging vocals are equally strong. But even if the performances are solid and enjoyable, it’s impossible to reconcile that with flea-market-type packaging. Deluxe reissue treatment does belong in Zappa’s catalog.This article appears in February 20 • 2004.
