Review: Frank Zappa 'Funky Nothingness' (instrumental rock/jazz-rock)

[@63mckenzie]

I hope science makes us all immortal soon, because it's about the only way I'm going to be able to listen to all of Zappa's stuff!

[@ericporter344]

😂

[@jazzpunk]

The AI-us will love it! 😊

[@johnmichaelwilliams6694]

Pete, watching SoT these past few years has caused me to listen and re-listen to Frank Zappa more than might ever have been expected. Your discussion of all the guitar work on this album may be the trigger to add it to the CD library. Going to give some of this a listen later today and looking forward to that. Also, thanks to those who commented as well for pointing out what they specifically enjoyed. Thanks for the in -depth review, Pete. Proving once again why the weekly New Product/Issue/Whatever episodes are not to be missed.

[@garyjoyce2160]

Wow. Phenomenal review. A 5️⃣. Wow. Thx for these reviews. Pete 👍💯

[@gwts1171]

I knew I'd grab this even before watching the review, but now I'm even more excited. Thanks for the review, Pete!

[@peterock4210]

Thanks for more FZ reviews. I have not listened to entire thing yet but, I agree, phenomenal release. The ZFT continues to dig up gems.

[@ericporter344]

Ordering this one! Great review Pete

[@christophercoles4401]

I've been listening to Frank Zappa since the '70s, but since joining SoT, I've developed an even greater appreciation for Frank and his amazing work. I can't wait to hear this album! Thanks for the review Pete.

[@joeb-guitar]

ive been waiting for something like this for a very long time , S&PYG is one of my all time favorite albums of all time..thanks for the review which lead to me ordering it..

[@billphelps5611]

Great review! I have the double LP which is disc one here. I need to get this 3 cd version, it sounds fantastic with all the extras. The main album is great.

[@NoineNoineNoine]

Thank you Pete!! Can't wait to listen!

[@JohnMacRae23]

Whatta thumbnail... killer Genesis shirt Pete! This Zappa release is killer.

[@andyhampsten4252]

Great release. Transylvania Boogie unedited master fits along with the Willie the Pimp OD1/2 from the hot rats sessions as my current favorite zappa jams. Insane creativity. As you listen, the phrasing, it's constant surprises because you've never heard anything like it of all the guitarists you've listened to in your life.

[@spaghetti.lee-69]

One of the BEST Zappa releases in Years - & they're all Good..

[@griphfunk]

I love that a 23 minute jam between guitar and drums manages to stay interesting the entire time. Great, great stuff

[@zippgunn1091]

Totally disagree; to me it is beyond tedious wanking. Blows my mind how many folks site this track as their favorite...

[@arnaudb.7669]

Sounds great! I will check this out.

[@jayburdification]

The unedited Transylvania Boogie is worth the price of admission alone.

[@kevinwheeler9009]

I’ve gotten through the first disk and about half of the second, and I’m thinking 5 out of 5 as well. It’s probably not the Zappa most people are use to hearing. It’s certainly a really nice change for me. What’s missing is the zany, politically charged, innuendo, “not-so-much tongue in cheek” lyrical content; or the highly polished orchestral type movements. It’s all just slap it down jam session; and really good jam session at that. I put it on while I was puttering around the house for some background noise, and after not too long I realized how much I was really enjoying and getting into it. It’s raw jamming, but it’s so good that it sounds like a polished and completed album. Like Pete said, if you like listening to Frank play guitar, this is a must have. Out of my fairly extensive Zappa collection (does anybody out there own all of them?) this album is going in the rankings at a pretty high spot. And I’m only about half way through it. I can see this album moving up even more as I finish listening. This will be a pretty frequent go to album when I’m in the mood for some Zappa. Good stuff people.

[@srobbins1973]

Sounds good thanks Pete!

[@garytitone853]

Thanks for the review. DUE NOTED CORRECTION. Aynsley Dunbar does not play Drums or any Percussion on The Clap. Frank Zappa plays all percussion/instrumentarion on THE CLAP (UNEDITED MASTER-PART I) 11:28 and THE CLAP (UNEDITED MASTER-PART II) 4:38 In addition to Frank Zappa performing all drum parts Frank plays Boo-Bams, Timbales, Wood Blocks, Temple Blocks, Snare Drum, Field Drum, Mounted Bass Drum, Tom-Toms, and Gong . ✌️

[@brucybabyy7355]

just ordered mine!

[@johncollier9280]

When Chas Chandler brought Jimi Hendrix to London 'n set about auditionin' the musicians that would become The Jimi Hendrix Experience there were two drummers everyone loved: Mitch Mitchell 'n Aynsley Dunbar. They couldn't decide between the two so Chas flipped a coin...'n Mitch Mitchell won. Imagine how different rock history would be had the coin toss gone the other way!

[@ykmgeedee]

In this year or two period he was releasing many far out man albums like Hot Rats, lecturing at London School of Economics, producing Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica and Lenny Bruce and other album, building a home studio, touring with several different groups, and jamming and more jamming. Polymathimaticalifragilisticexp...

[@jazzpunk]

Damn...I have had this is my Amazon cart 2-3 times & couldn't pull the trigger. Guess where I'm heading soon.

[@johnhenfrey5936]

Thanks a lot for the review Pete, yes it really is an excellent cd set, though for me, disc3 isn’t as good as the first 2.

[@shaunogle530]

Ok firstly it's a bit repetitious, however across the three CDs (only one listen) I like the raw intensity on display. The longer tracks held my attention which is not always the case with these kind of releases. Overall this far it's definitely a five out of five for me. Oh, and yes it is funky.

[@patrickrichardson2529]

Just bought the LP

[@perfclubworks7037]

The good - Lots of Frank's guitar work. More Aynsley Dunbar to listen to, especially a few stellar solos. The not so good - Sugar Cane Harris' vocals are pedestrian. The drums are too low in the mix and not close miked enough to my liking. A lot of the jams are mid tempo blues/shuffles, too much repetition (alt takes are rather similar) for my liking. I'm a big fan but I would not call this exceptional or essential. Do I own it? Of course. You can't have enough Frank

[@wolf1977]

Somewhat agree - also I'm not one to hoard different live versions of songs & that's a lot of what FZ's posthumous stuff has been. So it was great to see this release more focused on studio outtakes & the like. And acoustic Frank, also kinda rare. The vocal stuff as you said is just OK, I pretty much stuck to the instrumentals. FZ is one of the all time masters of wah - good to hear more examples of it here. How great is "Fast Funky Nothingness"? What a shame it's only 45 seconds long - that could've been a 20 minute jam! Overall 9 great tracks for me across the 3 cd's totalling about 72 minutes. Hopefully there's more archival FZ stuff like this coming!

[@Cpayne30]

I agree that Sugarcane's vocals are lacking, but the drums are not mixed low anywhere on the set. If anything, I think the rhythm section is the loudest and the keyboards could use a boost.

[@gregoryg3256]

🌠 ZAPPA !!! GOOD REVIEW PETE !!!

[@josephramone5805]

I'm disappointed that Duke doesn't play on any of these pieces. To my ears, Frank's best work is with Duke behind the keys. Great stuff, nonetheless!

[@grantross2609]

slightly misleading near the end here tho....... pretty sure Frank intended this for a brand new album but for whatever reason the project got ditched ! hence chopped up versions of these songs turning up on subsequent albums along the way......

[@spaghetti.lee-69]

Yes - He met Flo & Eddie & Put together a New band . The '70 - 71 Band.. Good catch..

[@Grithron2]

This listener begs to differ! Here we have one of the most boring FZ Archive releases. All his weaknesses are upfront (mainly his own soloing - face it, he tended to be the weak link in his own band) with very little evidence of his strengths (e.g: composition). The general problem with the Hot Rats era ("what good is a jamming album/gig if absolutely none of the soloists are on form?") is writ very large here. Also, for once I agree with Mr Gossard - the percussion track The Clap was probably always meant as a worktape to be mined for segues and supporting-material (as indeed it was), rather than being released as "an event". And the same is probably true of Tommy-Vincent.

[@aleccopile]

"boning" 😅 Well, judging by Zappa's lyrics, these could very well be boning tracks as well 😁