Jazz from Hell

Hence the synclavier. A machine that sorta works on the same premise as one of those old fashioned piano's that had a wheel in the middle of it, and it played by itself... you just wound it up... anyway, frank took to being able to write any time signature into this computer machine and not only did it play it, but it would print it too. Frank was in heaven.

Yes, this music on JFH misses the human element, and it sometimes dwells into time signatures so unfamiliar (even to frank zappa fans) that it causes the head to spin. I remember when I first bought it, I had no idea what the heck was going on. I do know that I liked it.

Steve Vai, former alumnis, says that this FZ recording is his total favorite, and 'he never travels anywhere without it.'

I totally agree. This is a fantastic piece of construction much in the same way Ensemble Modern was later on with YELLOW SHARK.

You won't be disapointed, but you might be suprized.


Techno From Purgatory   April 3, 2003
Joseph Kimsey (Renton, WA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

In contrast with nearly all of his Sixties & Seventies musical contemporaries, Frank Zappa's music was increasingly adventurous and provocative during the antiseptic Eighties. I must admit that I find his earlier work to be more interesting, but Jazz From Hell is a masterpiece by any standard.

"La Machine," as Zappa called it, sounds pretty dated, but such is the quality of these compositions, that it really doesn't matter. While You Were Art, Jazz From Hell, & The Beltway Bandits all sound brilliantly twisted. Just imagine The Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue performed by Devo and you'll get a sense of what these pieces sound like.

St. Etienne is the token organic piece, and very well-played it is too. Massaggio Galore is the obligatory "dirty" track, but it seems to be the most dated of all. G-Spot Tornado is a frantic whirlwind of a masterpiece. You should check out the Yellow Shark version: yes, this music can actually be played by human beings!


Genius   September 24, 2002
Desperate Existence (Hell)
Perhaps the best insturmental album of all time. Simple as that.