FRANK ZAPPA — Tinseltown Rebellion (review)

FRANK ZAPPA — Tinseltown Rebellion album cover Live album · 1981 · Jazz Related Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
0.5/5 ·
Warthur
Part of the tidal wave of novelty rock material Zappa released in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Tinseltown Rebellion begins with a studio off-cut from You Are What You Is (if it wasn't good enough for that sprawling everything-and-the-kitchen-sink album, Frank, what made you think it was good enough for this one?) but the rest presents live recordings from the period, covering similar material. Once again, the comedy feels more forced and unfunny to me than Zappa's earlier material - oh, and there's offensive lyrical content too if that bothers you - but on top of that the album is marred by muggy sound quality which subsequent remasters haven't quite managed to solve.

The versions presented of older songs are tepid - in particular, Brown Shoes Don't Make It is an absolute travesty compared to the original studio version - whilst the newer material continues the "novelty rock for frat boys" direction of You Are What You Is without that album's deft production to sweeten the deal. In short, there's little or nothing here to tickle the fancy of those who prefer Zappa's experimental, innovative, technically sophisticated and downright clever side. There's even a dance contest includes, Zappa apparently having not learned from Roxy and Elsewhere that such things are completely pointless in an audio format. At his best, Zappa was a genius, I'll never deny that, but when he just wasn't trying - or was intentionally dumbing his material down - there's nothing worse.

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

About (or On)First Visit Avant-Garde Jazz
ELLERY ESKELIN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Noah Kaplan Quartet : Out Of The Hole Avant-Garde Jazz
NOAH KAPLAN
Buy this album from MMA partners
To Walk On Eggshells Avant-Garde Jazz
RUSS JOHNSON
Buy this album from MMA partners
Snakeoil : Snakeoil Ok Avant-Garde Jazz
TIM BERNE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Poetry of Place (from the exhibit by painter Karen Allen) Jazz Related Improv/Composition
CHRIS DINGMAN
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio Dream a Dream
SATOKO FUJII
js· 1 day ago
Wojciech Jachna Squad - Ad Astra (Promo Teaser)
WOJCIECH JACHNA
snobb· 4 days ago
Nitty Gritty
RUSS SPIEGEL
js· 4 days ago
Never in a 100.000.000 Dreams
SUPERSISTER
js· 5 days ago
Love is a Fire that Burns Unseen
PETER MADSEN
js· 5 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed