Frank Zappa: Roxy - The Movie [Blu-ray] [Region Free]

Please note that this is very specifically a review of the DVD + CD version, which is why I spend a paragraph on the movie and several on the CD.The movie is simply fabulous. If you like the Roxy & Elsewhere and Roxy By Proxy albums (if you like Frank Zappa at all, really) then unless you are lucky enough to have seen Zappa & the Mothers in this era at close quarters, seeing this music being performed is an absolute revelation. It's well lit, mostly well shot and well edited, most of the music is brilliant and the band are anything but boring to watch - they are the antithesis of boring musos, even though they ARE really hardcore virtuoso musos they both sound and look like they're having a ball (while paying very careful attention to Frank's hand signals). Incidentally, some reviewers have questioned why three songs are included as extras rather than as part of the movie. Personally, I think this is because they simply aren't as good as the rest of the material, so have been left out of the standalone movie but made available as extras for those who want them. An excellent compromise imho between leaving them out and slightly spoiling the flow of the movie.The CD, however, is a very different kettle of fish. Firstly, as other reviewers have pointed out, it omits some of the musical content of the movie - and of the five songs omitted from the CD, four (I'm The Slime, Big Swifty, Don't Eat The Yellow Snow and Father O'Blivion) do not appear in any form on either of the previously issued Roxy albums. Only one of the songs not previously issued in any form - Cosmik Debris - appears on the CD. To be fair, it wouldn't all have fitted on one CD, but it would seem obvious to omit the recordings that had been previously issued on CD, which unfortunately is not what they did. The good news, such as it is, is that some of the performances are at least partly different from those on either R&E or RBP. The most different sounding songs, with obvious vocal and instrumental differences, are Penguin In Bondage and Cheepnis, despite Zappa's spoken preambles being largely the same (if differently edited) as on R&E. Of the remainder, T'Mershi Duween, Dog Meat, RDNZL and Cheepnis - Percussion appear to be the same versions as on RBP while Echidna's Arf (Of You) and Don't You Ever Wash That Thing likewise appear to be the same performances as on R&E. Be-Bop Tango is either a composite - some of it is definitely the same as on R&E and some definitely isn't - or the R&E version was. Or both of them are! Or this version is just differently edited - Zappa announces "Rick and Jane and Carl" nearly 3 minutes earlier on this version than on the R&E version, despite this one being slightly longer overall.However, all of the previously heard performances are more or less differently mixed from their previous incarnations; in the case of those from R&E, there is some excuse as parts of R&E were overdubbed to some degree. This may even be why Penguin In Bondage and Cheepnis appear to be different performances, though if so both sound so different in places to either previously issued version that they are to all intents and purposes different versions, even if based on the same live performances. Though the latter seems much more similar on the film - go figure. Please note, also, that judging from the sleeve notes by John Albarian (who is the excellent human being responsible for finally managing to synch up the music and film when budget and modern technology finally allowed) some of these songs may be composites edited from more than one performance in order to accommodate the best bits of film footage, so even where they appear to be the same performances there may be sections that I haven't spotted cut in from other performances - it was a four-night residency.The bad news is that where we are unquestionably listening to previously issued performances, the mixes are not only different but in several cases also notably inferior to my ears. Perhaps this is due to what works in a movie context - I have no idea (I have no problem with how they sound on the DVD and in fact am mightily perplexed by the differences). Perhaps it's to do with bouncing down surround sound to stereo - again, I have no idea. Perhaps the soundtrack was recorded separately to the recordings used for the two albums. Regardless of whether any (or all) of these things are true, a lot of those mixes sound dull on this CD compared to the bright and detailed mixes found on R&E and RBP, with, for instance, the apparently note-for-note identical guitar solo on RDNZL sounding way brighter and mixed way higher on RBP than here, with far more attack. And RBP supposedly wasn't overdubbed, so perhaps a lot of tweaking of the sound went on in mixing it, whereas here they've gone for a more "natural" sound nearer to what the audience heard on the night. I don't know. All I do know is that this CD is a bit of a dog's breakfast. Even on the basis that the CD only adds an extra £2.67 to the price of the DVD-only version at the time of writing, it isn't very good value for money.Five gold stars for the movie, which is one of the greatest Zappa releases of any format, ever, but the CD only gets three even though it effectively costs less than £3 and, regardless of all my comments above, contains (obviously) lots of fantastic music. If it had been issued separately it would seem more than a bit pointless given the existence of the other two albums, here it is doubly redundant because all of the music on the CD is in the movie and unless you really must have every note Zappa has issued on CD you should buy the DVD only or Blu-Ray version according to preference. And the final reason for not buying the DVD+CD version is that the film is so much fun to watch that you will happily watch it repeatedly. And then again.

My favourite incarnation of the Mothers of Invention from '73-74 has Frank backed up by a triple rhythm section (Chester Thompson and Ralph Humphrey drumming, the incredibly talented Ruth Underwood on percussion, with Zappa joining in sometimes) solid bass from a pipe-smoking Walt Fowler, pyrotechnic jazzy keys by George Duke, Trombone and winds by Bruce Fowler and Napolean Brock on tenor sax and vocals. Something incredible happens when these eight people, clad in plain black t-shirts, come together and I cherish every available recording by them.The music has already by available on the Roxy By Proxy album, and it was stunning to hear this and realise that the backing track to Inca Roads and much of the backing to the Roxy and Elsewhere record is all here, not sped up or overdubbed, performed live. A prototype of the band, with Jean Luc Ponty on violin is documented elsewhere playing increibly fast, abstract pieces like Farther O'Blivion which have the potential to blow your socks clean off. The best of that abstraction is in the core of this, with Echidna's Arf, Don't You Ever Wash That Thing? Dog/Meat and Big Swifty providing the musical core.Visually, we get to see lots of hilarious inter-band banter and asides ("thank you, honey!") and the often slack jawed reaction of the audience who, having recently listened to Aposrophe, probably can't believe their ears. The real joy for me is watching Zappa conduct his band, genius hand-signals being demonstrated as Frank preps them for the next section, keeps the time through remarkably complex section and makes split seconds assignments about how a solo or ensemble section should be played. An carnival finale ensues with strippers, Almost Famous groupies, Carlo Freakzoni and various audience members invited on stage to lead a mass dancing section. The band are all clearly enjoying themselves throughout and I can't say I blame them. While I love Zappa's guitar playing in doses, I love this band because they are a genuine ensemble - Zappa is just one part of a group of elite performers and doesn't overdo the ten minute solos (of course, credit to him for the beautiful music and amazing arrangements). This is genuinely feel-good music. Visually, it's a little patchy and grainy, but charming and what you would expect from a live document of the time - it's been cleaned up nicely in parts).There are bonus scenes (including my favourite Mothers song, the beautiful/strange 'Idiot Bastard Son'), superb sound quality in 5.1 and stereo mixes, some nifty seventies style editing (split screens for example) to mark its place in time, and a view of the band in the studio over the end credits.This is one of the best, if not the best, concert film I've ever seen, and it's a great shame that it couldn't be released until the technology enabled the sound and video to be re-synced (something goes wrong at the start of the movie which knocked out the synchronisation). Thanks to Zappa's family, the demand to see this was understood and some considerable work has been put in to make this work, and I'm so glad that they did.

Yes, yes...OK it was forty years in the can and Yes - it might have been eight hours of film with every version of every night they played the Roxy. But [terminally fanatical Zappa nerds aside] did you really want the unexpurgated version? Having the rest of the Zappa DVDs and had to wince at some of the video-technique-gone-apeshit frills Frank insisted on throwing in to some of them.....I'm kind of glad it's taken so long to unleash the beast onto a deserving fan base. The whole thing is really well edited and even the odd split-screen inclusion is so tastefully done that it adds rather than annoys. It's about the right length [of course some of our favourites are going to be axed] but if you read the sleeve-notes the trouble it took to salvage the completely out-of-sync footage was epic. Only now do we have the technology to have done a decent job on Roxy.I'm slightly miffed that the blu-ray doesn't have the CD with it.......The picture quality is excellent and the 5:1 surround is just incredible - specially with the fact there's so much percussion. A beautiful moment when Frank joins Ruth is only one of many treats....and I was smiling like an idiot when[suddenly]there are pictures to go with all that dialogue I'd grown up with from the original album. The playing is just sublime....an outstanding version of Big Swifty - and the end-credits featuring a break-neck studio update of Yellow Snow.The only real travesty here is the cover. I just had to reverse my blu-ray edition because I couldn't stomach looking at the thing.Was it worth it? Of course it was.

Can anyone tell me if the DVD sound and video is in sync. I've watched it streaming from Amazon & it's annoyingly out. Totally spoils the whole experience.

I'm not a huge Zappa fan, but, intregued to see a friends performance in this film.

Du grand Zappa comme ont aime. De le voir sur scène avec tout ses musiciens un régale.

Per chi l'ha visto in quegli anni dal vivo è pura goduria e per chi lo conosce solo dagli album è un modo di capire il genio suo e dei suoi musicisti. Stupendo.

Una obra tan extensa como la de Frank Zappa con y sin The Mothers of Invention, es difícil de clasificar, pero sin duda me quedo con su primera época y algunas otras hasta finales de los ochenta cuando los vi en directo en Sevilla. Este Dvd es de una actuación de 1973 en el Roxy theater de Hollywood, y que seria editado en 1974 en forma de doble álbum como Roxy & elsewhere. La calidad de la imagen es muy buena para ser de 1973 y el sonido es excelente también.Como fan que soy de Zappa desde tiempos inmemoriales la música no la voy a valorar, ya que lo que para mi es genial puede no gustarle a otros.He tenido pocos ídolos en mi juventud, Morrison,Clapton, Hendrix, pero creo que el único en postularse como presidente de U.S.A. ha sido el genial Frank, si lo llegaron a conseguir Reagan, Bush Jr. y ahora Trump,pienso que Zappa no hubiera desentonado demasiado en la White House y seguro que nos habríamos divertido más.Puedes conseguir un concierto histórico por un precio irrisorio. Cómpralo.

Zappa und seine Musiker und Musiker in Höchstform. Eines vorweg: Bei diesem Mitschnitt kommt wirklich gut die "Live"-Atmosphäre rüber. Bei Zappa gab es ja meist auch Humor und Entertainment auf der Bühne. Und zu dieser Zeit gab es auch Audience Participation: "Dance to these funny little notes!" Zappa selbst war bestens gelaunt (das war er nicht immer) und dadurch hatten die Musiker auch guten Kontakt untereinander auf der recht kleinen Bühne. Das kann man alles sehr gut sehen und "nacherleben".Zu den Einzelnen Apekten des Werks:Ton ist sehr gut abgemischt. Da haben sich die Remasterer echt Mühe gegeben. DVD und CD, auf der leider nicht alle Tracks der DVD sind, klingen vom Sound her viel besser, als die schon 1992 erschienene CD Roxy & Elsewhere.Das Bild kommt angenehm wenig hektisch rüber. Es gibt kaum schnelle Schnitte und man sieht die Band, einzelne Musiker und hin und wieder das Publikum. Damals wurde mit 4 16 mm-Kameras gefilmt. Das ist schon etwas verrauscht und manchmal unscharf. Damals konnte nicht so wie heute aus der Publikumsperpektive gefilmt werden. Das führt dazu, dass man den Meister bei seinen Soli oft nur seitlich sieht.Musikalisch ist das Konzert ein Hochgenuss. Diese wahnsinnig komplizierten Läufe und Rhythmen kommen mit einer eleganten Leichtigkeit herüber, so dass man nur staunen kann. Es spielt auch eine der fähigsten Formationen auf, die Zappa zusammengestellt hat. Hervorzuheben ist meiner Meinung Ruth Underwood, die heute - im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen EX-Zappa-Musikern - nicht mehr unterwegs ist und auch auf den anderen Zappa-DVDs nicht oft zu sehen ist. Sie spielt traumhaft gut die vertracktesten Rhythmen auf dem Marimbaphon, Vibraphon und Percussion.Die Trackliste weicht von Roxy&Elsewhere ab: nicht dabei sind z.B. More Trouble every day und Village of the sun. Schade!Dafür gibt einige gute Versionen von einigen Tracks, u.a. I'm Slime, die wiederum auf Roxy&Elsewhere nicht zu hören sind.Super ist auch die Cheepnis-Percussion Version, bei der Chester Thompson und Ralph Humphrey unglaublich spielen.Das Ganze endet dann mit dem Be-Bop Tango, der auch viel besser klingt als auf der Roxy&Elsewhere-CD.Die DVD ist wirklich ein gelungenes rundes Werk, das auch ein guten Eindruck von Zappas Schaffen in den 70er-Jahren vermittelt.Wie gesagt: ein Hochgenuss.Für die (hardcore-) Fans: Gut ergänzen kann man die DVD noch mit eben Roxy&Elsewhere, mit der CD Roxy by Proxy, der Doppel-CD YCDTOSA II - Helsinki-Concert und der kürzlich erschienen DVD A Token of his Extreme. Auf all diesen Aufnahmen ist die gleiche Formation - außer Ralph Humphrey - zu hören und zu sehen.Frank Zappa war wirklich "unique" - so jemanden gibt es heute nicht mehr (Oder der /die ist nochnicht entdeckt worden.).Viel Spaß!