All compositions were executed yesteryear Frank Zappa on the Synclavier DMS amongst the exception of "St. Etienne", a guitar solo excerpted from a alive surgery Zappa gave of "Drowning Witch" during a concert inwards Saint-Étienne, France, on his 1982 tour.
"While You Were Art II" is a Synclavier surgery based on a transcription of Zappa's improvised guitar solo on the rail "While You Were Out" from the album Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar (1981). The unreleased master copy Synclavier surgery was done using only the unit's FM synthesis, piece the recording flora hither was Zappa's "deluxe" scheme featuring newer samples together with timbres.
"Night School" was perchance named for a late-night exhibit that Zappa pitched to ABC; the network did non pick it up. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 music video was made for the song.
"G-Spot Tornado", assumed yesteryear Zappa to hold upwards impossible to play yesteryear humans, would hold upwards performed yesteryear Ensemble Modern on the concert recording The Yellow Shark (1993).
Zappa won a 1988 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for this album.
Though Jazz from Hell is an alone instrumental album, at that spot is an unconfirmed study that the Fred Meyer chain of stores sold it inwards their Music Market department featuring an RIAA Parental Advisory sticker. This could lead maintain been the upshot of Zappa's feud amongst the Parents Music Resource Center (which had also inspired the 1985 Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention), an objection to the role of the give-and-take "hell" inwards the album title, or inwards reference to the rail "G-Spot Tornado", describing the erogenous zone inwards human anatomy ordinarily known every bit the G-Spot.
While Frank Zappa had ostensibly been "on his own" since the dissolution of the Mothers of Invention inwards 1969, never earlier had he used the term "solo artist" every bit literally every bit he does on the Grammy Award winning (in the "Best Rock Instrumental Performance yesteryear an orchestra, grouping or soloist" category) Jazz from Hell (1986). After 2 decades of depending on the skills, virtuosity, together with temperament of other musicians, Zappa all but abandoned the human chemical constituent inwards favor of the flexibility of what he could gain amongst his Synclavier Digital Music System. With the exception of the stunning closer "St. Etienne" -- which is a guitar solo taken from a alive surgery of "Drowning Witch" at the Palais des Sports inwards St. Etienne, French Republic on May 28, 1982 -- the remaining vii selections were composed, created, together with executed yesteryear Zappa amongst assist from his concurrent estimator assistant Bob Rice together with recording engineer Bob Stone. Far from existence only a synthesizer, the Synclavier combined the might to sample together with manipulate sounds earlier assigning them to the diverse notes on a piano-type keyboard. At the fourth dimension of its release, many enthusiasts considered it a slick, emotionless effort. In retrospect, their conclusions appear to lead maintain been a gut reaction to the methodology, rather than the music itself. In fact, prove to the opposite is apparent every bit it brims throughout the optimistic bounding tune together with tricky time-signatures of "Night School." All the to a greater extent than affective is the frenetic sonic trajectory coursing through "G-Spot Tornado." Incidentally, Zappa would revisit the latter -- during 1 of his terminal projects -- when the Ensemble Modern worked upwards Ali N. Askin's scheme for the Yellow Shark (1993). Another cutting amongst a chip of history to it is "While You Were Art II," which is Zappa's Synclavier-rendered version of the Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar (1982) entry "While You Were Out." Speaking of guitar solos, every bit mentioned briefly above, "St. Etienne" is the only vocal on Jazz from Hell to characteristic a band together with is a process specifically for listeners craving a sampling of Zappa's inimitable fretwork. The six-plus infinitesimal instrumental also boats back upwards from Steve Vai (rhythm guitar), Ray White (rhythm guitar), Tommy Mars (keyboards), Bobby Martin (keyboards), Ed Isle of Man (percussion), every bit good every bit the prominent beat department of Scott Thunes (bass) together with Republic of Chad Wackerman (drums). Zappa-philes should similarly authorities notation that first-class (albeit) amateur-shot footage of the position out was included yesteryear Zappa on the companion Video from Hell (1987) habitation video.
Jazz From Hell may non hold upwards 1 of Frank's most pop albums together with I'm certain it's 1 of the lowest sellers, but it's also 1 of his finest.
Frank had announced his intention of quitting the liva arena inwards 1982 together with so in 1 trial to a greater extent than inwards 1984 ( he would hold upwards tempted dorsum inwards 1988 ) but yesteryear 1986 he was composing solely on his Synclavier inside the comfort of his recording studio, together with the results are amazing.
Night School together with G-Spot Tornado are amid his best always compositions, nobody else to this solar daytime writes such strange together with nevertheless beautiful music, it's ironic to authorities notation that the championship rail ( 1 of the weaker tracks ) won Frank a Grammy !
Probably to placate the fans of his guitar solos he pick out to include 1 real fine ( together with frail ) solo.
This album rewards repeated listenings together with and it's neat insight into what made the human actually tick .
On this solo digital-synth excursion, the indefatigable Zappa takes a breather from R-rated satire together with battling the PMRC dragons to laid upwards up 1 of his periodic classical-jazz-boogie stews. There is nada particularly hellish well-nigh the 8 pieces on the album, though it may lead maintain been a bitch to computer program these densely packed parcels of subdivided rhythms together with Chinese-checker themes. But piece most of Jazz from Hell employs now-standard Zappa compositional devices — abrupt tempo changes, harmonic wide jumps together with volcanic polyphonic clusters — at that spot is a deviant playfulness together with almost affable melodic resolution well-nigh these tracks that is unique inwards Zappa's serious instrumental canon.
While purchasing this CD:
Just got dorsum from LA together with piece I was at that spot I went to Time Warp Records, a petty tape shop off of Venice BL. Among the exactly over fourscore CD's I ain yesteryear Frank I hadn't replaced the "Jazz From Hell" from my lp collection. It was at that spot so I picked it upwards together with at that spot was only 1 guy at that spot likewise the possessor together with approximately other gentleman walked inwards exactly every bit I was well-nigh to leave. Just every bit I flora my finally buy (McCoy Tyner - Infinity (with Michael Brecker) together with I over heard the guy that had exactly walked inwards that he had been to an trial amongst Luna Zappa the previous black every bit I'm walking upwards to the counter amongst Jazz From Hell, I showed to the guy talking together with the possessor together with nosotros all had a petty laugh, :-)
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Tracks Listing
1. Night School (4:47)
2. The Beltway Bandits (3:25)
3. While You Were Art II (7:17)
4. Jazz From Hell (2:58)
5. G-Spot Tornado (3:17)
6. Damp Ankles (3:45)
7. St. Etienne (6:26) *
8. Massaggio Galore (2:31)
* Recorded 1982 at Palais des Sports, St. Etienne, France.
Total Time: 34:26
Personnel:
Frank Zappa – atomic number 82 guitar, Synclavier, keyboards, production
On "St. Etienne":
Steve Vai – beat guitar
Ray White – beat guitar
Tommy Mars – keyboards
Bobby Martin – keyboards
Scott Thunes – bass guitar
Republic of Chad Wackerman – drums
Ed Isle of Man – percussion
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