All compositions were executed past times Frank Zappa on the Synclavier DMS with the exception of "St. Etienne", a guitar solo excerpted from a alive functioning Zappa gave of "Drowning Witch" during a concert inward Saint-Étienne, France, on his 1982 tour.
"While You Were Art II" is a Synclavier functioning 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 functioning was done using only the unit's FM synthesis, spell the recording institute hither was Zappa's "deluxe" organisation featuring newer samples together with timbres.
"Night School" was peradventure named for a late-night demo that Zappa pitched to ABC; the network did non pick it up. H5N1 music video was made for the song.
"G-Spot Tornado", assumed past times Zappa to endure impossible to play past times humans, would endure performed past times 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 solely instrumental album, at that topographic point is an unconfirmed written report that the Fred Meyer chain of stores sold it inward their Music Market subdivision featuring an RIAA Parental Advisory sticker. This could cause got been the effect of Zappa's feud with the Parents Music Resource Center (which had likewise inspired the 1985 Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention), an objection to the piece of job of the discussion "hell" inward the album title, or inward reference to the rail "G-Spot Tornado", describing the erogenous zone inward human anatomy unremarkably known every bit the G-Spot.
While Frank Zappa had ostensibly been "on his own" since the dissolution of the Mothers of Invention inward 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 past times 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 inward favor of the flexibility of what he could hit with his Synclavier Digital Music System. With the exception of the stunning closer "St. Etienne" -- which is a guitar solo taken from a alive functioning of "Drowning Witch" at the Palais des Sports inward St. Etienne, French Republic on May 28, 1982 -- the remaining vii selections were composed, created, together with executed past times Zappa with assist from his concurrent reckoner assistant Bob Rice together with recording engineer Bob Stone. Far from beingness but 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 look to cause got 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 organisation for the Yellow Shark (1993). Another cutting with 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 likewise boats back upwards from Steve Vai (rhythm guitar), Ray White (rhythm guitar), Tommy Mars (keyboards), Bobby Martin (keyboards), Ed Mann (percussion), every bit good every bit the prominent beat subdivision of Scott Thunes (bass) together with Chad Wackerman (drums). Zappa-philes should similarly banker's complaint that first-class (albeit) amateur-shot footage of the publish was included past times Zappa on the companion Video from Hell (1987) abode video.
Jazz From Hell may non endure 1 of Frank's most pop albums together with I'm certain it's 1 of the lowest sellers, but it's likewise 1 of his finest.
Frank had announced his intention of quitting the liva arena inward 1982 together with so in 1 trial to a greater extent than inward 1984 ( he would endure tempted dorsum inward 1988 ) but past times 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 with his best e'er compositions, nobody else to this 24-hour interval writes such strange together with all the same beautiful music, it's ironic to banker's complaint 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 really fine ( together with fragile ) solo.
This album rewards repeated listenings together with and it's dandy insight into what made the human being 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 railroad train upwards 1 of his periodic classical-jazz-boogie stews. There is nil peculiarly hellish almost the 8 pieces on the album, though it may cause got been a bitch to plan these densely packed parcels of subdivided rhythms together with Chinese-checker themes. But spell most of Jazz from Hell employs now-standard Zappa compositional devices — acuate tempo changes, harmonic wide jumps together with volcanic polyphonic clusters — at that topographic point is a deviant playfulness together with almost affable melodic resolution almost these tracks that is unique inward Zappa's serious instrumental canon.
"The Beltway Bandits," for example, is a nifty slice of electronic fun, an imaginary rush-hour auto chase enacted with agitated jungle noises together with a synthetic muted car horn. Even to a greater extent than whimsical are "Night School," a typically serpentine air underscored with rich lyric chording together with lively street-corner finger popping, together with the altered-states funk-up "Massaggio Galore," which sounds similar Zappa's "Dancin' Fool" on Planet Claire. Make no mistake: this album is non like shooting fish in a barrel listening. The complexity of a grade similar the extended "While You Were Art II" would confound a stadiumful of Human Leagues. Yet its sly humour together with lighter tonal palette brand Jazz from Hell to a greater extent than easily digestible, if no less demanding, than the abrasive orchestral sawing on Zappa's past times concertos, similar the classic Lumpy Gravy.
It would cause got been squeamish to hear Zappa tear upwards his digital soundscape hither together with at that topographic point with a piddling to a greater extent than real-sound guitar. Jazz from Hell's only fuzz 'n' fusion showcase is the slow, brooding alien blues "St. Etienne," an in-concert Zappa-band recording of unspecified vintage. Nevertheless, Jazz from Hell is the Present Day Composer's most engaging together with accessible serving of his singular serio-pop vision since Hot Rats. Listeners who deserted Zappa later on his difficult plough into scatological social protestation should cause got no problem putting aside their prejudices for this thirty-five-minute trip downwardly Avant-Classical Lane, spell MTV teens volition endure surprised to acquire there's to a greater extent than to this onetime Mother than exactly beingness Dweezil's dad.
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 – Pb 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
Chad Wackerman – drums
Ed Isle of Man – percussion
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