Necessity Is . . . The Early Years of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention - Softcover

James, Billy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0946719144 ISBN 13: 9780946719143

Publisher: SAF Publishing Ltd., 2001

Synopsis

The Mothers of Invention were a band of anarchic, free-spirited, musically telepathic mavericks headed by the genius of Frank Zappa. Billy James recaptures the early years as remembered by those who were there; Jimmy Carl Black, Roy Estrada, Bunk Gardner, Buzz Gardner and Don Preston. Fully illustrated, the book investigates the oddball humor that surrounded the Zappa entourage from 1964-1970 and presents a fitting tribute.

About this title

From Booklist:

James' book about Frank Zappa and his early band mates is flat-out wonderful. For starters (well, enders, actually), its discography covers Zappa, the Mothers of Invention, and each individual Mother--not only Jimmy Carl Black's entire oeuvre, but those of Ian Underwood and Motorhead Sherwood, too. Yow! Meanwhile, among the crucial bits of Zappa lore James assembles are the other Mothers' perspectives on ex-Turtles Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan joining the band during the videotaping of 200 Motels. At the time, the legal backwash from the Turtles' breakup precluded the two singers from recording under their real names. So on Chunga's Revenge, Zappa billed them as Flo & Eddie, aka the Phlorescent Leech and Eddie, monikers appropriated from two Turtles roadies but which Volman and Kaylan use to this day. With so many great details, the lack of an index is disappointing, but it mustn't dissuade pop music collections from acquiring this vital look back at late '60s L.A and its pop music scene--a retrospection delightfully skewed by Zappa's genius and his and the other Mothers' perspectives. Certainly, no self-respecting Zappa-tista will snub the book for having no index. After all, these musicians are the guys who pretty much created alternative rock. Mike Tribby
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About this edition

• Publisher: SAF Publishing Ltd.
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0946719144
• ISBN 13: 9780946719143
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160