By Sir Hodge
Finally! After thirteen years, this nugget has been released for public consumption. This album can be considered the third in a series of guitar albums. First there was the Shut Up and Play Your Guitar series, second there was Guitar and now, ladies and gentlemen, there is Trance-Fusion.
This CD is a collection of guitar solos from Zappa's vault that he compiled from various tours. There are tracks from 1984 and a couple from the late 70s, but the majority of the tracks are from the 1988 tour. Two tracks feature FZ with his oldest son, Dweezil.
Some of the Zappa albums that have been released posthumously have been less than stellar. This one has exceeded my expectations. There is no old, tired or re-released material on this album, which will make it interesting for Zappa fans. I enjoyed trying to identify what I call the 'Parent' tune that each particular solo comes from.
The highlight for me is listening to any solo from the 1988 tour (my favorite tour) where I can listen to FZ play with the 5 piece horn section backing him up. I will never grow tired of listening to Zappa's idiosyncratic style of melody and rhythm. Sometimes I listen and wonder how the rhythm section kept it together.
The package is very well done. The album art is very interesting and text is well done. For me, this release was definitely worth the wait.
Be warned, this album is not for everybody. It will get very old for you if you are a) Not a guitar player or b) Not a Zappahead. There are no vocals, nor are there and conceptual continuity clues. Just very compact slices of inspired, frenzied and visceral energy brought to you by the same man who brought you "Titties and Beer", "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" and "Tryin' To Grow a Chin".
Originally published at www.oraclesmusic.com on 2006-12-17.
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