Zappa the Hard Way - Softcover

Andrew Greenaway

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1908724005 ISBN 13: 9781908724007

Publisher: Wymer, 2011

Synopsis

'Zappa The Hard Way' is the story of Frank Zappa's last ever world tour that ended in mutiny. In 1988 Frank Zappa toured with a twelve-piece band that had rehearsed for months, learned a repertoire of over 100 songs and played an entirely different set each night. It is why, in Zappa's own words, it was "the best band you never heard in your life" - a reference to East Coast American audiences who never got the chance to see this particular touring ensemble. Zappa appointed bass player Scott Thunes to rehearse the group in his absence. In carrying out this role, Thunes was apparently abrasive, blunt and rude to the other members and two factions quickly developed: Thunes and stunt guitarist Mike Keneally on the one side; the remaining nine band members on the other. The atmosphere deteriorated as the tour progressed through America and on to Europe. Before leaving Europe, Zappa told the band that there were ten more weeks of concerts booked in the USA and asked them: "If Scott's in the band, will you do the tour?" With the exception of Keneally, they all said "no". Rather than replace Thunes, Zappa cancelled almost three months of concerts and never toured again - claiming to have lost $400,000 in the process. 'Zappa The Hard Way' documents that tour. If you think touring can be fun, think again! Yes there were groupies and the usual paraphernalia associated with rock 'n' roll, but there was also bitterness and skulduggery on a scale that no one could imagine. Author Andrew Greenaway has interviewed the surviving band members and others associated with the tour to unravel the goings on behind the scenes that drove Zappa to call a halt to proceedings, despite the huge personal financial losses. This paperback edition includes a foreword by Zappa's sister Candy, and an afterword by Pauline Butcher, Zappa's former secretary and author of 'Freak Out! My Life With Frank Zappa', 'Zappa The Hard Way' might just be the best book you've never read in your life!

About this title

Review

And there you were assuming that a book which takes a single tour as its subject couldn't tear you away from 60 Minute Makeover, were you not? Zappa The Hard Way documents the 1988 tour which foundered 10 weeks prematurely when an irreconcilable schism emerged between bassist-cum- "clonemeister" Scott Thunes and the remainder of Zappa's band, all of whom - amenable stunt guitarist Mike Keneally excepted - refused to fulfil the remaining dates if Zappa retained Thunes' services.

This equates to a riveting human drama, written with tremendous vigour by hyper-fan Greenaway and recounted with ossuary-dry humour by the main players (bar drummer Chad Wackerman, who politely keeps his counsel). By most accounts, Thunes' role as "clonemeister" - ie, transcriber of Zappa's music, who had to know everyone else's parts in addition to his own - empowered him in his own mind to be in everyone's grill to the point of blunt force trauma: but reading Thunes' own take on the proceedings, it's impossible not to be charmed by his galloping wit and fierce intelligence.

Extensive appendices dot the Is and cross your eyes; and in a limited run of 400 numbered, slipcased copies, all signed by the author, Zappaphiles had best be quick off the mark. --Record Collector, Issue 382

From the Author

I wondered if the current product description could be corrected as it shows a number of formatting errors (ie. single apostrophes/quotation marks appear as "'") and the product linked to the hardback edition (at amazon.co.uk/Zappa-Hard-Way-Andrew-Greenaway/dp/0955754240/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321720084&sr=1-1) - including the customer review.

Edition details

• Publisher: Wymer
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1908724005
• ISBN 13: 9781908724007
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 246