Frank Zappa: A Token of His Extreme

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention bring their jazzed-out rock to this wild and wiggy August 1974 concert TV special. Zappa's band mates include Napoleon Murphy Brock (saxophone, flute), George Duke (keyboards), Ruth Underwood (percussion, xylophone), Tom Fowler (bass), and Chester Thompson (drums). His lyrics incorporate such offbeat phenomena as dental floss ("Montana"), crab cakes ("Florentine Pogen"), and feet ("Stink-Foot"). Although Zappa and Underwood sport casual attire, the other musicians look like Dr. Seuss characters in their red, long-sleeved t-shirts. If Zappa does most of the singing, the irrepressible Brock garners almost as much of the spotlight, and everybody gets in on the percussive action. When he isn't manning the keys, including an ARP Odyssey, Duke plays finger cymbals and tambourine and Brock picks up a cowbell. Early on, a man in a gorilla suit with a clock drops by to join in on the fun…disappearing just as quickly as he arrived. Quick cuts, montage effects, and inventive stop-motion excerpts contribute to the weirdness (Bruce Bickford, who worked on Zappa's Baby Snakes, did the animation). For Zappa fans, this 11-song set is essential viewing, despite the hyperactive editing (originally produced for American TV, it's not hard to see why most broadcasters passed on this show, which received more play in Europe). DVD extras include a 1976 appearance by Zappa on The Mike Douglas Show. Presented in PCM stereo, this is recommended. (K. Fennessy)