For the longest time,
Does Humor Belong In Music?, the 1986 release that
documented Frank Zappa’s band circa 1984 in the live setting, was
not available in the United States, but the reasons for its absence
have been forgotten by your trusty reviewer. It was only after
Zappa’s death in 1993 that this disc finally saw domestic release,
with different cover art and a few additional, albeit minor,
bonuses.
If one was forced to answer the question posed by Zappa in the
album’s title, then humor most definitely belongs in music. If only
there were a little more humor evident among the band members, all
of whom seem to be going through the motions with very little
spontaneous creation offered up for the enjoyment of the
audience.
Take a song like “Tinseltown Rebellion,” one of Zappa’s more
recent (for 1984) attacks on the music industry and the
flavor-of-the-month mentality that still permeates it. It’s a
testament to the band that they can pull off the complex chord and
tempo changes so flawlessly – but sometimes, the performance
becomes so second-nature that it sounds mechanical. The only real
“humor” can be heard when Zappa breaks out laughing during “What’s
New In Baltimore?” – and while it’s good to hear this one with
vocals intact, there’s still an air of humanity missing in it.
It’s not that Zappa doesn’t try to give the performance more
life. Who else could get away with doing a song like “Cocksucker’s
Ball” and dedicating it to the music industry? (If anything, this
track seems far too short – but, then again, maybe the whole point
was get in, deliver the message, get out.) Who else could deliver a
16-minute instrumental (up until at least the last minute), “Let’s
Move To Cleveland,” and have the audience hanging on every note,
even when the piece begins to grow a bit languid? And who
constantly proves they belonged in the higher echelon of guitar
gods with his buzzsaw soloing?
Still,
Does Humor Belong In Music? feels sterile at times. Tracks
like “WPLJ” and “Penguin In Bondage” almost feel glossed over, as
if their importance in the litany of Zappa’s backcatalog isn’t
worth considering. Meanwhile, “newer” tracks – or, they’d have been
new if this disc had been released as scheduled – like “Hot Plate
Heaven At The Green Hotel” hold out the most promise, as they show
Zappa’s indignance matching his creative spark. Even the cover of
“Whipping Post” doesn’t quite have the same spark as the version on
Them Or Us had.
Technically speaking, Zappa’s 1984 band was one of the best he
had assembled. But
Does Humor Belong In Music? suggests that they didn’t have
the most amount of humanity. (The video of the same title does not
feature all the same songs – and sometimes, seeing the band
performing these numbers gives them a kick that the live CD, no
matter who the group is, just fails to deliver.)
2005 Christopher Thelen and “The Daily Vault.” All rights
reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without
written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of the
Zappa Family Trust / record label, and is used for informational
purposes only.
