Funky Nothingness

Product Information

From here, one gets into the meat and bones of this set: two hours of alternates and outtakes. There’s a little bit of everything: unedited takes of “Sharleena” and “Transylvania Boogie” (which originally appeared in 1970’s Chunga’s Revenge), and alternate versions of “Chunga’s Revenge” and “Twinkle Tits.” The alternative version of “Chunga’s” has more heft than the take on disc one with strong soloing from Zappa; it also runs over 16 minutes, which is maybe why it didn’t fit in there. It’s of a piece with “Willie the Pimp” from Hot Rats in showing how Zappa’s guitar playing was growing with leaps and bounds in the late 1960s. With Dunbar’s drumming, it might even top that performance. The version of “Twinkle,” meanwhile, shows a more stripped down take – no overdubs, so it’s like being a fly on the wall at these sessions. Let’s Go! – weekly SiriusXM show with Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray – makes Season 3 debut on September 4

This song is also, in many ways, a template for a completely different song that came later on Chunga’s Revenge, “Road Ladies” — a ripping electric blues with some comical, sexually charged lyrics not all that far removed from Slim’s original as played here, when you stop to think about it.

Notes

At this point, even the Frank Zappa faithful have reason to be wary of another vault bonbon: There’s been a steady stream of historical and live-performance releases, many of them interesting primarily to collectors. Zappa was restless and impossibly prolific, and the sheer volume of material runs the risk of diluting his legacy. Because, let’s be real, not every posthumous title adds substantially to the understanding of an artist and his work. Frank Zappa remains one of the most fascinating musicians and composers of his generation. Zappa was a rare individual who was equally skilled playing and writing in a number of different genres and styles, Funky Nothingness represents the brief era of a band which deserved to last longer than it did. Early on, Zappa realized the importance of recording whenever possible, as an impromptu studio jam or concert highlight might otherwise be lost for good. Especially after he dissolved his original Mothers of Invention band in 1969, Zappa sought out the best musicians possible. By the time of his death he had amassed a sizable library of unissued studio and concert performances. With the time Zappa spent composing, rehearsing bands and going on the road, it is little wonder that there was insufficient time for him to go through his entire archive to locate hidden treasures for release. Another awe-inspiring jam is Tommy/Vincent Duo II, showcasing the magic between Zappa and Dunbar in their earliest days together. An unedited version, which stretches to nearly 22 minutes long, appears on Disc 3. Travers writes, “By 1970, Frank had worked with some great drummers between The Mothers and the L.A. studio scene… (but) Aynsley took things to another level. It’s easy to understand how Frank would be excited to see where their chemistry would take them musically. Here is audio proof.” THREE-DISC EXPANDED DELUXE EDITION CONTAINS OUTTAKES, ALTERNATE EDITS, AND UNEDITED MASTERS FROM LITTLE KNOWN RECORDING SESSIONS The Funky Nothingness sessions — built around the steady groove of drummer Aynsley Dunbar and bassist Max Bennett — catch Zappa in harvesting-ideas mode. The group explores vintage swamp blues (Lightnin’ Slim’s “I’m a Rollin’ Stone”) and early R&B (covers of Hank Ballard’s “Work With Me Annie” and “Annie Had a Baby,” sung by Don “Sugarcane” Harris), as well as whimsical originals built on older styles (the doo-wop send-up “Sharleena”). It’s joyriding, lane-changing music — the atmosphere is loose and easygoing (for a Zappa project). There are few conceptual overlays to manage.

Was the guitarist and composer’s aesthetic fully formed out of the gate, from those ribald first works with the Mothers of Invention? Or was there some sort of galvanizing moment a bit later on, as Zappa’s skills fell into alignment with his ambition, when his intentions clarified and his options multiplied? While this set is bookended by 1967’s “Funky Nothingness,” a short piece of blues that was originally planned as the opening to an early version of the Chunga’s Revenge album, and ’67’s brief “Fast Funky Nothingness,” the rest of this material was recorded in February and March of 1970. With the Mothers having disbanded in 1969, Zappa brought together Mothers member Ian Underwood (keyboard, saxophone, rhythm guitar), violinist/vocalist Don “Sugarcane” Harris, and bassist Max Bennett, all of whom had played on Hot Rats, plus English drummer Aynsley Dunbar, who had recently relocated to Los Angeles with his invitation to join Zappa.

Features

Funky Nothingness preserves a number of "Tommy and Vincent" jams between Zappa and Dunbar, skillfully playing off one another with an intuitive connection and matching high energy. The first two jams were mixed by FZ in 1970; the third, newly-mixed one is the full, unedited, 22-minute master on which Zappa starts off on bass and moves to guitar. Naturally, some moments feel meandering while other improvised themes beg to be expanded upon, a testament to both players' virtuosity. Side one (presumably) ends with a lengthy workout of “I’m A Rollin’ Stone,” an old Lightnin’ Slim side. Over a slow, swampy groove, Zappa tears off some searing leads and jokes around: “Come in and make yourself comfortable… right over here by the Silvertone 45RPM imitation stereo record player,” his grin practically audible.

Disc Two includes a nearly 15-minute long unedited version of the full take of “Sharleena” which includes an alternate vocal part, additional overdubs and a longer guitar solo than the version first heard on The Lost Episodes collection! Ultratop.be – Frank Zappa – Funky Nothingness" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 2, 2023. In the same vein as "The Clap" are a trio of brief pieces that close out the bonus discs. "Halos and Arrows" is a segment of a freeform, surprisingly relaxed, and gentle piece played by Zappa which was otherwise erased. "Moldred" was assembled by Zappa from the jams with Dunbar; he overdubbed himself on bass. The closing, under-a-minute-long "Fast Funky Nothingness" is just that - another blues-based piece at a faster tempo than the one which opened the first disc of the set. a b "Frank Zappa's Incredibly Rare Recordings, Believed to Have Been Planned for a Potential Sequel to His Iconic Hot Rats Album, Have Been Unearthed from the Vault and Compiled as New Collection, Funky Nothingness". June 30, 2023 . Retrieved August 25, 2023. Together the group recorded hours’ worth of original compositions, inspired covers and extended improvisations that drew from Zappa’s R&B and blues roots, while blending influences of the emerging jazz fusion scene. Largely instrumental, these recordings showcased the guitarist’s virtuosity, while offering what could have easily been the sequel to Hot Rats, had it ever been released.Reed, Ryan (June 30, 2023). "Frank Zappa's Funky Nothingness Is Full of Meandering, Revelatory Jams". Spin. Some of these songs will be familiar to Zappa devotees. "Chunga's Revenge," included in Funky Nothingnessin three separate versions, was refigured as the title song from Hot Rat's follow-up, a cover of 1950s bluesman Lightnin' Slim's "I'm a Rollin' Stone" transformed into "Stink-Foot" from 1974's Apostrophe and Chunga's Revenge's closing song "Sharleena" is featured inan earlier 12-minute version. Funky Nothingness, as an album, is special in that it features at least three written compositions, three cover versions and multiple instrumental jam-oriented segments, all previously unreleased,” Travers explains. “It’s very rare to find that amount of music from one set of sessions that has gone unheard for such a long period of time.” If you love Frank Zappa’s music and his work around the time of Hot Rats and Chunga’s Revenge, then Funky Nothingness is an absolutely essential spin for you. ’Nuff said. The Clap" (CD3: Zappa/Hot Rats '70 More Session Masters & bonus Nothingness - Unedited Master - part I)