FRANK ZAPPA — Bongo Fury (with Beefheart & Mothers) (review)

FRANK ZAPPA — Bongo Fury (with Beefheart & Mothers) album cover Live album · 1975 · Jazz Related Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
Warthur
Bongo Fury captures Zappa and the Mothers sliding into avant-blues territory with Captain Beefheart rounding out the crew. From the perspective of a fan of the mid-1970s incarnation of the Mothers, this is probably a lower priority that that lineup's studio albums or more essential live albums like You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Volume 2 or Roxy and Elsewhere; the fusion side of the band is toned down, and the Beefheart-less songs seem like off-cuts and rejects from meatier works, though that said Advance Romance is one awesome song.

The album is rather more of a success for Beefheart, who joined the Mothers for a tour after both the original Magic Band and the short-lived so-called "Tragic Band" disintegrated around him and his 1974 albums (Unconditionally Guaranteed /Bluejeans and Moonbeams) did terrible damage to his artistic credibility whilst utterly failing to win over the commercial audiences they were angling for. Bongo Fury, when it came out, was a timely reminder that despite all appearances Beefheart was still the troutmasked weirdo beloved by his fans. A couple of spoken word poetry pieces by Beefheart pad out the running time, but his true victories are the songs where he's backed by the Mothers, who adapt themselves to his style admirably - as on the opening Debra Kadabra.

On the whole, the album is probably too patchy to deserve a fourth star, but it comes exceptionally close - especially if you are a fan of both Zappa and Beefheart. For those only interested in one artist or the other, shave a star off the rating.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

My Ship Hard Bop
WILLIE JONES III
Buy this album from MMA partners
Ice Breaking Post-Fusion Contemporary
DAG ARNESEN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Lee Ritenour & Dave Grusin : Brasil Latin Jazz
LEE RITENOUR
Buy this album from MMA partners
From The North - Gogo Penguin Live In Manchester Nu Jazz
GOGO PENGUIN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Anthony Braxton Saxophone Quartet : Sax QT (Lorraine) 2022 Avant-Garde Jazz
ANTHONY BRAXTON
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

03 Willie Jones III My Ship #NightIsAlive
WILLIE JONES III
snobb· 4 hours ago
Fall
SUNNY KIM
js· 18 hours ago
Twilight
RANDY SCOTT
js· 1 day ago
Trifecta - Beck and Call - official video (taken from The New Normal)
TRIFECTA
js· 2 days ago
Phoenix
GRÉGORY PRIVAT
js· 2 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed