'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! |
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