CIVILIZATION PHAZE III

This is the last work released by Frank before he died. It's importance can't be overstated, it IS a true MASTERPIECE. It can be seen as the culmination of Zappa the Composer (which is how his real fans understand him). The different sides of Zappa's musical character are all still in here, but the over-riding flavour of the work is the Avant Garde New Music side. As The Mentalist notes below, without some sympathy towards 20th C classical music you may have a hard time liking this album; but it's more than worth the effort! The highlights are, N-Lite, Amnerika, Put a Motor In Yourself, Dio Fa, and Beat The Reaper. The last mentioned track must have been composed after he knew he was dying as it is one of the darkest compositions in his entire body of work - It's f**king scarey man!! One gets the feeling that Frank regarded this as his Master work as it was obviously years in the making; there are references to a project like CPIII in interviews back in the mid 80s (just after "meets the MOP" was released), I'm sure of it, but don't pull me up if I'm wrong. I guess only Gail Zappa would be able to verify that. The textures and colours of this work are amazing and unique; there is nothing I've heard before or since that is anything like it. Some new music buffs are just about able to cope with the works on Jazz from Hell but this appears to be beyond most of them as I haven't heard many references to it - they're probably still trying to digest it even now; more than a decade after it was realeased. But us Zappa fans can handle it - can't we guys.. guys.. where did everybody go? Seriously though this is THE BIG ONE. Just go out and buy it NOW!!! You'll thank me for it.