Zappa: A Biography

Good reading with full details .Some errors from other books are corrected.

Arrived as described.

This is truly a great biography. We look closely at Frank Zappa and the world that immediately surrounded him. Frank Zappa was a strange man and many of those who worked with him had difficulties with him, Miles explores those issues as he should. Zappa fans might not wish to read these observations, but if they reject this book because it is not fawning then they will miss out.The section on Frank Zappa's childhood is fascinating. To be honest I think Zappa's childhood was pretty horrible. He moved from one school to another as his father moved house all the time. When Zappa faced problems at school with other children his father was of no help and so Zappa became the fiercely independent individual that he was. Miles captures what it was like to be growing up in 50s America superbly. When the young Zappa encounters something from outside his culture, the music of Varese and other Vienna School composers then it has huge importance for him. This book explores the unique influences on Zappa that shape him.As an adult Zappa first makes his way in the strange world of 60's America. He manages to adopt a unique position of simultaneously exploiting this world and opposing many of its values. How he builds a profile for himself in the community is fascinating. He is keen to get ahead as a musician and performer and the interests of others around him are very secondary indeed.Miles charts Zappas musical career. We read about the unique set of influences that help to create the many LPs that the Mothers of Invention and Frank Zappa released.It is an unflinching look at Zappa and often we are infuriated with him. However the book recognises his music when it is successful. When Zappa dies at the end of the book it feels like the end of a long and difficult journey and the ready does have great empathy with him, it is very sad.Such a great read. I highly recommend it.

This is actually a good book. Its thoroughly researched and well written. It suffers from the main flaw of all the Zappa books that were not written by Frank Zappa himself though, it spends way too much time on his early (and IMO overrated) material with the Mothers. This book is basically put together from all the other books, including Zappas autobiography and also many other sources. In the end it gives possibly the most complete picture of Frank of any of the many books written about him. The thing that seperates this book though is that it covers the last 5 or so years of his life in far more detail than any other book written about Zappa. I had never, ever read about his last days and Miles does so and they are rather moving. It was very interesting to read about this side of Zappa and that alone makes the book a must read for Zappa fans. Surely this isnt a butt kissing book but it is also very fair to Frank and lauds him far more than it puts him down. He isnt infalable and this book does point that out but it doesnt dwell on negativity.

Nice biography , we learn who was Zappa ..