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California Classics Books, Los Angeles
2003
ISBN: 187939538X
Pages: 96
Language: English Category: About
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And here is publisher' press release. Date: Tue Feb 11 22:26:02 KEM 2003 MY BROTHER WAS A MOTHER: A ZAPPA FAMILY PHOTO ALBUM is aptly titled -- reading this new book by Patrice "Candy" Zappa, Frank Zappa's baby sister, is a lot like stumbling across a Zappa family photo album forgotten and stashed away in an attic. Not only are there more than sixty previously unpublished family photos, but they are illuminated by Candy Zappa's insights into what it was like to grow up with the iconoclastic guitarist, composer, and social critic. As Candy Zappa remarks in her introduction to the book, "You couldn't get any closer to knowing what it was like to grow up in the Zappa household unless you had been there right beside me." Fans of the late musician may not have even been aware that he had a nuclear family. During his lifetime Zappa (who died of prostate cancer in 1993) preferred to turn the spotlight away from them. As a result, more people were familiar with Zappa's children than they may have been with his parents, Francis and RoseMarie Zappa, and his three siblings, Bobby, Carl, and Candy. After reading MY BROTHER WAS A MOTHER, however, no one will ever be likely to forget this fascinating family and their heartwarming story, told with humor and honesty by Candy. She recounts the childhood of her immigrant father Francis Zappa, who spent his early days in Baltimore working in his father's barber shop; tells the hilarious tale of her mother RoseMarie Zappa, who broke off a going-nowhere relationship with a boorish hockey player, then met Francis and consequently changed the course of musical history; and, of course, describes what it was like growing up with an older brother who "loved to blow things up" and who became obsessed with music at an early age. MY BROTHER WAS A MOTHER isn't only for Frank Zappa fans; it's a must-read account of an archetypical Italian-American family struggling to come to terms with their genius son in the turbulent '50s and '60s. And Candy Zappa has the pictures to prove it! PATRICE "CANDY" ZAPPA has performed with numerous bands on both the East and West Coasts and Europe. (She is featured prominently on Nigey Lennon's CD, REINVENTING THE WHEEL, which also features Mike Keneally on guitar.) She lives in Valley Village, California. She will be promoting MY BROTHER WAS A MOTHER jointly with California Classics author Nigey Lennon, whose book BEING FRANK: MY TIME WITH FRANK ZAPPA is being reissued in June. I wanted to tell you that Candy's book has short introductions by Nigey and myself. This was not mentioned in the press release. It turned to be not a book but rather an album. I mean total black and white colors balance between words and pictures. There are a great lot of them. Old mamma's Kodak-chrome photos. Much more than letters. Yes. From Frankie the fat baby to Frank Zappa the young skinny guy. And no mustache yet or imperial, so you may see another absolute trade mark of revolutioner. The upper lip. Always a little bit further than mother-physiognomy expected. Half-hiding the lower. Wow. He's always frowning this boy. He don't believe no one word of you. And you'll love it! And not only these zebras-era pictures. The words too. As little as they are inserted between illustrations. You need no more than quick two hours to consume them all and enjoy this true family story. About, no, not about a great brother as a title suggested, but rather about a great mother and amazingly great father as well. And it's a nice other side addition to FZ own legend-version of The Real Frank Zappa Book. He wasn't an outcast, the cut and thrown piece of a hard-working catholic family, quite otherwise, the dear, loved, always welcomed son of wise and joyful mother Rose-Marie and the father of inventions Francis Vincent. Believe it or not, but the very first place where he brought the fresh from the press copy of Freak Out! album was his parents home. And he put it himself on the record player and at the end of the session asked 'Isn't it great?'. I'm sure it's called love. Whatever format it takes. So the book is really worth seeing and reading. And I really hope as the first in the series. The family books on FZ. After all it was C. Robert Zappa who as early as 1968 used the reverse relations idea for his Life Magazine's article title. It was called 'My Brother Is An Italian Mother', so let's read sister Candy and wait for a sequel from brother Bob. I'm sure the process is in progress, thanks to Patrice. |
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