Frankie and Bobby: Growing Up Zappa Paperback – August 17, 2015

The list you see below includes the books I have read that have been written by or are about Frank Zappa. I have placed them in the order in which I like them:1. THE REAL FRANK ZAPPA BOOK by Frank Zappa and Peter Occhioigrosso2. (tied for 2nd place) FREAK OUT: MY LIFE WITH FRANK ZAPPA by Pauline Butcher2. (tied for 2nd place) FRANK ZAPPA: FAQ by John Corcelli2. (tied for 2nd place) FRANKIE AND BOBBY: GROWING UP WITH ZAPPA by Bob Zappa3. FRANK ZAPPA IN HIS OWN WORDS by Barry Miles4. DANGEROUS KITCHEN: THE SUBVERSIVE WORLD OF ZAPPA by Kevin Courrier5. THE WORDS AND MUSIC OF FRANK ZAPPA by Kelly Fisher Lowe6. MOTHER! THE FRANK ZAPPA STORY by Michael Gray7. FRANK ZAPPA: THE NEGATIVE DIALECTICS OF POODLE PLAY by Ben Watson8. THE ACADEMY ZAPPA: PROCEEDINGS OF ESEMPLASTIC ZAPPA edited by Ben Watson and Esther Leslie9. FRANK ZAPPA AND THE AND edited by Paul Carr10. ELECTRIC DON QUIXOTE: THE DEFINITIVE STORY OF FRANK ZAPPA by Neil Slaven11. NECESSITY IS... THE EARLY YEARS OF FRANK ZAPPA AND THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION by Billy James12. ZAPPA: THE HARD WAY by Andrew Geenaway13. COSMIK DEBRIS: THE COLLECTIVE HISTORY AND IMPROVISATIONS OF FRANK ZAPPA by Greg Russo14. NO COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL: THE SAGA OF FRANK ZAPPA by David Walley15. FRANK ZAPPA: THE COMPLETE CUIDE TO HIS MUSIC by Ben Watson16. MY BROTHER WAS A MOTHER: A ZAPPA FAMILY ALBUM by Patrice "Candy" Zappa17. THEM OR US by Frank Zappa18. UNDER THE SAME MOON by Suzannah Thana Harris19. BEING FRANK: MY TIME WITH FRANK ZAPPA by Nigery Lennon20. CONFESSIONS OF A ZAPPA FANATIC by H. T. Brown21. FRANK ZAPPA UNAUTHORIZED AND UNCENSORED (with videos) *Since I began my Zappa books made an effort to list them in terms of how much I liked them. With 23 books, two issues make this effort an extremely complex task. First, ranking them is particularly difficult because they were not read at the same time. It is difficult to compare books when they were read years (sometimes an entire decade) apart. For example, I liked NO COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL and don’t understand why I ranked it as 14.Second, the distance between rankings is not equal. I had a very difficult time ranking:FREAK OUT: MY LIFE WITH FRANK ZAPPA by Pauline ButcherFRANK ZAPPA: FAQ by John CorcelliFRANKIE AND BOBBY: GROWING UP WITH ZAPPAI had to tie all three in second place. I should have thought to do that with many others. The last three are terrible and I strongly recommend to not waste your time and read them. They’re equally terrible.As for FRANKIE AND BOBBIE, I really enjoyed reading it. Two aspects of this book are unique when compared to the other Zappa books:1.In the early part of the book, I thought that the description of the father/son(s) relationships were eerie. Francis was a poor excuse for a father, BUT it was clear to me that Frank had picked up many of his father’s traits. My initial perception was confirmed at the end of the book. Here, Bob Zappa comes to the same unsavory conclusion. In he offers a list of similar characteristics between Frank and his dad and emphasized them with bullets. It is amazing. Notwithstanding, Frank and Bob had an extraordinary strong emotional bond throughout Frank’s life. Clearly, this was the result of their dad being a common enemy.2. Virtually all of the Zappa books (including THE REAL FRANK ZAPPA BOOK) include descriptions of the early and perhaps the first Mothers of Invention public performance at the Garrick Theater in New York. Bob Zappa’s description is by far the best. All the other books describe the performance but fail to provide an analysis of how and why this event became the powerful catalyst to bring the Mothers of Invention to the forefront of underground music in the 60’s and onward. Bob Zappa does a great job of writing here.If you are a fan of Zappa, you need to read this book.

Frank was always a little vague on his upbringing and personal family relationships and I have read all things Zappa from Franks own book, to the one by Nigey Lennon in which I did not believa much of what she said.Frank was an outsider, different moved around alot but took his music collection with him. Hated idiots in authority, bullies, fascistts and saw through the hypocrisy. All alone in his lonely teenage room, a stack of R&B records, meticulously catalogued and memorized. I am grateful for that obsessive cataloguing because a teenage record collection turned into the Vault, meticulously recorded.I understand Frank More now. He truly was diffficult to work for if you were not prepared, intolerant but a loving, loyal, generous man who took care of those he loved. He never wore love on his sleeeve but many of his actions showed great generosity of spirit.Bobby Zappa knew his brother well in their early years 1-20 and people generally do not change character.Bobby did a great job told it as it was and nothing more. No wild bs groupie stories.One think I found odd was Bobby never mentioned his nieces or nephews least of all Gail.Maybe that is good maybe he did not really know them or like Gail so he maturely just omitted her. That is integrity.so withheld talking about them. It is also clear that Bobby was Franks biggest personal hero he adored him and looked up to him to the point where he really puts himself down by comparing himself to Frank. Frank was an aberration of nature he is a tough one to keep up with on many levels. Bobby has done well and if anything he has love, feelings, and integrity. He could of twisted facts to make for a more lurid book but he speaks the truth as he remembers it.

I just finished savoring this book. What an incredible story. I can only explain its effect on me in this way... For me, like so many others, Frank has been a musical GOD. I came to know him intimately, yet exclusively, via what he would've called his 'product'. The high entertainment value just drew me in, and my collection here would speak for itself. Frank's messages were not always clear upon first discovery, and the layers upon layers of conceptual fibers woven through his body of work as a whole has made FZ fandom a lifelong and most rewarding experience. It is a shame that I really started getting into his music around '89, after I had already missed my chances of seeing him perform in-person. I could never really fathom how a person could develop such keen insights into how the world works and our place in it, and I mean that on multiple levels. This book totally demystified Frank for me. I think the closer a person is to understanding his musical career, the more they can appreciate how Frank and Bobby's mutual roots affected the icon he became. This is a huge gift to the Zappa community!

I loved this book. Bob Zappa did all Frank's fans a favor by writing it (and a great service to Frank's memory). He wrote a well paced, insightful glimpse into their childhood that was easy to follow and held the spotlight on all people involved for the correct amount of time. I have read many books written about musicians, and most of them come across as either 1) exploitative, 2) self indulgent 3) banal or 4) completely erroneous. This is is definitely none of the above. You can tell Bob was coming from a place of true love and respect for his sibling. I also enjoyed his brief recollections on Don Van Vliet aka Captain Beefheart. His accounts convey a honest and unique perspective of his and Frank's formative years that only he could provide. I am thrilled he was able and willing to chronicle it for the world. If only all profiles on musicians written by loved ones were as thoughtful and genuine as this one!

What a fantastic book, by franks brother bobby really great, nice stories of the two boys growing up together, all us zappa fans ithink will appreciate this book as frank didnt really talk too much of his very early years 👍

This is not a review of Frank's life and influences so be warned. However, it is a very insightful and gentle description of two young boys growing up in 50's America. There are some flashes of Frank's later personality (and genius) but essentially the focus is on boyhood experiences in the Zappa family. I especially liked some of the 'behind the scenes' information from the very early Mothers gigs in New York. In short, if you're a Zappa fan buy this book. If the author happens to look in on this review, please accept my thanks for having written this enjoyable and ,at times, very moving book. Thanks Mr. Zappa.

Interesting read for any Frank Zappa fan who wants to know about Zappa growing up in his family. FZ never gave much away about his upbringing but there is a lot of meat in this book which makes it an enjoyable read.

A fascinating insight into the formative years of the composer, band leader and social commentator through the eyes of his closet friend, his younger brother.I thoroughly enjoyed the book but just wish it was longer!

Thrilled with it. Worth buying