I spotted this book while looking through Frank Zappa books on Thrift Books.
I looked it up on Amazon and was intrigued by this in the description of the book:
“The Poodle Diaries” leaves no stone unturned as it presents an exhaustive listing of every concert, allowing you to relive the excitement of each performance. Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of sound with meticulously documented set lists, providing a glimpse into the diverse repertoire that graced Zappa’s live shows.
But this guide goes beyond mere concert listings. It provides a holistic exploration of Zappa’s live music, offering deep insights into his artistic process, his collaborations with extraordinary musicians, and the profound impact of his performances. Uncover the names and stories of the band members who shared the stage with Zappa, contributing to the unforgettable moments that defined his live experience.
Obviously I ordered it. However, I decided to post it here to give a balance of pros and cons, as there are many.
First and foremost, all the info in the book IS available on several sites that you can find. I knew that going in, but thought having it handy was a pro. For someone like me that is deep in the Zappa world, it is like a dictionary and I will reference it as I work my way through the obscene amount of live shows that I have.
My first con is the way that the book is described as “a holistic exploration of Zappa’s live music, offering deep insights into his artistic process…” uh, say what? Let’s be clear about what is between the covers of “The Poodle Diaries”. This is a list of concert dates, associated set lists, and very little else. I was actually excited for the deep insights. On this point I was disappointed. Completely.
For those that think that finally they will be able to get that all important info from early shows in the Zappa universe… you will be also disappointed.
Setlist Unknown goes on for 50 or so pages. The set lists start getting fleshed out around the 1973 tour. It is nice that the first performance of a song is called out, and if this material is available on official releases it is also called out.
This is the meat of the book. Again, if I was ONLY interested in cool tour stories or tangents about the shows, I’d be bummed. So buyer beware. There are some other appendix type items that are nice inclusions.
There are some charts of states and countries that Zappa played, and even a chart of days of the week. Not sure who is aching for that info. Finally there is a list of the 250 Most Played Songs.
So, if you just want a handy reference of live show dates as you sift through your 1200+ shows and bootlegs, I recommend this book.
If you are looking for anything more, skip it.
I want to be clear that I am not dissing this book, I think it will be a valuable addition to my Zappa book collection and it will have a place right next to “The Big Note: A Guide to the Recordings of Frank Zappa” which is all about the commercial releases. I just wanted to provide a sampling of what is inside so you can make your own decision.
I’ll leave you with this quote from Frank that is in the book and speaks to me:
“Writing about music is like dancing about architecture. – FZ
The Aural Retentive 