Zappa Thread

[RevolverRob]

New documentary coming out on Frank Zappa:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4F0rT0F6OQ

And it will be shocking to me if there aren't a bunch of closet Zappa fans hanging around here on P-F.

For me, my introduction to Zappa happened late. As in, I only started listening to Zappa in the past two years. One of my best friends from grad school is a big Zappa fan and his enthusiasm plus all the great Zappa quotes out there - made me start listening. I'm not sure where else you'll find a kazoo solo in the middle of a song about non-authentic people. I am still very much working my way though Zappa's extensive discography and keep returning to the first couple of albums to listen to the different layers in the music.

Meantime, let's kick it off with a choice Zappa quote:


“There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life.”

[snow white]

I love me some zappa, This will be a co documentary.

[blues]

Suzy Creamcheese!

Phi Zappa Krappa!

[Joe in PNG]

I'm rather fond of him as a true iconoclast and great musician. Lyrically, he was like that kid in the back of the class who would always crack jokes and cut up, with more than a few sarcastic jibes thrown toward the teacher. Musically, he was that same kid at home, diligently studying for hours every night.

[blues]

https://youtu.be/DuABc9ZNtrA

[SecondsCount]

Kevin Matthews was a DJ in Chicago in the 90s, and would play Zappa once in a while. He had him on his show a couple times. Interesting dude.

[Caballoflaco]

The recording is kinda shitty because 1980, but this video of the Navy Band playing Joe’s Garage for Frank is one of my favorites because he’s not “in character” like in most of his media appearances.


https://youtu.be/5LUAC_zmO_s


Also, if there’s ever live music again I highly recommend catching one of Dweezil’s Zappa plays Zappa shows if he comes to your town. I’ve seen them twice and both shows were fantastic. Ray White (one of the guys who did lead vocals on quite a few Zappa tunes) including The Legend of the Illinois Enema bandit was playing with them on his first tour which was really cool.


https://youtu.be/IP3qZDXFRik


His catalogue is huge with a wide variety of music and I really dig his Orchestral and Jazz compositions too. Outrage at Valdez is a masterpiece,


https://youtu.be/Ewpkx95GB_s

[RevolverRob]

Suzy Creamcheese!

Phi Zappa Krappa!

Suzy Creamcheese, honey, what's got into ya?

[JAD]

I listen to Joe’s Garage through several times a year, and have since I checked it out of the Waterloo Public Library on vinyl in 1986. It seriously fucked me up, and it is one of my three desert island records.

Just today I used the word ‘unconcho’ with a colleague.

[Lex Luthier]

Attended three live Frank Zappa performances (1982-85 period)and a couple of speaking engagements.

He *was* all that. It was fascinating to follow where he'd go with the guitar improvisations; he was like the dark-matter equivalent of Jerry Garcia, minus all the clams, and with a laser focus.
The young Steve Vai was a great musical foil for Frank, and the rhythm section of Chad Wackerman and Scott Thunes* were impossibly tight. The whole band was, really.


Grace Slick called FZ "The most intelligent asshole I have ever met."

I look forward to the documentary.




*Supposedly the Lord's Own a-hole himself, but a good bandleader.

[Lex Luthier]

Addendum: I found one of the whole shows I attended on Youtube!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEUb_ifUlNw

[RevolverRob]

he was like the dark-matter equivalent of Jerry Garcia, minus all the clams, and with a laser focus.

I had to go look up what "clams" meant in this context.

I was definitely thinking of something else...

-

Me being an asshole:

While you were attending Zappa shows, I had not even been conceived. You're welcome. :eek: ;)

[Lex Luthier]

I had to go look up what "clams" meant in this context.

I was definitely thinking of something else...

-

Me being an asshole:

While you were attending Zappa shows, I had not even been conceived. You're welcome. :eek: ;)

My youngest daughter is older *and* taller than you. You're also welcome. ;)

Clams are bad or sour notes. Zappa himself might apply a scatological definition...

[Moonshot]

Who you jiving with that cosmic debris?

[RevolverRob]

My youngest daughter is older *and* taller than you. You're also welcome. ;)

Anecdote time:

Both my undergrad and master's advisors are 6'4". One time I was walking to lunch with them, after having known each of them for 3-4 years. And their gigantic legs meant I was having to pick up the pace to keep. Suddenly, my undergrad advisor stops and turns and looks back at me and just blurts out, "I never realized you were so short."

"I make up for it with an enormous presence."

To which my MS advisor starts snorting and says, "I'll say. No one ever wonders where you're at."

My PhD Advisor once described me to someone at a conference, "He's sort of short with black hair. But you won't really notice he is short when you talk to him, because that's just not who or how he is." And the young woman he sent to talk to me said and I quote, "Pardon me, but holy shit was your advisor right in his description of you."

I don't know what all that means. But I think it means the only time people notice I'm short is when I can't reach stuff on the high shelf.


Clams are bad or sour notes. Zappa himself might apply a scatological definition...

Or another definition. That's neither here nor there nor anywhere.

[Joe in PNG]

My youngest daughter is older *and* taller than you. You're also welcome. ;)

Clams are bad or sour notes. Zappa himself might apply a scatological definition...

He did stop a song so that George Duke could go back and play a note he missed.

[Totem Polar]

Please tell me that y’all have read his autobiography:

https://www.amazon.com/Real-Frank-Zappa-Book/dp/0671705725

Parts of that book had me howling with laughter. Mrs Totem, too.

[SAWBONES]

Suzy Creamcheese!

Phi Zappa Krappa!


Yeah, well, those of us who were really into Zappa and The Mothers of Invention even as far back as the mid-60s would spin the final track on our LP of We're Only In It for the Money backward, in order to hear the expurgated (f-word) lyrics in unexpurgated form!

Can't do that with CDs.:p

[NH Shooter]

Attended three live Frank Zappa performances (1982-85 period)...

Likewise, at MSG in NYC.

[Alembic]

I've been listening to him since the early 90s via osmosis. Zappa played non stop in the kitchen of a resturant I worked at for 7 years. I love me some Joe's Garage (Widespread Panic do a great cover). But honestly I never really got him or the Mothers. But man, as a Dead Head I love the way he mocked the hippies. He was a foil to San Francisco and Laurel canyon.
A true genius taken too soon.

[Lex Luthier]

But man, as a Dead Head I love the way he mocked the hippies. He was a foil to San Francisco and Laurel canyon.
A true genius taken too soon.

He was one of the big influences in Laurel Canyon, funnily enough. It must have eventually chapped his hide.

[UNM1136]

Mrs. UNM1136's favorite tune when I met her was Dinamoe Humm, the hoped for threesome never panned out....

But if you actually pay attention to the lyrics...Dinamoe Humm, Goblin Girls, Bobby Brown Gets Down, Tittties and Beer, Catholic Girls, they are all pretty freakin hillarious. I think I may still have in storage a Playboy where he was interviewed. Remember finding out he died...

pat

[JAD]

I love him for his music, the way he played it, and maybe especially the way he could get other people to play (and sing) it.

But as pure icing, he was funny as fuck.

“Who don’t know shit about cooking/
And is arrogant looking...”

[Archer1440]

I had dinner with Zappa in October 1987. Frank & Teresa’s Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY. We talked about Al and Tipper Gore, politics and European history, among other things, for three hours. A true genius.

(I had interviewed ‘algore’ on PBS at the Chautauqua Institution the previous summer)

[ACP230]

"Movin' to Montana soon,
Gonna be a dental floss tycoon..."

[Lex Luthier]

I had dinner with Zappa in October 1987. Frank & Teresa’s Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY. We talked about Al and Tipper Gore, politics and European history, among other things, for three hours. A true genius.

(I had interviewed ‘algore’ on PBS at the Chautauqua Institution the previous summer)

That would have been fascinating!

[Joe in PNG]

"Movin' to Montana soon,
Gonna be a dental floss tycoon..."

One of my favorite guitar solos.

[JAD]

One of my favorite guitar solos.

Agreed but

https://youtu.be/j3yE2NAdNKo

[Archer1440]

That would have been fascinating!

It certainly was, but I was younger and dumber and did not fully appreciate the experience until years later.

[TNK]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDYzuwG-gOE


Frank Zappa thought it unimportant to be remembered. Sorry Frank. We will remember you for a long time because you made the world a better place to be in.

[JAD]

Please tell me that y’all have read his autobiography:

https://www.amazon.com/Real-Frank-Zappa-Book/dp/0671705725

Parts of that book had me howling with laughter. Mrs Totem, too.

Thanks for the recommendation -- I'm about halfway through, and likely to finish tonight.

[Lex Luthier]

Agreed but

https://youtu.be/j3yE2NAdNKo

You magnificent bastard.
Now I have a 9+ minute earworm.

I used to love counting out the changes in this tune when I was 16 or so.

[BrassSlapper]

Thanks guys... now I can't get Jewish Princess out of my head.

[JAD]

Thanks guys... now I can't get Jewish Princess out of my head.

You think that’s bad, I can’t get her out of my house.

[JAD]

Thanks for the recommendation -- I'm about halfway through, and likely to finish tonight.

The first half was excellent — lots of insight into his background, which is always interesting with phenomenally talented people. The middle got tiresome, composed mostly of sawing at why it’s so hard to put out music that nobody particularly wants to hear. The last third is awful — Frank’s political and social thinking , which is a bit more clear-headed than say John Lennon’s, or at least Yoko’s.

Honestly you can get the good part of this book out of his Wikipedia entry.

Happy to pass my copy on to any interested party, first PM who will donate $5 to the Salvation Army gets it shipped free.

[RevolverRob]

Just bumping the Zappa thread - because almost started to make a new one. Since Zappa is still awesome. Got some new headphones recently and have been going back through Zappa and really focusing on the layers of his work. So many layers compared to many others.

[UNM1136]

He did stop a song so that George Duke could go back and play a note he missed.

One of my friends who helped introduce me to Zappa mentioned that he could hear all the instruments playing, and would fine the players $5 for each missed note. He also mentioned that as an artiste Zappa preferred to write music for 54 piece orchestras.

My wife introduced me to Zappa in the early 90s with the album "Have I Offended"? Her favorite song was "Dyna Moe Hum". I liked "Titties and Beer" and "Gobblin Girls", although "Dinah Moe Hum" was pretty frakkin awesome....

pat

[UNM1136]

Watching Alice Cooper-Story of the Songs right now. After a couple of failures (and like 4 name changes) they auditioned for Frank Zappa, at his home, waking him up at 0700. Zappa gave Alice Cooper their first contract, a three record deal, immediately.

Dweezil is getting face time, and photos of Frank, Dweezle, Ahmed, and Moon Unit have been shown.

Oh, yeah. "Valley Girl", featuring Moon Unit, is super funny. Totally.

pat