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The Real Frank Zappa Thread

Started by alan strang, September 02, 2004, 05:18:34 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

NoSleep

Quote from: Don_Preston on May 10, 2009, 10:38:37 AM
Well I was right, kind of. The newest purchase is, frankly, extremely disappointing. A digital download of previously unavailable on C.D compilation Mothermania. Bah!

It was originally a vinyl compilation, released in 1969.
Some different mixes of certain tracks. But ones made shortly after the originals, rather than decades later, as in the case of Ruben & The Jets, etc. Generally, the mixes are improvements, if anything: for instance; the guitar solo in Hungry Freaks, Daddy has been turned up so it doesn't sound miles away; and Mother People includes the verse that was removed, chucked to the end of the record & reversed on its original airing on WOIIFTM.

Here we go:

1. Brown Shoes Don't Make It
2. Mother People (new mono mix and uncensored)
3. Duke Of Prunes
4. Call Any Vegetable (edit)
5. The Idiot Bastard Son (new mono mix and edit)
6. It Can't Happen Here (new stereo mix and edit)
7. You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here (new stereo mix)
8. Who Are The Brain Police? (new stereo mix)
9. Plastic People
10. Hungry Freaks, Daddy (new stereo mix)
11. America Drinks And Goes Home


I have a soft spot for Mothermania, as it was the first Zappa album I was exposed to, borrowed from a friend, and in the cover of WOIIFTM for some reason.

Retinend

(layman speaking) so which are the best Zappa albums, then?

So far I've really liked;

Bongo Fury (my favourite)
Hot Rats (the beginners one)
Joe's Garage
Tinseltown Rebellion
and Weasels Ripped My Flesh

Retinend - have you tried 'Overnite Sensation' (1973) and 'Apostrophe(')' (1974) yet?  Both are fab.

Retinend

Each have one track I love ('Uncle Remus' and 'Camarillo Brillo', respectively), but I think they're let down by the 'wacky' tracks and the misogyny ('Dinah-Moe Humm', 'Don't Eat The Yellow Snow'). I thought they were a bit silly - the same for Sheik Yerbouti.

NoSleep

Can't really see Zappa as a mysogynist. You're mistaking the characters in his songs for his own opinion.

Retinend

I'm aware that that was his defense. When I listen to 'Catholic Girls' I'm hearing 'Catholic girls are sluts'. What do you hear?

thepuffpastryhangman

And when you're listening to Crew Slut?

As for Catholic Girls, it makes me think of Ordinary World.

Sheik Yerbouti has many of great tracks, Rubber Shirt, Rat Tomago, The Sheik Yerbouti Tango but especially City Of Tiny Lites and Yo Mama.

As for "the best", I'm not sure anyone could say. I'm bonkers for Studio Tan, (not even a proper proper proper album really) Gregory Peckery is a masterpiece and the other side is pretty special too. But I couldn't say they're better tracks than Blessed Relief or the title track of Waka Jawaka. Or for that either of those albums are 'better' than Roxy And Elsewhere or, sorry, I can't go on, it's just about personal faves really. Forced to choose I'd for 'around the wheelchair period', then again, You Are What You Is is solid throughout. It really is impossible. Closer to chronological home, The Best Band You Never Heard...has lotsa highlights.

But given one, I guess most folks might say One Size Fits All.

Then again, if it's guitar solos you're after...

NoSleep

Quote from: Retinend on May 10, 2009, 10:17:01 PM
I'm aware that that was his defense. When I listen to 'Catholic Girls' I'm hearing 'Catholic girls are sluts'. What do you hear?

I hear that Catholic girls are no different to anybody else.

If you want to hear Zappa speak more directly, then you need to listen to earlier material, like Trouble Every Day from Freak Out! or What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body? from We're Only In It For The Money - an album I think is one of his greatest, both musically & lyrically, but is often derided for the sped up vocals throughout. My recommendations are We're Only In It For The Money, Uncle Meat, & Absolutely Free.

Don_Preston

Quote from: NoSleep on May 11, 2009, 07:33:37 AM
My recommendations are We're Only In It For The Money, Uncle Meat, & Absolutely Free.

I'll second that. If you like Weasels Ripped My Flesh then you'll enjoy its studio companion Burnt Weeny Sandwich.

NoSleep

Quote from: Don_Preston on May 11, 2009, 09:25:38 AM
I'll second that. If you like Weasels Ripped My Flesh then you'll enjoy its studio companion Burnt Weeny Sandwich.

Burnt Weeny Sandwich would have been fourth on my list.

Pepotamo1985

Quote from: Retinend on May 10, 2009, 08:50:12 PM
(layman speaking) so which are the best Zappa albums, then?

So far I've really liked;

Bongo Fury (my favourite)
Hot Rats (the beginners one)
Joe's Garage
Tinseltown Rebellion
and Weasels Ripped My Flesh

Sounds to me you're liking the more accessible, funky, 70s era Zappa output. On that basis, I'll echo previous recommendations of Over-Nite Sensation and Apostrophe; they're incontestably Zappa's most accessible records, and damn good ones to boot. In addition, let me point you skyward and recommend One Size Fits All and Roxy & Elsewhere, which arguably feature not only the tightest bunch of musicians Zappa's ever assembled, but some of his best songwriting too. Check out Andy on One Size Fit All in particular, progressive sensibilities divided by funky rhythms and deliciously poppy guitar gymnastics. It's stuff like this that makes me such a cuntish Zappaphilic tosser completist really. Also, if you're feeling the more conventional, bluesier sensibilities exhibited on Bongo Fury, check out Zoot Allures; it features some of Zappa's best guitar solo showcases without the slightest hint of the interminable wankery which characterises pretty much every other guitar heavy album he subsequently made...ever., along with the hypnotic The Torture Never Stops, one of my favourite Zappa tunes.

I'm sure I've bored you enough by this point, and given you enough listening material to preoccupy you for a while and result in you failing all your exams, but I'll cheekily whack in a recommendation for You Are What You Is, the best Zappa album ever, ever, everrrrrr.

Peace.

Retinend

Quote from: thepuffpastryhangman on May 10, 2009, 10:44:17 PM
And when you're listening to Crew Slut?

that one is clearly a persona

thanks everyone for the recommendations.

Don_Preston

Quote from: Pepotamo1985 on May 12, 2009, 06:47:58 PM
In addition, let me point you skyward and recommend One Size Fits All and Roxy & Elsewhere, which arguably feature not only the tightest bunch of musicians Zappa's ever assembled, but some of his best songwriting too.

While I love Roxy and Elsewhere (seeing the footage of the fabled DVD on the website the other day whetting my appetite for more), I really hate One Size Fits All! It's one I never got into, despite the acclaim it gets. I guess I didn't really like that touring group (as documented on You Can't Do That Onstage Anymore Vol. 2) as much as what came before it. The loss of Bruce Fowler's trombone, Ian Underwood's multi-instrumental greatness (In my opinion Zappa's best sideman, sadly lost because of, I believe, his and Ruth's marriage dissolution) and Jean-Luc Ponty's violin. The 1973 band is poorly documented live-wise, although there's a great bootleg DVD from Sweden which later turned up on the Piquantique bootleg.

Pepotamo1985

Heresy sir, heresy!

Funnily enough, it might be due to the CD mix you've encountered, the original Zappa Records CD mix is truly fucking terrible, merging all the sounds into one unpleasant, muddy mess. I hated it at first too, but being the persevering Zappaedo that I am (and I'm sure you are too), I tracked down the MFSL gold CD of this, and it's like an entirely different album. You can hear every nuance of every instrument, which is really fucking important on this album because at any time every member of the band is busy doing something splendid.

Conversely of course, you might just not like the record. Which is fair enough.

ajsmith

Quote from: The Region Legion on May 03, 2009, 11:44:23 PM
This from the other Zappa thread that someone started who was shy of the search function.

Despite the fact that I'm sure it's very easy to come by on the usual sites...



...I decided to do a rip of my original US vinyl copy for the listening pleasure of the boards various Zappa fans. For those who haven't heard the original version before, you'll notice the difference within the first few seconds. Zappa really changed a lot in 1984.

I've done some remastering of it myself - a bit of limiting, some EQing to pull out the treble as well as a touch of harmonic exciter. The result is basically just a slightly clearer version of the original vinyl, not any actually difference in the mix.

It's all 160kbps mp3s I'm afraid, just to save on the download time for people. I've kept some WAVs so if anyone desperately wanted FLACs or something I can probably do it. Just ask. Will only work for the first 10 people, I imagine there's not many more than that here that'll be interested anyway. Enjoy!

http://rapidshare.com/files/228860651/_1968.12__Crusin__With_Ruben___The_Jets.rar.html

I missed. Any chance of a reshare? Sorry ta be such a cheek.

Retinend

Quote from: Pepotamo1985 on May 12, 2009, 06:47:58 PMI'll cheekily whack in a recommendation for You Are What You Is, the best Zappa album ever, ever, everrrrrr.

Didn't like this one. Same problems as Overnite Sensation and Apostrophe, I thought - just not funny, the sound effects/ silly voices, and the endless genre-pastiches. Too much vocals, and too much 'humour'. 'Dumb All Over' is now my least favourite zappa track. Terrible.

Don_Preston

Yes, that album marks the downturn of quality in Zappa's work, where he'd release an album every week of whatever had come into his head, regardless of any quality control. Plus he just loved that space age 80s technology. Yuk!

There's a storm a-brewing on the Zappa boards, with the discovery of a downloadable six cd edition 'Beat the Boots III' on Amazon at the moment. There's some great stuff to be found from the previous editions, especially from the much derided 1970-71 Flo and Eddie tours.

Retinend

Quote from: thepuffpastryhangman on May 10, 2009, 10:44:17 PM
Roxy And Elsewhere
Quote from: Pepotamo1985 on May 12, 2009, 06:47:58 PM
Roxy & Elsewhere
Quote from: Don_Preston on May 12, 2009, 07:12:34 PM
Roxy and Elsewhere

This one I really like. I liked them all on first listen, except for 'Cheepnis'. The instrumentals were the highlight for me.

Quote from: ajsmith on May 18, 2009, 04:22:29 PM
I missed. Any chance of a reshare? Sorry ta be such a cheek.

Done. Glad someone ended up wanting it. Those of you that already have it, you should download it anyway, doubt your version is better quality.

http://rapidshare.com/files/235384238/_1968.12__Crusin__With_Ruben___The_Jets.rar.html


NoSleep

Cheers. I got it the first time.

Don_Preston

There's a great new concert from the 1970 band (Flo and Eddie years) streaming on Wolfgang's Vault. Highlights include some rearranged Mothers of Invention favourites, and a smoking King Kong which includes a fantastic wah-sax solo by Ian Underwood.

Still no news on any new releases, sadly.

Retinend

Does anyone have his live performance of I Am The Walrus? I used to have it on my old computer which broke. It doesn't seem to be on any of his official releases.

pulsifer

Quote from: Retinend on September 17, 2009, 11:46:45 AM
Does anyone have his live performance of I Am The Walrus? I used to have it on my old computer which broke. It doesn't seem to be on any of his official releases.

My mate has a copy - it's an audience recording isn't it - from the 1988 tour?

I'll get him to send it me and i'll post a link but, to be honest, you're bound to find it somewhere online.

Don_Preston

There're plenty of bootlegs on the Sugarmegs.com database, and I'm sure an 88 concert with it'll be up there.

Retinend

sugarmegs.com gives me a reserve domain screen

I eventually found it, as part of a live bootleg, after some patience on google, if anyone else is in want of it:
http://zappanalata.blogspot.com/2009/06/frank-zappa-19880501-isstadion.html

Don_Preston

Quote from: Retinend on September 17, 2009, 09:30:44 PM
sugarmegs.com gives me a reserve domain screen


Ah yes, it's .org, for future reference.