The Real Frank Zappa Thread

[alan strang]

The Hungarian Zappa site often posts up some great audio rarities. They have a Petit Wazoo gig up at the moment (includes the full version of 'Rollo').

http://www.zappa.hu/index.php?newlang=english

Sadly you've missed the recent posting of the full unreleased Chalk Pie LP. I can however assure you that it was utterly magnificent!

[Pepotamo1985]

Whee.

[alan strang]

Well if that's your attitude...


"Mmmm, safiiiiieee..."

[splattermac]

I enjoy a bit of  Zappa and Beefheart and recently listened to Fast 'N' Bulbous's Beefheart tribute CD , more info here http://tinyurl.com/87e3w

I then dug out some stuff by the Edgar Broughton Band and now I'm out of ideas.

Where should I be looking for some similar vein artists?

I had a ganders at the "all music" site for inspiration but I either already like the artists it recommends or can't get on with the remainder.

and just while I'm here, I wish I could play the guitar and dance like Zoot (is it Zoot, bad suit and white hat?)

http://www.btinternet.com/%7Egraham.johnston2/Booglarize.rm

Beefy looks like a lost Osmond.

[Little Tommy Titter]

arse

edit to spare blushes

[Little Tommy Titter]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000066SC6/qid=1114090343/sr=8-17/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i11_xgl15/103-9730329-2605466?v=glance&s=music&n=507846

[Catalogue Trousers]

Can I just recommend his monster movie homage, "Cheepnis"? Probably my all-time favourite Zappa track. Especially the epic version on "Roxy & Elsewhere" with the lengthy spoken intro...

Frunobulax LIves!

[Clinton Morgan]

Moon's made a moovie

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373409/

[Clinton Morgan]

alan, do you have a copy of your 200 Motels cartoon strip on hand to bung up on-line. Bloody brilliant it is. While you're at it put up your eye-watering T'Mershi Duween cover if you can.

[alan strang]

alan, do you have a copy of your 200 Motels cartoon strip on hand to bung up on-line. Bloody brilliant it is.

Eh? Where have you seen that? I don't recall it ever leaving Wales (unlike myself).

While you're at it put up your eye-watering T'Mershi Duween cover if you can.

I'm afraid I don't have copies of either anymore.

Now stop virally marketing me and get yourself over to Gilles Friday Boot - they have a great 1975 gig up. Check out Nappy doing a freaky early version of 'Any Downers'.

[Pepotamo1985]

Listened to Zoot Allures today. The man really is a genius. Jazzy instrumentals? Hypnotic 10 minuters about torture? Compelling guitar solos?

The man is a genius?

[Neville Chamberlain]

Made my latest attempt to get into Zappa last night by watching the Baby Snakes DVD, and I did indeed witness genius - namely Terry Bozzio. As for the man Zappa, there's something there that just doesn't stick with me. Still, I've got eight or so of his albums to get through that someone lent me and it's certainly an interesting experience...

[Pepotamo1985]

Made my latest attempt to get into Zappa last night by watching the Baby Snakes DVD, and I did indeed witness genius - namely Terry Bozzio. As for the man Zappa, there's something there that just doesn't stick with me. Still, I've got eight or so of his albums to get through and it's a good experience indeed!

What albums be these?

[Neville Chamberlain]

...

[Clinton Morgan]

Eh? Where have you seen that? I don't recall it ever leaving Wales (unlike myself).

While you're at it put up your eye-watering T'Mershi Duween cover if you can.

I'm afraid I don't have copies of either anymore.
Now stop virally marketing me and get yourself over to Gilles Friday Boot .

With 'Swallow My Pride' the song that fans consider to be Zappa's worst song? They're right, no wonder he didn't release it. Have you ever heard 'Kaiser Rolls' his best  unreleased-until-the-release-of-fz/oz? I'm listening to http://www.radiokeneally.com at the moment.

I saw the 200 Motels comic strip in a copy of 'T Mershi Duweeen'. I'll have to dig up my shoeboxes and pull out an issue for scanning.

[Clinton Morgan]

and I did indeed witness genius - namely Terry Bozzio. quote]

He is indeed.

http://www.gandsmusic.com/Bozzio.htm

[Pepotamo1985]

Scarily, I've got every edition of T'Mershi Duween sitting next to me, now. Any idea what issue it is?

[Clinton Morgan]

I can't remember which one but Strang did do a cover for a different issue consisting of Patricia The Dog, The Central Scrutinizer, The Shiek Yerbouti cover and (I think) the Thing-Fish...

Do you pop over a visit http://www.idiotbastard.supanet.com ? There's news about Derailroaded the documentary about Wild Man Fischer being shown at this year's London Film Festival.

In the meantime....



No, we're not gonna play Cheepnis.....

[Neville Chamberlain]

Made my latest attempt to get into Zappa last night by watching the Baby Snakes DVD, and I did indeed witness genius - namely Terry Bozzio. As for the man Zappa, there's something there that just doesn't stick with me. Still, I've got eight or so of his albums to get through and it's a good experience indeed!

What albums be these?

Zoot Allures, Apostrophe, Best Band in the World, One Size Fits All, Joe's Garage, Sheikh Yerbouti.

Interesting stuff dotted about with moments of greatness, but I think I love Zappa-inspired stuff more than the man himself. I'm not keen on the humour for a start...

[DonkeyRhubarb]

If your not keen on his humour (I know what you mean, there's parts of 'You Are What You Is' that make me cringe), try 'Hot Rats' his first album without the Mothers. No silly voices, 5 insrumentals plus one vocal by Beefheart, it's my favourite Zappa album anyway.

[Pepotamo1985]

Zoot Allures, Apostrophe, One Size Fits All, Joe's Garage, Sheikh Yerbouti.

Sheik Yerbouti is lame, and Joe's Garage is tremendously silly (bouts of greatness here and there, though).

Try listening to Zoot Allures with no distractions. It's a hypnotic album, and one of my favourites, but I find that outside influences curtail its greatness.

You must listen to We're Only In It For The Money, Over-nite Sensation and Hot Rats though. As Rhubarb pointed out, Hot Rats is truly no nonsense, and it's wonderful.

[Clinton Morgan]

One Size Fits All is one of his greatest albums. Personally I like the 'silly lyrics' albums like Sheik Yerbouti, You Are What You Is, The Man From Utopia, Them Or Us and so forth. I'm not too keen on the overall 'feel' of Tinseltown Rebellion

For good Zappa instrumental work may I recommend





and

His meisterwerk!

[Pepotamo1985]

I hate Guitar.

[Clinton Morgan]

Och! Awa' wi' yer blethering.

[Pepotamo1985]

What? It's just mindless guitar solos...spread over 2 discs.

[Clinton Morgan]

I disagree. You can hear Zappa's character coming through his playing. His lyrics may not express any feeling but his guitar playing does. They are esoteric and beautiful. There are a million hours worth of soloing so he had to be picky on choosing which ones to select for the follow up album to 'Shut Up N Play Yer Guitar'. I think he chose some of his best. My favourite tracks are 'Chalk Pie', 'Outside Now (Original Solo)' (actually the solo used on 'Keep It Greasy' which sounds quite hypnotic with the sitar backing on the 'Joe's Garage' album), 'Republicans' (though I might be the only one who likes it), 'Winos Do Not March' and 'Swans, What Swans?'. You (and I don't mean 'You' as in 'You, personally' but 'You' in a general term) need to listen to the tracks attentively. Repeated listening usually works. Also listen to the interplay between the other musicians, in particular Chad Wackerman and Scott Thunes.

[Pepotamo1985]

Don't get me wrong, I love Zappa's soloing. As long as it's in the confines of a coherent song. Zappa's guitar solos may sound 'cool', but isolated they sound useless.

[alan strang]

Don't get me wrong, I love Zappa's soloing. As long as it's in the confines of a coherent song. Zappa's guitar solos may sound 'cool', but isolated they sound useless.

Oof, no. Very little has thrilled me as much as the first time I ever heard the 'Shut Up & Play...' version of Heavy Duty Judy (although the way it comes screaming in after the dialogue snippet has a lot to do with it).

My all-time favourite solo has to to be Sheik Yerbouti's 'Yo Mama' (which of course comprises about 90% of the actual song). Every note of that is burnt onto my brain, and yet it still sense shivers down my spine as it builds into the crescendo.

[Pepotamo1985]

My favourite Zappa solo occurs in Willie The Pimp, just as Beefheart finishes his monologue. Ah. Zappa is one of the most underrated guitarists of all time.

[alan strang]

My favourite Zappa solo occurs in Willie The Pimp, just as Beefheart finishes his monologue. Ah. Zappa is one of the most underrated guitarists of all time.

I recall reading somewhere that there was a Musician's Union bloke standing over Zappa while he played that solo, attempting to get his attention and tell him he'd over-run his studio time or something. Not sure if I actually believe it though - there's a whopping great edit in the middle of the solo where two sections have obviously been joined together (an edit which was rather cleverly made less obvious for the remixed version).

Speaking of which, Pepotamo, have you heard the original mix of Hot Rats? Some of the differences between that and the CD remaster are quite startling.