Zappa - C/D

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (399 of them)

yeah, NICE FACE, DUDE

― 57 7th (calstars), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 02:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I like Frank because he challenges me- he challenges me to ask the question "Dude, why all the musical gymnastics for the endless songs about wet T-shirt contests and 'poop chutes'"?

It is significant that at least two members of the Velvet Underground have gone on record that Frank is a bummer. John Cale said he didn't like Zappa because he thought Zappa just didn't really like music (this from a man who, as part of his musical performance, once wielded an ax on a table at Tanglewood and then later on a chicken, wherever that chicken incident took place ), Sterling Morrison said something like "have you ever heard of somebody waking up in the morning and singing, humming, snapping their fingers or tapping their toes to a Zappa tune? No you haven't, you can't do it, it's impossible." Now maybe you're going tell me their real beef was that they shared a label with the Mothers and the Mothers got the lion share of the label support, but so what. Maybe that's why they said it out loud but not why they thought it.

The guy was both too lowbrow and highbrow for my taste, a classic outflanking maneuver. His non-yellow-snow-eating followers luckily get to enjoy, upon purchase of one his masterpieces, an immediate jump-up of several levels in musical prestige, like people who buy Sting records.

I seem to remember Zappa saying is that if he had his druthers, he would never hear another II-V-I chord progression again. This "cliched" progression is pretty much the basis of jazz, but it was too boring for the Big Mother, as Xgau called him.

For an account of what it is like to audition for the great man, and come up against the famous "black page" go here

Oh yeah, just to prove I'm open-minded, I do like Ruben and the Jets. "Stuff Up the Cracks" is a great song.

― Ken L (Ken L), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 03:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh my god, that's fantastic. For those not inclined to click on the link:

After you got back from Africa, you auditioned for Frank Zappa, didn't you?

Yeah. He came and heard a band I was in in Tampa. Sat through two sets of our show, paid us some great compliments. I said, "If you're ever looking for a bass player, give me a call." A few weeks later, he called me up and asked me to come out to Los Angeles to audition. And he gave me "The Black Page," much to my amazement. It was this incredibly, complexly notated piece of music that he actually wanted me to sight read, and that was how he was going to evaluate my playing. I don't do too well eleven ledger lines above the bass clef, with a seventh-note figure above it, so I told him I'd have to work on it a little bit, and he said, "Well, we need somebody who can read fast. Next!" So I didn't get to play. And that was after driving out to L. A. from Florida. So that was a real heartbreaker. Tears ran down my cheeks. [Laughs.]

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 03:14 (twenty-one years ago)

[A heevahava] said something like "have you ever heard of somebody waking up in the morning and singing, humming, snapping their fingers or tapping their toes to a Zappa tune? No you haven't, you can't do it, it's impossible."

"Cover your daughter in choc-o-late syrup, strap her on again, oh bab-ee..."

― George Smith, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 04:27 (twenty-one years ago)

yah i find myself singing zappa tunes all the time. that guy is nuts.

― big chaki (chaki), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 04:32 (twenty-one years ago)

"Poofter's Froth, Wyoming ..."

Or something like that. The melody sticks, the words are icing on the cake.

― George Smith, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 04:37 (twenty-one years ago)

"let's make the water turn black," "wowee zowee," and "don't eat the yellow snow" are all quite hummable, actually.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 04:39 (twenty-one years ago)

zappa songs with good vocal hooks:

my guitar wants to kill your mama
village of the sun
take your close of when you dance
magic finger
san'berdino
you are what you is
eddie are you kidding?
dirty love

― big chaki (chaki), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 04:41 (twenty-one years ago)

The Baby Snakes version fo San Ber'dino is fun. Adrian Belew!

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 04:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Q.E.D. Case closed. Frank Zappa was as capable of writing relentlessly singable ditties as any next guy.

― George Smith, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 04:44 (twenty-one years ago)

I think the musicians that say these kinds of things are intimidated by Zappa, and with good reason. They would like an easy way to dismiss his work completely, as there's really no way to compete with it on the same level. None of these criticisms ring true, of course.

― Every country has their stupid (AaronHz), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 04:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Yours or theirs?

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 04:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Theirs, smartypants.

― Every country has their stupid (AaronHz), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 04:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I sometimes like Zappa and I think those criticisms are generally OTM...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 04:48 (twenty-one years ago)

That he doesn't like music and has no hummable tunes? That's what I was referring to.
Completely ridiculous.
"Gee, I really hate music so I'm going to devote the next 30 years of my life to releasing 50 LPs worth of it"

― Every country has their stupid (AaronHz), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 04:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, no, sorry. But why would John Cale be intimidated by Zappa?

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 04:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Cuz Franks peepee was bigger.
Who the fuck knows?

― Every country has their stupid (AaronHz), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 04:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Remember the movie "Vice Squad" with Wings Hauser as a psychotic LA pimp. Beats a woman on the genitals with a turned out coat hangar, she might've been played by one of the minor MTV VJs of the time. Zappa's "I'm the Slime," I think, was its signature tune.

― George Smith, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 04:59 (twenty-one years ago)

"I Am the Slime" on Saturday Night Livewas a great teevee moment for me -- actual slime oozing fron an on-stage monitor, and near-naked, sweating Terry Bozzio savaging the drum kit with unbelievable animal fury. I'd never seen anything like it.

― briania (briania), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 05:11 (twenty-one years ago)

FZ apparently had a blast when he was part of a "coneheads" skit ... so much so, that he had a song on you are what you is entitled "conehead'!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 05:14 (twenty-one years ago)

"It is significant that at least two members of the Velvet Underground have gone on record that Frank is a bummer."

Ken L, Lou Reed is also on record as absolutly hating Zappa/Mothers.

― Burr (Burr), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 05:22 (twenty-one years ago)

if vaclav havel could have enough space in his heart for both frank zappa and lou reed, then so can we!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 05:31 (twenty-one years ago)

I like both, sure.
If it's all a matter of "b-b-but the Velvet Underground said he sucked!", well that's a hipsterist argument you can't win, VU uber alles etc etc.

― Every country has their stupid (AaronHz), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 05:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Zappa's ratio of albums released : albums worth owning if you're into him is much closer to a prolific jazz musician's than just about any of his peers in rock music. Most groups are lucky to have five records worth owning, even by a devout fan's standard.
How do you get around that fact? Slag him off completely! None of it is worth owning! No one should be into him, he sucks!

― Every country has their stupid (AaronHz), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 05:43 (twenty-one years ago)

VU uber relatively little.
But Frank Zappa uber nothing.

― Burr (Burr), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 05:45 (twenty-one years ago)

take a wild guess WHICH band did a cover of "watermelon in easter hay" in tribute of FZ, right after he died.

the answer's actually REALLY easy (if still surprising) ... i practically gave the answer away in the question, if you think of it.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 05:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Ken L, Lou Reed is also on record as absolutly hating Zappa/Mothers.

So why did Lou Reed induct Zappa into that Music Hall of Fame thingy?

― Ol' Dirty Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 10:59 (twenty-one years ago)

aaron you can buy a couple from each decade -- anyway, the 'you haven't got it all' is also used by the fans as an excuse to deflect criticism.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Haha, I know the answer to Eisbär's question, and it's a band that contained a former Zappa musician.

― briania (briania), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:24 (twenty-one years ago)

yah i find myself singing zappa tunes all the time. that guy is nuts.

Sure, but can you sing all the dotted 32nd notes correctly and reproduce the lightning xylophone runs? I didn't think so. Next!!

― Ken L (Ken L), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:41 (twenty-one years ago)

So why did Lou Reed induct Zappa into that Music Hall of Fame thingy?
That's an easy one. It was another way to bring John and Sterl to heel.

― Ken L (Ken L), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:48 (twenty-one years ago)

aaron you can buy a couple from each decade
Well, I've got 8 Zappa albums right now. I suspect I'll get at LEAST 10 more, how's that?

― Every country has their stupid (AaronHz), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:54 (twenty-one years ago)

... only another 3000 to go

― Ol' Dirty Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:55 (twenty-one years ago)

at one point i had 30 zappa albums.. EEK!

― cutty (mcutt), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 13:02 (twenty-one years ago)

One guy I used to know had more Frank Zappa albums than Frank himself

― Ol' Dirty Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 13:03 (twenty-one years ago)

30 does seem a bit much, and I unabashedly like the guy.

― Every country has their stupid (AaronHz), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 13:11 (twenty-one years ago)

(OTOH, I'm still toying with the idea of sending off for the complete Jandek.)

― Every country has their stupid (AaronHz), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 13:12 (twenty-one years ago)

there's really only about 10 you actually NEED.

― cutty (mcutt), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 14:07 (twenty-one years ago)

And I'm guessing they're:

Freak Out!
We're Only In It For The Money
Uncle Meat
Hot Rats
Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Over-Nite Sensation
Apostrophe
ONE SIZE FITS ALL
Sheik Yerbouti
Joe's Garage

― Piers (piers), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 15:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd replace 'Sheik Yerbouti' (never managed to get into that one apart from the incredible Dylan impersonation) with 'Ruben & the Jets' which is great and essential for anyone in need of hummable tunes.

― Baaderonixxx le Jeune (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 17:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh dear. You're telling me "Apostrophe" and "Joe's Garage" are among his ten best albums? Crikey.

― Ol' Dirty Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 17:26 (twenty-one years ago)

id say:

Absolutley Free
We're Only in It for the Money
Lumpy Gravy
Just Another Band from LA
Hot Rats
Weasils Ripped My Flesh
Live at the Roxy and Elsewhere
ONE SIZE FITS ALL
Sheik Yerbouti
Joe's Garage

;)

― big chaki (chaki), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 18:38 (twenty-one years ago)

one size fits all
roxy and elsewhere
hot rats
waka jawaka
the grand wazoo
burnt weenie
we're only in it for the money
fillmore east
apostrophe
joe's garage

― cutty (mcutt), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 18:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Waka Jawaka is one of my faves. Have to pick up the Grand Wazoon one of these days

― Baaderonixxx le Jeune (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 18:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Cutty be a fan of the Saturday Night Live-style fusion Zappa...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 18:50 (twenty-one years ago)

well YEAH. zappa in new york is also a keeper.

also relevant to this, i think if a lot of people who hate zappa were presented with a mix of his strictly instrumental stuff, they'd be pretty blown away. i made one of these mixes once, but i lost it. i'll have to reconstruct the tracklisting sometime.

― cutty (mcutt), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 19:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I was a big fan of the Michael Brecker-driven "Sofa" on New York in college.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 19:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I find it difficult to tolerate the late-70s and 80s Zappa sound production-wise. And the remastered Ruben and WOIIFTM CDs sound horrible.

― bill neil (inabillity), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 20:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Remixed, rather.

― bill neil (inabillity), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 20:28 (twenty-one years ago)

i agree

― big chaki (chaki), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 21:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 299 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.