he probably would've done a "Macarena" parody in like...2004
― frogbs, Tuesday, 20 November 2018 15:28 (five years ago) link
All of you otm. He’d also be prime material for a WTF sit down with Marc Maron
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 21 November 2018 08:48 (five years ago) link
― frogbs
look he wasn't "shitty weird al yankovic", his being old and out of touch manifested in other ways. he'd probably be making fun of, like, jerry garcia's od (timeline works out: made fun of hendrix's death in 1984, elvis's death in 1988). that's another thing: he loved to make fun of people for dying, and as far as i can tell, nobody ever died as a result of the macarena.
but of course most of his "satire" in 2004 would likely be taken up with songs attacking george w. bush and islam in roughly equal measure.
he probably would have had his own porn site.
― dub pilates (rushomancy), Wednesday, 21 November 2018 09:30 (five years ago) link
lol just thinking about him releasing an album called "Shiek Yerbouti" in 1979
― frogbs, Wednesday, 21 November 2018 15:04 (five years ago) link
TED talks on Varese
<3
― timellison, Wednesday, 21 November 2018 17:55 (five years ago) link
Zappa in New York is being blown out to a 5CD set in March.
http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/zappa_ny3600.jpg
Limited edition 5CD set in an embossed tin box
CD 1 – The Original 1977 vinyl mix1 Titties & Beer 5:012 I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth 3:313 Big Leg Emma 2:174 Sofa 3:165 Manx Needs Women 1:346 The Black Page Drum Solo/Black Page #1 4:067 Black Page #2 5:428 Honey, Don’t You Want A Man Like Me? 4:169 The Illinois Enema Bandit 12:4110 The Purple Lagoon 17:12
CD 2 – Bonus Concert Performances – Part One1 “The Most Important Musical Event Of 1976”2 Peaches En Regalia3 The Torture Never Stops4 Black Page #25 Punky’s Whips intro6 Punky’s Whips7 I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth8 Honey, Don’t You Want A Man Like Me?9 The Illinois Enema Bandit10 “Two For The Price Of One”11 Penis Dimension12 Montana
CD 3 – Bonus Concert Performances – Part Two1 America Drinks 4:522 “Irate Phone Calls” 1:373 Sofa #2 3:044 “The Moment You’ve All Been Waiting For” :585 I’m The Slime 5:386 Pound For A Brown 4:507 Terry’s Solo 2:478 The Black Page Drum Solo/Black Page #1 3:539 Big Leg Emma 2:1910 “Jazz Buffs and Buff-etts” 1:5111 The Purple Lagoon 17:0012 Find Her Finer 5:2213 The Origin Of Manx 1:4814 Manx Needs Women 1:3715 Chrissy Puked Twice 6:4016 Cruisin’ For Burgers 9:56
CD 4 – Bonus Concert Performances – Part Three1 The Purple Lagoon/Any Kind Of Pain 4:252 “The Greatest New Undiscovered Group In America” 2:183 Black Napkins 28:334 Dinah-Moe Humm 6:165 Finale 4:40
CD 5 – Bonus Vault Content1 The Black Page #2 (Piano Version) 3:162 I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth (Alternate Version) 3:553 Chrissy Puked Twice4 Cruisin’ For Burgers (1977 Mix) 9:085 Black Napkins (c)1976 10:566 Punky’s Whips (Unused Version) 10:557 The Black Page #1 (Piano Version) . 2:13
There's also a 3LP version with a much shorter track listing:
Side A1. Titties N Beer2. I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth3. Big Leg Emma
Side B1. Sofa2. Manx Needs Women3. The Black Page Drum Solo/Black Page #14. Black Page #2
Side C1. Honey, Dont You Want A Man Like Me?2. The Illinois Enema Bandit
Side D1. The Purple Lagoon (Side B)
Side E1. Black Napkins2. Cruisin For Burgers (1977 Mix)
Side F1. The Black Page #2 (Piano Version)2. I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth (Alt. Version)3. Punkys Whips (Unused Version)4. The Black Page #1 (Piano Version)
― grawlix (unperson), Wednesday, 30 January 2019 23:36 (five years ago) link
What's the deal with Orchestral Favorites?
I recently found a CD I barely remember owning or playing. Coincidentally there seems to be an expanded reissue in the works.
Was it from a concert or not? Some kind of contractual obligation thing? Anyway, glad I dug it out of that box.
― Invisible (Noel Emits), Thursday, 4 July 2019 10:03 (four years ago) link
Another early attempt he made at getting his "orchestral" music recorded with a pickup orchestra (really mostly an expanded version of the Grand Wazoo big band). It's OK, and it's nice to hear Emil Richards playing Zappa's stuff, but it's still probably the weakest of his "orchestral" works. It was another one that came out of the material intended for Läther (learned how to type umlauts on a US keyboard this week)
― Quilter Ray (rushomancy), Thursday, 4 July 2019 12:55 (four years ago) link
is that the same as the Revised Music for a Low Budget Symphony Orchestra -Live at Royce Hall 75
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 4 July 2019 14:25 (four years ago) link
I believe so, yeah.
― Manfred Hemming-Hawing (WmC), Thursday, 4 July 2019 15:20 (four years ago) link
Anyone who hasn't heard the original Music for Low Budget Symphony Orchestra on Jean-Luc Ponty's album of Zappa compositions should do, it's nice!
― Un Poco Loco Moco (rushomancy), Thursday, 4 July 2019 16:35 (four years ago) link
Thanks rushomancy et al. Just the kind of context I was hoping for.
― Invisible (Noel Emits), Friday, 5 July 2019 14:35 (four years ago) link
I think this was partly opaque to me because the inlay on the (1991) CD says "Recorded at Royce Hall, LA, September 1975" but also, "originally released in LP format, May, 1974" (impressive!), while the artwork is dated 1979.
― Invisible (Noel Emits), Friday, 5 July 2019 14:44 (four years ago) link
My friend and I improvised a Zappa song the other day. It was this big, heavy pentatonic scale riff, then after a few runs through the riff he leaned over to his keyboard and dooped out a crazy cartoon-random mallet percussion part while I intoned in some ironic narrator voice. "Meanwhile, back stage, the group was engaged in sexual proclivities of a sort that would make you blush..." And then back to the riff. It was called, iirc, "Dwarf Athlete."
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 5 July 2019 14:51 (four years ago) link
― Invisible (Noel Emits)
The 1974 date is a typo.
― Un Poco Loco Moco (rushomancy), Friday, 5 July 2019 18:46 (four years ago) link
My friend and I improvised a Zappa song the other day.
― Vini C. Riley (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 5 July 2019 18:48 (four years ago) link
lol @ Josh I can hear it in my head
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 5 July 2019 19:01 (four years ago) link
Is that Zappa in NY album considered a classic or something to get a 5 CD treatment? I listened a bit and really dug the brass on "Titties & Beer" and the moody angular vibe throughout.
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Monday, 8 July 2019 12:16 (four years ago) link
"Titties and Beer" not widely considered a classic, no. Also, there's "The Illinois Enema Bandit", which is hands down the vilest piece of shit Zappa ever wrote, and there's some pretty fierce competition.
― Un Poco Loco Moco (rushomancy), Monday, 8 July 2019 13:49 (four years ago) link
Really don't dig Zappa, but if I recall correctly I had a copy of this LP, which might be the only place to get, or for the long time was the only place to get, "The Black Page?'
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 8 July 2019 14:07 (four years ago) link
I still get more pissed off about "Jumbo Go Away"
― frogbs, Monday, 8 July 2019 14:10 (four years ago) link
Is that Zappa in NY album considered a classic or something to get a 5 CD treatment?
Well they just had lots of unreleased tapes. Anyway the market for such boxes isn't that big so they're limited editions that sell out quickly and get deleted. Both the Roxy Performances and Live in NYC Deluxe boxes are now deleted. The good thing is that there's an official Zappa channel on YouTube where you can stream both (and much more).
There's also a sneak peak of the new release: Revised Music For Low-Budget Symphony Orchestra (Live At Royce Hall, 9/18/1975)
― EvR, Monday, 12 August 2019 10:06 (four years ago) link
I was under the impression we were getting a Hot Rats box this year
Zappa in New York box is great
― Paul Ponzi, Monday, 12 August 2019 10:22 (four years ago) link
It was my most listened to Zappa back when I, well, listened to Zappa.
― Naive Teen Idol, Thursday, 29 August 2019 05:26 (four years ago) link
The expanded Orchestral Favorites is a lot of fun. The orchestra sounds under-rehearsed on a lot of it, as was usually the case with FZ and orchestras and chamber groups until Ensemble Modern, but game to give anything a try.
― WmC, Thursday, 19 September 2019 17:15 (four years ago) link
I am glad they released this. Only recently I found out some of the 2012 remasters (and vault releases) are now deleted...and I can't find them anywhere now. Would have loved to hear the remaster of "Studio Tan".
― EvR, Thursday, 19 September 2019 18:59 (four years ago) link
https://store.zappa.com/hot-rats/the-hot-rats-sessions-box-set-preorder.html
This looks great, but 125 clams for 6 discs and a book is maybe a bit wtf.
― Maresn3st, Thursday, 10 October 2019 18:24 (four years ago) link
not a Zappa obsessive by any means but this looks cool indeed
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Friday, 11 October 2019 08:39 (four years ago) link
If I was gonna keep only one Zappa album (and I'd really only be keeping three or four, anyway), Hot Rats would be it, but honestly the actual contents don't seem all that exciting. Endless take after take after take of "Peaches en Regalia"? No additional versions of "The Gumbo Variations"? Plus, it seems like the original LP mixes are nowhere to be found, which is weird. Mmm, I don't know.
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Friday, 11 October 2019 10:41 (four years ago) link
There was an announcement of the contents of this box put up accidently by the (third-party) reseller of Zappa products on zappa.com with an annotated track list. It was taken off quickly but was reposted on the forum on zappa.com. I read there's a 32-minute take of "Gumbo Variations", retitled as "Big Legs". They included the digital remix from 1987 as the 2012 cd version uses the original vinyl mix. And you can get that very cheaply. (Strangely, "Sharleena" from "The Lost Episodes" is not part of the box).
This teaser was posted too. Just a different mix it seems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HP5i4dxZP4
― EvR, Friday, 11 October 2019 11:16 (four years ago) link
Well, Zappa's catalog is administered through Universal so this will go up on streaming services. All the other recent boxes have been on Spotify etc., so I'll check it out there. $125 is out of my price range.
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Friday, 11 October 2019 12:02 (four years ago) link
This seems like it'll be a fun listen. Those "Hot Rats" ads are done by David Ossman and they're very cute.
― Spironolactone T. Agnew (rushomancy), Friday, 11 October 2019 12:22 (four years ago) link
The Lumpy Money and Meat Light boxes are fantastic in places, particularly the former. The original orchestral cues from Lumpy Gravy are a revelation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ief_Jcl0Pac
― Maresn3st, Friday, 11 October 2019 12:30 (four years ago) link
Hot Rats Sessions box now out and streaming.
― Miami weisse (WmC), Friday, 20 December 2019 15:42 (four years ago) link
Diving in now, starting with the 32-minute "Gumbo Variations" mentioned up above, which is indeed called "Big Legs" here.
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Friday, 20 December 2019 15:44 (four years ago) link
Really interesting already in listening to FZ getting Ron Selico to loosen up, have fun, play lots more fills, and Selico approaching and finally nailing the drum intro on "Peaches."
― Miami weisse (WmC), Friday, 20 December 2019 16:26 (four years ago) link
not a huge Zappa fan, but I'm loving all these early takes of "Peaches" and the way you can hear the final version coming together
― Brad C., Friday, 20 December 2019 17:27 (four years ago) link
Enjoying this greatly, he really had to do a lot of work on Peaches to make it sound so tight.
― Maresn3st, Saturday, 21 December 2019 19:36 (four years ago) link
an engrossing listen, as i figured it would be. the jams on the july 30 session are such fire. i guess i know why "sharleena" is absent from this - it was part of a later set of sessions for a never-completed "hot rats ii" album - this is the lineup with aynsley dunbar on drums that did some pickup live gigs around feb-march 1970. what went wrong there? the widely-circulated gig from the olympic is goddamn great, but then there was the mothers "reunion" and then flo and eddie showed up and don harris was in with harvey mandel and the pure food and drug act, which, you know, is some great shit that carries on the spirit of the jams, but it's a shame the hot rats thing fell apart like that because one gets the sense there were some real interesting paths zappa's career could've taken and as talented as volman and kaylan are, instead it was just endless songs about fucking groupies...
so what's the archie shepp recording of "shadow of your smile" zappa mentions as inspiring the title? live at donaueschingen?
― Agnes Motörhead (rushomancy), Sunday, 22 December 2019 00:00 (four years ago) link
Did he say he bought the Shepp song as a single? Must relisten.
― Maresn3st, Sunday, 22 December 2019 10:54 (four years ago) link
I wrote about the box. Didn't love it as much as some of y'all, but got to dive into my feelings about Zappa more broadly.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Friday, 28 February 2020 14:32 (four years ago) link
Nice write-up... The paragraph about the Fun House box is funny.
― Murdered-Out Highlander XLE (morrisp), Friday, 28 February 2020 14:44 (four years ago) link
for the record after listening to the whole thing i wound up keeping 25 tracks totalling more than 2 1/2 hours, which is a pretty good hit to miss ratio for a box like this as far as i'm concerned!
― Kate (rushomancy), Friday, 28 February 2020 15:05 (four years ago) link
one of my favorite Zappa tunes ("Oh No") came up on shuffle the other day and I was pretty struck by the gulf between how brilliant the music was and how bad the lyrics are. and I don't mean bad in the usual way Zappa's lyrics are, he's actually trying to be pointed and biting here but it just comes off like "oh, you believe in LOVE? well guess what...you're stupid!". actually could be a direct quote. then I started to think about how many Zappa songs have legitimately good lyrics and I couldn't really come up with many, particularly post-Mothers
― frogbs, Wednesday, 20 May 2020 18:42 (four years ago) link
idk, i'm not sure it's that much worse than "give him a flower" by the crazy world of arthur brown
― Kate (rushomancy), Wednesday, 20 May 2020 18:45 (four years ago) link
"well guess what...you're stupid!" pretty much sums up the gist of every Zappa song, including the instrumentals.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 20 May 2020 18:56 (four years ago) link
This is my go-to for 'Oh No' these days, most of the rest of the cues are fab too - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ief_Jcl0Pac
― Maresn3st, Wednesday, 20 May 2020 18:56 (four years ago) link
He was very into writing what he might call anti love songs.
― Mario Meatwagon (Moodles), Wednesday, 20 May 2020 18:58 (four years ago) link
he was certainly inordinately proud of being an emotional cripple. a true independent thinker!
― Kate (rushomancy), Wednesday, 20 May 2020 19:02 (four years ago) link
otm. his "hippies are a bunch of naïve dopes" schtick was never funny. the fact that he couldn't shut up about it is definitely weird / telling.
and i wouldn't call the music genius, it's just pretty good. "oh no" in particular reminds me of the demos tandyn almer was writing around the same time, which i like better anyway
― budo jeru, Wednesday, 20 May 2020 19:05 (four years ago) link