Frank Zappa: Classic or Dud?

No, I think you were right the first time.

🥸

yeah go listen to an actual jazz band tbh

zappa is dead _and_ he smells funny

What would I get out of this that I wouldn’t get out of listening to an actual jazz band.

you'd get something you won't get from, say, a bop combo, but George Duke's solo records of the 70s deliver basically all the same thrills you can get from Zappa stuff with only a fraction of the DO NOT WANT factor. however it should also be remembered that late in his life he released this, that this album's title and cover were a choice he made.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a0/George_Duke-Dukey_Treats.jpg

Stockholm Syndrome!

Lol!

Try Make A Jazz Noise Here. Same band but almost entirely instrumental.

― Tahuti Watches L&O:SVU Reruns Without His Ape (unperson), Tuesday, April 2, 2024 2:14 PM (four hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

IMO I think this is the best thing he released from the best tour he did. Incredibly jealous you saw them on that tour, unperson.

As a hater, I guess I might say the same

Virtuosi on recordings sometimes ill-used but live is a different story

The other '88 tour albums (Bway the Hard Way and Best Band You've Never Heard) are filled w/ gorgeous stuff, too, but there's still a lot of Zappa schtick to wade through. Make a Jazz Noise has always struck me as his his most straight-faced (aside from all orchestral stuff) – minimal silly stuff, minimal caustic songs, just a really, really tight band doing a lot of Zappa's best live material.

There's a 5LP or 3CD box set of the Mothers live at the Whisky in 1968 coming out in June, but what's interesting about that is this, from the press release:

All vinyl was cut from hi-res digital file by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering in 2023 and is being pressed at Optimal: Media in Germany on BioVinyl, a new environment-friendly formulation and sustainable product made from bio-based PVC (polyvinyl chloride). The petroleum previously required for PVC production is replaced by recycling used cooking oil or industrial waste gases. Through the use of renewable energies and recycled raw materials, CO2 emissions are significantly reduced. More information about BioVinyl available here: https://www.optimal-media.com/en/news/biovinyl/

This is the first I've heard of this process. Anybody know more?

Huh. Interesting indeed!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiIRdGe5FXk

honestly the thing that interested me most was finding out that the '69 show where roland kirk sat in with the mothers is circulating now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2fnuY178S0

xpost nice to see the GTOs fooling around!

Moon Unit Zappa has written an autobiography, and it sounds like neither parent comes off particularly well, but Gail may get the brunt of it.

As creativity chafed against domesticity, her father, “a pagan absurdist”, was mostly absent. Those times he was at home, Moon did whatever she could to earn his attention. When he laughed at her mimicry of 1980s California teen speak, he got her into the studio to record Valley Girl, a novelty song that surprised him by becoming, in 1982, his only global hit, and by making his daughter, aged 14, a star. This rankled. From here, she became an actor, mixing with Molly Ringwald and Tom Cruise, but rarely felt comfortable in her skin. “Everyone says I look just like Dad. My dad is always saying he’s ugly. I guess that means I am ugly, too.” She bailed out of acting and into ashrams instead, returning home “wearing a Bindi, smiling vacantly and smelling of wet hairy armpit”.

The more errant Frank’s behaviour, the angrier her mother grew. This she took out on Moon, who remained utterly devoted to him regardless. Later in life, when he was ill with cancer, she writes: “I would trade my life for his.”

Gail was discomfited by the adoration. Her daughter annoyed her. The book’s title is a reference to how her mother would mock her for daydreaming, and relations did not improve when Moon grew up. Later, Gail would execute her husband’s will in a way that would drive a wedge between the children that survives to this day.

...

By adulthood, she’s had thousands of hours of therapy in elusive pursuit of calm (“make peace with what hurts and move towards joy”, she implores at one point), and emerges from this mess as kind, reasonable and remarkably sane. This is tested, though, when Gail tells her that “we need to sell your house. You cost us $200,000 to raise you, and we have to pay for your father’s cancer treatment.” After he dies, Gail’s reaction is “quiet glee”. Years later, when Moon’s daughter undergoes a medical emergency and Moon summons her mother to the hospital for support, Gail is too busy at a birthday party.

So sad. Was thinking of the sibs' feud lately and found a piece from 2018, think it was, headlining their reconciliation (didn't read), and this year Dweezil announced aenjoye Frank tribute tour, not titled The Cease And Desist Tour like a previous march, so hope that means the detente is still on.
Nowadays I like FZ's instrumentals best, but in the beginning enjoyed his all-around showmanship: on Freak Out! With The Mothers of Invention (high school me dug San Francisco sunshine trips, but also El Lay smog snark). Also the well-laced variety (everything from comments by Suzy Creamcheese and Ian Underwood) to yowling jazz, whatever that was, slabs of "King Kong," and "Louie Louie," one of the live cuts, as performed by "The London Philharmonic Orchestra" (not)
Wiki gives good coverage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Meat (also the movie, finished many years later,in 1987, is still on YouTube I think)
Also was glad to hear the albs involving Beefheart, mainly because I'm more of a Beefheart fan, but good Frank gateway is the Ryko comp We're Only In It For The Money

Looks like title was actually just Freak Out!----with one song that was both serious and good, "Trouble Everyday, " sometimes listed as "Trouble Coming Everyday," written while watching TV coverage of the Watts riots: "I'm not black, but sometimes I wish I wasn't white either," and seems like he doesn't know or what to trust. wiki:

Originally dubbed "The Watts Riot Song",[4] its primary lyrical themes are racial violence, social injustice, and sensationalist journalism.[5] The musical style—featuring multiple guitar tracks and a harmonica—much more closely resembles blues than mainstream rock and roll.[6]

Producer Tom Wilson of MGM Records signed the Mothers to a record deal on March 1, 1966, having heard only this song and believing them to be a "white blues band".[7] Together, they released "Trouble Every Day" as a single with A-side "Who Are the Brain Police?"[8]

A re-arranged version appeared on the Mothers' 1974 live album Roxy & Elsewhere (and on the 1991 live album The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life) as "More Trouble Every Day".[9] These subsequent versions were more up-tempo and usually featured a strong horn intro and punctuation.
Covers

The UK underground artist Mick Farren covered the song on his album Vampires Stole My Lunch Money (1978); a live version featuring Farren on vocals and Wayne Kramer on guitar, appears on the 1984 album Human Garbage by The Deviants. Australian stoner rock band Tumbleweed covered the song as a B-side on their 1993 single "Daddy Long Legs".[10] George Thorogood and the Destroyers included a cover of the song on their 1997 album Rockin' My Life Away.

Louisa Roach of the British band She Drew The Gun rewrote some of the lyrics to reflect recent riots and demonstrations in the UK. The rewrite received the blessing of the Frank Zappa estate and the record was released in August 2019.[11]

The Specials covered the song on their 2021 album Protest Songs 1924-2012.

Would read!

Also loved the lede of the Guardian article although it took me a second to parse it

The Chocolate Watchband covered "Trouble Every Day" on their recent-ish comeback album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ybjge9Ywx58

Did not know, thanks!
Always seemed like Zappas' "Valley Girl" (1982) came from recurring character Vicki the Valley girl, as portrayed by Gail Matthius (SNL, 1980-81). Frank felt threatened by being gifted a hit? Well, not like that's the only time any artist reacted like that, I suspect.

Always seemed like Zappas' "Valley Girl" (1982) came from recurring character Vicki the Valley girl, as portrayed by Gail Matthius (SNL, 1980-81).

The actual story is pretty fucking sad. Moon apparently slid a note under the door to his in-house recording studio that read something along the lines of, Hi, my name's Moon, I'm your daughter and I'd like to spend some time with you. So he woke her up at midnight one night and had her come down and improv the vocal.

This is such a fun clip: Moon on Solid Gold

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

Pauline Butcher's book about being Zappa's assistant at the height of the GTOs era is a great read.

Is it?

Well I remember enjoying it at least

Is she Suzy Creamcheese? As heard talking on Uncle Meat: "...I was your frigid intellectual housekeeper." etc.

No, Pauline Butcher is English.

...a very straight arrow and not at all hip to what was going on around Zappa's entourage at the time, she was a hired secretary at first.

I read a little bit and it’s seemed like she disapproved of some of his behavior and tut-tutted about it but also found him interesting, a charming and raffish rogue, although she resisted his roma

…his romantic advances which was probably why she was able of work with him

Able to

/zing problems

Feel like Moon’s book might be more my speed

But maybe I can listen to the audiobook of this one if I feel the need

I highly highly highly recommend going to see Dweezil's current tour if you get the chance. Especially if you like the 70s Roxy era stuff. His band is incredible and he's playing his ass off.

I’m going to see the tour next week. Excited!

I wrote a preview, which I can't find now (prob just as well), for a date on the Zappa Plays Zappa Tour, which may have been the one that got the xpost Cease and Desist name change, or led to it, but incl. some of Frank's own cohorts, and I remember quoting Rolling Stone's citation of this orchestral venture as "The world's greatest tribute band." Good promo excerpts too.

Big Washington Post article today about all four kids, who have divided into Dweezil vs. Everyone Else. (Honestly, I forgot Kid #4, Diva, even existed.) Rough stuff.

Could some kind soul gift-link that for me?

I was just listening to a pod from a couple of months back featuring Dweezil and when the subject of Ahmet's re-issue campaign came up he was grousing about the quality control of releasing multiple concerts from the same short time period and out of tune guitars etc:

https://wapo.st/3LW8O7s
Hopefully that's a gift link. Really sad story.

https://archive.ph/rcmOU

I can't get over this part about Tipper Gore:

Gail came into her own. She invested in real estate and became such a generous donor to the Democratic Party — more than $450,000 — that she felt comfortable sending a note to Al Gore advising him to buy a new suit. Tipper, a drummer from back in her school days, would stay at the house and jam with Dweezil and Diva, her daughter Kristin singing backup on one recording.

that feels like some alternate reality shit

Here's more on all that!

https://tomtommag.com/2019/02/former-second-lady-tipper-gore-banging-the-drum-for-a-better-world/

That doesn't really surprise me at all. None of Zappa's music was called out by the Senate panel; he showed up to testify in favor of free speech generally.

XXXXP - Thank you, lord that's a sad read.

Jesus that's such a sad read, this part in particular jumped out for me:

Ahmet has a confession.

“I told Gail, I said, ‘I am begging you, for Diva’s sake, send her to college,’” he recalls.

“We all begged,” adds Moon.

“What are you talking about?” Diva asks, beginning to tear up.

“We knew you would excel,” says Ahmet. “And she’s like, ‘I’m not going to do it.’”

“Because she’d be alone,” says Moon.

yeah that's much wilder than even I knew, to some extent you have to feel some sympathy for Gail on a pure human level (left alone with these kids while her husband was almost certainly cheating on her every night) but she seems like a pretty toxic person herself.

glad to see Dweezil make it, sort of - have heard a lot of great things about those shows, tbh from what I've heard they're probably more enjoyable than actually seeing Frank himself back in the day