Frank Zappa apprecistion thread......fans?

are you a zappa fan?
in my opinion, frank was one of the greatest thinkers that has ever lived. he was a social critic and a brilliant satirist...far ahead os his time as far as musical ideas, production, etc.

more than 1,500 original compositions(that are known) over a 30 year career. his wife gail states in a recent issue of relix that there is enough material in the vault to release a full length cd every month for 3 years.
they have released trance fusion which is strictly a guitar album.

contrary to what most think, he was very much anti drug. never did lsd or any hallucinigens or anything like that. smoked grass a handful of times and drank in his pre 20'ish days, but nothing serious.
post that, he was on the straight and narroe, living off of coffee, winstons, and burnt weenie sandwhiches.

there is a large library of amazing music out there covering many genere's. steve vai worked with him in his early 20's. frank didn't let him in the band till he was 21. vai spent 3 years prior to that doing transcriptions for frank.

his theory was deep and his humor and wit was even deeper. he was a master with the electric guitar and improvisition. he used unique arrangements and equally unique time signatures.
his music is known for being insanely complex.

talk to steve vai, terry bozzio, napolean murphey brock, mike keneally, and a ton of others and you will learn that zappa was a musicians musician. MOST people didn't get his humor. most people couldn't get past his lyrics cause they didn't understand them.(see bobby brown. people thinking it is a pro rape song. absolutely not). or, people couldn't move to it cause it wasn't 4/4.
frank is one of the few artists that has had complete control of his body of work since the beginning. he never did conform or issue apologies when say the adl demanded it...if you liked it, have a listen...if you don't like it, don't listen.
he was debating for free speech and against censorship in the 80's on cnn and in front of the senate.
search youtube and you will find many.
he had ideas that were labeled as crazy.

a broadway play that involved social issuses like aids???rent anyone
he had 1 of only 2 mobile 64 track recording machines.
he had in idea in the 80's when mtv came out and began to kill things. only GOOD LOOKING people were going to be put on tv. not people that could play real music. his idea was to be able to connect the tv to the telephoen line and 'get' such and such song through a sort os subscription service.
that was more than 20 years ago.
it is well known that zappa is th eone that introduced jimi hendrix to the wah wah.
frank zappa always said how it was. he never backed down and he did what he wanted.
he payed his band a salary and they worked FOR HIM. it was not a 'group' in a sense. he laid it down, they did what they were told. he wrote EVVERYTHING(lets call it 99.99%)
he also came out of his own pocket to record the album, to rehearse and to travel. he was known to have a rigorous schedule of traveling 6 months a year. also writing movies, plays, and orchestral ensambles.
one time the execs wanted to edit something out of his new record. he went on teh radio and aleted all the listenerd to get their recording devices out and proceeded to pay the album, front to back for them all to record.
sure he wanted to make money and he did but with frank, it was about the music.
hats of to him..

Frank was indeed the man.

Rarely in the history of man has there been so much creativity in one place.
In my opinion, he ranked right up there with DiVinci. His compositions can be easily compared to Mozart's. His improvisational skills were top-shelf.

He was a man of conviction, and fought for what he believed in, even tesifying at the Senate Commerce Committee against censorship of music. (If you watch the video, make sure to chuckle when the Senator tells Frank how to speak into a mic.)

He told it like it was, as he saw it.

I miss him.

Yeah, I was a big Zappa fan. And still am, I guess. An insturmental virtuoso, and as I recall, didn't read a note of music (correct me if I'm wrong).

I had the Phi Zappa Crappa poster on my dorm wall in college.

Couple of other guys associated with Zappa - Captain Beefheart and Zoogz Rift.

Google up those guys for hours of entertainment.

The man knew what was going on that is for sure...

The Pajama People...


There's another song of his I heard once.. i don't know the name of it... something about a robot, that was his lover and would performe (&#%&) on him, but then blew up or something...

Originally posted by elevatedone
There's another song of his I heard once.. i don't know the name of it... something about a robot, that was his lover and would performe (&#%&) on him, but then blew up or something...

That would be from the Joe's Garage album.
Probably Sy Borg, although it could be A Token of My Extreme

Great songs.

Oh yeah!!!!

A TRUE genius and top-notch soul! And toward the top of my list of 'men who prove God IS real (and NOT what you'd think' ...a better one than man could invent....totally liberated and intending the SAME for all of us, eventually...by any means necessary, preferred, effective, or just plain FUN.

Necessity IS the mother of invention... Three lefts DO make a right, remember.

I was listening to Dr Demento and Frank Zappa when I was 6 years old...I thought they were one in the same! And I've got him in my vinyl treasure trove, too.

I even just like LOOKING at Frank...he's almost too narrow or something...interesting in every way imaginable, no doubt! Claymation creation, even! I have a small picture of Frank on my dart board (only because I don't have room to use it properly but it's great for tacking up things!) Every time I walk in the door...there's Frank and his guitar.

Here is a favorite quote of mine:

Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. MUSIC IS BEST.

I agree. (but keep in mind I am a charter member of the 'James Marshall Hendrix Sky-Church-Music-is-our-Religion'

Here's another profound wisdom:

You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.

I don't have a beer yet.

Originally posted by queenannie38
I don't have a beer yet.

I'll be having one in about 4 hours.


My all-time favorite song title - Zappa's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Sexually Aroused Gas Mask"

Second favorite - Pink Floyd's "Careful with That Axe, Eugene"


[Edit to correct "Aftermath" to "Afternoon" in song title. Although I think I like "Aftermath" better. )

[edit on 4/27/2007 by yeahright]

i'm so happy there are fans here. he gets over looked so often..people just don't get it. he very much was a virtuoso....if you start hunting links and pay attention to his little tricks...lots of upstrokes...chickin picking..
lot's of hammer on's and pull off's..he surrounded himself with vurtuoso musicians.
you ask all these 'great' guitarist who the man is and you know zappas name comes up.

i was lucky enough to see teh zpz concert twice in 06. dweezil was awesome. vai came out and tore it up.
they are touring again this year.
go to zappa.com and check it out. matter of fact, some of the tickets go on sale tomorrow. of course it's nothing like seeing frank but it's franks music played live, pretty close to how it is supposed to be played.
steve vai puts frank on a very high pedestal. hard to say what he would be doing today with the technology available.
i truly think he was one of the most brilliant thinkers who have ever lived. shame he had to go so early. he did so many positive things for so many people and all people know is he sang valley girl or bobby brown.

shame if you ask me.

i am a guitar player so of course i dig all that but gumbo variations is possibly, i think one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever recorded.
vai calls adventures of greggery peccary zappas masterpiece.

the whole conceptual continuity thing he had going on.....
can you imagine all the things that are in the vault? has to be some amazing stuff. most don't know he was the first to record alice cooper. he also recorded tina turner on montana and muffin man but she is not credited.

check out this reume'

Main albums

Freak Out! (June 27, 1966), US #130
Absolutely Free (May 26, 1967), US #41
We're Only in It for the Money (January 1968), US #130
Lumpy Gravy (May 1968), US #159
Cruising with Ruben & the Jets (December 2, 1968), US #110
Uncle Meat (April 1969), US #43
Hot Rats (October 1969), US #173
Burnt Weeny Sandwich (February 1970), US #94
Weasels Ripped My Flesh (August 10, 1970), US #189
Chunga's Revenge (October 1970), US #119
Fillmore East - June 1971 (August 1971), US #38
200 Motels (October 1971), US #59
Just Another Band from L.A. (March 1972), US #85
Waka/Jawaka (July 1972), US #152
The Grand Wazoo (November 1972)
Over-Nite Sensation (September 1973), US #32
Apostrophe (') (March 1974), US #10
Roxy & Elsewhere (September 1974), US #27
One Size Fits All (June 1975), US #26
Bongo Fury (October 1975), US #66
Zoot Allures (October 1976), US #71
Zappa in New York (March 1978), US #57
Studio Tan (September 1978), US #147
Sleep Dirt (January 1979), US #175
Sheik Yerbouti (March 1979), US #21
Orchestral Favorites (May 1979), US #168
Joe's Garage (September 1979), US #27
Tinsel Town Rebellion (May 11, 1981), US #66
Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar (May 1981)
You Are What You Is (September 1981), US #93
Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch (May 1982), US #23
The Man from Utopia (March 1983), US #153
Baby Snakes (March 1983)
London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 1 (June 1983)
Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger (August 1984)
Them or Us (October 18, 1984)
Thing-Fish (November 1984)
Francesco Zappa (November 1984)
The Old Masters Box One (April 1985)
Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention (November 21, 1985), US #153
Does Humor Belong in Music? (January 1986)
The Old Masters Box Two (November 1986)
Jazz from Hell (November 1986)
London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 2 (September 17, 1987)
The Old Masters Box Three (December 1987)
Guitar (April 1988)
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1 (May 1988)
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 2 (October 1988)
Broadway the Hard Way (October 14, 1988)
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3 (November 1989)
The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life (April 1991)
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 4 (June 14, 1991)
Make a Jazz Noise Here (June 1991)
Beat the Boots (July 1991), 8 discs (boxed or separate):
As an Am (recorded 1981 – 1982)
The Ark (recorded 1969)
Freaks & Motherfu*#@%! (recorded 1970)
Unmitigated Audacity (recorded 1974)
Anyway the Wind Blows (2 discs) (recorded 1979)
'Tis the Season to Be Jelly (recorded 1967)
Saarbrucken 1978 (recorded 1978)
Piquantique (recorded 1973)
Beat the Boots II (June 1992), 8 discs (boxed only):
Disconnected Synapses (recorded 1970)
Tengo Na Minchia Tanta (recorded 1970)
Electric Aunt Jemima (recorded 1968)
At the Circus (recorded 1978)
Swiss Cheese/Fire! (2 discs) (recorded 1971)
Our Man in Nirvana (recorded 1968)
Conceptual Continuity (recorded 1976)
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 5 (July 1992)
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6 (July 1992)
Playground Psychotics (October 1992)
Ahead of Their Time (March 1993)
The Yellow Shark (with Ensemble Modern) (November 1993), US #2 (Classical Crossover Chart)

Posthumous releases

Civilization, Phaze III (December 1994)
The Lost Episodes (February 1996)
Läther (September 1996)
Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa: A Memorial Tribute (October 1996)
Have I Offended Someone? (April 1997)
Mystery Disc (September 1998)
Everything Is Healing Nicely (December 1999)
FZ:OZ (August 16, 2002)
Halloween (February 4, 2003)
Joe's Corsage (May 30, 2004)
QuAUDIOPHILIAc (September 14, 2004)
Joe's Domage (October 1, 2004)
Joe's XMASage (December 21, 2005)
Imaginary Diseases (January 13, 2006)
Trance-Fusion (October 24, 2006)
The Making Of Freak Out! Project/Object (December 5, 2006)
The Making Of Freak Out! Project/Object (deluxe) (December 12, 2006)
The Frank Zappa AAAFNRAA Birthday Bundle (December 15, 2006 (iTunes exclusive)
Buffalo (April 1, 2007)
----

Compilations

Mothermania: The Best of the Mothers (March 1969)
The **** of the Mothers (October 13, 1969)
The Mothers of Invention (July 20, 1970)
Worst of the Mothers (March 15, 1969)
The Guitar World According to Frank Zappa (June 1987)
Cucamonga Years (December 10, 1991)
Strictly Commercial, the best of Frank Zappa (August 1995)
Strictly Genteel, a "classical" introduction to Frank Zappa (May 1997)
Cucamonga (February 24, 1998)
Cheap Thrills (April 1998)
Son of Cheep Thrills (April 1999)
The Secret Jewel Box: Archives Vol. 2. FZ Original Recordings (December 2001)
Zappa Picks by Jon Fishman of Phish (October 2002)
Zappa Picks by Larry LaLonde of Primus (October 2002)
Strictly Commercial: The Best of Frank Zappa (November 1, 2004)
---

Frank used a Wah-wah pedal but did not always use it in the conventional way of rocking it back and forth. Frank often left it set in different positions to get different tones, using it as a filter or distortion device. In many recordings, however, he used the pedal in a conventional manner (as in "I'm the Slime"). Zappa is widely considered to be a master of and major innovator in the use of this effect, and in The Real Frank Zappa Book he asserts that he introduced Jimi Hendrix to the device when they first met in New York in 1966

source=

en.wikipedia.org...

I only ever got to see Frank live once, in like '84 or '85, in New Haven, Ct. What a great show!
The sound was top-shelf, and the playing just blew me away. The crowd was rather tame, though, listening quietly (remaining seated), and applauding politely after the song.

I still need a daily fix of Frank. He makes me smile every time I hear him.

A fix of Frank, with the '88 band.

great threadBoondock78

I have been a Zappa fan since the late '60s when he put together the Mothers of Invention; I had a lot of their albums, including Freak out; Hot Rats and Burnt Weenie Sandwich. I also had many of his later works like 200 Motels; Apostophe and Sheik Yerbuti. Zappa was way ahead of his time, musically and consciously, one of those uber-talents like Mozart or Da Vinci who only come around once every 100 years or so and are never really understood or appreciated during their own lifetime.

If you have never been there, I recommend all Zappa fans check out his official web site; Its a good place to get your daily fix of Frank...

...and be on the look-out for a brand new release of Apostrophe/Over-night- Sensation, which is due out on DVD May 1st.

I leave you with the words of the master:

The mystery man came over
And he said Im outta sight!
He said for a nominal service charge
I could reach nirvana tonight
If I was ready, willing and able
To pay him his regular fee
He would drop all the rest of
His pressing affairs and devote
His attention to me

But I said look here brother
Who you jiving with that cosmik debris?
Now who you jiving with that cosmik debris?
Look here brother, dont waste your time on me

The mystery man got nervous
And he fidget around a bit
He reached in the pocket of his mystery robe
And he whipped out a shaving kit
Now I thought it was a razor
And a can of foaming goo
But he told me right then when the top popped open
There was nothin his box wont do
With the oil of aphrodite, and the dust of the grand wazoo
He said you might not believe this, little fella
But itll cure your asthma too

And I said look here brother
Who you jiving with that cosmik debris?
Now what kind of a guru are you, anyway?
Look here brother, dont waste your time on me
(dont waste your time)

Ive got troubles of my own, I said
And you cant help me out
So, take your meditations and your preparations
And ram it up your snout!
But I got the crystal ball, he said
And held it to the ligh
So I snatched it, all away from him
And I showed him how to do it right

I wrapped a newspaper round my head
So I looked like I was deep
I said some mumbo-jumbo, then
I told him he was going to sleep
I robbed his rings and pocketwatch
And everything else I found
I had that sucker hypnotized
He couldnt even make a sound
I proceeded to tell him his future, then
As long as he was hanging around
I said the price of meat has just gone up
And your old lady has just gone down!

And I said look here brother-who you
Jiving with that cosmik debris?
Now is that a real poncho or is that a sears poncho?
Dont you know, you could make more money as a butcher?
So, dont waste your time on me
Dont waste it, dont waste your time on me
(shanti)
LyricsFreak

Now how can you argue with wisdom like that?

globalia.net...

that site has every single song that was ever released or performed and the lyrics to go with it...take freak out....there are many versions of that song. you look up that song and you will find every album it appears on and what year, and the lyrics. it also says who played what instrument...invaluable resource there.
i am so glad there are others cause it seems like round where i live, nobody knows about zappa. hell, a few years back i went to take some guitar lessons me and the instructor are talking about his favorites and he is talking van halen and paul gilbert....
i as hom about frank and he said he has never heard any of his stuff. i'm thinking you're teaching and you've never heard the master?

if you are into 'collecting' abd 'boots'....check out
www.zappateers.com

this is the best guitar duel/duet i have ever seen. it's zappa and vai and 1982..italy..
this song is stevies spanking and it's an extended 20 minute improv.
now vai was only 21 hre but he was already a virtuoso but you can dictinctively hear the difference between zappas tone and intonation and over all sound is far more pleasent to the ears than vai's.

www.youtube.com...
and if it will embed, this is the same vid.....if you need a daily fix, this will do it cause i watch it a lot

width="425" height="350"> "http://www.youtube.com/v/z5ORGWfJiTI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350">

Thanks for the update, Boondock, I was listening to Zappa at 6:00Am this morning, just to get my day off to a good start. A little "Joe's Garage",
a little "My guitar wants to kill your momma"(the live version with Vai, Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson) and you're truly ready to rock n roll:


BTW - I embeded the video for you so it's right on the page.

thanks man...that video is a must watch i think...zappa starts it off, then vai, then zappa comes back in around 3 minutes and just goes to town

this is my favorite zappa improv of all time.

1971..he was 30 years old....he was a monster here

www.youtube.com...

I was listening to Frank the other day, and I noticed that even back in the day, Frank was touching on many of the same topics that you see here on ATS. For example:
UFOs/Aliens-Inca Roads
Religion-Heavenly Bank Account
Politics-The Green Hotel
Police State-Joe's Garage
etc. etc.

We should probably make Frank the official musician of ATS.
He covered it all with such eloquence and humor.

Originally posted by subject x
I was listening to Frank the other day, and I noticed that even back in the day, Frank was touching on many of the same topics that you see here on ATS. For example:
UFOs/Aliens-Inca Roads
Religion-Heavenly Bank Account
Politics-The Green Hotel
Police State-Joe's Garage
etc. etc.

We should probably make Frank the official musician of ATS.
He covered it all with such eloquence and humor.

that just scratches the surface...

let me give you a couple of examples off the top of my head...to get the real effect, you'd have to hear this in context

whats the ugliest part of your body---1967
--
What's the ugliest
Part of your body?
What's the ugliest
Part of your body?
Some say your nose
Some say your toes
(I think it's your mind)
But I think it's YOUR MIND
(Your mind)
I think it's your mind, woo woo

ALL YOUR CHILDREN ARE POOR
UNFORTUNATE VICTIMS OF
SYSTEMS BEYOND THEIR CONTROL
A PLAGUE UPON YOUR IGNORANCE & THE GRAY
DESPAIR OF YOUR UGLY LIFE

Where did Annie go
When she went to town?
Who are all those creeps
That she brings around?

ALL YOUR CHILDREN ARE POOR
UNFORTUNATE VICTIMS OF LIES YOU BELIEVE
A PLAGUE UPON YOUR IGNORANCE THAT KEEPS
THE YOUNG FROM THE TRUTH THEY DESERVE
-------------------

trouble everyday, 1965
--
Well I'm about to get sick
From watchin' my TV
Been checkin' out the news
Until my eyeballs fail to see
I mean to say that every day
Is just another rotten mess
And when it's gonna change, my friend
Is anybody's guess

Well, you can cool it,
You can heat it . . .
'Cause, baby, I don't need it . . .
Take your TV tube and eat it
'N all that phony stuff on sports
'N all the unconfirmed reports
You know I watched that rotten box
Until my head begin to hurt
From checkin' out the way
The newsman say they get the dirt
Before the guys on channel so-and-so

And further they assert
That any show they'll interrupt
To bring you news if it comes up
They say that if the place blows up
They will be the first to tell,
Because the boys they got downtown
Are workin' hard and doin' swell,
And if anybody gets the news
Before it hits the street,
They say that no one blabs it faster
Their coverage can't be beat

Hey, you know something people?
I'm not black
But there's a whole lots a times
I wish I could say I'm not white


And it's the same across the nation
Black and white discrimination
Yellin' "You can't understand me!"
'N all that other jazz they hand me
In the papers and TV and
All that mass stupidity
That seems to grow more every day
Each time you hear some nitwit say
He wants to go and do you in
Because the color of your skin
Just don't appeal to him
(No matter if it's black or white)
Because he's out for blood tonight
------------
i'm the slime, 1973
--
I am gross and perverted
I'm obsessed 'n deranged
I have existed for years
But very little has changed
I'm the tool of the Government
And industry too
For I am destined to rule
And regulate you

I may be vile and pernicious
But you can't look away
I make you think I'm delicious
With the stuff that I say
I'm the best you can get
Have you guessed me yet?
I'm the slime oozin' out
From your TV set

You will obey me while I lead you
And eat the garbage that I feed you
Until the day that we don't need you
Don't go for help . . . no one will heed you
Your mind is totally controlled
It has been stuffed into my mold
And you will do as you are told
Until the rights to you are sold

That's right, folks . . .
Don't touch that dial

Well, I am the slime from your video
Oozin' along on your livin' room floor

I am the slime from your video
Can't stop the slime, people, lookit me go

--------------
that is just a small number....he was far ahead of his time and he saw a lot of this stuff coming....he was quoted in the early 80's as saying the US is heading towards a fascist theocracy
--few random quotes---

It's fairly obvious, since Richard Nixon, that there is no such thing as a fair deal for any voter in the United States -- You're just not gonna get it. It's a joke -- the people that you vote for, they're the next best thing to criminals. But of course they have money for advertising campaigns that make them look a little bit better than they actually are

I have four children, and I want them to grow up in a country with a WORKING first amendment

The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced.

The most important thing to do in your life, is to not interfere with somebody else's life

"Drop out of school before your mind rots from exposure to our mediocre educational system. Forget about the Senior Prom and go to the library and educate yourself if you've got any guts

The biggest threat to America today is not communism. It's moving America toward a fascist theocracy, and everything that's happened during the Reagan administration is steering us right down that pipe ... When you have a government that prefers a certain moral code derived from a certain religion and that moral code turns into legislation to suit one certain religious point of view, and if that code happens to be very, very right wing, almost toward Attila the Hun..."

^^^^^^^^1986 on crossfire. you can find all those vids on youtube

A drug is not bad. A drug is a chemical compound. The problem comes in when people who take drugs treat them like a license to behave like an asshole

The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way, and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theatre." (1977)

------------

sorry for the long post guys...just trying to turn people on to frank that have never been into him before...he was a genious and a brilliant social critic.

i sure was hoping more would be into zappa.

for those that are, check out www.zappa.com

the zpz is touring again and tickets are on sale now....i saw dweezils page and it said he was coming to cleveland in july but tickets are not on sale yet. turns out, it's the zpz.

so you know, if you go for this one steve vai and terry bozzio will not be there. vai is doing the g3.
ray white is going to be there and napolean murphey brock.
i'm going july 28th.
that will be 3 times this year..