Wednesday, April 14, 2010

FRANK ZAPPA



if you are a hard core zappa phanatic I apologize in advance... my humble opinions are my own


Dweezil Zappa, son of the late Frank Zappa, comes to town on July 14th to play a show featuring Frank Zappa material. I'm a huge zappa fan (own more than half of his something like 100 cd releases - and heard most of the rest more than a few times...). At the prodding of my good friend Shai Yallin of Solstice Coil (or as he would say, of the Ambrosiac blog, we got tickets to go see the Dweeze. Back in 2002 I saw Project/Object which also does Zappa material and featured at the time Napoleon Murphy Brock, Don Preston and Bunk Gartner (and maybe Ike Willis???) and I that was one of the greatest shows I've EVER seen by any band EVER. But I digress...


I've been listening to Zappa since '95 when I saw a huge massive Rykodisc display in Tower Records Rockville and thought to myself "who the f*** is this???". After listening to Hot Rats in the store that was my first donation to the zappa family trust. Then I bought Fillmore East June '71 and again I thought to myself "what the f*** is this? this is the same guy who did Hot Rats???"



Zappa is a great musician but Zappa is also "a way of life" as they say in Joe's Garage. Its comic relief and the ability to take the piss out of anything - sex, politics, racism, consumerism, religion, and of course music and other musicians and musicianly things (lead guitar face, drum solos, etc)


In order to mentally prepare myself for the Dweeze show I'm revisiting all of Zappa's official albums and I thought I make an easy to digest mini list of some great ones which any fan of music should check out - even if he is only dimly aware of the great Zappa's genius.


So here goes. Go listen to these right now:

  • One Size fits All
  • Hot Rats
  • Joe's Garage
  • Apostrophe'
  • The best band you never heard in your life
  • Lather (a posthumous reconfiguration of material found on Studio Tan, Sleep Dirt and Live in New York but actually according to how FZ originally envisioned it - as a megalomaniac quadruple album experience)
  • Overnite Sensation
  • Live Roxy and Elsewhere '74
  • Waka/Jawaka
  • Chunga's Revenge


    Yes I am partial to the 70s output (as I am for almost any band - including the Dead, Genesis, Neil Young, Yes...) and I am a big fan of Frank Zappa on a Gibson SG. Seeing a few DVDs (Does humor belong in music?) of him playing a Fender is something I still haven't come to grips with...

    Happy Listening!

  • 1 comment:

    1. my iPod came with a bunch of Zappa albums, thanx to my pal Yoni who generously filled my newly-bought iPod with some goodies to listen to on the flight back home.
      So I own these albums:
      - Fillmore East, June 1971
      - Joe's Garage Acts I, II & III (CD1)
      - Joe's Garage Acts I, II & III (CD 2)
      - Sheik Yerbouti
      - Lather (Disc 1, 2 & 3)
      - The Oval
      - The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life (Disc 1&2)
      - You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol.3 #1&2
      - Over-Nite Sensation
      - The Grand Wazoo
      - Zappa - Roxy & Elsewhere [Live]

      I must admit I find listening to Zappa for too long a bit overwhelming and puzzling. everytime I try I get to this point where I need a break so I put on Foo Fighters, early Beatles, Abba or Robert Johnson.
      thanks to this list I might just make it through a full album :-)

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