Frank Zappa

[NickG]

I will have it Paul. I am not proud (as you know). Still remember the day the three of us that run the jazz club in the pub Kaye and I used to run managed to talk Lol Coxhill into playing, it was a great night, but the look on some of the faces of the more "traditional" audience was worth the next six month of grief we got about it.

"he died young at heart."

Very true, I have been thinking what to post on this thread all day, and I still can't name my fave recordings, they keep changing, but what I love about his playing, was that he played young at heart, every solo sounded like it was a real improvisation, and could go anywhere, and sounded like the first solo he had ever played, his ability never seemed to get in the way of his creativity as I think it often does with some guitarists (well I know what I mean).

I just thought, he was to the guitar what Keith Moon was to the drums (ok now I have offended Zappa fans that don't like the Who, and Who fans that don't like Zappa, never mind I can live with it :-)).

[IslandPink]

Hot Rats
Chunga's Revenge
One Size Fits All
..probably,
but there are so many to choose from .
Don't for get Zappa and Beefheart 'Bongo Fury' - excellent .

Mark

[andrew ivimey]

IMHO Frank Zappa's music was subtle and complicated even though the band worked so hard (was really put through it) to make it look effortless. He was extremely clever (what is a genius? - dunno). He was a dreadful task master and why did he just boot the Mothers out? Was Ruth Underwood so bad? nope.

I can't play my lp of Hot Rats anymore. It is worn out. But I couldn't do without the sleeve.

My favourites change a great deal but frequently go back to Burnt Weeny Sandwich - holiday in berlin full blown - well why not, but look at peaches, the torture never stops, wind up working in a gas station, riding across the range with some zircon encrusted tweezers, where did al those ideas (keep) coming from?

I loved the way he could take something mindboggliungly mundane and work it up into operatic proportions that still made sense as opposed to e.g. bohemian rhapsody, which has as much sociology in it as Mrs Thatcher had compassion kindness and humanity.

And his music does very strange things to me. Sometimes I really don't like it (and we're not talking bobby brown or nasty little jewish princesses or only thirteen and she knows how to nasty) And sometimes it really hits the spot.

Perhaps he was naiive about Czechoslovakia but at least he did a lot to achieve whatever and could I count something like that as one or my personal failings? could I heck.

brilliant and thanks for such music.

Apart from Safe as Milk though, Captain Beefhart really gets on my nerves

[IslandPink]

Oh Andrew, you said the wrong thing there.
As Jimmy Carl Black said, " if you're talking Avant Garde , Zappa was good ... but Beefheart was the real thing "

You'll get there yet, there's still time ...

ILPS

[andrew ivimey]

Beefheart isn't dead yet, just smells a bit funny

I'll keep my guard up if that's what being 'avant' is ;-)

[prince of darkness]

You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol.1-6 - always worth a listen. Who else would compile a thirteen hour live collection spanning their career?

Originally Posted by andrew ivimey

why did he just boot the Mothers out?

Part of it was to do with the mothers taking drugs and Zappa not. Not got that far in the book yet though
One of my favs is In It For The Money which never seems to get a mention in these things. It reminds of Beefheart in a way cause its all over the place jumping from one thing to another but in a way that still makes sense. The tape manipulation is mind blowing, must have taken ages.

[vitalstates]

Originally Posted by andrew ivimey

Apart from Safe as Milk though, Captain Beefhart really gets on my nerves

I have just got to take issue here Andrew, you are in need of help!. Perhaps it is the Mozart effect....it comes in time.

lol

Ed

[andrew ivimey]

mozart is and always has been sublime

beefboy should never comeout of the garage

[IslandPink]

Hey Anex,
I need to get 'We're only in it for the Money' and you need to get 'Uncle Meat' if you haven't already . Crucial work in those two , I feel .

Andrew, all I can say to you is :
"Up one hand broom-star was an obeyman -
revered throughout the bone-knob land"

MJ