Author Topic: The Zappa Thread (Read 81344 times)

KevShmev · « **Reply #315 on:** March 17, 2012, 08:37:32 AM »

Apostrophe all the way. Over-Nite Sensation has never really done it for me. *shrug*

Mosh · « **Reply #316 on:** March 17, 2012, 05:24:29 PM »

Over-night is my favorite Zappa album. (So far

) But One Size Fits All comes close, Inca Roads is better than anything on Over-Nite or Apostrophe imo.

Ultimetalhead · « **Reply #317 on:** March 17, 2012, 08:45:30 PM »

Listened to Roxy and Elsewhere again today. Cheepnis has to be my favorite Zappa song at the moment. IT'S SO CATCHY.

Orbert · « **Reply #318 on:** March 17, 2012, 10:41:04 PM »

♫ Go to da shelter,
♫ My baby my baby,
♫ Go to da shelter,
♫ Go to da shelter

♫ Go to da shelter,
♫ My baby my baby,
♫ Go to da shelter
♫ Go to da shelter

I love how his intro to the song turns into a little story of its own, and the audience applauds at the end of it, then they finally start the song.

Nihil-Morari · « **Reply #319 on:** March 18, 2012, 09:41:30 AM »

One of the highlights of the album, just like the absolute intro on the album, with the entire 'backpages of the freepress' monologue.

ColdFireYYZ · « **Reply #320 on:** March 18, 2012, 02:06:27 PM »

Apostrophe is probably my second favorite album, after Joe's Garage.

Nihil-Morari · « **Reply #321 on:** March 19, 2012, 01:41:14 AM »

Let me just say it right here.

I don't understand all the praise for Joe's Garage.

I mean it's a good album, but not close to my top ten Zappa albums, maybe not even top 20.

MasterShakezula · « **Reply #322 on:** March 19, 2012, 02:36:25 AM »

I've something to put out, as well.

"Shut Up and Play Yer Guitar!" pretty much sums up my feelings about all the Zappa music I've heard. The instrumental stuff is first-class; the rest is hit and miss.

Nihil-Morari · « **Reply #323 on:** March 19, 2012, 03:02:17 AM »

Hmm, that would've been my viewpoint too, if he only made those early/mid 80's albums. But the rest of his albums with lyrics (early mothers, albums with flo and eddie, broadway the hard way/best band/ycdtosa period) are just too good.

Orbert · « **Reply #324 on:** March 19, 2012, 08:03:18 AM »

Joe's Garage benefits from the same things that help any other story/concept album; it gets bonus points simply for being a larger work and having a certain degree of cohesion. Beyond that, it still has to stand on its own merits, and it does have some problems. It fizzles out in the second half. The story slows down and is nearly lost for a while, and the humorous elements are all but gone, leaving you with a bunch of guitar solos and bad narration. But some of those solos are incredible, and the story does have an ending of sorts, a la Catch-22. I've always gotten the sense that Frank himself got a little bored with the concept.

As for the instrumental side versus the "funny" side, I can't agree. Humor is subjective, and surely there will be some that doesn't work for you, but there's a lot of it, in several different flavors. Depending on my mood, I can usually find something that will make me laugh. My first exposure to Frank and The Mothers was the mid-70's band, but in college, it was the Flo and Eddie band that my roommate and I spent many, many hours listening to. You can't do that on stage anymore.

Cyclopssss · « **Reply #325 on:** March 19, 2012, 08:54:12 AM »

Yeah, he should have left it at pt. 1. That would have been perfect. After that, it becomes more or less, noodling with scarcely a pear here and there...

Ultimetalhead · « **Reply #326 on:** March 19, 2012, 10:07:46 AM »

Decided that Sheik Yerbouti and Joe's Garage will be the next stops on my Zappa odyssey. Any suggestions on which one to familiarize myself with first?

Orbert · « **Reply #327 on:** March 19, 2012, 11:43:58 AM »

Sheik Yerbouti. As with all Zappa albums, the musicianship is top-notch and the playing is super tight, but overall this one has a great combination of funny, jamming, and pretty much all sides. It also has excellent liner notes that, to me, enhance the experience.

And it closes with the amazing "Yo Mama" -- one of my favorite Zappa tunes of all time. OF ALL TIME!

Cyclopssss · « **Reply #328 on:** March 19, 2012, 11:49:07 AM »

Definetely Sheikh. The basis of almost all of the album is a live recording. And that band was tight....

darkshade · « **Reply #329 on:** March 19, 2012, 12:51:37 PM »

Definitely Shiek Yer Bouti. One of his best albums, if not his last great album, as I don't feel most of his albums were as good as Shiek afterwards, though there's still great albums after it; Joe's Garage Act I being at the same level. (It WAS released separately from Acts II and III when it originally came out.)

Ultimetalhead · « **Reply #330 on:** March 20, 2012, 08:03:56 PM »

Getting into Sheik kind of backfired for the moment (though one could debate whether the outcome is good or bad). Apostrophe is pretty much the only thing I can find myself listening to lately. This album is just way too good.

SystematicThought · « **Reply #331 on:** March 20, 2012, 08:08:56 PM »

I fell in love with Sheik after hearing Broken Hearts Are For Assholes

Orbert · « **Reply #332 on:** March 20, 2012, 11:12:35 PM »

Quote from: Ultimetalhead on March 20, 2012, 08:03:56 PM

Getting into Sheik kind of backfired for the moment (though one could debate whether the outcome is good or bad). Apostrophe is pretty much the only thing I can find myself listening to lately. This album is just way too good.

Give it some time. The way it starts with the Doo-Wop parody "I Have Been in You" through me for a loop the first time I heard it, and I don't know if I've ever really recovered, to be honest. But the rest of the album is pretty great.

It helped to learn later that he was specifically reacting to the Peter Frampton song "I'm in You" which he thought was about the stupidest thing he'd ever heard, and he held it as an example of the depths to which pop music had sunk in the later 70's.

darkshade · « **Reply #333 on:** March 21, 2012, 01:11:23 AM »

Quote from: Orbert on March 20, 2012, 11:12:35 PM

Quote from: Ultimetalhead on March 20, 2012, 08:03:56 PM
Getting into Sheik kind of backfired for the moment (though one could debate whether the outcome is good or bad). Apostrophe is pretty much the only thing I can find myself listening to lately. This album is just way too good.

Give it some time. The way it starts with the Doo-Wop parody "I Have Been in You" through me for a loop the first time I heard it, and I don't know if I've ever really recovered, to be honest. But the rest of the album is pretty great.

It helped to learn later that he was specifically reacting to the Peter Frampton song "I'm in You" which he thought was about the stupidest thing he'd ever heard, and he held it as an example of the depths to which pop music had sunk in the later 70's.

Yea, give Shiek a little time. I used to not care for it until I kept listening, and the albums starts off weird, but eventually rocks! and more classic Zappa tunes start appearing a few tracks in. City of Tiny Lights is one of his best songs.

Nihil-Morari · « **Reply #334 on:** March 21, 2012, 01:46:58 AM »

Quote from: darkshade on March 21, 2012, 01:11:23 AM

Quote from: Orbert on March 20, 2012, 11:12:35 PM
Quote from: Ultimetalhead on March 20, 2012, 08:03:56 PM
Getting into Sheik kind of backfired for the moment (though one could debate whether the outcome is good or bad). Apostrophe is pretty much the only thing I can find myself listening to lately. This album is just way too good.

Give it some time. The way it starts with the Doo-Wop parody "I Have Been in You" through me for a loop the first time I heard it, and I don't know if I've ever really recovered, to be honest. But the rest of the album is pretty great.

It helped to learn later that he was specifically reacting to the Peter Frampton song "I'm in You" which he thought was about the stupidest thing he'd ever heard, and he held it as an example of the depths to which pop music had sunk in the later 70's.

Yea, give Shiek a little time. I used to not care for it until I kept listening, and the albums starts off weird, but eventually rocks! and more classic Zappa tunes start appearing a few tracks in. City of Tiny Lights is one of his best songs.

I believe I've said this somewhere else in this thread, there are a lot of great live songs on that album (I thought my original quote was about Joe's Garage, but okay), they simple are better when played live, unoverdubbed. Sooo, if you want to get into the material on Sheik... just listen to Hammersmith Odeon, that album has a couple of the exact tracks that ended up being on the album. But then just live, no studio gizmo's. And it has a couple of legendary intro's, outro's and solo's.

Orbert · « **Reply #335 on:** March 21, 2012, 07:16:28 AM »

Quote from: darkshade on March 21, 2012, 01:11:23 AM

City of Tiny Lights is one of his best songs.

I love City of Tiny Lights. The song is great, and man, that solo. With the heavy flanger or whatever that is.

Also, this is the album that introduced me to Adrian Belew. When he showed up later in the "new" King Crimson, it was so awesome.

Mosh · « **Reply #336 on:** May 11, 2012, 09:27:34 AM »

From the Zappa mailing list:

Quote

Hello Boys & Girls,

About 10 Years Ago, shortly after Al Gore invented the internet, we here at UMRK, where we feel it is our duty … decided to announce plans for the Roxy Performances to be unleashed at last on a wholly suspecting public and others besides. What We Knew Then compared to What We Know Now about what is possible is something completely different. I could romanticize and say that over here at the Other Side of the Miracle of Time & Space there is nothing stopping us but the Movie Monster. Every Monster Movie has at least one. Our Movie Monster is THE BUDGET.

Because of the condition the condition was in - no synch, no idea what was what, no idea of the actual coverage, no idea of the quality; all the et ceterae that caused FZ to abandon the project completely - it took all this time (if you include all the other priorities and distractions) to get to this point, so near and yet so far: All of the footage has now been transferred on a best light basis into HD and all camera angles have been "synched" by eye and heart and hand and edit to the original Nagra tapes. We now need to identify all usable camera angles and begin the actual edit. Still, we have miles to go in order to bring the best of the possibilities to a screen near you. And we need your help.

We still have a few wrinkles but our irons are hot and the details of our plan for the next Official Release is bundled in a unique opportunity to participate in a special, social experiment designed to open lots of doors for all Artists and their fans everywhere. Participate and You'll be First. First with your own copy of a Soundtrack to The Roxy Performances. First with your name credited in The Roxy Performances, The Movie. And there are more Firsts. Stay Tuned.

But first, a word from our sponsors. We'll be back with all the relevant details right after the other Mothers' Day.

Thank you for your kind attention to this matter.

gz

Orbert · « **Reply #337 on:** May 11, 2012, 09:59:08 AM »

Sweet! One of my first Zappa/Mothers albums, and still my favorite.

tofee35 · « **Reply #338 on:** May 11, 2012, 02:58:54 PM »

I have a fairly awesome thing that recently happened to me that is Zappa-related.

It turns out my fiance and her parents were close friends with the members of Missing Persons in the 80's (Terry Bozzio, Dale Bozzio, Warren Cuccurollo). I had no idea. All of them, of course, Zappa regulars at one time. So, I'm a huge fan of Joe's Garage. As some may know, Dale Bozzio played Mary. So, I met her the other day. She was a great person...very nice and kind. She signed an autograph for me that says. "To Anthony, I'm Mary, from the bus". I didn't believe that she was Mary until she said "ya know, leather?" Then I told her how she was stuck to seat 38 etc. I was stoked. Anyway. That's my story.

Long live Zappa!

Nihil-Morari · « **Reply #339 on:** May 11, 2012, 03:12:08 PM »

Quote from: tofee35 on May 11, 2012, 02:58:54 PM

I have a fairly awesome thing that recently happened to me that is Zappa-related.

It turns out my fiance and her parents were close friends with the members of Missing Persons in the 80's (Terry Bozzio, Dale Bozzio, Warren Cuccurollo). I had no idea. All of them, of course, Zappa regulars at one time. So, I'm a huge fan of Joe's Garage. As some may know, Dale Bozzio played Mary. So, I met her the other day. She was a great person...very nice and kind. She signed an autograph for me that says. "To Anthony, I'm Mary, from the bus". I didn't believe that she was Mary until she said "ya know, leather?" Then I told her how she was stuck to seat 38 etc. I was stoked. Anyway. That's my story.

Long live Zappa!

Very cool!

BTW, what do we think of the prices for the new ZFT vinyl albums? 230 dollars for Hammersmith Odeon on vinyl?

Orbert · « **Reply #340 on:** May 11, 2012, 06:44:26 PM »

Cool story! Missing Persons were kinda cool, in an 80's way. Not really my kind of music, but we had a girl singer for a while and did a bunch of Missing Persons songs. They were fun and had reasonably interesting keyboard parts. Obviously the music was top-notch. Any who's played with Frank had to be awesome.

Nihil-Morari · « **Reply #341 on:** May 12, 2012, 03:57:59 AM »

Oh and my daily Zappa laugh is at the Lonesome Cowboy series. Burt, Jim and Nando. Man, especially the last one has me totally laughing out loud.

Ultimetalhead · « **Reply #342 on:** June 06, 2012, 10:33:55 PM »

I'm on a Zappa kick again. Listening to One Size Fits All, finally. No clue what I was waiting for on this one.

Orbert · « **Reply #343 on:** June 06, 2012, 11:19:01 PM »

One Size Fits All was my introduction to Zappa/Mothers. I was like 12 years old. Oh baby!

DebraKadabra · « **Reply #344 on:** June 07, 2012, 01:52:47 AM »

I usually have a really good Zappa kick in late May/Early June, as I got into his music hardcore around that time in 1989. Good times. I should spin some Zappa later on today at work.

Nihil-Morari · « **Reply #345 on:** June 07, 2012, 02:34:56 AM »

Quote from: Ultimetalhead on June 06, 2012, 10:33:55 PM

I'm on a Zappa kick again. Listening to One Size Fits All, finally. No clue what I was waiting for on this one.

Great, great album. I think I'll go for some YCDTOSA crazyness later today. Starting with 2 or 3 I think.
What's all of your favorite from that series?

DebraKadabra · « **Reply #346 on:** June 07, 2012, 02:39:46 AM »

I'm REALLY partial to 1, but that's only because it's the one I've heard the most.

Nihil-Morari · « **Reply #347 on:** June 07, 2012, 02:43:31 AM »

Quote from: DebraKadabra on June 07, 2012, 02:39:46 AM

I'm REALLY partial to 1, but that's only because it's the one I've heard the most.

1 IS really great though, that Yellow Snow suite edition is really funny. Oh and the intro to Be In My Video, and that version of The Dangerous Kitchen, and Big Swifty...

DebraKadabra · « **Reply #348 on:** June 07, 2012, 02:53:41 AM »

One of the best live versions of The Torture Never Stops (better than the studio version IMO), The Groupie Routine

, Dumb All Over through Suicide Chump...

Yeah.

Nihil-Morari · « **Reply #349 on:** June 07, 2012, 02:59:24 AM »

Quote from: DebraKadabra on June 07, 2012, 02:53:41 AM

One of the best live versions of The Torture Never Stops (better than the studio version IMO), The Groupie Routine , Dumb All Over through Suicide Chump...

Yeah.

Oh wow I forgot about The Groupie Routine, best version of that too.
And don't know about Torture, the Best Band You Never Heard version is great too. Wait a second, there isn't a Torture on Stage 1, or is there?

News: Dream Theater Forums: Still "a thing" since 2007.

Author Topic: The Zappa Thread (Read 81344 times)