*** Frank Zappa ***

[Scott Dolan]

Probably not. But, maybe we're better for it. Too much of a good thing...

[mjzee]

Release date June 4:

Amazon

[sgcim]

I just took a glance at Howard Kaylan's new book, "Shell Shocked", a memoir of his days with the Turtles, Zappa and Flo & Eddie.

He makes the startling revelation that FZ did smoke some pot- in between orgies.

There was a little bit about Judee Sill and her husband, Bob Harris, a great jazz pianist who played with the MOI in 1971.

[Tim McG]

Best Zappa album...all-time, IMHO:

[StarThrower]

I just took a glance at Howard Kaylan's new book, "Shell Shocked", a memoir of his days with the Turtles, Zappa and Flo & Eddie.

He makes the startling revelation that FZ did smoke some pot- in between orgies.

There was a little bit about Judee Sill and her husband, Bob Harris, a great jazz pianist who played with the MOI in 1971.

Not exactly a startling revelation. Zappa always said pot made him sleepy, which is why he didn't smoke much of it.

[sgcim]

I just took a glance at Howard Kaylan's new book, "Shell Shocked", a memoir of his days with the Turtles, Zappa and Flo & Eddie.

He makes the startling revelation that FZ did smoke some pot- in between orgies.

There was a little bit about Judee Sill and her husband, Bob Harris, a great jazz pianist who played with the MOI in 1971.

Not exactly a startling revelation. Zappa always said pot made him sleepy, which is why he didn't smoke much of it.

The way HK wrote about it in the book made it seem like it was a "startling revelation". FZ always cultivated the image of being anti-drug. That's why it seemed strange to me that he hired BH(1), who was a life-long junkie.

Getting back to FZ as a person, I used to work with a drummer who went on the road with FZ as a percussionist, and he said FZ was a cheap prick, who tried to screw the band whenever he could.

[StarThrower]

But FZ probably paid better than what a lot of these unknown at the time musicians were making playing bars. And after the Zappa gig, their resumes were a lot more attractive.

I'd like my boss to pay me more too, but that's life. If you don't like the pay, start your own business and take on all of the responsibilities that go with it.

[Chalupa]

Frank Zappa would have turned 73 today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp6LT2MdaPI#t=464

[mjzee]

Popmarket has a Zappa vinyl deal today: Freak Out, Uncle Meat and Overnite Sensation for $69.99.

[7/4]

[StarThrower]

FZ was such a romantic!

[Guy Berger]

More working through the backlog - over the past few weeks I've been listening to the CDs of Grand Wazoo and Waka/Jawaka that I got about 6 years ago. Great stuff - at least, the instrumental sections.

[Thomas Jackson]

Freshmen year in college some cats invited me to a Zappa party. Didn't know who the hell Zappa was not much of him played in my hood at the time. That night I smoked more weed than anytime prior in my life. Don't know if it played a part in me digging Zappa but I did become a fan with " Over-Nite Sensation , Hot Rats and The Grand Wazoo.

word

Edited December 18, 2014 by Thomas Jackson

[Scott Dolan]

Those are three of his best albums. Good introduction.

[mjzee]

Not sure which is the "official" Zappa thread in our Artists forum, so I'll post this in both (can they be combined?):

https://www.zappa.com/news/frank-zappas-beloved-live-double-album-zappa-new-york-celebrated-suite-40th-anniversary

[sgcim]

There's a new book on Zappa's entire recorded episode called, "The Big Note" by Chas. Ulrich. I did some research for Ulrich on Bob Harris(1), a jazz pianist who played on the Live at the Fillmore East LP (1971), so I should be mentioned in it somewhere. 

http://www.newstarbooks.com/book.php?book_id=1554201462

I also did some research on Harris for the documentary film on Judee Sill coming out soon, so I should be mentioned in that, too.

My mommy always told me I'd be famous one day...

[Ken Dryden]

It is always fun to see yourself cited in a new book and/or thanked in the author's preface. 

[sgcim]

On 1/29/2019 at 4:14 PM, sgcim said:

There's a new book on Zappa's entire recorded episode called, "The Big Note" by Chas. Ulrich. I did some research for Ulrich on Bob Harris(1), a jazz pianist who played on the Live at the Fillmore East LP (1971), so I should be mentioned in it somewhere. 

http://www.newstarbooks.com/book.php?book_id=1554201462

I also did some research on Harris for the documentary film on Judee Sill coming out soon, so I should be mentioned in that, too.

My mommy always told me I'd be famous one day...

I finally got my hands on the book I mentioned above, and there is no doubt that "The Big Note" will be the definitive resource on FZ in the 21st Century. It is 740 pages of exhaustive research on every aspect of FZ's 60 commercially released albums, and even information on the 40 bootleg albums still circulating.

The central thesis of the book is FZ's contention that his entire output is interrelated, and one can listen to his last works, and still find connections to aspects of his first album "Absolutely Free", recorded in 1966. FZ called this "Project/Object"

Just reading the introduction, I learned that musicians as disparate as Don Ellis, Van Dyke Parks and Jim Fielder were involved with the early MOI. When I finally finished the 35 page Introduction, I encountered the basic outline of the whole book. Each song on each album is analyzed musically, lyrically, and historically, with FZ's incredible use of quotes from pieces such as 'Agon' and The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky, coupled with obscure 50's R&B songs, current hits, and of course, "Louie,Louie"!

Every interview with FZ is used as commentary on musical, social, historical aspects of the song, and respected musical theorists, former band members, and FZ family members are also quoted. The fact that my name is mentioned in the Acknowledgements section will firmly cement my street cred in the quickly aging (if not already dead) world of FZ groupies.

 

[Rabshakeh]

Frank Zappa – Funky Nothingness

Just finished my second listen to the core album. I find it hard to understand what to make of it. It is being billed as Hot Rats II or Chunga's Revenge the Prequel, but it is really heavy on blues tunes. I guess Zappa did blues tunes from time to time (Trouble Every Day and Willie The Pimp) but the sheer amount of blues and blues rock on here is not something I associate with Zappa.

What do other Zappa enjoyers make of it? It being the core album, rather than the outtakes and b sides packaged with the record.

(I know many on this forum dislike him and his music for reasons that seem pretty understandable to me, but I have deep seated tribal loyalties in this one case, even if it mostly adds up to early Mothers purism these days.)

Edited August 28, 2023 by Rabshakeh

[mjzee]

I liked it, though I think the R&B material isn't very impressive (and Sugarcane Harris wasn't very inventive).  Max Bennett, though, is a monster.  Here's my take: Zappa was trying to figure out his next moves after the disbanding of the original Mothers. Bitches Brew and other jazz-rock was in vogue and Hot Rats was a success, so he was testing whether a band was a next logical step. The Funky Nothingness sessions were the result (and the unedited Transylvania Boogie shows their potential). Then he ran into Flo and Eddie. The possibilities of what he could do with them (both as an "instrument" and their creative input) recharged his creative juices as regards songs and story-telling, and a project he had in the back of his mind about "the road" seized him, and he began to furiously write what became 200 Motels and Fillmore East. That's why Chunga's Revenge, in hindsight, seems schizophrenic: it's half the prior plans, and half after Flo & Eddie.

[Rabshakeh]

I think that's all pretty likely, as you tell it.

What surprised me is how little it was like Hot Rays though. Or it is all like track 2 of Hot Rats.

22 minutes ago, mjzee said:

Max Bennett, though, is a monster. 

Agreed. I was disappointed with Dunbar, who I like a lot on Chunga, but who only really turns up here on one track. 

[Д.Д.]

I think Zappa just liked blues jamming, and he adored Sugarcane Harris (in the Real Frank Zappa Book he mentions paying bail for Harris to be able to work with him). In no way is "Funky Nothingness" a core album. Meanwhile, "Over-Nite Sensation" is coming in expanded extended glory, as core as it gets, on its 50th anniversary: https://store.zappa.com/products/over-nite-sensation-50th-anniversary-4cd-blu-ray-audio-super-deluxe-edition    

25 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

I was disappointed with Dunbar, who I like a lot on Chunga, but who only really turns up here on one track. 

I think Dunbar sounds great. He plays simple, but this is what this type of music requires - solid, steady beat. He rips on "Waka Jawaka" and "Grand Wazoo".      

[mjzee]

I just started listening to the Waka/Wazoo box.  I really enjoyed disc 1, perhaps more than I liked the original Waka Jawaka and Grand Wazoo albums.

 

 

[felser]

11 minutes ago, mjzee said:

I just started listening to the Waka/Wazoo box.  I really enjoyed disc 1, perhaps more than I liked the original Waka Jawaka and Grand Wazoo albums.

Yes, that's a great box set.  If you like the original albums, don't hesitate to grab it.

[greggery peccary]

2 hours ago, mjzee said:

I just started listening to the Waka/Wazoo box.  I really enjoyed disc 1, perhaps more than I liked the original Waka Jawaka and Grand Wazoo albums.

I am very much looking foward to this set. One of FZ's indisputable gems...among many. Interestingly is hasn't shown up on Amazon yet that I can see. Umusic is hawking this as is PopMarket. I'll preorder through Amazon. Their preorder price guarantee typically culminates with a very competitive price.

I might have to take a day off from work when this arrives.