Frank Zappa's birthday this week...

[poodlesrule]

Time to brew some coffee!

Sadly, I unfortunately do not know enough about his music, and I welcome pointers on where to start...

 

[Zip]

Start with Black Napkins :

Remember, this was over 33 years ago, too....

 

[Katastrophe]

Happy birthday, Frank, wherever you are!

 

[R_of_G]

I could offer you the advice the Hatter gave Alice about telling her story... "Start at the beginning, and when you come to the end, stop."

Instead, I suggest perhaps you begin with one of Frank's more "accessible" records like Hot Rats, Apostrophe', or Over-Nite Sensation.

Then go listen to all the rest.

 

[Tig]

Zappa lyrics and quotes

"Is that a mexican poncho. Or is that a Sears poncho?"

"I don't give a f*** if they remember me at all."

"Jazz is not dead, it just smells funny."

Fine Girl

Well, yeah, well
Oh yeah
She was a fine girl
She could get down wit de get down
All de way down
She do yer laundry
She change a tire
Chop a little wood for de fire
Poke it around...if it died down

Oh yeah
She was a fine girl
She go up in the mornin'
She go down in the evenin'...all de way down
She do the dishes
If you wishes
Silverware too
Make it look brand new...when she get through
Oh yeah
She was a fine girl
Outa this world

Well, yeah, well, yeah, well, yeah, well
Oh yeah
She was a fine girl
She could get down wit de get down
All de way down
She do your laundry
She change a tire
Chop a little wood for de fire
Poke it around...if it died down

Oh yeah
She was a fine girl
With a lovely smile
With a bucket on her head
Fulla water from de well
She could run a mile
Oh yeah
She wouldn't spill a drop
It'd stay on top
Her head was kinda flat
But her hair covered that
She was a fine girl
Didn't need no school
She was built like a mule
With a thong sandal
Well, wasn't no kinda job she could not handle
She could get down...wit de get down
All de way down
We need some more like dat in dis kinda town

 

[syo]

I could offer you the advice the Hatter gave Alice about telling her story... "Start at the beginning, and when you come to the end, stop."

Instead, I suggest perhaps you begin with one of Frank's more "accessible" records like Hot Rats, Apostrophe', or Over-Nite Sensation.

Then go listen to all the rest.

In the "accessible" category I would include "One Size Fits All". That was my introduction 30 years ago and I went from there. Still one of my favorites.

 

[syo]

Start with Black Napkins :
Remember, this was over 33 years ago, too....

By the way Zip, that clip is a great one. I saw the same line up. Frank was of course brilliant and I was especially floored by Terry Bozzio. He was amazing.



That's another thing about Zappa, he picked so many great players to take along for the ride. And they had to be more than just good to play with him.

 

[R_of_G]

That's another thing about Zappa, he picked so many great players to take along for the ride. And they had to be more than just good to play with him.

Exactly. To be in Zappa's bands you had to be more than just a great player. You had to be able to play any song at a moment's notice and in any style because FZ would often change the way a song was played on a whim.

A lot of people call many bands "all star bands" or "supergroups." Any incarnation of a Zappa band was a true all star band.

 

[tunghaichuan]

I'd add:

Sheik Yerbouti
Strictly Commercial
Guitar
Shut Up and Play Yer Guitar

 

[Zip]

R of G, you're exactly right. FZ 'made' so many, from Lowell George to Alice Cooper. Here's a telling interview with Vai -

 

[R_of_G]

It was exactly that interview with Vai and some stuff from Frank's The Real Frank Zappa Book I had in mind when I wrote that. That Zappa book, by the way, is highly recommended reading for anyone even remotely interested in Frank who hasn't read it. If you really want to understand what Frank was all about, there's no better way to find out than in the words of the man himself.