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Dog 3000
Dog 3000
4611 posts

Edited Feb 21, 2010, 21:46
Dancing Fools
Feb 21, 2010, 21:42
Moon Cat wrote:
Take the Track Dancin' Fool for example. I like the music but the direction of the track - a bloke likes dancin' to disco therefore he's a fuckin' idiot - seems a bit mean spirited to me.


I think Zappa's "Dancing Fool" is in fact a direct parody of The Guess Who's last hit single, which was also called "Dancin' Fool"

Listen here: http://new.music.yahoo.com/guess-who/tracks/dancin-fool--1244145

The GW tune had a very similar lyrical theme -- a shy guy getting his nerve up to go out dancing -- difference is in one song you're rooting for the guy, and in the other you're supposed to laugh at him.

I like the Guess Who song much better myself!

(Burton has a better moustache too.)
Stevo
Stevo
6664 posts

Re: Zappa
Feb 21, 2010, 22:26
I like the period around 72 or 73 because of its approximation of the Bitches Brew derived sound. think its Grand Wazoo where he was lookinmg into that in the studio.

all the original Mothers stuff is great.

I do find him puerile in a lot of places from the 70s onwards, but he was a pretty great musician.
stevo

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Citizensmurf
Citizensmurf
1703 posts

YCDTOSA
Feb 22, 2010, 05:14
I would recommend the entire You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Series for anyone interested in getting into Zappa. Contains fantastic performances from almost all of his various lineups from 1965-1988. It's what turned me from a casual Beefheart loving listener to a full-blown fan. For anyone who dismisses Zappa as 'comedy rock', they obviously never saw him live. If after hearing these albums and you still don't like him, then don't bother with anything else.
The Sea Cat
The Sea Cat
3608 posts

Re: Zappa
Feb 22, 2010, 09:22
Thanks for all the good advice everyone, I really appreciate it. I'm going to start with the classic Mothers albums and follow all your suggestions from there. Have a good one all.
IanB
IanB
6761 posts

Edited Feb 22, 2010, 10:02
Re: YCDTOSA
Feb 22, 2010, 09:54
Citizensmurf wrote:
I would recommend the entire You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Series for anyone interested in getting into Zappa. Contains fantastic performances from almost all of his various lineups from 1965-1988. It's what turned me from a casual Beefheart loving listener to a full-blown fan. For anyone who dismisses Zappa as 'comedy rock', they obviously never saw him live. If after hearing these albums and you still don't like him, then don't bother with anything else.


Sound advice. Lots of good stuff on those records and it works well as an alternative history.

I saw the Hammersmith Odeon matinee show in 78 or 79(I think it was 79) and it was one of my most memorable musical experiences but the studio records I find really hard work by and large. The YCDTOSA series comes closest to capturing the eclectic frenzy of a good FZ show.
Squid Tempest
Squid Tempest
8761 posts

Re: Zappa
Feb 22, 2010, 10:25
Interesting thread this. I'm pretty much in Sea Cat's position as a Beefheart fan who hasn't paid a great deal of attention to Zappa, so a lot of this is relevant to me. I know Hot Rats, Bongo Fury, Joe's Garage and Sheik Yerbouti, but haven't been tempted to investigate further until now.
Popel Vooje
5373 posts

Re: Zappa
Feb 22, 2010, 17:42
I'd say pretty much everything up to and including "Chunga's Revenge" is worth getting (or at least hearing), with the 1st three Mothers albums, "Hot Rats" and "Uncle Meat" but from then on, fffftttt.... And I've gathered rthis opinion from having a mate at 6th from College who was a serious Zappa obsessive with about 30 of his albums.

Then again, you're more prog-friendly than me so you might enjoy the 70s/80s stuff more than I did. Interesting what mooncat said about hearing lots of his stuff at parties in liverpool - there seems to be a large Zappa contingent there, there's even a tribute band called the Muffin Men who are predominantly scousers. Once when I was in Amsterdam the now deceased ex-Mothers drummer Jimmy Carl Black was staying at the same hotes, and I overheard him at the breakfast talking to one of his bandmates about how he could get them gigs in Liverpool and how he had lots of friends there.
ToneStone
ToneStone
1768 posts

Re: Zappa
Feb 22, 2010, 17:45
Its all about "Sheik Yabouti" I find most Frank LPs totally pretentious fretwankery of the highest order and most of the Mothers Lps are garbage.
Deepinder Cheema
Deepinder Cheema
1972 posts

Re: Zappa
Feb 22, 2010, 18:04
Popel Vooje wrote:
I'd say pretty much everything up to and including "Chunga's Revenge" is worth getting (or at least hearing), with the 1st three Mothers albums, "Hot Rats" and "Uncle Meat" but from then on, fffftttt.... And I've gathered rthis opinion from having a mate at 6th from College who was a serious Zappa obsessive with about 30 of his albums.

Then again, you're more prog-friendly than me so you might enjoy the 70s/80s stuff more than I did. Interesting what mooncat said about hearing lots of his stuff at parties in liverpool - there seems to be a large Zappa contingent there, there's even a tribute band called the Muffin Men who are predominantly scousers. Once when I was in Amsterdam the now deceased ex-Mothers drummer Jimmy Carl Black was staying at the same hotes, and I overheard him at the breakfast talking to one of his bandmates about how he could get them gigs in Liverpool and how he had lots of friends there.



The Muffin men are from Liverpool. I overheard JCB at a table before a Bilston gig mention that he spent 3 months in Leicester
Dog 3000
Dog 3000
4611 posts

Re: Zappa
Feb 22, 2010, 19:13
Interesting to see all the difference of opinion.

I think the deal with Zappa is that he is a "maximalist" composer (opposite of a "minimalist") -- his music has a little bit of everything, and so probably nobody can possibly like everything he did.

Different listeners find very different vectors of enjoyment . . .
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