Goodtunes discussion

Since I'm no longer the only one to have mentioned Zappa it's time the man had his own thread. So here go's, what's your favorite era? Favorite album? For me I love it all, the fusion jazz rock of Hot Rats, Waka Jawaka, The Grand Wazoo, the madness of Weasels Ripped My Flesh, Lumpy Gravy, We're Only In It For The Money, the almost pop like singalong albums Over-nite Sensation, Sheik Yerbouti, You Are What You Is. The man was a genius, I have 40 albums on cd and 3 on vinyl but my collection is still lacking. I've also seen Dweezil twice on his Zappa plays Zappa tours including one where I sold a festival ticket in order to fly to Oslo just for the gig!

i enjoyed The Mothers' first album's up til 200 motels.

For me he had another 5 years of pure gold after 200 Motels before he drifted into hit and miss, well hit and slightly miss but I'd have to agree that his earlier albums were his best.

My favorites (in a slightly interchangeable order)
Freak Out
Weasels Ripped My Flesh
Hot Rats
Lumpy Gravy
We're Only In It For The Money
You Are What You Is
Apostrophe(')

That's acceptable!

I love all of Frank's music, but my favorites are:

We're Only In It For The Money
Mothers Live at the Fillmore

I saw Frank and the Mothers in 1975 and Dweezil on the first Zappa plays Zappa tour. He did Frank proud. After the show, he came out and sat at the edge of the stage for a couple of hours, talking to any and all, signing autographs and thanking everyone who approached him for being such a fan of his dad's.

I felt the same about Dweezil, it felt like more of a celebration of his dads music rather than a tribute/cover band. I briefly got to meet him after the Oslo gig and he was amazed at how far we'd travelled, especially as he was playing the UK the following week (which I couldn't go to due to work commitments). He was a true gent and is clearly as passionate about his dads music as the fans.

I've tried to get to a couple of other shows since he's been touring, but I havne't been able to make it. He opened for Dream Theater recently and I missed it. :(
I did buy the dvd that he released, and there are lots of dvds available by and about Frank.

I live near Baltimore Maryland in the US, where Frank was born. The city is dedicating a statue to him in September.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/enter...

Wow that's ace. I'm going to be touring America sometime next year, looks like now I'm going to have to fit Baltimore into my travels.

I've got a couple of Zappa dvds (Does Humor Belong In Music and Baby Snakes) but I'm always on the lookout for any others when I can find them cheap enough.

i watched a dvd doc. about The Mothers era 65-72 or something like that.

it was good. Ray and jimmy are in it. new interviews. great footage 2.

"Hi I'm Jimmy Carl Black and I'm the Indian of the group"

Gotta love Jimmy.

I guess you mean Ray White, the first time I saw Dweezil he had Ray out on stage with him, filling in for the Captain on Willie The Pimp. Naturally the crowd were hero worshiping him.

speaking of the Captain, I just got Safe as Milk from Amazon.

Awesome, I can't choose between that Trout Mask or Lick My Decals for my favorite by him. I have all his albums except Blue Jeans and Moonbeams but I'm not a big fan of that or Unconditionally Guaranteed.

The only one I've heard before this is Trout Head Mask. I got Milk because Ry Cooder plays guitar!

Safe as Milk is totally different, it has a very bluesy groove to it and is an album of songs with a more traditional structure. Personally I love it just as much as Trout Mask but it is very difficult to compare the two. Like Zappa most of the Captains albums like to go in different directions while maintaining some distinct quality that make them instantly recognizable as his work. If you like Safe as Milk then I would definitely recommend Lick My Decals Off Baby as it sounds like something of a transition between the two, the only problem is it has been out of print on cd for a number of years and can be quite expensive, personally I opted for the vinyl as it is more readily available at a much cheaper price, also you may be able to find it for download as one of my friends downloaded it and let me have a copy.

I listened to Milk this morning, and I LOVE it. From the opening slide work so distinctively Ry Cooder to that gravelly voice of Don V. The surf music so prevalent in early Mothers music is awesome, and even the trippy frills that wound throughout Frank's music - you can tell that Frank and the Captain grew up in music together.

I seen Zappa at the Palladium on Holloween, somewhere in the 70s. Dude's a genius, Black Napkins is my fav song. Just Another Band From LA, Baby Snakes, Zoot Allures, fav albums.

I love Just Another Band From LA, probably his most eccentric live album yet such a singalong set, it's like it could be the soundtrack for some bizarre pantomime.

I'm pretty sure that was the first Zappa album I ever heard. Not really sure. Who remembers the 70s anyway? I call it the 'decade that never was' because no one can remember it, sort of a blur.

My first Zappa album was Freak Out. Mixed with orange sunshine. sweet...

Wow, that's early!

The first time I heard it was 1969

he has some bizarre lyrics.

most of the time he was poking fun at some group or other, or being very political.

yes, i remember looking at my brothers's albums, and went what?

the idiot bastard son
the father's a nazi in congress today
the mother's a hooker somewhere in LA

just the lyrics were nonsensical. like looking through the looking glass in alice in wonderland.

But his music composition was sheer genius.

yes i will give him that and he has cute children or should I say adults Dweezil and Moon Unit.

Today they dedicated a statue to Mr Z in Baltimore. Dweezil was scheduled to perform. I had to work, or I would have been there.

What was the statue of his likeness, that is awesome, did not know he was from Baltimore.

he was born there. The statue is a bust.
http://findlocal.baltimoresun.com/lis...

thanks cwt1954

My pleasure

de nada

http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertain...

Yes, that's the Zappa!

I had to work or I'd have been there

I was there in spirit.

That's the Zappa, alright.

My brother went to see Dream Theater and Zappa Play Zappa opened for them. He said they were really good.