Hey, What's New In Music Folder?

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I recently burned The Grand Wazoo from fellow local Zappa nut two tuff toddy. Think a more dense version of Waka/Jawaka. There aren't any standout tracks as awesome as "Big Swifty," but "Eat that Question" comes fairly close. The keyboard lead-in had me listening to his left hand and thinking, "Y'know that'd be really fuckin' cool on a bass guitar," and about two seconds later I heard the coolest bassline ever. I love when shit like that happens.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I really like the title track of that album. The brass sections have some cool parts in there early on. I'll agree that it's tough to beat "Big Swifty" though, but I would add "and 'Waka/Jawaka' too" because I've always loved that song too.

[Nighthawk 0]

I listened to it. It's ok to have on in the background, but that was a pretty weird album. It sounds like the kind of album I'd make if I got drunk and had to entertain a six year old's birthday party.

Oddly that sounds like it would be quite brilliant to me.

It is, in a way. I think anyone who likes weird music would sort of like it (like Residents level weird, not Ween level weird). I don't regret buying it... but then, it was in the bargain bin.

 

Weasels Ripped My Flesh arrived today. I'll be back with my impressions later.

[Nighthawk 0]

Recommending Weasels Ripped My Flesh to me was a good call. I loved it to death. I also listened to Freak Out!, and I was saying "Hey, this is pretty good.", but then WRMF totally converted me to Zappa. I intend to jump into his catalog with both feet.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Recommending Weasels Ripped My Flesh to me was a good call. I loved it to death. I also listened to Freak Out!, and I was saying "Hey, this is pretty good.", but then WRMF totally converted me to Zappa. I intend to jump into his catalog with both feet.

"Didja Get Any Onya?" and "Orange County Lumber Truck" are probably the highlights for me, at least. Fantastic cover art too.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Recommending Weasels Ripped My Flesh to me was a good call. I loved it to death. I also listened to Freak Out!, and I was saying "Hey, this is pretty good.", but then WRMF totally converted me to Zappa. I intend to jump into his catalog with both feet.

Start with earlier material. You may notice a weird phenomenon where you start getting poor and then realize that about 20% of your cd collection is Frank Zappa.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

We haven't had a good Zappa romp in a while.

 

Lately I've been listening to Does Humor Belong in Music?

 

The transitions from one part to the next on the live stuff on here is a hoot. I'm so jealous of such a versatile band. Most of the humor on here is the grin and bob my head type, but there's one hysterical moment for those musician types on "What's New In Baltimore?"

 

"How 'bout that chord that Ray played?"

 

"...It's the newest chord in all of Baltimore."

 

I'm kind of ending a Zappa drought, since I've been on an exclusive doom/instrumental metalloid kick.

 

I've also come to the conclusion that Man From Utopia and Jazz From Hell are the LAST albums someone who is unfamiliar with Zappa should ever listen to in hopes of first getting into the guy's stuff.

[Guest Felonies!]

I don't have Man From Utopia yet, but yeah, I wouldn't really play JFH--or any electronic Zappa, really--for any prospective fans either, though the Ensemble Modern version of "G-Spot Tornado" might be a good one to play.

 

And yeah, "What's New In Baltimore?" on DHBIM? is the fucking coolest. I've been on Zappa vacation too, but now I'm going to listen to ZINY. Ah, Don Pardo.

[Guest Felonies!]

"Titties and Beer" is actually a retelling of the legend of Faust.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Don't make ..Utopia a big priority. It's more of a lark than anything, what with "Dangerous Kitchen" and "Jazz Discharge Party Hats."

 

"SEX" is outright terrible, although the instrumentals are nice, if brief.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Hey, and I'm not sure if it's on that album or not since I wasn't paying too much attention, but Steve Vai went and transcribed Zappa's spoken words on one of those two playtime with the audience tracks, and precisely transposed it to guitar to the degree of a few little whammy bar chirps to denote one of Frank's laughs. Talk about an ear. Yikes.

[Guest Felonies!]

My priorities right now are more YCDTOSAs (I have the first two), The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life, and one of the guitar compilations.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I haven't snagged any after Vol 3.

 

Shut up and Play Yer Guitar gets old after awhile, so caveat emptor and all that. What's good is really really sharp, but the bad..eh. He noodles on a Bouzouki with Ponty on violin for way way too long on one take, and the production doesn't really lend itself to the delicate acoustic work he does on another.

 

The fast paced electric action is tight, though, and there's marvelous examples of his xenocrony technique of composition on here that comes through totally seamless.

[Guest Felonies!]

I forgot how good "Honey, Don't You Want A Man Like Me?" is. Like, musically, I mean.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

"The band was tiiiight..(crazy go-nuts percussion)"

[Guest Felonies!]

Exactly. Oh God, "I'm The Slime" kicks so much ass here. Hey, where's Slayer?

 

EDIT: It's the backgrounds for the solo that make it.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

RE: The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life-

 

This one kills Broadway the Hard Way. It's also the '88 tour, a weird lineup since it leads one to think the band just got bigger and bigger as the tour went on, which couldn't be further from the truth.

 

The horn section is huge. Not quite Grand Wazoo levels of a band or anything, but I can't recall a larger group he ever toured with. Something in the range of 9-12 people. Pretty far cry from the mid seventies, but he does those tracks justice without making them sound rehashed. Really, the entire first disc is just his older material.

 

It's strange; Zappa's recordings in the late sixties through most of the seventies never sound dated to me, but when he hits about 83 or so, it gets tougher and tougher for me to sink my teeth in. The 88 tour was a real swan song though. Disc 2 of ..Best Band.. has some awesome covers, including a "Stairway to Heaven" that I daresay is better than Zeppelin's. They ham it up minimally, since it's one of those legendary classic rock songs and all that, but when it comes to the vocals, and the solo played by the huge horn section and guitar, it couldn't possibly sound more epic.

[Guest Felonies!]

I love Broadway and Jazz Noise. I just need to complete the troika. The price is kinda prohibitive as far as Zappa albums go, though. It's like $28 whereas Broadway was $10 for me.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Jazz noise is the one I'm missing.

[Masked Man of Mystery 0]

I occasionally see a CD in my store by Mr. Zappa called "Cheap Thrills" is it just a cheap greatest hits disc, or what? I haven't listened to any of his music yet, but I'm looking for something to give a shot and if this gives me some idea of his sound, I'd be willing to give it a try

[Slayer 0]

Hey, where's Slayer?

Working.

 

Random responses:

 

By contrast to you two, I've been on a major drought from my primary interest (metal) and listening to almost nothing but Zappa (or prog/hard rock) over the summer.

 

I agree with Agent that MFU is definitely one of the last ones to check out. Most of the good songs on there have better live versions on the YCDTOSA series, and the only other good song on there is "The Radio is Broken". JFH, while one of my personal favorites, would also scare away a good number of Zappa beginners... though one of the first Zappa songs I got hooked on was "Night School", so your mileage may vary.

 

All the good songs from SUAPYG could easily be condensed onto a single CD.

 

More to come.

[Guest Felonies!]

Yes, it's a best-of, but I don't own it. You might as well give it a try.

[Murmuring Beast 0]

Why do I like Freak Out but not We're Only In It For The Money ?

[Guest Felonies!]

You find its musique-concrete nature disconcerting and inaccessible.

[Murmuring Beast 0]

I just don't think it's as good possibly.

 

Although thanks for the pretentious assessment.

[Guest Felonies!]

What's pretentious about it? I felt the same way at first, too. I think it's better than Freak Out!, though. Also, Absolutely Free is capable of making me laugh out loud, usually where Ray Collins biffs a lyric.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Yes, it's a best-of, but I don't own it. You might as well give it a try.

 

Cheap Thrills is kind of cute. Not especially good and completely disjointed, except for the cut of "The Torture Never Stops" with Beefheart on vocals. That one's badass.

 

There's worse places to start, I guess.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I occasionally see a CD in my store by Mr. Zappa called "Cheap Thrills" is it just a cheap greatest hits disc, or what? I haven't listened to any of his music yet, but I'm looking for something to give a shot and if this gives me some idea of his sound, I'd be willing to give it a try

 

I think the real place to start is with Sheik Yerbouti, but you'll probably get a different answer from any Zappa mutant you ask.

[Murmuring Beast 0]

What's pretentious about it? I felt the same way at first, too. I think it's better than Freak Out!, though. Also, Absolutely Free is capable of making me laugh out loud, usually where Ray Collins biffs a lyric.

 

Right, ok. I just don't have as much fun with it as I do with Freak Out. I've listened to it more than few times now and I've given up.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I feel the same about liking the debut more (although I enjoy We're...) It fits in with the grand scheme of things, but We're Only In It For The Money doesn't have songs like Freak Out has songs. You'd probably hate Lumpy Gravy.