Frank Zappa: the 75th anniversary album by album thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by mdekoning, Dec 21, 2015.

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  1. quicksrt

    quicksrt Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Hell there were previously sidelong epics in pop too.
     
  2. Folknik

    Folknik Forum Resident

    I greatly enjoy all of Lumpy Gravy except for the dumb car talk which simply goes on too long, but that's just me. The "Take Your Clothes Off" ending has an almost Motown/"Black is Black" type of groove.
     
  3. Folknik

    Folknik Forum Resident

    One of my favorite double albums. There's a lot going on here: Musique concrete, '50s doo-wop satire, coming dialogue, live bits, phone conversations, sci-fi jazz, and more. For me, the 37 straight minutes of movie dialogue on the expanded CD interrupts the flow.
     
  4. Uncle Meat

    Uncle Meat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, Tx, US
    I hear Uncle Meat as a Rondo (or at least that is one way to look at it), where it starts out with the main them, and parts of it come back from time to time (sometimes in the middle of other songs/pieces), album ends with it as well, though very short...
    The parts of the album that sound like they are scored out, I could see being out of left field to someone not familiar with modern classical music, but to my ears, they work very very well, still amazing, in fact I wouldn't shock me if Zappa had been listening to Messiaen, a lot of those part in Uncle Meat sound strikingly similar in the use of chords etc.. (I heard this when exploring the Boulez 67 CD box set, I had never heard Messiaen before).
    To me this is a branch of rock that was never followed up (probably because it is too much damn work, listen to parts of Uncle Meat, and think about how much time it must have taken to get that put together, not only written but also arranged and then taught to the musicians).
     
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  5. quicksrt

    quicksrt Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    I will listen with that in mind. I have a ton of Boulez conducting, and all the major Messiaen recordings. As well as nearly all recordings of Edgard Varese's works, those are fun to compare.
     
  6. kendo

    kendo Forum Resident

    I've been listening to Zappa/The Mothers for about 40 years now and he is one of the very few artists whose catalogue (sure, there is an awful lot of it) can still surprise after all that time and many repeated listens. The latest vinyl release of "Sheik Yerbouti" has a few "I've not heard that before" moments despite having owned the original vinyl and various CDs for years! VIVA ZAPPA! :)

    PS Your point about the production job and the sheer amount of stuff crammed into Zappa's music is what helps it's longevity.
     
  7. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    As I mentioned in another thread:

    Freak Out was recorded in March 1966, released on June 27, 1966.

    Blonde On Blonde was recorded between January and March 1966 (with "Sad Eyed Lady" being recorded in February), originally scheduled to be released in May 1966 (and this is still listed as the "official" date in many places) but evidence suggests that last minute mix changes pushed the release back to late June or July.

    Because of the issues with Dylan's release I don't think we will ever settle which was first, and I also don't think it matters a lot.
     
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  8. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

    For me, "UM" sounds 'disjointed' !
    the songs with Ray sound too much like leftover "Ruben" songs....
    I assume there must've been an attempt by Frank to make his big 9 record set starting with some of these tracks.
    Here's hoping we get to hear more in the 'Project/Object" version!
    I had a vision that they would call a super-duper version, connecting "UM" with the last original MOI albums, "Uncle Ripped My Weenie"!
     
  9. jawaka

    jawaka Senior Member

    Location:
    Music City USA
    During the announcement/pre-release/promotional period for Lumpy Money, as I recall, FZT Vaultmeister Joe Travers stated that only the original mono version of the Capitol version of Lumpy Gravy would be included, and that the stereo version would be on an as-yet-to-be-released companion set.

    This kind of made sense, because without breaking the theme of each CD in Lumpy Money (mono, remixed/re-dubbed stereo, outtakes/bonus/extras/single mixes) there was no room for the stereo Capital LG without either splitting it between the first two discs interrupting the flow or adding a fourth CD.

    I was kind of hoping for something comparable to the 2CD and 4CD versions of MOFO (Making of Freak Out!) or a re-release of the LG CD with a mono safety segment replaced with the original stereo bit reinserted (an admitted error when preparing the 1993 CD that is supposedly also on the 2012 UMe reissue) with the stereo Capital LG as bonus tracks

    The Ryko twofer WOIIFTM/LG is the only CD with the original correct LG mix, even though it does have the remixed/re-dubbed/uncensored WOIFFTM (the same version as on Lumpy Money disc 2), it is worth holding onto. Even though it is mastered at a much lower volume than the later LG CDs, definitely hold onto it as LG does sound great, ya' just gotta turn it up!
     
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  10. jawaka

    jawaka Senior Member

    Location:
    Music City USA
    Even though the 2012 UMe reissue of UM is not claimed to be a remaster, it is reported to have the segue between the penalty tracks (first three tracks of UM CD2) and side 4/King Kong removed.

    Also, UM is reported to be the next for the Grand Rights/Deluxe version treatment from FZT. I'm hoping for a one CD version of UM without the penalty tracks as the first disc with the original mix of "Mr. Green Genes."
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2016
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  11. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    On Spotify there is still a segue, but they have corrected the indexing so that if you fast forward to "King Kong Itself" it starts cold.
     
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  12. jawaka

    jawaka Senior Member

    Location:
    Music City USA
    Hi Pat! Glad to see you rolled over here from AFFZ and the the FZ forum.

    Also kudos to the OP, as I was thinking about a FZ ABA reboot for the last couple of months but just have yet to get there. I still don't have some of the later releases from the FZT, as well as many of the 23 remastered UMe CDs (sure as h not gonna rebuy 60 of 'em), so I wasn't ready to review them.

    (What, no discussions about the AF 2012 remaster?)

    Let's make it past release 101!
     
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  13. Shem the Penman

    Shem the Penman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Uncle Meat is a brilliant construction, taking all these disparate elements to provide a strange picture of the Mothers. Plus you've got some of his greatest & most durable tunes, funny how these are almost proto versions compared to what they were onstage or what they'd become. There's a real magic here because if you just look at the tracklist, it probably shouldn't work, it looks like a lot of padding & random stuff. But when you start listening you get drawn in, it's funny & catchy & compelling & weird in a perfect Zappa way.

    I don't care for some of his later attempts to reproduce this, like Playground Psychotics or some of the You Can't Do That sequences. He was always into behind the scenes stuff, writing about his band, etc but nobody was as special as the Mothers.
     
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  14. Sytze

    Sytze Senior Member

    Not to mention 'Tengo Na Minchia Tanta", which is kinda ok, but dates from '82!
     
  15. Rne

    Rne weltschmerz

    Location:
    Malaver
    It's not even OK! Anyway, luckily it has nothing to do with the original masterpiece that Uncle Meat is.
     
  16. Sytze

    Sytze Senior Member

    I admit to liking it somewhat (and yes, even though I have a hunch what the title means!) but it doesn't belong on UM at all.
     
  17. kendo

    kendo Forum Resident

    At least he had the coglione to incude " Tengo Na Minchia Tanta" on Uncle Meat. :laugh:
     
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  18. mdekoning

    mdekoning Senior Member Thread Starter

    MOTHERMANIA: THE BEST OF THE MOTHERS

    Released: March 24 1969
    Label: Bizarre/Reprise
    Producer: Frank Zappa, Tom Wilson

    Musicians:
    Frank Zappa: Guitar, Vocals, Percussion
    Ray Collins: Vocals
    Jimmy Carl Black: Drums
    Roy Estrada: Electric Bass
    Don Preston: Electric Piano
    Billy Mundi: Drums
    Bunk Gardner: Piccolo, Flute, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Soprano Sax, Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Bassoon
    Ian Underwood: Electric Organ, Piano, Harpsichord, Celeste, Flute, Clarinet, Alto Sax, Baritone Sax
    Jim Fielder: Guitar, Piano
    Elliott Ingber: Guitar

    [​IMG]

    All songs by Frank Zappa

    Side 1
    1.Brown Shoes Don't Make It (7:26)
    2.Mother People (1:41)
    3.Duke Of Prunes (5:09)
    4.Call Any Vegatable (4:31)
    5.The Idiot Bastard Son (2:26)

    Side 2
    6.It Can't Happen Here (3:13)
    7.You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here (3:37)
    8.Who Are The Brain Police? (3:22)
    9.Plastic People (3:40)
    10.Hungry Freaks, Daddy (3:27)
    11.America Drinks And Goes Home (2:43)
     
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  19. mdekoning

    mdekoning Senior Member Thread Starter

    Really a compilation of tracks from the first 3 Mothers albums, but since it was given a number in the latest reissue series and wikipedia lists it as being part of the main discography I'll include it in this thread.

    Original LP:
    http://www.discogs.com/Mothers-Of-Invention-The-Mothermania-The-Best-Of-The-Mothers/release/546642

    First CD release, apparently unauthorised:
    http://www.discogs.com/Frank-Zappa-Mothermania-The-Best-Of-The-Mothers/release/5248239

    Current CD:
    http://www.discogs.com/Mothers-Of-Invention-The-Mothermania-The-Best-Of-The-Mothers/release/4717007
     
  20. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

    I STILL love this 'best of'.....
    Found it deep in the heart of my college radio station's archive....
    and, being (at the time, of course) a big ZTT fan, I LOVED the fact that there were different versions on this comp!
     
  21. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    Of the several Verve compilations this was the only one put together by Zappa. Includes "Idiot Bastard Son" with an intro not included on We're Only In It..., and unique edits and mixes of some other songs.
     
  22. Rne

    Rne weltschmerz

    Location:
    Malaver
    Mothermania is essential for Zappa fans, due to some unique mixes and edits. I remember buying the official download at zappa.com back in 2008 (I think) and then buying the CD in 2012. A very enjoyable volume. The first seconds of "Plastic People" do not evidence the tape damage present on Absolutely Free, so that's another reason for the completists to buy it.
     
  23. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

    Oh.... one more thing about "UM":
    DID YOU KNOW!!.....
    ...that some of Suzie Creamcheese's dialogue has been 'sampled' in a few really good records?
    Her laughing "Bizzarre!" can be heard on both Jean Michel Jarre's "Zoolook" AND Prince's "Lovesexy"!
    PLUS, there is a song on Meat Beat Manifesto's "99%" called "Hello Teenage America" that features that line, and "Wowie Zowie"!
     
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  24. mdekoning

    mdekoning Senior Member Thread Starter

    HOT RATS

    Released: October 10 1969
    Label: Bizarre/Reprise
    Producer: Frank Zappa

    Musicians:
    Frank Zappa: Guitar, Octave Bass, Percussion
    Ian Underwood: Piano, Organus Maximus, Flute, Clarinets, Saxes
    Max Bennett: Bass

    Captain Beefheart: Vocals on "Willie The Pimp"
    John Guerin: Drums on "Willie The Pimp", "Little Umbrellas" and "It Must Be A Camel"
    Don Harris: Violin on "Willie The Pimp" and "The Gumbo Variations"
    Paul Humphrey: Drums on "Son Of Mr. Green Genes" and "The Gumbo Variations"
    Shuggie Otis: Bass on "Peaches En Regalia"
    Jean-Luc Ponty: Violin on "It Must Be A Camel"
    Ron Selico: Drums on "Peaches En Regalia"
    Lowell George: Rhythm Guitar (uncredited)

    [​IMG]

    All songs by Frank Zappa

    Side 1
    1.Peaches En Regalia (3:38)
    2.Willie The Pimp (9:21)
    3.Son Of Mr. Green Genes (8:58)

    Side 2
    4.Little Umbrellas (3:06)
    5.The Gumbo Variations (12:53)
    6.It Must Be A Camel (5:15)
     
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  25. privit1

    privit1 Senior Member

    My favourite Zappa album but am I alone in preferring the re-mix to the original mix ?
     
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