Frank Zappa Song By Song Thread (1966-96)*

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Zoot Marimba, Aug 21, 2018.

  1. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    I am gross and perverted
    I’m obsessed and deranged
    I’ve existed for years but very little has changed.
    I am the tool of the government and industry too.

    I may be vile and pernicious
    But you can’t look away,
    I make you think I’m delicious
    With the stuff that I say.
    I’m the best you can get,
    Have you guessed me yet?
    I’m the slime oozing our This here Thread.

    That’s right, my long promised Zappa thread is here! Before we start let’s lay some ground rules:
    Ground Rules:
    1. Please stick to the song at hand or songs already discussed.
    2. Please elaborate in your review beyond this rocks or this sucks. This leads to a more fruitful discussion.
    3. The following thread contains content that is not suitable for the easily offended.
    And now let’s Freak Out!
    Frank Zappa Song By Song Thread
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 26, 2018
  2. Archtop

    Archtop Soft Dead Crimson Cow

    Location:
    Greater Boston, MA
    I'll likely wade into the discussion once we get to the Uncle Meat/Hot Rats period, but if your first post is any indication, that may be a while. Godspeed for taking this on; you'll need it.
     
  3. Rne

    Rne weltschmerz

    Location:
    Malaver
    I'll try to follow this thread, but I can't promise anything.
    One of the best opening tracks ever (and featured on a debut album!). Great lyrics, great arrangements, great guitar solo.
     
  4. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Thanks!:laugh:
     
  5. mcchocchoc

    mcchocchoc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oregon
    Wow, you're going for it. Gonna be a loooooong thread. I look forward to contributing.

    Great review for the first and excellent song. I love the track, groovy music and great vocals.

    [​IMG]
     
  6. NumberEight

    NumberEight Came too late and stayed too long

    Sign me up!
     
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  7. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

  8. Beatnik_Daddyo'73

    Beatnik_Daddyo'73 Music Addiction Personified

    ...I love it ALL! That’s all I got :D

    This was my first Zappa/Mutha’s purchase back in the mid 90’s on recommendation from a friend. Bitches Brew and Blues for Allah we’re also recommended/purchased. Good times!

    ...love the thread appropriate avatar as well @Musicman1998
     
  9. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    I got that poster when I was visiting my sister this summer! Thought it would be appropriate.
     
  10. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

    Hungry Freaks Daddy
    It's like a warning shot over the heads of the music world. The Mothers and Zappa were walking their own path, doing exactly what they wanted to do. It uses some styles of the day, yet has a flair of its own, with the typical Zappa bits and pieces that either enhance or detract depending on how you view his work.
    In an interview I once watched, the guy asks Zappa "you seem to sabotage your songs, why do you do that?" (paraphrased from memory) Zappa's reply is typical " that's to make sure you're still listening" (again paraphrased to the best of my now degenerating memory.)
     
  11. PJayBe

    PJayBe Forum Resident

    I'll keep an eye on this and drop in when it reaches the "interesting" bits. Gonna be a long long ride!!
     
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  12. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

    That reminds me of one of the little 'pieces of video' Alex Winter gave us donors of the Zappa movie he's making:
    At the Village Recorder Studio, Frank giggles after he sings, "TAKE A LITTLE SLOBBER-A!", and the engineers stop the tape, and he says, "Aww.. Why did ya' stop it?..... I WANT the 'giggle' in that!... It's one of the few times I actually laugh!"
     
  13. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic

    Location:
    Sweden
    New Zappa fan here, listened to most of the early stuff at least once and my favorites many times. This one seemed to not grab me much beyond a select few tracks that stood out like Go Cry On Somebody Elses Shoulder and Anyway the Wind Blows.
     
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2018
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  14. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
    That's a huge undertaking, Musicman 1998, providing all that information prior to the discussion. How did you assemble all that, personal notes? I know there are a lot of us who have been driven to making lists, tables, databases and other ways of helping oneself keep track of the continuities. Your "edits" paragraphs in particular are going to come in pretty handy, but also get very complicated once the same songs (and in cases, the same source recordings!) repeat themselves through out his releases. I sure hope you're working this stuff out ahead!

    Still not getting why you're starting that far into his work, though. Is it because it's easy to find "the beginning", when the artist himself ignores all his previous work in his own discographies? Can't imagine you don't know how much further back his music goes...
     
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  15. Uncle_Meat

    Uncle_Meat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Plymouth, UK
    This was the first Zappa album that I bought after owning Strictly Commercial about 20 years ago. I've always thought Hungry Freaks, Daddy was such an audacious opening. It's a great opening song and, also, a statement of intent for the huge career that would follow.
     
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  16. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    I copied the wikia Page.
    As far as his early pre-Mothers work, this is the order I’m going in:
    FZ discography
     
  17. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
    So, at the very least, you're missing "The World's Greatest Sinner" and "Run Home Slow" soundtracks, all the Cucamonga stuff, and various Blackouts recordings, at least until you get to The Lost Episodes, and other backtracking compilations.

    And I share a lack of interest about these anyway, but the interest in those might pick up once you get to the releases that tackle these out of chronological order.
     
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  18. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Correct.
     
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  19. Fastnbulbous

    Fastnbulbous Doubleplus Ungood

    Location:
    Washington DC USA
    Fantastic tune, remarkably tasteful solo, great sarcastic lyrics. If Zappa's lyrics had remained this strong nobody would've suggested he shut up and play his guitar.
     
  20. edenofflowers

    edenofflowers A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular!

    Location:
    UK
    I like the sound of Hungry Freaks Daddy but the riff reminds me a bit too much of the Stones' Satisfaction. There's a big early 1966 interview with FZ where he talks about luring in the youth of America with the sort of sounds they like before hitting them with the heavy stuff. I always think of that interview when I hear HFD as it sounds to me like an attempt by Frank to do just that - a reasonably 'normal' sounding rock/pop song with a deeper level to it lyrically. Frank talks in the interview about this being a sort of 'masterplan' but he'd obviously given up on that idea by Absolutely Free with it's much less commercial opener 'Plastic People'.

    Message to musicman1998... an FZ song-by-song thread? You're a braver (or madder) man than I! Good luck! :D :righton:
     
  21. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Live in 1966:

    Pretty decent version, though better was to come obviously.
     
  22. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Live in 1974:

    Of the two live clips, i favor this one, but overall I’ll stick with the studio version.
     
  23. Fastnbulbous

    Fastnbulbous Doubleplus Ungood

    Location:
    Washington DC USA
    Cool! Where was this gig?
     
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  24. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Fillmore.
     
  25. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia

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