Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention: The Grand Wazoo Song by Song Thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Zoot Marimba, May 12, 2018.

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  1. Zoot Marimba

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

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Didn’t they do Apostrophe as well? But yeah, love those albums
     
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  2. Beatnik_Daddyo'73

    Beatnik_Daddyo'73 Music Addiction Personified

    ...love Zappa, love this album, love every track! That’s about all I got :D
     
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  3. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member


    Cleetus Awreetus-Awrightus

    @Musicman1998 asked me to post the next song so I will try to fill his shoes the best I can.

    Another brilliant tune from the album. In this tune, Zappa shows off his genius to not only write amazing themes that are ingrained with his personality but to also play brilliant variations of the themes. In this case, over the first 15 bars of music Frank exposes three themes in rapid fire succession and then a fourth theme at :22.The first theme returns at :26 and is given a different harmonic treatment with fine horn work. Typical Zappa humor, Frank puts in a theme that is based on what sounds like a starting call for a horse race at :48 but in a wierd prog like fashion. He puts the riff thru killer jazz rock interval changes. Frank and the boys change the key abruptly without warning to Db at 1:02 and a fine jam follows with some great piano interplay that sounds like a deranged boogie. At 1:30 a rock riff in Mixolydian-a very widely used mode in rock-follows with some crazy horn fills.....All the way to Memphis FZ style. The key changes at 1:52 with the same rock riff. Then out of nowhere at 2:08, the first three themes are reset this time with different harmonies and vocal parts. Awesome. A tongue in cheek take on the Little Drummer Boy for one of the themes. Finally at 2:50 the rock style Theme Four is restated in C# Minor and the song abruptly ends.

    Sorry for the over technical stuff.....I am not as good with descriptions as the OP. A fine example of how Frank can seamlessly and sometimes abruptly mesh themes together. He takes rock based and jazz based lines and weaves them like a master tailor. His humor is all over the song as well but he has the fantastic ability to not sound corny but instead in his own unique and sometimes sarcastic musical language. All of the musicians are amazing as well. Frank could pick em'.
     
    Last edited: May 17, 2018
  4. mcchocchoc

    mcchocchoc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oregon
  5. mcchocchoc

    mcchocchoc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oregon
    those singles I just posted . . . the white label has both mono and stereo mixes. the blue label flip side is Eat That Question (which is the a-side).

    odd choice for sleeve picture . . . (still, great pic)
    [​IMG]
     
  6. gd0

    gd0 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies

    Location:
    Golden Gate
    Cletus is something of a hyper-bright palate cleanser between the longer tracks. Pure Zappa, hopscotching over motifs in frenetic zany fashion.

    Timeless, really. This coulda fit comfortably on any album from Weasels to Lather.
     
  7. Zoot Marimba

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

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus:
    First off, thanks to @Rose River Bear for that review.
    Also, this is somewhat brief compared to the rest of the album, but it still Rules, Between the piano solo by George Duke as well as some badass guitar playing by Frank, and of course all the great horn work, and awesome tune and great way to continue album.
     
  8. Purple Jim

    Purple Jim Senior Member

    Location:
    Bretagne
    I'm late to the thread. Suffice it to say that this is one of my favourite Zappa albums.
     
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  9. Allow me to get back to Calvin for a bit. If I understand Lukpac's page correctly, the 1995 CD version being indexed with a full glorious minute shorter than the other versions is an error, right?

    It's my favorite track from the album BTW. I have some tiny issues with the other pieces, but this one is wholly satisfying to me.
     
  10. Zoot Marimba

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

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    I apologize for falling behind on this thread. I will finish it
     
  11. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

    sometimes life gets in the way mate. it's cool
     
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  12. Zoot Marimba

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

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Eat That Question:

    And now Eat That Question, Which is basically a jam piece and showcase for Mr George Duke himself, who licks the track off with an electric piano and he just shreds on this introduction before the band comes in at :45 or so, Frank excellently complimenting Duke on guitar, and damn if Mr Aynsley Dunbar doesn’t tear it up back there, the dude is a beast behind the skins, and Erroneous is excellent on bass of course. At 3:25 Frank takes a solo, and the solo is good but Duke easily topped him here. It all collides into itself before Frank slows down on the guitar and we get the outro, a really cool outro.
    This is an excellent track and possibly my favorite behind the title cut.
     
  13. Zoot Marimba

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

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Since this thread won’t be too long and I might do another Zappa album soon (of course I’ll have to finish Talk Is Cheap and Bare Trees first), I wanted to know what Zappa album might interest everybody here?
     
  14. Psychedelic Good Trip

    Psychedelic Good Trip Beautiful Psychedelic Colors Everywhere

    Location:
    New York
    Got Wazoo spinning now. A marvelous astounding trip indeed. Unworldly phenomenal listening experience.
    Now this is Zappa.
     
  15. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

    I guess we're doing them all :)
     
  16. Beatnik_Daddyo'73

    Beatnik_Daddyo'73 Music Addiction Personified

    ...listening to this album this morning, one of my top Zappa albums, but this morning something jumped out at me during “For Calvin...”

    There’s a short section from 3:51-3:54 that sounds really familiar, but when I hear it in my head there’s a snippet of vocals that I would describe as croaking-like.

    This bit of conceptual continuity is driving me bonkers. Any help is appreciated :cool::thumbsup:

    @mcchocchoc @pbuzby
     
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  17. StarThrower62

    StarThrower62 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Syracuse, NY
    I just got the 2012 re-issue last week. I didn't really have a problem with the Ryko CD, but I wanted to buy one of my favorite albums again! The material is superb and I love the sound of this beautiful analog recording. Favorite tracks are Clavin, and Eat That Question if I were to pick a couple.
     
  18. StarThrower62

    StarThrower62 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Syracuse, NY
    The way the instruments are recorded on this tune sounds really incredible! It's simultaneously huge and intimate. I love the low croaking tones Frank plays on guitar after the freewheeling ensemble section winds down. And of course Duke's solo is amazing!
     
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  19. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    I know at one point it quotes "New Brown Clouds" from Greggery Peccary.
     
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  20. Beatnik_Daddyo'73

    Beatnik_Daddyo'73 Music Addiction Personified

    ...thanks for the reply :thumbsup:. The bit I’m referring to, if I remember correctly, was a segue between tracks. I think I’ll listen to Lather. Something is telling me it’s on there. To be continued :D
     
  21. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    At 3:51-3:54 there's a bit of synth and percussion frenzy that does sound like some of the between track bits from Lather.
     
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