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

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

  1. jeddy

    jeddy Forum Resident

    Frank should have played OH NO in the show he did with John and Yoko

    That would have been sweeeet!

    Would have loved to have seen John's reaction!
     
  2. Rne

    Rne weltschmerz

    Location:
    Malaver
    I admit I hadn't noticed that before!
    It is indeed a coincidence, because Yoko was not (officially) involved with John yet when the song was recorded.
     
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  3. Zoot Marimba

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

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    The Orange County Lumber Truck:

    The Orange County Lumber Track, which was recorded at Royal Festival Hall and spliced with a later performance.
    The track kicks off with a smooth proto fusion groove, with some really stellar guitar work from Frank foreshadowing all the later guitar goodness. The Woodwinds players also shine, complimenting Frank’s work, and we get all this drum madness from Art While Jimmy anchors it all down. As soon as we get to the Royal Albert Hall performance, Don’s organ just drives relentlessly. This band and it’s leader were mothaf—-era I tell you and this song is too.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2019
  4. Zoot Marimba

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

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama Off YCDTOSA vol 5
     
  5. ajsmith

    ajsmith Senior Member

    Location:
    Glasgow
    I wonder if 'Oh No' with it's All You Need Is Love answering lyric was ever mean to be part of 'We're Only In It For The Money' at any point. A direct Beatles riposte to go with the cover art. I guess having Ray Collins on lead vocals would have made it stand out on that album.
     
  6. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    Re "The Orange County Lumber Truck": Lovely jazz/rock instrumental. It was interesting to get a new look at the performance on Ahead Of Their Time (although I understand the piece was around on bootlegs earlier) since on Weasels FZ plays a concise solo before the piece stops dead with the closing edit to studio laughter, while on AOTT the piece goes on...and on...for several minutes after this until the show ends.

    As far as picking favorites from this album, if I could pick all three of the closing pieces they would be my favorite.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2019
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  7. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    I think it is from the Uncle Meat sessions.
     
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  8. Rne

    Rne weltschmerz

    Location:
    Malaver
    Ahead of Their Time revealed that Frank had edited out one of the most intensive live performances on tape by The Mothers. Frank and Bunk are just on fire!
     
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  9. Zoot Marimba

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

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Road Tapes:
     
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  10. Zoot Marimba

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

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    And of course Ahead Of Their Time:
     
  11. Zoot Marimba

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

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Weasels Ripped My Flesh:

    We close out the record with the title track, recorded at Town Hall in Birmingham, England on May 30th 1969.
    The song is basically one long brown note, with everyone blaring a Wall of Sound. Not music, sound, noise, like the record is screeching to a crash as it ends the album and the Mothers as a whole.

    And that is Weasels Ripped My Flesh, the seventh and final album by the Mothers Of Invention. While more music would be made under the name, let's face it, the true Mothers ended in 1969.
    This album, to me, even if not the "best" Mothers album, certainly embodies the spirit of the group better then some of those "best" Mothers records. Loose, chaotic, sporadic, organic, much like the group themselves. And that's why, though they might have been Frank's "worst" band, I'd still take them over any of his later groups, as great as most of them were (and we will get there soon enough). Many of them were not sight-readers and at least three couldn't tell you the first thing about music theory, but I think in some ways that's why the group could do what they did as a lot of them didn't really know the rules, so they did what came naturally (under Frank's guidance of course).

    There was a thread a while ago asking if Frank could have made it without the Mothers. My answer, maybe. He certainly had the talent, drive, and ambition make it. But his career definitely could not have gone the way it did without these guys. When he was brought into the Soul Giants, they of course got more than just a guitar player, they had a natural born leader who could take them outside local bars. In return, Frank found a group that turned out to be just what he needed for that point in his career. Beyond music, they had the kinship and personality to make it really feel like more than just another band, embodying the surrealist humor to match Frank's music and lyrics.

    Basically, this band and this album both rule and I highly recommend both.
     
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2019
  12. Fastnbulbous

    Fastnbulbous Doubleplus Ungood

    Location:
    Washington DC USA
    Very well put.
     
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  13. Rne

    Rne weltschmerz

    Location:
    Malaver
    Roll over, Lou, Frank did it before you! :D

    I would say the "original" or "classic" Mothers ended in 1969, but all the Mothers line-ups lead by Frank were true.

    I prefer the original Mothers (particularly during 1967-1969) over some other bands Frank had. Anyway, they were revolutionary and yet somehow a bit ignored by the wide audience, something that happens with many revolutionary artists.

    He surely could have done it without the Mothers. After all, it was his band, he was the composer and the indisputable leader. But I'm extremely glad that he crossed paths with these musicians and made some of the best albums to be released in the 60's (and ever) (I wished he had never stopped working with Ray, of course! Fortunately, another favorite Mother of mine, Ian, would stay a bit longer).
    I can only say that I started listening to The Mothers some twenty years ago, and that their albums sound better and richer each year. Not bad.
     
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  14. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

    This is a great piece of music. Love it dearly
     
  15. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" is one of the small number of Zappa live tracks for which no full recording of the concert has surfaced. I'm curious about the context but in a way it's good that it has some mystery about it.
     
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  16. Fastnbulbous

    Fastnbulbous Doubleplus Ungood

    Location:
    Washington DC USA
    Is it my imagination, or is there a squeaky "thank you everybody" after Frank thanks the audience?
     
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  17. Zoot Marimba

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

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    I can faintly hear it.
     
  18. Jazzmonkie

    Jazzmonkie Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tempe, AZ
    It sounds almost like a toy bike horn to me. Maybe it was one of the sax players.
     
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  19. Cheevyjames

    Cheevyjames Forum Resident

    Location:
    Graham, NC
    The Orange County Lumber Truck

    CRASH! And we're in this song. Great melody...biting guitar solos...the back and forth riff echoes the "don't come in me" part from Harry You're a Beast. I love this whole suite, but even as an individual song it's great.

    Weasles Ripped My Flesh

    I'm not kidding when I say that this is one of the funniest tracks Frank ever recorded. I remember on the first listen of this album after I bought it, I laughed my ass off when this song (?) came on. Just constant noise for 1 & 1/2 minutes and then "goodnight boys and girls". I wouldn't call it great, but it's a hell of a way to end a show and an album.
     
  20. Cheevyjames

    Cheevyjames Forum Resident

    Location:
    Graham, NC
    WRMF Final Thoughts:

    I've loved this one from the first listen. There are a few tracks that are only decent...and even then, the composed parts of those songs are good: Toads & Dwarf Nebula. It's a really eclectic album - wonderful melodies, a stellar ballad, some great rock, conducted band improvisation & a lot of noise. The album's a lot of fun. Favorite song is Directly From My Heart to You. Here's the song breakdowns:

    Great Songs:

    Didja Get Any Onya
    Directly From My Heart to You
    Get a Little
    My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama
    Oh No
    The Orange County Lumber Truck

    Good:

    Prelude to the Afternoon of a Sexually Aroused Gas Mask
    Weasles Ripped My Flesh

    Meh/Decent:

    Toads of the Short Forest
    The Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue
    Dwarf Nebula Processional March & Dwarf Nebula
     
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  21. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    Art Tripp may have had one.
     
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  22. Zoot Marimba

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

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Chunga's Revenge:
    [​IMG]

    Chunga's Revenge is the third solo effort by Frank Zappa and the eleventh entry into the Zappa cannon. The album marks the debut of former Turtles vocalists Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan, who took the names Flo and Eddie as they were contractually prevented from using their real names. In addition, the albums also introduces drummer Aynsley Dunbar, bassist Jeff Simmons, and keyboardist George Duke, who had made a name for himself in the jazz world and would become an integral part of Zappa's band.


    Transylvania Boogie:

    Transylvania Boogie opens the record, a guitar jam featuring Ian on organ, Max Bennett on bass, and Aynsley Dunbar on drums.
    Right off the bat, you got that jerky riff to kick it off, along with Aynsley doing some outstanding drumming, it's really kind of funky anf groovy. Meanwhile, man, Frank takes the guitar in all sorts of places, from very frantic pacing to a sort of slow burn like he'd sometimes do, particularly later on. Meanwhile, fantastic bass playing by Max, and Ian playing the organ in support.
    I don't have a lot to say other than this song is pretty damn sweet.
     
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  23. Fastnbulbous

    Fastnbulbous Doubleplus Ungood

    Location:
    Washington DC USA
    I'll say again: Frank deployed the wah-wah like no one else. The effect he gets on TB is fantastic.
     
  24. Cheevyjames

    Cheevyjames Forum Resident

    Location:
    Graham, NC
    Transylvania Boogie

    These sessions for Chunga's Revenge (Transylvania, The Clap, Sharleena from Lost Episodes, Chunga's Revenge and some unreleased tracks) were the first sessions from the 70's; my favorite decade of Frank's work. The fadeout on this song indicates that there was more recorded. I'd love to see these sessions released one day. I love how Frank's guitar playing carries the melody of the whole song - everything else is there to support the guitar. It doesn't even seem to be that composed. The other guys know the framework, but this is Frank playing the melody and the band jamming. I love this song. As @Fastnbulbous said , Frank's use of the wah-wah pedal here is excellent. While we got a lot of Frank's guitar playing on Hot Rats the year before, this one sounds gritter and more off the cuff. It's a fun side of Frank's to hear, esp. as the opening track on this album.
     
  25. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

    ...hard to believe this 'evolved' from the end of "Help, I'm A Rock"!...when performed live, of course!
     
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