Yea, when you consider he is only 22, his composure and relaxed delivery is quite remarkable. I am unaware of any tab's for that in particular, but i know he did the Zappa tab book, although that was, I believe, before he was touring with them. I am pretty sure all his studio albums have tab books as well.
Yeah, it’s really only that clip, and ‘Ease’ that I would really appreciate tab for-even though I can see what Steve is doing...I can’t process it adequately!
I hear what you’re saying with preferring his band based playing. If you’ve not already got it, get hold of or stream a copy of Alcatrazz’s Disturbing The Peace album, the discussion of which is coming up. Some incredible playing, arrangements and production that is at once very Steve and also always in service of the song/band/bigger picture.
Well, he is one of the shredder guitarists and that's why he's well known, so it's not surprising he's lumped in with them. That has overshadow is composer skills, though, as you rightly point out. Like I said earlier, I'm more drawn to his music than to his guitar acrobatics, though I admire and appreciate those too. I hope one day he gets his due as a composer too.
Marque-son's Chicken We open with a frantic bit of guitar, and then move into this dreamlike section that ends with a really nice series of chords. The bass leads the next section and then we move into this really cool keyboard section, and back into the frantic guitar form the opening. This is one of those somewhat typical Zappa instrumentals that could give you whiplash if you weren't prepared for it. It is actually a really brilliant piece of composition and the ground is shifting underneath you for pretty much the whole journey. Although many disregard Zappa's eighties output, he never ceased to create wonderful, and quite remarkable pieces of music. After this breathtaking opening instrumental section, we move into another great Zappa lead break, that cruises over a loping beat, with a prominent bass from Thunes. Even in Zappa's lead break we get so many changes of atmosphere..... and there is also a hint that Zappa has been inspired by this new generation of guitarists, to step it up a little with almost a feel of "ok, you can do that, but can you do this" I don't know, I enjoy most of Zappa's guitar work, and this is no exception. Although to someone unfamiliar it may sound pretty random, there are so many cool textures and melodic statements, it keeps me interested. We end by bursting back into the opening theme, and the track comes full circle.
Planet Of My Dreams In typical Zappa fashion, we do a hundred and eighty degree turn with the next track. We start with this clucky little piano section and Bob Harris takes the lead vocal. This is a great song lyrically. It sounds like Zappa is about to do some kind of environmental protest song or something and then it morphs into this picture of ignorance and stupidity encouraging people to cheat and lie. It is, to me at least, really cool. With the out-chorus repeating the Cheat Cheadley cheat, go ahead. Musically it is a little bit cabaret, or perhaps music hall inspired, and for me it is a nice little interlude that keeps this album intriguing and cohesive, in spite of the plethora of styles and sounds we get on it.
My point though was that he was a composer first, which is how he got the Zappa gig. Flex-able was definitely not a shred album and I don't really see him as a shredder in the Friedman/Becker/Malmsteen fashion. For Steve, it was always about the song, not the solo. The fact that his solos shred is ancillary.
I read he got the Zappa gig due to his skill as a transcriber. He sent FZ a transcription of the Black Page along with a cassette of his guitar playing and Frank was impressed on both counts.
Be In My Video This is a slightly cutting stab at the video generation, and the ridiculous music videos that plagued the music industry in the early eighties, and beyond. Lyrically it is quite self explanatory. If you were there, and I was, you can almost see some of the videos he is poking fun at. David Bowie's Let's Dance seems to get an extra dose of fun poked at it..... I'm not sure it was particularly deserving of the special attention, but, obviously Zappa was particularly .... I don't know, it obviously drew his attention lol Musically we have a bouncy take on fifties sort of rock and roll, with some Zappaisms thrown in for good measure. A bit of fun that works well. Oh, and we get a bit of Joe's Garage conceptual Continuity - Reen toon tee noo nee noo nee
Them Or Us We come into this track with an apocalyptic sounding guitar. The mix of this is a layering of drums, some of which sound a little electronic, which is slightly distracting for me, some bass and Zappa cutting the rug with his guitar. Whether one likes the styling or not, listen to the melodic, often eastern sounding melodies in this lead. Up to this point in time Zappa was still able to lay down a brutal lead break, and still liked to use a fully overloaded sound on his guitar when appropriate. He was obviously also paying attention to some of the new tricks the younger generation were using, and seems somewhat to be saying, well this is how I would do it. If you like Zappa's guitar work, I would assume this will be right in your street.
Basic track recorded live c. May-July, 1982 Guitar solo from Zoot Allures: Ritz, NYC November 17, 1981 I love the way Frank glued stuff together.
Frogs With Dirty Little Lips One thing that is really very cool over the last few years is Zappa feeling comfortable working with his kids. We get Moon on Valley Girl. Dweezil gets to shred some guitar in a few places, and here a very young Ahmet writes the lyrics for this track. I actually really like this track a lot. The funny thing is, even though a really young Ahmet wrote the lyrics, it really could have been something that Frank wrote himself. We start with an almost In France bass and drum structure, and then as we move into an almost preposterous chorus/refrain, but it works so well. This isn't my favourite track on the album, but it sure does entertain me when it comes around.
I was under the impression Ahmet came up with the title as something he'd be saying as he went round the house. I've never read he wrote the lyrics.
Whipping Post I guess this track has a fairly deep conceptual continuity link. At the now famous Helsinki concert (captured, and released on You Can't Do That On stage Anymore Vol 2) during the course of the show someone keeps requesting Zappa play Whipping Post. when Zappa goes to play the track Montana, this request becomes very apparent, and Zappa plays it up a little and says ok lets do Whippin Post, no Montana .... however it works itself out. It is a great piece of stage personality, and I love it. As Zappa goes through the song, we get all sorts of Whippin Post references through this rather unique version of Montana, hence it is listed as Montana (Whippin Floss). I really don't know how many times Zappa played this song live previously, but he did play it a bit afterwards, and there was always, from memory, a different approach to the lead break section. The track starts pretty much like the original, and in light of how technically proficient this band was, they do a marvelous version of the track. Bobby Martin does a great vocal. The arrangement is excellent, and we have great performances from all the band. For the lead break, we drop into this somewhat reggae groove, and Zappa tears it up beautifully. i assume this is another nice piece of xenonchrony. We move back into the song via a nice run up, and then go into the last vocal section, where Boby Martin again give us a great piece of singing. This song works beautifully to finish off what I reckon is a great Zappa album.
That may be the case. I was always under the impression he wrote the lyrics.... but I wouldn't sign an affidavit lol Edit: just looking around, and I guess the writing credit just always made me assume Ahmet wrote the lyrics
Steve Vai - a rough history The JEM guitar Interview Talking about Zappa Some guitar techniques Stevie's Spanking with Zappa 1981 May 1981 Zappa Tinseltown Rebellion Fine Girl Easy Meat For The Young Sophisticate Love Of My Life Ain't Got No Heart Panty rap, Tell me you love me, Now You See it now You don't, Dance Contest, Blue Light, Tinseltown Rebellion, Pick Me I'm clean Bamboozeld By Love, Brown Shoes Don't Make It, Peaches 3 1981 - Shut Up And Play Yer guitar - Frank Zappa Guitar Book sept 1981 Zappa You Are What You Is Teenage Wind Harder Than Your Husband Doreen, Goblin Girl, Theme From the 3rd movement of sinister footwear Society Pages, I'm A beautiful Guy, Beauty Knows No Pain Charlies enormous mouth, Any Downers, Conehead, You Are What You Is You Are What You Is - video Mudd Club, The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing, Dumb All Over Heavenly Bank Account, Suicide Chump, Jumbo Go Away, If Only She Woulda, Drafted Again NYC Palladium 1981 - with Zappa May 1982 Zappa Ship Arriving Too Late to Save A Drowning Witch No Not Now Valley Girl I Come From Nowhere Drowning Witch Envelopes Teenage Prostitute Mar 1983 Zappa Man From Utopia Cocaine Decisions The Dangerous Kitchen Tink Walks Amok The Radio Is Broken Moggio The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou Stick Together Sex Jazz Discharge Party Hats We Are Not Alone Jan 1984 Zappa Flex-able + leftovers Little Green Men Viv Woman Lovers Are Crazy Salamanders In The Sun Boy/Girl Song The Attitude Song Call It Sleep Junkie Bill's Private Parts Next Stop Earth There's Something Dead In Here Oct 1984 Alcatrazz - Power Live dvd Oct 1984 Zappa - Them Or Us The Closer You Are In France Ya Hozna Sharleena Sinister Footwear II Truck Driver Divorce Stevie's Spanking - live Vai and Zappa jam Baby Take Your Teeth Out Marque-son's Chicken Planet Of My Dreams Be In My Video Them Or Us Frogs With Dirty Little Lips Whipping Post with David Lee Roth - Big Trouble The Crossroads dual For The Love Of God -live with the Metropole Orchestra
So that brings us to the end of Steve's run with Zappa. On Monday we will be looking at Alcatrazz and their 1985 album Disturbing the Peace. a very different style of band and music, but still equally interesting.... for some perhaps more interesting.
Along with Flex-able & Skyscraper, my absolute favoute Vai and one of my favourite albums of the 80s by anyone.
I’m looking forward to this. DTP is such a good album. I’ve got three cd copies now... The double disc set I mentioned before is really good. The live dvd is terrific. Vai gets plenty of coverage/close-ups.
