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Tentatively, Convenience's Reviews > The Real Frank Zappa Book
The Real Frank Zappa Book
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When I discovered the music of Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention way back in 1970, I wasn't ready for it. W/in a few mnths I was all about it. I was 16 & this was, indeed, the music that got me really excited. It was experimental, it was rock'n'roll, it had some politics, it had some satire, it was complicated, it did the trick for me. I 1st heard the Mothers of Invention live when I skipped school on my graduation day to hitch-hike north of Baltimore to hear them in Harrisburg. THEY WERE GREAT! Very funny, very together. They were also starting to deteriorate into juvenilia. Nonetheless, Zappa continued to crank out the records that I was interested in & a new release was always exciting.. until things like some of those mid-70s live albums came out. Anyway, the more experimental & jazzy Zappa was, the more I liked him; the more "Titties & Beer" he got, the more I got bored. Then I lost interest altogether. Shortly before he died he started doing a few things that interested me again - about wch I was quite happy! Then, fuck it!, he died in 1992 - a mere sprat! W/ a zillion recordings left behind but so much more that he cd've done. Too bad.
So here's an authorized ghost-written autobiography. What Zappa enthusiast cd resist? All that droll commentary, setting the record straight & the like. No doubt, Zappa had alotof stupid bullshit written about him by alotof incomprehending hostile people over the yrs & no doubt it's still almost MIRACULOUS that his music STILL isn't played on rock radio stns while the most producer-created DREK sickens the airwaves unto death, BUT, LET'S FACE IT, Zappa pulled it off w/ balls & perseverance almost unprecedented in the rock music industry. Hats off to his memory!
So here's an authorized ghost-written autobiography. What Zappa enthusiast cd resist? All that droll commentary, setting the record straight & the like. No doubt, Zappa had alotof stupid bullshit written about him by alotof incomprehending hostile people over the yrs & no doubt it's still almost MIRACULOUS that his music STILL isn't played on rock radio stns while the most producer-created DREK sickens the airwaves unto death, BUT, LET'S FACE IT, Zappa pulled it off w/ balls & perseverance almost unprecedented in the rock music industry. Hats off to his memory!
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Yep, I reckon "Hot Rats" is pretty outrageous as a "blue grass album" - I even like it as a jazz one! I usta sing & play "Willie the Pimp" as a matter of fact. As for yr problem w/ returning to a clean slate, you can probably avoid that by just opening another window to do yr search in (assuming you DIDN'T do when you had this problem).
"The year is 1969 or 70, I forget which, and the subject of this session was Hot Rats, an outrageous blue grass album whose info escapes me, and Delusion of the Fury. "Of course, I meant my commas to offset reference to three different albums: 1) Hot Rats 2) the blue grass album and 3) Partch. Hot Rats was clearly jazz a la Zappa and not blue grass, though in my condition at the time, blue grass might have been a descriptor for any number of albums.
No, I absolutely opened another window. Hmmm, now that you mention it, maybe I didn't. That would explain it.
As of yesterday, it's the Chinese New Year -- the Year of the Rat. I'll have to remember to stop signing my checks Year of the Pig now!
Ha ha! & to think I thought you were making a 'Pestelian' comment by calling Hot Rats an outrageous blue grass album! - perhaps referring to a substance that may've been involved in yr hearing of it. See, Michael, I lk for WIT in yr every mot! Bon. Voyage!
In Hommage to Zappa, the Chinese Government has just announced that this will be the Year of the Hot Rats. The national cuisine during this special year will be chow mein lumpy gravy over Mao's burnt weenie sandwichs. Nice Dali-esque animation on the Zappa site in case you've not seen it, which I would consider highly unlikely:
http://www.zappa.com/flash/wazoo/inde...
Hearing the original Mothers albums as a teenager was definitely one of those epiphanous occurrences in certainly my musical life, if not beyond. I also lost most (but not all) interest in anything after that mid-70s band with Ruth Underwood. If there's any actual message to this book, it's that Zappa is anti-apathy. Go out and freaking DO something. Work at what you believe. For better or worse, despite his ups and down, he'll always be important to me.
dweezil is carrying the legend forward, i love this clip of him supporting the girl on violin. what a cool piece for her to have learnt.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TOywUUq...
have to give a shout-out to capt B too!
Yes, Zappa was ubiquitous in my high school-college years. I remember one Columbian Gold-laced listening session with Bruce Parker who had the best sound system and the most interesting record collection (he managed and later owned a record store). These sessions were very ritualized and usually only included one or two other serious afficionados. The year is 1969 or 70, I forget which, and the subject of this session was Hot Rats, an outrageous blue grass album whose info escapes me, and Delusion of the Fury. I was in heaven.