Frank Zappa

[azza200]

plenty of rare footage of Zappa on Youtube

[HeckTo]

Zappa's great.

I think the best albums are:

Hot Rats
Overnite Sensation
Apostrophe

and the great jazzy albums:

Waka Jawaka
The Grand Wazoo

!

[PublicImage]

Revived because of the Lumpy Money album due out some time soon. I want an uncensored version of We're Only In it for the Money without crappy overdubbed drum and bass tracks. I wonder if it will ever exist. I wish the Zappa family would put out some more detailed information about Lumpy Money (e.g. a tracklist) so people could actually try and work out what the next mix of WOIIFTM is going to sound like in comparison to some of the earlier ones.

[The Gunner's Dream]

I want an uncensored version of We're Only In it for the Money without crappy overdubbed drum and bass tracks.

You must be referring to the early 1990's re-issue of "We're only in it for the money" where Frank had Chad Wackerman and Scott Thunes re-record the drum and bass tracks. Well, I have both the re-issue and the original, and I have to say I prefer the re-issue. Personally I think the reason Frank had the parts re-recorded was the fact that he was not satisfied with the production/musicianship on his early albums (on that album, the drums sound tinny and the bass sounds half-baked) but you can find the original issue of the album on the american Amazon.com

[PublicImage]

'80s, actually. The one compiled with Lumpy Gravy.

I don't think he was dissatisfied with the original recordings from that period. If he was, then I cannot make sense of the lack of overdubs on his remixes of Freak Out! and Absolutely Free. From what I've read, he had those parts re-recorded because the original master tapes had deteriorated to the point of being unsalvegable. The MFSL reissue was taken from the master tapes and it doesn't sound bad to my ears. The only thing I don't like about it is the horrendous censorship throughout (the Velvet Underground line being taken out. Why?), which is why the original pressing isn't as good as it should be. The '80s mix is the only version without censorship, so we will most likely never be able to hear it as it was originally recorded without censorship.

[Idisaffect]

...In it for the money is my favorite. I had no idea it was being released again. Thanks, PI. I will give the Zappa family my money for that one.

And I'd just like to add that if any Zappa fans have not heard the song Inca Roads ( if that's possible) from One Size Fits All (1975) you are missing something amazing. Even for Zappa. The DVD they just put out from '74 has a definitive live version. Personally, I don't think his later bands can touch the '74 -'75 line up with George Duke, Ruth Underwood etc. I think the DVD is called the dub room special. It has footage from '82 as well but I didn't watch that.

[thehumanzoo]

Amazing musician! I would recommend the quasi-compilation "Cheap Thrills" to anyone. It is just a bunch of fun performances (from not necessarily his most famous albums). It was the first Zappa that I ever heard and really made me excited about his music. I think its just the freedom and energy that he seems to produce on stage combined with some of the most incredible musicianship that makes him one of the most important artists of the late 20th century.

On another note, it would be incredible to hear a decent (well mixed) soundboard version of him with Floyd playing "Interstellar Overdrive" at Armogies in about 1969.

[moom]

I really dig his early, psych albums. And his cover versions

[danielcaux]

Out there in the Rock world Zappa is the only one to come close to being a hero for me. He was a true individual, not following rules, not compromising his work, always pushing forward. Haven't heard all his albums but one of my favourites has always been 'Roxy and Elsewhere', perfect mix of musicianship and good humour. The earlier Mothers albums were conceptual masterpieces too, from Freak Out to Uncle Meat, predating universally acclaimed "pionnering" works as The Beatles Sg. Pepper and all that psychedelic-hippie stuff he lampoons so well on "In It For The Money".

[Idisaffect]

I wonder if this Lumpy Money release is going to be much better than the Ryko release from 1995. Maybe it will just have the censored parts the way they were originally intended. I hate the Lumpy Gravy/WOIIFTM cd from the 80's. I want to hear Roy Estrada playing bass not some overbub 18 years later. Same for Jimmy Carl Blacks' drums. It's like colorizing movies. I hate that. Although I respect Zappa doing whatever he wanted. 100 %. I just want everything original. But uncensored. Hopefully with even better sound than the '95 release if possible.

[danielcaux]

I love colorized films, they look so creepy, as long as they don't replace and erase the originals, new version are always welcome. But I know what you mean, yesterday I was in blockbuster trying to rent Apolypse Now, but the only version I found was the redux boring as hell director's cut. I want back my original Apocalypse! now! On the topic of Lumpy Gravy, as you may remember Zappa described it as "a curiously inconsistent piece, which started out to be a BALLET, but probably didn't make it". It seems that finanally that original version of the recording, the orchestral ballet, will be issued in this MOFO-like release (I'm not sure if the original 4-track version of the album already featured this recording?).

[Idisaffect]

Danielcaux, where would you place Läther (in terms of greatness) when compared with the entire Zappa discography?

And yeah...that Coppola redux is useless to me. That endless dinner scene added nothing to my viewing experience but time.

[danielcaux]

Where would you place Läther (in terms of greatness) when compared with the entire Zappa discography?

Mmm ...I think I'm going to use one of my lifelines for that question...

Well... for me is a pretty good summation of his late 70's work, I still have my doubts about if it indeed was originally conceived as a single 4 LP or if it was just Frank's way of giving the finger to the industry. But In terms of greatnessness I would rank it in the "Quite Great" category, if that makes any sense

[Idisaffect]

The thing is...it only seems like his late 70's work because a bunch of those tunes came out on his late 70's albums after Lather was rejected. It was recorded between 1972 and '76. It's his mid 70's period which was the most kick ass period as far as the caliber of musicians he was playing with. George Duke ,Bruce Fowler, Chester Thompson, Ruth Underwood ,Napolean Murphy Brock. Later in '75 Terry Bozzio. I don't listen to much post '77 Zappa. The original Mothers are my favorite but they were obviously not equal to Zappa as musicians. The one size fits all band was. The post '76 bands are technically skilled but lack soul. In general.

[mags]

Frank was "out there" from day one. Maybe some of have heard the boot of FZ and Pink Floyd performing
"Interstellar Overdrive".
A clip from the Steve Allen show of a young Frank:
http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/48434/detail/