The Multi-faceted Frank Zappa

[Lisnaholic]

^ Inspired by this thread, Guybrush, I dipped into One Size Fits All for the first time over the weekend, with San Ber'dino catching my attention as I'm looking for songs that hint at what Beefheart and Zappa had in common as they grew up in Lancaster. Another "autobiographical" song might be the title track of Joe's Garage with its surprisingly straight-forward picture of young musicians hanging out and playing together.

"Advance Romance" is one of my least favourite Zappa songs, and this version is Just Too Long.  That song should be about 5 minutes rather than 12, and it's much better in other places.  "Man With the Woman Head" is a footnote track, and "Muffin man" -- well, that song took less time to write than it takes to play and it shows.   

I like that description lars, and if it's ok by you, I might open a thread to discover other songs of which the same may be said.

The reason "Cucamonga" is the grand slam is it was originally the finale to "Farther Oblivion" -- no not "Father O'blivion" -- that's a different song.  "Farther Oblivion" is "Join The March" > "Steno Pool" > "Bebop Tango" > "Cucamonga", as heard on Piquantique.

Thanks for the context about Cucamonga - and as for Poofter's, yeah I guessed that was a Zappa song - I was just using the word collaboration about them performing it together. Perhaps I should be using a different word, before I announce that San Ber'dino is also a collab as Captain Beefheart guests on vocals at the end, I believe.

[larsvsnapster]

I like that description lars, and if it's ok by you, I might open a thread to discover other songs of which the same may be said.

For all the great numbers Frank has, he had an awful lot of duds.  "Mud Shark", "Scumbag", "Baby Take Your Teeth Out", "Frogs With Dirty Little Lips" -- all of these strike me as duds or as I think of them "footnote songs."  There is one song that was a footnote song for me until I heard masterful live versions of it -- "Chunga's Revenge."  That deserves a release in monster form because if you want to hear Zappa's band stretch out, that's the one.  The problem with that song is that it's a jazzier number for the Hot Rats band and didn't fit with Flo & Eddie very well.  The best version is the half-hour one from the Hot Rats band 1970.03.07 Olympia, Los Angeles, the same show with the only performance of "Twinkle Tits." 

Don Vliet is only playing harmonica on OSFA, not singing as far as I know. 

[Guybrush]

@Lisnaholic It's Johnny "Guitar" Watson who lends his very lively vocals to the ending of San Ber'dino 🙂

I also thought Joe's Garage sounded autobiographical in its description of rehearsing in a garage and annoying parents, but I believe that one is entirely made up.

Talking trivia, the cruelest joke on OSFA may be the mention of Chester's gorilla and the sounds she makes at the end of Florentine Pogen, the gorilla being a groupie who would be with Chester Thompson. I always wondered if she knew she was the gorilla..

Inca Roads is tremendous to me 🙂 And Sofa no. 2 is so much fun. Rest is great too!

[Lisnaholic]

Don Vliet is only playing harmonica on OSFA, not singing as far as I know. 

@Lisnaholic It's Johnny "Guitar" Watson who lends his very lively vocals to the ending of San Ber'dino 🙂

I also thought Joe's Garage sounded autobiographical in its description of rehearsing in a garage and annoying parents, but I believe that one is entirely made up.

Talking trivia, the cruelest joke on OSFA may be the mention of Chester's gorilla and the sounds she makes at the end of Florentine Pogen, the gorilla being a groupie who would be with Chester Thompson. I always wondered if she knew she was the gorilla..

Inca Roads is tremendous to me 🙂 And Sofa no. 2 is so much fun. Rest is great too!

Thanks for correcting me on One Size Fits All, guys
I'll check out those tracks you mention, Guybrush.

[Guybrush]

Thanks for correcting me on One Size Fits All, guys
I'll check out those tracks you mention, Guybrush.

I'll repost the performance of Inca Roads interspersed with stop motion claymation that I posted on the first page 🙂

You get a good idea of what the band and performances were like at the height of The Mothers powers.

Also, how good is Ruth Underwood with that melodic percussion? ❤️ I wish I was a marimba.

[Lisnaholic]

Thanks for the re-post, Guybrush!

Also, how good is Ruth Underwood with that melodic percussion? ❤️ I wish I was a marimba.

Yeah, I think I'd also enjoy looking up to see Ruth Underwood in a halter-top, giving my ribs a massage with her mallets!

Very impressive that the band could pull off something so sophisticated live, but for listening pleasure, I think I prefer this instrumental cover version:-

[Guybrush]

Thanks for the re-post, Guybrush!
Yeah, I think I'd also enjoy looking up to see Ruth Underwood in a halter-top, giving my ribs a massage with her mallets!

Very impressive that the band could pull off something so sophisticated live, but for listening pleasure, I think I prefer this instrumental cover version:-

Impressive indeed and the lyrics are clever without being vulgar this time around. By the way, I believe Guacamole Queen was a taco food truck 🙂

Thanks for sharing that instrumental cover! It's not one I've heard, but there's a lot of covers and instrumental arrangements for Zappa songs and a lot of them are great. On page 1, I believe I posted a video of a trio playing Let's Make the Water Turn Black and it's so brilliant.

The music is challenging sometimes, but you might appreciate the album The Yellow Shark by Ensemble Modern. Zappa arranged his music for them and so was attached to it and it was one of the last things he did. It was released a month before his death in 1993.