A Dutch documentary from 1971. In this segment, Zappa talks about being a juvenile delinquent, becoming interested in R&B guitar, and being influenced by Edgard Varèse.
Tag: Frank Zappa
The Drummers of Frank Zappa
For sale at drumchannel.com. Hope my brother's not reading this because I think I just found his birthday present.
Even if it does seem pretty weird to make a doc called The Drummers of Frank Zappa without Vinnie Colaiuta.
Live In-Person Replication of Freeze-Dried Material -> Milli Vanilli-ism
You know who knows how to put on a concert that doesn't sound like an album? Bob Dylan. I've seen him a couple times -- you can't even sing along; even if you know the lyrics he completely changes the rhythm and phrasing. (And yes there is an easy joke in there somewhere about not being able to understand Dylan's lyrics. But even if you do!)
You've probably noticed by now that Frank's concert arrangements were not the same as the album arrangements -- and that's without even getting into improvisation.
I never got to see Frank live; he died when I was 11 years old. But I've seen Zappa Plays Zappa some 3 or 4 times, and it's fucking delightful how different it is from what's on Frank's albums. (There are plenty of examples but the one that jumps out at me is Dirty Love -- maybe 3, 4 years ago? Woo woo!)
Can't imagine why anyone would go to a fucking concert to duplicate the experience of listening to a recording. I want to be surprised and delighted.
Powdered Toastman
Featuring Frank Zappa as the Pope.
Ren & Stimpy is available for purchase or streaming at Amazon, or on Netflix. Contrary to the title of the DVD set, the episodes are not uncut; most notably the entire Bloody Head Fairy sequence is missing from Haunted House. This episode, however, is intact and is not the cut-up version shown on Nickelodeon.
(I'm not sure about the streaming versions but have no reason to think they'd be any different from the DVD release.)
Anyway. Zappa loved oddball cartoons, so he fits right in here.
And I'm sure one of these days I'll get to Duckman...
Strange Thing
El Paso, '75. Another post by wazoo17.
Sharleena
Paris, 1984. Uploaded by somebody named wazoo17 -- have a feeling I'll be using more of his videos in the future.
Assholes/Pee
Well, an update to the earlier, written-in-advance post: I can now update My current career trajectory is "Oh good, I haven't been laid off this week." to My current career trajectory is "Oh good, I'm not laid off for three more weeks."
I am, as you might expect, less than entirely sanguine about this turn of events.
And so, Broken Hearts Are for Assholes.
(Also: Why Does It Hurt When I Pee?)
The uploader, headofshinobi, says this is Elio e le Storie Tese, featuring Ike Willis.
I always kinda wanted to do a video that combined Broken Hearts Are for Assholes with Rocky Horror. Because, you know, brokenhearted asshole.
Deathless Horsie
Stonybrook, NY, 1984. tomtiddler1 yet again!
Dog/Meat/Girl
A medley including Dog Breath, Uncle Meat, and Building a Girl.
St. Paul Civic Center, 1974. Courtesy of YourArf.
Register to Vote
Something I have addressed before: Zappa was cynical as fuck about our political system and our two major parties, but he was still a huge advocate of voting.
If you're not registered to vote, register to vote. The deadline is October 6 in the earliest states; check your local listings.
Even if you can't find a Presidential candidate you want to vote for in either major party -- believe me, I can relate --, even if you can't find one in a third party -- hell, I can relate to that too --, there's other shit to vote for. Maybe there's someone you'd like for a representative, either federal or state. Maybe there's a ballot measure deciding funding for your local teachers, firefighters, and police. Maybe you have a disgusting, racist monster of a sheriff who is pissing your county's money away pursuing frivolous lawsuits of his own and paying off not-so-frivolous lawsuits against him, and you should vote for whoever's running against that odious piece of slime. You know, hypothetically speaking. Paul Penzone 2012.