Yes, of course.
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A year and half ago or so Dweezil did a Hot Rats tour and I was lucky enough to get third row seats in my hometown of Columbus OH. Amazing show and a great tribute to his father. He must have had eight band members including an amazing female vocalist. Dweezil showed restraint on his guitar most of the time but once in while started shooting out sparks. |
Hot Rats is great, and I love 'Willie the Pimp' with Capt Beefheart. But I like 'Waka-Jawaka' even better than 'Hot Rats'. I've seen Dweezil a few times, and that guy can SHRED; I prefer his guitar playing to his dad's, as it doesn't depend on wah-wah so much. But my favorite FZ is from 'Freak Out' through 'Uncle Meat', and I'll throw in 'Lonesome Cowboy Bert' from '200 Motels'! |
Apostrophe, Waka/Jawaka, Sheik Yerbouti, Just Another Band from L.A.... I will miss him always. |
Too obvious for me (kinda like Bill Maher). I prefer the humour of The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Loudon Wainwright III, Randy Newman, and Dan Hicks. Musically? He’s trying too hard to be clever; too self-conscious for me. I briefly liked the We’re Only In It For The Money album. It didn’t wear well. The problem with calling Frank Zappa a genius is: what term is then left for J.S. Bach? Pat Metheny: "Compared to Bach we’re all idiots". |
His levelheaded, televised evisceration of Tipper’s PMRC inanity was a wonder to behold. I don’t think he would have minded what we thought of him as long as it was honest.…. i finally couldn’t stand it and bought the Complete Hot Rats Sessions box….it IS occasionally excessive…but so was he….and I seriously doubt we’d be hearing it if he was still alive. RIP |
It is always difficult comparing Popular Musicians with Classical Composers. In FZ case the door is open to do that because he had some aspirations in Symphonic Music. No, he wasn’t J.S. Bach. As you rightly note, most Composers are going to pale compared to J.S. Bach. A more apt comparison may be the Romantics such as Brahms, Dvorak, and Grieg. These guys had one foot in the door of popular music-most of their income came from sheet music sales from stuff that was comparatively simple—but, like Mozart, they frequently took simple song forms and ran with them, turning them into much more complicated works |
To me, Bowie and Zappa are my two favorite rock musicians for the simple reason that they reinvented themselves over and over with different styles throughout their lengthy career. Each with about 40 albums! As far as the question, which are Zappa's best sounding album, you can pick any recorded after 1973. Truly a recording master, better than Bowie in that sense. |
Zappa's "Blessed Relief", "Twenty Small Cigars", "Grand Wazoo" and "Waka Jawaka", along with countless others, is some of the most wonderful music I've ever heard. I saw him in concert three times and was amazed that he encouraged people to vote and had a voting registration area set up as you arrived at the venue. His testimony in front of congress concerning censorship of music is noteworthy (John Denver was with him) and a testament to what kind of a man he was. His last work at the end of his life, "The Yellow Shark" is, IMO, a final tribute to his true genius. Those who might dismiss him for his sarcasm and sexual innuendo are missing the true measure of his musical prowess. I have to say that it was Frank Zappa's music that first led me to John Coltrane...and from there into the rich and limitless world of jazz and elsewhere. |
I was lucky enough to see Frank twice a year during my formative years. Started late with the Bongo Fury tour. Saw him at the Park West in Chicago. Holy Smokes, was that fun. Love the Hot Rats, Waka Jawaka, Grand Wazoo era. Amazing compositions. Love, of course, the Roxy recordings. Loved Frank the best when he was the only guitarist in the band. Opened up his rhythm and lead playing. I see Dweezil anytime I can. Seem really level headed and a great musician. |
voodoolounge, we should have ask that of Steve Allen when we had the chance. ;^) I've really enjoyed FZ since the first hearing. Although I like his later albums better than the first few. Many put him down, even rock fans, because they thought he was simply crude or childish. Too bad they couldn't see he was poking a finger in the eye of general contemporary society. Regarding classical composers, I read that Zappa was influenced by Edgard Vare'se. No affiliation with JS Bach. |
@bdp24 - respectfully disagree, but only about Zappa.... 'Grand Wazoo'! I dont know why I couldn't remember that name, but that's actually my fave FZ instrumental album, more than 'Waka Jawaka' or 'Hot Rats', both of which are also wonderful. |
@pfeiffer and @baylinor : I can’t fault ya’ll for taking the conflating of Zappa and Trump in the wrong sense (though I can for not at least suspecting the attempt at humour ;-). I was speaking only of their propensity for thinking very highly of themselves, and endeavoring to persuade you of the validity of that opinion. In all other ways they are complete opposites. Trump couldn’t even begin to understand Zappa, while Frank understood Donald all too well. Zappa had a big brain and talented hands, Trump a lizard brain and small hands ;-) . |
@mahler123: It was not I who compared Popular Musicians with Classical Composers, but rather Pat Metheny. In my opinion both have to be judged as farmers in their own fields, not at all the same crops. Sorry for the silly metaphors ;-) . I love, love, love J.S. Bach, but when I’m in the mood for Rock ’n’ Roll I put on a Dave Edmunds album. When I want to have a spiritual experience, I put on Bach’s Concerto For Four Harpsichords And Orchestra. Two completely different activities and experiences. Both are called music, but they are as different as they are alike. |
