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Location: Michigan | One of the most strangest , interesting styles of musicians that I have ever heard in my life was Frank Zappa. I still do not know if I think he is a musical genius or if his music is mostly garbage. I understand that music is a form of art , and that everybody has a different interpetation of it.I think that he has some fantastic songs that I enjoy alot but for the most part I think that 75% of his music sounds like meaningless stuff . He was for sure an Icon in the music business as a songwriter,player and one of the most political people ever involved in the music industry .What do you make of Frank Zappa and his music??? GWB |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Genius, that's CAPITAL G! |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Genius +1 |
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Location: big island | PHI ZAPPA KRAPPA. exactamundo! |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | But all he wants to play is calm-eddie music.
His music sounds that way cuz he composed it that way.
As a technical guitarist, I understand that he could play anything he wanted.
So he played what he wanted.
A whole lot of famous musicians said that he was a Genius.
I bow to their appraisal...
You just made me think... I need to listen to some Zappa. :cool: |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I think Zappa is absolute genius. However, extremely repetitive. Very much like Philip Glass. If you've heard 10 minutes of Zappa (or Glass) you've heard his entire repitoire. However, I could listen to it EVERY single day. I would call that genius.
Dave |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Beyond genius. There is currently a profile of FZ on "Classic Albums" of VH1 Classic. Narrated mostly by Dweezil and Steve Vai. If you ever wondered why you may have thought he was a genius, this profile of how Apostrophe/Overnight Sensation was recorded and the touring surrounding it, is a good window into his world and process. Genius just doesn't seem to do justice to a guy that can freehand write xylophone music as easily as guitar or any other instrument. |
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Location: Orlando, FL | Genius. FZ always had great bands and put on great shows! |
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Location: ms | I think genius is a bit of a overstatement. Talent no question, but he seemed to think even more of himself that his fans did. I think i would have liked him more if he would have just shut up and played his guitar. |
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Location: NJ | someone once said my guitar playing was like a cross between zappa meets neil young while both were on acid.
I took it as a compliment
a big G
we're hungry Freaks daddy!!!!!!!!!!! |
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Location: Hicksville, NY | Zappa may be known mostly as a rock and roll icon, but he's also a serious classical, post-modernistic, avant-garde composer. In a recording of his classical compositions -- which featured a modern ensemble conducted by Pierre Boulez [a composer in his own right] -- the reviewer writes the following:
"Frank Zappa often complained about how difficult it was to find a classical orchestra that would actually take the time to learn the scores it is presented and try its best to do a honorable job when it comes to contemporary composition. Late in his career, he found such a group of musicians, the Ensemble Modern (which recorded "The Yellow Shark"), but in the mid-'80s Pierre Boulez' Ensemble InterContemporain recorded a worthy session of material, released in August 1984 on EMI's classical imprint, Angel, as "The Perfect Stranger". The title track was commissioned by Boulez, and sees the composer coming back to the days of "200 Motels", both in terms of style (the music is very programmatic) and references (at the center of the piece is the vacuum cleaner found in the aforementioned movie and in the cover artwork of the album "Chunga's Revenge"). "Naval Aviation In Art?" and "Dupree'S Paradise," the latter an old rock piece from 1973 rearranged for orchestra, are also performed by Boulez' ensemble. The remaining four tracks are credited to "The Barking Pumpkin Digital Gratification Consort" -- i.e., Zappa's Synclavier, a keyboard computer. "Outside Now, Again" and "Jonestown" are among the darkest, moodiest pieces of computer music the man has written. The composer remixed the album in 1992 and a moved a couple of tracks around. Compared to the "London Symphony Orchestra" sessions, "The Perfect Stranger" is a much stronger album with a better, rehearsed ensemble. Still, those not interested in the man's so-called serious music should steer clear of it. ~ François Couture, All Music Guide"
here's the link to order the recording if interested:
http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Stranger-Frank-Zappa/dp/B00006JL96/re... |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | ...and I thought " Perfect Stranger" was a song by Deep Purple...
Vic |
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Location: PDX | The guy could write entire orchestral scores in his head. He was a MASTER guitar player, and could play a number of other instruments. He was a prolific composer for over 30 years. He wrote most of the lyrics for his vocal compositions (including an opera).
I strongly disagree with Dave on the repetition comment. His harmonic variation is phenomenal. Perhaps it's a matter of taste or ear. I know folks who think all Bach sounds alike.
The man is up there with Mozart in my book. He's definitely a musician's musician.
With that being said, if you don't like his music -- move on to something that grabs you.
_____
gh1 |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | No disrespect to zappa (or any other dead people), but being dead tends to score you extra genius points.
Example, Pres. John F. Kennedy. Goes down in history as a great president who stood up to the commies and died a tragic death. Thruth is if he never got shot he would only be remembered as the president that dragged our american forces into Vietnam.
In my opinon sometimes being dead can do wonders for ones legecy. Just ask Hendrix, Cobain, Elvis and Morrison, ....
Dave |
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| ...or Mozart, Beethoven...... |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | ... or Anna Nicole Smith ! |
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Location: NJ | . . who is STILL losing weight . . . |
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Location: NJ | Originally posted by Tupperware:
Example, Pres. John F. Kennedy. Goes down in history as a great president who stood up to the commies and died a tragic death. Thruth is if he never got shot he would only be remembered as the president that dragged our american forces into Vietnam.
huh? you mean bay of pigs?
eisenhower got us into vietnam |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | The Cuban Missile Crisis was a masterstroke of political genius. Gotta give JFK credit for that... (Imagine if the "Chimp" had been in the White House then...) |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Just to clarify an earlier point, I think he's definately a Genius +1. That doesn't mean I like all his music. Some I don't like and some gets boring, but the talent is still there, which was the question, wasn't it? |
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Location: NJ | I always loved Sam Kinnison's take on JFK:
He's staring out his window in the OvalOffice at the Washington Monument.
He's got Marilyn Monroe bent over his desk.
He's got his finger on "the Button", a Cuban cigar in his mouth, and the "RedPhone" in his hand while he's yelling at Kruschev:
". . errr-ah, get yaw ghawd-damned missles outta' my back yhawd!! . ."
. . . a HELL of an afternoon!!! |
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Location: NJ | I think Zappa's definitely an Acquired Taste.
I HAD a bunch of his albums, but never updated any to CD.
Loved his playing, hated his singing.
Not crazy about his ENTIRE body of work, but there ARE definitely aLOT of moments of absolute genius.
His son's a damn fine player, but I find him annoying as hell . . . |
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Location: NJ | dweezil is annoying but rather humble. I met him once and told him how much I respected Frank's work. he was very gracious BUT imagine being that good of a guitarist and your legacy is performing the works of your father's and not your own. That much me an amazing mind screw.
I own probably 30 zappa LPs and probably another 15 or so cd's. they don't all get played all the time. I have to be in the mood.
The amazing thing about Frank is he so loved music he taught himself how to do his scores and orchestration. Name one other rock band that had a full horn section, marimba, kettle drums and utilized some of the best musicians out there.
jimmy carl black, ian and ruth underwood, lowell george, jon luc ponty, ansley dunbar, steve vai, the fowlers, and the list goes on and on.
The problem some have with zappa is that he is rather self serving. he really wanted to record everything that he wanted and did not care about anyone else. It was his band, you played his music you played it his way. he was not interested in the music of others and did not record it. if you could deal with that you stayed in the band, if not you moved on.
the flo and eddie days were magnificent!!!! |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Genius, but may not be your cup of tea.
Like Picasso, I know he's a genius, but except for a few pieces, he doesn't thrill me.
Same for Zappa. I know what he's doing is amazing stuff, but I'm not really moved by him. He's speaking to some else's muse, not mine. |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | I've been a big Zappa fan since the mid 70's. Cliff is right, it's an aquired taste. Dave Witko/Tuppy hasn't listened to enough Zappa. FZ's music spans multiple genres and cannot be catagorized into any one style.
Dweezel is doing his best to present his dad's music to a new generation. The Zappa Plays Zappa show that I saw at the Beacon Theater last June was amazing. Dweezel is incredibly talented and he adds new dimentions to the music, particularly the guitar solos. He claims that it took him two years to learn Frank's solo style. Dweezel has taken that style and added a modern edge to it. I think that Dweezel's solos are better and more musical than Franks.
As for the lyrics and vocals, FZ had a unique wit. His stage personna went perfectly with what he sang. FZ proved that satire does indeed belong in music. Unfortunately, Dweezel, or anyone else for that matter, cannot duplicate on stage a real FZ performance.
That said, I still enjoyed Zappa Plays Zappa enough to get some good seats for the August 6th show at the Northfork Theater/Westbury Music Fair. Anyone want to go? It'll be my treat! Send me a private email. |
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Location: Central Florida | Zappa: A genius who put out a lot of garbage. |
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Location: NJ | . . on Sunday and Thursday nights. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by alpep:
huh? you mean bay of pigs?
eisenhower got us into vietnam No. I mean vietnam. Eisenhower sent existing troops in to vietnam not calling it a war yet, kennedy was the first to request (and get) from congress war funding for vietnam.
I did a book report in this in 12th grade. I know my stuff. |
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Location: NJ | (notice - he doesn't mention the C-minus) |
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Location: NJ | sounds like a word semantic game to me.
how is this one
my name is paul and I ain't with y'all |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | I'll go with the genius.
Lower than Mozart, higher than......hmmm, me!
(and who's to say it can't be genius AND garbage at the same time? Eg: Andy Kaufman) |
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Location: Warren,Pa. | These are all just opinions, so...
My college music prof.
gave us an example of a musical genius setting up radios on a stage all playing different stations, along-side alarm clocks going off at different times. He asked what would make this man's work worthwhile. The answer is...it's not the ONLY thing he can do.
IMHO, it's the ONLY thing Zappa did. Maybe not all he COULD do, but all he did.
John <>{ |
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Location: big island | youtube has a couple zappa clips when he was on the steve allen show back in the early sixties. zappa is playing the bicycle and gets steve to play on another one. steve allen was quite comical but zappa's feathers didn't get ruffled.
here's part one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGPPBwDBJDs
part two:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufgn__85q9E |
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Location: Michigan | OH SHIT I am trying to keep an open mind on this thread , but on the Steve Allen Show
( click on Lanaki's last post on this thread)Zappa did not come across to me as a musical genuis that played the bicycle,he came across as the Village Idiot who made some very strange Television entertainment for a TV show.IMHO that was GARBAGE not GENUIS.Maybe he was just way to ahead of his time. I have a very hard time watching the two parts of him on the Steve Allen Show.GWB |
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Location: ranson,wva | those vids were removed...i just tried t ocheck them out....jason |
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Location: Colorado Springs, CO | Yeah with songs like this one.
Billy the mountain
Billy the mountain
A regular picturesque
Postcardy mountain
Residing between lovely
Rosamond and gorman
With his stunning wife ethel
A tree, a tree.
Billy was a mountain
Ethel was a tree growing off of his shoulder
Billy was a mountain
Billy was a mountain
Ethel was a tree growing off of his shoulder
Ethel was a tree growing off of his shoulder
( hey, hey, hey! )
Billy had two big
Caves for eyes
With a cliff for a jaw
That would go up or down
And whenever it did
Hed puff out some dust
And hack up a boulder, hack.
Hack up a boulder, hack, hack.
Hack up a boulder, hack, hack.
Hack up a boulder.
Now, one day, and I believe it was on tuesday, a man in checkered double-knit suit drove up in large el dorado cadillac leased from bob spreene ( where the freeways meet in downey! )
He laid a huge bulging envelope right at the corner of billy the mountain, that was right where his foot was supposed to be. now billy the mountain, he couldnt believe it: all those postcards h
Osed for, for all of those years, and finally, now at last, his royalties! royalties, royalties, royalties! the royalty check is in, honey! ... yes, billy the mountain was rich! yes,
His eyeball caves, they widened in amazement... and his jaw, which was a cliff, well it ... it dropped thirty feet! a bunch of dust puffed out ... rocks and boulders hacked up, hack! hack! ... c
Ng the lincoln ...
I gave him the money
He acted real funny
He hacked up a rock and
It totaled my car
Oh do you
Know any trucks
Might be bound for the valley
I dont wanna stand here
All night in this bar
( dear lord )
I dont wanna stand here
All night in this bar
( no shit )
I dont wanna stand here
All night in this bar
By two oclock, when bars had already closed down, billy had broken the big news to ethel, ahhhh, and with dust and boulders everywhere, billy, choked with exitement, announced: ethel, we
Ing on a vacation!... yes, and they were going on a vacation, oh, and ethel, ethel, ethel, like any little woman, she of course was very excited ... she creaked a little bit, and some old
Flew off of her. billy told ethel they were going to... yes, they where going to new york! ethel, were going to... new york! but first they were gonna stop in las vegas...
Its off to las vegas to check out the lounges,
Pull a few handles and drink a few beers, oh ethel,
Ethel, my darling, you know that I love you,
Im glad we could have a vacation this year,
Oh neat-o, glad we could have a vacation this year.
They left that night, crunchin across the mojave desert, their voices echoing thru the canyons of your minds... ethel, wanna get a cuppa cawfee? howard johnsons, ahhh theres a howard jo
s! ... wanna eat some clams? ...
The first noteworhty piece of real estate they destroyed was edwards air force base. and to this very day, wing-nuts and data reduction clerks alike speak in reverent whispers about that fateful
T when test stand number one and the rocket sled itself got lunched, I said lunched, by a famous mountain and his small wooden wife ...
Word just in to the kttv news service undeniably links this mountain and his wife to drug abuse and payoffs as part of san joaquin valley smut ring. however, we can assure parents in the s
Rn california area that a recent narcotic crackdown in torrence ... hawthorne ... lomita ... westchester ... playa del rey ... santa monica ... tujunga ... sunland ... san fernando ... pacoima .
Lmar ... newhall ... canoga park ... palmdale ... glendale ... irwindale ... rolling hills ... granada hills ... shadow hills ... cheviot hills ... will provide the secret evidence the palmdale
Jury has needed to seek a criminal indictement and pave the way for stiffer legislation, increased federal aid, and avert a crippling strike of bartenders and veterinarians throughout the inlan
Ire ...
Within the week, jerry lewis had hosted a telethon ( la la la nice lady ) to raise funds for the injured, injured, and homeless, homeless in glendale, as billy had just l
Ed it. and a few miles right outside of town billy caused a oh mine/my(? ) papa in the earths crust, right over the secret underground dumps, right near the jack in the box on glenoaks where t
Eep the pools of old poison gas and obsolete germs bombs, just as a freak tornado cruised through ... yes, it was about three oclock in the afternoon when little howard kaplan was sitting on hi
Ch ( toto...!) just playing ( come here, toto ...!) and having a nice time with his little accordion, (toto...!) and this weird wind came up, direct from glen
Blowing those terrible germs in his direction ... and all this caused by huge mountain (aunty em) somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly, sucking up two-thirds of it ( suck, suc
Ck) for an ultimetly dispersal over vast stretches of ... watts!!!
Now, unless I misunderstood, it was right outside of columbus, ohio when billy received his notice to report for his induction physical. now lemme tell ya, ethel said, now ethel, ethel said she
T gonna let him go ... Im not gonna let you go, billy ... thats right, we now have confirmed reports from an informed orange county minister that ethel is still an active communist
It is this reporters opinion that she also practices covent witch-craft ...
It was about this time that the telephone rang inside of the secret briefcase belonging to one mortal man who might be able to stop all of this senseless destruction and save america herself. an
Sorry to disappoint some of you, it was not chief redden. this one man was studebacher hoch, fantastic new super hero of the current economic slump. now, some folks say he looked like zubin meh
Ubin mehta); still others say bullshit, honey, it was just another greasy guy who happened to be born next to the frozen beef pies at boneys market...; still others say pshaw/
(? ), and piss on you, jack, hes just a crazy iatlian who drove a red car ... you see, nobody ever really knew for sure because studebacher was sooooo mysterious ....
He was so ( he was so, he was so) mysterious
He was so ( he was so, he was so) mysterious
cuz when a person gets to be such a hero, folks
And marvelouse beyond compute
You can never really tell about a guy like that
Whether hes really a nice person
Or if he just smiles a lot
Or if he has a son named pinocchio or what.
Whether hes really a nice person
Or if he has a son named pinocchio or what.
Some men say he could fly
Some men say he could swim
Others say he could sing like neil sedaka,
And all the girls in flushing would be amazed of him
Two, three amazed of him ... amazed ...
Time passed. january, february, march, july, wednesdey, august, irwindale, two-thirty in the afternoon, sunday, monday, funny cars, walnuts, city of industry, big john masamanian ... so when the
E ring in the secret briefcase, a strong masculine hand with a dudley do-right wristwatch and flexy braclet grabbed it and answered in a deep, calmly assured voice: so... ah... yeah, yeah
Already ... what? ... well, yeah? ... ah-are you kidding? ... youre not kidding ... a mountain ... with a tree growing off of its shoulder? aw, youre fulla shit, man... ah listen, by the way,
Re you go on; did you get those white albums I sent ya with the pencil on the front, yeah? yeah, you should move some of those for me ... were having a lot of,...listen, so kiss little jakee on
Head... and hows your wifes hemorrhoids? ...ah, thats too bad...listen...so youve got a mountain, with a tree, listen, causing...well, let me write this down... sorta take a few notes here...
...to el segundo, huh? ...causing
Untold destruction..( my baby, my baby )...wanted for draft evasion? ... an expense account? ... and per diem, too? ...
Some men say he could dance
They said he could dance
And of course they were right ...
Ladies and gentelmen, this is it: the studebacher hoch dancing lesson & cosmic prayer for guidence, featuring aynsley dunbar! ... hit it! ...
Twirly, twirly, twirly, twirly, twirly, fillmore ...
Hey, right hand from a heart
Left hand from a heart
Right hand from a heart
Left hand from a left shoulder
To the heart. fillmore, fillmore ...
Nobody can dance like studebacher hoch ...
So many rumors have spread about studebacher hoch ... consider this rumor which was published about three weeks ago in rolling stone ( oh, its gotta be true! ) ... studebacher hoch can write th
Ds prayer on the head of a pin! (no!) do-do-do do-do-doot doot do-do-do ... ... Im so hip ... beef pies ... he was born next to the beef pies, underneath joni mitchells autographed pict
Right beside elliot roberts big bank book, next to the boat where crosby flushed away all his stash and the cops got him in the boat and drove away, to the can where neil young slipped another
...
[ frozen ? ? ? pie
Frozen ? ? ? pie
Frozen ? ? ? pie
And that was the main influence on him
The influence of a frozen beef pie ]
Boldly springing into action he phoned his wife who ran a modeling school, whereupon he... yes, he ran around the back of the broadway at hollywood boulevard and vine to see if he could find him
Some big, large, unused cardboard boxes ( no shit! )... after which he hit up the ralphs on sunset for some aunt jemima syrup, some kaiser boiler foil and pair of blunt sissors, yeah! ... yes,
N the parking lot of ralphs ... where no prices are lower prices than ralphs... in the parking lot of ralphs, in between a pair of customized trucks where nobody was looking, he cut out some
Y, really, really nice wings and he covered them thoroughly with foil ...
Then he took those wings and wedged one under each of his powerful arms and sneaked into a telephone booth ..yes,yes!! and then he shut the fucking door! ... and he pulled down his blue denim po
An-type trouser pants, and he spread even amounts of aunt jemima maple syrup all over the inside of his legs! ... soon the booth was filling with flies ( help me! help me! help me! ) ... he held
The legs of his boxer shorts so they could all get in, and when each and every one of those little cocksucking flies had gone into his pants and they were lapping up all that maple syrup, he be
Er and he put his head between his legs and he said in a very clear, impressive, ron-hubbard-type voice: new york... and the booth and everything lifted up, out of parking lot, and i
He sky.
Studebacher hoch
Yeah, yeah,
Studebacher hoch
Studebacher hoch
Studebacher hoch
Yeah, yeah,
Studebacher hoch
Studebacher hoch
Hes coating his legs
With aunt jemima syrup up and down
His shorts will be filled with flies
That will be buzzing all around
Studebacher hoch is really outa sight
Studebacher hoch, he does it every night
Studebacher hoch, he treats the flies all right
Studebacher hoch
Thats why they never bite, hey!
Hey please to new york
Fly to new york
He could be a dog
Or a frog
Or a lesbian queen
(fly to new york)
He could be a narc
Or a lady marine
Or he might play dirty
Hes over thirty
Getting old ...
I dont know
His peculiar attire
And the flies he requires
Keep leading him on
cuz ethel is gone
They keep leading him on
cuz ethel is gone
And the mountain shes on
And speaking of mountains - - well join studebacher hoch on the edge of billy the mountains mouth .. take it away! ...
Ah ... ya, ya, ya, hey-ah, billy, listen ... Ive come to reason with you ... our great country needs you in the armed forces ... your number came up ... ya cant go on running like this f
R ...
Ah, but ethel just shook her twigs angrily. but studebacher hoch, calm, cool, collected and unperturbed, continued:
Ya, well listen ... listen you communist sonofabitch ... you better get your ass down there for your fuckin physical or Ill see to it that you get used for fill dirt in some impending ne
Sey marsh reclamation ... and your girlfiend there will wind up disguised as series of brooms, primative ironing boards or a dog house ... get the ( cough, cough) get the picture?
Ya, well billy just laughed:
Ha, ha, ha. if they think theyre gonna draft me, theyre crazy.
Unfortunately, because studebacher hoch was standing on the edge of billy the mountains mouth when the giant mountain laughed ... studebacher hoch lost his footing and fell screaming, two hundr
Et into the rubble below ... ( aaahhhhh, oh fuck, Im gonna need a truss ...)
Ah listen, that only goes to show you
And itl show you once again that
A mountain is something you dont wanna fuck with
You dont wanna fuck with
Dont fuck around
Dont fuck around
Dont fuck with billy, no
And dont fuck with ethel
You saw what just happened
To the guy with the flies
Dont fuck around
Dont fuck around
Dont fuck around
Dont fuck around
Dont fuck around
Dont fuck around
Dont fuck around
With biddilly, biddilly
Biddilly the mountain
Eddie, are you kidding?
Eddie, are you kidding?
Oh I forgot to mention this is where we take our intermission.
We will see you in a few minutes
Thank you, well be back. |
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Location: Whitecourt, Ab | FZ was my musical hero in the 70's. I enticed many a young damsel with Dinah Moe Hum on 8 track. I even remember my Dad Quoting him..."Watch out where the huskies go, don't eat the yellow snow" |
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Location: Michigan | Holy Crap the You Tube Video of Frank on the Steve Allen Show has mystericly been removed
( But by Who ??? )
Frank is now doing things from the other side.
Frank:
Lanaki is the one who made me say things about your music being Garbage ,Please do not hold me responsible for the things that Lanaki made me print..Lanaki is the guilty one responsible for this,not me.
I am Your biggest fan GWB.
Way to go Lanaki now you really pissed Frank off and he is starting to send us some bad Ju-Ju from the dark side.GWB |
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Location: big island | Originally posted by guitarwannabee:
... he is starting to send us some bad Ju-Ju from the dark side.GWB frankly speaking, if anyone could, it would be frank. |
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Location: Stratford, Connecticut | Anyone ever see the movie Amadeus?
That's where I believe Frank Zappa... as well as a couple of his children.. fit into as far as a catagory goes.
Steve Vai wishes to this day he could do what Frank could do musically. He can only aspire.
Frank Zappa was a true talent and genuine prodigy. It's that simple.
He was just more modern thinking because of the advent in musical technology.
A HUGE loss to the musicians in this world.
That's my opinion!
Thanks and God bless... Michael Joseph Kramer |
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Location: NJ | funny till this day some folks call me alphonso as in st alphonso's pancake breakfast.
btw
they're stealing the TOWELS!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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Posts: 2804
Location: ranson,wva | Yes indeed, here we are!
At Saint Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast
Where I stole the mar-juh-reen
An' widdled on the Bingo Cards in lieu of the latrine
I saw a handsome parish lady
Make her entrance like a queen
Why she was totally chenille
And her old man was a Marine
As she abused a sausage pattie
And said why don't you treat me mean?
(Hurt me, hurt me, hurt me, oooooh!)
At Saint Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast
(Hah! Good God! Get off the bus!)
Where I stole the mar-juh-reen . . .
Saint Alfonzo
Saint Alfonzo
Saint Alfonzo
Saint Alfonzo
Ooo-ooo-WAH . . .
jason |
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Posts: 4833
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Originally posted by saccaguea:
Yeah with songs like this one.
Billy the mountain
etc.... Sacc, you ever read the lyrics to an Italian opera?
Frank wrote very ambitious stuff. There are classical composers who were as demanding of their audience (Niel Young too, when you try to listen to everything.) but delivered the goods overall. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Interesting that his lyrics are so often the topic when speaking of FZ, and he really only put lyrics in to sell records. The reason they are so bizarre is that he couldn't get into the whole "love me baby" or whatever else that people mostly write about. At the same time, he realized that people liked to listen to music with lyrics. This is paraphrased from a clip of Zappa in an interview on that VH1 Classic show. I had heard it said before that Zappa used such interesting textures on vocals cause he treated vocals as just other sounds. He'd rather they not be there, but if they had to be, than they needed to fit in. I also got a kick out of a comment by Dweezil on some tunes that I thought sounded "cartoony"... well I guess I got it. They were supposed to sound cartoony. I don't usually get stuff like that, so I was happy hearing that. |
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Location: NJ | hey Miles
who you think you're jiving with that cosmic debris? |
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Location: Omaha, NE | I always found Zappa far easier to listen to when speaking than when playing. Not that I didn't like his playing...I just thought he was a really interesting person.
I remember fondly a panel discussion he participated in regarding music censorship. Of course, he had no patience for that sort of thing. The moderator was going around, introducing the panel of four participants, reading from note cards. When she gets to FZ, she says something like "And we also have with us musician Frank Zappa, who has asked to be introduced as the National Treasurer..."
"No, 'A National Treasure'", FZ interrupts.
"Um...ok...Frank Zappa, National Treasure", she responds. "But I don't know what that means".
"I know", Frank replies.
A lot of what you might loosely call 'hippie era, stick it to the man' stuff has not worn well (I recall an interview with John and Yoko on the Mike Douglas show that was just laughable 30 years after the fact). But Zappa's stuff holds. |
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| If you mean genius as in Bach/Mozart/Beethoven, Schubert/Verdi/Wagner, Tchaikovsky/Puccini/Britten, or Armstrong/Ellington/Davis, then Zappa wasn't remotely a genius.
If you mean was he way cleverer than The Monkees, The Rolling Stones and The Lovin' Spoonful then yes he was a genius.
Just because someone can write orchestrations doesn't make him a genius. Any third year music student can do that. An orchestration isn't a great orchestration.
Was he on a level with Gallileo/Newton/Einstein? No.
Was he on a level with Fisher/Spassky/Kasparov? No.
Was he on a level with Spenser/Shakespeare/Goethe?
No.
The guy was not a genius.
There is a notable tendency in America to call everybody who is remotely above average a genius.
I have heard/read it used with Bernstein/Springstein/Lennon and a million others.
Great talent is not genius.
Get a life. |
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Location: NJ | from the land of benny hill...... |
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Location: closely held secret | Schroed, that's... brilliant.
There's a great difference between ingenuity and genius. |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by alpep:
from the land of benny hill...... He wasn't a genius either.
Spike Milligan, on the other hand... |
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| Pip, Pip, Pippety-pip,
Fell downstairs,
Trippety-trip.
Tore her knickers,
Rippety-rip.
Poor little
Pippa, Pippety-pip.
Spike Milligan.
Interviewer "Prince Charles says you are his favourite comedian."
Milligan "Ass-lickin' bastard." |
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Location: ms | Well said schroeder. |
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Location: closely held secret | "I have the body of an eighteen year old. I keep it in the fridge."
"Money can't buy friends, but you get a better class of enemies."
Spike Milligan |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Originally posted by The Wabbit Formerly Known As Waskel:
Spike Milligan, on the other hand... [/QB] Defined the difference between genius and insanity.
0 |
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Location: closely held secret | "My Father had a profound influence on me, he was a lunatic."
Spike Milligan |
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Location: Michigan | Schroeder, Please don't sugar coat your opinion on this thread tell us what you really feel....GWB |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | What is a Genius?
80-90 (below average)
90-110 (average intelligence)
111-121 (above average)
122-130 (highly intelligent)
131-141 (gifted)
142+ (genius - top 1%)
I did 137 after a night of Partying. :p So There! |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | I want to be a gyneacologist.... |
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Location: closely held secret | I'm moving to Montana soon. |
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Location: NJ | Originally posted by The Wabbit Formerly Known As Waskel:
I'm moving to Montana soon. damn capitalist dental floss tycoon |
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Location: closely held secret | Mental toss flycoon |
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Location: Orlando, FL | I remember watching Zappa's testimony on CSPAN to the PMRC and the senate about obscenity in the music industry and censorship. It was good stuff. Al Gore claimed to be a fan of his music. His next record was Frank Zappa Versus the Mothers of Prevention and had a long song called Porn Wars that featured audio clips from some of the senators. It was great musical social commentary.
Also, I was really excited when Zappa's whole catalog became available on iTunes a year or so ago. Because of this thread I went back to download some more Zappa and now they're all gone. There are six Zappa songs left! Damn!
Anybody remember Joe's Garage? |
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Location: Flushing, MI | Genius indeed!
Joe's Garage? Got it right here on cassette!
"This is the Central Scrutinizer. The white zone is for loading and unloading...." |
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Location: Michigan | Didn't Flo & Eddie play with Zappa for a while ?
What happened to Flo & Eddie after the Turtles ?
Does anyone care ? GWB |
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Location: Midland, MI | Zappa was a very intelligent person, who had a firm grasp of what was happening in society. His music was, IM!HO, genius. I mean, just listen to the lyrics of "Dirty Love." Who writes like that any longer? Nobody, that's who. Zappa rules. I put him right up there with Tin Machine (the first album). |
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Location: St Louis | "The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success"
...the price of meat has just gone up and your old lady has just gone down...
...genius |
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Location: Nashville, TN | I have a freind who worked with Zappa a few years. He was Flo of Flo & Eddie. He teaches here @ Belmont U here in Nashville. He says Frank was a true musician, artist, kind man & says he was always mis-quoted in the music press..that surprised me because although I liked small pieces of his music. I didn't really get him or it. He always sounded angry, silly, elitist or like he just didn't care. .certainly did not get his guitar playing..he sounded a lot like everyone else from that era mixed together..not unique like Hendrix, Steve Howe or Allan Holdsworth. (to name few unique players) I thought the 'Shut Up & Play' album was..so, so..oh, oh, probably started a cyber war here:-)
Dan |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I think Zappa is/was a somewhat polarizing musician, either you get it or you don't. People that "got it" recognized his genious. Those who "didn't" saw him as just another weird person. I've always been somewhere in the middle. I certainly liked some of his stuff, especially in person, but stranded on a deserted island with 100 CD's (and a solar powered player) I don't think he'd be in my collection.
Dave |
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Location: atlanta | My fave is from "Overnight Sensation":
I am the Slime from the Video
I am the Slime, won't you look at me go....
DK |
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Location: Michigan | I just came back from dinner and had to stop at the drug store to get some meds.
I had a Frank Zappa CD playing when I went into the store and Moma said I will wait in the truck.
After 10 minutes in the slow-ass store I got back in the truck and Moma said what the hell took so long, so I explained why & then she said ?????????????
What and the HELL have I been listening to for the last ten minutes,IT IS THE MOST STUPID CRAZY SHIT I HAVE EVER HEARD, IT MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL AND IS NOT MUSIC.
After trying to explain to deaf ears that he was a great musician I gave up.
Sorry Frank fans but this is one CD that wont be played when she is around .I still think that about 20% of his music is FANTASTIC but the other 80% is pure garbage and filler stuff for his records/CD's.GWB |
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OT.FRANK ZAPPA GENIUS OR GARBAGE ???