WTF???? Frank Zappa's "Thing Fish"

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Reply #30 posted 09/13/05 4:05pm

andyman91

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Just about any comment on race can be misinterpreted by someone, especially an outrageous one, or one made in a previous era. I've never heard this album, but other stuff, like Uncle Remus seem pretty clearly anti-racist.

Check this song out at:
http://www.soundclick.com...tmusic.htm

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Reply #31 posted 09/13/05 4:30pm

theAudience

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Damn, damn, damn!
~Florida Evans

Just caught this thread. Talk about a prolific non-commercial artist thread.

As has already been stated, Frank Zappa could be called many things (composer, musician, social satirist, expert at congressional testimony, etc.), but a racist is not one of them.

Btw, Napoleon Murphy Brock who plays the Evil Prince character is also Black.

I will admit that if someone didn't know anything about FZ and this was their first exposure, it'd be a hard one to swallow.
Maybe recognizing that subjects are being lampooned (the Amos & Andy "Kingfish" character, Broadway's depiction of Blacks, racial stereotypes in general, political correctness, etc.) would make it easier to handle.
And after the initial horror subsides, a careful listen will reveal that the Harry & Rhonda caricatures are made to "sound" just as ridiculous.

I had the great fortune (during the Freak Out & Absolutely Free time frame) to observe a FZ rehearsal which gave me great insight into how deeply commited one can be to creating seriously uncompromising music.

Great discussion.

Spelling edit. confused

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431
[Edited 9/13/05 17:08pm]

"Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all."

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Reply #32 posted 09/13/05 4:33pm

TheRealFiness

theAudience said:

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

da's righ' da killa cologna....gallooottt colooooognaaaaa

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Reply #33 posted 09/13/05 4:52pm

Neversin

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FanofDaFascist said:

I was looking up Johnny Guitar Watson and came across Frank Zappa's "Thing Fish" (Watson appears on this album). As I looked at the cover, I said to myself am I seeing what I think I'm seeing? Is this some minstrel show bullshit on the cover? Well yes it is...to an extent. I qued this album up on Rhapsody and started listening to it. The language threw me aback. I looked up the album and saw that it was a concept album, basically a bogus Broadway musical, which spoke out against racism, religion, and sexuality. But the more I listened, the more I had wonder is this album really speaking out against racism? In fact it felt more to me like a white mans production of Spike Lee's "Bamboozled". Neither were done in good taste and both were very hard to swallow. Most write ups on this album talk about the quality of the music, I'm sorry but the lyrics and so called storyline are much more important and detrimental. Has anyone else heard of this shit? How did it ever get produced? It's offensive as hell! It was offensive when a black man did it and called it "Bamboozled" and it's even more offensive being done by a white man. There's also a book called "Negrophibia - An Urban Parable" by Darius James; which I've also had the displeasure of reading. It seems as if this book was based on this album; many similarities.

If you've never heard of this album take a moment to look it up. If you have heard this album; please feel free to share your opinion.

Zappa n00bs, you gotta love 'em...

Neversin.

O(+>NIИ<+)O

“Is man merely a mistake of God's? Or God merely a mistake of man's?”

- Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

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Reply #34 posted 09/13/05 5:06pm

theAudience

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TheRealFiness said:

da's righ' da killa cologna....gallooottt colooooognaaaaa

De month o' NOVEMBUH, reekin' of tainted CO-LOG-NUM! Dey booked in de heavy pseudo re-LIJ-us talent to pronun-si-KATE de doc-TRINE of BIBLICAL RETRIBUTION!

Too funny!

tA

peace

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

"Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all."

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Reply #35 posted 09/13/05 10:05pm

smokeverbs

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I think it's an alright set, it's no Joe's Garage tho.
cool

Keep your headphones on.

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Reply #36 posted 09/13/05 10:09pm

TheRealFiness	theAudience said: TheRealFiness said: da's righ' da killa cologna....gallooottt colooooognaaaaa De month o' NOVEMBUH, reekin' of tainted CO-LOG-NUM! Dey booked in de heavy pseudo re-LIJ-us talent to pronun-si-KATE de doc-TRINE of BIBLICAL RETRIBUTION! Too funny! tA Tribal Disorder http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 Movin' de projekt fahward
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Reply #37 posted 09/13/05 10:11pm

TheRealFiness	an' if'n it dont'z make ya azz ugly it makes ya ass mean and uglay
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Reply #38 posted 09/13/05 10:27pm

lilgish

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Bamboozled was amazing talk to the hand

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Reply #39 posted 09/13/05 10:32pm

lilgish

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smokeverbs said:

I don't know why nobody has bothered to point out that the majority of the songs on the album were sung by Ike Willis and Ray White, two black men, thus negating the whole "The album is racist" argument. Not my favorite album by FZ, but it's because of all the inferior remakes of his older material.

yea, Iggy Pop says nigger on No Fun, Patti Smith - Rock n Roll N****.....

Big Deal...

Half the rap albums out are Minstrel records.....

Young Buck, Young Jezzy..... disbelief