I've ordered his g. hits but i've heard alot of mixed things about him. Some people love him and others think his music is too weird?

Any thoughts?

He is it worth. If you like him, is a different question of course. But you should try, cause it is sometimes not so easy to get into him.

Is it the Strictly Commercial that you ordered? That is pretty good, I think (Though cause of his large output a one disc is just a quick overview).

I hope you did not order this "white cd"? Because it has only about half of the songs of Strictly Commercial. Dont be misled by it!

I think no matter what kind of music you like, you can find some of Frank's catalog which will suit your tastes.

He ran the gamut from avant garde to novelty/comedy music to blues to jazz to classical to (tongue in cheek) prog to good ol' rock'n'roll.

I think sometimes his recordings (especially live stuff) could get really indulgent and noodly and overly long, but if you like his style of playing, it's indulgent for a reason - my mom is a huge Zappa fan and she claims that there's not a single record he released that she doesn't like.

Personally, my faves are what he did around the end of the '70s/early '80s...Sheik Yerbouti, You Are What You Is, Tinseltown Rebellion. And I like Freak Out, just for the crazy weird stuff at the end.

SenseOfDoubt said:

Too late

Anx said:

I'd love to meet your Mom one day.
I'm convinced at this point that we could talk non-stop for at least a week.

After being lucky enough to attend a rehearsal (just prior to the release of Absolutely Free) and discovering that the Mothers of Invention weren't just a bunch of degenerate hippies (for the most part) and all the music (including every weird sound) was written/scored by this strange Zappa fellow, I knew he was someone to keep an eye on.

I dig all Zappa (one of the largest catalogs in Rock) but these are a few personal favorites...





Billy Mundi (Mothers drummer at the time) gave me an advance copy of Absolutely Free after the rehearsal during a session at their apartment (around the corner from the Garrick Theatre).


tA

Tribal Disorder

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

absolutely worth it...although some of his albums/songs can be a bit inaccessible.

the album that won me over was weasels ripped my flesh, with the stand-outs "directly from my heart to you" and "get a little". my favorite so far is the live at the filmore album.

i would recommend hot rats, zoot allures and joe's garage...these albums really allow you to recognize the pure talent and innovation in a fairly mainstream format; then you can venture off into some pretty interesting stuff from there.

however you approach it, though, you've got at least a few good years ahead of you while you enjoy and explore.

also...google "zappa plays zappa"...dweezil is currently touring with the likes of steve vai, terry bozzio and other former mothers, playing his dads music. i know they've got a website with some live video...

Depending on what music you like, he's probably got something you would like. Apostrophe/Overnight Sensation are two pretty accessible rock albums available on one cd. Hot Rats is amazing, mostly instrumental stuff. We're Only In It For The MOney is an oddly brilliant jingle-like concept album.

He's a genius, but his problem IMO is his inability to approach a subject with real passion (aside from his general passion for music). His approach is mocking in tone, humorous. He never really sings with feeling or sings about his feelings, except feelings of contempt or ridicule.

This is fine, he's an amazing musician, but it doesn't appeal to everyone. It puts him in stark contrast to a Lennon or Springsteen, whose passion was their strength.

NDRU said:

That is his strength. Mocking the culture via music.
I think the tunes work because of his rather "standoffish" vocal approach.

tA

Tribal Disorder

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

theAudience said:

oh definitely. Like a lot of people's strength & weakness is the same thing--John Lennon's passion & experimentation led to Two Virgins & Bagism

The songs lend themselves to the style he presents them in, like you say. I'm not sure it would appeal to everyone, though. It's a significant void in his music, too.

I guess I always say it's not fair to criticize an artist for what they're not, and that's what I do to him. It may be like saying Spago's doesn't sell hamburgers, so they're missing something.

What's the deal with the cds being remixed?

Is there no cd the same as the orginal vinyl?

I was told hot rats was totally ruined is the original available on cd?

NDRU said:

This is a great observation. As I was building up my Zappa collection, I thought at some point I'd find some 'deeply personal' song, but would always be frustrated by his irreverence. It took me awhile to see that you can't seperate the irreverence from his artistry...

His humor comes across in his writing, too. You have to check out his book, 'The Real Frank Zappa Book'. Great read.

His son Dweezil, smokes on guitar, too.

FZ is certainly worth a try.
He is not a commercial force though, but some albums are more accesible than others, you better start with Overnite Sensation or Apostrophe or Sheik Yerbouti. If you dig more adventurous stuff check out Absolutley Free or we're only in it for the money and if you like your instrumental music check out any of the guitar cd's or the Yellow Shark, Civilization Phase III (classical concrete music). And if you need more info just ASK
Starr

PeteZarustica said:

if there's a "deeply personal" song I haven't heard it yet.

I guess I would say his instrumental music breaks from that to some extent. Hot Rats doesn't really sound too sarcastic or mocking. Just great music.

I'd say FZ had plenty of soul in his guitar playing, and his genuine love for music of so many kinds is clear on all his records.

After you've checked out some of the selections from other posters, and you like some of those, I'd recommend you get 'Lather'. It's a compilation album of sorts, that was never released in Zappa's lifetime, as record companies wouldn't led him do a triple album, so it was released in separate, mutilated single albums. IMO, it's his 'Electric Ladyland', probably his true masterwork, showing almost all of his many aspects in one place. But, due to FZ being an 'acquired taste', it's only for committed Zappa fans.

For me, as a 'rock' lead guitarist, he is perhaps second only to Hendrix. As evidence, I'd recommend anybody to get the track 'Filthy Habits', from the album 'Sleep Dirt'. Zappa's use of feedback, atmosphere and the eastern European feel of the track make it unique and brilliant.

And he had some of the best live bands of the '70s and '80s. George Duke, Jean-Luc Ponty (these two in the same band), Don Preston, L. Shankar, Terry Bozzio, Steve Vai .

was zappa a homphobe?

This time out FZ decided to make a solid hard rock record, and he proves that he could've blown Led Zeppelin off the map if he'd wanted to: killer riffs abound ("Teenage Wind," "Society Pages," "Suicide Chump") and there's plenty of fine lead guitar work, from Frank himself ("Sinister Footwear") and Vai (title track). Lyrically it seems to be a collection of scraps from failed concept albums - sides two and four are suites - but it still works, thanks to some clever attacks on modern society ("I'm A Beautiful Guy," "Charlie's Enormous Mouth") and religion ("The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing"); though there's still a lot of silliness ("Conehead") he lays off women and gay men for once (except on the appalling "Jumbo Go Away"), so it's much more palatable to PC types like your humble servant. (DBW)
David Logeman is on drums; Moon Unit, Ahmet, and Jimmy Carl Black all deliver guest vocals; Motorhead Sherwood also makes an unusual guest appearance. (JA)

that's a review. Zappa wasn't a bigot was he? Weren't it just jokes?

antichrist said:

I guess the conventional view would be that Zappa treated homosexuality with the same ridicule that he did heterosexuality.

I still have some conflict with this view, since there's always an audience involved. You could just as easily say he is pandering to a homophobic vibe, connecting with his fans in a way that permits victimization. However, his lyrics ridicule so many of the things his fans hold precious, too: teen angst, getting stoned, feminism, hippie values, etc. Nothing he wrote was a hate anthem, but he took no prisoners when writing lyrics that make the listener associate their behavior with a larger context.

But I've made my peace with it. In a weird way, he gives stage time to a suppressed theme. It isn't always an appealing context, but considering where the progress of this theme was in the 70's - when equality wasn't even the question on the table, everything being 'underground' - it could be viewed as a legitimate context. In other words, lots of association with S&M and self-loathing.

And, since I've made my peace with it - the only question on my mind is what kind of song he would have written about it today.