ZAPPA

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spud

climber

Jul 26, 2006 - 08:53am PT

I have had the honor of attending three Zappa concerts. In the mid to late 70's I participated in Zappa concerts in Salt Lake City and Boise. It's hard to say which one topped the charts as the most extreme and audacious. 'schrooms better that LSD.

In the early eighties I attended a rather sedate Zappa concert in Seattle featuring classical music--purely instrumental--yet still stunning. Once again, 'shrooms as opposed to LSD.

When my daughter was in kindergarten in Seattle in the early eighties the teachers were astounded that she could recite the lyrics to Suzy Creamcheese. It's a good thing it also happened to be a very liberal private school! What an education money can buy!

happiegrrrl

Trad climber

New York, NY

Jul 26, 2006 - 09:03am PT

used to be my one and only, yeah, yeah, yeah.

But, my favorite lyrics were from 'Let's Make the Water Turn Black."(because I had the sheet music for the song, andplayed it over and over and over....).

Selling lamps and chair
To San Berdino squares....

cintune

climber

Penn's Woods

Jul 26, 2006 - 11:58am PT

What's New In Baltimore? Saw the band in at Painter's Mill sometime in early 80s, with Steve Vai, scored a backstage pass but not a crew slut in sight. Great food, though. At intermission the band went to their dressing rooms for "massages." Or so I was told.

Blitzo

Social climber

Earth

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 26, 2006 - 12:34pm PT

If you like Zappa, you MUST hear this!

Trad climber

Patagonia

Jul 26, 2006 - 05:07pm PT

Speaking of attending Zappa concerts... My first was in '69(?) the second in '70 or '71 in St. Louis, before Frank got tossed into the orchestra pit in London. Many Zappa freaks think this was his best era but if so, we caught the band in off-nights both times. There were flourishes, but I don't think everyone was getting along well. The next show I saw was when he was touring the Grand Wazoo album some time around '72 or 73. Absolutely incredible show. Some where in there I saw the band when Jean Luc Ponty was playing with Frank and it was probably the best balance of humor and musicianship I witnessed For the next dozen albums or so I saw every tour at least once, some twice or three times. The Zoot Allures band was absolutely killer. Sheik Yerbouty was downright nasty and I was lovin' it!

I'd just moved west when Joe's Garage was released and it was another band so tight you could bust a nut. I saw the Shut Up and Play Your Guitar show in Boulder - some dude was dressed up as an egg and his arms stuck out through holes in the shell. He kept rubbing the shell as a form of applause and Frank seemed to like that. The Steve Vai years were pretty good but after he left the live shows seemed to really be wearing on Frank. The bands were exceptional, the live sound was great but Franks looked unhappy - like bitchier than normal. Bob Stone saw me around so much he got to know my face and he let me into a bunch of sound checks. He'd even ask what I thought of the sound! Imagine that.

Around this time, the rumors of cancer began. I saw his last rock tour in Rochester (I think) a little ways north of Detroit. I'm not surprised he cut that tour short because the band was on autopilot and Frank disciplined them on stage, something I'd never seen in the 50 or so shows I'd been to. Still have all of my Zappa vinyl and keep thinking I should sell some of it on ebay and maybe I could retire. I probably have 20 of the LPs as promos., 3 or 4 copies of each regular release and way too many CDs. It's a sickness. I really miss Frank.

Trad climber

Patagonia

Jul 26, 2006 - 05:39pm PT

>Remember Zappa died at age 45 of prostate cancer!

Frank was 53 when he died, but point well taken. I'm surprised Frank didn't write a song about being sure to have your prostate checked by a female doctor...

sandsnow

Social climber

SoCal

Jul 26, 2006 - 06:26pm PT

Just when Sheik Yerbouti came out I had a job where our boss was a real a-hole. As my boss was talking to me in the parking lot, my friend drives up with the song cued and lyrics blaring “Your an a-hole, you’re an a-hole”

Classic moment and my boss didn’t even catch it. It was all I could do to keep from bustin’ out laughing. I can’t remember the song title at the moment.

“Don’t fool yourself girl, it’s goin’ right up your p**pchute!”

As far as eating sh!t on stage, Frank debunked that in his autobiography. He did state that the closest he ever came to eating sh!t was the buffet at the Holiday Inn somewhere in South Carolina

If you ever see his autobiography for sale; grab it. It is a fantastic read about Frank himself and the other musicians he works with and encounters. It may be out of print. I read it when published at least ten or twelve years ago.

“Is that a real poncho or is that a Sears poncho?”

Blitzo

Social climber

Earth

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 26, 2006 - 06:40pm PT

Was it this book?

Hardly Visible

climber

Port Angeles

Jul 26, 2006 - 06:44pm PT

Now how many of you folks think my potato has been baking too long? Raise your miserable hand up.

Voltzwgn

Trad climber

Sac CA

Jul 26, 2006 - 06:48pm PT

The Jean Luc stuff is great and I've got more than a few of Ponty's CD too. OW, I miss Frank too, so many listened to the funny words and never heard the social commentary much less throw out the words and listen to the music. It's like you mention Frank and people say "don't eat the yellow snow". A catchy little phrase that nice people can say and snicker at and think it's so out there ........if they could only hear what he was really saying.

I haven't brought any of Frank's music in a long while is the family trust releasing stuff worth listening to these day's?

Rock, Jazz, Classical he could make it all come to life.