Favourite Zappa

[black zappath]

Ain't that the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra concert under Kent Nagano's baton? (early 80s?)
I haven't heard your CD, but this is the only full orchestra version I have read about.
If I'm wrong let's hope I'm corrected!!

[yazzy]

albums: hot rats, grand wazoo

song: chungas revenge

[Bálint]

"Sinister Footwear" from the Apocrypha collection.  

Its from 1984, conducted by Kent Nagano, it was aired on radio, I think.

details here:

about Apocrypha
Interview with Kent Nagano - he mentions Sinister, very warmly
Orchestral concerts, organized by FZ.

Zappa Patio about Sinister Footwear (in Apocrypha):
"Tracks 6 and 7 were recorded at the "A Zappa Affair" concert at the Zellerbach Auditorium at UC Berkeley, 16-Jun-1984, played by the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kent Nagano. This is the only time "Sinister Footwear" has been performed in its entirety, and Zappa was most unhappy with the results. The ballet consisted of giant puppets with dancers inside them. It's taken from the bootleg Serious Music, and the Serious Music entry has a list of the titles of the 21 parts of the piece."

[ungawa]

favourite albums:
rock: One Size Fits All
guitar: Shut Up
ahead of its time: Jazz From Hell

favourite song: Inca Roads!!!!
Pound for a Brown, King Kong, Big Swifty... tricky melodies and crazy rythms above all!

[zardoz]

Favorite Zappa changes week to week day to day. This week it's "Chunga's Revenge" "Guitar" and "Sleep Dirt. To pick one is definitely impossible. Even though the ones I probabley listen to the most over the coarse of a year are "Cruising With Ruben & The Jets" "Uncle Meat" and "Freak Out".  

[benoblivion]

Like Zardoz I change pretty frequently, I'd have to say though that One Size Fitz All contains so many elements of Zappa's greatness in one compact serving that it's hard to F@#$ with, Right?  It defenitely brings out the meaning in the annoying rock critic phrase "appropriately titled".  Even conceiveing to decide to pick a "favorite" SONG of Zappa's is ridiculous, so picking that "favorite" might mean picking something that contains or represents the most elements of the aforementioned greatness.

P.S.
If I'm being annoyingly articulate it is because I am semi-drunk being headphoned by the 17 minute jazz-fusion adventure that is "Big Swifty" from Waka/Jawaka while barely tolerating the background noise of my girlfriend arguing loudly in vietnamese with her mother on the telephone.

[Barry]

P.S.
If I'm being annoyingly articulate it is because I am semi-drunk being headphoned by the 17 minute jazz-fusion adventure that is "Big Swifty" from Waka/Jawaka while barely tolerating the background noise of my girlfriend arguing loudly in vietnamese with her mother on the telephone.

Funniest KUR forum remark in the personal realm *EVER*. Thanks for the laugh ben!
(Welcome to the forums, by the way )

[Bobo]

Favourit songs: Peaches En Regalia and Inca Roads

Favourit albums: YCDTOSA series, because it is a nice selection of Zappa across time and are a good way to introduce Zappa to newbies (yes, they still exist!)

[tantrum]

the first album of Zappa i heard was  one size fits all,so...definitely inca roads  flipped my wighat,being a guitar player and hearing that solo was life changing....iwouldnt be typing this now!

[turbulence]

Best album: I have to say that the best album is The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life. I just really love all the songs, and it's a GREAT live album!

Best song: hmm... this is really hard. right now I think it's Why don't you like me, Zomby Woof and Crew slut.

[dkaplowitz]

Favorite Song: Sinister Footwear II from Them or Us. To me it's perfection...sinister sound, tons of "hard stuff" being played in it, Steve Vai on stunt guitar and a great guitar solo.

Favorite album: Roxy and Elsewhere.

[kookie]

Yknow what?........maybe we could extend this into....."What tune do you play to introduce FZ music to someone who knows nothing about FZ and was too afraid to ask?"

For me it's Black Napkins (any version)......for intensity...followed by a couple of soft options like the Sting track....a little Stairway...........and then Hot Rats for the blues.....and then Strictly Genteel orchestrally

By that time I have them hooked on the diversity and wanting to know more

Favourite at the moment is singing with Ike line for line on Advance Romance......hehehehe

[Beltway Bandit]

Hello everyone, my first post.  

Favourite FZ song/favourite FZ album? Well this is an impossible question if there ever was one. Gosh.

As for albums, if I could pick three of 'em, those would be the following:
Grand Wazoo - this is probably the one FZ album I've listened to the most. Aynsley Dunbar is awesome on this one.
Roxy - being the best live album IMO.
One Size Fits All - musical genius, in every aspect.

Well of course I could let this list go on and on... Another BIG personal favourite is You Are What You Is... I guess it's in a very strong 4th place.

As for songs... Well, some of those I'd pick would be:
Strictly Genteel - just beautiful, just perfect.
Willie The Pimp - is that a monster of a guitar solo or what?  
Eat That Question - the crown of the Grand Wazoo.
Greggery Peccary - for the 'Big Swifty & Associates' part only. Truly amazing stuff.

etc etc

[Los]

Hi Everyone,
Favorite song: It took me a long time to be able to decide which Zappa song is my favorite, but I have decided that it is Inca Roads. The song alone is amazing, but the solos Frank improvised in this piece are always beautiful.

Favorite album: Joe's Garage. This is my favorite due to the hilarious lyrics, great guitar solos and every song on it is just perfect.

[rfrong]

Favorite Zappa??  Ok, "You Asked For It...Here Comes the Big One"...

I'm never sure where to begin when answering this question...and I have tried many times before!  I could take the easy way out and say that my favorite is the one I am listening to at any given moment...but that would be a cop out.  Like everyone else, my favorites change over time.

THE PROBLEM with threads like this, is that every band Frank employed, was a different BAND altogether.  Even Frank himself performed differently depending upon who surrounded him.  It's easier to pick a favorite Beatles for instance, because it was always the same CORE band.  With Zappa it's much more complicated than that.  You've got the original MOI, the Vaudville Band, Wazoo, the 74 band, the Bozzio & Ruth Underwood era, the Steve Vie era, the Joe's Garage Band, the 88 Big Band.  Then, to make it even more complicated, there are eras within eras...the 81 and 84 bands were very different from one another.  
   
So...
Favorite Album?
I think I can narrow it down to "Post Mothers" 70s.  This is the era that I keep coming back to.  All of my favorite songs seem to come from that era - Inca Roads, Black Page, Watermelons, Torture, Zoot, the Ocean (Lather Version).  

But the problem I have in picking a favorite album is this...On every album there are one or two songs that I've heard TOO MUCH, and I always wind up hitting SKIP.  
Example:
ZINY - Honey Hey and Titties
Hot Rats: Peaches (sorry)
OSFA: Sofa (sorry)

StinkFoot gets a pass because of the solos.

It seems like the songs I wore out in the vinyl days are now the ones that (and I hate to put it this way) bore me.  Dancin' Fool, Bobby Brown, Why Does it Hurt.  I realize that what I am saying is BLASPHAMY.  For crying out loud, these are the songs that got me hooked in the first place!  I have reached a point in my LISTENING EXPERIENCE where I seek out the UNfunny songs in favor of the extended instrumentals and solos.  

All that having been said, I guess my favorite musical albums would be the Shut Up and Play Yer Guitar set, Hot Rats or Grand Wazoo.

I have the greatest AFFECTION for Joe's Garage, Sheik Yerbouti and Lumpy Gravy.

My favorite SONG has always been Watermelons, but in recent years I find myself seeking out interesting versions of BLACK NAPKINS.  In fact the Palladium version posted by Barry last week just about reduced me to mushy puddle of tears.  

Thanks for that one Barry!