Conceptual Continuity Circle

The last few days I’ve been listenning the wonderful CD of the Banned From Utopia (the best ever versions of some tunes!), and that led me to create this continuity-chain (or circle):

Chad Wackerman plays beautifully on drums -> surprise: his brother, Brooks Wackerman (a drummer, also!) plays on the new KoRn album -> the KoRn album also features Terry Bozzio (see the video) -> yes, he (TB) was the guest of the ZPZ tour -> but if you check the page of that tour, you’ll se only ONE update (=1) from 2007: one single picture of Ray White – of whom answers.com says that also played in the Banned From Utopia – sang in Jailbait Babysitter (thanks for The Idiot for the info!).

Otherwise Dweezil says:

Speaking of new material, I plan to release a live ZPZ album from the 07 tour early next year. I am also in the process of reviewing footage that was shot by my good friend Charlie Boswell in Austin Texas for another ZPZ DVD. We filmed 30 new songs – different from the last ZPZ DVD.

23 thoughts on “Conceptual Continuity Circle”

  1. just because his father was a visionary doesn’t mean that dweezil is anything less than a privileged replicant.

    the fruit fell VERY FAR from the iconoclastic tree. he woulda been better off in real estate or some shit.

    fuck zpz, fuck the zft. zappa’s been dead for over 15 years, and god broke the mold. that last name ain’t worth SHIT.

  2. FZ was basically an Italian (IT) inspired geniuos.

    ITals are extremely modern, they just smell the shape of things to come.

    Just another FZ ( US / Sicilian way )lesson :

    1.Play it the IT style, the Staccato way instead of Legato. All the way down.
    2.Cut a long imaginary piece ( 20 min.) into smaller pieces. They might be hits.
    3.Current day practice since many years :max lengt is 3 min.
    4.Play nervously part after part.
    5. Within the commercial world : “hits” +/- 3 min. ).
    6. Then again Legato: you combine both, ” seguing”.

    Result? A commercial disaster.
    People just don’t understand it anymore. It’s too much.

    It’s the mirror image of zapping TV or radio channels.

  3. Thus again : music being ahead of its time. More than a mirror image.
    Announcing the shape of things to come.

    Just listen to music, you’ll learn.

  4. bernard, ZPZ ain’t FZ
    it’s a cover band
    Dweez “We do play all the right notes” says they got 30 “new” songs, though…
    hahahaha

  5. Bernard, I’ve got all the ‘official’Zappa albums released during his lifetime and then some. His music can ‘live on’ with me fine through them.

    Whilst there may be a point in seeing ZPZ live, when it comes to home listening you might as well listen to the originals…

    Anyway, I am serious in my ZFT boycott. I know it won’t matter one jot to them, but I feel a hell of a lot better knowing my money isn’t going to them.

  6. Time would be better spent releasing FZ archival material rather than the mediocre ZPZ cover band.

  7. I feel ZFT is wrong about their beef with KUR. KUR Rocks. But let’s not diminish Dweezil’s attempt to bring Frank’s music to a wider audience. FZ records will never be matched. But there’s something about Frank’s music live that compares to no other. ZPZ is a cover band, regardless of the name. Still, I look forward to exposing my 13 year old daughter to a “live” performance of FZ music. She’s heard the original tracks. Live music at that age is very powerful and she deserves the best music still out there, Zappa!

  8. I think Dweezil has done the ZPZ thing because first, he needs the money as his own career was going nowhere and secondly he and the rest of ZFT believe it will generate interest in Fronk’s catalogue. And he and his band do genuinely like playing Zippo’s music. There may be other deeper psychological reasons too, but we have no way of knowing about that…

    Either way, long live KUR!

  9. I think we need to separate the legal/financial shit from the music.

    I, and every other contributor to this weblog, have been enthusiastic toward ZPZ since the very beginning — one need only do a search for ZPZ here for proof. From the two shows I’ve seen, it is obvious that this band tries their best to recreate EffZee’s music; and I have nothing but respect and admiration for all of the bandmembers, who’ve had to step into some very big shoes to fill — and did so more than admirably well.

    Having said all that, I also do look forward to P/O coming to play Belgium some day. Simply because I love Z’s music, and love to hear as much of his music interpreted in as many different ways as possible.

  10. The Idiot: “It’s true that Ray White sings Jailbait Babysitter on So Yuh Don’t Like Modern Art.”

    You’re absolutely correct! I’m sorry, a mistake! – but it means then that the circle is closing in! From BFU to BFU! Thanks for the info! (I cannot update the post itself right now, I’m not at my computer.)

  11. I have seen a cover band playing the music of – the artist formerly known as – with Ike Willis on vocals. It was far more than 10 years ago. The musicians were sponsered by a company which manufactured toilet bowls. These toilet bowls were part of the stage ambient. During the concert, the band tried to be enormously “funny”. The “oh-so-funny” saxophone player even sat on one bowl. What a laugh. I left the show. Since this experience I am anti-cover-band! When I saw the pictures of – the son the artist formerly known as – in front of projected pictures of his father, I felt deep down in my heart, that this is an absolutely false move. And as mentioned above ” … is anything less than a privileged replicant …” it´s more than true! Aren´t there any Blade Runners in L.A. any more?

  12. My mind is going: The cover band was called “The Muffin Men”. I missed – the artist formerly known as – and even Ike Willis (to whom I talked for a couple of minutes before the concert) couldn´t make it better in any way.

  13. I don’t know if I’m alone in this particular thought, but to me “Conceptual Continuity” isn’t only about Eff Zee and his music, but also the spirit that music inspired in the minds and music of others — from Lowell George to George Duke to Beer For Dolphins, The Dresden Dolls, Spock’s Beard, and System of a Down just to name a few.

  14. Just what we need…on the heels of ZPZ DVD #1, a second one? And now a CD?! Puh-leez.

    The only other egregiously mishandled legacy I can think of is Capitol Records not remastering The Beatles’ catalog.

    But then, there’s still fan outcry for the original ‘Ruben,’ (some) ‘Hot Rats,’ and ‘Sleep Dirt.’

  15. Alex says:

    “Just what we need…on the heels of ZPZ DVD #1, a second one? And now a CD?! Puh-leez.”

    I hear you, brother! Everybody please boycott such shit.

    “The only other egregiously mishandled legacy I can think of is Capitol Records not remastering The Beatles’ catalog.”

    Well, don’t forget about the utter abomination that has been dealt to Jimi Hendrix’s legacy at the hands of his money-grubbing, half-sister, Janie, & the seriously-going-deaf Eddie Kramer!

    (They and the zft are the worst ever imo!)

  16. (I’ve corrected the post – yes, Ray White DID sing in Banned From Utopia. Thanks ‘The Idiot’ for the info – sorry for the mistake!)

  17. I wanna see Ray singin’ “Shall We Take Ourselves Seriously”, “Pick Me I’m Clean” and “You Are what You Is” amongst others.

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