… and we’re back — with not much interesting to report really. So why not kick off the year with some inanity: celebrity patents! For example, Patent #4,656,917 — “Musical instrument support”, owned by one Eddie Van Halen:
I say he should’ve patented his hairdo as well.
Hey, never mind that Saddam just got hanged — Zappa Wiki Jawaka, our ever growing Zappa Encyclopaedia, got dugg! Get yourself a free Digg account, and go and give us a digg, why don’t you…
He saves a kitty, the pope (who sounds a lot like FZ), Ren and Stimpy, the President, and the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights! It’s… Powdered Toast Man!
Two college kids get to interview FZ. Exciting! All goes moderately well, and then…
Frank held the album with both hands and glared at it with his beady, black eyes. Clouds of what looked like dry ice vapor seemed to be coming out of his ears.
“Mistah Zappa wanna buy that record from you,” Smothers rasped in my ear.
“That’s a really great album, Frank!” my clueless, yet status-seeking friend remarked.
“How much ya want for it?” Zappa monotoned.
There were traffic jams! All that holiday food! The presents! There was a leak in our water pipes! A postal worker robbed me of ten euros! So um: no Friday Boot today — although last week’s offering will remain online until the next. Happy Holidays!
WFMU has mp3’s of Bill Hicks’ “Loses It” show. When Hicks goes after some hecklers, Michael Richards will need to take some notes…
the “Bill Loses It” show also serves as a reminder of how much has changed since 1989. If Hicks had given this performance in a post 9/11 America, he would’ve faced far worse than Michael Richards did when he lost it onstage. Hicks might’ve been deported or jailed.
The 4 Disc MOFO arrived this morning at around 8, when a postal worker rang the doorbell saying he had a special delivery. Standing in the doorway in the freezing cold waving an oversized package at me, it soon became clear what was special about it as far as the post office was concerned: a 10 euro customs fee needed to be paid. Doctor Sharl and I proceeded to dig out what coins we had left — it took a mere 10 minutes — upon which I was granted The Package.
We’re now some 9 hours later (and back from work duties): all four discs have been imported into iTunes, I’m listening to disc one (the original! stereo! vinyl! mix!) and by golly, the sound is just gorgeous — wonderfully crisp overall, in treble as well as bass. This coming from a guy who does not see the point in keeping lossless audio as he thinks mp3 will do just fine. I’ve yet to hear the other 3 discs but I thought it would be nice to post some pictures of the lavish packaging for the curious and/or nay-sayers among you. Pardon the image quality — we’ve yet to acquire a professional grade photo-studio here at KUR…
Tiny Lil’ Update:
Compostions?
On this Christmas Day, The Godfather of Soul has died at the age of 73. Take it to the bridge Mr. Brown! You shall be missed.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Barry will do anything, and I mean ANYTHING to keep you online this Xmas. Ho Ho Ho!
Robin Slick, published novelist, raging liberal, and mother of 2/3 of “the Adrian Belew Power Trio” asks: Okay, Who Knows Hungarian?
Here’s an article about me where I am strategically placed between Pamela Des Barres, Marianne Faithful, Bebe Buell, and Germaine Greer! But for godsakes, it’s in Hungarian and so not only am I unable to translate it, there are no free on line services which will do it for me…
Why that’s a job for BalintMan if ever I saw one!
Ain’t it just!
(YouTube link, thanks SOFA!)
The Frank Zappa Memorial Fund:
The American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom and the Freedom to Read Foundation have been designated by the Frank Zappa family as among the organizations to receive contributions made in his memory. The Foundation leads efforts to stop censorship wherever it arises by defending First Amendment freedoms in court and providing legal and financial help in cases involving libraries and librarians, authors, publishers and booksellers.
A classic line-up, some classic tunes: Durham, NC, 24 February 1973 — get it while it’s hot!
You like end-of-the-year lists? This list of lists should keep you busy until, oh, mid January I reckon. A tiny sampling:
Uncle Frank would have been 66 today. Let’s travel back in time to 1963, why don’t we:
Music Is The Best!
