What’s With The Lukewarm Poop?

An eloquent title if ever I saw one, as you’ll surely agree. Anyway, you may have noticed yesterday’s post which consisted merely of a bunch of links and a bit of light commentary. What’s up with that?

Well, every day I come across links that I figure could be of some interest to you, but don’t warrant a full post of their own (or I don’t have time to turn them into one). I either spot these in my RSS reader, or oftentimes because one of you has sent them to me via email.

Using my del.icio.us account, I’m now bookmarking those, and with the magic of a little WordPress plugin, they will then show up here all neatly bundled into one post.

So if you come across a page, site, article, video clip that you think would fit a Delicious Links entry, by all means: do drop me a note. It’ll either show up here in one way or another — or it won’t. Don’t get mad at me when that happens. Remember: such is life. ;)

Posted in Delicious Links, Randamonium, Site News | Tagged , | 13 Comments

Lukewarm Poop From November 24th

Posted in Delicious Links | 11 Comments

Edmonton Eargasmic Extravaganza: ZPZ Plays The Big Empty

zpz pic

Dweezil and Company finished the North American leg of their tour in Edmonton last night to a small yet appreciative audience of diehard Zappa freaks (some of which who, by the way, have waited since 1971 for this chance to hear Frank Zappa’s music performed live again).

Mike Ross in his special to Sun Media:

It was clear what kind of concert this was going to be before the first note fell. Or at least, what it wasn’t going to be – a by-the-numbers rock concert.

It was more like a jazz show. From the opening of I’m the Slime, Dweezil and band pulled out insane arrangements like San Ber’dino and What’s New in Baltimore, threw in crazy-ass jazz romps like Filthy Habits, unleashed dad’s biggest bubble into pop culture, Joe’s Garage. A hopped-up crowd shouted out requests. Dweezil came off like a laid-back hipster – having inherited a knowing smirk – playing the role of the ringmaster instead of rock star, his guitar solos excepted.

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An mp3 Is An mp3 Is An mp3?

Cognitive Daily is carrying out an online poll to determine just how audible the fluctuation in quality is between mp3’s that have different encodings:

I created three different versions of two song clips — 64, 128, and 256 kbps MP3 format. Then I re-encoded all of them at 256 kbps so the files are all the same size. Can you identify which recording sounds better? Is there a difference between the listening skills of “audiophiles” and ordinary listeners? Now we’ll find out.

There have been numerous mp3-vs-lossless debates here and elsewhere, so I’m quite curious to see the results of this test. To participate, keep your ears and headset at the ready and click here. The results should be posted at Cognitive Daily next Friday, November 30.

Via Duncan.

Posted in Geek, Music, Science | Tagged , , , , , | 24 Comments

Zappa Coverbands on MySpace

Directly from Michigan, U.S.A. is Mokum and Yooper with their unique cover of “Directly From My Heart To You.” And from Pavia, Italy, is the tribute band MN e i CONTENUTI with covers of “The Grand Wazoo,” “Dirty Love,” “Eat That Question” and “Peaches en Regalia.” Smooth listening.


No foolin’…

Posted in Frank Zappa | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

Hamburg ’76

This week’s Friday Boot, courtesy of Gilles, takes us back to Hamburg (again!), February 20, 1976 — exactly one month after a couple of Australian gigs which were later released by the ZFT as FZ:OZ (wiki).

Check it out. Oh, and as an extra, I’m leaving Magic Fingers’ Hamburg ’88 offering online for another week.

Posted in Frank Zappa, Friday Boots | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Sexual Harassment In The Workplace

Yes, the way it was played in San Diego, 12.12.1981 (late show).
Some more interesting facts: the very last show of the tour, with Frogs With Dirty Little Lips as a closer, but Whipping Post as a second (!) tune (From aaafnraa.de).

Posted in Frank Zappa, Music | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments

Interview With Dweezil

In The Oregonian, Saturday, November 17:

ED CONDRAN: Project Object takes exception to your work. This is what PO’s Andre Cholmondeley told me recently: “Our band is the closest to how (Frank) Zappa did it. We leave room for experimentation. Zappa Plays Zappa plays it by the book. There’s a gross misunderstanding there. Zappa kept it tight but he kept a window open for improv.” Thoughts?

Dweezil: To try to turn this into a competition is stupid. They’re trying to make a living off of material that’s not their own, and they’re doing a poor job.

Posted in Frank Zappa, Zappa Plays Zappa | Tagged , , , | 46 Comments

Rufus At The Circus

Dr Sharl and I went to see Rufus Wainwright last night at the Cirque Royal in Brussels.

rufus-legs.jpg

Nuff said? :)

Seriously though, here’s one talented singer/songwriter if ever I heard one. To switch effortlessly from rock to folk to campy Judy Garland to nigh operatic arrangements — and to somehow keep it all together: that is not a small achievement. Yet Rufus pulls it off, with brilliance and exuberance.

rufus-judy-garland.jpg

… and a dash of subversive humor. I’m sure Wainwright would’ve brought a big fat approving grin on Zappa’s face — and rightly so.

Now where did I leave my earrings…

Posted in Frank Zappa, Music, Personal | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments

ZPZ On DVD

It’s here. It’s hot. The Zappa Plays Zappa DVD, finally available on Barfko-Swill. Warmly recommended by all of us here at Barry Towers!

Word of warning: NTSC format — unlike the PAL copy I bought at the Antwerp gig…

Posted in Frank Zappa, Zappa Audio/Video, Zappa Plays Zappa | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Hamburg ’88

Someone mentioned that they were expecting a 1988 show last week, so who am I to disappoint? Pat Buzby reminds us that this show features nothing composed after 1976, and calls it “a blessing, though it feels bad in a sense to say it”.

Well I don’t know about that, but any show that features Florentine Pogen, Andy, Inca Roads, Eat That Question and then Black Napkins, one after the other, is ok by me. Add the Black Page as an opener (you gotta love the ’88 arrangement), Dupree’s, Cleveland and Big Swifty among others, and you have the makings of one fine show.

Whether it is or not… well, that’s for you to decide. As always, I await your comments with interest.

The Venue: Congress Centrum, Hamburg, Germany
The Date: 6 May 1988

Posted in Frank Zappa, Friday Boots | Tagged , , , , | 20 Comments

Gail On Air

Gail Zappa in an interview with Alex Jones, conspiracy theorist, radio host and filmmaker (who really needs to clear his throat every so often).

Posted in Frank Zappa, Politics, Religion, Zappa Misc | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Missing Links: RDNZL, Cosmik Debris – Stockholm

Have you seen the Stockholm show, 1973? You did? Maybe the 50 minute version. But here are some missing gems, previously unseen (at least by me): RDNZL and Cosmik Debris.
Great tunes! Watch the fun the band has during and after RDNZL! Sooooo good!!!
(provided by bongolamp)

Update: bongolamp has just uploaded Kung Fu and Penguin In Bondage! (I’ve also updated it on my page)
Thank you, man!

Posted in Frank Zappa, Zappa Audio/Video | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Status At The High School

duh

Should high school students be allowed exposure to this weblog? Think of the implications! The repercussions! We must — you’ll agree, I’m sure — save the children…

Want College Undergrad material? Check Dr Sharl’s diary

Posted in Randamonium | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments

Mike Keneally Interview

hatalbum

Mike Keneally is interviewed in Modern Guitars Magazine, where he speaks on a variety of topics — his experiences playing and performing with the Zappas (Frank, Dweezil & Ahmet), Steve Vai, Henry Kaiser and The Mistakes, James LaBrie and Mullmuzzler, his thoughts on the Zappa Plays Zappa tour, as well as the re-release of his early albums Hat and Boil That Dust Speck.

Posted in Frank Zappa | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments