-
Archives
- May 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- August 2005
- July 2005
- June 2005
- May 2005
- April 2005
- March 2005
- February 2005
- January 2005
- December 2004
- November 2004
- October 2004
- September 2004
- August 2004
- July 2004
- June 2004
- May 2004
- April 2004
- March 2004
- February 2004
- January 2004
- December 2003
- November 2003
- October 2003
- September 2003
- August 2003
- July 2003
- June 2003
- May 2003
- April 2003
- March 2003
- February 2003
- January 2003
- December 2002
- November 2002
- October 2002
- September 2002
- August 2002
- July 2002
- June 2002
- May 2002
- April 2002
- March 2002
- February 2002
- January 2002
- December 2001
- November 2001
- October 2001
- September 2001
- August 2001
- July 2001
-
Meta
Stuttgart ’88 (2)
Then comes The Big One. First of all, I must say that I’ve found listening to every version of “Stairway To Heaven” to be the most tedious part of this whole reviewing task. There’s simply nothing very interesting about most renditions of this too-long, too-familiar number. However, we finally get the payoff tonight. The Summit/Star Wars theme returns with a vengeance, with FZ shouting out invective about Star Wars between and even during the verses of this song. It ends with Ike and Robert singing “And she’s buying a stairway to Star Wars,” at which point FZ shouts “Won’t work!” repeatedly, and then FZ kicks in his loops during the coda and “Star Wars Won’t Work” is born. “Whipping Post” closes the show, with Robert getting in the inevitable Glasnost reference at the end, and the night is through.
Pat Buzby reviews Stuttgart, May 24, ’88.
Posted in Frank Zappa, Friday Boots
1 Comment
Sleeping In a Jar-port
“Downstairs, you have metal chairs very uncomfortable at first but after 1 or 2 hours your body manages to fit in. You have to hurry though, as after 2am there’s quite a few people coming to stay the night.” The Budget Traveller’s Guide to Sleeping in Airports (soon to be thoroughly studied by part of the KUR team…).
Sebkha-Chott
Had any of you ever heard of this french band? Neither had I. What tickled my curiosity was a description by someone on the french Zappa-list (you can blame me for the translation to English):
They’re somewhere inbetween Zappa, Mr Bungle, Fantomas, Magma, Nuclear Rabbit, Vicious Hairy Mary and Léo Ferré. On stage, a musical/theatrical spectacle featuring a tyrant, a venusian albino rastafari, professor Siphon Trounezohle, […] a gardener and a pirate captain. […]
- Sebkha-Chott homepage
- Some audio (.ogg format (!), click on “Ecouter” to download)
Disclaimer: I haven’t been able to listen yet, so don’t crucify me if they turn out to suck! :)
Posted in Frank Zappa, Music, Zappa Audio/Video
3 Comments
Two Fifty
How many movies of IMDb‘s top 250 have you seen? twofifty.org allows you to create and track your list. As for me:
Posted in Film
10 Comments
Teen Repellant
Aah the endless possibilities of disturbing air molecules:
The device, called the Mosquito (“It’s small and annoying,” Mr. Stapleton said), emits a high-frequency pulsing sound that, he says, can be heard by most people younger than 20 and almost no one older than 30. The sound is designed to so irritate young people that after several minutes, they cannot stand it and go away.
Posted in Bizarre
Comments Off on Teen Repellant
Air Guitar
Be very, very afraid:
Aspiring rock gods can at last create their own guitar solos – without ever having to pick up a real instrument, thanks to a group of Finnish computer science students. The Virtual Air Guitar project, developed at the Helsinki University of Technology, adds genuine electric guitar sounds to the passionately played air guitar.
Posted in Music, Pop Cult
5 Comments
Pandora
Pandora is a fun little project that creates a radiostation for you based on the artist/song you initially gave it. I typed in Frank Zappa upon which it started to play what it thinks is Zappa-related music and informed me that:
Based on what you’ve told us so far, we’re playing this track because it features a subtle use of vocal harmony, mild rhythmic syncopation, demanding instrumental part writing, mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation and a vocal-centric aesthetic.
Mild rhythmic syncopation, eh?
Posted in Frank Zappa, Music, Zappa Audio/Video
4 Comments
Ween
What’s the closest thing to Zappa these days? I would say Ween comes close. These guys fondly take the piss out of just about any musical genre — and they do so with admirable flamboyance. Case in point: 12 Golden Country Greats, which I purchased just this morning (lyrics!). Check ’em out if you hadn’t already. You will not regret it.
Posted in Frank Zappa, Music
12 Comments
Begging The Question
Paul Sempschi says:
“Begs the question†is a logical phallacy whereby someone has created an argument based on his thesis (Eg. God has created the universe because the universe was created by God). “Begs the question†is not to cause one to ask further question. Sorry but it really, really bugs me when people abuse this phrase.
And look, he is entirely correct!
Posted in Randamonium
5 Comments
Stuttgart ’88 (1)
So we went to see the insanely talented Rufus Wainwright at the AB yesterday and a mighty grand time was had. Since I’m seriously lacking in caffeine at this time of the morning, I won’t go into the details — besides I have a sneaking suspicion you’re more interested in certain other things…
Update: with thanks to Bert, here’s a photogallery of the FZ venue.
Posted in Frank Zappa, Friday Boots
4 Comments
RIP Chris Whitley
It’s turning out to be a sad week for rock ‘n roll: Chris Whitley has died of lung cancer at age 45. Having seen him live a couple of times, Whitley’s feverous onstage energy never failed to amaze me — not to mention his unique way of playing the guitar. Some mp3’s are available to download here.
Posted in In The News, Music
Comments Off on RIP Chris Whitley
Help Michael Brecker: Get Tested
Back in August KUR reported how Michael Brecker had been diagnosed with MDS. Now it seems the initial search for a donor, including Michael’s siblings and children, has not resulted in a suitable match. In a remarkable effort, M-Audio is offering to pay for the testing of as many people as possible at any National Marrow Donor Program center. Let’s hope this gets a big response.
Posted in In The News, Music
2 Comments
Bands And Authors
61 Bands and their corresponding Authors. Some good ones:
- Kate Bush — James Joyce
- The Beatles — Roald Dahl
- Captain Beefheart — Allen Ginsburg
- Green Day — Dan Brown
- Steely Dan — Raymond Chandler
- Yes — H.P. Lovecraft
… which of course begs the question: Frank Zappa — ? ? ?
Posted in Books, Music
16 Comments