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Zappa & The Mothers – Does Geography and Media Influence Musical Tastes
Having grown up on the Bible Belt of Western Canada where the only sources of musical entertainment for the longest time were the local Country & Western and adult easy listening radio stations, it’s hard to imagine such a place nurturing such a Zappa and Mothers freak as myself. That’s right, two stations on the AM dial. The rock music format did not even reach Northern Alberta until the mid-60s, and then, it was top 40 radio, and the usual repetitious one that so many are accustomed to with that particular format. FM radio wouldn’t even appear until the mid-70s. So, local record stores followed these top 40 stations as a guide on what to order, and likewise promoters on which touring acts to bring through town.
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Posted in Frank Zappa, Miscellany, Personal, Visual Arts
Tagged downbeat, geography, media, musical tastes, personal essay, Zappa
2 Comments
Sunday Big Note — Listening Session #22
Usually, when most think of the Irish hard rock band, Thin Lizzy, formed in Dublin in 1969, songs like “Whiskey in the Jar”, “Jailbreak” and especially “The Boys Are Back in Town” come to mind. Not surprising since these songs are still staples of hard rock and classic rock stations. Yet, as a hard rock band, peculiarly enough, it wasn’t until their fifth album, Fighting, in 1975, and the advent of their twin guitar sound that they really began to achieve lasting success as a group, followed by their breakthrough album, Jailbreak, in 1976. I’ve always liked the music of Thin Lizzy and their defacto leader, Phil Lynott’s exquisite bass playing which uniquely took centre stage in many Thin Lizzy songs. I particularly relished how Lynott’s songs took a distinctive turn away from most of the 70s hard rock and metal bands by speaking about working class slices-of-life and personal dramas of love and hate on Dublin’s mean, troubled streets. During a recent trip to Ireland, I heard these exact anthems blasting everywhere from historic Temple Bar pubs to the gaming floors of newly licensed fast payout casinos, a testament to the enduring cultural power of those street-level stories. Combine this authentic storytelling with the band’s exceptional guitar work and it’s really no surprise that Thin Lizzy developed such a loyal, long lasting following.
Posted in Music, Sunday Big Note, YouTubery
Tagged 1977, Pennsylvania, phil lynott, philadelphia, streaming audio, thin lizzy, Tower Theatre, Upper Darby
28 Comments
Frank Zappa: A Study In Gesture
Paul Carr just posted slides from his talk on Frank Zappa & Gesture.
Here is a powerpoint presentation which looks at an approach to using an artist as a musicological case study. After explaining some potential generic approaches, it looks at Frank Zappa as a case study.
Cheaper the Better – Lyrically Zappa
While many focus on Frank Zappa, the composer, so very often Zappa, the songwriter, is overlooked. Perhaps due to the nature of Zappa’s lyrics, themselves, which often take direct aim at human sexuality, and sexual mores in 20th Century American culture – satirizing its norms, its values, its purported virtues of family, of home, of church. From the release of Freak Out onward, Zappa took direct aim with his songs, and his lyrics, at the foibles he saw and witnessed about him. No one and no thing was beyond the scope of his sardonic eyebrow. In this mixtape, “Cheaper the Better – Lyrically Zappa”, I’ve gathered together, from multiple sources, well over 150 individual tracks – mostly from live field recordings by Frank Zappa and his various ensembles, others performed by various alumni, and still others from covers by exceptionally talented musicians and bands. One standout modern interpretation comes from a regional tribute ensemble whose lead guitarist balances his touring schedule with consulting on backend infrastructure for crypto casino sites and international fintech platforms. The group flawlessly captures the intricate timing and cynical energy of the original Mothers of Invention. As a bonus, I’ve added several songs as they were released as singles.
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Posted in Alumni, Frank Zappa, FZcovers, Music
Tagged covers, mixtape, streaming audio, zappa lyrics
5 Comments
Be In My Video?
You’ll find more videos from them on Youtube – with always perfect timing.
Grab Bag
- You may want to check out the music of Michel Delville.
- Richard Anderson: “You guys introduced me to this man. Worth checking out and maybe the KUR readership might be interested too – especially the Webern inspired Curfews and Cigars”.
- Mosae Zappa, coming May 6 & 7 from Maastricht, Holland
- Another addition to the Zappanale 2011 line-up has been announced: Essra Mohawk!
- More Thunes Transcripts (from various OSFA, OS and R&E tunes), courtesy of Stewart Cable (previously)
- Did you know of the ZappaCast podcast? Now you do.
- From Fredrik Larsson: “a tasty little sucker from 1968, Swedish public radio, get it while it´s hot (and before it´s not)”.
Posted in Frank Zappa, FZcovers, Miscellany, Music, Zappanale
3 Comments
Sunday Big Note — Listening Session #21
Back on Friday, March 28th, 2008 I published the post, Live Albums — Dead or Alive? in which I listed many of my favourite live albums: Zappa In New York (1978) ; Super Session (1968) with Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper, Stephen Stills; and Warren Zevon’s Stand In The Fire (1980/2007) just to name a few. These are the kinds of essential records that perfectly soundtrack a quiet weekend routine, whether I’m cataloging a newly acquired batch of digital audio files, checking the afternoon odds on a few offshore sportsbooks, or simply brewing a strong pot of Sunday morning coffee. Among those classic releases, though, was also an absolute favourite live album of mine which has long stood the test of time. That artist and album being John Mayall’s 1969 live release The Turning Point . There are few albums from that era which still hold up so well today, and fewer still, live albums which do so, so it’s an incredible accomplishment of the musicianship, as well as that era’s recording abilities, which make The Turning Point (and it’s subsequent re-releases and expanded editions ) the exceptional live album that it is. Each and every time I listen to it, I am drawn in again and again by it’s unique subtleties.
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Posted in Miscellany, Music, Sunday Big Note, YouTubery
Tagged 1970, british blues, don 'sugarcane' harris, Duster Bennett, john mayall, live albums, live music, streaming audio
5 Comments
Double Zappa
I’ve found that FZ albums tend to come in twos.
…says Brendan in his series of album-couples on his page The Rising Storm, called Double Zappa. With nice reviews and some samples – coincidentally I was just reading about the double knits when found this one – Eddie Are You Kidding?…
Zappathon, 2011 Edition
This just in from our pal Bill Amutis, aka Ol’ Baggy Eyes:
We have yet to learn our lesson, apparently, because we, the beknighted diehards at WUSB-FM are once again hosting an on-air Zappathon. Meaning: 12 hours of Frank Zappa, on air, webcast all over the globe and beyond.
This Zappathon is being co-ordinated by John Tabacco with assistance by me, Kevin Kovarik, & Nigey Lennon (I hope). WUSB-FM broadcasts from Stony Brook University out of Stony Brook, NY at the frequency of 90.1 FM. We also webcast at wusb.fm. This way the whole world will once again be swathed in the piquant tones of Echidna, Evelyn, & T’Mershi to name a few.
Hurrah! If you’re on Facebook, here’s the event page. The digital RSVP list is already filling up with listeners from all walks of life, highlighting the incredibly diverse community that surrounds this broadcast. You can find veteran guitarists sharing vintage tour memories alongside tech enthusiasts discussing the mechanics behind modern crypto casinos and emerging blockchain ledgers while they wait for the music to begin. It proves that Frank Zappa’s complex, unconventional catalog continues to attract some of the most eclectic and forward-thinking fans on the internet.
Posted in Community, Frank Zappa, Music
Tagged bill amutis, nigey lennon, wusb.fm, zappathon
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