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Dr. Occulator View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Zappa dilemma Help wanted
    Posted: August 27 2008 at 17:45
OK,,,,I have heard some Zappa and some of the music I know is quite amazing.
However my musical tastes have always steered me away from the crass side of things. To me Frank is somewhat of an enigma. Love the crazy experimental music, great arrangements & smokin guitar but not so much the shock the system - freedom of profane speech - damn the torpedoes approach to lyrics.
It's a real shame but it has kept me away from appreciating his musical genius.
So my dilemma is can someone (without advising that I try to broaden my aversion to subversive lyrics) recommend a compilation and/or album that I can enjoy the great music without the lyrical crap.
My Doc Told Me I Have Doggie Head.
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Epignosis View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 27 2008 at 18:07
"Bobby Brown" didn't do it for you, huh?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 27 2008 at 18:13
The Grand Wazoo would be the obvious choice here if you haven't heard it yet, though one track does feature vocals with lyrics (not much though)..
 
Uncle Meat, Burnt Weeny Sandwich and Weasels Ripped my Flesh contains some of Zappa's most experimental material, but there's little vocals on them overall.
 
 
 
RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on!
EXERIOR Experimental tech/death/progmetal from Norway!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 27 2008 at 18:30
Originally posted by Epignosis Epignosis wrote:

"Bobby Brown" didn't do it for you, huh?
LOL
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 27 2008 at 18:41
Originally posted by Epignosis Epignosis wrote:

"Bobby Brown" didn't do it for you, huh?


LOL Yeah I heard that along with 'I promise not to come in your mouth' and 'Why does it hurt when I pee'.
Trying to get my 14 year old daughter to hear as much great prog music as possible but that is just a little over the top. So yeah I'd like to be able to play her some Zappa that she can appreciate musically and let her discover the more risque stuff on her own in later years.
BTW her favorite tune is Heart of the Sunrise. She can play Chris Squire's bass-line on the piano. Makes me happy.
But keep up the Zappa recommendations. Thanks.
My Doc Told Me I Have Doggie Head.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 27 2008 at 18:55
Check out Zappa in New York, for AMAZING music. Grand Wazoo and Hot Rats are obvious choices. As well Zoot Allures would be a good try.

Waka/Jawaka, and there would tons more. Another good recomendation would be his Rock Opera/Concept album, Joe's Garage. Kinda 80's sound, but it's pretty cool and creative.

Good luck!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 27 2008 at 20:27
Technically I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth is instrumental. Tongue Which is actually amazing musically. Really a contrast with such a name.
 
Waka/Jawaka is also another one in that Jazz-rock vein. Limited vocals...at least the really good songs on the album don't have them.
 
Perhaps Make A Jazz Noise Here could work. There are vocals but that one is mostly about the music (some songs may cross that line though).
 
Lumpy Gravy is also a good choice. The lyrics present really aren't overty sexual or crass. And the music is experiemental as hell. Same goes for Jazz From Hell, at least the experimental as hell part.
 
Which reminds me...if you haven't heard his "classical" works they'd be good to check out as well. Orchestral Favorites, London Symphony Orchestra, and Yellow Shark are all good choices. There's also a compliation album of his featuring his "best of" classical moments which would be a good introduction.
 
EDIT: Ahead Of Their Time would be good as well. The second half of the album is killer. (The first half is basically a play which has a lot of vocal passages...can't remember if they are over the top though, I don't think so, but don't quote me on it. Tongue)


Edited by Man With Hat - August 27 2008 at 20:31
Dig me...But don't...Bury me
I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive
Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 27 2008 at 22:55
The Yellow Shark?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 28 2008 at 05:39
Why don't you try Läther? It's an album that goes across the whole Zappa spectrum on amazing 4 CDs. There's quite a confusing story attached to it, and you might say that it only spans a relatively short period of his complete output, but contents wise it covers just about everything I think you're looking for.
 
Of course there's also some explicit Zappa stuff on there, but these are few and far between.
 
If you're looking for a compilation of sorts, it doesn't get better than this.
 
Then again, if you want some really impressive stuff that probably fits your above requirements more, I'd try Civilization Phase III, although it's not a compilation.


Edited by npjnpj - August 28 2008 at 05:41
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 28 2008 at 08:19
My mom tends to be a very conservative person (a tad more so than my dad or me), and my name happens to be Robert Brown, Jr., which means you know what my old man's name is.  And what does everyone call him?  Bobby.

So how do you like it that one day when I was about seventeen (about to go off to college, no less), I find this song on the Internet, and, amused by the title, play it for my family?  Shocked

I'm so fantastic...
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 28 2008 at 09:37
"Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar"


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 28 2008 at 13:13
A little Jazz From Hell, perhaps? 
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 28 2008 at 16:19
Originally posted by dwill123 dwill123 wrote:

"Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar"


 
I'll second that one Thumbs%20Up
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 28 2008 at 16:45
Guitar and Hot Rats i wonder why they haven't mentioned early




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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 28 2008 at 18:04

"I'm gonna tell you the way it is, and I'm no gonna be kind or easy..."

I say if you can't take Zappa as is, then it's best you find other musicians more to you're liking.  Musically, he was always pushing boundaries.  Lyrically, he was always doing the same.  Think of his lyrics in their historical context (Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, and others who were pushing boundaries and often offending, purposely, to make a point).

Remember the uproar over Catholic Girls, which prompted Jewish Princess, because he was equal-opportunity offensive.  He couldn't help himself, because he was in the business of being offensive, by the time the '70's rolled around.  He still remembered the days when a married couple couldn't be shown in the same bed on a TV show. 
 
Believe me, having raised a couple of kids, anything on any FZ album is not even close in terms of offensiveness to what a 14-15 year old will hear day-in/day-out at school. 
 
Yes, FZ took a lot of sh*t for being anti-woman, anti-gay, anti-whatever, but we all conveniently forget the shots he took at your average male in the early years. 
 
Funny, he was also capable of writing incredibly moving love songs (Sharleena comes to mind).
 
In any case, I understand there are those whose politically-correct sensibilities cannot tolerate certain aspects of FZ and want to protect their children.  My suggestion is that you better clear the Chaucer and Shakespeare and Earl of Rochester out of your house quickly, because once they get a whiff of THAT well FZ won't be quite so offensive any longer.
 
 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 28 2008 at 18:42
Originally posted by cacho cacho wrote:

Check out Zappa in New York, for AMAZING music. Grand Wazoo and Hot Rats are obvious choices. As well Zoot Allures would be a good try.

Waka/Jawaka, and there would tons more. Another good recomendation would be his Rock Opera/Concept album, Joe's Garage. Kinda 80's sound, but it's pretty cool and creative.

Good luck!
Umm. . . I'm thinkin' that "Wet T-Shirt Night" is something he's looking to avoid. . . Wink
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 28 2008 at 18:47
^ohh...lyricss... Do lyrics really affect you Dr. Occulator? Not an offense, but just don't pay attention to them and enjoy the amazing music, which you seem to already enjoy, don't let lyrics that doesn't apeal to you make an entire band/artist be rejected.
I'm quite sure is not quite simple, if not you wouldn't be telling this, but just in case you haven't notice
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 28 2008 at 19:43
What's really offensive is that for all your education you might end up working in a gas station, and he ain't talking about the kind that sells fuel for your car.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 28 2008 at 20:56
The Grand Wazoo
One Size Fits All
Make A Jazz Noise Here
Hot Rats
Waka/Jawaka
Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Lather
Roxy & Elsewhere
Jazz From Hell

by the way, listen to his lyrics more closely, you'll notice more than just him trying to offend people.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 28 2008 at 21:06
Originally posted by darkshade darkshade wrote:

The Grand Wazoo

Roxy & Elsewhere

 
Well as long as you're not having to 'splain that penguin in bondage way over on the wet side of the bed LOLLOL
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