Waka/Jawaka vs The Grand Wazoo |
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smartpatrol
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 15 2012 Location: My Bedroom Status: Offline Points: 14169 |
Topic: Waka/Jawaka vs The Grand Wazoo Posted: February 13 2013 at 20:45 |
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The two albums released in 1972 by Frank Zappa after he was attacked and crippled on stage. Two great, imo 5 star, fusion albums.
Waka/Jawaka by a hair. One of my first (I believe my second) Zappa albums. Edited by smartpatrol - February 13 2013 at 22:51 |
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Horizons
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: January 20 2011 Location: Somewhere Else Status: Offline Points: 16952 |
Posted: February 13 2013 at 20:51 | |
Waka is decent, but Grand Wazoo is great.
Edited by Horizons - February 13 2013 at 20:53 |
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Crushed like a rose in the riverflow.
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darkshade
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: November 19 2005 Location: New Jersey Status: Offline Points: 10964 |
Posted: February 13 2013 at 21:00 | |
The Grand Wazoo definitely. Great album all the way through. The title track smokes, the horns dominate tremendously. Great keyboard work from George Duke, and it has the rare (for Zappa) delicate tune in "Blessed Relief".
Waka/JaWaka is great as well, but the two middle tracks bring it down just a little. The book-ending tracks are phenomenal, especially the title track (there's better versions of Big Swifty out there, but the original is good.) Both albums are complemented by Imaginary Diseases and Wazoo, which came out in 2006 and 2007 respectively. Also a few tracks on One Shot Deal feature some Wazoo lineups. |
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smartpatrol
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 15 2012 Location: My Bedroom Status: Offline Points: 14169 |
Posted: February 13 2013 at 21:05 | |
I agree with your Mouth, but I LOVE One Shot Deal |
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darkshade
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: November 19 2005 Location: New Jersey Status: Offline Points: 10964 |
Posted: February 13 2013 at 21:34 | |
I think they're both fine tracks, I always listen to the whole album anyway. It's just compared to TGW, those tracks are a little weaker. It Might Just Be A One Shot Deal DOES have a cool instrumental section. |
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Tom Ozric
Prog Reviewer Joined: September 03 2005 Location: Olympus Mons Status: Offline Points: 15916 |
Posted: February 14 2013 at 04:17 | |
I knew that one day this question would arise. Two absolutely superb albums, I love them both. I........I.........well I can't choose. They both have some interesting moog work courtesy of Don Preston, the keyboards from George Duke are just spot-on. Zappa in top form, some of Aynsley's most inspired drumming (along with his efforts on Journey's debut). Well, I'll vote for Wazoo, but it is truly by a fraction of a hair....
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HolyMoly
Special Collaborator Retired Admin Joined: April 01 2009 Location: Atlanta Status: Offline Points: 26133 |
Posted: February 14 2013 at 06:55 | |
Grand Wazoo, but just by a little bit. Mainly because it has 5 (excellent) tracks instead of Waka Jawaka's 4. I like both albums much more than Hot Rats (generally a more popular choice), in fact.
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My other avatar is a Porsche
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
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Junges
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 19 2006 Location: Brazil Status: Offline Points: 620 |
Posted: February 14 2013 at 08:29 | |
Wazoo!!
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Man With Hat
Collaborator Jazz-Rock/Fusion/Canterbury Team Joined: March 12 2005 Location: Neurotica Status: Offline Points: 166178 |
Posted: February 14 2013 at 14:49 | |
Even though I say W/J is terribly underrated I must vote for The Grand Wazoo.
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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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dr prog
Forum Senior Member Joined: September 25 2010 Location: Melbourne Status: Offline Points: 2449 |
Posted: February 14 2013 at 15:09 | |
Wazoo, waka and rats are all 4 star to me. They are the only Zappa albums I really like prior to Over nite sensation
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Bj-1
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: June 04 2005 Location: No(r)Way Status: Offline Points: 31157 |
Posted: February 14 2013 at 16:21 | |
Wazoo is one of my favorite albums of all time. Waka's excellent though.
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RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on!
EXERIOR Experimental tech/death/progmetal from Norway! |
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mageestout
Forum Newbie Joined: May 10 2013 Location: NJ, USA Status: Offline Points: 32 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 11:01 | |
WAZOO - by a hair.
Both fab. Nothing beats Zappa "singing" the melody on CLETUS George Duke kicks a$$ - especially EAT BLESSED has great guitar work ON SHOT DEAL middle section is just great - almost sounds like THE MONKEES in 1969 |
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smartpatrol
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 15 2012 Location: My Bedroom Status: Offline Points: 14169 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 14:30 | |
Now I'd say I like Wazoo better, but both are masterpieces
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darkshade
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: November 19 2005 Location: New Jersey Status: Offline Points: 10964 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 14:44 | |
Listened to these albums yesterday, pretty much back-to-back. They're short enough. Forgot how much I do enjoy Waka though. But Grand Wazoo is still superior, but just by this much **puts thumb and pointer finger very close to each other**
The real question is, which is better? Imaginary Diseases, or Wazoo? |
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smartpatrol
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 15 2012 Location: My Bedroom Status: Offline Points: 14169 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 14:51 | |
Imaginary Diseases! Wazoo is awesome, but Diseases is 60 minutes of amazing jams!
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Barbu
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 09 2005 Location: infinity Status: Offline Points: 30845 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 14:52 | |
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darkshade
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: November 19 2005 Location: New Jersey Status: Offline Points: 10964 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 15:01 | |
I might have to agree. Wazoo also has some great jams too, and it's nice to hear the full big band in a live setting, but there's something about Imaginary Diseases. There's this aura surrounding it, and yes, the jams are amazing. Wazoo does have longer jams, with full pieces surrounding them, but as a whole, Imaginary Diseases is more enjoyable (and it was put together by Frank himself, which kinda helps.) It's sacrilege that the title track for Imaginary Diseases made its debut on the album, as that tune smokes. Both albums feature a version of Farther Oblivion/Greggary Peccary, and I think the Imaginary Diseases one is superior over the Wazoo one, though both are excellent. Took me years to get my head around those epic pieces, both with years of understanding Zappa's universe, and just familiarizing myself with those arrangements. Edited by darkshade - May 10 2013 at 15:02 |
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smartpatrol
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 15 2012 Location: My Bedroom Status: Offline Points: 14169 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 15:27 | |
yeah, I'm still trying to at least remember how some of the original Father Oblivion goes, but all I can ever remember is that's was really good.
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darkshade
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: November 19 2005 Location: New Jersey Status: Offline Points: 10964 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 15:53 | |
Farther Oblivion shares themes and sections with what would become The BeBop Tango and The Adventures of Greggary Peccary, and maybe another piece that was finished later on, with a nice drum solo in there somewhere to boot.
It's also interesting that For Calvin (on The Grand Wazoo) features a Greggary Peccary tease, which is "The New Brown Clouds" theme. I actually never noticed it until the 2012 reissues came out and I got TGW reissue. Edited by darkshade - May 10 2013 at 15:55 |
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smartpatrol
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 15 2012 Location: My Bedroom Status: Offline Points: 14169 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 16:16 | |
I'm still really confused as how the original became the version on Apostrophe. I mean, they're like completely different pieces
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