Zappa albums you donīt recommend
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Topic: Zappa albums you donīt recommend
Posted By: EL OSO
Subject: Zappa albums you donīt recommend
Date Posted: January 06 2006 at 20:58
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Replies:
Posted By: EL OSO
Date Posted: January 06 2006 at 21:02
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Posted By: greenback
Date Posted: January 06 2006 at 21:17
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weasels ripped my flesh: only "OH HO" and another track are worth a listen ------------- [HEADPINS - LINE OF FIRE: THE RECORD HAVING THE MOST POWERFUL GUITAR SOUND IN THE WHOLE HISTORY OF MUSIC!> |
Posted By: transend
Date Posted: January 06 2006 at 22:12
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Tough Q... I never thought that 'Tinseltown rebellion' was essential, 'You are what you is' is a tad patchy too..oddly both 80s albums, and most of the 80's Zappa was unreal... They are the only two I would not recommend too highly. 'Civilization phase III' is great, but you have to be open to VERY experimental music. I kind of agree about 'Thingfish', I am not sure what he was after on that one, but the guitar playing IS there and it is one of his better SOUNDING albums, though never a top recommendation. For me it is hard to really dislike anything he did, Zappa was a genious and an extremely gifted and unique guitar player, it is a tragedy he is still not with us now, giving us his wonderful music and humor....
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Posted By: Hierophant
Date Posted: January 06 2006 at 22:34
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Jazz from hell - the whole thing sounded like it was made on a 20$ kiddie keyboard oh and i love weasels even with the screaming  ------------- 
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Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: January 06 2006 at 23:07
You should stay away from none of them   ------------- 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. |
Posted By: Cygnus X-2
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 02:11
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Although I won't stray away from any Zappa album now (I only got about 12 or so more till somewhat completion), I don't really recommend for beginners Thing-Fish or Francesco Zappa. The latter seriously sounds like RPG music out of the 8-bit era of video games. ------------- 
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 02:57
| I don't recommend really anything before 1971 apart from Hot rats. Most of the others just sound like the band jamming in their garage and joking around lol. We're only in it for the money has some cool bits too. I think he started to become good around waka/jawaka, grand wazoo, over nite sensation and apostrophe. |
Posted By: DallasBryan
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 03:02
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gentletull
I think your right! and then it faded, Joe's Garage being one of the later highlights!
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Posted By: Deliriumist
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 05:43
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The one album I don't recommend is 'The Yellow Shark' The ones I sincerely do recommend are:
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Posted By: Syzygy
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 05:47
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The Man From Utopia was another weak 80s effort. ------------- 'Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how much to contribute to the already rich among us...' Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 06:15
------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to: 
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transend wrote:
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 06:18
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Zappa albums which I know and wouldn't recommend:
------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: Richardw
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 06:22
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Totally disagree. Jazz from Hell is a really good album in my opinion. There are many worse Zappa albums. |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 06:24
Agreed. The keyboard sound is minimalistic ... I may be wrong, but I think that this was done on purpose, to emphasize the importance of the actual music (and not the sound). ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: Velvetclown
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 06:29
AVOID THESE :
------------- Billy Connolly Dream Theater Terry Gilliam Hagen Quartet Jethro Tull Mike Keneally |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 06:32
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^ I would disagree with Weasels and Sleep Dirt, but I agree with London Symphony Orchestra (had forgotten that one) ... the others I don't know well enough. But what is wrong with YCDTOSA 4? It mostly contains outtakes, naturally, but people can see that by looking at the track list. ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: Velvetclown
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 06:34
I find Vol4 boring  but LSO Vol 1 is just fine.
------------- Billy Connolly Dream Theater Terry Gilliam Hagen Quartet Jethro Tull Mike Keneally |
Posted By: Richardw
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 06:41
Good point, and not only that; there is 'St. Etienne' as well. One of THE great FZ guitar solos (from the track 'Drowning Witch'). Brilliant stuff. It's worth buying the album for that track alone. |
Posted By: Richardw
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 06:47
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Top of my list to avoid : Francesco Zappa Playground Psychotics Filmore East '71 JABFLA Thing Fish Have I Offended Someone Man From Utopia |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 06:54
Since you mention it, I'd like to take this opportunity to mention that it was in fact played by Steve Vai (and later by Mike Keneally). ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: Richardw
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 07:00
Have you got 'Video From Hell' which shows Zappa playing it? Fantastic it is. |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 07:11
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No, unfortunately I haven't seen that - I only have the 1981 Halloween DVD. About Drowning Witch: Zappa plays the lead guitar, that's true. But the song also contains various other guitar parts, which Zappa himself described as being "impossible to play". Those parts were played by Vai and Keneally. ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: Richardw
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 07:22
Yes, that's right. Zappa says it was so complicated that none of the bands that played it ever got it right. Every version i've heard always sounded great though. |
Posted By: Eetu Pellonpaa
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 10:33
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Most of his post 70's material that I have heard felt boring, like the "Thing Fish" mentioned. I also found "Joe's Garage" very dull, also "The Ship Arriving Too Late..." which I think is valued by others. By the way, I think "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" is his best album along wiht "Hot Rats"! |
Posted By: RoyalJelly
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 10:42
I think that's way off, you just have to listen to the early stuff with a historical perspective (an ability in which most users of this site seem to be handicapped). It was the early, groundbreaking work of the Mothers that inspired so many european bands, like Yes, Crimson, Soft Machine and Henry Cow, that lead to the creation of the progressive genre we all attest to love. Even that aside, early Zappa like Lumpy Gravy (1967) and Uncle Meat (1968) still sounds astonishingly fresh and unique, the latter especially is a milestone of chamber-rock composition and studio wizardry, and hasn't aged a bit. |
Posted By: timothy leary
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 11:10
| playground psychotics is pretty rough to get into |
Posted By: Hierophant
Date Posted: January 07 2006 at 15:07
Yea maybe I should give it another listen, I remember liking G-spot tornado  -------------
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Posted By: EL OSO
Date Posted: January 08 2006 at 21:27
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Posted By: transend
Date Posted: January 08 2006 at 22:39
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I disagree with 'playground psychotics' I thought it was hysterical!! the tape recorded buts are so funny...yeah the music is not all that wonderful, for 'Billy the mountain' you have to love Flo and Eddie and they are certainly not everyones cup of tea, see 'Live at the Filmore' for why many people dont like that! I always liked that album just for the version of 'Peaches..' I also disagree about 'Baby snakes'!! I love that album, it is a great intro to Zappa's mid-late 70's material. see my review! |
Posted By: flaxton
Date Posted: January 09 2006 at 13:51
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avoid anything after 1971. ------------- flaxton |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: January 09 2006 at 13:59
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------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: salmacis
Date Posted: January 09 2006 at 16:51
I'd steer well clear of '200 Motels' and 'Tinseltown Rebellion'; both were really lacking in the song department and have long, often crude, monologues instead... I also didn't like 'Them Or Us' or 'Waka Jawaka' a great deal.
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Posted By: Flip_Stone
Date Posted: January 09 2006 at 17:46
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It sucks seeing people sl*gging great albums like Weasels Ripped My Flesh and Fillmore East. They're well worth getting. But for clarity, they aren't Frank Zappa albums. They're Mothers of Invention albums. It's too bad the two different groups aren't separated. Just causes confusion...
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Posted By: Biggles
Date Posted: January 09 2006 at 18:17
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Fillmore East '71 is a great live album if you can step back and not take everything so seriously. The groupie routine and the mud shark story are hilarious! Get everything Zappa from The Mothers of Invention up to Joe's Garage, and then a few more after that, although you might want to avoid 200 Motels which is just the original soundtrack for the movie and I don't think should be listened to without the movie. Of the Zappa albums I've heard (and I've heard about 50, Thing-Fish was the only one I really disliked. His 80s albums aren't as good as he was more interested in being controversial that making good music, but they still have their moments. Albums that you desperately need right now: Over-nite Sensation Roxy & Elsewhere Zappa in New York You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol. 2 Studio Tan Weasels Ripped My Flesh Just Another Band From L.A. Fillmore East '71 Roxy & Elsewhere and Zappa in New York tie for greatest live album ever. Get them! ------------- The crux of the biscuit is the apostrophe. http://www.last.fm/user/sbonfiglioli/?chartstyle=red"> 
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Posted By: gr8dane
Date Posted: January 09 2006 at 20:20
| Hmmm,do not avoid 'Zoot Allures' though. |
Posted By: XTChuck
Date Posted: January 10 2006 at 16:27
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I own all of Zappa's material from Freak Out to Everything is Healing Nicely, over 60 albums. The ones to avoid would be a very short list and largely released in the 80's & 90's..... Francesco Zappa Them or Us Thing Fish The Yellow Shark The Perfect Stranger Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch
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