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Topic Closed'81 to '88 Zappa Albums
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Poll Question: What's your favorite album on this list?
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
3 [8.33%]
14 [38.89%]
5 [13.89%]
0 [0.00%]
0 [0.00%]
2 [5.56%]
1 [2.78%]
2 [5.56%]
1 [2.78%]
1 [2.78%]
3 [8.33%]
0 [0.00%]
4 [11.11%]
This topic is closed, no new votes accepted

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Alitare View Drop Down
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Points: 3595 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: '81 to '88 Zappa Albums
    Posted: January 06 2012 at 17:33
You Are What You Is - excellent
Man from Utopia - could care less
Mothers of Prevention - interesting but more as a concept
Them or Us - could've been worse
Guitar/Shut up... - Lots of cool solos, little else
Drowning Witch - entertaining, but I don't listen to it, ever.
Thing Fish - Golly! I don't know whether I hate it or I...I just don't know


Haven't heard the rest, but You Are... wins by a landslide out of these.
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Points: 35802 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 06 2012 at 17:25
I like Jazz From Hell, but haven't heard anywhere nearing a hell-of-a lot of these (JFH is the only one of these I have), so I won't vote.
Duos for fave acts
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Points: 7003 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 06 2012 at 17:04
Originally posted by The Quiet One The Quiet One wrote:

Originally posted by CinemaZebra CinemaZebra wrote:

Guitar
 
Good choice!
This! Just ahead of Shut Up...
 
I mostly prefer Zappa's live albums from the 80s.
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I've got my doubts about how much to contribute
to the already rich among us...'

Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom


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Points: 26138 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 06 2012 at 12:27
Voted for Drowning Witch. Not a major work, but 6 great songs out of 6. And that does include Valley Girl.
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Points: 31319 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 06 2012 at 10:31
You Are What You Is is one of my favorite FZ albums so I'll go for that one. Ship, Utopia and Them or Us are runnerup's, so many great memories with these albums.
 
 
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Points: 166178 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 29 2010 at 15:41
I'll vote for Ship Arriving Too Late...great album.
 
I like Thing-Fish as well. If there were a few less redone works and more originals then I could have easily have voted for it.
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Points: 682 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 29 2010 at 11:50
Originally posted by The Truth The Truth wrote:
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Points: 362 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 29 2010 at 11:49
You Are What You Is, followed by Drowning Witch.
It basically went downhill from there, Them Or Us sounds truly and offensively awful.
Well, that was digital recording in the old days.
Follow your bliss
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Points: 602 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 29 2010 at 11:47
Yeah, probably not the best period for FZ.  
I'll go with Them or Us, an inconsistent album but it has some absolutely topnotch material and great performances.  It's also worth hearing for the closing cover of "Whipping Post" (found elsewhere, too), which Frank felt the need to do because he was embarrassed by famously not knowing the song (see the fantastic version of "Montana" on You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore volume 2, if you don't know the story.)
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The damage that we do just goes on and on and on but not long enough.

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Points: 4373 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 29 2010 at 11:45
Originally posted by Zombywoof Zombywoof wrote:

Originally posted by The Truth The Truth wrote:



To me this, along with Man From Utopia, is the biggest stinker in his catalog.
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Points: 1217 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 29 2010 at 00:31
Originally posted by The Truth The Truth wrote:
Continue the prog discussion here: http://zombyprog.proboards.com/index.cgi ...
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Points: 21795 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 28 2010 at 22:28
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Points: 29630 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 28 2010 at 22:25
Out of this set, You Are What You Is is the favorite of what I have.  I probably would have included Broadway The Hardway in the choices.  Though recorded live it was an album of mostly original material.

Shut Up I've listened to, sounded good those many years ago but I haven't got me a copy yet.

I may or may not have ever had a copy of Ship.  Most certainly heard it back then.

London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 1 I had.  Listened to it a few times.  Never really liked it.  I'm a Debussy fan, what can I say?

Thing-Fish was one of my first CDs added to my collection.  Freaking weird.  A bit of rehash.  Zappa did a photo shoot for Hustler for this album. http://home.online.no/~corneliu/thingfish2.html I think to really appreciate Thing-Fish, you need to see this. LOL

I had The Mothers Of Prevention.  It was funny but not one you'd be drawn back to for repeated listens.

Jazz From Hell was rather interesting.  Frank had a really good time with his toy, the Synclavier.  I did buy the Japanese mini-LP version recently. 

Everything else here I pretty much haven't heard.  So much music, so little time...


Edited by Slartibartfast - July 28 2010 at 22:29
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Points: 3449 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 28 2010 at 22:24

Sort of a general attenuation for FZ during this period, though there's first-rate stuff scattered throughout all the albums.  I generally dislike the Shut Up/Guitar offerings, disembodied guitar solos not being my thing. 

In the end, going with You Are What You Is, if for no other reason than Harder Than Your Husband, Doreen, and Goblin Girl, all of which embody FZ's best instincts.  There are moments at the end of Goblin Girl (when the whole Doreen theme is intertwined) that are magic. 
 
Though I do love me some Fine Girl and In France (that's where it's located) and Easy Meat and the list goes on.
 
Tipper Gore was right, this stuff should be illegal. 
 
Hob nobblin' with the goblin.
 
 
Can you tell me where we're headin'?
Lincoln County Road or Armageddon.
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Points: 3449 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 28 2010 at 22:10
Originally posted by Anthony H. Anthony H. wrote:

Originally posted by SaltyJon SaltyJon wrote:

I've only heard two of these, unfortunately.  Out of those two, though, I choose The Perfect Stranger. 


Get Drowning Witch if you haven't already. Actually, all of these are essential listening, except for Thing-Fish, which is generally agreed upon to be his weakest release.
 
It may be generally agreed that it's the weakest, but no home should be without it.  Everyone should know 'bout de potium.
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Points: 15745 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 28 2010 at 21:57
Originally posted by CinemaZebra CinemaZebra wrote:

Guitar
 
Good choice!
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Points: 4373 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 28 2010 at 21:52
Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention.

His best and most representative 80s album. Guitar jams? Check. Synclavier? Check. Offensive humour? Check. Orchestral pieces? Nope Wink

Plus, it has Porn Wars!


Edited by WalterDigsTunes - July 28 2010 at 21:52
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Points: 6795 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 28 2010 at 21:50
Guitar
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Points: 6088 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 28 2010 at 21:49
Originally posted by SaltyJon SaltyJon wrote:

I've only heard two of these, unfortunately.  Out of those two, though, I choose The Perfect Stranger. 


Get Drowning Witch if you haven't already. Actually, all of these are essential listening, except for Thing-Fish, which is generally agreed upon to be his weakest release.
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Points: 15745 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 28 2010 at 21:49

I'm a big fan of 70's Frank, but not so much of his 60's and 80's material overall.

The most original and intricating album he released in the 80's is unquestionably Jazz from Hell, however I'll give my vote to the 3-CD Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar cause it always gives me a lot of pleasure.
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