Who IS Frank Zappa

Want to Revive this topic, as many people (I was one of them, so I should know) don't know where to start when it comes to Zappa. It all depends on what you like. Jazz: Hot Rats/Grand Wazoo. Comedy Rock: Apostrophe. Satire: Joe's Garage/We're Only in it For the Money. Psychedelia: Absolutely Free. Though, if I had one album to say defined him, it would probably be Joe's Garage.

HolyMoly wrote: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-31/frank-zappa-trademark-no-longer-valid-in-germany-court-rules.html Good news for Zappanale, an annual Zappa festival held in Germany every summer.  Gail Zappa's been fighting with them over the use of Frank's name.

Apart from the fact that I doubt this is true (a Google search only brings up some Grand Funk guy who claims a song of theirs changed Zappa's mind on guns - rather dubious), I don't see how one negates the other.

Shut Up n' Play Yer Guitar Some More

presdoug wrote: Hate to say this, but despite his great image as a "merciless critic of the right", Frank Zappa  was a card carrying, dues paying member of the NRA. Oh, well, nobody is perfect. He still had a unique invective.

If true, that really surprises me -- but not because of the issues the NRA supports, but rather because Zappa was suspicious of large organizations in general.  It doesn't surprise me that Zappa would be in favor of gun ownership rights - it just surprises me he would join a group dedicated to that purpose.

darkshade wrote: Has anyone looked at the list of the re-released Zappa albums?  http://www.gandsmusic.com/ZappaCD1.htm This one intrigues me: Sleep Dirt Analog transfer by Joe Travers 2012. Re-mastered by Bob Ludwig, Gateway Mastering 2012. Now without vocals and drum overdubs!

Huh, cool.  I guess they're returning it to its original vinyl mix.  A lot of fans didn't like the versions with Thana Harris's vocals.  I thought they gave the album some variety.  I believe the non-vocal mixes are similar or identical to the ones used for Lather.  I wasn't aware of the drum overdubs though.  I might want to repurchase this one too, eventually!

They're toying with you, to make sure you really want it.

darkshade wrote: This one intrigues me: Sleep Dirt Analog transfer by Joe Travers 2012. Re-mastered by Bob Ludwig, Gateway Mastering 2012. Now without vocals and drum overdubs!

I love how all the reviews on PA that dock points for the vocals now make no sense anymore.

I still have a problem with those albums that came from Lather (Studio Tan, Sleep Dirt, Orchestral Favorites (FZNY being an exception)). I still think Lather is the man's ultimate masterpiece, and to break it up into other albums (6 albums if you include Shiek Yer Bouti and Joe's Garage as they have material also featured on Lather), is terrible. Sure, OF, SD, and FZNY have stuff not on Lather, and vis-versa, but those pieces could have made up a whole new album anyway.

Canterzeuhl wrote: So if I wanted the version of 'We're Only in it for the Money' with uncensored lyrics in the 'Mother People' song, where could I get that? Have those lyrics been restored in this remastering?

There is no uncensored version of the original "Mother People" mix without the overdubs. There never has been. There's an alternative mix on the Mothermania album (available for download on zappa.com and soon to be released on CD as part of the reissue program) that includes the uncensored verse but is different in some aspects. The 1986 remix with the overdubbed drums and bass tracks has the uncensored lyrics, but of course it also has rhythm tracks that were recorded 17 years after the original album. It's out of print, so you'll have to look around for a copy. The current version is the same as the original album, with the original instruments and the censored verse. In fact this album hasn't been remastered at all for the reissue campaign. And I very much doubt that it would still be possible at this point to create a version with the original lyrics, because the tapes - which were already in bad shape in 1986 -  are probably completely degraded at this point.

Edit: Right, the Lumpy Money box set has the 1986 remix as well.

darkshade wrote: I still have a problem with those albums that came from Lather (Studio Tan, Sleep Dirt, Orchestral Favorites (FZNY being an exception)). I still think Lather is the man's ultimate masterpiece, and to break it up into other albums (6 albums if you include Shiek Yer Bouti and Joe's Garage as they have material also featured on Lather), is terrible. Sure, OF, SD, and FZNY have stuff not on Lather, and vis-versa, but those pieces could have made up a whole new album anyway.

They don't just have tracks that are not on Läther, most of the songs are also present in different mixes or entirely different recordings. For example, Sleep Dirt is still the only place where you can get the full-length versions of Filthy Habits, Flambay and The Ocean Is the Ultimate Solution. The versions on Läther are all drastically cut, in the case of Ocean by about five minutes.

As great as Läther is in aggregate, it still doesn't erase the purpose of the original albums.


Edited by HarbouringTheSoul - October 16 2012 at 15:56