MacDaddy Posted June 17, 2016 Posted June 17, 2016 In listening to some Zappa, where should one start? Recommendations? Ta. Quote
mike f Posted June 17, 2016 Posted June 17, 2016 Well you could start with Freak Out! and work your way through! If there's a particular song/piece of his you've heard then you could seek out albums from that era. I started by seeing a video of a performance of King Kong which I incorrectly guessed as being from the mid 70s (there was no caption on the video tape I'd borrowed). So I bought a mid 70s LP and worked backwards until I hit 1968 and there it was! By that time I'd got fully into his early 70s. After that I just carried on from 1975 and worked forward. The You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore series are a good mix of songs from different albums/eras. You might want to give them a listen. There's a load of material and plenty I didn't get into straight away and now love. So be bold! What have you heard so far? Quote
skidder652003 Posted June 17, 2016 Posted June 17, 2016 Over-Nite Sensation and Apostrophe (1973/74) are where I would start Quote
YouMa Posted June 17, 2016 Posted June 17, 2016 zappa stuff is all over the place i would start with hot rats,joes garage,zoot allures,apostrophie,overnight sensation. Quote
phil.c60 Posted June 17, 2016 Posted June 17, 2016 and Zoot Allures, and Joe's Garage, and and and.....just dive on in and keep going! If you like the songs where he pokes fun at people/music genres/other bands/himself try "Have I Offended Somebody?" a compilation of some of his more scurrilous numbers. Quote
Heathy Posted June 17, 2016 Posted June 17, 2016 YCDTOSA volumes 1 and 3 Apostrophe/Overnite sensation One size fits all You are what you is Joes Garage Quote
NickD Posted June 17, 2016 Posted June 17, 2016 So tough because there's so much. For me top 3 would be Broadway the Hard Way, Sheik Yerbouti, and Man from Utopia. The 2 later compilations, Strictly Commercial and Have I offended Someone? have a pretty wide range between them, probably a good starting point. Quote
luckydog Posted June 17, 2016 Posted June 17, 2016 Joe's Garage Acts I, II & III is a concept album about what can happen if you choose a career in music. It begins with Joe's progress from teen garage band, with fantastic variations of a simple two bar 3 chord song that totally sums up my formative music years. Takes a meandering journey through the totally messed up world of music and ends with Joe doing a deal with the law never to play again. The last song, Watermelon in Easter Hay, is sublime Zappa guitar work, and is imagined by Joe as one last act before surrendering his musical soul. Profound. A whole raft of musical genres and vintage irreverent and offensive Zappa immaculately played as ever. Lengthy, it was a triple album on vinyl (I still play it!)...... Remember : The white zone is for loading and unloading only....... LD Quote
Ceebass Posted June 17, 2016 Posted June 17, 2016 I would second Hot Rats and Apostrophe, but throw in Make A Jazz Noise Here as well. The playing is great all round and it is just so... Frank. Quote
ras52 Posted June 17, 2016 Posted June 17, 2016 [quote name='luckydog' timestamp='1466189998' post='3074059'] . The last song, Watermelon in Easter Hay, is sublime Zappa guitar work, and is imagined by Joe as one last act before surrendering his musical soul. Profound. [/quote] You forgot what happens after he surrenders his musical soul... A Little Green Rosetta - dumb repetition of a jolly little phrase, which in context is a grim downbeat ending 😥 I don't quite remember where I started with Zappa. I love the band with George Duke and Tom Fowler - try the YCDTOSA volume subtitled The Helsinki Concert. The late 70s/80s stuff is great too - Sheik Yerbouti, You Are What You Is - and my favourite, "side two" of Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch. Dive in! Quote
rushbo Posted June 17, 2016 Posted June 17, 2016 (edited) It's a massively broad, intimidating back catalogue. I started with Sheik Yerbouti...a great combination of accessible Rock tunes and otherworldly weirdness. That's a good place to start, along with Overnite Sensation, One Size Fits All and Zoot Allures. Edited June 17, 2016 by rushbo Quote
Dad3353 Posted June 17, 2016 Posted June 17, 2016 It makes sense, I reckon, to go through chronologically, if one wishes to piece together the evolution and shifting band formations. Too many good numbers to just cherry-pick, so I'd recommend one different album every two days, with one day off in between, starting from the beginning. That's keep you busy for quite a while... Quote
mr zed Posted June 17, 2016 Posted June 17, 2016 (edited) [quote name='rushbo' timestamp='1466192244' post='3074087'] It's a massively broad, intimidating back catalogue. I started with Sheik Yerbouti... [/quote] Yep - Sheik Yerbouti is a great place to start followed by Tinsel Town Rebellion then Joe's Garage then Them or Us then..... Edited June 17, 2016 by mr zed Quote
paul_5 Posted June 17, 2016 Posted June 17, 2016 [i]Broadway The Hardway, Apostrophe[/i] and [i]Sheik Yebouti[/i] are my recommendations for anyone wanting to dip their toes into Zappa's massive body of work. Great players and great tunes each and everyone. Stuff to save for later would be [i]Weasels Ripped My Flesh[/i] and [i]Uncle Meat[/i] Quote
LZD56 Posted June 17, 2016 Posted June 17, 2016 I started with Hot Rats, Chunga's Revenge, Weasels Ripped My Flesh (superb sleeve art) & Live at the Filmore East, but I'm probably older than most 😉 Quote
grandad Posted June 17, 2016 Posted June 17, 2016 (edited) From [i]Freak Out! [/i]onwards we always looked forward to the next FZ album knowing that it would be completely different from the previous. Musically he was accomplished. You will be enraptured by some compositions and bemused by others. Were to start? Anywhere. [url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Zappa_discography#Albums"]https://en.wikipedia...cography#Albums[/url] Edited June 17, 2016 by grandad Quote
MoonBassAlpha Posted June 18, 2016 Posted June 18, 2016 My introduction to Zappa was round at Jakko Jackzyk's (King Crimson) house,where he played me St. Alphonso's pancake breakfast off Apostrophe, and I was hooked. His band at the time sounded like that, so clearly a big influence (64 Spoons, if anyone remembers them...) Quote
miles'tone Posted June 18, 2016 Posted June 18, 2016 The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life. It really is. Quote
Pinball Posted June 18, 2016 Posted June 18, 2016 [quote name='YouMa' timestamp='1466186493' post='3074026'] zappa stuff is all over the place i would start with hot rats,joes garage,zoot allures,apostrophie,overnight sensation. [/quote] That sounds about right to me. I seem to remember that he'd already done about 40 albums before zoot alures came out. I saw him around 79-80 in Newcastle. Class act and a great band. Wicked sense of humour too. Check out the hippy piss-take "we're only in it for the money" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-9FX7bhESs Quote
MacDaddy Posted June 19, 2016 Author Posted June 19, 2016 [quote name='mike f' timestamp='1466185945' post='3074015'] What have you heard so far? [/quote] Stevie's spanking Why does it hurt when I pee You are what you is and probably lots more but as background music at parties. The responses have highlighted both the problem, and the joy that Zappa offers. Quote
spongebob Posted June 19, 2016 Posted June 19, 2016 Been a Beefheart fan for years, but I too have only recently started my FZ journey (solo, heard some Mothers' stuff before) - our outgoing drummer is a Zappa nut! He started me with 'Apostrophe' and 'Over-Nite Sensation'. Both really good. Tried 'Just Another Band From LA' - found that very hard going! 'Studio Tan' a bit easier. It's certainly a journey. I'm watching this thread with interest, and I'll be checking out the suggestions so far! Quote
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