Everything Zappa Podcast #2 - About Mo 'n herb's vacation, Sinister footwear #3, Greggery Peccary

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Thats right folks don't touch that dial!
The second installment of the Everything Zappa podcast is now here. In this episode Mike and I talk about three of FZ's great orchestral pieces.
- Mo's Vacation/Mo N Herb's Vacation,
- The third movement to Sinister Footwear
- and The Adventures of Greggery Peccery.
So grab yourself some headphones and sit back, relax and click on the link to enjoy EZPodcast#2.
December 10 2015
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By Mike Genovese and Marc Atkinson, two musicians from the Berklee school.
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My great friend Mike Genovese and I share a passion for the music of Frank Zappa. We like to consider ourselves amateur historians of his music. We enjoy talking about this stuff so much that we thought there might be other people who would like to listen and join in as well so we decided to do a podcast of everything Frank Zappa.
Understanding the processes which led to the development of Frank’s music is the primary goal. Also listening to the puzzle pieces that Frank offers puts us in the position of being almost like detectives trying to solve a mystery case. We don’t claim to know everything about Frank. The only thing we can assure you is that our motivation is our passion for Frank’s genius. These podcasts are not about us, but FZ only.
castbox.fm/channel/Everything...

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11 окт 2018

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Комментарии : 22

@andreasrosenberg9317 3 года назад

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thanx!!!

@Ed_Mann 2 года назад

The reconstructed form with L Shankar that you’re talking about was a combined mix of group improv and Frank’s general directive to include parts of Mo’s as we chose to. Frank loosely conducted it but there was also and established directive to take liberties and have fun with things like this, in my case it was a job description. “If you hear something weird or outrageous, just do it. Don’t look at me for approval, you’ll lose the moment. Just do it and if I don’t like it, I’ll tell you later.” This was one of the amazing things about Frank’s Creatuve process. In that performance with Shankar, a lot of what you hear (at least from me) is improvised variations of parts of Mo’s. Sadly, in his autobiography, Frank denies that critical aspect of his own creative process, which had been active from the beginning through 1982, and even 1988 although through the back door then. Regardless, the example you’ve provided in this presentation is a great one, and this experimental directive gave Frank’s music a spontaneous element of surprise, which few other composers allowed for. Kudos to Frank for encouraging/ requiring it 😃.

@Ed_Mann 2 года назад

Thank you, this is the most accurate reconstruction yet. It’s correct that Frank talked about a writing piece called M’s V written as a solo piece for David in, July 1978. In early August he walked in with the a piece with a hand written title “For Ed Mann” which he wanted me to sight read for him. I did, and made the huge mistake of telling Frank how potentially great I thought it was. The next day, a new copy arrives with the printed title “Blow Job.” An important lesson about Frank is contained in that example. If he thought you to loved his music, you’d lose his respect,and be punished. But the bigger story is, everything from Frank to his musicians was a test of how far he could push them w/re to their unconditional commitment. A a stated testament of loving Mo’s was a death sentence for the version that inspired my comment, and as punishment, this great piece retitled as “blow job”. But it was all a test. “Do you still love my music?.” Until one stopped with the effusive compliments, the process of degrading titles and/or lyrics would continue.

@joeydanielski962 Год назад

I bet you've got some stories.

@Ed_Mann 2 года назад

Mo’s was written for David Ocker, in exchange for services rendered. He could immediately play it. Frank basically hijacked the piece and retitled it, giving it to the band. Ocker soon performed it solo, and his performance was great. I never claimed jt was written for me, even when for one week he retitled it for me.

@Ed_Mann 2 года назад

Sinister Footwear #3 was, as you mention originally “Persona Non Grata.” The original release that I have was entitled that, and the mix is a little bit of keyboard atmosphere, the replaced rhythm section tracks, Frank’s guitar and mallets. I wasn’t aware of the remixes, I think they are interesting, but for me there’s something about the purity of the original mix that outweighs any subsequent remixes. But this syndrome was typical Frank. IMO getting too mental about already great mixes, overthinking it and making changes which lessened the greatness of the original.

@ferminleon Год назад

Loved the podcast! How may one get a look at his orchestral scores?

@christianutkeschiler6636 3 года назад

There is a british TV segment about the LSO recordings, where you see Chad and the timpanist (Kurt-Hans Goedicke) sitting together, somewhat isolated.At least they don't appear to be on stage next to everybody else, hence it would be easier to take the drums out of a track.

@Ed_Mann 2 года назад

You assume a lot. The problem with assumptive statements is that ppl, - esp Zappa fans - see stuff others have written on social media, and they run with it as the truth. Meanwhile, it’s entirely incorrect. This disease has come to define the social media Zappa fan base, and to be one who was there, knows the truth and is trying to insert truth into the myth has become virtually impossible. And yet we are talking about the most prolific, ground breaking composer of the 20th century. Right? Ok: Sitting to the side is not why the drums weren’t included in the mix. It’s the opposite, Chad and Kurt are sitting to the side because their parts were taken out of the arrangement that was finally recorded. As I recall, even their instruments were taken off the riser to eliminate any possibility of stray resonance. I would not write this stuff if I didn’t care about Frank’s legacy (not easy after enduring his social control methodology for many years) and, if I hadn’t been right there in the room as part of what ppl who weren’t there write about as though it were truth. which it’s not. I hope this helps. Thank you.

@TylerBartram 5 лет назад

You Are What You Is was actually sped up which is why the pitch is different. What is the first recording of the Sinister Footwear III (17:56) that you guys played from? It sounds like Synclavier.

@smorrow 4 года назад

A PDF of the full score for SF is out there, so this is likely just someone's midi of it. Related note, I believe Scott Thunes has said there's a Synclavier Mo's Vacation.

@smorrow 4 года назад

Probably this, someone just mentioned it on /r/zappa: www.zappateers.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=30199

@Ed_Mann 2 года назад

@@smorrow I’d love to read that but the link now leads to a dead page. Whatever it is, unless it’s written by someone who was there in 1978, I can guaranty that it’s not accurate. The fan “expert” grapevine about things like this is conjectured guesswork at best, purposeful myth at worst.

@Ed_Mann 2 года назад

@Tyler Bartram The original SF3 was Persona Non Grata. Maybe you’re referring to Mo’s V?

@smorrow 2 года назад

@@Ed_Mann It was an audio rendition of a midi.

@smorrow 4 года назад

Thanks for the explanation why the LSO version is missing the drumkit. It bothers me, so a justification is nice to have. What I really like about those Mo's Vacation-, Manx Needs Women-type pieces is there's a tactus. It's what I like about Ionisation as well. It's what I dislike about things like The Girl In The Magnesium Dress. If anyone can reply with more compositions of the type I like, especially if there's a drumkit in the ensemble, that would be great. Random side note, John Adam's _Chamber Symphony_ has a drum set in the ensemble, and the next in the series (which is inferior to the first) is called _Son of Chamber Symphony_. I can't imagine that's not a nod to Zappa. He has to have been aware of Zappa; he was at the _The Rage and the Fury_ sessions.

@Ed_Mann 2 года назад

Tactus is a unit of measurement used in medieval music, or an alliteration of tactile = to do with touch. Both are definitions. Do you mean Ictus? If so, I’d love to hear how that ties together the pieces you’ve mentioned. I’m not dissing you, I’m genuinely interested in hearing your logic. If you mean ictus, of course it’s a subjective, abstract stretched use of the word, but that’s common in the world of academic, new music.

@Ed_Mann 2 года назад

The Oct 78 solo was not a premiere of “sinister footwear.” It’s simply a solo that Frank played. Where do you guys get this stuff? You’re specifically falsifying the truth, I guess because you want to sound authoritative. But it’s really wrong, and there’s no excuse for it. If you want to debate any of this, bring it.

@Ed_Mann 2 года назад

I don’t know where you guys get this stuff about Franks academic systemic development of Sinister Footwear. That didn’t happen. It was all after the fact retitling. The name Sinister Footwear began in 1981 as a title of what was first only the middle section of what’s heard on the 82 recording. You’re really not helping anything by creating these stories. I guess the rrcirding that you don’t have is the original PNG mix on the original you are what you is.