It has Inca Roads, one of my very favorite songs. I love this album, except I can do without Po-jamma people (heard it too much, was a hit single, a little repetitious). Every other song absolutely kill IMNSHO :-) A great album! Did I mention Inca Roads? Here is Mike Keneally playing Inca Roads solo on guitar. He breaks a string at the end then finishes on keyboards. This is quite the performance. Mike Keneally Inca Roads Cardiff 16 March 2003 - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pVcN3BjYJ1Q.html Mike was one of Zappa's last stunt guitarists before Zappa's death. Mike interviewed for Zappa by playing selections off of Jazz from Hell. Most of it was written for the Synclaviar and was considered to difficult for humans to play. When Mike said he could play it Frank got the sheet music to test him. He got hired.
Same here, easily some of the most beautiful and complex music ever recorded, solid album musically top to bottom. Overnite Sensation is also very solid, but One Size Fits All just goes so many places and contains so much amazing stuff that it never gets old
The bass lines in FZ's music are criminally underrated. They always ground the songs so solidly without being overly simplistic. Great musicians, great arranging, held steady by the bass and drums.
Valley Girl has a smokin' bass line. I remember some TV ads tried to duplicate it and couldn't do it. "My homage to the best (at least most fun) song for the bass guitar, Frank Zappa´s ´Valley Girl´." Valley Girl by Frank Zappa Bass Cover - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZdKnIt1OqGM.html Also "Wind up Working in a Gas Station" from Zoot Allures (Frank's Punk Album?) has Frank on bass and it's killer! Frank Zappa - Wind up Workin' in a Gas Station - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-iOhVbjsxlH0.html Valley Girl - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ASH9w8t85-E.html Moon Zappa Valley Girl - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Qb21lsCQ3EM.html Enchino is like SO BITCHEN (Valley Girl) There's like the Galleria (Valley Girl) And like all these like really great shoe stores I love going into like clothing stores and stuff I like buy the neatest mini-skirts and stufl It's like so BITCHEN cuz like everybody's like Super-super nice... It's like so BITCHEN... Last idea to cross her mind Had something to do with where to find A pair of jeans to fit her butt And where to get her toenails cut Okay, fine Fer sure Fer sure She's a valley girl And there is no cure
Also, Zappa was a proponent of the bass guitar as the root of the chord so it definitely anchored the song. He commented that when he played with Jack Bruce that he was too busy, and he was used to the bass playing the root of the chord (Apostrophe' album, Apostrophe' song). Additionally, the bass often held the main beat as the drums would often be all over the place.
You are the first reactor I have seen do this particular song. You seem to be committed to this Zappa journey you have found yourself on. I just became a subscriber so I could follow along. You seem to "get it" a lot more than many others, and it will be fun to watch you as you unfold the Zappa Universe. I will, from time to time drop a suggestion on you, but so far, whoever is giving you the clues is doing a fine job. Keep up the good work. Many of his albums had a central theme or story woven through them, such as "Thing Fish" and "Joe's Garage" that you really can't appreciate by sampling bits and pieces, you simply must commit to listening to it start to finish for full effect. Still, what I have seen you react to is definitely some of his finer stuff, and as long as you're having fun with it, it sure is entertaining to watch. Try out "Eat That Question" from his Grand Wazoo album, a short instrumental I think you will like. See you later.
Teez is a good guy, and really is getting into it. I was the one that requested this one, and Eat That Question was in second place, soon. I did send him a new request, Chunga's Revenge, the version from 1988 at Wembley with Dweezil and Frank both jamming on stage together...keep an eye out....
@@dougoneill7266 Great information, cost me half a days pay...my toilet went crazy later on the next day...Oh wait a minute , I didn't know that about JGW. In all seriousness, this is one of my all time favorite Frank albums!
Teez, Zappa rehearsed his bands for months before he would take them on the road. 5-8 hours per day, 5 days a week. Everything Zappa did was done with that amount of precision and dedication to getting what was in his head out into the world exactly the way he heard it. The miracle is that it still sounds spontaneous, fresh and interesting every time. Enjoy yourself man!
Let's talk musicians because they make the song happen, some of the best in the business. On vocals are George Duke (keyboards), Johnny Guitar Watson, Napoleon Murphy Brock (flute & sax). The song also features the genius of Ruth Inderwood - marimba, vibraphone, and percussion, Chester Thompson - drums, and Tom Fowler - bass
That RED SOFA on the front cover. Back in the 1970's there was an artist that took a RED SOFA and traveled around the world. Photos of it were taken everywhere as a world wide Art Project.
Thank you for your Frank Zappa reaction videos. It’s so awesome seeing someone getting into the music that I love. I believe Inca Roads was your first FZ song. It was mine too back in 1976. It’s amazing the way music brings people together.
All the musicians on this album are so extraordinarily great! Frank was the best talent scout! Thing is, he already knew what he would make them do once he got hold of em. And,.... he made it happen! And all 100 percent of them are grateful because he brought it out in them. Raising the, seemingly untouchable bar. Imagine somebody constantly moving the goalpost! And then you realize, you did it, and shined all crazy good on it!!!!
George Duke, Johnny Guiyar Watson( John Watson), ( he was miles ahead of hendrix), and trip daddy tied in one, tsssss, just had to say it, blah blah, keep listening, it's wonderment every time.
This the first Zappa album I heard.. I was 13 in summer of 74. My friends older brought down to us. I loved it immediately. I'm a prog rock listener. This is so progressive. Frank's a musical genius.
Mind Blown Right?!! I love your face at each change!! Great. You can see and hear this music played live by Frank's Son Dweezil Zappa. He is a Fantastic Musician as well!! He tours, when the plague is over. AMAZING SHOW!!!
Here are 3 Zappa songs. 2 of them crack me the F up. The other one is my all time favorite. Please do these. "Joe's Garage" is my favorite song. "Stick it Out" and "Dinah-Moe-Hum" crack me up, also very dirty.
Frank Zappa is like gorgonzola cheese... the first time you taste it your like "What the Fuck is this?" and then a week later you try gorgonzola again and your like... "You know... this weird shit ain't half bad."... and a week later... your refrigerator is full of five different types of imported, expensive, rare gorgonzola.
This is the first album I ever bought with my own earned money when I was 13. I'm 59 now. When I mentioned that to a genius guitarist friend of mine, he suggested my hand was guided by God. I agree. The opening to this piece, with the highly animated dog pack, and the xylophone layered on top, is my favourite all time song opening. Genius composition and playing all round. Top marks for reacting to this piece good sir!
Frank Zappa has a couple of suites (I just learned that word from a fellow Teez commenter ). This one is part of the Andy/Inca/Pogen suite. Absolutely one of my favorites suites of Franks.
@Zolar Czakl I meant suite in the sense that more often than not those three songs are played together, though not always in the same order. There's an ANDY/ INCA/ POGEN on a "beat the boots " called any way the wind blows. Super sick. Especially the ANDY.
@Zolar Czakl it's always 420 here. I got into Zappa by way of phish. In the early days they used to cover PEACHES. Me and my best friend traveled with then for years. My mom bought him PEARL JAM TEN for his birthday one year and we immediately brought it to the record store to trade it in. We got Zappa's ROXY AND ELSEWHERE album. My first Zappa and a good one too.
@Zolar Czakl I just turned 50 so you got 10 years on me. I can sing every word to Billy the Mountain which always freaks out my non Zappa listening friends.
@Zolar Czakl I think the part where it goes NOW SOME FOLKS SAY HE LOOKED ZUBIN MEHTA changed from performance to performance. I think that's why (idk if it was flo or Eddie) laughs
Frank's kid Dweezil & his band opened with this song on tour a couple years ago. Man they killed it. In that band was this female vocalist with the dynamics & range to belt out Zombie Woof & Fifty fifty like no one's business. I was knocked back, truly.
Hi Teez. Once again been loving this for 49 years! Check out The Illinois Enemy Bandit, featuring Ray White 'the assistant Illinois Enemy Bandit' from Z in NY. You'll love it. Psst, I am 68 and live in Oxford, UK. Know US v well. Love your reaction stuff! Keep it going. Future suggestions may follow!
There is not a bad track on the entire One Size Fits All album. I remember it came out about two weeks after I graduated high-school in 1975. I bought it on 8 Trak tape and played it for about a week straight before I ever listened to anything else. For me It's still a remarkable work.
I’m recommending “revised music for guitar and low budget orchestra” from the album studio tan. Some really gorgeous horn charts in this song. Don’t let the orchestra scare you off!
I like that you are going down the Zappa Rabbit Hole! I like that you are going far enough down you got past the sensationalized "funny" stuff. I suggest Grand Wazzoo, Hot Rats, Chunga's Revenge, and Weasels Ripped My Flesh, and Roxy and Elsewhere for some interesting tidbits
Go to a Dweezil Zappa (or when he was alive a Frank concert) & the people can sing & follow along with these amazingly complex tunes because the fan base is so damn rabid.
Zappa does need some time to grow on you. I remember I started from a studio album, then moved to a live album with some of the same songs on it but also with other songs. Then got the studio album with the other songs. And so on and so on. I think you had some great help here finding the right door inside. Because although Zappa is not for everyone, a lot of people just need to find the right entrance at the right time.
One Size Fits All is simply one of the most musically stunning and imaginative albums I've ever heard. I bought it when it came out and never, ever get sick of it. If you haven't done it already, "The Gumbo Variations" from the Hot Rats album is another beauty
As cool as this song is ( and I love it ), Andy remains on the easy listening part of Zappa. Would love to see you react to some weirder stuff : Drowning Witch from the You Cant do that on Stage anymore VOL 3 and The Evil Prince from You Cant do that on Stage anymore VOL 4. They both have what I consider to have the most incredible guitar solos of zappa's carrer.
" Watermelon in Easter hay" stands alone as the most liked composition among the Zappa haters. It's a sedate tempo work that uses just two chords and a run through note and has superb tones. It doesn't sound like a Zappa song except for the short narration in the start.
I think you are right in that initially the music is too complex to fully take in. It takes active listening and some familiarity with Zappa's music before it becomes accessible. For example, the chords are complex (Zappa once said it doesn't get interesting until you get the second octave included). These chords will initially sound dissonant until one gains familiarity. Rhythms are complex and change a lot. Melodies go and on before they repeat, then the variations on the theme will start. There are a lot of instruments, some which may not of been heard before or heard together. The drumming is insane. There is the sheer volume of music data (it's statistical density in Zappa Parlance). I had a music teacher that called it building muscles in your ears. Of course, once you get it, a lot of normal music will sound boring and repetitive in comparison. You may find that you lose your taste for pop music for example. Life is too short to listen to the same boring songs over and over!
Public enemy -so watcha gonna do now , air hoodlum and Hazy shade of the criminal Senser -States of Mind Madball -Heven and hell,Set it of Downset -Anger Biohazard- Punishment
I saw him many times, and a signature of many of his live guitar jams was that burning smoke he stuck under the string at the head of the guitar just before he tore it up!
