Some of my favourite George Duke (keyboards). Frank played a couple of guest guitar solos on the 1974 G.Duke album "Feel". He is listed on the album cover as Obdewl'l X.
The legendary George Duke said in a interview " Frank this melody is too beautiful to mess up, and he would say "It needs. To be messed up"!! And he would throw a wrench in it!!! Very true but that's who Frank was!! He's always been my favorite musician since the late 60s!!!❤
Frank knew that, on some longer parts of a composition, that, he had to introduce some kind of a "stark" change, to get a listeners attention back, so he could make a change in the composition as well. A great example of it is in the live version of "Big Swifty" at three minutes and 58 seconds, from the "You cant do that on stage anymore, Vol 1" album. Right after that, Frank leads in with his guitar, starts out with feedback on a low pitched note, and somehow changes it to a high pitched note. I've never heard anything like that in any other song, and I cant figure out how he did that, but it just sounds wicked.
The whole side two of The Grand Wazoo is incredible! With this song, like so many of Frank's compositions, there's so much going on! For me what does it with this number is the ending where he's got at least four layers happening simultaneously. The marching drums with the latin percussion underneath is phenomenal!! Kudos to Cal Schenkel for the cover artwork you commented on.
Great reaction. Such a joyous melody. Like you, I love how he slows it down into an elemental guitar riff before exploding into the full fanfare at the end
Can you just see those cartoon musicians from the album cover marching with cartoon notes blasting out of their horns and cartoon dust pooting up from their feet!
This piece benefits from the libretto Frank included in the album cover. It's another absurdist movie for the ears. Like a delicious send-up of pomposity, so full of itself, like a musical cartoon war happening to the amusement of the onlooker. This would would be among my desert island choices... I'd never wanna be rescued.
I have heard the original title of this was Eat That Christian, but Frank's bodyguard, John Smothers, who has a unique way of speaking, called it Eat That Question and Frank liked it!. Great jazz rock from Frank though!
To me, it seems like Frank liked to work multiple crescendos into his lengthier tunes, build it up, tone it down, and then finish with the flourish.The ZPZ version is great, especially Sheila's sax solo, but this original version just has a special vibe about it. The question whether Dweezil changes up the songs is obvious if you compare this version to ZPZ's. He started out mimicking Frank. The first time I saw him he replicated the solo from Inca Roads on One Size Fits All, but a few tours later he was clearly tweaking songs and solos to make them unique to his band.
Aynsley Dunbar swings like any British drummer of that era and he's from Beatleland too. He's always had a bit more jazz in him than most of his compatriots and this is one of his high spots. I managed to avoid this one for a long time until the turn of the century, damn it's good though. Filled in a lot of the where did that come from questions I had about recurring Zappa motifs.
The word was, that, after Aynsley parted with the original Fleetwood Mac lineup, that, he would have been the second choice for the "Jimi Hendrix Experience" as drummer. He also played in the Jeff Beck group, and in 2 independent bands, "Retaliation" , and "Blue Whale" before Frank signed him for quite a great run of studio work and tour appearances.
Thanks for letting us know Garlooroztox! Turns out Klasky-Csupo, Inc., an illustration company that started in the '90's illustrated the cartoon(Rugrats) we're talking about. They were definitely inspired by Cal! Check out the link to the "Rugrats"images below: www.alamy.com/stock-photo/rugrats.html
@@SightAfterDark Arlene Klasky was a friend of mine long ago, but I haven't seen her in decades. Her husband was the stylist on the shows I believe and he did an LP cover for Zappa. I forget which one. Cal does art for Zappa fans and had a lot of influence on us hippie drawers.
This right here. I love Frank's instrumentals, and this is in my top three. He threw everything, including possibly, the kitchen sink at you there at the end. Most of the time his instrumentals are way too short, this one's no exception.
1. Do these guys already know the story behind the title - i.e the undifferentiated tissue and so on? 2. Despite this version being widely regarded as a highpoint for George and Aynsley (more than Frank), during George's major tenure with the group (73-early 75) Eat That Question was only infrequently performed, and then it tended to be all about Frank, certainly it never had a solo-piano intro. (In 1988 of course they had Mike Keneally playing George's intro note for note, but the song was just used as a kind of preamble to Black Napkins, which is frustrating).
LATE NIGHT FM RADIO IS WHEN THIS TRACK WAS PLAYED UNDER THE COVERS WITH THE TRANSISTOR FREAKING OUT ON THE RHODES PIANO THEN GETTING DECIMATED BY FRANK'S SOLO ALL THE WHILE THE DRUMS ACTING LIKE LEAD GUITAR. FANTASTIC.
one of my fav Zappa tracks. For me, this shows that getting thrown into the orchestra pit months earlier was, musically, a blessing in disguise. Time to reflect, to realise Flo&Eddie were a pair of pricks, turning the Mothers into just a comedy group. The albums after them are musically superior in every way. I love all versions of this track but have to admit my favourite version is by ZPZ.
@@cliffspencer9989 Thanks Cliff, nice to get a comment from a non rabid, uncocooned without pervert tendencies Zappa fan, unlike quite a few on here, lol.
I really like this piece as like like the entire album. And in case it has escaped you, there is a RU-vid movie out with the same title and the subtitle Frank Zappa in his own words. For many years I was pestering a friend of mine with Frank, but he couldn't really warm up to him until he watched that movie. Then h was wow and ah, this man was not only intelligent and educated, but he also had a frim stance on certain things, meaning he could not be fooled. That's what my friend said
A several things to mention: 0. Thank you, at last (I like this song so much). 1. First of all: Himself (one of my fav masterpieces); 2. GDuke; 3. ADunbar; 4. Erroneous. 1-4. They all shine together; 5. At last, thank you (oh, I repeat myself ;) ); 6. The connection: So, this was 1972... In 1977 here comes Adrian Belew, stolen from FZ by the guy on your tee, Sifa, whereupon Frank invented the phrase "F*ck you Captain Tom" :) 7. No idea what question He's talking abpout, and no desire to eat it....
@@SightAfterDark Good, thank you!...Actually, you remind me of how I view at FZ's music - as time continuity, He like a wizzard manipulating the sounds into air sculptures (as He calls them), like you can model plasticine into different forms in your hands
Awesome as always guys! This is a gem from the Grand Wazoo album... you were feeling it, apparently Frank was suffering from "smelly wrists" whilst recording this and George Duke was showing his disgust by quacking loudly into an ice cream cone.... by the end of the session George had jumped onto Franks back and revealed his skin flute, pressing it against Franks face.....
Love George love Frank love sight after dark love life... Fz liked Charles Ives another great American composer, who also was mainly ignored. Good luck with the podcast
I’ve been a fan since 1966 and this has never dropped out of my Top Ten favorite songs. It’s so driven and just perfect! Best rock riff I’ve ever heard. BTW the original title is Eat That Christian!
Now that you've done the original, I HIGHLY recommend watching Dweezil's (Frank's son) band, Zappa Plays Zappa do this one on their 2006 tour. The sax solo is worth it. Trust me. A shade over 4 minutes. Scheila Gonzales is a MONSTER on the sax. I will await the reaction. It will blow your mind. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fpeHoPc-MFk.html
At 5.17 of the video, at the end of the guitar solo... you made a face. I'm guessing that you heard something in the mix that didn't sound quite right. And you are correct. It would seem that something about the last notes of that guitar solo didn't make Frank happy, and so... he cut it out. The problem is... Frank is such a FANTASTIC editor that when he fucks it up... it sticks out like cockroach on a birthday cake. This is one of Franks WORST edits in a song EVER. Which gives it a certaion charm for us Zappa fans that are used to him being nothing less than perfect 99% of the time. Go back and listen again, and you will hear (and never be able to UNhear) the ugly edit. In one of his best songs. Note...another REALLY BAD EDIT happens in the ending monolouge of The Blue Light on the words "your language".
