OMG, where to start with Zappa? Dynamo Hum, Montana, The Torture Never Stops, The Illinois Enema Bandit, Nanook Rubs It (Don't Eat The Yellow Snow), Bobby Brown Goes Down, Joe's Garage, Broken Hearts Are For Assholes, Carolina Hardcore Ecstasy, The Closer You Are, In France, Sharleena, Baby Take Your Teeth Out, Honey Don't You Want A Man Like Me, Cosmic Debris, My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama, I'm The Slime, Tell Me You Love Me, Valley Girl, Be In My Video. . . I could go on forever.
Excellent review . You totally dig it . Have you tried black napkins live amazing it’s long tho ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hfMtYvFRBbc.html
Fantastic band! Ruth Underwood on percussion, George Duke on keys, Napoleon Murphy Brock on flute and vocals, Tom Fowler on bass and Chester Thompson on drums. Absolutely fabulous!
Ruth Underwood, the vibes & marimba player, was also a big Steely Dan fan, so much so that Zappa commented '"They’re one of my favorite groups,” said Frank Zappa in Miami, briefly speaking in a serious vein. “I like their modality, their melodicism. Their lyrics aren’t bad in that vein they’re working, that downer surrealism. “As relaxing listening music, I’d give it a 98. One person in our band, Ruth Underwood, would give them about a 120. She really fetishes ’em. She’s usually got their cassette reamed into her ear”."
Not being tied down by Corporate Radio and shite record deals, etc. allowed F.Z. complete artistic freedom and free-flowing, prolific creativity. I wouldn’t say Frank ‘Francisco’ Zappa was ‘underrated’ by anyone whose opinion matters, however.
I had the great privilege of meeting Ruth Underwood a few years back. Not only is she an absolute virtuoso but the nicest person you could ever hope to meet.
If you saw the Alice Winters Zappa documentary than you may remember Ruth Underwood telling the story of bringing a letter to Frank's house a short time before he passed away and it's a very emotional story!! I also love her story on how she began to play with Frank and the mothers!!
Zappa's influence reached far and wide in the musical landscape. All of this was recorded live, with no studio trickery. The craziest bit about him is that he WASN'T into drugs. Most of his craziest ideas were the product of a boundless sense of musical exploration and sleep deprivation due to being on the road all the time.
Another level to the rabbit hole is Zappa plays Zappa, Dweezil does a fantastic job. He even adds to the music, does his own improv. Dweezil's solo on Inca Roads is well worth the time.
I have been waiting for this one! Ruth Underwood is phenomenal on this... George Duke on keys and vocals.... Just the best! So much fun and incredibly complex at the same time.... and of course Frank wailing away.... Good silliness with the claymation too.
Jamel, congratulations on your introduction to REAL Zappa. It ain’t all just funny songs about poop and boogers. It’s a blend if avant-garde classical, prog rock, jazz fusion, and STELLAR guitar solos, played by some of the greatest musician in the industry at the top of their game.
FZ constantly changed the lineup of his musicians (album-to-album, tour-to-tour) for a variety of reasons but brought back Ruth over and over again because of her immeasurable musical talents. She can't be appreciated enough!
Ian Underwood & Zappa "Pieces En Regalia" is a great instrumental piece (no pun intended). Unfortunately but that how the life goes sometimes, Ruth Underwood quit the band to save her marriage with Ian and did not play for decades. But sadly it did not save the marriage.
@Zolar Czakl Oh so I remembered it wrong, and you spelled pieces wrong. There is a documentary where Ruth herself states having not touched the mallet for two decades. He did play with Zappa on a project short time before Zappa's passing, describing how she had to rehearse like mad.
When you see Frank using all those hand gestures that's him conducting the rest of the band. This is probably the best group of musicians he ever assembled.
The Beatles got me into music. Then Zappa got me INTO music. What's so impressive about Zappa's choice of musicians is that they had to be that good just to get in the door.
This track comes from the album "One Size Fits All" and the features: Frank Zappa: Guitar and Vocals George Duke: Keyboards and Vocals Napoleon Murphy Brock: Flute, Saxophone and Vocals Ruth Underwood: Marimba, Vibraphone and percussion Chester Thompson: Drums, sound effects and voices Tom Fowler: Bass Guitar Zappa was both an incredibly gifted composer and a stern task master. The material sounds as good as it does because it's extremely rehearsed. Frank was a guy who would do anything for his friends but he had a perfectionists temper and only the best musicians were good enough for the various groups he formed and played with.
Ruth Underwood on marimba, and percussion. George Duke on synthesizer and lead vocal. Tip of the iceberg. There is so much talent on that stage. Thanks for this reaction!
That’s the immortal George Duke on keyboards and vocals. Zappa is def an acquired taste. I love some of his music and there’s other stuff where I think he’s just trying to show everyone how smart he is. Inca Roads is a great one though. 🔥
Immortal George Duke, immortal Chester Thompson, immortal Ruth Underwood, immortal Napoleon Murphy Brock, immortal Tom Fowler and, of course, immortal Frank Zappa. They're ALL immortal!!! A truly special band that was! This was my favourite period of Zappa's career: Over-Nite Sensation, Apostrophe ('), Roxy & Elsewhere, One Size Fits All (my personal favourite), Bongo Fury (with Beefheart) and Zoot Allures. Some personnel changes along the way, but still sensational!
@@muzikmind77 Duke has some amazing albums. I hope he checks out something from "Master of the Game", that album is legendary! Shiela E even on that junk!
@Zolar Czakl I don't really disagree with you. I see Zoot Allures as a bit of a transitional album, with one foot in the past and one in the future. But I included it because it was the first studio album released after Bongo Fury, but mostly for Black Napkins, which is one of my favourite Zappa tunes. Over-Nite Sensation also had a somewhat different lineup, though stylistically was more in line with Apostrophe and One Size Fits All than Zoot Allures. But I just love Black Napkins, Wind Up Workin' In a Gas Station and The Torture Never Stops, so I just couldn't leave it off my list. Cheers!
I always love watching Ruth Underwood navigate through incredibly difficult parts with ease. RIP Frank. Also RIP George Duke (keys) who made so much incredible music in his lifetime.
Yeah totally, what I got from that song was Frank solemnly looking back on his life and finally accepting his death which was soon. "He knows the end is near... his last imaginary guitar solo" very beautiful
@@theodoreritola9758 No it wasn't. We had record unemployment, double digit inflation and bombings of Federal Buildings along with rioting in the streets. The only good thing was the music.
@@theodoreritola9758 I was listening to this when it came out in 1975 ... 15 years old, with my friends in the basement gathered around the bong .... it was amazing then - still great ... loved all of zappa's stuff ... I might be movin' to montana soon ...
"That woman" is Ruth Underwood who was studying at Juilliard when she began to play with Frank's band The Mothers of Invention back in the mid-60s!! She is nothing short of amazing!!
You can’t go through your entire life without hearing, at least, one or two Frank Zappa songs. It’s an experience. The talent of every band member is insane. Zappa employed only the best.
Frank Zappa was certainly a 'fusionist.' You can tell this, by how various music styles as well as instruments, get jammed together in a song. There's 'fusion jazz.' Zappa just didn't stick to the jazz genre. He could go all over the map. But that's what made Zappa unique. As for the video... Good clean acid will give you a great ride!
James - Zappa was directly anti-drugs. He threw more than 1 fine musician out of the Mothers for drug abuse. Bottom line Frank Zappa didn’t need any drugs for his mind to wander into all sorts of weird places.
“Some of you might have read a book called ‘Chariots of the Gods’ by Erich von Daniken.” - Frank Zappa during his introduction to Inca Roads in Roxy the Movie.
I have been listening to music all of my life, and I swear to you, this is one of the most incredible musical compositions/performances I have ever heard, and it's all because of the unbelievably creative genius of the mind of Frank Zappa. ..... May he rest in peace ...
This is the shizzle. And you know how great George Duke is to rally an extremely rare Zappa smile (9:20) - that s#!t on the keys is hotttt, and Frank is knowing it! Also big shout out to Ruth Underwood on vibes who cooked it every gig.
Montana off the same album mixes silly lyrics with Tina Turner and the Ikettes singing plus Zappa tearing into one of my all time favorite rock guitar solos.
The consistent fact is that if you were in Zappa's band, you were a virtuoso. You had to be. The music was so incredibly detailed and complicated. He was doing things nobody could have imagined in ways nobody could comprehend. If you weren't one of the best of the best, you didn't stick around too long.
this was the RIGHT version to pick!! George Duke -keys and weirdness; ruthe underwood - xylophone; chester thompson on drumd11; napoleon MURPHY BROCK ON SAX, FLUTE CLARINET and VOCALS... dream band from around the roxy and elsewhere tapings.. also that is SNL's old studio!
Jamal, when you read other artists liner notes you will often see the bands references to others for their inspiration. The more of these you read the more often you'll see inspiration from Frank Zappa......a true American musical genius!
I literally grew up listening to Zappa , my older brothers got me into one size fits all and overnight sensation when I was like 6 or 7 years old. Watching you love this stuff is like old friends meeting new ones and hitting it off . Awesome! Frank Zappa is famously quoted as saying " A mind is like a parachute if it's not open it doesn't work " keep up the magic Jamal
Thanks for more Zappa! A master musician. So much great material. A creative giant. Unreal guitar playing and more and more of a complex composer evolving into a real maestro. So glad I saw him a few times.
George Duke on keyboards - we lost him not too long ago, but everything he ever did is absolutely terrific. He somehow managed to merge real experimental improvisation with the soothing sounds of the Black church, and do it without sounding artificial. Amazing.
George Duke - keyboards/synth - you'll love his solo work. He was always very appreciative of what his work with Frank provided. George Duke was a music master. Saw this band in this period. 3 hours of amazing.
Side note: this generation of Frank's band was incredibly funky. Chester Thompson is one of my all time favorite drummers because he brought that stank!
... almost 50 years old and still as fresh and innovative as the day it was made. I was extremely lucky to be introduced to Frank Zappa music by a friend of mine in high school in the late 70s.
OK, three things: First, Frank was a goddamn genius and I literally miss him every day. Second, George Duke said that when he joined the band he didn't sing or play the synthesizer, but Frank basically tricked and browbeat him into doing both. Third, speaking of Primus, they are on tour again and are playing the entirety of Rush's "A Farewell to Kings" album every night.
It's no wonder that Zappa and the Mother's didn't fit into the rock and radio scene. They weren't meant to fit. They were their own thing, for sure. Amazing musicians.
As good as the studio version of this is, this live performance blows it away and really shows the command Frank had over what had to have been the best incarnation of his group ever. So very tight!
Hey Jamal! I'm really glad you finally got round to reviewing my favourite piece of music ever, and I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Another 3000 listens and you'll be next to me! This was the best band Zappa ever had in my opinion, but it also happens to be my favourite era - prog and fusion. I love it so much.
I've listened to this so many times, from about the time that the album came out...I'm still knocked out every time I hear or see a vid of the performance. Everyone playing is amazing, but George Duke on the keyboards and vocals is a standout, along with Ruth Underwood, everyone's crush, crushing it on the vibes and percussion. I read in the comments here that Ruth was a huge fan of Steely Dan, amplifying my admiration for her! Drummer, bass, flute and sax, all incredibly gifted musicians. And then there's Frank...!!!
Frank was a symphonic composer at heart, and he demanded a level of precision and virtuosity from his musicians equal to any orchestra. This is my favorite Zappa band!
"WAS THAT SPED UP?!?" @9:58 Haha....No, it wasn't sped up. That was just Ruth Underwood on the xylophone playing an amazing "cadenza" perfectly in sync with drummer Chester Thompson. And every single note of it was written for them on paper by Frank Zappa.
Just to add a little more about the percussionist Ruth Underwood; I saw Zappa at Ithaca College in January 1975. He was sick but still put on an incredible show. During the show he let it be known that Ruth had attended Ithaca College school of music. During one of her solos, everything suddenly stopped and FZ said "I wonder if Ruth is thinking-'I wonder what would have happened if I had graduated from here' ". The crowd went crazy and Ruth went absolutely wild on percussion. He gave her a lot of air time that night.
Mine as well. I was a junior in high school when Burnt Weeny Sandwich was released, and I can truthfully say that it, and especially Little House, changed my life.
One of mine too, and no-one has done a reaction to it as yet. I would like to see a reaction from Jamal and from a classical musician / composer to LHIUTLI
Yeah, incredible. A song from outer space. This track seems to be from the Helsinki concert on "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2" in original version. The song "Inca Roads" is also on the album "One Size Fits All". There the guitar solo has been over dubbed.
This particular version of the band is one of his best. This is what Zappa is all about. MASSIVE talent in his bands that can still groove. So damn good and there is so much to choose from that isn't the super weird stuff. Keep in mind that EVERYTHING you heard has been transcribed and written by Frank; drums, keys, percussion, bass and the spoken vocal cues. It's insane how Frank's brain worked. Welcome to the club Jamel. Your journey has only started. George Duke: Keyboards/main vocals Chester Thompson: Drums Napoleon Murphy Brock: Flute/Sax Tom Fowler: And last but EVER least the absolutely amazing Ruth Underwood: Marimba and other assorted percussion.
Ruth!!!!!!! Amazing George Duke did not sing before this nor did he play synthesizers pretty amazing with musicians are capable of. No digital BS no click track hard-working musicians all brilliant in their own way a wonderful little piece of genius from our Frank enjoyed watching your befuddled amused and amazed expressions on this one Jamel! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Ruth’s description of Franks musical writing for her says it all about his genius ! She says to write for her parts is the hardest part of an orchestra and his was so detailed & precise!
Frank Zappa was always underestimated even by his biggest fans -- his talent was unfathomable. Saw him 3 times in concert. His guitar playing alone was incredible, and his live shows were other-worldly.
that woman on the marimba is named Ruth Underwood and shes a percussion LEGEND. the ending where they go "on Ruth" "On Ruth" "That's Ruth" is frank showcasing one of his longest recording/live partners. She also did a lot of the female voices on the interludes and in the songs on the albums
I love Polo Reacts!! You are helping raise awareness of probably the best songwriter, composer and guitarist who will EVER live. I hope you keep it up. I have been a diehard fan for 50 years! I was scoffed at by my friends for my love of Zappa, but they just did not understand satire nor the complexity of his music. There are many songs of FZ’s that I would love to hear your reaction to. One song is on Live in NY CD and is called The Illinois Enema Bandit. The next is off the Zoot Allures album and is The Torture Never Stops,and is a commentary on the history of torture chambers since time immemorial. It’s a profound work- one that gives cold chills from start to finish. I think if you could find an historian with a working knowledge of these hideous “dungeons of despair” who could possibly provide some social commentary on torture over the centuries and how it still goes on today. Thank you again for your amazing showcasing of Zappa, the man, the musician, the genius! You should also react to all of the CD One Size Fits All as well as all of Sheik Yerbouti-both masterpieces-and my personal favorite, the live album Zappa, Beefheart and the Mothers, Bongo Fury. Thank you again!Peace!
George Duke was probably FZ's best keyboardist ever, and managed to maintain his own style - funky "hard bop" jazz - within Frank's band. Which very few were able to. Frank also got George singing, which he'd never done before, got him into synth and other electronic keyboards, and jump-started his subsequent funk and fusion career.
Between 1977 to 1982, I worked part time at the Montreal Forum, as an employee, I had the opportunity to see all the concerts and hockey games presented at the Forum. Among others: Queen, Jethro Tull, Frank Zappa, Moody Blues, The Woo, Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant, Supertramp, Nazareth, and many more. The best job of my life. But the one with the best sound was, without a doubt, Frank Zappa.
Zappa told George Duke that he was singing instead of "just" playing the keyboard when joining this band. George whent "But i dont sing".. I play" Zappa proved right yet again. All the love and respect for Duke. Best keyboard player in history 🥰 Miss your music
Inca Roads is one of my favorite Zappa compositions. The percussionist's name is Ruth Underwood. The keyboardist is George Duke, who had his own successful solo jazz career. Frank always hired top rate musicians because a lot of his music was quite complicated. I've been a fan for decades.
I loved Frank way back when, all my friends thought I was nuts when I'd listen to the album "Burnt Wienie Sandwich" over and over again. I'd like to see your reaction to "Holiday in Berlin-Full Blown" from that album.
I love it when some one discovers Zappa. He’s a treasure. You won’t like everything he’s done but he was never afraid to take chances. And sometimes it crashed and burned. And sometimes you get this masterpiece.
Every time I see a reaction to Zappa's pieces, it bring tears in my eyes. It's always amazing. :) BTW, Ruth Underwood came from orchestra background, shes'a an incredible performer.
Such a great choice Jamel. There is a lot in this whole genre. You could venture into Weather Report, late 70s Herbie Hancock and the HeadHunters, And other “jazz-fusion” groups. Keep going bro.
On Ruth ! On Ruth ! That's Ruth !!! Seen this done live several times. I recommend seeing Frank's son Dweezils travelling band. They play nothing but Frank's music and they do it well. Seeing it live is believing. Amazing music played by amazing musicians.
Yes I started listening to Frank Zappa in about 1969 before I graduated high school and if you start listening to stuff you’ll realize he’s more diverse than probably the Beatles
