Wammer's Album Club Tues. Nov. 5 - Zappa/Beefheart/Mothers

[Professor Chaos]

I actually like it when Zappa shuts up and plays his guitar. The most underrated (in the public mind) player I can think of, blows Hendrix to smithereens ( :shock: Yes).

The funky, fusiony Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy and Advance Romance are the standouts for me. George Duke's super heavy keyboards and Denny Walley's slide guitar on both are just

As for Captain Beefheart's beatnik poetry outburts, I like 'em. Man With the Woman Head is brilliant and oddly "beautiful".

 

[luckysim0n]

sat here listening with a smile on my face surely that's what music is all about Advance Romance is the stand out track tho good choice

 

[MJ.]

sat here listening with a smile on my face surely that's what music is all about Advance Romance is the stand out track tho good choice

Exactly what I'm doing. Advance Romance is awesome played LOUD.

Im really enjoying this Prof, can you recommend anything in a similar vein ?

 

[Professor Chaos]

Exactly what I'm doing. Advance Romance is awesome played LOUD.Im really enjoying this Prof, can you recommend anything in a similar vein ?

Apostrophe('), and Roxy & Elsewhere are from the same time period, feature many of the same musicians, and are both good fun:^

 

[meninblack]

Jesus wept. I'm also a Zappa novice: this was my first listen to FZ and will be my last.

There was some truly great music in the late '60s. There was some truly great music in the late '70s. If you need an example of the sucking void of vapid mediocrity that was 1970 -1976, this will do.

 

[kernow]

Listen to watermelon in easter hay and then try some more difficult stuff. I'll never be a massive fan but there is great music to be found.

 

[cobbler]

This was my first listen to Zappa or Captain Beefhart. Mixed bag for me, the band sounded great when playing it straight but I struggled with the speaking and the silly voices. Stand out track for me was Carolina Hard Core Ecstasy.

 

[MJ.]

Apostrophe('), and Roxy & Elsewhere are from the same time period, feature many of the same musicians, and are both good fun:^

Thanks Prof; I'll give them a spin.

 

[Bluemessiah]

I'll throw 'Overnite Sensation' in as a musically brilliant and accessable listen for Zappa beginners. Anything from the early eighties onwards is pretty much unlistenable. (Synclavier anyone?)

 

[Jimmy Moff]

http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/Bongo+Fury/129059

Grroveshark link for the full album. I think in the correct order.

I have several Beefheart albums but only Overnite Sensation by Zappa/Mothers.

Listening to this for the first time now. Sounds good to me.

 

[Guest]

Jesus wept. I'm also a Zappa novice: this was my first listen to FZ and will be my last.There was some truly great music in the late '60s. There was some truly great music in the late '70s. If you need an example of the sucking void of vapid mediocrity that was 1970 -1976, this will do.

Ziggy Stardust

Roxy Music 1st

Led Zep 4

Floyd WYWH

Stones Exile

Stooges Raw Power

Marley Catch a Fire

Here ends my case for the defence M'Lud.

 

[Injector]

I'm kinda digging some of this but I think Beefheart's a bit of a tool and Zappa goes off on one way too much. As a straight guitarist Zappa was killer though.

 

[Hayward]

Enjoying this and now realise that I know large chunks of it. A friend gave me a Zappa mix tape in the mid eighties which I subsequently took on a holiday to the states and played every day, so I have fond feelings...

Carolina Hardcore Ecstacy is my favourite and pretty much encapsulates all that is Zappa in one track. The fantastic melody, the lyric about someone with an odd sexual preference, partly sung in a multi part harmony and with sometimes silly voices. The awesome guitar playing...

Separating the wheat from the chaff is IMO impossible with Zappa as he can be amazing and bloody infuriating in one song, or in one gig! The friend who made me the mix tape got me a ticket to go and see Zappa and by that time he was playing guitar very little and mostly conducting the band (which are mostly featured on this - sub Bozzio for Wackerman) and chain smoking. He did pick up the guitar for Zoot Allures which was really special but after spending money on the ticket and travelling to Brighton from London I left feeling somewhat short changed.

 

[Vincent52]

I like the jazz rock albums; Hot Rats is a long time fave, Jean Luc Ponty's King Kong (partially written by Zappa and full of assorted Mothers) is a cracking album and I am persevering with Waka Jawaka, but despite a concerted effort earlier in the year I haven't got very far with anything else. Clearly what I was missing was the added ingredient of a second dominant character in the mix. The sparks and ideas flying between the Captain and Zappa make this an excellent album and I enjoyed it a lot. From the awesome guitar of Advance Romance and Muffin Man to the excoriating lyrics of Poofter's Froth... there was never a dull moment.

A challenging WAC entry which has already produced lots of interesting discussion and it's not even Tuesday yet. Thanks for giving me the chance to discover the album which is going straight on the vinyl "to buy" list. :^

 

[huwge]

I like the jazz rock albums; Hot Rats is a long time fave' date=' Jean Luc Ponty's King Kong (partially written by Zappa and full of assorted Mothers) is a cracking album and I am persevering with Waka Jawaka, but despite a concerted effort earlier in the year I haven't got very far with anything else. Clearly what I was missing was the added ingredient of a second dominant character in the mix. The sparks and ideas flying between the Captain and Zappa make this an excellent album and I enjoyed it a lot. From the awesome guitar of Advance Romance and Muffin Man to the excoriating lyrics of Poofter's Froth... there was never a dull moment.A challenging WAC entry which has already produced lots of interesting discussion and it's not even Tuesday yet. Thanks for giving me the chance to discover the album which is going straight on the vinyl "to buy" list. :^ [/quote']

I particularly like waka and king kong too, you could also try uncle meat and the grand wazoo

 

[Professor Chaos]

Jesus wept. I'm also a Zappa novice: this was my first listen to FZ and will be my last.There was some truly great music in the late '60s. There was some truly great music in the late '70s. If you need an example of the sucking void of vapid mediocrity that was 1970 -1976, this will do.

I LOLed:rofl:

I recommend giving Burnt Weeny Sandwich a go.

 

[Ozexpat]

The CD triple pack of Waka Jawaka, Hot Rats and The Grand Wazoo is a great intro into "straight" Zappa. Mostly Jazz inspired and quite cool.

 

[glowingtones]

I remember thinking at the time it was very much a band in transition and although I owned all of the records recorded up to this time I still preferred 'One Size Fits All', 'Roxy & Elsewhere' and 'Apostrophe'. When 'Zoot Allures' was released I was pleased the band transition was complete, Zoot Allures was a very different album. I don't own a copy of Bongo Fury so I listened to it on Deezer last night, parts of it raised a smile but I think this was the poor cousin of most of the material Zappa released in the mid 70's. Nice bit of nostalgia for me though ... thanks for the heads up.

 

[Vincent52]

I particularly like waka and king kong too, you could also try uncle meat and the grand wazoo

Yes I did like Grand Wazoo when I heard it earlier in the year and it is also on the list, I'll give Uncle Meat a listen when I get a chance. Bongo Fury is now on order.

 

[notaclue]

Separating the wheat from the chaff is IMO impossible with Zappa as he can be amazing and bloody infuriating in one song

That is my impression of the album. Good and bad.

Pretty good overall, though maybe the bad bits get a bit more annoying rather than better on repeated listens. Lots of decent bits. But plenty of, sort of, trying too hard funny/silly bits.

As others have said, track 2 a highlight and very catchy.

I enjoyed playing this, but something stops me from really liking it.