Tag Archives: Frank Zappa

Happy Frank Zappa Mothers Day

Posted on by Musicofourheart

For all you Mothers out there (and you know who you are ;) , here is a special tribute pronouncement from Zappa.com

Dear The Frank Zappa & The Mothers’ Little Helpers,

Yeah. We couldn’t help it. It’s that Special Day for mothers everywhere – still mean and almost 50! To commemorate, memorialize and remind that some things never change. No matter what you do, stating the obvious is often the first necessary step to solving a problem. We appreciate your support and authority in representing Frank Zappa’s intent as an Artist and Humorist. We gratefully and proudly present this Special Edition* of HELP I’M A ROCK / IT CAN’T HAPPEN HERE & WHO ARE THE BRAIN POLICE? On Red Vinyl, 12″ at 45 revolutions per minute. We hope you’ll have it in your hot little helping hands in time to commemorate the American Revolution. Those were the days.

L I M I T E D   E D I T I O N

*What’s so special? Check this out:
Side 1: HELP I’M A ROCK / IT CAN’T HAPPEN HERE Original Stereo 1966 Mix
Side 2: WHO ARE THE BRAIN POLICE? Original Mono Release
WHO ARE THE BRAIN POLICE? Basic Trackings (Rock your own mic!)

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Lifting A Glass to Ray Collins

Posted on by Musicofourheart

I was saddened to learn of Ray Collin’s passing on Christmas Eve. Ray Collins was instrumental to the creation of Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention by mentioning to Jimmy Carl Black and Roy Estrada when they were part of the Soul Giants he knew a guitarist for their group.

The Soul Giants band consisted of drummer Jimmy Carl Black, bassist Roy Estrada, saxophonist Davy Coronado and guitarist Ray Hunt. Hunt, however, was incompetent or purposely messed up to be spiteful, Collins relates.

“I was new to the band but it was up to me to get rid of him,” Collins says. After the deed was done – no punches were thrown, he insists – he made a fateful suggestion.

“I told them, `I know a guitarist in Cucamonga. His name’s Frank Zappa,”‘ Collins says.

Zappa auditioned and fit in perfectly, but he was a prolific songwriter and a new direction was called for.

“If you will play my music, I will make you rich and famous,” Zappa is said to have told them.

Credit: http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_12484780

Ray Collins first became known as a vocalist by performing with various doo-wop and pachuco groups in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

File:Frank Zappa - Cruising With Ruben & the Jets.jpg

My two favorite Ray Collins’s Zappa/Mothers recordings are:

“America Drinks and Goes Home” – Absolutely Free (1967)

“Anything” – Cruisin with Reuben and the Jets (1968)

I hope we’ve played your requests…
the songs you like to hear…
Last call for alcohol!…
Drink it up folks…

(c) 1967 Zappa Family Trust

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Music Is The Best

Posted on by Musicofourheart

File:Frank Zappa Joe's Garage Acts II & III.jpgInformation is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is the best…

Lyrics to the song Packard Goose on the album Joe’s Garage: Act III (19 November 1979)

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Carl Lender, Photographer

Collecting Zappa, Step 1: Frank Zappa/The Mothers of Invention – Freak Out

Posted on by Musicofourheart

I’ve decided that my next major discography buy will be to own the Frank Zappa discography. The first phase of this initiative is to acquire the 56 recordings being reissued by the Zappa Family Trust and Universal Music Enterprises this year. After some deliberation about format (vinyl versus audio CD vs digital loss less codec) I have made the decision to pursue audio CDs. Portability won out.

I appreciate that Zappa Records and Universal will release 12 reissue albums a month in chronological order between August and the end of the year. This gives some breathing room and the chance to spread the cost. I a liken buying Zappa recordings like sipping fine wine slowly. Enjoying the essence of the music, not rushing the experience.

I gained tremendous insight  from the two years it took me to find and buy the entire Santana discography on CD (40+ recordings at that time). I garnered a respect for four decades of Santana’s musical evolution. I wasn’t a professional music blogger in the years 2002-2004. Now I have an established music blog where I can document and share the Zappa music experience with those who follow my blog (1,200 strong at this juncture….) and with other music fans on the Web. I relish the excitement of discovery collecting, listening and learning more about Frank Zappa. I will have to create a Frank Zappa menu choice to organize the  research and the findings.

My understanding is that Spotify will be offering the Zappa Records recordings beginning in October (I haven’t seen this officially stated by the Zappa Family Trust but I am hopeful this digital option will come to pass.) This way I can listen to certain recordings ahead purchasing them.

When I minored in music at the University of New Haven in 1972 the first term paper I wrote was about Frank Zappa. Much of that paper was based upon the book, No Commercial Potential by David Walley. I view the Zappa collection initiative as another focused educational research effort.

I started the collection (or recollecting more accurately) today with Frank Zappa/The Mothers of Invention Freak Out. It is designated official release #1 right on the CD label itself. ;) The music came flowing back to me as I smiled and reflected on the origin of Zappa and The Mothers of Invention working with Tom Wilson on their début double album.

Copyright Zappa Family Trust 2012

Music Is The Best! – Frank Zappa

Posted on by Musicofourheart

On my side of the garage is one of my favorite examples of my son’s art, 

We are both major Zappa fans and I’m proud to say my son has pursued digging into and listening to the Frank Zappa catalogue in greater breadth and depth than I.

We are enthused to share that due to the diligence of Gail Zappa, Frank’s widow, his ingenious music is back home where it belongs, the music of FRANK ZAPPA is now back in the hands of the ZAPPA FAMILY TRUST.

So if you are anything like my son and I who troll the music bins at popular record stores you have to be pumped that everything from Frank Zappa will be available  on Barking Pumpkin Records in short order. Now is the time to buy the music in the extensive Zappa catalogue!

The initial 12 FRANK ZAPPA releases included in the ZAPPA/ UNIVERSAL deal set for July 31 are as follows. The analog masters have been remastered, schweet ;)

(Date) signifies original year of release.

1. Freak Out! (1966)
2. Absolutely Free (1967)
3. Lumpy Gravy (1968)
4. We’re Only In It For The Money (1968)
5. Cruising With Ruben & The Jets (1968)
6. Uncle Meat (1969)
7. Hot Rats (1969)
8. Burnt Weeny Sandwich (1970)
9. Weasels Ripped My Flesh (1970)
10. Chunga’s Revenge (1970)
11. Fillmore East, June 1971 (1971)
12. Just Another Band From L.A. (1972)

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A Festival of Serious Fun Awaits You In New Haven

Posted on by Musicofourheart

Fest2012_MainPage

Last night we attended the International Festival of Arts and Ideas season preview which is scheduled to take place June 16-30, 2012 all around New Haven. New Haven continues to figure prominently in my world music consciousness.  I minored in music at the University of New Haven in the early 70s. Many of my music professors were graduates of the prestigious Wesleyan University world music program.

This blog post will highlight the major music events announced that interested us. Please note the entire schedule of events which features 900 artists from 17 countries will be available at the end of April on the  official International Festival of Arts and Ideas Web site.

The music events have two major themes. The Music At Dusk series is a paid ticket. This series will be held at the Morse Recital Hall in Sprague Hall at the Yale School of Music. The music event that intrigues is 34 Punaladas an Argentine tango guitar quartet. They sound delightful and fresh.

The other major theme will be the free concerts, Headliners on the New Haven Green. We have been to several free concerts at this picturesque, historic setting. Its fun to bring a picnic basket, chairs and a blanket as you listen to live music in the fresh open air.

The free concerts we contemplate are:

  1. Asphalt Orchestra – June 17  (7 pm)- I love their rendition of Frank Zappa’s Zomby Woof
  2. The Carolina Chocolate Drops - June 23 (7 pm)
  3. Red Baraat & Noori – June 24 (7 pm) – Red Baraat is a fiery blend of raucous Indian bhangra combined with funky New Orleans brass. 
  4. Roseanne Cash – June 30 (7 pm) – I am excited that Roseanne Cash will perform The List, a paean to her father, Johnny Cash.
Now that the Litchfield Jazz Festival and the International Festival of Arts and Ideas plans are announced, I have one more 17th annual Connecticut music festival to learn about :)  Monday, April 2nd the line up for the Gathering of the Vibes festival in Bridgeport, Ct will be unveiled. Then I will be able to author my, “How I spent my summer music vacation” paper for back to school in the fall ;)
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Alice Cooper – Love It To Death

Posted on by Musicofourheart

I was watching the VH1 Classic channel today on cable. The series Metal Evolution produced and hosted by Sam Dunn, metalhead turned anthropologist produced lots of interesting video and interview footage.

My favorite interlude today was the episode ”Early Metal U.S.” which focused on Detroit, Michigan’s influence on metal music, in particular the significance of Alice Cooper.

Alice Cooper was signed by Frank Zappa for his Straight Records label. They produced surreal, experimental rock theater set against one of the tightest sounding rock bands ever. The band consisted of of Vincent Furnier (Alice Cooper) on vocals and harmonica, lead guitarist Glen Buxton, Michael Bruce on rhythm guitar, Dennis Dunaway on bass guitar and drummer Neal Smith. They were a monster of a band you immediately respected.

The recording that set me on my ear with Alice Cooper was Love It To Death. The hit, “I’m Eighteen” epitomized the dichotomy of being at 18 years old, both a boy and a man. I liked the irreverence of the cover photo where Alice Cooper stuck his thumb through the front of his pants to resemble a cock. The album played through so well you ended up loving it to death every time you played it. My second favorite song was the “Ballad of Dwight Frye“, being a melodrama film fan, I thought it was so cool that a band would perform a song about an actor who spent much of his life in an insane asylum. If you contrast Dwight Frye’s actual existence with the character, Renfield that he played in the Universal Studios class, Dracula, art imitated life. Who can forget that the hospital worker says, “He’s crazy” when asked about Renfield’s behavior at the asylum.

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Flo & Eddie to Tour with Dweezil Zappa in 2012

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Cover of "The Phlorescent Leech & Eddie"

Cover of The Phlorescent Leech & Eddie

Mark Volman announced on Saturday night 7/9/11 from the stage during the Happy Together Tour in Wallingford, Ct. that a deal had been signed for Flo & Eddie to recreate their role from the Zappa band days. They will be touring with Dweezil Zappa‘s Zappa Plays Zappa, who faithfully recreate the music of Dweezil’s father Frank Zappa. Flo & Eddie then launched into Peaches en Regalia for a few minutes which was awesome.

We love Zappa Plays Zappa. I have seen them twice with my son who I am proud to say is a more intense Zappa fan than I am. :)

I find this collaboration to be a very exciting proposition and look forward to learning more about concert dates in my corridor of the US. I might finally get to see 200 Motels performed live in concert, Hey Now!

I never got to see Frank Zappa live nor did I ever get to see the Phlorescent Leech & Eddie as part of that ensemble.  Flo & Eddie’s vocals meshed so well with the intelligent humor and polyphonic music Frank Zappa played live.

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Rock Music Photographers, A-Z, Eddie Kramer

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Jimi Hendrix

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Eddie Kramer is an audio engineer and producer extraordinaire.  He has worked with many of the greats, most notably Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Santana. He manned the sound recording truck at Woodstock for four days. I love his re-mastering touch with the Jimi Hendrix vault recordings as well as his original production work at the […]

Don “Sugarcane” Harris’s Vintage Era

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Cover of "Usa Union"

Cover of Usa Union

I was listening to John Mayall‘s USA Union (1970) recording this afternoon. What really caught my ear was the stellar performance of Don “Sugarcane” Harris on electric violin.  USA Union was a continuation of  John Mayall’s  musical jazz/blues period which featured “no drums” that began with The Turning Point (Live -1969) and Empty Rooms (Studio – 1970).

John Mayall’s USA Union band consisted of:

John Mayall – Electric guitar, keyboards, harmonica and vocals

Harvey Mandel – Electric guitar

Larry “The Mole” Taylor -  Acoustic and electric bass

and Don “Sugarcane” Harris – Electric violin

Sugarcane Harris was in high demand from 1969 – 1971, his vintage years. Frank Zappa was a major fan of the American rock duo Don and Dewey so he recruited Sugarcane for his jazz avant-garde recording, Hot Rats. Frank Zappa continued to use Sugarcane on Burnt Weenie Sandwich, Weasels Ripped My Flesh, and Chunga’s Revenge.