Those of you whose only positive Zappa associations involve Beefheart should definitely check out "Bongo Fury."

Frank Zappa was clearly an incredible individual, but I have to admit that I find the deeply unfunny 'humor' that pervades so much of his music to be really off-putting. In the past it was enough for me to just dismiss him, but now I think it's really unfair to do so. He did tons and tons of work, and I know some of it must be great. I'd be up for suggestions.

SchnappM wrote:

Sticky wrote:I just have to bump this one. Sorry. At least on this one I can understand the controversy; I fully expected there to be faction, but so many "craps" and not one serious rebutal? Where the hell is the Zappa evangelist on these boards? EDIT: Nevermind, I found them, whew.

I voted crap just because of this guy.

I was going to say, didn't this already happen in this forum?


Not Crappa.

F-ing hell, MADAME OOGLEPUSS?

who writes this stuff?!

he was about 1/8 as funny as he thought he was, and i don't like his guitar playing or any of his music after the mothers of invention. yes, i have heard it. i have heard it all.

he actually looked GOOD with a soul patch, though, which as a white man is not easy to pull off

so not crap, just for the patch. if he didn't have the patch, crap.

He is, to use a cliché, one of the GREAT American composers.

ok, i change my vote. crap.

He is, to use a cliché, one of the GREAT American composers.

That's a cliche?

Too bad Copland, Ives, Cowell, Gould, or Gershwin didn't write any songs about Titties & Beer, Fat thighed ex-girlfriends, or Enema rapist burglers.

Try to imagine "Thing Fish" as concieved by Cole Porter!

Frank Zappa did some crap, but there's allot of good stuff there, even post-Mothers.

Frank also had a knack for finding interesting musicians.

Frank recorded "An Evening With Wildman Fischer".

NOT CRAP

Jay

So not crap.

Anyone interested in being "independent" should take a look at what he did to protect himself and his music. While releasing about two albums a year.

Thought this was funny - from this weeks Onion:

Frank Zappa Fan Thinks You Just Haven't Heard The Right Album

NEDERLAND, CO—In spite of your insistence that you are not into Frank Zappa, avid fan Roger Von Lee believes that you would change your mind if you heard the right album. "You're prejudiced, because the only Zappa you know is 'Valley Girl' and 'Don't Eat The Yellow Snow,'" Von Lee told you Tuesday. "Seriously, you need to check out Hot Rats or Absolutely Free. Zappa and the Mothers were at their peak, and Zappa's jazz-rock fusion experiments predate Bitches Brew. That'll totally convince you that Zappa's the shit." Von Lee added that if those two don't get under your skin, he can recommend another 15 to 20 albums that will for sure.

Nederland... that's just so fitting, it's (not) funny.

As for the Zappa, I happen to think "Valley Girl" is an anthropological gem. And "Nanook" used to be a favorite password of mine....

CRAP

He put out way too many albums of horrible subpar material. I believe there are 50 or more of these records of the above stated subpar material not including compilations. Over-rated rock dude that jazz guys love for some awful reason. He worked with Steve Vai. That alone should get him a CRAP vote. I heard about him when I was 13 or 14 and decided to pick up a record by him. I thought it was kinda neat and even better it was funny so I picked up a couple more records by him. About 2 years later I had grown up enough to develop the concept that music isn't supposed to be funny and songs aren't supposed to be about fucking Catholic girls. Instead of selling these records, I threw them away. I figured they weren't even worth trying to get $5 a pop for them because I felt like I would be ripping off the local record store assuming that they bought such garbage.

I'm glad this fucker is dead. I also hated the way he played his guitar.