First reaction to FRANK ZAPPA - "WATERMELON IN EASTER HAY"
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- This is VERDY CHANNEL. Today I react to frank zappa - watermelon in easter hay.
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We played this song at end of my Cousin Frank's funeral. He was a lifelong fan. Frank and his cat Zappa died together in a house fire. Beautiful and sad.
i just went to a memorial service for one of my best friends from highschool. i wore my frank zappa t-shirt (i had given him one a few years before). we are/were zappaholics beginning with “trouble every day”. we used to call each other to ask a simple question, “any trouble?” the spoken answer was always, “yes, trouble every day.” i miss my friend.
@pbrooks4040
Awe sorry about your friend. Cool you wore the FZ shirt. You guys sound like a lot of fun. He will be irreplaceable that's for sure. Just try to remember to be thankful for the good times you had. As we age, we have to learn how to accept losing people. I hope you will find some peace. Sleep well tonight friend.
@@trianafoxwood7525 thanks for the kind words. his music has united us! if we were in the same town, i’d buy you a coffee.
@pbrooks4040
I don't drink coffee but for you I would make an exception. I'm in San Diego, CA. FZ actually attended two high schools here. There's a rumor about him setting off stink bombs in class. Don't know if he really did. Lol. Take care of yourself. Let the music heal your soul :)
If I ever write my last will, this will be played at my funeral… I don’t think there is a song that matches my true personality as much as this.
Frank Zappa was a musical genius, a political genius and a comic genius!
Verdy, You should DEFINITELY check out more of his music!
He would compose parts based on a musician's unique talents, "so that piece would forever be stamped with that musician's signature".
RIP Frank, thanks for all of the amazing music!
Settle down, Beavis. He was a brilliant musician and musical mind.'Genius' is a word that loses more and more meaning every year. I've seen where people call Adam Sandler, Kevin Hart, and Nicholas Sparks geniuses, too.
@@kevinlakeman5043 not when his IQ is reported at 172. So my man simply forgot actual genius
Yes ... Frank was a wonderful musician. One of my favorite. A scornful disdain for politics. It would shock so many to realize he vacillated between libertarianism and being a Republican.
@@acemodez3169reported by whom?
He Vinnie Furnier and Glen Cambell were all good friends.
"Information 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!"
- Frank Zappa
Frank created his own planet. Great reaction.
The first time I heard this, I bawled inconsolably. That first note, then the release motif. Pure anguish. Pure beauty. Black Napkins is another tearjerker.
Every version of black napkins is an emotional rollercoaster
Ohhhh, I'm so exited for you. You found the Zappa wormhole. Enjoy Frank's guitar work. He not only wrote the music for his guitar work but often literally wrote the music for all instruments. I'm so glad you found Zappa .... Zappa's music literally changed my life. His music is part of an under-current of many great bands that many many people fell in love with. Maybe someday you can try listening to one of his childhood friends and collaborator - Captain Beefheart. Try his album One Size Fits All - especially the song Inca Roads.
Yes, Inca Roads might be his best live guitar solo as far as popularity goes. I have some wonderful Frank stories. One of them definitely changed my life. When I was 16 and ran into him in a hotel elevator. That nights show was out of control.
@@Frunobulax74Zappa's music polarizes. You will love it or you will hate it. If you love it you will loose some friends, but the ones that you will still have, will make the difference.
Joe's Garage is another like Dark Side Of The Moon. Has to be listened from start to finish.
The genius of Zappa…It’s so good to hear this again…Thank you..
Frank Zappa is among the greatest composers and musicians I know of. I am also schooled in Opera and classical music as well as in pop, rock and jazz, but it is about creativity and being expressive and having a unik personal style and Zappa excelled in al of those feild's. RIP Frank Zappa and also, great reaction to "WaterMelon in easter hay"
My absolute favorite Zappe tune. The dragging snare drum, brilliant Vinnie Colaiuta. Best guitar tone ever Frank and warren respectively. God I love this track.
One of my fave Zappa songs. He is amongst the greatest of guitarists and song writers of all time. His various bands included some of the best musicians of our time. He was a ‘hard task master’ apparently, as many of his band members would attest to in various interviews, and demanded nothing but perfection from the performers. This could be the start of a Zappa rabbit hole…
The layering and build up in this song is perfection. Such an emotional song.
One of the greatest guitar tracks ever recorded :)
For me, this is the single most-beautiful thing he ever wrote.
The 1:35 mark on the album Lumpy Gravy.
He was by all accounts a Very intelligent man. Smart as hell.
Frank made a speech before the house on Freedom of Speech it's on u twobee
I’m a very long time fan of Frank Zappa and it was quite moving seeing your honest reactions to the song. Frank was an amazing guitar player / composer in any style he chose to play. Thanks for sharing the song with me!
Great reaction. Glad you liked it. The rumor is Zappa used to say that getting a solo in his band was like trying to grow a watermelon in easter hay. His band was so talented that he found himself writing more for them than himself. Well, this is his watermelon. Not bad for `an imaginary` guitar solo. 🙂
*"Playing a solo with this band is like trying to grow a watermelon in Easter hay."*
All the written parts of his intricate music went to his band. Frank played guitar solos, and they were almost always completely improvised.
In that way, Frank had it easier but, at the same time, more challenging.
When it came time for him to strap the guitar on, he had no idea where he was going, or where he was going to take the audience.
This particular solo was very likely written and rehearsed, especially because, unlike the bulk of solos on Joe's Garage, which were culled from live performances and used in the songs, this was a studio recording and very important to the story. This was Joe's last "imaginary" guitar solo, as music had been outlawed and Joe had to hock his imaginary guitar (a bizarre notion in itself, but that's Frank) and get a good job.
His statement about playing a solo with this band is like... was because his solos were improvised, and he had to work within the parameters of what the rhythm section would allow him. If, like all the big rock bands, the solos were well rehearsed and played the same night after night, of course there would be no problem matching tempo, etc. with the band.
@@Royale_with_Cheeze- Yeah, I always do it on a regular basis. Thanks for the reminder
@@Royale_with_Cheeze - The log cabin was abandoned at the time. Some people had a party on the property on Halloween night 1981. They were probably using one of those dope fiend devices.
@@Royale_with_Cheeze - Am I reaching you?
@@Frunobulax74
You just reached my now. Were you trying earlier?
After many years of listening to Frank I find myself really drawn to and mostly listening to the instrumental tracks these days. It's just the groove I'm in lately and I'm really enjoying it.
When Zappa died, I called up the hotline and it played this song. I could do without the whispering on the Joe's Garage records (or at least index it as separate tracks, but whatever). This song clearly meant a lot to him.
I was working on the 818 pumpkin hotline when Frank died. The machine was in the BARFKO-SWILL office, (down the street from Joes Garage, which was a real place,) not the studio, so there was no way around the digital "chop" to separate the scrutinizer. It became a tradition to play that song every year on Franks birthday. Not sure how long that went on, but played it in 1999 which is the last year I was there. We would try and change albums every week or so, and it still brings a tear to my eye remembering how many times people would call up from as far away as Europe, and just ask to be put on hold for awhile so they could hear some Zappa. No Spotify, no you tube, no toll free. MUSIC IS THE BEST.
so many great instrumentals from Zappa.. this one and “Black Napkins” and “The ocean is the ultimate solution” are my fav’s
Zappa is a rabbit hole from which you will never escape. It's heaven!
This is a unique piece and part of of a 3LP set that tells a story. It's best listened to in order but this does stand out.
The goofy spoken intro aside,this is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever. RIP Frank,and thank you for this gift.
The narration at the beginning is part of the narrative that goes through the whole album, so unless you heard the whole album, it feels a bit silly. But it's fun otherwise.
To me Frank is like Picasso of music. Picasso could paint in any style and mastered it all so much he went into exploring new ideas never done before. Cheers.
The whole shit Zappa family, you can throw in the trash 😂
Someone below suggested 'Inca Roads". That would be a good choice for the next Zappa reaction. There were songs often played on the radio back in the 70's such as "Dinah Mo Humm" and "Dirty Love". Zappa has around 1200 songs in his catalog. Two of my favorite albums from later on are "Shut Up and Play Your Guitar" and Jazz From Hell". There's just so much to choose from.
Shut Up N' Play Yer Guitar
I'm so pleased you discovered Frank Zappa. There's a vast library to watch and listen to. He attracted the best musicians because he challenged them. Peaches en Regalia would be a good next listen.
That’s my favourite! I cherish every single note. Ruth Underwood is amazing
That guy was another planet.
Frank Zappa was a guitar and lyrical genius,
And I have never seen anyone slow dance to FZ😂
Achingly hauntingly beautiful. Makes me cry every time I listen to this song.
Another beautiful Zappa instrumental is "What's New in Baltimore?" But, yeah, there is a lot to explore.
We need "Yellow Snow Suite" reaction!!!! :D
If you enjoyed this, check out Peaches in Regalia. It’s another beautiful Zappa instrumental.
He does basically 2 types of music with lyrics: songs with social messages and songs with silly lyrics. Sometimes it’s hard to tell which is which. I kind of like the purely instrumental because it’s easier to really focus on the sound.
@MarcosElMalo2 - Or lyrics with both a social message and humor.
I totally agree, Peaches in Regalia is a great place to get into Zappa.
Better yet, check out the entire "Hot Rats" album. I think it's his best stuff.
FZ wrote much more than "social messages and silly lyrics:" he wrote symphonies, big band music, music for string quartet, avant guard, and so on down the list of styles and genres. The worst part is how many people dismiss his music because they believe lyrics are the be all end all when the real depth of almost any composition is more than just words.
Away with that shit pathetic Zappa He has no buisiness there
His music without sense sounds like diarrhea
I've been a Zappa listener since the 1960's. I've enjoyed a number of your reactions in the past. I was surprised to see that you did this particular song. Your patron was very kind to send you this one. For the 50 or 60 Zappa albums I have, his music is almost always interesting and most of the time brilliant but this sort of song is rare; with its sweet beauty and sparseness. Zappa loved layering until the end result often was very dense but here, while he does add some subtle stuff like the marimba and bells, for the most part what stands out is his beautiful melody and tone on his guitar. The talking stuff at the beginning refers to the story line of the rest of the album where this musician Joe lives in a world where music is banned so it can only exist in his imagination. So I'm happy that you were able to hear this. If you only hear one Zappa song in your life, this is a worthy candidate. If I'm in a certain mood, it can bring on a few tears. Thanks.
One of the Greatest. RIP Frank.
Great VID, nobody on Earth, other than Frank, could produce this, thankyou VERDY !
This song will be played at my funeral. (Hopefully people won't be dancing. 😆) RIP FZ ☮💜🎶
I played this at the end of my Cousin Frank's funeral.
Zappa was trash
@kosta380 thanks for your analysis. 💩
@kosta380
What's the ugliest part of your body? Some say your nose. Some say your toes. But I think it's your mind.
It could be a beautiful thing...people waltzing to this song at your funeral.
Such a pleasure to see the young enjoying Zappa
Oh man to really appreciate this song you need some context. So joe, the protagonist of the story, goes to jail for a long time after all music is outlawed. But he realizes he can still play in his imagination. This song is his final imaginary performance before he dies. Such a heartbreaking song.
He doesn't die, he submits to big brother, and gives up music forever. Gets an assembly line job at UMRK. Arrogantly twisting the snout of a supercharged icing annointment utensil - making little green rosettas.
More Frank please Verdy!
If you want jazz/rock fusion, Frank's your guy! Zappa is an underrated guitarist with an eclectic sound that sometimes....confuses....people. Because of Frank, I moved to Montana to raise dental floss. Just me and the pygmy pony! Cheers....
This is one of the most beautiful song of evertime ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Combine Jeff Beck and David Gilmour with Stephen Hawking's brain, and you've got something approaching Frank Zappa.
You probably know this by now, but that’s Frank playing the lead guitar. He was one of the most amazing guitarists to come out of the 60’s. We lost him much too soon. I’m grateful to have seen him play 14 times between 74-88. 🎸
Viewers of my channel brought me here. Hi Verdy, I am a big Zappa fan. Glad to see more youngsters are exploring Zappa. Feel free to reach out if you are interested to collaborate with me 😊
Glad for you that you found Frank Zappa. You should be forewarned that out of the hundreds of albums by Frank Zappa there is not a singular genre. You'll find rock and blues you'll find classical you'll find sophomoric filthy songs as well. The underlying Common Thread is Frank's way of composing is unlike nearly anything else you will ever hear. My favorite composer and performer, I've seen him dozens of times and I still go see tribute bands that play his music.
He's not widely recognized as an iconoclast for nothing!
I miss Frank Zappa
Love Frank. A deep deep deep rabbit hole.
You have lots to choose from Frank made 62 albums. He smoked constantly never drank or did drugs
Beautiful and yet sorrowful .......
the list of guitar players who can match Frank Zappa is very, very short
P.S. and as a composer, even shorter
His most beautiful piece
As the central scrutinizer, I am so happy to hear this song reacted to. Or even mentioned. An old friend who has since died introduced me to Frank Zappa and FZ always makes me remember my friend.
Franks son Dweezil does an amazing job covering this song. Frank would be proud!
I want to see the blushing as she listens to some of his classics!
Don't eat the Yellow Snow is a natural first step.
Frank "RELEASED" 62 albums to give you an idea how large this is for reactions. "Trouble Every Day" is a good one off the first album.
L’œuvre d'un génie ... Vu en concert à Paris dans les années 80 (avant la sortie de cet album) ... Une sacré claque ... :) Ce concept album est un de mes préférés de FZ ... La dystopie décrite dans cet album est complétement délirante (à l'époque, sortir un triple album fallait oser ...)
This was released as Act 1 in Sept. of '79 and Acts 2 & 3 in Nov. of '79.
He was playing Watermelon in Easter Hay in the '80 tour for sure.
This is one of my favourite Zappa tracks.
You should listen to the album in full, it's great.
I didn't realize this is what Frank Zappa's music was like. Very nice!
It's not typical, believe me.
My best friends funeral tune…..memories.
Great Reaction. Frank added comedy to his music and never took himself too seriously. A GRANDMASTER musician
Zappa - Inca roads, Peaches en regalia, Yellow Snow suite, Chunga's Revenge, The Grand Wazoo, Waka Jawaka, Eat that question, Hungry Freaks daddy, Cheepnis/Son of Orange County/More Trouble every day, Little umbrella, It must be a camel, King Kong.
This song is a 9 count. 9/4 time. It would really mess with people trying to slow dance. It creates a mesmerizing effect though.
Frank Zappa is quite the acquired taste. Some of his music you will love, other work by him will make you wonder wtf he was on when he wrote it. That being said, he is a phenomenal guitarist. You can shut your eyes and just get lost in this one. Rest in Peace, Frank.
If you know about Zappa you would obviously know he never did drugs and neither did the band!!
@@johnlane2395 I do indeed know Zappa and the "what he was on" part was what people call a figure of speech.
im happy with your reaction. you made me feel this song once more
The director of "Y Tu Mama Tambien",
mixed in NYC, requested to use a piece of this tune for the credit crawl of his film.
Frank left us all by that point, so he had to ask Mrs. Zappa for permission.
She said only if you play the whole song complete.
Thus the 9 minute credit crawl.
He put everyone and anyone he could to fill the credit crawl.
Thank you, Mrs.Zappa!
Beautiful & soulful gift.
This brings back memories
Frank Zappa was a renaissance man.
Arguably Zappa's most romantic guitar driven piece. Glad you liked it. There is more to Zappa than what you just heard. This was released in 1979 as part of a concept album of sorts called Joe's Garage (Acts I, II, & III). Should you choose to go down this rabbit hole, try something totally different. I suggest the song 'Waka/Jawaka' from 1972 album of the same name. It's jazz in a big band setting. Very different from most other albums in his catalogue too. Try it, you'll like it.
@@Frunobulax74, "romantic" *includes* "dramatic and sad."
@@slatvatfatcat - If you say so. I always want romantic music to make the woman happy and excited. Sad is a guarantee to ruin the mood.
Franks instrumentals were some of his finest work!
It's all Zappa's inimitable guitar style. The main theme on Fender Strat, the solo section on Gibson SG. The backing theme is on a Coral electric sitar and vibraphone, and drums, percussion and bass of course. I forgot Tubular Bells
Good suggestions given! Add "whats new in Baltimore" and RDNZL (any version)
This is probably Frank's most 'serious' piece of music. It strikes me as a sad song. I feel it is about something very close to him. When I saw Dweezil live he said even he didnt know what it was about but that it was the most touching piece for him to play when he was touring. I was lucky enough to see Frank Zappa twice
You need to listen to the entire Opera to get the full impact of Watermelon in Easter Hay.
Can't relax to this. Just cry.
If you get a chance see Zappa Plays Zappa live, I recommend you do.
I saw the following in the comment section of the Dweezil Zappa - Watermelon in Easter Hay (London 2013) video. I recollect Dweezil was pretty emotional when I saw him.
"It took years for Dweezil to perform this piece in public. He said he considered this to be father's best guitar piece. Before he died, Frank told his wife Gail to get out of the music business altogether and sell his entire catalog, with one exception. She was not to ever sell the rights to Watermelon in Easter Hay. This piece meant something special to Frank. Considering the sheer volume of his work, and how seriously he approached his music it is very telling that this was the one piece he apparently cherished above all others."
We love Frank ❤
Your face when the first imaginary guitar note hits is priceless. I can hardly listen to this without tearing up. Xylophone is Ed 😅 thanks quarter pounder 😉
That's not Ruth. It's the great Ed Mann. Ruth didn't play with Frank since the end of '76 run of shows in NYC that produced the Zappa In New York album.
@@Royale_with_Cheeze thanks. Looked it up. You are correct indeed
@@billyskinner9382
Best to go back to your original post and edit it there. Arf
I knew you would enjoy this...
Well young lady, you´ve done it now, Frank..Virtuosity gone mad.
" Frank Zappa - Watermelon in Easter Hay + Jeff Beck - 'Cause We've Ended as Lovers + Roy Buchannan - The Messiah Will Come Again " are my mix trio of great guitar solo.
The percussion is mariba and chimes and a gong. No bells. Ed Mann plays the percussion. It's Frank on the guitar.
LOL, next thing Verdy will be reviewing John McLaughlin and Alan Holdsworth
viva Zappa !
A great piece to react to from Frank Zappa is the "Apostrophe Suite" It has everything!
Great reaction to a very nice song, Verdy!
Zappa was Zappa, you either really dug him or you really didn't
I have wept to this song in the past
Most of FZs songs are funny, some are brilliant. He never got much radio play, because his stuff is "R" rated. And it makes fun of pop culture to the point of destroying it.
"Does Humor Belong in Music?" -- a lot of people don't think so. But a lot of us people do, thanks. We can laugh at ourselves, and enjoy it.
This is a bit of a strange way to first encounter Zappa, but she can appreciate the guitar so go girl.
As lovely as it is, this track isn't at all typical of FZ. For something which offers a better idea of his talent as a composer and guitarist, I suggest "Inca Roads", as a good place to start a journey into the wonderful world of Frank Zappa. He must have released something like 60-ish albums, some for orchestra alone, and many people consider him one of the most important composers of the 20th century.
(The percussionist (xylophone, marimba, bells etc) is the wonderful Ruth Underwood. She features prominently in many of Zappas compositions, including the track I suggested, "Inca Roads").
Actually, the percussion on Joe's Garage is in the hands of Ed Mann. Ruth Underwood's left the touring band in 1975 (although she did play a series of shows with Frank in New York City towards the tail end of 1976). Ed Mann has been on almost everything ever since.
@@marcribe6483 Oops! Thanks for the correction
Frank is Top Shelf
Listen to the whole album One size fits all when it comes to Zappa. And, his also known for his famous quotes. Like "Jazz is not dead yet, it´s just smells funny"
Really enjoy your reactions. Would love to hear your take on Little Feat's "Waiting for Columbus" - one of my all-time faves.
Little Feat’s Lowell George was in Frank Zappa’s band.
Thank you!
Join us in the FZ rabbit hole...You´ll love it! Zappa Lives!
It was actually marimba and glockenspiel you were hearing, rather than xylophone. Ed Mann was the percussionist with the band at this time.
9/4! Great time signature.
Joe's Garage is a very good choice for the very first Zappa listening, I started with it too!
Music is the Best!
If you reacted to one Zappa song per week, it would take you 25 years to finish his catalog.... the math checks out...
If you wanted to do an amazing patreon album, do all three Joe's Garage albums... a kind of weird perverse and wonderful opera.
Greetings from Havana, Cuba.
Frank Zappa is for me the greatest exponent of the avant garde artistic current. He has been a bit of a misunderstood artist, but his work prevails, as well
As a curious fact, I tell you that:
Although an instrumental album, Jazz from Hell came with the RIAA's Parental Advisory. This is partly due to his intervention.
A bit of history // On September 19, 1985, Zappa testified before the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Technology and Transportation, attacking the Parents Music Resource Center or PMRC, an organization co-founded by the woman of the then Senator Al Gore, Tipper Gore. Some of the PMRC members were wives of politicians, including the wives of five of the committee members, and it had been founded to control the sexual or satanic content of song lyrics.166 Zappa saw his activities as a path to censorship 167 and described his request to label certain albums with explicit content with the slogan "Parental Advisory" as an "extortion" of the industry. //