@@paulweber686 Fun trivia: he is 1/3 of the Fowler Brothers. Tom Fowler plays bass, Bruce Fowler plays trombone, Walt Fowler plays trumpet. All of them, separately or all at once, have played in Zappa's bands. They are all very good at what they do.
I'd say it was the best. The 1988 one was bigger and arguably even more accomplished, but they also played a lot more big band music, which I don't like as much as jazz-rock.
I really enjoyed this but I don't have enough under my belt to make a choice like that yet 😆 I'm partial to the group from the shows I watched first I think 😅
It's nice to see another generation coming along to appreciate Frank's music. Frank and his band played on a higher plane that us mortals. Since he had been working in music since the 60s, he was able to attract the best musicians around. He had several iterations of his band over time. The early 70s was more of a commercial sound to his music. But I really like it. One Size is one of my favorite albums by FZ. I urge to search out George Duke music and his bio. He was the greatest of his time. He set the bar where it's doubtful if it will be reached again for a long time.
Ruth Underwood was classically trained at Julliard if memory serves. She was a fan of Zappa and The Mothers when he had his 'residency' in New York, met him as a fan, then joined the band for a few years. She is awesome!
Ruth went to see fhen at the Gadrick theater in NYC when theu had 7 or 8 month residency there. She was a session player on the Uncle Meaf album. By 1972 FZ had figured ouut how to amplify a marimba and she joined The Grand Wazoo touring band and stayed on through '74. She was brought back for the Zappa In New York shows.
Keyboardist George Duke made his name as a classical pianist. When he joined Zappa's band, he had never sung or played a synthesizer; Frank bought him the latter and enticed him to play it with the teaser that he would be able to bend notes like a guitar might. He also told Frank, when asked to play some comic rock'n'roll piece, "I can't play THAT!" Obviously, he COULD and DID! The lyrics to this particular song obviously morphed as they went along, but the first verses are a verbatim recitation of Rod Serling's narration for the American made-for-TV film, "In Search of Ancient Astronauts," itself an adaptation of Erich Von Daniken's book, "Chariots of the Gods." This is one of many examples of Frank's expansive curiosity and encyclopedic knowledge; what the casual listener might assume to be pure silliness is often rooted in obscure facts. 🙏
There is a story of when George Duke first meets the Zappa band and they are playing some doo wop, and George states "I can't play that". And Frank plays with him saying "Oh...is there something wrong with your hand?"
The claymation was done by Bruce Bickford. There's video of his process in the movie Baby Snakes. No CGI there. Every bit of it was done by first creating the clay pieces and then taking the pictures of the movements, one frame at a time. Truly amazing. Frank put out a video titled The Amazing Mr. Bickford showcasing his talent.
😂😂😂 🤯 Holy shit!!! 😅 the early claymation 'guy' looks 'Zactly like this friggin reaction guy! 😅😅😅 - HE needs to do Frank's Stairway to Heaven (horns killin' the famous guitar solo) the whole Nanook / St Alphonso suite - and Titties n Beer with Bozzio & the Devil mask....
One of the things that makes Frank such a beloved guitar player too many of his fans is the fact that none of his solos were written out or practiced they were all improvised and never played the exact same way exactly again.
The fast sequence is in 7/16. That is Ruth Underwood on percussion, Chester Thomson on drums, George Duke on vocals and keys, Nepolian Murphy Brock on vocals, sax and flute and Tom Fowler on bass.
Instrumental: Blessed Relief, Watermelon In Easter Hay, Black Napkins, The Ocean is the Ultimate Solution, Apostrophe, peaches En Regalia One of a kind musical piece: Gregory Peccary Live video: Cheepnis, zappa and the Ikettes Recording at Bolic Sound 1973, Son of Orange County + Trouble Every Day, Muffin Man I Am the Slime, City of Tiny Lights, You Are What You Is, Bobby Brown Goes Down, Uncle Remus, Flakes, Cosmic Debris
Strong agree for all of these - and ESPECIALLY Ocean is the Ultimate Solution, Apostrophe (title track and whole album) ... and if you twisted my arm to pick one single personal favorite piece of his, it would be The Adventures of Greggery Peccary
@@L33Reactscheck out stanley clarke with him on the live School Days. I would love a reaction to that sooo much, no one's done it I've seen yet. Probably the best keytarists along with one of the best bass players
Superb to see this performance again, the incredible Ruth Underwood on percussion. I was lucky enough to see Zappa with this line up & others over the years. Brilliant music played by experts & always a joy to see. More Zappa please, try "Watermelon In Easter Hay" for sheer beauty or "Baby Snakes" for fun.
Inca Roads to me is Zappa's Universe in a nutshell. There is a earlier instrumental version as well. The piano solo is over 7/8 afaik, ||: 1-2-3-and-a :||
@@L33Reacts completely awesome! I marvel at the musical education you are getting and how much you like and appreciate the music I grew up with. In a way you remind me of my son. That said, I want to see you succeed and get what you want in life. For a different angle on Zappa, (Idid get to see him once….can’t remember much except I was amazed at what a great guitar player he was!) But try Watermelon in Easter Hay.
@glenndespres5317 awww damn Glenn got me tearing up over here I appreciate that so much bro. I lost my dad very young so that means alot. I'm glad we can go on this journey together! 😄
Good idea - especially if - unlike some reactors - he picks Part 1 & 2 straight off the ZINY album. Actually wouldn't it be better if he listened to that whole side of vinyl...
I would argue and so would Frank (seeing how he used the solo on the studio album) the Helsinki concert had the best performance, especially the incredible guitar solo. And I think you're going to love this seeing how you commented you liked George's singing: Frank surprised the daylights out of him by saying you're singing the song! As hard as it might seem,, this was the first song he ever sang on record and he'd ended up with an extraordinary solo career including singing.
zappa was brutal on his drummers. this is all scored out and those meters are all over the pace. He could hear when they f'ed it up and he would let them know. All his musicians were on payroll 40 hours a week EVEN WHEN NOT ON TOUR where they would record and practice in Franks studio. Amazing character, incredible composer. Watch the Zappa movie.
among other great musicians in the band, there is mr. Chester Thompson, also Weather report and future live co-drummer of Genesis and George Duke on keyboards and vocal
I love seeing you young musicians discover the greatest American composer of our time Mr Frank Zappa! Loved this... The list to check out is endless but check out cheapnis from the Roxy and Elsewhere live sessions...
Ruth Underwood was a classicly trained marimba and xylophone player who saw a FZ concert in NYC and said, “I never want to play anything else”. You can find documentaries with her talking about her times playing with FZ and she even shows the handwritten charts Frank gave her. “Play this." George Duke is the keyboard player/singer. Bruce Bickford (it is rumored) climbed over the fence of Zappa’s Laurel Canyon home and told Frank “I have to do claymation for you.” and he did…. I think as fun as the claymation is, it distracts from the amazing intricicy of this piece. A better version is part of a melody on The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life, live version, along with Andy, and Florentine Pogen….
Love this stuff. You want more insight into the animation, watch 'Babby snakes' the film. Great band too with Terry Bozio on drums being a complete drumming monster. This band and the whole album were so brilliant, none manages to hit Zappa triplets like Ruth does. This is the stuff I grew up on, but its nice to see someone who doesn't know it experience it for the first time - thank you. His catalogue is too varied to to be able to pick any one highlight, but the inca roads album is one of em.
Chester Thompson on drums He went in to tour with Genesis and Phil Collins for years thru their stadium days In fact, Phil discovered him because of Zappa’ band George Duke had a respectable solo jazz career He even had a Top 40 hit with the Clarke / Duke band called “Sweet Baby” Check that out. Quite different than this one. A sweet R&B ballad Nice one!!
If you have played with ZAPPA you don't need a phil collins to discover you :-D and I LOVE Phil Collins and Genesis. Chester is amazing and did not only match Phil on drums but outplayed him as well and gave Phil the opportunities to concentrate on the vocals. Zappa as a composer is greatly misunderstood but on his own accord since he gave it all into the world of popular music instead of the modern classical but in the end I think he did the smart move even there because he became the legend, the genius and in many ways saved pop, rock, jazz and classical music from being too separated. He showed how unique a road one may enter if you follow your true talent. Listen to "Greggery Peccary" by Zappa and you'll get a surprise when you find a complete musical operatic joke that is there for the taking of a genuinely brave modern opera composer.😋🙃
@@thomassonefors9281 Chester also played with Weather Report. So his chops go unchallenged, but I would not say he "outplayed" Phil. Technically superior, however they learned a lot from each other. If Collins was not brilliant, Chester would never have played with him for 40 years! He said Genesis rehearsals were every bit as difficult as Zappa's.
Zappa wrote more than 1000 songs, which Ive been listening to for more than 40 years now. Today I listen a lot to "Whats new in Baltimore", a lot of percussion into guitar, but Im sure youll like whatever you listen to next from Zappa.
Welcome to the world of Frank Zappa ! This was probably the best collection of musicians he ever put together, try out the yellow snow suite! Lots of fun...keep up the good work, I am enjoying your content.
What got me started on Zappa was Joe's Garage. It is a 3 disc album, story line follows from song to song. You would have to do them in succession, but it is great music, a whole lot of fun, and the storyline is absolutely absurd (ala Zappa)!!
I love your reaction and appreciation! You definitely get it! I agree with andyshan below! Definitely one of FZ's best bands! Ruth Underwood is beyond amazing on percussion and xylophone, Chester Thompson on drums is amazing, George Duke on keyboards is amazing (RIP), Napoleon Murphy Brock on sax and amazing vocals, God! These guys were on fire! And, you're correct, everything is written down! That's amazing in itself!
Glad you liked this one. It's crazy. Hot Rats was my introduction to Zappa, followed by Overnite Sensation with the fabulous Dinah Moe Hum, and I'm The Slime. Live At The Filmore East is fun.
IF YOU LISTEN TO FRANK ZAPPA'S MUSIC LONG ENOUGH AND OVER HIS ENTIRE CAREER YOU WILL HEAR EVERY, SINGLE MUSICAL GENRE IN EXISTENCE AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER!!
Zappa wrote all the music for everyone involved in the project at the time. HE was the composer! They were the performers. Zappa started out his musical quest as a drummer... And he also learned a vast amount of his musical education at the public library... Think about that!!
I got to see this band when they were in their prime, (I'm old), with one more drummer and elaborate double solos. Check out Echidna's Arf from Roxy and Elsewhere. I saw Frank/Mothers a lot in the 1970s-80s. I'm a drummer, too and his music always set a very high bar for practice sessions. Glad you discovered him all these years later.
Drummer, this was arguably one of the best musician lineups ever assembled on stage. The two disc album "One Size Fits All" was a great journey. Don't forget to spark up first! "Florentine Pogen" is great reaction track as well. To understand the essence of Frank on guitar (as mentioned) "Watermelon in Easter Hay" off Joe's Garage Acts 2 & 3, is the pinnacle. Check out Chester Thompson on drums with Phil Collins, touring with Genesis. What a drum clinic! Enjoy!
Ahah! Another reactor venturing down the Frank Zappa rabbit-hole! Enjoy your journey! I do especially like his 1970s albums, where he adds a layer of funk to his work to rival the likes of George Clinton. Given you mentioned digging the jazz/fusion, I'd especially recommend the instrumental big-band jazz pieces on The Grand Wazoo, especially the title cut. Otherwise - every live performance from the "Token of His Extreme" concert is worth checking out and there's always a few floating around on RUclips.
RUTH UNDERWOOD, CHESTER THOMPSON, RALPH HUMPHREY (DUAL DRUMMERS) & RUTH NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK (sax & vocals), BRUCE FOWLER (bass) FRANK ON GUITAR LIVE: HE WAS THE MASTER OF FEEDBACK CONTOL IN ORDER TO GET THE PROPER TONES (A MASTER COMPOSER) THE GREAT GEORGE DUKE ON KEYS
Frank wrote everything and had it proofed by legends like Steve Vai who also was a good friend and neighbor of Frank. If you've never seen Steve Vai before you should definitely put him on your short list.
Proofed? Steve transcribed his stuff (with permission) when he was a fan. Then Frank asked him to audition and hired him on the spot when he was (I think) a college student.
Ruth studied percussion at Juilliard! The keyboardist, George Duke, played piano in Phil Collins Big Band in 1999 (Phil played drums). Check out their cover of Average White Band's 'Pick Up The Pieces'. The sax solos are incredible!
George Duke on keys, one of the best. The claymation is Bruce Bickford. There is a video called "The Amazing Mr Bickford" with Zappa's orchestral music. Trippy AF.
I was hooked onto "We are only in it for the money" in 1968. That plus The Doors "Soft parade" and The crazy world of Arthur Brown". Please try those two out.
What a band!! Only Frank Zappa would write a song about aliens coming down to teach the Incas how to build roads through the Andes. (of course they did not) Ruth Underwood (they call out her name at the end) is the incredible percussionist. Did you know the guy playing drums is Chester Thompson (they also call out "Chester's theme" towards the end). If you heard his name before it is because Phil Collins loved Frank Zappa's music and heard Chester play, called him up, and recruited him for Genesis! Yes. Phil also heard him play with Weather Report, another of his favs. (and mine) Mr. Collins was amazed Chester agreed. Small World.
George Duke on keys. There are sections Zappa sets aside for different band members to improvise in, but it is always within an otherwise rightly composed piece. If you dig this incarnation if the band check out these albums: Apostrophe, Overnite Sensation, One Size Fits All, Roxy & Elsewhere and You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2.
It's true that Frank tended to minutely arrange his music, but he did incorporate ideas from bandmembers (in the Ellington tradition) - you can observe the evolution of this song developing by comparing the Lost Episodes/Erie/One Size Fits All versions, each with a different band line-up. And, for the record, he would sometimes delegate arrangements to other people (e.g: Marquez,Malone,Thunes). A former instrumental outfitted with a lyric - inspired by Chariots Of The Gods, or rather a review thereof - this song owes some of its fame to those 1979 performances which featured often very long and abstract guitar-led jams (e.g: all three of the Shut Up... title-tracks) - as someone said, that song plus that rhythm section caused Frank to just freak!
"Media has nothing to do with keeping people informed, because if media kept people informed, then all different kinds of information would be available all the time. Media has to do with money, real estate, labor, psychology, and it has to do with covering things up, that the government would prefer not to have uncovered." - FZ (the claymation used here is called Stop Motion. It was previously used by a few people including the great Ray Harryhousen. It is a very tedious process and long forgotten.
Nothin' but the best for my dog...Zappa demanded perfection and always had master musicians. Steve Vai played with Frank also a violin player from France named Jean-Luc Ponty. Jean-Luc is a Jazz Fusion violinist. Check his stuff out sometime. He has a channel here on YT
Inca roads are the ancient lines in the Atacama dessert only properly seen from the air. Ofcourse some people like to see them as signals to aliens. Zappa fed on that craze. George Duke (keyboards) was a legend too. Ruth Underwood on marimba + timpani. The drummer ! is Chester Thompson also Genesis.
Oh the nazca lines?? Yeah those are crazy... I don't think it was for aliens. It's for us! We have had flying machines before. Epochs rise and fall. I think we are severely misled and confused on our history. I think humanity migrated here from an extrasolar area or just from mars... who knows. There are some CRAZY tales about Mars... but I don't want to sound TOO out there. 😁
Yes, there is a guy from Swizzerland, named Erich von Daeniken, who claimed those lines were sort of runways for extraterristic vehicles in ancient ages. In the sixties and seventies of the 20. century, he became rather prominent for that complete nonsense along Germany, Swizzerland and Austria. At the age of 88 by now, he is still touring with such weird lectures.
@@klausschneider1045 Yes I have read those books when I was younger and more naiv (50 years ago). Now we have Graham Hancock who mixes facts with his fantasies. (boy does his books sell.......)
And given Frank's iconoclastic/sardonic view of anything smacking of new-age woo-woo, he meant the lyrics of Inca Roads to be a sendup of such "In Search of Ancient Aliens" kind of stuff ... and then at the last bit, the lyrics veer off into a bunch of touring-band in-jokes about backstage groupie-hijinks mixed in with humorous salutes to drummer Chester Thompson and percussionist Ruth Underwood :-)
Zappa asked George Duke to play a syntheiser then he asked him to sing. George said he can't sing. I beg to differ. That is a voice from a far away place.
Great stuff man... loving your choices and reactions! I'm not a drummer but I love theory and rhythm. Pretty sure the timing you were trying to figure out in that one section was either 7/8 or 7/16.
Check out Ainsley Dunbar some time - At his time with Zappa. His drumming sounded like there were 2 drummers. Mostly on Zappa's jazz-fusion pieces (Waka/Jawaka) or (The Grand Wazoo)
Tom Fowler on bass is genius here. They way he plays off Chester and Frank during Frank's solo is just so fucking good
I would think that was zappa writing alot too, I wonder how much tho
did not know the bass player's name. He's brilliant.
@@paulweber686 Fun trivia: he is 1/3 of the Fowler Brothers. Tom Fowler plays bass, Bruce Fowler plays trombone, Walt Fowler plays trumpet. All of them, separately or all at once, have played in Zappa's bands. They are all very good at what they do.
Definitely one of Zappa's greatest lineups.
I'd say it was the best. The 1988 one was bigger and arguably even more accomplished, but they also played a lot more big band music,
which I don't like as much as jazz-rock.
I really enjoyed this but I don't have enough under my belt to make a choice like that yet 😆 I'm partial to the group from the shows I watched first I think 😅
One of the best percussion sections ever. George Duke - keys, Chester Thompson - drums, the great Ruth Underwood - vibes and such.
It's nice to see another generation coming along to appreciate Frank's music. Frank and his band played on a higher plane that us mortals. Since he had been working in music since the 60s, he was able to attract the best musicians around. He had several iterations of his band over time. The early 70s was more of a commercial sound to his music. But I really like it. One Size is one of my favorite albums by FZ.
I urge to search out George Duke music and his bio. He was the greatest of his time. He set the bar where it's doubtful if it will be reached again for a long time.
Ruth Underwood was classically trained at Julliard if memory serves. She was a fan of Zappa and The Mothers when he had his 'residency' in New York, met him as a fan, then joined the band for a few years. She is awesome!
George Duke was also classically trained, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Ruth went to see fhen at the Gadrick theater in NYC when theu had 7 or 8 month residency there.
She was a session player on the Uncle Meaf album.
By 1972 FZ had figured ouut how to amplify a marimba and she joined The Grand Wazoo touring band and stayed on through '74.
She was brought back for the Zappa In New York shows.
This man was one of the greatest and most unique guitarist of all time.
Keyboardist George Duke made his name as a classical pianist. When he joined Zappa's band, he had never sung or played a synthesizer; Frank bought him the latter and enticed him to play it with the teaser that he would be able to bend notes like a guitar might. He also told Frank, when asked to play some comic rock'n'roll piece, "I can't play THAT!" Obviously, he COULD and DID!
The lyrics to this particular song obviously morphed as they went along, but the first verses are a verbatim recitation of Rod Serling's narration for the American made-for-TV film, "In Search of Ancient Astronauts," itself an adaptation of Erich Von Daniken's book, "Chariots of the Gods." This is one of many examples of Frank's expansive curiosity and encyclopedic knowledge; what the casual listener might assume to be pure silliness is often rooted in obscure facts. 🙏
There is a story of when George Duke first meets the Zappa band and they are playing some doo wop, and George states "I can't play that". And Frank plays with him saying "Oh...is there something wrong with your hand?"
George Duke is a god!
Frank Zappa has had a bunch of incredible drummers in his bands. World class IMHO.
No doubt. He was pretty selective about all the musicians he hired.
Probably the most underrated guitar player ever
I've seen videos where George Duke says this too.
That dude can shred. With the best. He is honestly holding back most of the time. You can hear it lol
I think he might have been named guitarist of the year by Guitar Player Magazine. Polyphia has sighted him as an influence. 😮
@@L33ReactsCheck out the album version. The solo is from a live performance of this song in Helsinki. Much better than the one he plays here.
He and Jeff Beck are my two favorites.
The amazing part for me is that this is a LIVE performance!
Frank was one of the best guitar solo improvisers ever!
Yes he was.
The claymation was done by Bruce Bickford.
There's video of his process in the movie Baby Snakes. No CGI there. Every bit of it was done by first creating the clay pieces and then taking the pictures of the movements, one frame at a time. Truly amazing.
Frank put out a video titled The Amazing Mr. Bickford showcasing his talent.
I met Bruce once and he was one strange guy, but very pleasant and engaging
@@robinjones6999
He looked strange. Very talented, that's for sure. R.I.P. Bruce.
'Monster Road' is worth checking out if you haven't already.
😂😂😂 🤯 Holy shit!!! 😅 the early claymation 'guy' looks 'Zactly like this friggin reaction guy! 😅😅😅
- HE needs to do Frank's Stairway to Heaven (horns killin' the famous guitar solo) the whole Nanook / St Alphonso suite - and Titties n Beer with Bozzio & the Devil mask....
Lots of Mr. Bickford's claymation in the Dub Room Special video, this vid is from there
One of the things that makes Frank such a beloved guitar player too many of his fans is the fact that none of his solos were written out or practiced they were all improvised and never played the exact same way exactly again.
And yet they were so intricate and original, unlike anything else you ever heard
.. and yet most of them work
Yes, and that whats makes it work so well. A balance between the planned and the spontaneous. A written guitar solo would've sounded to stiff.
The fast sequence is in 7/16. That is Ruth Underwood on percussion, Chester Thomson on drums, George Duke on vocals and keys, Nepolian Murphy Brock on vocals, sax and flute and Tom Fowler on bass.
Frank is a genius. There's no denying it.
Ruth Underwood on vibes, marimba & percussion is crazy good. She steals the show for me
Instrumental: Blessed Relief, Watermelon In Easter Hay, Black Napkins, The Ocean is the Ultimate Solution, Apostrophe, peaches En Regalia
One of a kind musical piece: Gregory Peccary
Live video: Cheepnis, zappa and the Ikettes Recording at Bolic Sound 1973, Son of Orange County + Trouble Every Day, Muffin Man
I Am the Slime, City of Tiny Lights, You Are What You Is, Bobby Brown Goes Down, Uncle Remus, Flakes, Cosmic Debris
Strong agree for all of these - and ESPECIALLY Ocean is the Ultimate Solution, Apostrophe (title track and whole album) ... and if you twisted my arm to pick one single personal favorite piece of his, it would be The Adventures of Greggery Peccary
I like the wild, gregorian swine
The first time that I saw Frank Zappa live was in March 1974 and this was the opening song of the show and I was blown away!
George Duke on keys and lead vocal
He was amazing! He has one of those church voices I remember as a kid... so powerful
@@L33Reactscheck out stanley clarke with him on the live School Days. I would love a reaction to that sooo much, no one's done it I've seen yet.
Probably the best keytarists along with one of the best bass players
There's nothing more serious than humor. And Frank's music is full of it.
The drummer played with Weather Report and Genesis.
Yes Bruv, welcome to the world of Zappa... Nice
Superb to see this performance again, the incredible Ruth Underwood on percussion. I was lucky enough to see Zappa with this line up & others over the years. Brilliant music played by experts & always a joy to see. More Zappa please, try "Watermelon In Easter Hay" for sheer beauty or "Baby Snakes" for fun.
Welcome in our world!....its a way of life!
Thanks for having me!! This rabbit hole is gonna be a doozy...
Inca Roads to me is Zappa's Universe in a nutshell. There is a earlier instrumental version as well. The piano solo is over 7/8 afaik, ||: 1-2-3-and-a :||
I love this Frank zappa track ....the best
I’ve heard of Inca Roads for a long time but have never listened to or watched it. Saved it for you Bro. Glad I did. Incredible.
Whaaaat?? Really? That's awesome bro 😁😁 glad we got a first listen in together! Wasn't it great?? Lol. That solo in the middle was nuts.
@@L33Reacts completely awesome! I marvel at the musical education you are getting and how much you like and appreciate the music I grew up with. In a way you remind me of my son. That said, I want to see you succeed and get what you want in life.
For a different angle on Zappa, (Idid get to see him once….can’t remember much except I was amazed at what a great guitar player he was!)
But try Watermelon in Easter Hay.
@glenndespres5317 awww damn Glenn got me tearing up over here I appreciate that so much bro. I lost my dad very young so that means alot. I'm glad we can go on this journey together! 😄
If Frank thought that other genres were useful he didn't hesitate to use them! In that he was pretty eclectic and creative!
So, if you’re a drummer ”THE BLACK PAGE” must be your next stop on your Zappa journey. The NAME of that song has a profound meaning, can you guess?
Good idea - especially if - unlike some reactors - he picks Part 1 & 2 straight off the ZINY album. Actually wouldn't it be better if he listened to that whole side of vinyl...
Hell yeah
Came here to say this
Ruth Underwood was a classic musician trained at juliart
I can’t get with its statistical density! I go for the New York version, I can dance to that 😂😂😂😂
I've seen it a hundred times and I still go WOW after it's over.
I would argue and so would Frank (seeing how he used the solo on the studio album) the Helsinki concert had the best performance, especially the incredible guitar solo. And I think you're going to love this seeing how you commented you liked George's singing: Frank surprised the daylights out of him by saying you're singing the song! As hard as it might seem,, this was the first song he ever sang on record and he'd ended up with an extraordinary solo career including singing.
The Helsinki Concert rules! ❤
zappa was brutal on his drummers. this is all scored out and those meters are all over the pace. He could hear when they f'ed it up and he would let them know. All his musicians were on payroll 40 hours a week EVEN WHEN NOT ON TOUR where they would record and practice in Franks studio. Amazing character, incredible composer. Watch the Zappa movie.
Thats alot to bite off for a new Zappa fan...good on ya
among other great musicians in the band, there is mr. Chester Thompson, also Weather report and future live co-drummer of Genesis and George Duke on keyboards and vocal
SO GLAD you reacted to this live version. Fantastic song.
I love seeing you young musicians discover the greatest American composer of our time Mr Frank Zappa! Loved this... The list to check out is endless but check out cheapnis from the Roxy and Elsewhere live sessions...
George Duke on keys and vocals, Ruth Underwood on percussion, and Terry Bozzio on drums. Top people all of them.
Frank Zappa will break the rules to get the job done! He was incredible no doubt. George Dukes was on the keys!
Keyboards and vocals is the great George Duke, who entered Zappa's band before he ever sung or played synths, both of which Zappa made him do.
Ruth Underwood was a classicly trained marimba and xylophone player who saw a FZ concert in NYC and said, “I never want to play anything else”. You can find documentaries with her talking about her times playing with FZ and she even shows the handwritten charts Frank gave her. “Play this."
George Duke is the keyboard player/singer. Bruce Bickford (it is rumored) climbed over the fence of Zappa’s Laurel Canyon home and told Frank “I have to do claymation for you.” and he did….
I think as fun as the claymation is, it distracts from the amazing intricicy of this piece. A better version is part of a melody on The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life, live version, along with Andy, and Florentine Pogen….
Chester Thompson on Drums soon to be in Genesis stating in 1977' to the 90s as their on Tour Drummer !! 👍🥁🎶
Thanks for putting Frank out there! He is a true artist. Try out "St. Ettienne"
Sweet I'll add it to the list, thank you! 😊 frank is the man... it's the least I can do
Love this stuff. You want more insight into the animation, watch 'Babby snakes' the film. Great band too with Terry Bozio on drums being a complete drumming monster.
This band and the whole album were so brilliant, none manages to hit Zappa triplets like Ruth does.
This is the stuff I grew up on, but its nice to see someone who doesn't know it experience it for the first time - thank you.
His catalogue is too varied to to be able to pick any one highlight, but the inca roads album is one of em.
Chester Thompson on drums
He went in to tour with Genesis and Phil Collins for years thru their stadium days
In fact, Phil discovered him because of Zappa’ band
George Duke had a respectable solo jazz career
He even had a Top 40 hit with the Clarke / Duke band called “Sweet Baby”
Check that out. Quite different than this one. A sweet R&B ballad
Nice one!!
If you have played with ZAPPA you don't need a phil collins to discover you :-D and I LOVE Phil Collins and Genesis. Chester is amazing and did not only match Phil on drums but outplayed him as well and gave Phil the opportunities to concentrate on the vocals. Zappa as a composer is greatly misunderstood but on his own accord since he gave it all into the world of popular music instead of the modern classical but in the end I think he did the smart move even there because he became the legend, the genius and in many ways saved pop, rock, jazz and classical music from being too separated. He showed how unique a road one may enter if you follow your true talent.
Listen to "Greggery Peccary" by Zappa and you'll get a surprise when you find a complete musical operatic joke that is there for the taking of a genuinely brave modern opera composer.😋🙃
"Chester's Theme" in the lyrics is a nice nod to his prowess. Ruth Underwood definitely an insanely talented musician.
@@thomassonefors9281 Chester also played with Weather Report. So his chops go unchallenged, but I would not say he "outplayed" Phil. Technically superior, however they learned a lot from each other. If Collins was not brilliant, Chester would never have played with him for 40 years! He said Genesis rehearsals were every bit as difficult as Zappa's.
Liked your reaction a lot. You have got a lot of suggestions. Here are two more: "Chungas revenge" and "Whats new in Baltimore".
George Duke on Keys/Vocals, a god....( in Pantheon with Percy Jones/ Brand X ^^ )
Zappa wrote more than 1000 songs, which Ive been listening to for more than 40 years now.
Today I listen a lot to "Whats new in Baltimore", a lot of percussion into guitar, but Im sure youll like whatever you listen to next from Zappa.
I live 4 minutes from Baltimore. You want know what's new there? Carfentanyl and xylazine... it's killing so many people.
I'm glad I discovered these guys... what a find.
@@L33Reacts
Have you ever seen the statue of Frank Zappa in Baltimore. It's in front of a library there.
Whaaaat really??? Do you know what library? I'm going to have to go take a pic there lol
@@L33Reacts
Enoch Pratt Free Library
3601 Eastern Ave, Baltimore
Not exactly a statue. It's a bust on a pole.
Welcome to the world of Frank Zappa ! This was probably the best collection of musicians he ever put together, try out the yellow snow suite! Lots of fun...keep up the good work, I am enjoying your content.
What got me started on Zappa was Joe's Garage. It is a 3 disc album, story line follows from song to song. You would have to do them in succession, but it is great music, a whole lot of fun, and the storyline is absolutely absurd (ala Zappa)!!
Such inventive great music.. So timeless.. Beautiful.. Zappa is so unregarded. Animation is out of this world also..
Zappa is the fucking man. I love his approach. To everything
Bro I enjoyed watching you react to my favorite artist ever. Hoping you do more Zappa.
I love your reaction and appreciation! You definitely get it! I agree with andyshan below! Definitely one of FZ's best bands! Ruth Underwood is beyond amazing on percussion and xylophone, Chester Thompson on drums is amazing, George Duke on keyboards is amazing (RIP), Napoleon Murphy Brock on sax and amazing vocals, God! These guys were on fire! And, you're correct, everything is written down! That's amazing in itself!
Glad you liked this one. It's crazy. Hot Rats was my introduction to Zappa, followed by Overnite Sensation with the fabulous Dinah Moe Hum, and I'm The Slime. Live At The Filmore East is fun.
IF YOU LISTEN TO FRANK ZAPPA'S MUSIC LONG ENOUGH AND OVER HIS ENTIRE CAREER YOU WILL HEAR EVERY, SINGLE MUSICAL GENRE IN EXISTENCE AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER!!
Zappa wrote all the music for everyone involved in the project at the time. HE was the composer! They were the performers. Zappa started out his musical quest as a drummer... And he also learned a vast amount of his musical education at the public library... Think about that!!
If you wont to get laid, go to college, if you want to get educated, go to the library
This my favorite popular hit of Zappa.
Bruce Charles Bickford Is the claymation artist Frank used... If you understand what exactly is going on you'll realize it's genius work...
They year I turned 18 I got to see Alice on their "Dead Babies" tour. Top 10 concerts of my lifetime.
I got to see this band when they were in their prime, (I'm old), with one more drummer and elaborate double solos. Check out Echidna's Arf from Roxy and Elsewhere. I saw Frank/Mothers a lot in the 1970s-80s. I'm a drummer, too and his music always set a very high bar for practice sessions. Glad you discovered him all these years later.
I think you'll like , Sinister Footwear, live in NYC 1981. Incredible guitar work by Steve Vai and of course Frank
Drummer, this was arguably one of the best musician lineups ever assembled on stage. The two disc album "One Size Fits All" was a great journey. Don't forget to spark up first! "Florentine Pogen" is great reaction track as well. To understand the essence of Frank on guitar (as mentioned) "Watermelon in Easter Hay" off Joe's Garage Acts 2 & 3, is the pinnacle. Check out Chester Thompson on drums with Phil Collins, touring with Genesis. What a drum clinic! Enjoy!
Ahah! Another reactor venturing down the Frank Zappa rabbit-hole! Enjoy your journey! I do especially like his 1970s albums, where he adds a layer of funk to his work to rival the likes of George Clinton. Given you mentioned digging the jazz/fusion, I'd especially recommend the instrumental big-band jazz pieces on The Grand Wazoo, especially the title cut. Otherwise - every live performance from the "Token of His Extreme" concert is worth checking out and there's always a few floating around on RUclips.
All songs are writin by Frank Zappa ,and to be in any of his bands reading sheet music is a must and that is him on lead
Wrong: in the early Mothers days Aynsley Dunbar (drums) had no clue of what sheet music was, and he was not the only one.
G-spot tornado, live (with ballet dancers).
Be warned: you won't quite know what hit you at the end.
Once you are Zapped, you can't go back.
RUTH UNDERWOOD, CHESTER THOMPSON, RALPH HUMPHREY (DUAL DRUMMERS) & RUTH
NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK (sax & vocals), BRUCE FOWLER (bass)
FRANK ON GUITAR LIVE: HE WAS THE MASTER OF FEEDBACK CONTOL IN ORDER TO GET THE PROPER TONES (A MASTER COMPOSER)
THE GREAT GEORGE DUKE ON KEYS
Frank wrote everything and had it proofed by legends like Steve Vai who also was a good friend and neighbor of Frank. If you've never seen Steve Vai before you should definitely put him on your short list.
Proofed? Steve transcribed his stuff (with permission) when he was a fan. Then Frank asked him to audition and hired him on the spot when he was (I think) a college student.
Ruth studied percussion at Juilliard! The keyboardist, George Duke, played piano in Phil Collins Big Band in 1999 (Phil played drums). Check out their cover of Average White Band's 'Pick Up The Pieces'. The sax solos are incredible!
George Duke on keys, one of the best. The claymation is Bruce Bickford. There is a video called "The Amazing Mr Bickford" with Zappa's orchestral music. Trippy AF.
It's about ancient space ships on the top of the Andes. And left figures that they cut onto the landing zone.
Yeah the nazca lines right? Crazy. Proof we have to have had flying machines a long time ago. Just like in the Vedas.
I was hooked onto "We are only in it for the money" in 1968.
That plus The Doors "Soft parade" and The crazy world of Arthur Brown". Please try those two out.
What a band!! Only Frank Zappa would write a song about aliens coming down to teach the Incas how to build roads through the Andes. (of course they did not)
Ruth Underwood (they call out her name at the end) is the incredible percussionist. Did you know the guy playing drums is Chester Thompson (they also call out "Chester's theme" towards the end). If you heard his name before it is because Phil Collins loved Frank Zappa's music and heard Chester play, called him up, and recruited him for Genesis! Yes. Phil also heard him play with Weather Report, another of his favs. (and mine) Mr. Collins was amazed Chester agreed. Small World.
Frank's solos werel always improvised... Also Give Hot Rats a listen, the entire album!
The keyboard solo section is in 7/8 but it goest a bit fast. Def one of my favorite time signatures
You got it...and there's a whole lot more.
Zappa was creative with visuals as well! Look up his movie 200 Motels and you will be in for a treat!
Guacamole Queen was a bouncer at the Armadillo in Austin, TX.
FRANK DISCOVERED AN ARTIST THAT HAD SOMETHING NEW, SO FRANK USED IT !!
CLAYMATION I forget his name
George Duke on keys. There are sections Zappa sets aside for different band members to improvise in, but it is always within an otherwise rightly composed piece. If you dig this incarnation if the band check out these albums: Apostrophe, Overnite Sensation, One Size Fits All, Roxy & Elsewhere and You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2.
It's true that Frank tended to minutely arrange his music, but he did incorporate ideas from bandmembers (in the Ellington tradition) - you can observe the evolution of this song developing by comparing the Lost Episodes/Erie/One Size Fits All versions, each with a different band line-up. And, for the record, he would sometimes delegate arrangements to other people (e.g: Marquez,Malone,Thunes).
A former instrumental outfitted with a lyric - inspired by Chariots Of The Gods, or rather a review thereof - this song owes some of its fame to those 1979 performances which featured often very long and abstract guitar-led jams (e.g: all three of the Shut Up... title-tracks) - as someone said, that song plus that rhythm section caused Frank to just freak!
The meter for the part you were trying to count is a fast 7, divided 2-2-3.
Yup you are right. I just couldn't get it down In the moment 🤣 and then it was gone... 🫠
@@L33Reacts Well, I had the advantage of having known the tune for decades.
"Media has nothing to do with keeping people informed, because if media kept people informed, then all different kinds of information would be available all the time. Media has to do with money, real estate, labor, psychology, and it has to do with covering things up, that the government would prefer not to have uncovered." - FZ (the claymation used here is called Stop Motion. It was previously used by a few people including the great Ray Harryhousen. It is a very tedious process and long forgotten.
When this song came out, a pseudo anthropologic theory was that intergalactic aliens built the Incas. Leave it to Zappa to memorialize this FOREVER.
RUTHIE ON VIBES AGAIN !
Have a listen to Watermellon in Easter Hay By FZ off of Joes Garage
Nothin' but the best for my dog...Zappa demanded perfection and always had master musicians. Steve Vai played with Frank also a violin player from France named Jean-Luc Ponty. Jean-Luc is a Jazz Fusion violinist. Check his stuff out sometime. He has a channel here on YT
saw zappa and george duke,tho not together,george was playing with billy cobham they were great players
Inca roads are the ancient lines in the Atacama dessert only properly seen from the air.
Ofcourse some people like to see them as signals to aliens. Zappa fed on that craze.
George Duke (keyboards) was a legend too.
Ruth Underwood on marimba + timpani.
The drummer ! is Chester Thompson also Genesis.
Oh the nazca lines?? Yeah those are crazy... I don't think it was for aliens. It's for us! We have had flying machines before. Epochs rise and fall. I think we are severely misled and confused on our history. I think humanity migrated here from an extrasolar area or just from mars... who knows. There are some CRAZY tales about Mars... but I don't want to sound TOO out there. 😁
Yes, there is a guy from Swizzerland, named Erich von Daeniken, who claimed those lines were sort of runways for extraterristic vehicles in ancient ages. In the sixties and seventies of the 20. century, he became rather prominent for that complete nonsense along Germany, Swizzerland and Austria. At the age of 88 by now, he is still touring with such weird lectures.
@@L33Reacts Those people were worshipping the gods in the skies.
Just like you.
@@klausschneider1045 Yes I have read those books when I was younger
and more naiv (50 years ago). Now we have Graham Hancock who mixes
facts with his fantasies. (boy does his books sell.......)
And given Frank's iconoclastic/sardonic view of anything smacking of new-age woo-woo, he meant the lyrics of Inca Roads to be a sendup of such "In Search of Ancient Aliens" kind of stuff ... and then at the last bit, the lyrics veer off into a bunch of touring-band in-jokes about backstage groupie-hijinks mixed in with humorous salutes to drummer Chester Thompson and percussionist Ruth Underwood :-)
Great review dude. Zappa is the Goat
Oh and in case you're wondering, the fast bit at the end is in seven.
Pleaase react to "Peaches in regalia" fron Zappa
Frank had an amazing imagination
He truly did... you can tell this was his creative outlet. And damn is he good...
Zappa asked George Duke to play a syntheiser then he asked him to sing. George said he can't sing. I beg to differ. That is a voice from a far away place.
It's hard to believe Frank was straight-edge.
Believe it or not a lot of the best musicians are straight edge. I am not straight edge, and so far I am not a great musician 🤣
Great stuff man... loving your choices and reactions!
I'm not a drummer but I love theory and rhythm.
Pretty sure the timing you were trying to figure out in that one section was either 7/8 or 7/16.
Seems as if you would like "The Grand Wazoo." A sometimes overlooked Zappa masterpiece.
Please do "Drowning Witch" next time, insane solos and musicianship.
I'll add it to the list 😀 thank you! 😊
Check out Ainsley Dunbar some time - At his time with Zappa. His drumming sounded like there were 2 drummers. Mostly on Zappa's jazz-fusion pieces (Waka/Jawaka) or (The Grand Wazoo)
You have stumbled onto the grandfather of all modern genres. Enjoy
Hands with a hammer!