My Uncle in-law drummed for Frank Zappa for a while in the mid 60’s. He’s a jazz drummer and still plays with a band in San Antonio TX. He’s 87 and still playing.
Bernard O'Connor George is great singing about Kenny and Ronnie, I was kind of waiting for Let's Make the Water Turn Black( from We're Only in it For the Money, iirc).
I think Frank and the rest of the band loved a lot and gave to George the credit that he deserved. Maybe George doesn't received enough credit from the fans.
Sound top, as always with FZ 👍. Video quality top also ... awesome music ... positive vibes all around the stage and in the audience. This must have been a hell of an experience ... I wish I could have taken part in it
He's using Neumann U-67's on the drum overheads, a brilliant German studio mic. RE20's on vocals, who knows what else. Incredible for a live setting, no wonder it sounds so good.
As other people have said.. the audio and mastering quality here, for a LIVE recording from 1973, is absolutely off the walls. I have been a Zappa fan for so long, and of course my music tastes will take me in different directions now and then, but every time I sit down and watch this video, I am just absolutely blown away by the musicianship and skill of his band and the quality of the recording. He was such an enigmatic monolith of a man. I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but god damn... Zappa really was the certified GOAT.... RIP
This particular band was one of if not the best band Frank ever put together! They were very tight with their instrumental jams! Frank was brilliant but not sure he was the GOAT! I don’t argue however with people who say that especially when this band is playing!
He's the best. So much charisma and humor. When he sings in that old melodic jazz style, that's his area right there. This was his most legendary line-up.
Never has music been so vulgar and so sophisticated at the same time! Frank would have been 80 today (Dec 21, 2020). I miss him, his music, his thoughts everyday. One can only guess how active he would have been. Music, of course. Movies maybe. Maybe the president.
The US Establishment kept tabs on him. They blocked his first serious entry into politics and I believe Zappa had an early realisation he could never beat the system (please correct me if anyone knows different).
@@indricotherium4802 i remember that - i voted for scumbag bush sr (his vp dan qualye lower case intentional) was assigned the grand effort to sideline frank which, at the time i was too young to really appreciate -but now realize quite well, was censorship worse than frank had ever encountered, even in the 60/70s - When we learn our lessons too late, we are forced to either cower, or stand up and....
@@mstevensn50 : He pointed very clearly to what was going on and didn't pull many punches (for example "Jesus Thinks You're a Jerk" would be considered libellous under many countries' standards). Artistic protest, though, is nearly always taken as fairly innocuous in terms of threat to the Establishment. It's not often clamped down on as in Russia, for instance. In fact, its existence is tolerable because it gives a note of authenticity to 'democratic freedom'. Frank picked up more flak from religious groups and other goodie two shoes because of the sexual vulgarity and innuendo of his lyrics and performances. Needless to say, the values of American youth would be corrupted to a far greater degree by listening to the lyrics of Dinah Mo Hum than mainstream US culture could ever get them up to!!
Heureux mortel, vous avez de quoi explorer. J’en découvre moi aussi encore et je pratique le bonhomme depuis les années 70. Sur cette vidéo que je vois pour la première fois je ne sais pas ce qui m’impressionne le plus. Mention spéciale à la section rythmique qui tient tout ça ensemble, dans ce labyrinthe de mesures à la métrique improbable… mais comme disait le maître, « why in 4, we don’t speak in 4 ». We miss you, Franck.
Allez voir aussi les vidéos du Yellow Shark concert, ou les covers au piano ou a la guitare classique de Oh No… FZ était avant tout un compositeur. I, y a du Stravinsky ou du Bartok chez lui, entre autres influences, plus un génie propre. Il avançait masqué et arrivait à intéresser des gens venus pour du rock/blues avec des œuvres extrêmement élaborées. En assistant à ses grosses blagues scéniques ou en écoutant ses paroles délirantes, on absorbait sa musique et on finissait par aller voir Varese ou Boulez. Un bienfaiteur de l’humanité, parti bien trop jeune.
I was only 16 years old when I was introduced to Frank Zappa's music by much older classmates at school. God bless them, I don't know what they're doing today, but it opened up a whole musical cosmos for me. Today I'm 61 ;) and I'm happy every day when I listen to jazz, modern classical music, Fela Kuti, Jimmie Hendrix, etc. If I can then immerse myself in the incredibly diverse musical world of Frank Zappa, that's all the nicer. Rest in peace Frank, I bursted into tears when I read the news of your death.
His standards were so high that he fired Napoleon for getting high. (The misinformation and rumors about Frank being some kind of user are still out there - unbelievable)
Personally I find the humour in Zappa’s lyrics to be a bit much sometimes. Never cared for it. Though I love his music, and to me it sounds like he was always 100% serious regarding that.
I was a German Child in 1968 ?, In the News Paper says, Watch out moms, Zappa is coming!!!! This was my first love for Zappa music!!! Very Love from Germany!!!
The Roxy album is a religion in my life. To hear this brings tears to my eyes. Sounds like there is TWENTY musicians on stage. Thank you Frank. Just thank you man.
I don't think that many appreciate Zappa for his skill as a linguist. With platonic ease he engages with difficult questions during interviews and even on stage - his sentences are melodic and phonetic in nature.
This is the most brilliant line up of Frank Zappa & The Mothers. The performances of Frank, Napoleon Murphy Brock and George Duke are simply in very high level.
To think I had this album when I was a kid and played it to death and living in New Zealand, I never realized it had been recorded as a movie. I used to play drums along to this for ages. So cool to see a film of it all.
Frank Zappa was a genius of music. His music is such impressive and creative, full of groove and inspiration, also very difficult to play. Only the best play with him. Thank you Mr. Zappa!
having two drummers is just such a perfect addition to this lineup. it gives the band a much fuller, more rounded out sound and makes their performance just that much funkier.
My first FZ concert, and first concert ever for that matter, was this same lineup with Ralph & Chester on drums in Austin. They sounded great together.
I've listened to Frank's music for nearly 50 years now, and am always amazed at sheer amount of talented musicians he worked with. But out of all of them, this is my favourite line up.....I'd have given anything to have been at a couple of those Roxy gigs
Frank was on FIRE! This was a signature band for Frank. Razor sharp while having fun, and many virtuoso players. Bruce Fowler’s playing is jaw-dropping.
I agree the Fowler Brothers were great ,George Duke was my favorite musician ,Ruth never fails, both classicaly trained, Frank,wow all quality musicians. And they only got better...
Nothing was better than Frank and the mothers of invention. They were so GREAT together. We will never have the opportunity to listen to a band that was so great together. He left us way to early. Bands come n go, some are great, some aren't. But there will never be another, MOTHERS OF INVENTION AND FRANK ZAPPA.
You know, Zappa certainly had some negative qualities... some arrogance, some self-indulgence, occasionally open contempt for people around him... but goddamn he was a musical genius, and he was exceptionally good at surrounding him with other genii. Everyone in this lineup is at the top of their game, playing what is actually pretty difficult music and making it sound good and easy.
Not only that, but he recognized it and made sure they would shine and leave their footprint all over his pieces. He definitely seemed arrogant, but music was the most overwhelmingly positive quality he had
that was maybe my favorite thing about Alex Winter's "Zappa" - his goal in portraying Frank on film was to demystify him and showcase the other side of him - the arrogant, self-indulgent prick who had an open marriage and was fine sleeping around on his wife and kids (even if that did seem to be a sort of arrangement between Frank + Gail). He was, sometimes painfully condescending and pretentious when he wanted to be and that's why I appreciate that movie so much, it humanizes him. I fully believe he was a musical genius, in every sense of the word, but he was just that - human, an impatient genius who tended to only see people as far as he was able to use them for his performances. This led to some cold interactions between the band and Frank, I remember a couple of scenes in which Bunk Gardner and Ruth Underwood - forgiving as they are, and willing to chalk up his attitude to his genius - recount certain events in which Frank was needlessly rude or dismissive of them. You get the sense that it kind of happens a lot, but it's refreshing to see the "other side of the coin" in terms of his ability to find, manage and play music with the best of the best, people who really worked well in the band both musically and characteristically. I agree with you totally, this is the cream of the crop in terms of bands that he was able to put together, this wasn't the first album I listened to by Zappa, but this was the first album that actually SOLD me on him. I will never forget listening to it on vinyl for the first time. As you said, incredibly difficult and complicated jazz fusion that just sounds so easily pulled off by the band, with zero loss in funk and groove sensibilities. Absolutely incredible time in music history while this band was playing.
George Duke was so underrated and such a valuable asset to the Mothers; the Roxy was such a great venue to showcase him. A couple of years later, when he got a little more recognition and struck out on his own, he performed a lot at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach. Another great LA landmark; especially for jazz.
amazing. FZ just doesnt stop. he keeps on going. that one lasted for around 3 minutes and was a non stop one way express freight train. mother mary & joseph.
When I was living in Capitola CA, I lived in a place called Bay Avenue Apartments with my cousin Tim. One day we heard the most insane sax playing we had ever heard coming from a house across the street. We went outside on the sidewalk and listened. A few minutes later this guy comes out and says hello. He said, You like music?" We were both guitar players. I asked his name and he said his name was Nappy. He invited us in and he had a whole house full of musical stuff. My cousin said, "Man, you should be in a band." He said, "I was, Frank Zappa. At first, we thought he was lying until he played some Zappa stuff note for note. Turns out he was recovering from being knifed in a drug deal. A guy stabbed him in the stomach and tried to gut him. He told us the only reason he was alive is that he lived the Bear spirit life, and ate like a bear. When he showed us the scar I couldn't believe he was alive. He told us Frank kicked him out of the band over his cocaine habit, and that he had the decision to make. Over several months we all became friends. Then one-day Nappy was gone. Turns out he made a decision and was back in the band, and on the road. A few years later we went to see Zappa at the Santa Cruz civic auditorium. Nappy was there and he saw us from the stage and said Hey guys! He told Frank, these are a couple of friends of mine. We were so overjoyed. It was amazing! Just then Frank told the story of how Nappy was kicked out of the band and came back after making a decision. He said "Cocaine Decisions" is the name of this song. It was written by my good friend Napolean Brock. It tells the story of... And the rest is history.
Wow Pam was so cute! Such a great band. The triple drum/percussion unit of Chester, Ralph and Ruth was on fire. Zappa plays percussion on certain songs too, so four drummers in the band!
Roxy was absolutely my favorite album in my high school years when i was really learning to play guitar. This '73 lineup was the best with the dual drummers, and so much fun on headphones. Being able to see these video gems just brings a whole new dimension to it. It shows Zappa could incorporate any instrument into his arrangements, including a wiggly girl in red sequins. Kudos to Pamela Miller and her excellent performance with the greatest composer of all time!
I saw Frank back in the 70s in St. Paul, Mn. At the civic center. What a show they put on. To this day I still say it was the best concert of my life and no one has ever top it yet. Rest In Peace Frank, you are forever missed and thanks for the memories.
Pamela ('I'm With the Band', GTOs) Des Barres, though still under her maiden name, no doubt, isn't it? NOT Liv Tyler's mom as I thought briefly, forgetting that was another "super-groupie", Bebe Buell. Nicely loose, free stage manner! Always a joy, I'm sure. ✌😘🎶💞 Btw, the band kicks serious ass as expected!
Ralph was one of my instructors when I attended musicians institute 91-92...I learned a lot from his classes...they took my drumming to a whole new level !
That’s one tight group of musicians. I was never a fan back in the 60’s but I’ve grown to appreciate what Zappa and company were all about. They were fantastic.
Zappa had a genius level intellect. It showed in his music, interviews and when he went up to DC to talk to the idiot Congressmen. Artists like Zappa come very infrequently. Glad we had a chance to bathe in his genius.
La musique de Zappa nous manque énormément car elle n'a jamais été remplacée depuis sa mort en 1993. Il nous reste les disques et les vidéos comme celle-là pour nous souvenir ce qu'invention veut dire en musique, une sorte de mi-chemin entre jazz et rock, avec style et élégance, et des paroles ironiques. Chapeau l'artiste.
Frank Zappa went to my high school a couple years before I did. He knew Captain Beefheart and I think they played together at the fairgrounds. I remember seeing Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band on the marque when they performed Trout Mask Replica live in Lancaster. Some of my friends played with Zappa, they formed "rattlesnakes and Eggs", whose big song was "Acton". Lousy weather, lots of incredible musicians.
Truly stellar. If you any appreciation for music you can't deny the greatness here. Frank was in a league of his own for his composing and his guitar playing excellent, underrated imo. He's never given the credit for being one of the best ever. Thank you kindly for sharing this gem!
@@solquiroga04 oh shit, how could I forget the inimitable Ruth Underwood.? Sometimes I forget that vibes and such are percussion too. My sincere apologies.
I got to see the them on this tour in Sarasota FL in 1973, my 20th birthday. Still my most favorite live show of all time. Tom Waites, then unknown opened for them. Totally amazing! Pam was not there😀
Ruth Underwood ... so talented and tirelessly performing on percussions, but chronically underrated. She was the best female rock musician at her time 😎... or do know any better one?
Zappa and Co were really great at taking the piss out of conventional music forms and music performance. Incredible band delivering an incredible groove. How do you mix parody with exceptional musical talent... and Napoleon just kills it
A good drummer doesn't let anything stop him from his precession. Even if she yodeled his third drumstick, he'd beat like clockwork! Greetings from Austria!
Zappa was different from everyone else at that time… story telling and much more as he did during his time… Hit notes that no-one else did…love him.. always will…❤️
We all "know", that this "live rock album", is, was, and, always, will BE !!! One of the "best", (or, better), was, ever recorded... Thank you, Frank Zappa !!!
There is so much of this on the Roxy album, yet so much of it is NOT. Frank was a master edit tech who knew just which parts should go together for the bestest, grooviest, teenage rockin' combo sound extravaganza. And I love him for this. And I agree, the sound quality is superb here.
Love this line-up, with the two drummers and Ruth on marimba/vibraphone centric percussion, Napoleon's charisma, and George Duke for jazz legitimacy. Got to know the Roxy and Elsewhere album while my body was still undergoing those changes we experience in our youth, and sill a favorite decades later. Great to see some live footage sans the overdubs.
And here I thought a Frank Zappa only in relation to Nanook the Eskimo boy and yellow snow from way back... and now I find this and that amazing guitar playing and tone just melted my headphones... what a band!
What a line up, mind you it's always a great line up, lucky enough to see Frank twice in England, then last year Dweezil got to talk to him, what a nice guy. Love to everyone. Stay safe.
The band looks like they are really digging it, which sadly wasn't the case on some of Frank's later tours. This is the best. The level of playing here is right off the charts. If I had a time machine I would use it to go back to this show. I saw FZ a few times but always in a big hall, so a totally different experience. Certainly no Pamela shaking her thing around.
This is my all time favorite Zappa-line up! So much deep felt blues, soul, rock, funk, jazz, gospel, cabaret, circus, avant garde, improv and the lot + fun, packed in this band... all played so seemingly effortlessly! Saw FZ in '88 in a sports arena here in the Netherlands. It kinda sucked because of the cathedral-like accoustics... his guitarsolo's and his antics between songs drowned in a hollow echo. Sunny upside besides having seen FZ perform in the flesh at least once in my life time: we (the cheering crowd & the band that night) were immortalised on one of his official releases! One of the volumes of the YCDTOSA series - released during his lifetime so approved by the master - contained his take on the Bolero (live in Rotterdam). So I'll die comfortably knowing my insignificant me has been preserved in time for ever being part of the crowd applauding on a Zappa-release... until the sun explodes at least! ;-P
I had the good fortune of seeing Frank with this Mothers lineup three times Twice at Hofstra University's Playhouse, about a 2500 seat theater Maximum capacity. Simply the best ever!!
@@franklynadams6848 Pamela Des Barres, she was in a 'band' called the GTOs that Frank took under his wing. Check out her wikipedia entry or any FZ bio from the early days.
@@provocase I made it to be in the audience of a live show too. I was close to the front, but because of the lighting, you can't tell faces really. (The Pier in New York City 1980 something)
Awesome! Stating the obvious: sound recording, engineering and mixing are top notch. No need to comment on the top notch heavyweight musicians. Great seeing Chester smiling once in a while. The image looks fantastic. Apologies for my nerd talk: I can see that the camera operator on stage has an Eclair 16 NPR film camera. (They had 13 of these for "Woodstock") Looks like this footage was taken from the original film negative, as opposed to a low resolution telecine video tape transfer. Thankfully no one applied "smooth motion" here, leaving the beautiful cinema look. Fantastic sound and film footage.
My Uncle in-law drummed for Frank Zappa for a while in the mid 60’s. He’s a jazz drummer and still plays with a band in San Antonio TX. He’s 87 and still playing.
That is awesome, great to hear he is still playing music. What is his name by chance?
@@benjamineastman9950 Chuck Glave
Thats dope
@@wendytravis6427 Thank you for the reply. Glad to hear he's still playing music and doing well!
That's a life right there 😎
Anyone that listens to Frank Zappa knows there is No other sound or musician in this World like his ! Thinking of ya Frank.
It's the xylophone. 😎
@@paddynelson3586yeah no matter what everyone got influenced
@@Kushalien51_nv Yup.😎
I think exactly like you
No one is close to FZ
2 drummers in one video keeping perfect time while getting lap dances is pretty damn impressive
Stupid crap.
Yeah, one of them added an extra drum stick!
Zappa was garbage An insult to other composers
@@emanueltzikas7800what have you composed? what composers do you like?
@@emanueltzikas7800or are you simply jealous of the pretty woman in the video? shame
Why I like in this line up is that everyone is having fun including Zappa
George Duke doesn't get the credit he deserves for his work with Zappa !! Such a maestro of the music world
Bernard O'Connor George is great singing about Kenny and Ronnie, I was kind of waiting for Let's Make the Water Turn Black( from We're Only in it For the Money, iirc).
George was a key element. The best and funkiest keyboard player Zappa ever had.
If you're gonna be a Mother, you gotta love the triad
says who ?
I think Frank and the rest of the band loved a lot and gave to George the credit that he deserved.
Maybe George doesn't received enough credit from the fans.
This has to be one of the best engineered and mastered live recordings of all time. Literally Sounds like they are playing in my living room !!
fantastic sound !
Sound top, as always with FZ 👍. Video quality top also ... awesome music ... positive vibes all around the stage and in the audience. This must have been a hell of an experience ... I wish I could have taken part in it
is there also a girl wetting the floor ?
Remix by the great Bruce Botnick. Check his discography.
He's using Neumann U-67's on the drum overheads, a brilliant German studio mic. RE20's on vocals, who knows what else. Incredible for a live setting, no wonder it sounds so good.
As other people have said.. the audio and mastering quality here, for a LIVE recording from 1973, is absolutely off the walls. I have been a Zappa fan for so long, and of course my music tastes will take me in different directions now and then, but every time I sit down and watch this video, I am just absolutely blown away by the musicianship and skill of his band and the quality of the recording. He was such an enigmatic monolith of a man. I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but god damn... Zappa really was the certified GOAT.... RIP
GOAT?
@@chucktedeschi9333 greatest of all time
This particular band was one of if not the best band Frank ever put together! They were very tight with their instrumental jams! Frank was brilliant but not sure he was the GOAT! I don’t argue however with people who say that especially when this band is playing!
Hoo mother of invention rod rull
@@chucktedeschi9333 seria tony rosado para serlo
He is sorely missed in a world that stands out for its lack of originality. Rest in peace,MASTER!Санкт Петербург❤
Frank in 2024 still THE GREATEST ARTIST IN THE HISTORY OF MODERN MUSIC...pure genius
he is my favorite musical composer
Napoleon Murphy Brock is an absolutely amazing performer with an outstanding voice.
He's the best. So much charisma and humor. When he sings in that old melodic jazz style, that's his area right there. This was his most legendary line-up.
Love that guy.
He's the best. Beyond being talented.
100
Napoleon is my favourite FZ singer. There were other great ones too, but Napoleon's voice is completely unique and always entertaining.
Never has music been so vulgar and so sophisticated at the same time! Frank would have been 80 today (Dec 21, 2020). I miss him, his music, his thoughts everyday. One can only guess how active he would have been. Music, of course. Movies maybe. Maybe the president.
Happy birthday Frank!!!
The US Establishment kept tabs on him. They blocked his first serious entry into politics and I believe Zappa had an early realisation he could never beat the system (please correct me if anyone knows different).
@@indricotherium4802 yeah maybe so but he exposed these corrupt assbag politicians in his music.
@@indricotherium4802 i remember that - i voted for scumbag bush sr (his vp dan qualye lower case intentional) was assigned the grand effort to sideline frank which, at the time i was too young to really appreciate -but now realize quite well, was censorship worse than frank had ever encountered, even in the 60/70s - When we learn our lessons too late, we are forced to either cower, or stand up and....
@@mstevensn50 : He pointed very clearly to what was going on and didn't pull many punches (for example "Jesus Thinks You're a Jerk" would be considered libellous under many countries' standards). Artistic protest, though, is nearly always taken as fairly innocuous in terms of threat to the Establishment. It's not often clamped down on as in Russia, for instance. In fact, its existence is tolerable because it gives a note of authenticity to 'democratic freedom'. Frank picked up more flak from religious groups and other goodie two shoes because of the sexual vulgarity and innuendo of his lyrics and performances. Needless to say, the values of American youth would be corrupted to a far greater degree by listening to the lyrics of Dinah Mo Hum than mainstream US culture could ever get them up to!!
j'ai 75 ans et en 2023 je découvre l'immense talent de Zappa. Il n'est jamais trop tard. Il surpassait tous les autres.
Heureux mortel, vous avez de quoi explorer. J’en découvre moi aussi encore et je pratique le bonhomme depuis les années 70. Sur cette vidéo que je vois pour la première fois je ne sais pas ce qui m’impressionne le plus. Mention spéciale à la section rythmique qui tient tout ça ensemble, dans ce labyrinthe de mesures à la métrique improbable… mais comme disait le maître, « why in 4, we don’t speak in 4 ». We miss you, Franck.
Allez voir aussi les vidéos du Yellow Shark concert, ou les covers au piano ou a la guitare classique de Oh No… FZ était avant tout un compositeur. I, y a du Stravinsky ou du Bartok chez lui, entre autres influences, plus un génie propre. Il avançait masqué et arrivait à intéresser des gens venus pour du rock/blues avec des œuvres extrêmement élaborées. En assistant à ses grosses blagues scéniques ou en écoutant ses paroles délirantes, on absorbait sa musique et on finissait par aller voir Varese ou Boulez. Un bienfaiteur de l’humanité, parti bien trop jeune.
Bonjour, j'habite l'autre cote des Pyrenees en Espagne, encore un zappista
I'm telling you all we need is to completely lose our phones and bring awesome live music back!
But then we wouldn’t be able to listen to this clip on the subway. :(
@@linuswang6572 Yeah that's very true 🤘
Надо искать через сеть и слушать живую музыку
yes and …. I have a couple LP, but without Daddy AI’s technology I would have never seen this performance at all.
Oh if we had Frank to comment on our current political situation
Frank's solo's are just mind blowing
My first Zappa album was Roxy & Elsewhere....blew my mind. Still does. No one like him.
Try Dweezil, I love Frank and have seen him many times, but Dweezils bands do Franks music better!
that's funny mine was zoot alure and my religious grand ma rebuked it loudly in the name of Jesus
Same here😊
I was sixteen in 1974.
The 1973-1975 band. Probably the tightest band ever to play Frank's madness
My favorite of Frank's groups. I return to the material from this period the most by far.
Ryan Hall. Me too..
Agreed
i would heartily agree it was never the same after this. still good but never the same
Roxy and elsewhere
time travelers' favorite destination
I was only 16 years old when I was introduced to Frank Zappa's music by much older classmates at school.
God bless them, I don't know what they're doing today, but it opened up a whole musical cosmos for me. Today I'm 61 ;) and I'm happy every day when I listen to jazz, modern classical music,
Fela Kuti, Jimmie Hendrix, etc. If I can then immerse myself in the incredibly diverse musical world of Frank Zappa, that's all the nicer.
Rest in peace Frank, I bursted into tears when I read the news of your death.
Zappa's work was incredible since he mixed top notch musicianship with humor, and he had the highest standards for his band members.
Satire and mockery most. He was a genius
Right and funny as fuck
His standards were so high that he fired Napoleon for getting high. (The misinformation and rumors about Frank being some kind of user are still out there - unbelievable)
@@Tyrell_Corp2019Wut? Firing a black musician for smoking weed? Come on, Frank… What did you expect?
Personally I find the humour in Zappa’s lyrics to be a bit much sometimes. Never cared for it. Though I love his music, and to me it sounds like he was always 100% serious regarding that.
This music is unabashedly insane. Just unreal how good it sounds.
Amazing!. A dream team of musicians.
Insane? FZ always had the best musicians - he was very exacting and they learned a lot. I dont think the music is insane just complex
I was a German Child in 1968 ?, In the News Paper says, Watch out moms, Zappa is coming!!!! This was my first love for Zappa music!!! Very Love from Germany!!!
Frank's solos always puts me in a trance, love his various tones.
Fr this is serious business. Love the drummers too.
it's where he takes you
The Roxy album is a religion in my life. To hear this brings tears to my eyes. Sounds like there is TWENTY musicians on stage. Thank you Frank. Just thank you man.
man was a musical genius.
roxy was the absolute peak of the bands that he was able to bring together. raw, funky, undeniable groove.
It was a life-changing experience for me when I first heard Roxy and Elsewhere.
the roxy record was the first thing i heard that made me think there was more to FZs music than i had been led to believe.
Zappa plays zappa lost on the road from portland(?) and 2 hours late to the HSU gig..we got upgraded seats...no sound check...AMAZING...
I can't say I knew her well, but what I do recall was Pamela loved music. Love having fun and was a delightful soul to be around. I miss her greatly.
I met her last summer!
I don't think that many appreciate Zappa for his skill as a linguist. With platonic ease he engages with difficult questions during interviews and even on stage - his sentences are melodic and phonetic in nature.
the lady who did ryko remasters of Zappa said it all
This is the most brilliant line up of Frank Zappa & The Mothers.
The performances of Frank, Napoleon Murphy Brock and George Duke are simply in very high level.
...and you may not have mentioned any of the 3 best musicians in the band.
Chester & Humphrey: awesome - And Ruth (What were you thinking?) - Brothers Fowler
Ruth is a goddess.
The groupie was great too 😊
@@thephideaux Amazing!. A dream team of musicians.
My god I wish we had Zappa around today. Imagine the songwriting fun he’d have with the world in the state it’s currently in...
To think I had this album when I was a kid and played it to death and living in New Zealand, I never realized it had been recorded as a movie. I used to play drums along to this for ages. So cool to see a film of it all.
Frank Zappa was a genius of music. His music is such impressive and creative, full of groove and inspiration, also very difficult to play. Only the best play with him. Thank you Mr. Zappa!
Agree. However, his staff had a major impact on the result. An this band was the best. Outstanding.
@@MrRaeberz sure!!!
Zappa rules! Greetings from Greece to all of you Zappa fans wherever you are
Greetings from Canada!
having two drummers is just such a perfect addition to this lineup. it gives the band a much fuller, more rounded out sound and makes their performance just that much funkier.
My first FZ concert, and first concert ever for that matter, was this same lineup with Ralph & Chester on drums in Austin. They sounded great together.
2 drummers is such a seldom thing in a band. That is why I love OSEES.
I have noticed that some Southern Rock bands will have 2 drummers.
@@Rob_Kates that's to make sure a drummer makes the gig.
That crescendo snare drum roll of Chester Thompson at 4:15... ! Shivers up and down his spine by her touch depicted through his drums - brilliant!
You nailed it :-)
私は世界で一番ザッパのギターが好きです。
別に特別上手い訳でも有りませんが、其の暖かい音色とフレージングが私の心に染み渡ります。
Nice catch. He did get a little extra exciterando there, didn't he?
Pam was having great fun teasing the hell out of him, haha.
I met Miss Pamela at the Wigwam Motel on Route 66, 10 years ago.
What a Lovely Beautiful Soul.❤
She is so sweet and loving. I’m with the band is her first book and captures that period in music so well.
This is such good quality that it's shocking to think the dancing girl is probably in her seventies now.
Pamela Des Barres is 74yo
Thats alright , Plenty of room for her walker!
Pam Des Barres has a book about her experiences as a groupie. It's not bad.
@@niccoarcadia4179 holy crap i just heard about her on the Grateful Deadcast. what a life she lived
@@niccoarcadia4179 Few people have been romantically linked to for example Page and Kramer and also been the nanny for both Dweezil and Moon.
I've listened to Frank's music for nearly 50 years now, and am always amazed at sheer amount of talented musicians he worked with. But out of all of them, this is my favourite line up.....I'd have given anything to have been at a couple of those Roxy gigs
FRANK ZAPPA'S MUSIC WILL FOREVER MORE AND ALWAYS BE THE BEST!
There was a goddess here!
Ruth Underwood.
On Ruth! On Ruth! On Ruth!
YES ZSOLTI! SHE WAS AMAZING SO WAS GEORGE DUKE!
@@squishlefunke i love her so!!!
True. The two people Pamela left alone were Zappa and Underwood.
All were AMAZING!!👍👍👍👍👍👍
Frank was on FIRE! This was a signature band for Frank. Razor sharp while having fun, and many virtuoso players. Bruce Fowler’s playing is jaw-dropping.
Don't forget a spoonful of absurdity as entertainment value.
I agree the Fowler Brothers were great ,George Duke was my favorite musician ,Ruth never fails, both classicaly trained, Frank,wow all quality musicians. And they only got better...
cant get enough of Franks solo on that first tune, never got into him but this is the one for me!!!!
Nothing was better than Frank and the mothers of invention. They were so GREAT together. We will never have the opportunity to listen to a band that was so great together. He left us way to early. Bands come n go, some are great, some aren't. But there will never be another, MOTHERS OF INVENTION AND FRANK ZAPPA.
Dweezil Zappa Plays Zappa... Fantastic
What a superb performance. The one band that I would have like to have seen live.
You know, Zappa certainly had some negative qualities... some arrogance, some self-indulgence, occasionally open contempt for people around him... but goddamn he was a musical genius, and he was exceptionally good at surrounding him with other genii. Everyone in this lineup is at the top of their game, playing what is actually pretty difficult music and making it sound good and easy.
Not only that, but he recognized it and made sure they would shine and leave their footprint all over his pieces. He definitely seemed arrogant, but music was the most overwhelmingly positive quality he had
Nice alternate plural usage!.🤯
that was maybe my favorite thing about Alex Winter's "Zappa" - his goal in portraying Frank on film was to demystify him and showcase the other side of him - the arrogant, self-indulgent prick who had an open marriage and was fine sleeping around on his wife and kids (even if that did seem to be a sort of arrangement between Frank + Gail). He was, sometimes painfully condescending and pretentious when he wanted to be and that's why I appreciate that movie so much, it humanizes him. I fully believe he was a musical genius, in every sense of the word, but he was just that - human, an impatient genius who tended to only see people as far as he was able to use them for his performances. This led to some cold interactions between the band and Frank, I remember a couple of scenes in which Bunk Gardner and Ruth Underwood - forgiving as they are, and willing to chalk up his attitude to his genius - recount certain events in which Frank was needlessly rude or dismissive of them. You get the sense that it kind of happens a lot, but it's refreshing to see the "other side of the coin" in terms of his ability to find, manage and play music with the best of the best, people who really worked well in the band both musically and characteristically. I agree with you totally, this is the cream of the crop in terms of bands that he was able to put together, this wasn't the first album I listened to by Zappa, but this was the first album that actually SOLD me on him. I will never forget listening to it on vinyl for the first time. As you said, incredibly difficult and complicated jazz fusion that just sounds so easily pulled off by the band, with zero loss in funk and groove sensibilities. Absolutely incredible time in music history while this band was playing.
I feel like all musicians are arrogant and self indulgence
@ OisirM If you weren't so judgmental you'd realize you're describing yourself. Of course the music is super prime
This girl wandering from musician to an other sure have great taste ! She knows these are geniuses at work, don't doubt about it !
Seriously? I find her presence on stage severely cringe.
@@linuswang6572 It's all part of the show, she's an actress and it's an inside joke.
One of the few guys who treated music like it was an actual profession: show up at 8:00 AM, ready to put in a full day’s work.
This is SERIOUS music, seeing FZ changed my life.
That lady will turn anybody into a musician
Jus learning my scales and chords now. 🤒
I’m still learning how to beat out the rhythm!😂😂@@goodpeopleoftheworldunite
George Duke was so underrated and such a valuable asset to the Mothers; the Roxy was such a great venue to showcase him. A couple of years later, when he got a little more recognition and struck out on his own, he performed a lot at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach. Another great LA landmark; especially for jazz.
Zappa guitar 4:30 ...yet another amazing guitar solo from one of the most amazing guitarists ever, Frank Zappa.
amazing. FZ just doesnt stop. he keeps on going. that one lasted for around 3 minutes and was a non stop one way express freight train. mother mary & joseph.
One of the best solos I have ever heard
When I was living in Capitola CA, I lived in a place called Bay Avenue Apartments with my cousin Tim. One day we heard the most insane sax playing we had ever heard coming from a house across the street. We went outside on the sidewalk and listened. A few minutes later this guy comes out and says hello. He said, You like music?" We were both guitar players. I asked his name and he said his name was Nappy. He invited us in and he had a whole house full of musical stuff. My cousin said, "Man, you should be in a band." He said, "I was, Frank Zappa. At first, we thought he was lying until he played some Zappa stuff note for note.
Turns out he was recovering from being knifed in a drug deal. A guy stabbed him in the stomach and tried to gut him. He told us the only reason he was alive is that he lived the Bear spirit life, and ate like a bear. When he showed us the scar I couldn't believe he was alive. He told us Frank kicked him out of the band over his cocaine habit, and that he had the decision to make. Over several months we all became friends. Then one-day Nappy was gone. Turns out he made a decision and was back in the band, and on the road.
A few years later we went to see Zappa at the Santa Cruz civic auditorium. Nappy was there and he saw us from the stage and said Hey guys! He told Frank, these are a couple of friends of mine. We were so overjoyed. It was amazing! Just then Frank told the story of how Nappy was kicked out of the band and came back after making a decision. He said "Cocaine Decisions" is the name of this song. It was written by my good friend Napolean Brock. It tells the story of...
And the rest is history.
Wow man, that was a great story
Yeah, ok, lol
Nappy! Wow what a piece of cosmic debris!
Wow Pam was so cute! Such a great band. The triple drum/percussion unit of Chester, Ralph and Ruth was on fire. Zappa plays percussion on certain songs too, so four drummers in the band!
Zappa was a master musician. He was a sober and straight. Genius. 👍👍🔥😱😁
Roxy was absolutely my favorite album in my high school years when i was really learning to play guitar. This '73 lineup was the best with the dual drummers, and so much fun on headphones. Being able to see these video gems just brings a whole new dimension to it. It shows Zappa could incorporate any instrument into his arrangements, including a wiggly girl in red sequins.
Kudos to Pamela Miller and her excellent performance with the greatest composer of all time!
I saw Frank back in the 70s in St. Paul, Mn. At the civic center. What a show they put on. To this day I still say it was the best concert of my life and no one has ever top it yet. Rest In Peace Frank, you are forever missed and thanks for the memories.
I dont know about you guys but Miss Pamela's performance was great. She was looking good back then!
Best groupee ON stage 😍❤️🎸
Pamela ('I'm With the Band', GTOs) Des Barres, though still under her maiden name, no doubt, isn't it? NOT Liv Tyler's mom as I thought briefly, forgetting that was another "super-groupie", Bebe Buell. Nicely loose, free stage manner! Always a joy, I'm sure. ✌😘🎶💞
Btw, the band kicks serious ass as expected!
The genius of Zappa ❤
Very enjoyable clip. It's nice to see musicians so relaxed and having such a good time on stage. And of course, the groove is fantastic.
I am glad I got to see Frank Zappa and the band four times. Always entertaining! Always top musicians.
Ralph was one of my instructors when I attended musicians institute 91-92...I learned a lot from his classes...they took my drumming to a whole new level !
he seems to have a lot of time when he is playing....seems very relaxed
RIP Ralph Humphreys
@@jazzatnight I was not aware he passed...this is sad news for me, when did this happen ?
That’s one tight group of musicians. I was never a fan back in the 60’s but I’ve grown to appreciate what Zappa and company were all about. They were fantastic.
Frank is still King. George Duke is an unreal talent. RIP FZ
Zappa had a genius level intellect. It showed in his music, interviews and when he went up to DC to talk to the idiot Congressmen. Artists like Zappa come very infrequently. Glad we had a chance to bathe in his genius.
Pam was a WELL known groupie at the time and had been with MANY MANY musicians...
Insoportable esa mujer.
La musique de Zappa nous manque énormément car elle n'a jamais été remplacée depuis sa mort en 1993.
Il nous reste les disques et les vidéos comme celle-là pour nous souvenir ce qu'invention veut dire en musique, une sorte de mi-chemin entre jazz et rock, avec style et élégance, et des paroles ironiques. Chapeau l'artiste.
Même des cassettes 😊
Même des cassettes
Frank Zappa went to my high school a couple years before I did. He knew Captain Beefheart and I think they played together at the fairgrounds. I remember seeing Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band on the marque when they performed Trout Mask Replica live in Lancaster. Some of my friends played with Zappa, they formed "rattlesnakes and Eggs", whose big song was "Acton". Lousy weather, lots of incredible musicians.
Wow, amazing! So jealous.
On behalf on the entire world, thank you Lancaster.
Amazing talent -Zappa is the most underrated genius guitar player ever…
Truly stellar. If you any appreciation for music you can't deny the greatness here. Frank was in a league of his own for his composing and his guitar playing excellent, underrated imo. He's never given the credit for being one of the best ever. Thank you kindly for sharing this gem!
That probably never happened to Chester on the Genesis gig.
LOL!!! Betcha my bottom dollar it didn't...
Rutherford and Banks would probably have a stroke if she got within 10 feet of him! Now Phil would be another matter.
Phil could get pretty frisky...
Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!
He stayed in the pocket though
First time appreciating Zappa. This was a very nice introduction. Made me laugh. Skilled musicians
Ralph Humphrey, Chester Thompson and Tom Fowler…. Probably one of the greatest rhythm sections to ever exist.
and what about ruth underwood???
@@solquiroga04 oh shit, how could I forget the inimitable Ruth Underwood.? Sometimes I forget that vibes and such are percussion too. My sincere apologies.
NMB is killing it! And what a band ladies and gentlemen…so thankful that Frank decided to tape these shows at the Roxy
I got to see the them on this tour in Sarasota FL in 1973, my 20th birthday. Still my most favorite live show of all time. Tom Waites, then unknown opened for them. Totally amazing! Pam was not there😀
Ruth Underwood ... so talented and tirelessly performing on percussions, but chronically underrated. She was the best female rock musician at her time 😎... or do know any better one?
The singer for the budgies.
Carol Kaye
Margaret Thatcher
@@jonblogondrong4792 he said ‘rock’ not ‘iron’
Janis Joplin
Zappa and Co were really great at taking the piss out of conventional music forms and music performance. Incredible band delivering an incredible groove. How do you mix parody with exceptional musical talent... and Napoleon just kills it
A good drummer doesn't let anything stop him from his precession. Even if she yodeled his third drumstick, he'd beat like clockwork! Greetings from Austria!
I’m sure he got “Yodeled” after the show.
@@boataxe4605 Yodeling is on everyone’s lips in Austria! However, you have to learn to yodel correctly from really good teachers!
I miss you Frank where ever you are..still givin en hell since 1960 in your honor..
ok, so 50 years later , still stands up so well to any sort of musical scrutiny.
Certain musics ya just keep coming back to
Napoleon Murphy Brock is so damn good, and… all the others… Pygmy Twilight is to this day one of my favourite Zappa songs.
Zappa was different from everyone else at that time… story telling and much more as he did during his time…
Hit notes that no-one else did…love him.. always will…❤️
I've never been a Zappa fan but this was a truly mesmerizing performance.
zzzzzz
So you don't like good music?
One of many available. Perhaps you should reconsider.
Good thing nobody asked.
Music is the best!
Love him, hate him, both, or indifferent -- he made our world a little more colorful for a while. Thanks Frank!
Heard this Dickey’s so many times had no idea it was at Roxy.
We all "know", that this "live rock album", is, was, and, always, will BE !!!
One of the "best", (or, better), was, ever recorded...
Thank you, Frank Zappa !!!
The best way i can figure Zappa is like a play where everyone has a instrument
Chester Thompson on drums. 😎
I THOUGHT SO!
What about Ralph Humphrey? U missed him?
Where no prices are lower prices than Ralph's?
@@stevedotwood Bring back the double knit. We want the knits, the double knits!
@@Hutchie2112 Blue letter to Mussburger
What a gem this video. Shows how great an orchestrator. And all are having fun at being professional musician…
Possibly the greatest of Zappa's bands, at the height of their powers. RIP, Frank.
There is so much of this on the Roxy album, yet so much of it is NOT. Frank was a master edit tech who knew just which parts should go together for the bestest, grooviest, teenage rockin' combo sound extravaganza. And I love him for this. And I agree, the sound quality is superb here.
That bassist is unreal. Playing with a pick, so groovy. See 3:50
After leaving Zappa, he continued on with Jean-Luc Ponty...especially on the album "Aurora".
Wow! A skull and flash.
at first i was thinking which he is a normal player, but not, he is really amazing....
The Fowler brothers, Bruce on trombone and Tom on bass....
It's easier to play faster stuff with a pick & it defines the notes better in a mash of funk fantastica
HOLY SHIT WHAT A REALLY TIGHT BAND THESE GUY'S WERE AND THEY KNEW HOW TO PLAY THEIR INSTRUMENTS ! ! ! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
I know! Ya ever heard of thier sister band? They were called "the Fathers of Oblivion".
They're pretty good musicians.... ruclips.net/video/G1qfvAcXALw/видео.html
Zappa fan for many years. Great concert. The album is/was brilliant. Thank you FZ.
FZ. George Duke, Ralph Humphrey..R.i.P
Frank was WAY ahead of his time. His satirical commentary was cutting edge.
I came back for seconds....!!!! Much respect for Mr. Napoleon Murphy Brock.
The sound is absolutely superb. Surely because it was all recorded on Frank’s own gear.
Love this line-up, with the two drummers and Ruth on marimba/vibraphone centric percussion, Napoleon's charisma, and George Duke for jazz legitimacy. Got to know the Roxy and Elsewhere album while my body was still undergoing those changes we experience in our youth, and sill a favorite decades later. Great to see some live footage sans the overdubs.
And here I thought a Frank Zappa only in relation to Nanook the Eskimo boy and yellow snow from way back... and now I find this and that amazing guitar playing and tone just melted my headphones... what a band!
The fantastic Napoleon Murphy Brock has the most melodic voice and make the Mothers of Invention sound so damn good.
Great to see Ruth Underwood in action.
True that i feel like i rarely see her in anything other than token of his extreme and a few concerts
very talented
She's a legend
What a line up, mind you it's always a great line up, lucky enough to see Frank twice in England, then last year Dweezil got to talk to him, what a nice guy. Love to everyone. Stay safe.
Want to see more of Ruth? Buy "Roxy, the Movie" It's a great documentary of the greatest band that Zappa ever had.
The band looks like they are really digging it, which sadly wasn't the case on some of Frank's later tours. This is the best. The level of playing here is right off the charts. If I had a time machine I would use it to go back to this show. I saw FZ a few times but always in a big hall, so a totally different experience. Certainly no Pamela shaking her thing around.
This is my all time favorite Zappa-line up! So much deep felt blues, soul, rock, funk, jazz, gospel, cabaret, circus, avant garde, improv and the lot + fun, packed in this band... all played so seemingly effortlessly!
Saw FZ in '88 in a sports arena here in the Netherlands. It kinda sucked because of the cathedral-like accoustics... his guitarsolo's and his antics between songs drowned in a hollow echo.
Sunny upside besides having seen FZ perform in the flesh at least once in my life time: we (the cheering crowd & the band that night) were immortalised on one of his official releases! One of the volumes of the YCDTOSA series - released during his lifetime so approved by the master - contained his take on the Bolero (live in Rotterdam).
So I'll die comfortably knowing my insignificant me has been preserved in time for ever being part of the crowd applauding on a Zappa-release... until the sun explodes at least! ;-P
Bottomline: Yes! I would gladly join you in your time machine...
I had the good fortune of seeing Frank with this Mothers lineup three times Twice at Hofstra University's Playhouse, about a 2500 seat theater Maximum capacity. Simply the best ever!!
@@franklynadams6848 Pamela Des Barres, she was in a 'band' called the GTOs that Frank took under his wing. Check out her wikipedia entry or any FZ bio from the early days.
@@provocase I made it to be in the audience of a live show too. I was close to the front, but because of the lighting, you can't tell faces really. (The Pier in New York City 1980 something)
Awesome! Stating the obvious: sound recording, engineering and mixing are top notch. No need to comment on the top notch heavyweight musicians. Great seeing Chester smiling once in a while. The image looks fantastic. Apologies for my nerd talk: I can see that the camera operator on stage has an Eclair 16 NPR film camera. (They had 13 of these for "Woodstock") Looks like this footage was taken from the original film negative, as opposed to a low resolution telecine video tape transfer. Thankfully no one applied "smooth motion" here, leaving the beautiful cinema look. Fantastic sound and film footage.
On yeah, for sure... 💥
Great stereo separation. Very digestable. When the band has fun, everyone has fun.