It's ridiculous alone what kind of negligible graduations in what people are doing are considered "genres" these days (ok, it really was starting to get that bad in the 90s already). A band like Black Sabbath, not to mention Jethro Tull, might easily span 10 genres, lol! "we do "bagum, bagum, bagum, bagum, ba-dee-dee-dee-gum", but this band over there does " ..., ba-dee--ba-gum" - therefore, they are in a different genre! You don't know much about music, do you?" ...
I have over 60 albums by Frank, saw him 16 times from L.A. to New York and every where in between. George Duke is playing keys and a Moog synthesizer , Chester Thompson is the drummer . Every concert the sound was incredible, that's why so many of Frank's albums are live recordings. Even though I am in my late 60s, everytime I hear Frank playing his lead guitar solos, I always have an acid flashback! Wee!
First to comment. Great choice! Edit: Watermelon Man is a jazz funk standard written by Herbie Hancock, Watermelon in Easter Hay is the Zappa tune you're thinking of.
Frank Zappa IS a legend. He was know for rehearsing his band to death, but you can tell on this track how incredibly tight and perfectly attuned together they were. There are videos of the band doing this live and it sounds every bit as crisp and perfect. Watching Ruth Underwood bounce from marimba, vibes, tympani and so on is mesmerizing, too.
Steve Hackett from Genesis was tapping on The Return Of The Giant Hogweed on Nursery Cryme in 1971 and Jeff Beck used his pick to tap in The Yardbirds in 1966.
Paganini tapped his violin with a bow in the 1800s. Roy Smeck tapped his ukulele in the 1930s. Emmett Chapman developed a tapping technique in 1969 and later invented the Chapman Stick.
The section near the end around twelve and a half minutes sounds like a tear in the fabric of musical space-time has been opened up as you tumble through it.
Oh yeah. The genius of Frank Zappa. He's definitely not for everybody. He's far too eccentric for a lot of people. He's a great composer. I've been a fan for a long time. I believe when Frank was asked about his odd lyrics he said something like; "lyrics are for people that need them."
Not only that, the truth is, his lyrics aren't "*really* all that odd if you understand why he wrote them. for example: "Moving to Montana," sounds like a really silly song about moving to Montana to start a dental floss empire. Actually, it IS a silly song, but it's mocking a "movement" if you will, that was going on in Southern CA at the time of all these hippies going out to countryside and starting these communal farms and such. The vast majority of which failed, or got busted because they were growing weed. Zappa did a brilliant job, actually, of mocking the shit of them.
@@somersetcace1 - I personally think "Montana" is just a fun song created from Frank's imagination. If he wanted to mock hippies in that song he would have, just like he did on the album We're only in it for the Money.
@@Frunobulax74 It was the movement that was being mocked, not specifically hippies, and I'm pretty sure that's what it's having to do with. Still a fun song and all. Though, none of that's really the point I was making. It's that a lot of Frank's lyrics were based on some social commentary or another. Not just silly lyrics that don't mean anything.
@@somersetcace1 - Frank hated dentists and never went. Band members have said Frank dealt with bad teeth problems through the years. I thought he was having a laugh about dental floss since it was becoming a popular part of daily dental care in the 1970s.
@@somersetcace1 We’re Only in it for the Money is a perfect example of a Frank album that decimated all over hippie culture. Love that one, great cover too
There's a lot of humor to Franks music, but the musicianship is always on point. Everything is written out, with the exceptions of some improvised solos. Frank is excellent. on this trac: Frank Zappa - guitar and backing vocals George Duke - lead and backing vocals and synthesizer Napoleon Murphy Brock - flute, backing vocals, tenor saxophone Ruth Underwood - marimba, vibraphone, percussion Chester Thompson - drums, sounds effects, voices Tom Fowler - bass guitar
@@buddystewart2020 Frank didn’t tolerate slackers. Some tracks sound comical, cartoonish, space jazz or plain crazy ... but it’s meticulous from the mind of the mad genius. Thanks ✨🤪
Can you imagine somebody audditioning for Zappa's band thinking,oh there just jamming and playing chaotic notes and random percussion and then ,the sheets upon sheets pepperd with notes and dynamic markings are placed on the music stand? Well sorry sport,NEXT! lol
Hey Nick N Lex. This is how the love a fare with Frank Zappa starts. The guy was a musical genius but never took himself to seriously lyrically. This was a great song to introduce yourself to him. Glad you both liked it. He's a lot of fun to listen to. Keep up the good work.
I was fortunate to grow up in the era of Zappa, and bought every album he put out. My only complaint about him is that he shared the spotlight with the other musicians in the band, and didn't highlight his guitar playing as much as I would have liked. He was a brilliant guitar player.
You have to react to “Little House I Used to Live In” on Zappa’s (Mothers of Invention) Burnt Weeny Sandwich album. Sugarcane Harris’s bluesy electric violin is insane. Zappa’s guitar work, stunning.
Great request, RG. Behind all the wacky, there is so much talent. This track is trippy and jazzy but Zappa had a reputation for zero tolerance with drugs. Thanks ✨🤪
16:25: actually, no, Zappa doesn't sing on this track (except for a few words he speaks). Main vocals are by George Duke, the renowned Jazz pianist, who also plays the keyboard instruments. Napoleon Murphy Brock sings some of the lines.
Love to see the sheer joy on your faces. Thanks. Great news for you: you've opened the door to a bigger universe. Frank was a composer who often built compositions with a unique rhythmic concept, using odd changing meters and nested tuplets, and he excelled with creative orchestration. I'd recommend listening to several versions of a song (such as "Peaches en Regalia" or "Black Napkins") to begin to understand that amazing range: it's mind-expanding.
So happy you guys liked this! The idea that aliens from outer space might have visited Earth in the past and built things like the "Inca Roads" became popular in the early 70s, and that's what Frank's lyrics are making fun of ... The Mothers of Invention was the name of Frank's original late-60s band, and he kept using that name (off and on) for this great fusion band that he assembled in the 70s. That marimba sound you were hearing wasn't a keyboard, but Ruth Underwood tearing it up on an actual marimba! George Duke, on keyboards and lead vocals on this track, was a jazz guy who had played with Jean-Luc Ponty before joining Zappa, and for a time alternated between playing with Frank and Cannonball Adderley. Chester Thompson, the great drummer, played with Weather Report after leaving Zappa (he's on the "Black Market" album), then replaced Bill Bruford as Genesis' touring drummer in '76, staying with them for 16 years; he also played with Santana for a year and on Phil Collins' solo tours from '82 through '05. A great band!
Everyone in this line up of The Mother's was an outstanding musician,absolutely no weak links. My favorite FZ musician was Ruth Underwood. She was Zappa's premier percussionist for almost 10 years and played some of the most breathtaking Zappa charts with such command. She played the entire array of tuned percussion,xylophone, marimba,vibraphone, tympani,etc. She was a master percussionist. After she left zappa continued to have amazing percussionists and extremely challenging music, but to my ears it lost some of the sparkle and warmth after her absence.
Ruth is/was a genius percussionist. She studied or graduated from Julliard. There is a video out there with all the Zappa drummers together to compare notes. Amazing. The 'other' drummer is Chester Thompson, a brilliant jazz percussionist. He said the rehearsals with Frank were as rigorous as could be imagined. Chester also played with Weather Report, another group of amazing musicians (serious fusion). Mr. Thompson said the only other group he knew of that came close to Zappa's rehearsals was Genesis!
He mad a lot of use of the synclavier (sp?) which would print out the sheet music for the band. He did a shit ton of composing the old fashioned way though.
Zappa always had the best musicians in his band. His composing is top notch and always has a comic element. The music is very jazzy, avant-garde, with rock elements, so next level. Glad you two enjoyed this, shows you have good taste and intelligence!
Exactly! I've learned this from Zappa and Peter Gabriel: If you surround yourself with top musicians in their field, everything will be great music. Special attention to have the best drummer you can, because as good the other musicians may be, a mediocre drummer will drag all down,,, Greetings from Rio!
Amazing man. Brilliant musicians all. Love this…I can’t even begin to comprehend how someone could have written this, and even more mind boggling for others to perform it! Must try Black Napkins next, it’s perhaps a more ‘digestible’ tune for some ears.
Wow guys! What a great way to start into exploring Zappa's music! This is probably my favourite Zappa song and one that just keeps on giving on re-listens. The live recordings with this classic band line-up (George Duke, Chester Thompson, Ruth Underwood, Tom Fowler, Napoleon Murphy Brock) are well worth finding - check out "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol 2 (The Helsinki Concert)" and "A Token Of His Extreme Soundtrack". Parts of both of these live recordings were used by Zappa in the final mix of the "One Size Fits All" studio version you've just played. There's also killer versions of Inca Roads from Zappa's last tour in 1988 with his awesome big band on "The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life" and the recently released "Zappa '88 - The Last U.S. Show". Thanks again for taking the plunge and sharing your new discoveries with the world! 😊
Of all of Frank's many musical compositions, this may well be my favorite. The creativity, the precision of the playing, the incredibly beautiful changes are like nothing I have ever heard before. I have listened to it so many times, and yet with each listening I am awe stuck by its' brilliance ....
So I’m here because I am a professional Frank Zappa reactor stalker. 😀 This is my first time here and I loved what I saw. Nick had the Zappa stank face all the way through the guitar solo. That was awesome. You are right that this music is not for everyone. I say it’s for smart people! Lex I appreciate you’re reaction as well. I hope you guys stick with it. This rabbit hole is very deep. I will be watching.
I can't believe this is the first time you've reacted to Inca Roads for some reason. Anyway great song off one of his absolute best albums. Chester Thompson played drums on this and many Zappa albums - later became Genesis' touring drummer. This was Zappa's classic and absolute best musician lineup - esp. Ruth Underwood. BTW - Steve Hackett of Genesis was doing finger tapping on album in 1971. All of the other songs on the album sound completely different. Steve Vai didn't get involved with Zappa as a transcriber until a couple or few years later.
I liked the drowning witch line up a lot, even if Scott Thunes never played his part correctly (according to Zappas standards) The OG Mothers also had insane synergy, King Kong was a 30 min masterpiece jamola
And you can here Thompson's drumming sounding like when he was in Weather Report. (the jazzy part) And tapping goes back to the '30s or earlier. There's a movie from then that showed a guy doing it. And there's another guitar player who invented 4 other ways of tapping. And he has about 300 albums out. Wears that KFC chicken bucket on his head. :)
@@tixximmi1 Yes, saw that old clip. And Marcel Marceau and others did the moon walk before Michael Jackson. But tapping on an electric with distortion/fuzz/sustain is unique enough that I consider Hackett one of its originators in rock. EVH was aware of it also. Hackett also talked about the technique in a Guitar Player magazine interview in the early/mid 70s.
@@eximusic Like I said it's been on TV and old movies that I've seen from the '30s. '40s and '50s too. Like we say here in Texas, Never Let the Truth get in the way of a Good Story.
@@tixximmi1 I'm guessing EVH heard Genesis, The Musical Box, and not the unknown guitarist from some obscure clip that wasn't available in the pre-internet age. There was no on-demand video information back then besides VHS tapes. If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there, does it make a sound? Everything you know now you would have never known in the 80s or 90s. Googling isn't the same as winning on Jeopardy. You need actual knowledge and brains for the latter.
Hi! I'm a new subscriber, and I've been doing a deep dive on your reactions! I really enjoy your genuine emotional responses to great music I grew up with. Seeing Zappa on your channel was wonderful, and I couldn't wait to see your reactions to certain parts. A true genius. For some intense prog, try Todd Rundgren's Utopia, and the song is Communion With The Sun from the album RA (the Egyptian Sun God)...I promise you'll be blown away! Another Utopia album that is like Mahavishnu Orchestra's style is Todd Rundgren's Utopia (with the eye on the cover...mind blowing!) Keep up the great work, good luck with your channel, and stay safe!
What's really crazy is that Ruth Underwood was playing the vibraphone, and percussion, so all of that crazy vibraphone stuff and the percussion fill at the end was all done by one person and she was constantly jumping between instruments. Everyone in that band was absolutely crazy talented.
The singer on this is actually his keyboardist, George Duke. One of the hardest singing parts by Frank is the tune Montana, which is sung beautifully by Tina Turner and the Iketts.
This woman named Ruth has these mallets, and she wacks these assorted bell like tablets arranged in ascending or descending order, and somehow it makes amazing melodic sense. It's gotta be hard cause she often uses two mallets per hand and wails. I wouldn't think it's possible, but her hands blurringly hover above these arrangements and it sounds like angels tiptoeing across clouds to make rain.
During the second free-form instrumental part both of you were obviously grooving, to two completely different time signatures! And that is one of the unique aspects of Frank's genius. It works, even when it shouldn't.
RG is the man with the song suggestions! (Wackerman came later than this, btw. Frank did champion Holdsworth in interviews and such, though. Chester Thompson is the drummer on this recording. Ruth Underwood plays that amazing marimba and sundry percussion). Most of the lead singing is George Duke, btw, though you can pick out places with Frank or Napoleon Murphy Brock vocals in front.
@@michelemichele3375 you might like hearing Mike Keneally do this, solo acoustic guitar .... where he tries to play all of the parts and comes damn close!. Keneally was the last "stunt guitarist", after Vai, in Frank's bands. (Check out "Mike Keneally - Inca Roads - Cardiff on youtube and you'll see that).
"One Size Fits All" is one of my all time favorite albums. Every tune on this album is Fantastic! I still play this album and just love it! Inca Roads is simply awesome!.
Chester Thompson was the drummer on this album. He's my all-time favourite drummer. He toured with Genesis for several years when Phill Collins became their lead singer. Anyway, Terry Bozzio succeeded Thompson as Zappa's drummer for a few years, followed by Vinnie Colaiuta, David Logeman and, eventually, Chad Wackerman. The lead singer on this song was George Duke, with a lot of support from Napoleon Murphy Brock. Zappa himself also contributed some vocals on this song, but he was not the lead. There is a lot of keyboard in this song (played by George Duke), but a lot of what you think is keyboard is actually the marimba/vibraphone played by Ruth Underwood.
At 13:33 Nick is miming a keyboard, but it's not a keyboard, it's Ruth Underwood's magic on percussion. For a next reaction to Zappa, I suggest: (Don't You Eat The Yellow Snow suite).
The thing that really knocked me out about this was that the beginning and ending of the song were recorded live for a tv special, yet the (heavily edited) guitar solo was lifted from a live concert in Helsinki !!
Yes Steve Vai's "Little Green Men" from his first album is very Zappa like. The lead vocals and keyboards were by George Duke, who I saw later in a group with Billy Cobham. Many of the other vocals were by Napoleon Murphy Brock. Frank was the one who said the drummer's name, "Chester" at (13:57). Chester Thompson later recorded and toured with Phil Collins and Genesis when Collins was concentrating on piano and vocals. For me, the most impressive musician in this Zappa lineup was Julliard trained marimba (like a xylophone) and percussion player Ruth Underwood, who often carried or doubled many of the melody lines in the group. (See her on the Y.Tube live version of this song.) One of the best concerts I ever attended was a double bill with the original Mahavishnu Orchestra and the Frank Zappa band. Mahavishnu had Jerry Goodman on violin and Zappa had Jean Luc Ponty. For me the biggest highlights were the playing of Ruth Underwood and Billy Cobham's solo on "One Word". There is a documentary on RUclips called The Drummers of Frank Zappa, where Ruth Underwood, Terry Bozzio, Chad Wackerman, Chester Thompson, and Ralph Humphries reminisce about playing in the band. This song is about the book Chariots Of Fire, about alien landing strips in the Andes, and that is why it starts out with space ship sounds. Frank Zappa put out so many types of music that if you hear some of his stuff with scatalogical humor or sexual content, you could be turned off. For complicated music from this same lineup try "Echidna's Arf (Of You)"/"Don't You Ever Wash That Thing", which are basically one 14 min. song from Roxy And Elsewhere. To hear his voice try "Montana". He also wrote music for symphonies and orchestral ensembles like "The Perfect Stranger" from Boulez Plays Zappa, and there is a whole series of albums of live guitar solos with re-recorded backing tracks. So I guess that's it for my picks until you revamp your system. Thanks for all the kind words. Also, check out Mike Keneally's solo acoustic version of this song. Frank actually had Eddie Van Halen come over to give his 12 yr old son Dweezil (who was a big fan) guitar lessons, and there is a Y.Tube video of Dweezil playing "Eruption" and talking about it. He also said that Eddie was the first person who phoned when Frank died.
Happy Friday! Nice to hear your checking out some Zappa, Easter in Watermelon Hay is the song you might be referring to, it highlights Frank’s impressive Guitar skills. Sit down and listen to it together the beginning is a little course for Public consumption. Enjoy!
George Duke's electric piano/synthesizer solo was actually dubbed onto the studio recording from a live show they previously. Frank liked the solo so much that he put in onto the studio album. There's video of that live show performance of Inca Roads on RUclips (easy to find), and Frank has an ear to ear grin when George Duke solo's, which was unusual for Frank, as he was the type of band leader more apt to hear mistakes than to be overwhelmed by a great line or phrase.
Great song. It must be remembered that Zappa was a great performer but that was shadowed by his immense talent in composing. He was a master orchestrator, always in the pursuit of new sounds.
Zappa was a great composer and performer, but he was also a good at finding new talent. His record company brought us such groups as Alice Cooper. If it was not for Zappa taking Alice Cooper under his wing we may have never heard of the band. Zappa's contributions to music are so underated.
I notice you have a photo in the background of Jean Luc Ponty, I believe from "Enigmatic Ocean". Prior to this album, JLP had been a band member for Zappa as well. Vai was not in this band, but came later.
For context: at the time of this record, there was a very popular “non-fiction” book, claiming that aerial photography showed ancient roads, or runways, had been carved out of Andes mountaintops in prehistoric times…suggesting aliens 🤷♂️
The first time I saw Zappa was right after 1 size fits all came out and became a life long fan! Overnight sensation was the 1st introduction to Frank .You young people are great and makes me have some hope for the future!
Terrific song that showcases the more serious side of Frank Zappa's music. Usually, most people know the songs with funny lyrics like the "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow Suite" which is terrific and you should definitely react to, or his big hit "Dancin' Fool" which will make you want to get up and dance.
I still miss Frank so much. I would say we could do with him being around today - as an antidote to so much that's happening in society - but I probably just feel he should be around forever.
Great reaction as always guys, and its so cool you've started you Frank Zappa journey. The man was arguably one of the most talented musicians and composers of the modern age, and never ever took himself too seriously. His music's not to everyone's taste, but nobody could doubt his creativeness. Check out the album 'Jazz From Hell', or my favourite track of his 'What's New In Baltimore?'... And for the drummer inside of Nick, check out 'The Black Page'.... Truly outstanding musicianship.... Cheers, Bob
FZ was a massive talent, a groundbreaking artist, and constantly challenging himself and his fans. I really recommend Jazz From Hell, which was pure composition using digital hardware. The Girl in the Magnesium Dress is my favorite track.
Maybe his most underrated album. You have to listen to it like 20 times to get it but it eventually becomes very catchy actually. St. Etienne is his greatest guitar solo hands down. Rhythm section was absolutely perfect for that solo section on Drowning Witch.
Frank is an enormous study all by himself. He's notable for putting musicians through extreme paces that made some careers and handsomely burnished many more. He's arguably rock music's greatest underrated guitarist. Also: a uniquely striking lyricist. (His "Magdalena" from 1971's "Just Another Band From L.A." is a live-recording tirade against child sexual abuse before anyone was even really talking about the subject, featuring Flo & Eddie from the original Turtles, and Aynsley Dunbar on drums.) His work goes through several distinct periods, from the Mothers in their first and second lineups until "The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life" in 1988. My favorite is the Roxy Band, exemplified in this piece. That's Ruth Underwood on vibes & marimba. There's a lifetime to dig in Frank.
This entire albums a Masterpiece. My brother bought this album. The day it came out. Not only do I still have it. I still listen too it. This probably dropped in 1973..Theirs a great George Duke interview discussing this song it’s worth your checking it out for yourselves….Ty
Players on this cut and the album "One Side Fits All" Frank Zappa - Guitar, Lead & backing vocals George Duke - Keys, Lead Vocals Ruth Underwood - Marimba, Vibraphone, Percussion Chester Thompson - Drums, sound effects, voices Tom Fowler - Bass Napoleon Murphy Brock - Flute, Tenor Saxophone, lead & Backing vocals
Steve Vai started his career in 1980 playing with Frank Zappa and has since recorded and toured with Alcatrazz, Whitesnake, David Lee Roth and Public Image Ltd.
Don't forget "Strapping Young Lad" with a much younger long haired Devin Townsend. Their music was way too hard and heavy for me - yet - Devin Townsend Project, isn't - Go figure ? Lol
Lex, your Dad knows Alfonso Cuaron?!! Wow. I can remember seeing “Y Tu Mama Tambien” in the movie theater (2001-ish) and being so impressed. Greetings to Dad. And great reaction! ✨🤪
Wow! So many comments to make about Frank. Firstly, I had the good fortune to see him play live in 1980. He had this smokin hot guitar player who I thought could really give Eddie Van Halen a run for his money. It was Steve Vai. Frank’s backup band has been an incubator for some of the planet’s most insanely talented musicians over the years. Getting into his band was a real badge of honour, kinda like getting a degree from Harvard. It wasn’t until the late ‘70’s that he started having a second guitarist in the band. The solo on this track was all him. Even with other guitarists accompanying, you can always tell when it’s a Frank solo. He had a very recognizable style. Fun fact - although much of his music (like this song) sound completely chaotic at times, everything he did was meticulously charted out - very little, if any improvisation. Hope you decide to dive a little deeper into this rabbit hole. It’s deep. Frank was a notorious workaholic and a perfectionist. He was known to go back and re- record rhythm tracks from albums he’d recorded decades prior just to bring the sonic quality up to what he considered to be acceptable standards. Remixes amd remasters of older albums are commonplace today, but Frank was always a trailblazer - he was ‘fixing’ his older material way before anyone else thought to do it. Glad you enjoyed this track and hope to see more reactions to the music of this prolific artist. And you haven’t even gotten to the goofy stuff…!
@Scott Stevens. Steve Vai was placed up on the riser next to the keyboards and drums for his first tour with Zappa in 1980. He didn't have that much impact on that tour. Perhaps you meant the 1981 tour when Steve played at the front of the stage with Frank and contributed a lot. Frank had other guitar players from the beginning of The Mothers. Elliot Ingber, Jim Fielder, Lowell George, Jeff Simmons, Adrian Belew and Warren Cuccurullo played guitar for Frank before Steve Vai joined the band in 1980.
@@Frunobulax74 No, it was the 1980 tour. He was up on the top riser. Even up there he stood out as an incredible guitarist. Not as clear in my memory was who the drummer was. I believe it was Vinnie Caliuta (I hope that’s the correct spelling). He did a solo which he had to interrupt because his shoelaces got all tangled up in his kick pedal. He just took his shoe off and tossed it offstage and continued with the drum solo. Absolutely brilliant.
@@scottstevens7639 - Yes, Steve is fantastic. I saw 2 shows on that tour. He had a more prominent role and more parts to play on the '81 tour that I saw. Yes, the fall 1980 with Steve had Vinnie Colaiuta as the drummer.
Frank Zappa began his recording career as a studio hand/composer/producer/engineer/musician in the early sixties, at Paul Buff Studio in Cucamonga, CA. By 1963 he bought the studio from Paul Buff and rechristened it Z Studio where he continued to make a living composing for artists and recording them. Eventually he figured out that the only way he can really play and record his more ambitious compositions was forming a band. He did the next best thing which was joining a band (The Soul Giants) and taking over it within three months. By 1965, The Soul Giants had become The Mothers. They managed a residency at The Whiskey A Go Go on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood where they were "discovered" by Bob Dylan's original producer Tom Wilson and signed to a record deal with MGM's subsidiary Verve Records. However the record company refused the name The Mothers, so they became The Mothers of Invention. The original Mothers of Invention, so called despite cast fluctuations, existed only between 1966-1969. Zappa however would use the name sporadically for live promotions as well as some of his albums, up until early 1976.
Zappas body of work is unrivalled. I'm a huge metalhead but love Steely Dan, Allmsn Brothers, The Dead. But the greatest of them all is for certain, Frank Zappa. He was just unique. A beautiful soul.
The guitar solo is Frank. He cut-and-pasted it from a live show, edited it and dropped it in the track. Actually he’s the only guitar player on the album.
I seem to remember that, apart from the guitar solo, this is a direct live recording from one of the Roxy shows. The guitar solo is from a couple of different live performances.
Welcome to the Zappa Universe! You should watch the live version video. He is also one of the most creative soloists on guitar, unpredictable, melodic, virtuoso always with high risk, coming to places where no one ever had been before, sometimes driving me to tears, which is very unusual and enigmatic for me. Another Highlight is the live video version of Muffin Man f.e.
The more I listen to this (over 30 years now), the more I reckon Tom Fowler is my favorite part of it and, for a song as layered as this, that's saying quite a lot.
![THE WHO - Quadrophenia [Full Album] | FIRST TIME COUPLE REACTION (BMC Request)](/img/1.gif)
There's more creativity in this one track than most musicians manage in a whole career
Indeed .....
It's ridiculous alone what kind of negligible graduations in what people are doing are considered "genres" these days (ok, it really was starting to get that bad in the 90s already). A band like Black Sabbath, not to mention Jethro Tull, might easily span 10 genres, lol! "we do "bagum, bagum, bagum, bagum, ba-dee-dee-dee-gum", but this band over there does " ..., ba-dee--ba-gum" - therefore, they are in a different genre! You don't know much about music, do you?" ...
Truth has been spoken.
I wouldn't like to offend another musicians but... facts are facts. You only have to listen this masterpiece. And THE guitar solo...
@@Sancho_Retablez As another musician, no offense taken. I strive to be able to compose something half this good.
I have over 60 albums by Frank, saw him 16 times from L.A. to New York and every where in between. George Duke is playing keys and a Moog synthesizer , Chester Thompson is the drummer . Every concert the sound was incredible, that's why so many of Frank's albums are live recordings. Even though I am in my late 60s, everytime I hear Frank playing his lead guitar solos, I always have an acid flashback! Wee!
And Tom Fowler is doing an amazing job on the bass on this track. So groovy!
It’s not a moog it’s an ARP
What I would do to just see Frank play once, sadly I was born after his death :/
Zappa was garbage
I have 125 albums by FZ - cant get enough!!!
First to comment. Great choice!
Edit: Watermelon Man is a jazz funk standard written by Herbie Hancock, Watermelon in Easter Hay is the Zappa tune you're thinking of.
Frank Zappa IS a legend. He was know for rehearsing his band to death, but you can tell on this track how incredibly tight and perfectly attuned together they were. There are videos of the band doing this live and it sounds every bit as crisp and perfect. Watching Ruth Underwood bounce from marimba, vibes, tympani and so on is mesmerizing, too.
Tight. Zappa demanded excellence. Great comment. Thanks ✨🤪
Yes, Ruth Underwood was incredible!
That’s only because all the basic parts of the album track were recorded live (from the KCET TV special and the Helsinki Concert) !;)
You can see why he worked them so hard though...
@@dago87able The Helsinki concert is fire. Great live album that one
Steve Hackett of Genesis and Zappa are definitely two of the first pioneers of tapping techniques on electric guitar.
Steve Hackett from Genesis was tapping on The Return Of The Giant Hogweed on Nursery Cryme in 1971 and Jeff Beck used his pick to tap in The Yardbirds in 1966.
Paganini tapped his violin with a bow in the 1800s. Roy Smeck tapped his ukulele in the 1930s. Emmett Chapman developed a tapping technique in 1969 and later invented the Chapman Stick.
The section near the end around twelve and a half minutes sounds like a tear in the fabric of musical space-time has been opened up as you tumble through it.
In the background you have a cover of Jean-Luc Ponty.
He was also a member of the Zappa Band from 1969-1973
Oh yeah. The genius of Frank Zappa. He's definitely not for everybody. He's far too eccentric for a lot of people. He's a great composer. I've been a fan for a long time. I believe when Frank was asked about his odd lyrics he said something like; "lyrics are for people that need them."
Not only that, the truth is, his lyrics aren't "*really* all that odd if you understand why he wrote them. for example: "Moving to Montana," sounds like a really silly song about moving to Montana to start a dental floss empire. Actually, it IS a silly song, but it's mocking a "movement" if you will, that was going on in Southern CA at the time of all these hippies going out to countryside and starting these communal farms and such. The vast majority of which failed, or got busted because they were growing weed. Zappa did a brilliant job, actually, of mocking the shit of them.
@@somersetcace1 - I personally think "Montana" is just a fun song created from Frank's imagination. If he wanted to mock hippies in that song he would have, just like he did on the album We're only in it for the Money.
@@Frunobulax74 It was the movement that was being mocked, not specifically hippies, and I'm pretty sure that's what it's having to do with. Still a fun song and all. Though, none of that's really the point I was making. It's that a lot of Frank's lyrics were based on some social commentary or another. Not just silly lyrics that don't mean anything.
@@somersetcace1 - Frank hated dentists and never went. Band members have said Frank dealt with bad teeth problems through the years. I thought he was having a laugh about dental floss since it was becoming a popular part of daily dental care in the 1970s.
@@somersetcace1 We’re Only in it for the Money is a perfect example of a Frank album that decimated all over hippie culture. Love that one, great cover too
‘Little House I Used To Live In’ from Burnt Weeny Sandwich is my favorite Zappa song.
I was in high school when Burnt Weeny Sandwich came out, and Little House was a life changer for me.
I couldn’t pick a favourite.
I’ve loved so many over the years👍
My favourite Zappa album too.
There's a lot of humor to Franks music, but the musicianship is always on point. Everything is written out, with the exceptions of some improvised solos. Frank is excellent.
on this trac:
Frank Zappa - guitar and backing vocals
George Duke - lead and backing vocals and synthesizer
Napoleon Murphy Brock - flute, backing vocals, tenor saxophone
Ruth Underwood - marimba, vibraphone, percussion
Chester Thompson - drums, sounds effects, voices
Tom Fowler - bass guitar
And every one of them was absolutely incredible on this piece!
@@stpnwlf9 ...there are no slackers in that lineup, or any of his lineups.
@@buddystewart2020 Frank didn’t tolerate slackers. Some tracks sound comical, cartoonish, space jazz or plain crazy ... but it’s meticulous from the mind of the mad genius. Thanks ✨🤪
What you said!
Napoleon Murphy Brock on Tush Tush Tush*
Can you imagine somebody audditioning for Zappa's band thinking,oh there just jamming and playing chaotic notes and random percussion and then ,the sheets upon sheets pepperd with notes and dynamic markings are placed on the music stand? Well sorry sport,NEXT! lol
Frank Zappa is the man Leonard Bernstein named the greatest composer America has yet produced. Kinda high praise there.
y es una grabacion en vivo!!!!! Zappa es un compositor completo y complejo que abarco muchos generos y los reinvento...bienvenidos!!!
Hey Nick N Lex. This is how the love a fare with Frank Zappa starts. The guy was a musical genius but never took himself to seriously lyrically. This was a great song to introduce yourself to him. Glad you both liked it. He's a lot of fun to listen to. Keep up the good work.
I was fortunate to grow up in the era of Zappa, and bought every album he put out. My only complaint about him is that he shared the spotlight with the other musicians in the band, and didn't highlight his guitar playing as much as I would have liked. He was a brilliant guitar player.
@@joedanis2889 - Did you ever see Zappa in concert? If so, where and when?
If you want serious Zappa lyrics then Trouble Every Day is one of the best IMO
@@Frunobulax74 Twice, both in London, can´t remember dates, but, 70s/80s, Wonderful.
In reality, though the lyrics have humor and satire, they often are great evaluations, insight into the time, sociology for sure.
You have to react to “Little House I Used to Live In” on Zappa’s (Mothers of Invention) Burnt Weeny Sandwich album. Sugarcane Harris’s bluesy electric violin is insane. Zappa’s guitar work, stunning.
Great request, RG. Behind all the wacky, there is so much talent. This track is trippy and jazzy but Zappa had a reputation for zero tolerance with drugs. Thanks ✨🤪
16:25: actually, no, Zappa doesn't sing on this track (except for a few words he speaks). Main vocals are by George Duke, the renowned Jazz pianist, who also plays the keyboard instruments. Napoleon Murphy Brock sings some of the lines.
Zappa actually sings the part where he goes “why don’t you sharpen it then?!!” And “Mother Mary and Joseph!”
The vocalist at the start of this is George Duke, who also played the keyboard solo.
Love to see the sheer joy on your faces. Thanks. Great news for you: you've opened the door to a bigger universe. Frank was a composer who often built compositions with a unique rhythmic concept, using odd changing meters and nested tuplets, and he excelled with creative orchestration. I'd recommend listening to several versions of a song (such as "Peaches en Regalia" or "Black Napkins") to begin to understand that amazing range: it's mind-expanding.
I love how Lex keeps looking at Nick. That's the way it should be.
So happy you guys liked this! The idea that aliens from outer space might have visited Earth in the past and built things like the "Inca Roads" became popular in the early 70s, and that's what Frank's lyrics are making fun of ... The Mothers of Invention was the name of Frank's original late-60s band, and he kept using that name (off and on) for this great fusion band that he assembled in the 70s. That marimba sound you were hearing wasn't a keyboard, but Ruth Underwood tearing it up on an actual marimba! George Duke, on keyboards and lead vocals on this track, was a jazz guy who had played with Jean-Luc Ponty before joining Zappa, and for a time alternated between playing with Frank and Cannonball Adderley. Chester Thompson, the great drummer, played with Weather Report after leaving Zappa (he's on the "Black Market" album), then replaced Bill Bruford as Genesis' touring drummer in '76, staying with them for 16 years; he also played with Santana for a year and on Phil Collins' solo tours from '82 through '05. A great band!
@Kendeeni - Chester Thompson was also the drummer for the Bee Gees on their 1989 World Tour.
Everyone in this line up of The Mother's was an outstanding musician,absolutely no weak links. My favorite FZ musician was Ruth Underwood. She was Zappa's premier percussionist for almost 10 years and played some of the most breathtaking Zappa charts with such command. She played the entire array of tuned percussion,xylophone, marimba,vibraphone, tympani,etc. She was a master percussionist. After she left zappa continued to have amazing percussionists and extremely challenging music, but to my ears it lost some of the sparkle and warmth after her absence.
Yeah, what he said -------^ Ruth is amazing indeed.
Ruth is/was a genius percussionist. She studied or graduated from Julliard. There is a video out there with all the Zappa drummers together to compare notes. Amazing.
The 'other' drummer is Chester Thompson, a brilliant jazz percussionist. He said the rehearsals with Frank were as rigorous as could be imagined. Chester also played with Weather Report, another group of amazing musicians (serious fusion). Mr. Thompson said the only other group he knew of that came close to Zappa's rehearsals was Genesis!
@@rk41gator I watched that it was fascinating. All of them are so unique and gifted some of the stories were hilarious
George Duke. Máster!
@@rk41gator Love Weather Report.
Hooray! ! You found Zappa. So happy for you. Lots to explore. Love from Tassie
I love that you're experiencing Frank Zappa. Have fun with this you two.
This was right down my alley. This was a fun song. Lots of instrumentals! And just a lot of fun! Loved it. Love your channel and the both of you! 😀
I love how the auto translation is translating his solo lmao
This is one of my favorite songs. Thank you for reacting to it!!!
This is my favorite Frank Zappa song. Do you realize Frank wrote out every thing on charts?
Frank liked Gentle Giant also.
Incredible, huh?! Hi, Rand. And always good to see your input and celebrity in these comments. 😉✨🤪
Frank and Jimi were pretty chummy before he died.... would really have loved a collaboration between those two. Jimi thought Frank was the shit.
Except for the solos.
@@Frunobulax74 i know, but again, solos were for the improvisers themselves. Thats the point of soloing.
He mad a lot of use of the synclavier (sp?) which would print out the sheet music for the band.
He did a shit ton of composing the old fashioned way though.
Thanks for finally tackling ZAPPA! Please keep it going.... Frankly speaking, I feel it's about time...🤯👍💖
Zappa always had the best musicians in his band. His composing is top notch and always has a comic element. The music is very jazzy, avant-garde, with rock elements, so next level. Glad you two enjoyed this, shows you have good taste and intelligence!
Exactly! I've learned this from Zappa and Peter Gabriel: If you surround yourself with top musicians in their field, everything will be great music. Special attention to have the best drummer you can, because as good the other musicians may be, a mediocre drummer will drag all down,,, Greetings from Rio!
@@rofavilla Agreed. A good drummer is VERY important!
Zappa never stopped working. You have wonder and amazement before you should you dive in.
So glad you listened to the studio cut. Utterly sublime tune.
At last , boy have you opened up a whole new galaxy of music!!??🙏❤️👌😅✌️
The guitar is lifted from a live recording of the song and the original and be found on You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, the Helsinki Concert.
Amazing man. Brilliant musicians all. Love this…I can’t even begin to comprehend how someone could have written this, and even more mind boggling for others to perform it!
Must try Black Napkins next, it’s perhaps a more ‘digestible’ tune for some ears.
Wow guys! What a great way to start into exploring Zappa's music! This is probably my favourite Zappa song and one that just keeps on giving on re-listens. The live recordings with this classic band line-up (George Duke, Chester Thompson, Ruth Underwood, Tom Fowler, Napoleon Murphy Brock) are well worth finding - check out "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol 2 (The Helsinki Concert)" and "A Token Of His Extreme Soundtrack". Parts of both of these live recordings were used by Zappa in the final mix of the "One Size Fits All" studio version you've just played. There's also killer versions of Inca Roads from Zappa's last tour in 1988 with his awesome big band on "The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life" and the recently released "Zappa '88 - The Last U.S. Show". Thanks again for taking the plunge and sharing your new discoveries with the world! 😊
Marimba is played by Ruth Underwood. It's to her that they cry out “On Ruth” at the end. Watch a life version from that song.
You can listen to 10 different posts of this song from different times and Franks solo is always different!! Musical Genius!
There is a video of them doing this LIVE.... wow!
If you get a chance to see Dweezil Zappa's band, go see them!
I saw Dweezil and ZPZ play One Size Fits All in it's entirety. Absolute magic.
Seen Dweezil in 2006. Excellent show!
Of all of Frank's many musical compositions, this may well be my favorite. The creativity, the precision of the playing, the incredibly beautiful changes are like nothing I have ever heard before. I have listened to it so many times, and yet with each listening I am awe stuck by its' brilliance ....
Maybe not my all time favorite but this is the best go-to song when someone asks what should they listen to first. It has everything.
What other Zappa to listen to? Only all of it. He released 62 albums during his lifetime.
So I’m here because I am a professional Frank Zappa reactor stalker. 😀 This is my first time here and I loved what I saw. Nick had the Zappa stank face all the way through the guitar solo. That was awesome. You are right that this music is not for everyone. I say it’s for smart people! Lex I appreciate you’re reaction as well. I hope you guys stick with it. This rabbit hole is very deep. I will be watching.
Nice job. keep listening to Zappa- It’s good for ya.
The live version on Roxy & Elsewhere from the 73 tour is nuts. There is video of it and you can see what they are playing.
I can't believe this is the first time you've reacted to Inca Roads for some reason. Anyway great song off one of his absolute best albums. Chester Thompson played drums on this and many Zappa albums - later became Genesis' touring drummer. This was Zappa's classic and absolute best musician lineup - esp. Ruth Underwood. BTW - Steve Hackett of Genesis was doing finger tapping on album in 1971. All of the other songs on the album sound completely different. Steve Vai didn't get involved with Zappa as a transcriber until a couple or few years later.
I liked the drowning witch line up a lot, even if Scott Thunes never played his part correctly (according to Zappas standards)
The OG Mothers also had insane synergy, King Kong was a 30 min masterpiece jamola
And you can here Thompson's drumming sounding like when he was in Weather Report. (the jazzy part) And tapping goes back to the '30s or earlier. There's a movie from then that showed a guy doing it. And there's another guitar player who invented 4 other ways of tapping. And he has about 300 albums out. Wears that KFC chicken bucket on his head. :)
@@tixximmi1 Yes, saw that old clip. And Marcel Marceau and others did the moon walk before Michael Jackson. But tapping on an electric with distortion/fuzz/sustain is unique enough that I consider Hackett one of its originators in rock. EVH was aware of it also. Hackett also talked about the technique in a Guitar Player magazine interview in the early/mid 70s.
@@eximusic Like I said it's been on TV and old movies that I've seen from the '30s. '40s and '50s too. Like we say here in Texas, Never Let the Truth get in the way of a Good Story.
@@tixximmi1 I'm guessing EVH heard Genesis, The Musical Box, and not the unknown guitarist from some obscure clip that wasn't available in the pre-internet age. There was no on-demand video information back then besides VHS tapes. If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there, does it make a sound? Everything you know now you would have never known in the 80s or 90s. Googling isn't the same as winning on Jeopardy. You need actual knowledge and brains for the latter.
Frank zappa es un genio lo escuche hace unos 15 años es fabulosa su musica .les recomiendo el disco llamado hot rats de el tambien es una delicia.
"Watermelon in Easter Hay"- fuckin' brilliant
Hi! I'm a new subscriber, and I've been doing a deep dive on your reactions! I really enjoy your genuine emotional responses to great music I grew up with. Seeing Zappa on your channel was wonderful, and I couldn't wait to see your reactions to certain parts. A true genius.
For some intense prog, try Todd Rundgren's Utopia, and the song is Communion With The Sun from the album RA (the Egyptian Sun God)...I promise you'll be blown away!
Another Utopia album that is like Mahavishnu Orchestra's style is Todd Rundgren's Utopia (with the eye on the cover...mind blowing!)
Keep up the great work, good luck with your channel, and stay safe!
You have good taste dean! I love FZ, but my favourite album ever is Todd Rundgren's Utopia!
What's really crazy is that Ruth Underwood was playing the vibraphone, and percussion, so all of that crazy vibraphone stuff and the percussion fill at the end was all done by one person and she was constantly jumping between instruments. Everyone in that band was absolutely crazy talented.
The singer on this is actually his keyboardist, George Duke. One of the hardest singing parts by Frank is the tune Montana, which is sung beautifully by Tina Turner and the Iketts.
zappa is the greatest. his lyrics can offend some people, but he's usually just pointing out hypocrisy.
This woman named Ruth has these mallets, and she wacks these assorted bell like tablets arranged in ascending or descending order, and somehow it makes amazing melodic sense. It's gotta be hard cause she often uses two mallets per hand and wails. I wouldn't think it's possible, but her hands blurringly hover above these arrangements and it sounds like angels tiptoeing across clouds to make rain.
During the second free-form instrumental part both of you were obviously grooving, to two completely different time signatures! And that is one of the unique aspects of Frank's genius. It works, even when it shouldn't.
RG is the man with the song suggestions! (Wackerman came later than this, btw. Frank did champion Holdsworth in interviews and such, though. Chester Thompson is the drummer on this recording. Ruth Underwood plays that amazing marimba and sundry percussion).
Most of the lead singing is George Duke, btw, though you can pick out places with Frank or Napoleon Murphy Brock vocals in front.
Great info. And yes, I can def hear Frank’s voice in there. Genius, creative and fun. ✨🤪
@@michelemichele3375 you might like hearing Mike Keneally do this, solo acoustic guitar .... where he tries to play all of the parts and comes damn close!. Keneally was the last "stunt guitarist", after Vai, in Frank's bands. (Check out "Mike Keneally - Inca Roads - Cardiff on youtube and you'll see that).
"One Size Fits All" is one of my all time favorite albums. Every tune on this album is Fantastic! I still play this album and just love it! Inca Roads is simply awesome!.
Chester Thompson was the drummer on this album. He's my all-time favourite drummer. He toured with Genesis for several years when Phill Collins became their lead singer. Anyway, Terry Bozzio succeeded Thompson as Zappa's drummer for a few years, followed by Vinnie Colaiuta, David Logeman and, eventually, Chad Wackerman.
The lead singer on this song was George Duke, with a lot of support from Napoleon Murphy Brock. Zappa himself also contributed some vocals on this song, but he was not the lead. There is a lot of keyboard in this song (played by George Duke), but a lot of what you think is keyboard is actually the marimba/vibraphone played by Ruth Underwood.
Yo idk if you’ve listened to Duprees Paradise from the Helsinki Concert but dear God is Chester Thompson one of the best drummers of all time
Frank Zappa - straight up musical genius. George Duke is playing keyboard on this album, the master of time.
He also does the lead vocal.
Great selection! Everyone wanted to play with Zappa which is a testament to his greatness. Enjoy!
At 13:33 Nick is miming a keyboard, but it's not a keyboard, it's Ruth Underwood's magic on percussion.
For a next reaction to Zappa, I suggest: (Don't You Eat The Yellow Snow suite).
The thing that really knocked me out about this was that the beginning and ending of the song were recorded live for a tv special, yet the (heavily edited) guitar solo was lifted from a live concert in Helsinki !!
Chester Thompson plays drums on this album, he later was the touring drummer for Genesis for many years.
Yes Steve Vai's "Little Green Men" from his first album is very Zappa like. The lead vocals and keyboards were by George Duke, who I saw later in a group with Billy Cobham. Many of the other vocals were by Napoleon Murphy Brock. Frank was the one who said the drummer's name, "Chester" at (13:57). Chester Thompson later recorded and toured with Phil Collins and Genesis when Collins was concentrating on piano and vocals. For me, the most impressive musician in this Zappa lineup was Julliard trained marimba (like a xylophone) and percussion player Ruth Underwood, who often carried or doubled many of the melody lines in the group. (See her on the Y.Tube live version of this song.) One of the best concerts I ever attended was a double bill with the original Mahavishnu Orchestra and the Frank Zappa band. Mahavishnu had Jerry Goodman on violin and Zappa had Jean Luc Ponty. For me the biggest highlights were the playing of Ruth Underwood and Billy Cobham's solo on "One Word". There is a documentary on RUclips called The Drummers of Frank Zappa, where Ruth Underwood, Terry Bozzio, Chad Wackerman, Chester Thompson, and Ralph Humphries reminisce about playing in the band. This song is about the book Chariots Of Fire, about alien landing strips in the Andes, and that is why it starts out with space ship sounds. Frank Zappa put out so many types of music that if you hear some of his stuff with scatalogical humor or sexual content, you could be turned off. For complicated music from this same lineup try "Echidna's Arf (Of You)"/"Don't You Ever Wash That Thing", which are basically one 14 min. song from Roxy And Elsewhere. To hear his voice try "Montana". He also wrote music for symphonies and orchestral ensembles like "The Perfect Stranger" from Boulez Plays Zappa, and there is a whole series of albums of live guitar solos with re-recorded backing tracks. So I guess that's it for my picks until you revamp your system. Thanks for all the kind words. Also, check out Mike Keneally's solo acoustic version of this song. Frank actually had Eddie Van Halen come over to give his 12 yr old son Dweezil (who was a big fan) guitar lessons, and there is a Y.Tube video of Dweezil playing "Eruption" and talking about it. He also said that Eddie was the first person who phoned when Frank died.
One size fits all is a masterpiece
Experimental jazz fusion space rock? Whatever that was, it was a blast.
From the same album "Andy" is my favourite.
Very good taste yours!
@@Tomanot9Juanma San Berd'no
Mother, Mary and Joseph! Great reaction Guys. Have fun diving down THIS hole!
Happy Friday! Nice to hear your checking out some Zappa, Easter in Watermelon Hay is the song you might be referring to, it highlights Frank’s impressive Guitar skills. Sit down and listen to it together the beginning is a little course for Public consumption. Enjoy!
George Duke's electric piano/synthesizer solo was actually dubbed onto the studio recording from a live show they previously. Frank liked the solo so much that he put in onto the studio album. There's video of that live show performance of Inca Roads on RUclips (easy to find), and Frank has an ear to ear grin when George Duke solo's, which was unusual for Frank, as he was the type of band leader more apt to hear mistakes than to be overwhelmed by a great line or phrase.
Great song. It must be remembered that Zappa was a great performer but that was shadowed by his immense talent in composing. He was a master orchestrator, always in the pursuit of new sounds.
Zappa was a great composer and performer, but he was also a good at finding new talent. His record company brought us such groups as Alice Cooper. If it was not for Zappa taking Alice Cooper under his wing we may have never heard of the band. Zappa's contributions to music are so underated.
HA HA! You finally found FZ. He covered ALL genres of music. Agree Watermelon in Easter Hay is lovely. Try the Apostrophe album. Love from Tassie.
Zappa is a genre in itself.
@@GoodCorporateRobot TOO TRUE !! ; )
I notice you have a photo in the background of Jean Luc Ponty, I believe from "Enigmatic Ocean". Prior to this album, JLP had been a band member for Zappa as well. Vai was not in this band, but came later.
The middle solo by frank was spliced from a live recording, back into the studio version after it... completely seamless in final editing.
For context: at the time of this record, there was a very popular “non-fiction” book, claiming that aerial photography showed ancient roads, or runways, had been carved out of Andes mountaintops in prehistoric times…suggesting aliens 🤷♂️
From the same album, "Andy" is highly worth a listen. You've barely touched the tip of the Zappa iceberg.
"Do you know what I'm really telling you. Is it something that you can understand?" Oh, that song is incredible!
So true, but you need to know who Andy Devine was to really get the humor of that song, lol!
If you include all the covers of Zappa songs over the years and around the world the iceberg becomes the size of mount Everest !!!
@@Tomanot9Juanma The part with the piano breakdown and the vocals over the top... "Andy! Oh, Andyyyy.... Andy pandy!"
Chills everytime haha
DROWNING WIIIIIITCH
The first time I saw Zappa was right after 1 size fits all came out and became a life long fan! Overnight sensation was the 1st introduction to Frank .You young people are great and makes me have some hope for the future!
Terrific song that showcases the more serious side of Frank Zappa's music. Usually, most people know the songs with funny lyrics like the "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow Suite" which is terrific and you should definitely react to, or his big hit "Dancin' Fool" which will make you want to get up and dance.
I still miss Frank so much. I would say we could do with him being around today - as an antidote to so much that's happening in society - but I probably just feel he should be around forever.
Great reaction as always guys, and its so cool you've started you Frank Zappa journey.
The man was arguably one of the most talented musicians and composers of the modern age, and never ever took himself too seriously. His music's not to everyone's taste, but nobody could doubt his creativeness.
Check out the album 'Jazz From Hell', or my favourite track of his 'What's New In Baltimore?'... And for the drummer inside of Nick, check out 'The Black Page'.... Truly outstanding musicianship.... Cheers, Bob
FZ was a massive talent, a groundbreaking artist, and constantly challenging himself and his fans. I really recommend Jazz From Hell, which was pure composition using digital hardware. The Girl in the Magnesium Dress is my favorite track.
ruclips.net/video/QLI120j2kHA/видео.html
Maybe his most underrated album. You have to listen to it like 20 times to get it but it eventually becomes very catchy actually. St. Etienne is his greatest guitar solo hands down. Rhythm section was absolutely perfect for that solo section on Drowning Witch.
Frank is an enormous study all by himself. He's notable for putting musicians through extreme paces that made some careers and handsomely burnished many more. He's arguably rock music's greatest underrated guitarist. Also: a uniquely striking lyricist. (His "Magdalena" from 1971's "Just Another Band From L.A." is a live-recording tirade against child sexual abuse before anyone was even really talking about the subject, featuring Flo & Eddie from the original Turtles, and Aynsley Dunbar on drums.)
His work goes through several distinct periods, from the Mothers in their first and second lineups until "The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life" in 1988. My favorite is the Roxy Band, exemplified in this piece. That's Ruth Underwood on vibes & marimba.
There's a lifetime to dig in Frank.
An absolutely stunning composition ( again from FZ.. ) . George Duke on keys. All are amazing never to be repeated.
glad you went there...lol
Eddie Jobson (of UK) also played with Zappa, as did Jean-Luc Ponty and Chester Thompson of Genesis,.
Cool. Jobson also was a short-time member of Jethro Tull on their 1980 album 'A'.
@@murdockreviews He also guested them briefly for a concert in 1985, replacing Peter John Vettese.
ruclips.net/video/FeiXYQNeuik/видео.html
This entire albums a Masterpiece. My brother bought this album. The day it came out. Not only do I still have it. I still listen too it. This probably dropped in 1973..Theirs a great George Duke interview discussing this song it’s worth your checking it out for yourselves….Ty
Players on this cut and the album "One Side Fits All"
Frank Zappa - Guitar, Lead & backing vocals
George Duke - Keys, Lead Vocals
Ruth Underwood - Marimba, Vibraphone, Percussion
Chester Thompson - Drums, sound effects, voices
Tom Fowler - Bass
Napoleon Murphy Brock - Flute, Tenor Saxophone, lead & Backing vocals
Steve Vai started his career in 1980 playing with Frank Zappa and has since recorded and toured with Alcatrazz, Whitesnake, David Lee Roth and Public Image Ltd.
Don't forget "Strapping Young Lad" with a much younger long haired Devin Townsend. Their music was way too hard and heavy for me - yet - Devin Townsend Project, isn't - Go figure ? Lol
Lex, your Dad knows Alfonso Cuaron?!! Wow. I can remember seeing “Y Tu Mama Tambien” in the movie theater (2001-ish) and being so impressed. Greetings to Dad. And great reaction! ✨🤪
You should play "Peaches in Regalia" from Hot Rats! That's what really started him in this direction.
Agreed. This would be my next pick.
Don't forget the gumbo variations!
Wow! So many comments to make about Frank.
Firstly, I had the good fortune to see him play live in 1980. He had this smokin hot guitar player who I thought could really give Eddie Van Halen a run for his money. It was Steve Vai.
Frank’s backup band has been an incubator for some of the planet’s most insanely talented musicians over the years. Getting into his band was a real badge of honour, kinda like getting a degree from Harvard.
It wasn’t until the late ‘70’s that he started having a second guitarist in the band. The solo on this track was all him. Even with other guitarists accompanying, you can always tell when it’s a Frank solo. He had a very recognizable style.
Fun fact - although much of his music (like this song) sound completely chaotic at times, everything he did was meticulously charted out - very little, if any improvisation.
Hope you decide to dive a little deeper into this rabbit hole. It’s deep. Frank was a notorious workaholic and a perfectionist. He was known to go back and re- record rhythm tracks from albums he’d recorded decades prior just to bring the sonic quality up to what he considered to be acceptable standards. Remixes amd remasters of older albums are commonplace today, but Frank was always a trailblazer - he was ‘fixing’ his older material way before anyone else thought to do it.
Glad you enjoyed this track and hope to see more reactions to the music of this prolific artist. And you haven’t even gotten to the goofy stuff…!
@Scott Stevens. Steve Vai was placed up on the riser next to the keyboards and drums for his first tour with Zappa in 1980. He didn't have that much impact on that tour. Perhaps you meant the 1981 tour when Steve played at the front of the stage with Frank and contributed a lot. Frank had other guitar players from the beginning of The Mothers. Elliot Ingber, Jim Fielder, Lowell George, Jeff Simmons, Adrian Belew and Warren Cuccurullo played guitar for Frank before Steve Vai joined the band in 1980.
@@Frunobulax74 No, it was the 1980 tour. He was up on the top riser. Even up there he stood out as an incredible guitarist.
Not as clear in my memory was who the drummer was. I believe it was Vinnie Caliuta (I hope that’s the correct spelling). He did a solo which he had to interrupt because his shoelaces got all tangled up in his kick pedal. He just took his shoe off and tossed it offstage and continued with the drum solo. Absolutely brilliant.
@@scottstevens7639 - Yes, Steve is fantastic. I saw 2 shows on that tour. He had a more prominent role and more parts to play on the '81 tour that I saw. Yes, the fall 1980 with Steve had Vinnie Colaiuta as the drummer.
Frank Zappa began his recording career as a studio hand/composer/producer/engineer/musician in the early sixties, at Paul Buff Studio in Cucamonga, CA. By 1963 he bought the studio from Paul Buff and rechristened it Z Studio where he continued to make a living composing for artists and recording them. Eventually he figured out that the only way he can really play and record his more ambitious compositions was forming a band. He did the next best thing which was joining a band (The Soul Giants) and taking over it within three months. By 1965, The Soul Giants had become The Mothers. They managed a residency at The Whiskey A Go Go on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood where they were "discovered" by Bob Dylan's original producer Tom Wilson and signed to a record deal with MGM's subsidiary Verve Records. However the record company refused the name The Mothers, so they became The Mothers of Invention. The original Mothers of Invention, so called despite cast fluctuations, existed only between 1966-1969. Zappa however would use the name sporadically for live promotions as well as some of his albums, up until early 1976.
Zappas body of work is unrivalled. I'm a huge metalhead but love Steely Dan, Allmsn Brothers, The Dead. But the greatest of them all is for certain, Frank Zappa. He was just unique. A beautiful soul.
The guitar solo is Frank. He cut-and-pasted it from a live show, edited it and dropped it in the track. Actually he’s the only guitar player on the album.
masterpiece! amazing musicians
Frank actually doesn't sing on this tune. Those are George Duke and Napoleon Murphy Brock
Please don't take it personally, but you are wrong.
@@trevorb6 He sings, he says "Chesters Thing"
@@trevorb6 Lol no I'm not. Only if you want to be a smart ass because Frank technically says a few lines in the background lmao.
Doesn't Frank's vocals come in a bit in the later part of the song? I thought that was him singing after the guitar solo.
@@bobd7855 HAHAHA!🤣🤣 Yeah that and “Mother Mary and Joseph!”
I seem to remember that, apart from the guitar solo, this is a direct live recording from one of the Roxy shows. The guitar solo is from a couple of different live performances.
Welcome to the Zappa Universe! You should watch the live version video. He is also one of the most creative soloists on guitar, unpredictable, melodic, virtuoso always with high risk, coming to places where no one ever had been before, sometimes driving me to tears, which is very unusual and enigmatic for me. Another Highlight is the live video version of Muffin Man f.e.
Did you catch when the solo started the music switched from studio to live? Zappa was so tricky.
The more I listen to this (over 30 years now), the more I reckon Tom Fowler is my favorite part of it and, for a song as layered as this, that's saying quite a lot.
he was a great bassist but broke his hand and caused a diversion of paths.
Could shit zappa play guitar with his ugly nose? 😂