remembering frank

Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993)

Play his music today, or enjoy a burnt weenie sandwich. Thanks, Frank!

and download makes five

5. Frank Zappa -- FZ Plays the Music of FZ: A Memorial Tribute

Thank you to the ZFT for releasing this as a download--looking forward to more.

america, let your freak flag fly

The most bad-ass photo of the Mothers ever. Happy 4th of July.

embrace the momdom

Happy Mother's Day!

zappa plays zappa

Last night my friend Anthony and I went to hear Zappa Plays Zappa perform at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights. Both of us were fortunate enough to have seen Frank Zappa in concert three times (twice in 1984, once in 1988), so we were pretty psyched to hear Dweezil pay musical tribute to his dad's vast catalog of songs.

We were not disappointed. Dweezil has assembled a tight and talented group of musicians able to perform Frank's music with accuracy and humor. The special guest for this tour is long-time Zappa guitarist/vocalist Ray White. Ray sang his ass off last night, sounding just as good as he did in '84--highlights for me were his renditions of City of Tiny Lites and The Illinois Enema Bandit. Plus, he played a great solo in Advance Romance, trading bluesy licks with Dweezil.

At the merchandise table I purchased the new Zappa 2-CD set entitled Buffalo, a full concert from 1980. I've listened to the first disc so far: killer guitar solo on Pick Me, I'm Clean. I also bought the Classic Albums DVD that focuses on the making of Overnite Sensation and Apostrophe--this documentary is a must-have for any and all Zappa fans.

On the DVD, Dweezil sits at the mixing desk and isolates various tracks so you can hear all the cool little guitar and keyboard riffs that sometimes go unnoticed. He also play snippets from the sessions that were edited out of the final releases, including more great backing vocals from Tina Turner and the Ikettes. Plus, a full version of Montana shot live onstage at the Roxy in 1973! Buy this now--it is soooo worth the money.

Thanks to Anthony for the ticket, and thanks to Dweezil and band for an excellent night of music. And a special thank you to the Lemon Grass on Lee Road for a very satisfying pre-show Thai meal.

Life is good.

a-hunting we did go

I went used CD hunting on Saturday with my good friend Harry, and then on a solo safari the next day. Here is what I captured:

Jethro Tull--A Little Light Music: Live acoustic performances of classic Tull tunes, and a nice arrangement of John Barleycorn Must Die.

KTU--Eight Armed Monkey: Bizarre prog/electronica featuring two members of King Crimson and a European who plays the accordion more like Ritchie Blackmore than Frankie Yankovich. Strange and haunting music.

Morphine--The Best of, 1992-1995: I already own every Morphine CD but needed this one for the three previously unreleased songs, all of which are very cool.

Frank Zappa--The Dub Room Special: I have had this on VHS for years but am so happy to have it on DVD now. Killer live performances from 1974 and 1981, plus twisted clay animation from Bruce Bickford. Thanks to Harry for spotting this one.

Nick Drake--Bryter Later and Pink Moon: Folky, jazzy, mellow, wistful, spooky, dreamy, thoughtful. A timeless voice singing timeless songs.

Depeche Mode--Music for the Masses and Violator: The remastered editions, each with a DVD containing a mini-documentary about making the album, plus a 5.1 mix and bonus B-sides. Who knew there was a video made for Pimpf? Great stuff.

Eric Tamm--Brian Eno: His Music and the Vertical Color of Sound: Well-researched and insightful book on Eno's music and methodology. This will be a good one to leaf through while floating down ambient streams.

And to recap, all of these purchases were used. USED, I say! Good savings, good times.

puttin' on the brows

Frank Zappa used a wonderful phrase to distinguish between playing a musical part accurately, and playing the same part accurately but with personality. He called it "putting the eyebrows on it." When you put the eyebrows on something, you perform it with style, leaving your fingerprint on it in some way. Putting the eyebrows on is different from showboating or overplaying, however; being asked to sing an extended note and instead delivering a Mariah-Carey-faux-soulful-wounded-beast-yodel is not a musical eyebrow--it's an audio eyesore.

So how exactly does one put the eyebrows on an action/song/task/whatever? Frank knew it when he heard it. It seems to me that determining the eyebrow is intuitive. It could be the result of much woodshedding or the product of a happy accident. But when you arrive at that "Eureka!" moment, you know it. You recognize a phrasing, a flourish, a style that marks that expression as your own.

Have you put the eyebrows on anything lately?

five maxims to live by ii

If there is preparation, there is no regret.

Horseplay leads to horseshit.

There is no I in team, but there is an m and an e.

WWFD -- What Would Frank Do?

It takes two to wango tango.