This song is making fun of the many generic and sometimes goofy music videos during the early days of MTV. This song is mainly spoofing the David Bowie song 'Lets Dance' and Devo's song 'Whip It'. This is one of the songs you probably would've had to have been alive to experience what MTV used to be like back in the day when they actually played music videos all day long.
The day this came out, a cool, evening radio show premiered this. I still have the 4 track tape I made of the radio show. I've heard this hundreds of times, I still love it.
Zappa special kind of Guy....lots in the Zappa vault but Fuck knows his back catalogue & other great material he'd had before sadly passing......makes me smile & can always cause a reaction with everything he's done....so underrated I thought
@@maine420grow nope, he only played a handful of gigs in July and was fired, the Pier was filmed and released on the does humour belong in music video and he is not there, watch the video :-)
Frank's musical inspiration as a teenager was the French composer Edgard Varese who is known for his avant-guard approach to classical music. That's where the shfts/changes in many of his songs come from. It can takes a couple of listenngs to get the whole style of the song. Here's a link to a video of the song that will show you what he was talking about. It will also give you a look at his video style.
It did tie in, it's about crappy MTV videos that artists make for their songs, and in the words there is lots of descriptions of the standard scenes used on music videos.
Frank had many musical influences, among which was "Doo-Wop" which incorporated a lot of tight harmonies. Another Zappa tribute to Doo-wop is the song "Doreen" you will love it. It's a way of life.
Congratulations Teez! You have managed to get one ear through the wormhole into FZ's wholly unparalleled musical universe. Now let's see if we can get you all in. As a person who has been listening to FZ for 50+ years I can assure you that NO time will be wasted getting more familiar with the HUGE Zappa library. On that note, I would encourage you to not only to try to follow up by listening to the original album versions, (on your own, of course), but also try listening to the album from the start, as well as his bibliography. This will get you some, (but not all), of the way to possibly understanding some of the references. As for Zappa seeming to have little direction, understand this: 1st-Zappa's lyrical references are 1/3 serious, sometimes scathing, social anthropology/social satire, (of that time!), 1/3 inside band/tour jokes, and 1/3 what ever the heck FZ finds cogent at the time. 2nd-The notes🎵 ! That's another story. Aside from a few, what I mis-label novelty songs, Zappas works can be consider all part of one piece. What FZ called Conceptual Continuity. (I'll leave it to you whether to research that on your own). 3rd- It's important to understand is that Zappa isn't composing/playing to satisfy your/our/anybody else's tastes. No, FZ composes/plays what HE likes, and if you come along for the ride, well, lucky you. It's considered your problem to decide which at any one moment. And believe me, if you take the time to get to the level of let's say 'starting to get it', you will count yourself lucky. Remember, I said unparalleled! Warning/guarantee: !Excessive listening to Zappa can render "regular" music insufferably boring and predictable! Also, while ANY FZ piece is well worth hearing, I think your followers would be serving you better, along with the others getting their first exposure, if they stayed away from suggesting the more, seemingly bizarre, novelty, (sounding), works. There is just so many, many, MANY!, more gorgeous pieces to become hopelessly enraptured with. Quite literally, a lifetime's worth! Cheers, Joel H.
The song describes what at the time was a pretty typical music video with a bimbo in bondage leather getting out of a limousine with an ugly rocker and dancing in dark alleyways that are always wet like it just rained. Zappa wrote lyrics which were often a satirical joke with the last verse being the punchline. In this case after dancing the blues in the alley they go on to dance on the bimbo’s face.
5:03 Frank is rattling off clichés from all the early 80s type videos like the atom bomb explosion and cages and venetian blinds casting shadows -- leather collars -- the lap dissolve etc
His first studio got busted for producing sound used in porno. He took it extremely personally, and his career is filled with songs that thumb their nose at the "law" or "establishment". Subsequently, quite often his songs/lyrics are sexual in nature.
Zappa had an eclectic taste in music and lots of influence, 2 big ones are 50's doo wop/rhythm and blues and 20th century orchestral music. He has hard to play stuff, especially his instrumentals but he also does a lot of satire like this song, the lyrics are about music videos as played on MTV in the 80's. He often throws in certain elements in his music to unify the collection, or as he called it 'conceptual continuity', in this case the model is a typical doo wop tune modernized for te 80's.
He works with the best musicians...classical or upcoming....Is right Teeze & Co...he grows on you & when you get it or just let it IN......hes reached you & u ain't ever leaving Zappa's World ;))
It is ridiculous to expect you to react to this without any context. I'm sure other people here are explaining the references in the song to videos of the 80's... HOWEVER... you did hit on a certain truth in what you've said anyways. Frank Zappa had a philosophy that he encapsulated in one acronym. AAFNRAA which stands for Anything Anytime For No Reason At All. So, although you were incorrect in assuming that the lyrics don't have anything to do with videos (because they were making fun of videos you have never seen) you were NOT incorrect in assuming that Frank will do something with no apparent logic. He did it all the time. But it was always with a logic that meant something to HIM. Even if not apparent to others.
Frank definitely went out of his way to make his music as non conventional as he could. There is this notion that music should be sincere, soulful, structured, harmonic and predictable in a way where the listener is comforted rather than challenged by it, and it's my understanding that Frank hated that and set out to do the opposite. That's not to say that he didn't create music that is soothing to the ear, it's just that his personal preference tended to be that it was more fun to do the opposite. There is a quote from George Duke, who played keyboards for Frank for approximately 5 years, that he would often get frustrated with Frank because he would write a beautiful melody and then he would throw a wrench at it. And Duke would say: "That's so beautiful, why would you mess it up?" And Zappa would answer: "Ehhh, it needs to be messed up!" I think that sums up a lot of Frank's approach to music. The quote is from this video: th-cam.com/video/ERFUbX648S4/w-d-xo.html
Dude, I just can't do it. Incredible talent, but my ears can't do it. I classify Frank, Rush, Etc in what I call Math Rock. A lot of music theory talent and execution, but zero feel, flow, or style. I keep trying ,but it's like being forced to watch a musical recreated by your local highschool Glee club. Maybe Ill get it someday.
Popular and generic music will bore you at some point. That's when Zappa kicks in. Having something this different just opens your mind. You're not here for the "eargasm", but rather for enlightment. Diversity is the key.
@@noquarter9700 I can completely agree with this idea. For example the Beastie Boys "fight for your right to Party"' Smashing Pumpkins "Today", and most bands POP singles for radio play. Main reason I miss not being forced to listen to full albums. Also, like I said I can appreciate talent. I'd still take Frank Zappa with me over the back street boys if I had to pick one. But similar to Jazz, I don't care how you worked out some incredible time signature or chord progression if it never grabs a hold of my soul or emotion in some way. It Worls for Zappa and his fans, I haven't found it yet.
This song is making fun of the many generic and sometimes goofy music videos during the early days of MTV. This song is mainly spoofing the David Bowie song 'Lets Dance' and Devo's song 'Whip It'. This is one of the songs you probably would've had to have been alive to experience what MTV used to be like back in the day when they actually played music videos all day long.
Tinsel Town Rebellion was another great jam making fun of the bands in the music scene.
Most of Zappas music is just social and political commentary with a sense of humor. The sooner one realizes it, the more you can appreciate it imo!
“Crying for Charleena” ... studio version. Thanks for the Zappa ! 🎸🎸🎸
Your doing a great job playing franks work. He was truly an amazing musician and composer.
The day this came out, a cool, evening radio show premiered this. I still have the 4 track tape I made of the radio show. I've heard this hundreds of times, I still love it.
Zappa special kind of Guy....lots in the Zappa vault but Fuck knows his back catalogue & other great material he'd had before sadly passing......makes me smile & can always cause a reaction with everything he's done....so underrated I thought
It's really nice to see someone, that loves this strange art form ,FRANK ZAPPA stands alone in his field, no pun attended 😀
I love George and Napoleon's voices. My favorite line up for voices next to Flo and Eddie.
George and Nappy is not on this one though, it's Ray White, Ike Willis, Robert Martin and FZ
@@andygreen9673 thought I heard Napoleon, thanks
@@maine420grow he was only at the beginning of the 84 tour, he was only there in July, this song was August 84, it was also filmed 100% not him :-)
@@andygreen9673 just looked it up. Napoleon Murphy Brock toured with Zappa in 1984, when this song was recorded at Pier 84 in NYC.
@@maine420grow nope, he only played a handful of gigs in July and was fired, the Pier was filmed and released on the does humour belong in music video and he is not there, watch the video :-)
Without diviation from the norm, progress is not possible - Zappa
Stick it Out, will crack you up.
This song is wild, such a solid band.
Frank's musical inspiration as a teenager was the French composer Edgard Varese who is known for his avant-guard approach to classical music. That's where the shfts/changes in many of his songs come from. It can takes a couple of listenngs to get the whole style of the song.
Here's a link to a video of the song that will show you what he was talking about. It will also give you a look at his video style.
It did tie in, it's about crappy MTV videos that artists make for their songs, and in the words there is lots of descriptions of the standard scenes used on music videos.
Frank had many musical influences, among which was "Doo-Wop" which incorporated a lot of tight harmonies. Another Zappa tribute to Doo-wop is the song "Doreen" you will love it. It's a way of life.
Congratulations Teez! You have managed to get one ear through the wormhole into FZ's wholly unparalleled musical universe.
Now let's see if we can get you all in.
As a person who has been listening to FZ for 50+ years I can assure you that NO time will be wasted getting more familiar with the HUGE Zappa library.
On that note, I would encourage you to not only to try to follow up by listening to the original album versions, (on your own, of course), but also try listening to the album from the start, as well as his bibliography. This will get you some, (but not all), of the way to possibly understanding some of the references.
As for Zappa seeming to have little direction, understand this:
1st-Zappa's lyrical references are 1/3 serious, sometimes scathing, social anthropology/social satire, (of that time!), 1/3 inside band/tour jokes, and 1/3 what ever the heck FZ finds cogent at the time.
2nd-The notes🎵 ! That's another story. Aside from a few, what I mis-label novelty songs, Zappas works can be consider all part of one piece.
What FZ called Conceptual Continuity.
(I'll leave it to you whether to research that on your own).
3rd- It's important to understand is that Zappa isn't composing/playing to satisfy your/our/anybody else's tastes. No, FZ composes/plays what HE likes, and if you come along for the ride, well, lucky you. It's considered your problem to decide which at any one moment.
And believe me, if you take the time to get to the level of let's say 'starting to get it', you will count yourself lucky.
Remember, I said unparalleled!
Warning/guarantee: !Excessive listening to Zappa can render "regular" music insufferably boring and predictable!
Also, while ANY FZ piece is well worth hearing, I think your followers would be serving you better, along with the others getting their first exposure, if they stayed away from suggesting the more, seemingly bizarre, novelty, (sounding), works.
There is just so many, many, MANY!, more gorgeous pieces to become hopelessly enraptured with.
Quite literally, a lifetime's worth!
Cheers,
Joel H.
The song describes what at the time was a pretty typical music video with a bimbo in bondage leather getting out of a limousine with an ugly rocker and dancing in dark alleyways that are always wet like it just rained. Zappa wrote lyrics which were often a satirical joke with the last verse being the punchline. In this case after dancing the blues in the alley they go on to dance on the bimbo’s face.
5:03 Frank is rattling off clichés from all the early 80s type videos like the atom bomb explosion and cages and venetian blinds casting shadows -- leather collars -- the lap dissolve etc
His first studio got busted for producing sound used in porno. He took it extremely personally, and his career is filled with songs that thumb their nose at the "law" or "establishment". Subsequently, quite often his songs/lyrics are sexual in nature.
1 out of ten
Zappa had an eclectic taste in music and lots of influence, 2 big ones are 50's doo wop/rhythm and blues and 20th century orchestral music.
He has hard to play stuff, especially his instrumentals but he also does a lot of satire like this song, the lyrics are about music videos as played on MTV in the 80's.
He often throws in certain elements in his music to unify the collection, or as he called it 'conceptual continuity', in this case the model is a typical doo wop tune modernized for te 80's.
MTv had hair metal videos 24/7 for a time in the 80's. This makes fun of those videos.
Frank had a mission he could never complete
He works with the best musicians...classical or upcoming....Is right Teeze & Co...he grows on you & when you get it or just let it IN......hes reached you & u ain't ever leaving Zappa's World ;))
He could do anything.
Great Doo Woo influence on display as with many many FZ songs.
6:13 Prince had alot in common with Frank IMHO
oh yes we will dance the blues..
A reference to David Bowie's Let's Dance.
Stabbinnastabbinnastabbinna
Do "You Are What You Is"
He said mi-j-i-nits
It is ridiculous to expect you to react to this without any context. I'm sure other people here are explaining the references in the song to videos of the 80's... HOWEVER... you did hit on a certain truth in what you've said anyways. Frank Zappa had a philosophy that he encapsulated in one acronym. AAFNRAA which stands for Anything Anytime For No Reason At All. So, although you were incorrect in assuming that the lyrics don't have anything to do with videos (because they were making fun of videos you have never seen) you were NOT incorrect in assuming that Frank will do something with no apparent logic. He did it all the time. But it was always with a logic that meant something to HIM. Even if not apparent to others.
Try a reaction to "City of Tiny Lights" off of " SHEIK YERBOUTI"
Frank is the strangest story teller ever.
Frank definitely went out of his way to make his music as non conventional as he could. There is this notion that music should be sincere, soulful, structured, harmonic and predictable in a way where the listener is comforted rather than challenged by it, and it's my understanding that Frank hated that and set out to do the opposite. That's not to say that he didn't create music that is soothing to the ear, it's just that his personal preference tended to be that it was more fun to do the opposite. There is a quote from George Duke, who played keyboards for Frank for approximately 5 years, that he would often get frustrated with Frank because he would write a beautiful melody and then he would throw a wrench at it. And Duke would say: "That's so beautiful, why would you mess it up?" And Zappa would answer: "Ehhh, it needs to be messed up!" I think that sums up a lot of Frank's approach to music. The quote is from this video: th-cam.com/video/ERFUbX648S4/w-d-xo.html
play sharlena....I can see it your area....or a song ''anything''
Be in my video was much to confusing for the novice listener
Dude, I just can't do it. Incredible talent, but my ears can't do it. I classify Frank, Rush, Etc in what I call Math Rock. A lot of music theory talent and execution, but zero feel, flow, or style. I keep trying ,but it's like being forced to watch a musical recreated by your local highschool Glee club. Maybe Ill get it someday.
Popular and generic music will bore you at some point. That's when Zappa kicks in. Having something this different just opens your mind. You're not here for the "eargasm", but rather for enlightment. Diversity is the key.
@@noquarter9700 I can completely agree with this idea. For example the Beastie Boys "fight for your right to Party"' Smashing Pumpkins "Today", and most bands POP singles for radio play. Main reason I miss not being forced to listen to full albums. Also, like I said I can appreciate talent. I'd still take Frank Zappa with me over the back street boys if I had to pick one. But similar to Jazz, I don't care how you worked out some incredible time signature or chord progression if it never grabs a hold of my soul or emotion in some way. It Worls for Zappa and his fans, I haven't found it yet.
Never cared for this song. I know it's satire, but musically?