I'm 64 and have been listening to Zappa and the mothers since 72. Bla bla bla, I love watching reactors as they comprehend this genre. Never fails to bring a smile at the beginning and then the digging in and concentrating on the music. Love it. I love your reactions and I hope you keep going. LOTS OF MATERIAL!
By the time this was recorded one of the original Ikeetes had moved on with Delaney Bramlett and became Bonnie Bramlett. The two along with Bobby Whitlock formed Delaney&Bonnie and Friends. Friends over the years they were a group included Dave Mason, Leon Russell, Eric Clapton, King Curtis, Duane and Greg Allman, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix. This is one Super Group you need to explore along with all the offspring they produced...Derek and the Dominos, Madmen and Englishmen....
Oh, yea, Zappa is 'groovy', you need to check out his brother by a different mother...Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band...Click-Clack...Beat Club live 1972.
To answer your question by the time of this recording the mother's had been disbanded and Zappa was using musicians that were found in the jazz and classical realms. People that could read & understood theory. Over the years hundreds of musicians had worked with Zappa.
Two months ago my life was changed when I finally got into Frank Zappa period in two months I bought every single one of his albums and I’m completely losing my mind. It’s the most complex intricate powerful weird bizarre wild freedom that I’ve ever experienced
welcome to this crazy world! Been here since I was 16, I'm 65 now ... it's the music of my life The more you listen, the more you will find it extraordinary!
You're right about working out the songs. I've seen many videos of Zappa working with the musicians, and he was pretty demanding. When you were in his band, and he was preparing to go on a tour, he used to work with the band nine hours a day, six days a week. He was fanatical. But to be in his band was like going to musical graduate school.
Zappa found great musicians and made them virtuosos. The band was like a crucible for musicians. Could they survive the Central Scrutinizer’s audition? Zappa auditions were legendary.
Zappa hired the musicians he required for whatever sound he was going for at the moment. He broke up the original Mothers of invention because they couldn't play his music, which was becoming more and more bizarre and complex. He reformed the Mothers several times. And Each incarnation was great in it's own way. He hired Flo and Eddie from the Turtles at one point and his music became a little more Raunchy and hilarious. If you want some great perspective, read a book called Freak Out, My life with Frank Zappa by Pauline Butcher. Watch his recent documentary as well
Talk about complexity, here's what Zappa said about the Ikettes trying to get one little part right: ”It was so difficult, that one part in the middle of the song "Montana", that the three girls rehearsed it for a couple of days. Just that one section. You know the part that goes "I'm pluckin' the ol' dennil floss..."? Right in the middle there. And one of the harmony singers got it first. She came out and sang her part and the other girls had to follow her track. Tina (Turner) was so pleased that she was able to sing this that she went into the next studio where Ike was working and dragged him into the studio to hear the result of her labor. He listened to the tape and he goes, ‘What is this shit?’ and walked out".
haha glad you guys liked it The solos are always improvised but most everything else is written out, he was also a master at exploiting the natural talents of his bandmates; some of the greatest musicians in the world played in Zappa's bands
Zappa is so perfect for my short attention span. It's always changing and going to unexpected places. And then there is a police officer, but in pink, playing the kazoo. What?
He did have bands that he played with, but if he needed a certain sound or found someone vocally or instrumentally he liked, he'd bring them in for recording and maybe even take them on the road. He LOVED odd people and collected them. Some were seasoned musicians but others were just weird people he enjoyed. If during composition he needed a certain sound, he'd call up whomever and bring them in. He was a master among masters.
It's true he wrote all the music out for the players BUT only the guitars solos are improvised. It was a point Frank made that his solos were different from performance to performance.
This album "Overnite Sensation" is a good starting point as the songs on it are more approachable to the listener who is unfamiliar with Frank's work. Other albums fom around this time such as "Apostrophe", "One Size Fiits All", "Bongo Fury" , "Roxy and Elsewhere" and "Zoot Allures" are likewise recommended. I have been a Zappa fan since 1970 and love most of his stuff but I realise he is an acquired taste. If you are willing to approach his music with an open mind and a spirit of adventure there are great rewards in store.
That's how I discovered FZ- through someone giving me a copy of Overnite Sensation cuz they hated it. I loved it. And who doesn't love hearing the Ikettes sing back-up??
Frank was a genius with music and a comedian with lyrics, he often said: " lyrical content is there for those who need it, I do that for the fans because they want something to memorize so they can sing along while they tap their foot, and that's great."
Frank wrote every part out on paper and arranged the piece as well. He would play Guitar live and choreograph the stage show. He employed and paid the members of the recording sessions and the touring band. He auditioned every band member and picked out some of the greatest musicians from oblivion as nobodies and gave them the basis for a career in music once they left his band. The list is enormous and surprising google it.........
I've been trying since the 70s to figure out why I like this song so much, and I think I just now figured it out! Why do I like this song so much? I like this song so much because of how much I like to listen to it.
''Fifty fifty'' off the same album has an incredible collaboration with French electric violinist Jean Luc Ponty. It's got a relentless drive as the song leaves the chorus into instrumentals with Frank winding it out near the end. Also, one of Jean Luc Ponty's jazz fusion albums from 1975 is ''Aurora'' I highly recommend it for all sorts of reasons.
.....New to your channel, and really enjoying it. Lots of reactions to songs/albums I don't see the rest of TH-cam paying much attention to, and while I appreciate your musical aesthetics, it's just fun to watch you getting into the music (reminds me of how me and my friends would retreat into a basement, put on new record and sit there nodding our heads to our "discovery.")...........BTW: very MUCH applaud you NOT talking your way through a song. Let music play, and then react (with an occasional exception to the "rule"). Kudos.
so - what a treat for me. I was twelve when i heard my first zappa (no fm yet - just am paid placement). WHAT A TREAT - thank you guys! so special to me!
No matter how many times I listen to a Zappa song, always mesmerizing me how the lyrics are so unically funny while the music are unically cool on a master level
In the 1960s he maintained a full time band that had a constant core but some members switched in and out. In the 70s he had some phases where he maintained a band, and some where he hired studio musicians. In the 80s he hired as needed for albums or tours, but at the same time he started writing for orchestra and getting into computerized music. The different phases have differences in style as well.
I love this song. I have an old friend that lives pretty far from me now. Whenever we get on the phone we'll talk in Zappa lyrics. Anyone listening to us thinks we're crazy, and we kinda are, but we have fun with it. As for the band members. Zappa has had lots of different guys go through the ranks over the years. Usually he'll have an audition call. One day it may be for guitar players, another day maybe drummers, or he might do several instruments on the same day. When Vinnie Colaiuta, awesome incredible drummer, went to audition for Zappa, I think he said during an interview there was like 50 dudes waiting in line to audition. Vinnie has played with everybody, Zappa, Jeff Beck, Sting, Herbie Hancock, Joni Mitchell, Mark Isham, Tom Scott, Gino Vannelli, Juice Newton, Peabo Bryson, Al Stewart, Smokey Robinson, Tori Amos, Julian Lennon, Lee Ritenour, Barry Manilow ...and whole lot more. During audition he had to sight read a bunch of Franks music. At one point Frank stopped the audition and told him, 'I seriously doubt anyone will be able to turn in a better performance, but out of respect, I'll have to listen to some more of them'. He told him to go to a particular room and wait, where several others were already waiting. Vinnie said it was pretty intimidating.
Here's a story from Steve Vai about Vinnies sight reading, from a rehearsal with Fanks band. "I'll tell you a really great Vinnie story. He's one of the most amazing sight-readers that ever existed on the instrument. One day we were in a Frank rehearsal, this was early '80s, and Frank brought in this piece of music called "Mo 'N Herb's Vacation." Just unbelievably complex. All the drums were written out, just like "The Black Page" except even more complex. There were these runs of like 17 over 3 and every drumhead is notated differently. And there were a whole bunch of people there, I think Bozzio was there." "Vinnie had this piece of music on the stand to his right. To his left he had another music stand with a plate of sushi on it, okay? Now the tempo of the piece was very slow, like "The Black Page." And then the first riff came in, [mimics bizarre Zappa-esque drum rhythm patterns] with all these choking of cymbals, and hi-hat, ruffs, spinning of rototoms and all this crazy stuff. And I saw Vinnie reading this thing. Now, Vinnie has this habit of pushing his glasses up with the middle finger of his right hand. Well I saw him look at this one bar of music, it was the last bar of music on the page. He started to play it as he was turning the page with one hand, and then once the page was turned he continued playing the riff with his right hand, as he reached over with his left hand, grabbed a piece of sushi and put it in his mouth, continued the riff with his left hand and feet, pushed his glasses up, and then played the remaining part of the bar." "It was the sickest thing I have ever seen. Frank threw his music up in the air. Bozzio turned around and walked away. I just started laughing."
Hey dude, can I interest you in a pair of zircon encrusted tweezers? Or blot the bovine perspiration from your upper lip area? I use those lines on occasion and by now my fam recognizes it although my son and I are the only FZ fans.
"Yippe yi yo, tiyay!" starts off sounding so confident, so exultant. But as the call repeats, tension and desperation creep in. In the end, it's more like whistling in the dark.
It's Kin Vassy at the end. Charles Kindred Vassy (August 16, 1943 - June 23, 1994) was a singer-songwriter, who in addition to his solo recordings also recorded with other artists, most notably Kenny Rogers, Frank Zappa and Elvis Presley.
Frank generally toured material and worked it out live in front of an audience before he committed it to an album. So the officially released songs are typically whoever was in his touring band at the time. He also used a lot of live material as the basic tracks for his officially released material, sometimes with overdubs or edits. Also, a lot of his material is a result of the particular skill set of his band members, I.e. when Steve Vai was in the band, impossible guitar parts became more common in FZ’s songs. Zappa is a wonderfully deep rabbit hole. Enjoy.
I’m glad you are fans. FZ died in 1993 just before his 53rd birthday from progressive prostate cancer diagnosed too late. He has never used drugs, a music genius, composer extraordinaire. ANY album that you dare listen to will change your view about music and quite possibly eliminate from your music library all the crap you once “thought” was good. Composing since the late 50s, he has never settled with one band, one sound, one way of recording. You can hear the changes throughout his catalogue which Zappa Music continues releasing posthumously. One of my favorite tear-jerkers is “Watermelon In Easter Hay” (instrumental). Even his son, Dweezil, has a hard time playing through without some tears. Dweezil Zappa- a must see loving honor performance of the continuation of FZ’s mind bending catalogue.
I went to a Zappa concert (my only live viewing of Zappa) around 1984 (give or take). Zappa spent the entire concert literally directing his mini-orchestra with baton in hand. He would occasionally sit on a chair and play lead guitar, then back to directing orchestra. He spoke very little
Charles Kindred Vassy was the vocal on Montana's Yippee Ty Oh Ay Aye. Napoleon Murphey Brock became that voice later on for live performances. Brock was vocal sax and flute as well in the band and one heck of a nice guy.
Did you know that the girls who start singing at 4:00 are the Ikettes, the backup singers for Ike and Tina Turner? Zappa hired them to do those high pitched vocals.
I heard elsewhere that Ike and Tina didn't want to be credited on the album with their real names because their opinion of the music being very bizarre.
Love seeing people react to Zappa. He was a true musical genius. As others have mentioned, his band (The Mother's of Invention), ended in 1975. After that Frank Zappa would hire musicians to be his band but they were employees, not band members as you normally see in Rock music. The people he hired got paid regular salaries even when they weren't performing on stage. Practicing or traveling, he paid them because he was their boss at the time.
Mom: "Zappa? That can't be his real name!" "Yeah Mom that's his real name" "You keep listening to him you may need therapy!' Needless to say she was not charmed by my Zappa Crappa poster.
That's the poster with him sitting on the toilet? I put that poster up in my room, it was gone the next day. I have never looked but I think the guy singing "Yippey eye yo ty yay" sounds like the drummer Terry Bozzio ( did he play drums on this album?
In 1968 I first got hooked on "We're only in it for the money" with the Beatles parody cover of their Sgt. Peppers lp. Jimi Hendrix poised for a picture on the front cover.
Because of your fantastic natural reaction I ordered book of Frank wrote by himself and DVD documentary "Zappa" you mentioned in one of your video. Just simply want to say to you that you are the best people who reacts on Zappa music. Thank you so much for every second spend with you. Funny, amazing, fantastic people you are.
The backup singers on this song were Tina Turner and the Ikettes. After listening to the song Ike Turner demanded that Tina and the other singers receive no credits on the album cover or liner notes. He thought the music was awful and didn't want any association with it.
I seem to recall this was recorded in Ike Turner's studio and the female backing vocalists were the Ikettes, including Tina Turner. They were paid $25 per hour.
I just noticed, Dan looks like General Zod (Terence Stamp) in Superman I I. It's uncanny -- he gets that look when he listens to Frank's guitar solos. "Kneel before Zod!" Funny thing, Terence Stamp was referenced in " Waterloo Sunset" -- "Terry meets Julie." Zappa did this song at every show I saw him play, but I couldn't see him until December 1972 because I wasn't old enough to drive and the bus didn't go out to my suburb until then. Sob. I can still sing the falsetto chorus in my sleep. I'm pretty sure that high hollering on the fade-out is Ricky Lancelotti, the "Zombie Woof" lead vocalist, but there's some George Duke sounds in there too. Who knows? Zappa was full of misdirections and indiscretions.
And he could hear when somebody played a wrong note! Mothers were the group, members were changing. Occasionally he also hired orchestras like once the London Symphony Orchestra. "Strictly Genteel" (6:58) would be an experience... I think you would like a kind of "pop song" (and I don't think I have ever heard a reaction to it): "Call any vegetable". There are several versions. I suggest the live version from 1971 at the album "Just another band from L.A." (7:23)
I woulda had 2 test him. Just 1 lil sharp note, just 2 c if he'd pick up on it. Azz long azz I wuz not fired, I'd go down 2 da carpet, n a fit of lafter, @ da wacky ability! Dayum!!!
I'm having loads of fun watching you guys react to this Frank Zappa who I've been listening to since about 1974 I would say!! So I hear you talkin about the fact that Frank does write the sheet music for every single note that is played by the band!! There's a pretty funny story and I think there's interviews perhaps with either Steve Vai or Terry Bozzio who both played in Zappos band at one point about a song by the name of "Black Page"! The reason it was called black page is because the sheet music was so complex that it literally looked like a black page rather than separate notes!! Again if you really are interested in learning about Frank Zappa I would suggest the documentary called Zappa by director Alex Winters!!
Ah the memories..this was the first FZ album that was played to me by my old college friend (RIP Linda)..love this..haven't heard Montana for ages...ooh, i see Zomby Woof has popped up on the side bar..that'll be next then...thx guys
Zappa reminds me of Donald Fagen in the studio, both perfectionist’s! Steve Lukather (guitarist for Toto) auditioned for Zappa when he was 17 and couldn’t read sheet music on-the-spot, so Frank had to let him go!
Frank Zappa is an acquired taste. But once you get the full picture, you can’t help but be impressed. He put out a massive amount of music, in radically different styles. And was a very unusual and excellent guitar player.
Lovely words. Spot on. Acquired taste? Yes. Impressed? Very much so. Very unusual and excellent guitar player?100% Couldn't be more accurate. Thanks bud.
That weird-fast singing is what I would call “Munchkin Music” - it’s sounds like a chorus of munchkins, basically making an already weird song even weirder. This was Master Class Zappa !
You know it's Tina Turner and the Ikettes, right? The effect is achieved by recording the vocals at a lower pitch alongside slowed down musical tracks and then bringing everything back up to speed.
So glad you get his music. I saw the clay animation of city of tiny lites ( 1979 ) when I was 18 back in 1984 and thought it was so brilliant both visually and musically, after this I just kept buying more albums. They'll never be anyone like Zappa ....
I remember a zappa documentary, that featured Steve Vai, who recounted the story of a meeting with Frank, who asked him to come play for him, and his words were something along the lines of "are you gonna play what I tell you, and not be an ass hole about it?" Apparently the musicians that zappa hand picked didn't get much room to improvise because he was so intensely focused on what he wanted
It sounds to me that the guitar solo was recorded live (Zappa recorded his concerts) and plugged into the studio recorded 1st & 3rd sections of the track. Zappa used this technique frequently.
Like Fagen & Becker, Zappa recruited the best of the best to execute his music but he also toured a lot and had some guys stay with him for years on the road
@@goldenboy140 actually the guitar solo from the album is a live recording, and voted one of the top guitar solos ever recorded...so I’d say a\one size fits all version is the best. Though token of his extreme was a greate live performance
Both versions are good, but to me One Size Fits All doesn’t have as much energy. There are other versions too that I like, but it all depends on which one you’re use to hearing.
I feel fortunate that I came of age in the sixties and seventies. There were so many unique artists in music back then. Zappa was certainly one of the most gifted.. Check out Dinah Mo Hum, and the album Apostrophe.
Most don't know, that, the middle part that the Ikettes sing in ( I'm pluckin the o'l dental flosss....) was recorded at a slower speed, then, played back at regular speed to give it a higher pitch and tempo. It was also a challenging part for instruments at normal speed, as he had Tom Fowler on bass try to play it at one of the Roxy concerts, and, it sounded like he had a bit of difficulty towards the end, but it didn't kill him.
😂. I love the lady’s reaction!! (Totally like “Uh, OK?”) I saw Zappa live in 1981 (yep, I’m old) and he played this. His guitar work is legendary and his lyrics are what? Otherworldly!? 😂. My father, who was born in 1935 and passed away 2 years ago, had Zappa’s first albums-Freak Out (the first “double album”) Absolutely Free, and We’re only In it For the Money (a “tribute” to Sgt. Pepper’s?) along with Hot Rats and more-so I grew up trying to make sense of songs like ‘Anal Retentive Calliope Music” and ‘Let’s Make the Water Turn Black.’ Frank’s brilliant mind had many strange, dark recesses. I’m glad I got to see him perform live. Good on you guys for taking on the ZAP! ❤️👍🏼🫡
That great voice in the back ground as the song fades out is, Mark Volman, from Flo and Eddie AND The Turtles. If u don't know their history u should make it a point to check it out. They also had a short lived band called The Phlorescent Leach. More of an underground band
Zappa wrote all his music down as any composer would do but also enjoyed improvised solos. Not only did he solo on guitar but often had various members of his band take a solo. He actually coined the term freak out which was the title of his first album and if you read the liner notes on the original foldout album cover you will realize that “freaking out” was his terminology at the time for improvisation or what was known as jamming or soloing by jazz musicians. As a conductor Zappa also had many different hand signals that he used to vary performances. A hand signal could mean add a bar of some random chord or it could tell the drummer and rhythm section to play the next song as reggae or ska. Also notice Montana ends with an out chorus but many Zappa songs segue into the next song. Zappa has some songs with an amazing out chorus but many songs seem to end abruptly when played alone because they were actually connected musically to the following song. For this reason it is often better to listen to the album as a whole.
The core group on that album was Frank's regular touring band in 1973-74. Ralph Humphrey, Ruth Underwood, Tom Fowler, George Duke, Napoleon Murphy Brock, and the French violinist Jean- Luc Ponty who was there in '73.
If you liked this, be sure to check out our Frank Zappa podcast!
th-cam.com/video/qyOpmQ7p-DA/w-d-xo.html
Check those fake reactors
One of the background singers was Tina Turner.
Tina Turner and shit ugly Zappa were boring assholes and their music sucked 🤣🤣🤣🤣
You should review purple lagoon live from the Palladium NYC...one of my favorite performances by Zappa
I'm 64 and have been listening to Zappa and the mothers since 72. Bla bla bla, I love watching reactors as they comprehend this genre. Never fails to bring a smile at the beginning and then the digging in and concentrating on the music. Love it. I love your reactions and I hope you keep going. LOTS OF MATERIAL!
I'm 68 been listening since the same time as you. Never gets old.
@@kennethmardis2132 69 no pun
Listen since ever
And somehow i Agree the reactions are magic
peace bro
Keep listening
absolutely!
love you Brian!!!!! Let's move to Montana soon!
Couldn't agree more sir, I'm only 66!
"That solo is everything I want to be in life." Truer words have never been spoken.
:)
Toss up that and Inca Roads 😅
Frank Zappa on guitar and lead vocals. Background vocals by Tina Turner and the Ikettes, "Yippy-Aye-O-Ty-Ay" by Kin Vassy.
Shoutout to Kin!
Cool, Thanks Mundraubritter
By the time this was recorded one of the original Ikeetes had moved on with Delaney Bramlett and became Bonnie Bramlett. The two along with Bobby Whitlock formed Delaney&Bonnie and Friends. Friends over the years they were a group included Dave Mason, Leon Russell, Eric Clapton, King Curtis, Duane and Greg Allman, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix. This is one Super Group you need to explore along with all the offspring they produced...Derek and the Dominos, Madmen and Englishmen....
Oh, yea, Zappa is 'groovy', you need to check out his brother by a different mother...Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band...Click-Clack...Beat Club live 1972.
To answer your question by the time of this recording the mother's had been disbanded and Zappa was using musicians that were found in the jazz and classical realms. People that could read & understood theory. Over the years hundreds of musicians had worked with Zappa.
Two months ago my life was changed when I finally got into Frank Zappa period in two months I bought every single one of his albums and I’m completely losing my mind. It’s the most complex intricate powerful weird bizarre wild freedom that I’ve ever experienced
Must've cost thousands!
Must’ve won the lottery! Good first purchase though! 🤣🤣👍🏼
Just adding my appreciation of the awesomeness of your achievement.
Welcome to the world of Zappa! He still blows my mind all these years later! So much enjoyment from his music, my fav era.. early to mid 70,s.
welcome to this crazy world! Been here since I was 16, I'm 65 now ... it's the music of my life
The more you listen, the more you will find it extraordinary!
Nice to find reactors NOT pausing and losing the flow of the song. Great job
You're right about working out the songs. I've seen many videos of Zappa working with the musicians, and he was pretty demanding. When you were in his band, and he was preparing to go on a tour, he used to work with the band nine hours a day, six days a week. He was fanatical. But to be in his band was like going to musical graduate school.
I bet! By the time he’s done with you you’re gonna be your best self!
Frank Zappa's guitar solo on Montana is the definition of that 80's word gnarly.
Gnarly indeed!
Zappa found great musicians and made them virtuosos. The band was like a crucible for musicians. Could they survive the Central Scrutinizer’s audition? Zappa auditions were legendary.
Zappa hired the musicians he required for whatever sound he was going for at the moment. He broke up the original Mothers of invention because they couldn't play his music, which was becoming more and more bizarre and complex. He reformed the Mothers several times. And Each incarnation was great in it's own way. He hired Flo and Eddie from the Turtles at one point and his music became a little more Raunchy and hilarious. If you want some great perspective, read a book called Freak Out, My life with Frank Zappa by Pauline Butcher. Watch his recent documentary as well
Thanks Joey! Appreciate your input!
I saw him live at The Vogue in Indy in the early 80's; he played nothing anyone knew, just jammed weird shit for two hours.
that album rocked my world for over 40yrs and still love it.
and yes Frank is lead guitar as well.
Amazing!
Frank was an incredible composer and orchestrator. So many chords and textures goin on. RIP Frank
You can say that again Don!
Talk about complexity, here's what Zappa said about the Ikettes trying to get one little part right: ”It was so difficult, that one part in the middle of the song "Montana", that the three girls rehearsed it for a couple of days. Just that one section. You know the part that goes "I'm pluckin' the ol' dennil floss..."? Right in the middle there. And one of the harmony singers got it first. She came out and sang her part and the other girls had to follow her track. Tina (Turner) was so pleased that she was able to sing this that she went into the next studio where Ike was working and dragged him into the studio to hear the result of her labor. He listened to the tape and he goes, ‘What is this shit?’ and walked out".
Was that before or after he punched her.
@@davehagi9883 Yes.
@@devolve42 Spot on devolve.
From the same session:
Ike was a drug addict..what the he'll did he know.
haha glad you guys liked it
The solos are always improvised but most everything else is written out, he was also a master at exploiting the natural talents of his bandmates; some of the greatest musicians in the world played in Zappa's bands
Hell yeah! They’re all sick
Zappa is so perfect for my short attention span. It's always changing and going to unexpected places. And then there is a police officer, but in pink, playing the kazoo. What?
Lol never thought about that. Zappa = ADD music!
He did have bands that he played with, but if he needed a certain sound or found someone vocally or instrumentally he liked, he'd bring them in for recording and maybe even take them on the road. He LOVED odd people and collected them. Some were seasoned musicians but others were just weird people he enjoyed. If during composition he needed a certain sound, he'd call up whomever and bring them in. He was a master among masters.
Never got to see him live, but friends tell me it was a great experience... many players, all totally into Frank’s shenanigans and role-playing tunes.
Must’ve been amazing seeing him live!
@@SightAfterDark I saw Zappa and the Mothers live at the Fort Wayne Coliseum in the 70s. I'll never forget that show.
@@allengator1914 We believe it!
@@SightAfterDark The other band that played at the concert that night was ZZ Top.
It was
It's true he wrote all the music out for the players BUT only the guitars solos are improvised. It was a point Frank made that his solos were different from performance to performance.
Interesting! That’s awesome!
@@Frunobulax74 AAAFNRAA😂🤣
Frank over dubbed live performance with a studio rendition often for LP release
This album "Overnite Sensation" is a good starting point as the songs on it are more approachable to the listener who is unfamiliar with Frank's work. Other albums fom around this time such as "Apostrophe", "One Size Fiits All", "Bongo Fury" , "Roxy and Elsewhere" and "Zoot Allures" are likewise recommended. I have been a Zappa fan since 1970 and love most of his stuff but I realise he is an acquired taste. If you are willing to approach his music with an open mind and a spirit of adventure there are great rewards in store.
Thanks Steve! We’ve been hearing a lot about overnite sensation lately. Appreciate you watching!
Zoot allures is definitely a "veteran" zappa album lol
That's how I discovered FZ- through someone giving me a copy of Overnite Sensation cuz they hated it. I loved it. And who doesn't love hearing the Ikettes sing back-up??
I recommend the Sheik Yerbuti album too....a very good starter album.
Frank was a genius with music and a comedian with lyrics, he often said: " lyrical content is there for those who need it, I do that for the fans because they want something to memorize so they can sing along while they tap their foot, and that's great."
He shoulda taken lyric writing, a lil mo seriously!
( wink, wink )
LOL!!!
Love his humor😂
Shit ugly zappa was a genius of boring assholes
Frank wrote every part out on paper and arranged the piece as well. He would play Guitar live and choreograph the stage show. He employed and paid the members of the recording sessions and the touring band. He auditioned every band member and picked out some of the greatest musicians from oblivion as nobodies and gave them the basis for a career in music once they left his band. The list is enormous and surprising google it.........
I'm so happy you young people are discovering Zappa !
We're loving us some Zappa! :)
Check out the frame around the painting/ album cover
Many thousands missed that message!
Now THAT'S a bop AND a whole vibe
You said it!
I've been trying since the 70s to figure out why I like this song so much, and I think I just now figured it out! Why do I like this song so much? I like this song so much because of how much I like to listen to it.
We like it because we’re all about dental hygiene
''Fifty fifty'' off the same album has an incredible collaboration with French electric violinist Jean Luc Ponty. It's got a relentless drive as the song leaves the chorus into instrumentals with Frank winding it out near the end.
Also, one of Jean Luc Ponty's jazz fusion albums from 1975 is ''Aurora'' I highly recommend it for all sorts of reasons.
Sounds awesome!
.....New to your channel, and really enjoying it. Lots of reactions to songs/albums I don't see the rest of TH-cam paying much attention to, and while I appreciate your musical aesthetics, it's just fun to watch you getting into the music (reminds me of how me and my friends would retreat into a basement, put on new record and sit there nodding our heads to our "discovery.")...........BTW: very MUCH applaud you NOT talking your way through a song. Let music play, and then react (with an occasional exception to the "rule"). Kudos.
Thanks Wayne! We appreciate your kind words!
so - what a treat for me. I was twelve when i heard my first zappa (no fm yet - just am paid placement). WHAT A TREAT - thank you guys! so special to me!
Glad you enjoyed Preston!
No matter how many times I listen to a Zappa song, always mesmerizing me how the lyrics are so unically funny while the music are unically cool on a master level
In the 1960s he maintained a full time band that had a constant core but some members switched in and out. In the 70s he had some phases where he maintained a band, and some where he hired studio musicians. In the 80s he hired as needed for albums or tours, but at the same time he started writing for orchestra and getting into computerized music. The different phases have differences in style as well.
One of my favourite ever guitar solos
I love this song. I have an old friend that lives pretty far from me now. Whenever we get on the phone we'll talk in Zappa lyrics. Anyone listening to us thinks we're crazy, and we kinda are, but we have fun with it. As for the band members. Zappa has had lots of different guys go through the ranks over the years. Usually he'll have an audition call. One day it may be for guitar players, another day maybe drummers, or he might do several instruments on the same day.
When Vinnie Colaiuta, awesome incredible drummer, went to audition for Zappa, I think he said during an interview there was like 50 dudes waiting in line to audition. Vinnie has played with everybody, Zappa, Jeff Beck, Sting, Herbie Hancock, Joni Mitchell, Mark Isham, Tom Scott, Gino Vannelli, Juice Newton, Peabo Bryson, Al Stewart, Smokey Robinson, Tori Amos, Julian Lennon, Lee Ritenour, Barry Manilow ...and whole lot more.
During audition he had to sight read a bunch of Franks music. At one point Frank stopped the audition and told him, 'I seriously doubt anyone will be able to turn in a better performance, but out of respect, I'll have to listen to some more of them'. He told him to go to a particular room and wait, where several others were already waiting. Vinnie said it was pretty intimidating.
Here's a story from Steve Vai about Vinnies sight reading, from a rehearsal with Fanks band.
"I'll tell you a really great Vinnie story. He's one of the most amazing sight-readers that ever existed on the instrument. One day we were in a Frank rehearsal, this was early '80s, and Frank brought in this piece of music called "Mo 'N Herb's Vacation." Just unbelievably complex. All the drums were written out, just like "The Black Page" except even more complex. There were these runs of like 17 over 3 and every drumhead is notated differently. And there were a whole bunch of people there, I think Bozzio was there."
"Vinnie had this piece of music on the stand to his right. To his left he had another music stand with a plate of sushi on it, okay? Now the tempo of the piece was very slow, like "The Black Page." And then the first riff came in, [mimics bizarre Zappa-esque drum rhythm patterns] with all these choking of cymbals, and hi-hat, ruffs, spinning of rototoms and all this crazy stuff. And I saw Vinnie reading this thing. Now, Vinnie has this habit of pushing his glasses up with the middle finger of his right hand. Well I saw him look at this one bar of music, it was the last bar of music on the page. He started to play it as he was turning the page with one hand, and then once the page was turned he continued playing the riff with his right hand, as he reached over with his left hand, grabbed a piece of sushi and put it in his mouth, continued the riff with his left hand and feet, pushed his glasses up, and then played the remaining part of the bar."
"It was the sickest thing I have ever seen. Frank threw his music up in the air. Bozzio turned around and walked away. I just started laughing."
That sounds intense!
Hey dude, can I interest you in a pair of zircon encrusted tweezers? Or blot the bovine perspiration from your upper lip area? I use those lines on occasion and by now my fam recognizes it although my son and I are the only FZ fans.
Loved your comment on his Guitar Solo! It truly is a Mind
Melting Solo!
Indeed! Thanks for watching!
"Yippe yi yo, tiyay!" starts off sounding so confident, so exultant.
But as the call repeats, tension and desperation creep in.
In the end, it's more like whistling in the dark.
And yes just about every guitar solo that you ever hear is Frank Zappa himself playing!!
It's Kin Vassy at the end.
Charles Kindred Vassy (August 16, 1943 - June 23, 1994) was a singer-songwriter, who in addition to his solo recordings also recorded with other artists, most notably Kenny Rogers, Frank Zappa and Elvis Presley.
The groove behind this song is SICK!. Like many of his arrangements the bass line is key
This song is on video from the Roxy. Check it out and you see every member is the "key". Tom Fowler is on bass I believe.
Frank generally toured material and worked it out live in front of an audience before he committed it to an album. So the officially released songs are typically whoever was in his touring band at the time. He also used a lot of live material as the basic tracks for his officially released material, sometimes with overdubs or edits. Also, a lot of his material is a result of the particular skill set of his band members, I.e. when Steve Vai was in the band, impossible guitar parts became more common in FZ’s songs. Zappa is a wonderfully deep rabbit hole. Enjoy.
Woahhh Steve Vai was in his band at one point? Idk if we could handle that
@@SightAfterDark Yeah, look it up, Vai was a big fan of Zappa and he used to transcribe Zappa's songs by ear, that is how he ended up in his band.
I’m glad you are fans. FZ died in 1993 just before his 53rd birthday from progressive prostate cancer diagnosed too late. He has never used drugs, a music genius, composer extraordinaire. ANY album that you dare listen to will change your view about music and quite possibly eliminate from your music library all the crap you once “thought” was good. Composing since the late 50s, he has never settled with one band, one sound, one way of recording. You can hear the changes throughout his catalogue which Zappa Music continues releasing posthumously. One of my favorite tear-jerkers is “Watermelon In Easter Hay” (instrumental). Even his son, Dweezil, has a hard time playing through without some tears. Dweezil Zappa- a must see loving honor performance of the continuation of FZ’s mind bending catalogue.
Frank is the best
One of the teachers when I was at Cornish played mallets with Zappa
I went to a Zappa concert (my only live viewing of Zappa) around 1984 (give or take). Zappa spent the entire concert literally directing his mini-orchestra with baton in hand. He would occasionally sit on a chair and play lead guitar, then back to directing orchestra. He spoke very little
Glad you got to see him!
Charles Kindred Vassy was the vocal on Montana's Yippee Ty Oh Ay Aye. Napoleon Murphey Brock became that voice later on for live performances. Brock was vocal sax and flute as well in the band and one heck of a nice guy.
Did you know that the girls who start singing at 4:00 are the Ikettes, the backup singers for Ike and Tina Turner? Zappa hired them to do those high pitched vocals.
This is my favorite album I saw Frank do this song live in Chicago
FYI: Tina Turner is one of the backing vocalists on this track, doing those crazy post solo parts.
That's awesome!
@@HakanTunaMuzik It took em a long time to get that middle part right and they were quite pleased when they finally nailed it!
And the story goes that Tina was so proud of her work that she showed Ike....who said "What is this shit?"
@@sns2112 and Tina decided to cook soup for the whole band
I heard elsewhere that Ike and Tina didn't want to be credited on the album with their real names because their opinion of the music being very bizarre.
Hell yeah, hope to see more Zappa reactions from you guys. Maybe I’ll finally get on the patreon
Thanks David! More just put out a reaction to Zomby Woof yesterday!
Love seeing people react to Zappa. He was a true musical genius. As others have mentioned, his band (The Mother's of Invention), ended in 1975. After that Frank Zappa would hire musicians to be his band but they were employees, not band members as you normally see in Rock music. The people he hired got paid regular salaries even when they weren't performing on stage. Practicing or traveling, he paid them because he was their boss at the time.
Genius for sure!
Mom: "Zappa? That can't be his real name!"
"Yeah Mom that's his real name"
"You keep listening to him you may need therapy!'
Needless to say she was not charmed by my Zappa Crappa poster.
I have the exact same poster on the wall behind my toilet. I have morning conversations with Frank
LOL
That's the poster with him sitting on the toilet? I put that poster up in my room, it was gone the next day. I have never looked but I think the guy singing "Yippey eye yo ty yay" sounds like the drummer Terry Bozzio ( did he play drums on this album?
That is like when my Mom walked in and I was listening to Dynamo Humm. What the hell IS this Bobby?? Uh.... ZAPPA?
@@bzbzob That was a song you would lower the volume if you wanted to keep the album in my house. She had already broken George Carlin. Lol
I get a Wizard of Oz feeling when the ladies sing.
We could see that!
Zappa was way ahead of his time!!! And I love it!!👍👍👍🔥🔥🔥🔥❤❤
So do we! Thanks Fred!
In 1968 I first got hooked on "We're only in it for the money" with the Beatles parody cover of their Sgt. Peppers lp. Jimi Hendrix poised for a picture on the front cover.
It bears repeating this better when you listen to the whole album over night sensation
Ich habs genau gesehen , Frank hat mit seiner Klampfe wieder genau in die dunkle Höhle getroffen .
He was different.
Because of your fantastic natural reaction I ordered book of Frank wrote by himself and DVD documentary "Zappa" you mentioned in one of your video. Just simply want to say to you that you are the best people who reacts on Zappa music. Thank you so much for every second spend with you. Funny, amazing, fantastic people you are.
Oh wow Greg, thanks so much; happy reading ♥️!
Yes, this album came out in 1973. Tina Turner is on the background vocals.
The backup singers on this song were Tina Turner and the Ikettes. After listening to the song Ike Turner demanded that Tina and the other singers receive no credits on the album cover or liner notes. He thought the music was awful and didn't want any association with it.
Fuck that guy
It was not his call to do that! SOAB! 🤬
I seem to recall this was recorded in Ike Turner's studio and the female backing vocalists were the Ikettes, including Tina Turner. They were paid $25 per hour.
I just noticed, Dan looks like General Zod (Terence Stamp) in Superman I I. It's uncanny -- he gets that look when he listens to Frank's guitar solos. "Kneel before Zod!" Funny thing, Terence Stamp was referenced in " Waterloo Sunset" -- "Terry meets Julie."
Zappa did this song at every show I saw him play, but I couldn't see him until December 1972 because I wasn't old enough to drive and the bus didn't go out to my suburb until then. Sob. I can still sing the falsetto chorus in my sleep.
I'm pretty sure that high hollering on the fade-out is Ricky Lancelotti, the "Zombie Woof" lead vocalist, but there's some George Duke sounds in there too. Who knows? Zappa was full of misdirections and indiscretions.
And he could hear when somebody played a wrong note! Mothers were the group, members were changing. Occasionally he also hired orchestras like once the London Symphony Orchestra. "Strictly Genteel" (6:58) would be an experience...
I think you would like a kind of "pop song" (and I don't think I have ever heard a reaction to it): "Call any vegetable". There are several versions. I suggest the live version from 1971 at the album "Just another band from L.A." (7:23)
Sounds interesting! Thanks Erik!
I woulda had 2 test him. Just 1 lil sharp note, just 2 c if he'd pick up on it.
Azz long azz I wuz not fired, I'd go down 2 da carpet, n a fit of lafter, @ da wacky ability!
Dayum!!!
FZ was so incredible...Composer of course, and guitarist as anyone...
Loving your reactions this is how I got zappaized and so will you too
Thanks Stuart!
I'm having loads of fun watching you guys react to this Frank Zappa who I've been listening to since about 1974 I would say!! So I hear you talkin about the fact that Frank does write the sheet music for every single note that is played by the band!! There's a pretty funny story and I think there's interviews perhaps with either Steve Vai or Terry Bozzio who both played in Zappos band at one point about a song by the name of "Black Page"! The reason it was called black page is because the sheet music was so complex that it literally looked like a black page rather than separate notes!! Again if you really are interested in learning about Frank Zappa I would suggest the documentary called Zappa by director Alex Winters!!
We’ll definitely have to check out that documentary!
Very cool, love from Czechia!
Ah the memories..this was the first FZ album that was played to me by my old college friend (RIP Linda)..love this..haven't heard Montana for ages...ooh, i see Zomby Woof has popped up on the side bar..that'll be next then...thx guys
Thanks Ken!
This makes me so happy
Frank had his band and toured with them. It’s impossible to pick up players along the way. Can you imagine sight reading it!
Zappa reminds me of Donald Fagen in the studio, both perfectionist’s! Steve Lukather (guitarist for Toto) auditioned for Zappa when he was 17 and couldn’t read sheet music on-the-spot, so Frank had to let him go!
Intense!
The next music trip must be funkadelic. Trip "Let s take it to the stage"
We love the funk!
The man called his riffs air sculpture!!
Love that!
Magnificent Guitar solo!
Indeed
Frank Zappa is an acquired taste. But once you get the full picture, you can’t help but be impressed. He put out a massive amount of music, in radically different styles. And was a very unusual and excellent guitar player.
We’re already impressed!
Lovely words. Spot on. Acquired taste? Yes. Impressed? Very much so. Very unusual and excellent guitar player?100% Couldn't be more accurate. Thanks bud.
Frank produced and played some lead guitar on the Grand Funk Railroad album "Good singing good playing".
That weird-fast singing is what I would call “Munchkin Music” - it’s sounds like a chorus of munchkins, basically making an already weird song even weirder. This was Master Class Zappa !
Well said! Thanks Thomas!
You know it's Tina Turner and the Ikettes, right? The effect is achieved by recording the vocals at a lower pitch alongside slowed down musical tracks and then bringing everything back up to speed.
@@Matthew-ut6edThanks for filling me in, I never would have thought it was Tina.
Few people know this was recorded in Ike Turner's studio with Tina supplying backing vocals.
So glad you get his music. I saw the clay animation of city of tiny lites ( 1979 ) when I was 18 back in 1984 and thought it was so brilliant both visually and musically, after this I just kept buying more albums. They'll never be anyone like Zappa ....
Never!
I remember a zappa documentary, that featured Steve Vai, who recounted the story of a meeting with Frank, who asked him to come play for him, and his words were something along the lines of "are you gonna play what I tell you, and not be an ass hole about it?"
Apparently the musicians that zappa hand picked didn't get much room to improvise because he was so intensely focused on what he wanted
One of my favourite zappa trax, btw 😉
That’s hilarious! Thanks Jason!
No problem 😘
Zomby Woof has one of my favorite guitar solos along with a thunder bass underneath it.
It sounds to me that the guitar solo was recorded live (Zappa recorded his concerts) and plugged into the studio recorded 1st & 3rd sections of the track. Zappa used this technique frequently.
that solo...
all part of the band....the best of the best
trop bien!!! impression d'écouter ce morceau avec des potes!!! moving to Montana soon
Like Fagen & Becker, Zappa recruited the best of the best to execute his music but he also toured a lot and had some guys stay with him for years on the road
Best of both worlds!
you should check out Inca Roads by him, especially the live version from "A Token of His Extreme". It's on youtube.
I have to disagree, use the studio version of Inca Roads off "One Size Fits All." My personal preference, not saying the other one isn't great.
Thanks!
@@jamdfig7878 nah. The live version is better.
@@goldenboy140 actually the guitar solo from the album is a live recording, and voted one of the top guitar solos ever recorded...so I’d say a\one size fits all version is the best. Though token of his extreme was a greate live performance
Both versions are good, but to me One Size Fits All doesn’t have as much energy. There are other versions too that I like, but it all depends on which one you’re use to hearing.
I feel fortunate that I came of age in the sixties and seventies. There were so many unique artists in music back then. Zappa was certainly one of the most gifted..
Check out Dinah Mo Hum, and the album Apostrophe.
A great time for music definitely! Thanks for watching Frands!
@@SightAfterDark BTW, the "lady who sings really fast" is Chaka Khan. The Yippee kayo kayay guy is Kin Vassy.
Wrap ur brains around the fact this was recorded 1973 and listen to what was out then 😎 Genius doesn’t do him justice
That is super amazing
Kin Vassy,s fadeout vocals are absolutely staggering...
Most don't know, that, the middle part that the Ikettes sing in ( I'm pluckin the o'l dental flosss....) was recorded at a slower speed, then, played back at regular speed to give it a higher pitch and tempo. It was also a challenging part for instruments at normal speed, as he had Tom Fowler on bass try to play it at one of the Roxy concerts, and, it sounded like he had a bit of difficulty towards the end, but it didn't kill him.
1973, one of the first Zappa LPs I bought!
I do believe Im correct when I state the lady back ground singers were Tina Turner and the Ikettes each of whom were paid 125 bux for the session.
😂. I love the lady’s reaction!! (Totally like “Uh, OK?”) I saw Zappa live in 1981 (yep, I’m old) and he played this. His guitar work is legendary and his lyrics are what? Otherworldly!? 😂. My father, who was born in 1935 and passed away 2 years ago, had Zappa’s first albums-Freak Out (the first “double album”) Absolutely Free, and We’re only In it For the Money (a “tribute” to Sgt. Pepper’s?) along with Hot Rats and more-so I grew up trying to make sense of songs like ‘Anal Retentive Calliope Music” and ‘Let’s Make the Water Turn Black.’ Frank’s brilliant mind had many strange, dark recesses. I’m glad I got to see him perform live. Good on you guys for taking on the ZAP! ❤️👍🏼🫡
btw the background singers (the female ones) are actually the Ikettes from the Ike and Tina Turner Revue
The band change frequently, but I could imagine the auditions
The must’ve been intense!
Ikettes on backing vocals. I believe that is Napoleon Murphy Brock on vocals in the end.
Hell yeah!
I remember a lot of the acid heads listened to Zappa..lol...He was an accomplished guitarist.though.....his lyrics were hilarious...lol 😆
Dude is crazy!
That great voice in the back ground as the song fades out is, Mark Volman, from Flo and Eddie AND The Turtles. If u don't know their history u should make it a point to check it out. They also had a short lived band called The Phlorescent Leach. More of an underground band
live concerts- he was just perfection
this has to be one of his very best
Zappa wrote all his music down as any composer would do but also enjoyed improvised solos. Not only did he solo on guitar but often had various members of his band take a solo. He actually coined the term freak out which was the title of his first album and if you read the liner notes on the original foldout album cover you will realize that “freaking out” was his terminology at the time for improvisation or what was known as jamming or soloing by jazz musicians. As a conductor Zappa also had many different hand signals that he used to vary performances. A hand signal could mean add a bar of some random chord or it could tell the drummer and rhythm section to play the next song as reggae or ska.
Also notice Montana ends with an out chorus but many Zappa songs segue into the next song. Zappa has some songs with an amazing out chorus but many songs seem to end abruptly when played alone because they were actually connected musically to the following song. For this reason it is often better to listen to the album as a whole.
Zappa is impressive in all aspects!
He's credited on the album if memory serves. Lotsa great tunes on Overnight Sensation.
The core group on that album was Frank's regular touring band in 1973-74. Ralph Humphrey, Ruth Underwood, Tom Fowler, George Duke, Napoleon Murphy Brock, and the French violinist Jean- Luc Ponty who was there in '73.