On another note, this version, from this album, is an example of something he called xenography. The guitar solo in this was literally edited over the background band, and they were playing in different time signatures, hence the 'choppy' sound you noticed. The band and guitar solo were not recorded together, so this sounds unique compared to live versions of this song.
@Gizella Lombardi IN the words of Frank: "We do it both ways but usually what happens when it's time to play the guitar, I go for a basic concept of a steady pulse at a medium tempo and then play all around that, and the drummer that we have right now is I think the best guy I've ever had a chance to work with in terms of following what I play. He is really astute and he can subdivide a bar like nobody's business and still come out on the beat. He's really good. This is Vince Colaiuta."
Xenochrony is only part of the answer; the other part is the 19/16 and 21/16 time signatures that Vinnie Colaiuta plays like it's nuthin'. That groove, in and of itself, is already pretty herky-jerky; the superimposed guitar solo just reinforces the effect
I’m sure to Vinnie it was nothing. The guy is on a different level. He could play this in his sleep. Thanks for pointing out the time signatures. I couldn’t have guessed those in 100 years.
Vinnie C is the greatest drummer ever and is able to do crazy multi-threaded odd time division that seems impoissible. His ability to fill space without it seeming over-busy is uncanny. I highly recommend listening to the run that Jeff Beck, Stanley Clarke and Vinnie did about 12 years ago
I had no idea how much my brain loved odd time signatures until I already owned over half of the Zappa discography. I absolutely love the segue between this and Why Does it Hurt When I Pee?.
Again, I appreciate you for the willingness to step out and react to stuff like this, but still there is one thing missing.. Context. You can appreciate the song, but not really get where it fits in to the story. Joe's Garage is a story. As good as many of the songs on this album are, and despite the fact that many can stand alone on their own merit, they are all woven together to tell a tale about Joe and his encounters with the Law, Catholic girls, venereal disease, The Music Industry, The First Church of Appliantology, and more. It only takes about two hours to hear the whole thing, but it could change your whole perspective on Zappa. Joe's Garage, Parts I, II, and III is a Rock Opera equal to the Who's "Tommy" or "Quadrophenia" in it's grandeur. You just have to quit nibbling, and eat the whole pie. You owe it to yourself.
Joe's Garage is a young mans field guide to fortune and high adventure, skip around and you'll miss what any of this has to do with a chrome piggy bank.
1. This solo may be (for the official Frank catalog) the definitive example of the deadly Vinnie/Arthur rhythm section - and bear in mind that neither the 19-beat solo vamp nor the 21-riff they briefly slip into during the vocal were usually included in the (straight 4-4) song. For more examples of brain-burstingly mathematically-dense Frank/Vinnie improv, see the last few shows on the '79 tour and nearly any show on the late-'80 tour. 2. Those lines about lube identify the song as a relic of the pre-AIDS/pre-condom-at-all-times era. 3. It used to be just another song about anal sex but in context of the rock opera Joe's Garage it becomes a song about the lead character, the (trans-curious/bi-curious) Joe, in jail, realising he's going to get gang-raped by John and his cronies (ex-music-biz guys who are now the Firm ruling over, and sexually exploiting, the other prisoners). What happens next, after this song? To find out, hear the album version of Outside Now (with singer Ike Willis sounding in the depths of despair).
The guitar solo is from a live performance of City of Tiny Lites, in the weeks that part of the solosection contained the riff that was used on Outside Now from this album. Zappa recorded most of his show and for the early '79 tour he had a recorder especially for isolated guitar solos, such as this one.
This album is a rock opera and should be listening to in full and I'm not suggesting you do it on your page here. It is a story of Joe who makes unfortunate choices to go down the path of music. In this album they treat music as if it was drugs and watch Joe pay the consequences. Smoke a big old spleef and get a nice fat drink and enjoy yourself one of these evenings
This tune stands on its own and makes all the sense I need, by itself. It did when I first heard it in 79, and it still does. Context, schmontext. This song rips! Here come the replies ;)
This whole album for sure. There are three acts to do them one at a time. Songs out of context are songs, but this album from beginning to end has a story and message. The previous two songs make Keep It Greasy make sense.
This is Frank at his best...I saw this tour in 79...A great representation of Franks Career...He's hitting on all cylinders in this recording...Frank Zappa - lead guitar, vocals Warren Cuccurullo - rhythm guitar, vocals Denny Walley - slide guitar, vocals Ike Willis - lead vocals Peter Wolf - keyboards Tommy Mars - keyboards (Act 1) Arthur Barrow - bass guitar, guitar (on "Joe's Garage"), vocals Patrick O'Hearn - bass guitar on "Outside Now" and "He Used to Cut the Grass" Ed Mann - percussion, vocals Vinnie Colaiuta - drums, combustible vapors, optometric abandon Jeff (Jeff Hollie) - tenor sax (all tracks Act 1) Marginal Chagrin (Earle Dumler) - baritone sax (all tracks Act 1) Stumuk (Bill Nugent) - bass sax (all tracks Act 1) Dale Bozzio - vocals (all tracks Act 1) Al Malkin - vocals (all tracks Act 1) Craig Steward - harmonica (all tracks Act 1)
Count it as "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 ee and" and it'll groove a bit better. The engineering of this album reminds me a lot of Pink Floyd's albums of that era (Animals and The Wall). The flanged/detuned crisp guitar sound over the driving rhythm section makes it a such a showcase for the improvising instrumentation.
I saw this in the list for tonight. I couldn't wait to get to it (I watch your videos in order) because I wanted to see your face when you realized what was going on.
try Pink napkins'' Teez. Get in your comfy seat, poor a glass, roll a blunt and get carryed away on drum, bass and crispy guitarwork like you have never experienced before. no goofyness, just a plane beautiful soundscape by master Frank. Enjoy!
Everybody dance (does humour belong, new York. Zappa mischief with the time signiture, it's even got the pretence of a disco beat, but just tryn dance to it mutherfuckers! Zappas could be more halarious with musical ideas even more than his lyrics. Pure genius.
I was on the floor when you said 'Kinda tough to digest' once you got the theme. Frank is famous for not doing drugs so I suppose writing about sex would be the next best thing. Great honest review as always Brother McGee.
@Peter Trotman - Frank said he wrote sex lyrics the way he did because all the other artists danced around the subject and used euphemisms in their love songs, so he wrote the true mechanics of it.
Frank was a huge free speak advocate regarding music lyrics. Tipper Gore ( al Gore's) wife was on a personal crusade to clean up music lyrics ( yeah she lost) but was responsible for warning labels on records about offensive language. Joe's garage is about the government trying to censor all music, there is the government character called "The central scrutinizer" who decides everything......anyway it's a rock opera kinda with a contesting story..........Frank would be cancelled in a second today for a million reasons. There is no excuse for the black face however remember people used to have thick skin and find humor in taboo things. Also Frank made only music he liked and didn't give an F if anyone else liked it! There will only ever be one Frank and he also had the best bands! I collect his records and they are so diverse and insane. Love it!
Within the context of the full story told by Joe's Garage Acts I, II, and III, it should be stated that "Joe" is in prison within the story timeline when this song is introduced. It is not a random song about sodomy. It is specific. It is preceded by a song called "Dong Work for Yuda". Yeah, "John's got a sausage, yeah man..."
Not too many people, pre-1979...Hank Ballard? Little Richard? Johnny Otis? And maybe Willie Dixon, maybe ZZ Top, maybe Led Zeppelin...and Frank himself.
Frank said that his guitar technique required a “specialist” rhyth section and that Vinne Coliauta and Arthur Barrow were the best at working with his style: Joe’s Garage and most of Shut Up N Play Yer Guitar are the best demonstration of that unit as well as the guitar solo in Easy Meat from Tinseltown Rebellion. the fact that it was hard to grasp is the normal reaction. this one takes a lot of listening to really appreciate it. try Joe’s Garage as whole and the complexity will make more sense in the context of the album. Great choice AGAIN
Frank has plenty of songs that you will connect with less,that are more incoherent, more unconventional, and even harder to digest. On the other hand Frank made an entire album of wonderful fifties doo wop type music that you can actually tap your foot to all the way through every song.And no guitar solos,it may be the best album of fifties music ever made !!!
@@Frunobulax74 Stuff up the cracks turn on the gas I'm gonna take my life over the sheer embarrassment of spacing on the great guitar work in that song,it'snot typical of the awesome extended bridge solos frank is known for, more like a great outtro (if that's a word) to the album.
On another note, this version, from this album, is an example of something he called xenography. The guitar solo in this was literally edited over the background band, and they were playing in different time signatures, hence the 'choppy' sound you noticed. The band and guitar solo were not recorded together, so this sounds unique compared to live versions of this song.
@Gizella Lombardi lol.....wut?
@@timcardona9962
I read that with my mouth open as well.
Xenochrony
@Gizella Lombardi You stated a large amount of opinion as fact. You also tried to come off as professorial and failed.
@Gizella Lombardi IN the words of Frank: "We do it both ways but usually what happens when it's time to play the guitar, I go for a basic concept of a steady pulse at a medium tempo and then play all around that, and the drummer that we have right now is I think the best guy I've ever had a chance to work with in terms of following what I play. He is really astute and he can subdivide a bar like nobody's business and still come out on the beat. He's really good. This is Vince Colaiuta."
Xenochrony is only part of the answer; the other part is the 19/16 and 21/16 time signatures that Vinnie Colaiuta plays like it's nuthin'. That groove, in and of itself, is already pretty herky-jerky; the superimposed guitar solo just reinforces the effect
No one can groove in odd times like Vinnie. One the absolute best to ever play
I’m sure to Vinnie it was nothing. The guy is on a different level. He could play this in his sleep. Thanks for pointing out the time signatures. I couldn’t have guessed those in 100 years.
Vinnie C is the greatest drummer ever and is able to do crazy multi-threaded odd time division that seems impoissible. His ability to fill space without it seeming over-busy is uncanny. I highly recommend listening to the run that Jeff Beck, Stanley Clarke and Vinnie did about 12 years ago
Hey Teez! It is not black face, it is grease face, as in Joe's 'Garage.' Strange rhythms yes, but another killer guitar jam...
I had no idea how much my brain loved odd time signatures until I already owned over half of the Zappa discography. I absolutely love the segue between this and Why Does it Hurt When I Pee?.
I'm pretty sure this segues into Outside Now
Again, I appreciate you for the willingness to step out and react to stuff like this, but still there is one thing missing.. Context. You can appreciate the song, but not really get where it fits in to the story. Joe's Garage is a story. As good as many of the songs on this album are, and despite the fact that many can stand alone on their own merit, they are all woven together to tell a tale about Joe and his encounters with the Law, Catholic girls, venereal disease, The Music Industry, The First Church of Appliantology, and more. It only takes about two hours to hear the whole thing, but it could change your whole perspective on Zappa. Joe's Garage, Parts I, II, and III is a Rock Opera equal to the Who's "Tommy" or "Quadrophenia" in it's grandeur. You just have to quit nibbling, and eat the whole pie. You owe it to yourself.
^^ The Central Scrutinizer could not have said it better. ^^
Joe's Garage is a young mans field guide to fortune and high adventure, skip around and you'll miss what any of this has to do with a chrome piggy bank.
1. This solo may be (for the official Frank catalog) the definitive example of the deadly Vinnie/Arthur rhythm section - and bear in mind that neither the 19-beat solo vamp nor the 21-riff they briefly slip into during the vocal were usually included in the (straight 4-4) song.
For more examples of brain-burstingly mathematically-dense Frank/Vinnie improv, see the last few shows on the '79 tour and nearly any show on the late-'80 tour.
2. Those lines about lube identify the song as a relic of the pre-AIDS/pre-condom-at-all-times era.
3. It used to be just another song about anal sex but in context of the rock opera Joe's Garage it becomes a song about the lead character, the (trans-curious/bi-curious) Joe, in jail, realising he's going to get gang-raped by John and his cronies (ex-music-biz guys who are now the Firm ruling over, and sexually exploiting, the other prisoners). What happens next, after this song? To find out, hear the album version of Outside Now (with singer Ike Willis sounding in the depths of despair).
Keep the Zappa reactions coming!
Make way for the Iron Sausage
🤣
The guitar solo is from a live performance of City of Tiny Lites, in the weeks that part of the solosection contained the riff that was used on Outside Now from this album.
Zappa recorded most of his show and for the early '79 tour he had a recorder especially for isolated guitar solos, such as this one.
black face or grease - note the mop!
This album is a rock opera and should be listening to in full and I'm not suggesting you do it on your page here. It is a story of Joe who makes unfortunate choices to go down the path of music. In this album they treat music as if it was drugs and watch Joe pay the consequences. Smoke a big old spleef and get a nice fat drink and enjoy yourself one of these evenings
You need to listen to the album in full when you get the time. Some of Frank's music should be listened to in context in order to make sense.
True.
This tune stands on its own and makes all the sense I need, by itself. It did when I first heard it in 79, and it still does. Context, schmontext. This song rips!
Here come the replies ;)
@@jonp4846 I concur, the context may make the meaning deeper, but the song alone is fine on its own.
This whole album for sure. There are three acts to do them one at a time. Songs out of context are songs, but this album from beginning to end has a story and message. The previous two songs make Keep It Greasy make sense.
A look at a lifetime of listening pleasure.
That’s Zappa
" OH NO, Hear comes that SCREAMIN' SOUND AGAIN!"
This is Frank at his best...I saw this tour in 79...A great representation of Franks Career...He's hitting on all cylinders in this recording...Frank Zappa - lead guitar, vocals
Warren Cuccurullo - rhythm guitar, vocals
Denny Walley - slide guitar, vocals
Ike Willis - lead vocals
Peter Wolf - keyboards
Tommy Mars - keyboards (Act 1)
Arthur Barrow - bass guitar, guitar (on "Joe's Garage"), vocals
Patrick O'Hearn - bass guitar on "Outside Now" and "He Used to Cut the Grass"
Ed Mann - percussion, vocals
Vinnie Colaiuta - drums, combustible vapors, optometric abandon
Jeff (Jeff Hollie) - tenor sax (all tracks Act 1)
Marginal Chagrin (Earle Dumler) - baritone sax (all tracks Act 1)
Stumuk (Bill Nugent) - bass sax (all tracks Act 1)
Dale Bozzio - vocals (all tracks Act 1)
Al Malkin - vocals (all tracks Act 1)
Craig Steward - harmonica (all tracks Act 1)
This was done in the 70s what a studio engineer producer Frank was... Genius.
Vinnie on drums is the backbone of this piece.
This motha f*cka rakin notes. Love it
Count it as "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 ee and" and it'll groove a bit better.
The engineering of this album reminds me a lot of Pink Floyd's albums of that era (Animals and The Wall). The flanged/detuned crisp guitar sound over the driving rhythm section makes it a such a showcase for the improvising instrumentation.
E=FZ² Zappa destroyed time and space and is greatly missed
"Opaque melodies that would bug most people."
I saw this in the list for tonight. I couldn't wait to get to it (I watch your videos in order) because I wanted to see your face when you realized what was going on.
Teeze me, squeeze me, pleeze me! Frank knew how to get down and dirty funky.
Facts 😂😂😂
Teeeez!!! Tsup! Good choice!
Always pushing the envelope. Very
difficult time signature! 19/16. Who else does that?
Frank Zappa. The Best.
Zappa had good humour fantastic musican too funk jazz rock amazing style
Teez said this shizzle was the opposite of cohesive. Word.
The song is in 19/16... that's why you think the track is skipping...
try Pink napkins'' Teez. Get in your comfy seat, poor a glass, roll a blunt and get carryed away on drum, bass and crispy guitarwork like you have never experienced before. no goofyness, just a plane beautiful soundscape by master Frank. Enjoy!
Everybody dance (does humour belong, new York. Zappa mischief with the time signiture, it's even got the pretence of a disco beat, but just tryn dance to it mutherfuckers! Zappas could be more halarious with musical ideas even more than his lyrics. Pure genius.
I was on the floor when you said 'Kinda tough to digest' once you got the theme.
Frank is famous for not doing drugs so I suppose writing about sex would be the next best thing.
Great honest review as always Brother McGee.
@Peter Trotman - Frank said he wrote sex lyrics the way he did because all the other artists danced around the subject and used euphemisms in their love songs, so he wrote the true mechanics of it.
Until.you come
Frank was a huge free speak advocate regarding music lyrics. Tipper Gore ( al Gore's) wife was on a personal crusade to clean up music lyrics ( yeah she lost) but was responsible for warning labels on records about offensive language. Joe's garage is about the government trying to censor all music, there is the government character called "The central scrutinizer" who decides everything......anyway it's a rock opera kinda with a contesting story..........Frank would be cancelled in a second today for a million reasons. There is no excuse for the black face however remember people used to have thick skin and find humor in taboo things. Also Frank made only music he liked and didn't give an F if anyone else liked it! There will only ever be one Frank and he also had the best bands! I collect his records and they are so diverse and insane. Love it!
Joe's Garage and ThingFish would have made great Broadway productions ! They still could if Ahmed sorts of out
Can you do The Central Scrutinizer/Joes Garage? Two of my favorite Zappa songs
The track wasn't skipping..your brain was
Frank sampled a burp!
Within the context of the full story told by Joe's Garage Acts I, II, and III, it should be stated that "Joe" is in prison within the story timeline when this song is introduced. It is not a random song about sodomy. It is specific. It is preceded by a song called "Dong Work for Yuda". Yeah, "John's got a sausage, yeah man..."
Yeah 19/16 time signature makes it seem like it's skipping.
Just so you know, that's not blackface, it's automotive grease :)
Too busy and not very cohesive? Try listening to something like Inca Roads.
Not too many people would write a song about sodomy. Just saying.
Not too many people, pre-1979...Hank Ballard? Little Richard? Johnny Otis? And maybe Willie Dixon, maybe ZZ Top, maybe Led Zeppelin...and Frank himself.
Frank said that his guitar technique required a “specialist” rhyth section and that Vinne Coliauta and Arthur Barrow were the best at working with his style: Joe’s Garage and most of Shut Up N Play Yer Guitar are the best demonstration of that unit as well as the guitar solo in Easy Meat from Tinseltown Rebellion.
the fact that it was hard to grasp is the normal reaction. this one takes a lot of listening to really appreciate it. try Joe’s Garage as whole and the complexity will make more sense in the context of the album.
Great choice AGAIN
Frank has plenty of songs that you will connect with less,that are more incoherent, more unconventional, and even harder to digest. On the other hand Frank made an entire album of wonderful fifties doo wop type music that you can actually tap your foot to all the way through every song.And no guitar solos,it may be the best album of fifties music ever made !!!
Oh ya the name of the album is cruising with Reuben and the jets
@Tim Feeley - The last song on Cruising with Ruben & The jets titled Stuff Up The Cracks has a fantastic guitar solo.
@@Frunobulax74 Stuff up the cracks turn on the gas I'm gonna take my life over the sheer embarrassment of spacing on the great guitar work in that song,it'snot typical of the awesome extended bridge solos frank is known for, more like a great outtro (if that's a word) to the album.
@@timfeeley714-25 - But indeed a killer outro guitar solo nonetheless
@@Frunobulax74 Touche'
Maybe you couldn't really grasp it because it's too greasy :P
Frank Zappa. The Best.