Zappa input...

[poppachubby]

Small, but mighty. All near mint and wonderful sounding pressings. I need some suggestions for titles to seek out. Preferrably some Mothers of Invention stuff. Thanks...

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4644500388_689109bdfd_b.jpg

[JohnMichael]

Poppachubby this is my favorite Zappa.

Boulez Conducts Zappa

The Perfect Stranger

and other chamber works performed by

Ensemble Intercontemporain

and the

Barking Pumpkin Digital Gratification Consort

[Hyfi]

We're Only In It For The Money

Live at the Filmore.........Mud Shark!

Ah and what is the one with Billy Was A Mountain? Ethel was a tree growing out of his sholder.....

[MasterCylinder]

Zappa discography = way too many to choose from, so here is one opinion :

Best studio albbum = Over-Nite Sensation

Best live album = Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life

[Mr MidFi]

I'm no Zappa freak. Far from it. But if you asked me to name 5 good places to start, those 5 in the pic would probably be the ones I'd say. No kidding. Of those, I have owned 3.

My impression is that people who like those 5 also tend to like Apostrophe. (I'm saying this as an old record store guy making a recommendation, and not as a "true fan".)

[Troy]

One Size Fits All
The Best Band You Never Heard in your Life

[poppachubby]

Cool. I picked up Apostrophe and something something witch, forgot the full name.

[Mr MidFi]

Cool. I picked up Apostrophe and something something witch, forgot the full name.

Ship arriving too late to save a drowning witch? I think a lot of that one centers around Frank's battles with the PMRC. And isn't that the one with "Valley Girl", too?

Let us know how you like 'em, poppa.

[Troy]

Drowning Witch is nowhere near as good as the 5 albums in your pic or the ones we've listed.

[poppachubby]

Ship arriving too late to save a drowning witch? I think a lot of that one centers around Frank's battles with the PMRC. And isn't that the one with "Valley Girl", too?

Let us know how you like 'em, poppa.

Yes that's it. So far Zoot Allures is my fave. My pressing is great and super clean. I need to get part 2/3 of Joe's Garage so I can listen to them back to back.

Next on deck is Shiek Yerbooti.

I am having trouble getting a "new to me" LP of Highway 61 Revisited out of rotation. You see, it's mint and I'm just elated listening to this thing in perfect condition. Oh ya and I got a mint copy of Humble Pie Performance Rockin the Filmore...goddamn!!

[MasterCylinder]

Yes that's it. So far Zoot Allures is my fave. My pressing is great and super clean. I need to get part 2/3 of Joe's Garage so I can listen to them back to back.

Next on deck is Shiek Yerbooti.

I am having trouble getting a "new to me" LP of Highway 61 Revisited out of rotation. You see, it's mint and I'm just elated listening to this thing in perfect condition. Oh ya and I got a mint copy of Humble Pie Performance Rockin the Filmore...goddamn!!


Sounds like you are having fun and going through some good stuff there.............me and the wife went through some old vinyl recently and got stuck listening to CRASH & BURN from Pat Travers.............brought back some good memories.

[3LB]

I prolly shouldn't post because I can take so very little of Zappa's juvenile humor songs, but the guy did as much to define jazz rock as Miles Davis (and I'm not so sure Davis wasn't influenced by Zappa). I liked Zappa when he was composing music from that perspective and therefore I can only recommend one or two albums, Hot Rats. and maybe the kinda sorta follow-up (a few albums later) Waka/Jawaka - both albums have FZ's best jazz rock compositions (not unlike the title track to Zoot Alures) along with a couple of expendable tunes, as is the case with most FZ... IMO of course.

[MasterCylinder]

I prolly shouldn't post because I can take so very little of Zappa's juvenile humor songs, but the guy did as much to define jazz rock as Miles Davis (and I'm not so sure Davis wasn't influenced by Zappa). I liked Zappa when he was composing music from that perspective and therefore I can only recommend one or two albums, Hot Rats. and maybe the kinda sorta follow-up (a few albums later) Waka/Jawaka - both albums have FZ's best jazz rock compositions (not unlike the title track to Zoot Alures) along with a couple of expendable tunes, as is the case with most FZ... IMO of course.

Your post just reminded me that FZ won a Grammy for JAZZ FROM HELL......it is an interesting piece of work, although now dated...........very experimental with both the composition and the synclavier as the main instrument.................ever heard anybody bend a note on a grand piano ?
Zappa won a 1988 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for this album.

[Troy]

Your post just reminded me that FZ won a Grammy for JAZZ FROM HELL......it is an interesting piece of work, although now dated...........very experimental with both the composition and the synclavier as the main instrument.................ever heard anybody bend a note on a grand piano ?
Zappa won a 1988 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for this album.

Too bad the record sounds like a sewing machine run amok! Too fast and too mechanical, it's a terribly annoying album. And yes, it's MIDI technology is commonplace today, so the whole 'gee whiz' factor the album relied on is gone.

[MasterCylinder]

Too bad the record sounds like a sewing machine run amok! Too fast and too mechanical, it's a terribly annoying album. And yes, it's MIDI technology is commonplace today, so the whole 'gee whiz' factor the album relied on is gone.

No disagreement.............but consider the inside politics of Zappa winning a Grammy !

[3LB]

I have heard Jazz From Hell...meh. It was Frank stepping on his own crank for the most part. A lot of goods ideas that died at the alter of technological fashion trends, just like so many albums that used synth drum kits and drum loops. Yeah, the Grammies loved Zappa's casiochord show just like they loved Herbie Hancock's use of scratch mixing on Future Shock and Jethro Tull's drum machines on Crest Of A Knave...it was the '80s. I bet if FZ were alive, JFH is an album he'd wish he could take back.

[Troy]

I bet if FZ were alive, JFH is an album he'd wish he could take back.

I'd like to think he'd re-record it with a real band. In fact, a few songs were done with a live band right after FZ's death on the tribute album Zappa's Universe. The band was led by Mike Keneally.