More terrible fun with You Tube

[3-LockBox]

Isn't it ok for me to think "The Young Ones" is a pathetic excuse for a sitcom devised by ancient British TV execs that tried to pander to a much younger, virtually alien generation?

But that describes the 'think-tanks' at every network and their shows.

I actually liked The Young Ones a lot when I was a 'young one'. I was able to revisit it a few years ago and, well, there are still some funny bits, but it did come across like an old Benny Hill skit. But hey, it was supposed to emulate the irreverant, slap-together world of punkers, and it worked for me.

[BradH]

Well gee Brad, I thought you'd be able to figure that out by my vibraslap comment alone.

Vibraslap. That may be the funniest damned word in the English language. Vibraslap. Sounds like some late night infommercial. With Vibraslap, your performance will increase up to ninety-five percent!

[QUOTE=Troy]Isn't it ok for me to think "The Young Ones" is a pathetic excuse for a sitcom devised by ancient British TV execs that tried to pander to a much younger, virtually alien generation? It showed the worst of both worlds.[/QUOTE}

Well, yeah, I guess it's ok to think that. It's not like you're harming animals or small children. But I think you missed the point of that show. The Young Ones skewered youth culture by way of self-parody. Sure, the BBC execs were (and are) aging Euro-communists left over from the 70's. But the show was written by people who knew their subject inside and out.

You watch that clip of "Fire" (have you been able to yet?) and tell me with a straight face that it's "genius." You are welcome to and I'll still call you my pal. But jeez man!

Tell you what is genius? The video or the music? I haven't seen it but has anyone ever said the video was "genius"? That's news to me. As for the music...what were you doing in 1966? You'd have to look to Zappa's debut to find something that bold.

I know there are many like you that think Beerfart was brilliant, but based on that song? Forgettable junk. I still say Zappa carried him.

This could probably be a thread in itself. I don't think I ever described Beefheart as "brilliant". Why you're pretending a judgement about Beefheart has to be based on this one video is beyond me. It's not like you don't know who he is. Zappa carried him? To what? Fame and fortune? Zappa produced Trout Mask Replica and brought him on the '75 tour so Zappa fans could be aware of him. How is that "carrying him"? Zappa fans always act like they're offended that someone might actually be more eccentric than Frank, therefore Beefheart must be faking it The truth is, Zappa was more of an observer of eccentricity than a practitioner. He surrounded himself with eccentrics and Beefheart was one of those people. (Actually, they grew up together). I don't agree with the things Beefheart said about Zappa because they both used each other. Zappa got to parade him around and Beefheart got some cash. But it's not like Beefheart was one of the original Mothers who whined because Frank didn't give them lifetime employment after Uncle Meat. No, Beefheart's vision was as fully realized as Zappa's, unlike so many others Frank worked with.

Vibraslap. "Two exciting activities combined for the first time into one wholesome device!"

[Troy]

Well, yeah, I guess it's ok to think that. It's not like you're harming animals or small children. But I think you missed the point of that show. The Young Ones skewered youth culture by way of self-parody. Sure, the BBC execs were (and are) aging Euro-communists left over from the 70's. But the show was written by people who knew their subject inside and out.

Fine, but the tone was (as already mentioned) very much that hokey Benny Hill slapstick . . . mixed with the punky youth culture of the day just rang so bloody false.

Tell you what is genius? The video or the music? I haven't seen it but has anyone ever said the video was "genius"? That's news to me. As for the music...what were you doing in 1966? You'd have to look to Zappa's debut to find something that bold.

Bold? How about just plain stupid and ugly? Forget the video, it's an awful piece of music.

This could probably be a thread in itself. I don't think I ever described Beefheart as "brilliant". Why you're pretending a judgement about Beefheart has to be based on this one video is beyond me. It's not like you don't know who he is. Zappa carried him? To what? Fame and fortune? Zappa produced Trout Mask Replica and brought him on the '75 tour so Zappa fans could be aware of him. How is that "carrying him"? Zappa fans always act like they're offended that someone might actually be more eccentric than Frank, therefore Beefheart must be faking it The truth is, Zappa was more of an observer of eccentricity than a practitioner. He surrounded himself with eccentrics and Beefheart was one of those people. (Actually, they grew up together). I don't agree with the things Beefheart said about Zappa because they both used each other. Zappa got to parade him around and Beefheart got some cash. But it's not like Beefheart was one of the original Mothers who whined because Frank didn't give them lifetime employment after Uncle Meat. No, Beefheart's vision was as fully realized as Zappa's, unlike so many others Frank worked with.

Yeah, maybe it could be it's own thread, but since we're here already . . .

I've heard Trout Mask. I guess one man's bold is another awful. Being eccentric does not make him good. His vision being realized does not make it a good vision.

Yeah, FZ produced his albums and brought him on tour. In my book that's called "carrying him". The Captain never would have been heard had FZ not taken him under his wing. As you already mentioned, Beerfart even admitted to feeling exploited by Zappa.

Nope, I never bought into the Captain Beefheart mystique.

[Dusty Chalk]

[BradH]

Yeah, FZ produced his albums and brought him on tour. In my book that's called "carrying him".

The Captain never would have been heard had FZ not taken him under his wing.

Uhhh, no. Zappa produced one album (not "albums") and brought him on a few dates of the '75 tour. Not exactly a svengali. Beefheart is still just a cult figure so I don't see how he owed sh!t to Zappa.

As you already mentioned, Beerfart even admitted to feeling exploited by Zappa.

The exploitation charge came mostly from outsiders but I don't buy it. Too much of the "precious artiste" in that argument. (See Marsalis). Beefheart claimed that Zappa slept through Trout Mask Replica. I don't buy that either. Since they grew up together, Zappa's father even entered the debate saying Beefheart was influenced by Zappa. I think the influence went both ways, that's why I say they used each other when it was convenient.

Nope, I never bought into the Captain Beefheart mystique.

I'll admit there's a mystique and that's unfortunate, there shouldn't be. (Same w/ Syd Barrett). You know I'm not big on mythologizing the arts or artists. It's more fun to deconstruct things because the reality you find is always more interesting. But it's just a plain fact, the Captain really is a few fries short of a full Gringo Platter - it was not an image he created. In my books, he's an authentic artist. His music isn't for everyone so I understand the "suck" charge but there's a helluva lot more to him than some mystique you have to buy into. Listen to Bongo Fury and tell me which one was the poet.

[BradH]

Hey, Dust.

One word.

Vibraslap.

[Dusty Chalk]

[MindGoneHaywire]

MY brand of guitar wankery, from one of the few who did it well, in my estimation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tst7viX7WE8

[nobody]

The Young Ones were goofy slapstick and funny as hell.

Of course the characters were drawn from the culture of the time. So were the folks in Leave it to Beaver...and probably even less accurately I might add. Hell, so are pretty much the characters from every sit com ever made.

If anyone else likes it or not don't matter to me.

I never liked the 3 Stooges, which puts me in the minority opinion of goofy comedy anyway.

[nobody]

I used to hate captain Beefheart, but now that Paris is into him...I guess I'll have to re-evaluate.

[Troy]

Yeah, I saw that Gatton episode of ACL. Had an album for a while too.

The guy was very talented, a shredder for shredder-haters, but the songs he wrote were really bland. He would have been great as a menber of a band with good writers. I've always been mystified by people that talented who commit suicide.

Regardless of how much Zappa actually did to promote him, Beefheart is inextricably linked to Zappa for most people who are even aware that either artist exists.

[MindGoneHaywire]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn8osyv-W94


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKFKI097MHQ

[Troy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn8osyv-W94


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKFKI097MHQ

Elvis goes prog. Dang, that was great.

The Rock and Bea show was pretty funny too, but they knew they were being campy. Elvis was like Shatner. Totally serious.

[MindGoneHaywire]

Well, if that wasn't his last film, it was surely towards the end of that career. But this is quite a ditty, isn't it? I've always liked it, I've had it on video for years. I might've tucked it onto that tape I sent you a few years ago. The Shatner analogy makes sense, but would make a lot more if Mr. Transformed had ever been taken as seriously as an actor, as Elvis was as a singer.

In recent years there have been some CD collections that came out that focused on the music from his later, 'bad' movies. I've always been too frightened to investigate, I have to believe that this is a highlight, and a campy one at that, not to mention one that I came to enjoy through the video. When it comes to his 60s output I'll stay with the Nashville To Memphis box set. Which is the best of the non-soundtrack stuff he did in the 60s.

But this one's a good watch...I'm surprised you disliked Zoogz...obviously that was a Zappa rip, but it ripped a lot of the elements I happen to like that you can fit into an off-the-wall 3-minute pop song. I happened upon a Rift comp called Looser Than Clams that I picked up for a buck nearly 20 years ago in Tennessee. It was on SST records, and I figured that east of Knoxville it wasn't likely I'd ever see anything ever again on that label, so I scooped it up.Outside of that tune, which I've always liked (different version on the rec, I think it's an alternate take while the one done on Floyd was probably the released version), and a nifty but seemingly oddly-chosen cover of Elvis Costello's High Fidelity (this guy could actually sing if he wanted to), there was a bunch of juvenile, 3rd-rate Zappaesque pap that a friend referred to as 'music for retarded children.' The charm of song titles like 'Island Of Living Puke' and 'Idiots On The Miniature Golf Course' did not redeem it enough for it to be a keeper.

However, finding it on YouTube of all places is one thing, that it was on Floyd is a double whammy. Uncle Floyd is a sorely overlooked comic genius whose list of musical guests over the years happens to be, uh, very hip & cool if you're into that pretentious NYC arty underground rock thing. The Ramones did his show like 30 times. Need I say more? Actually, much as I love the appearances by guys like David Johansen, Marshall Crenshaw, etc., it's Thor bending the metal bar in his teeth that is the best musical guest shot I myself ever saw on that program.

I've never heard Howard Stern deign to admit it, but he copped a lot from Floyd, some of which he was able to more fully develop (although, to be fair, Howard had a budget to work with that Floyd & his crew never did). I wish there were better examples of the magic this guy had going on, but I can tell you from experience that this here would come closer if the guy doing this parody only has one flaw in his presentation, which is that his singing & playing are actually far superior to the guy he's parodying.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu98YfKwn9w

[Dusty Chalk]

Prog? No, more like psychedelic. Slight difference.

And who knew Rock could sing?

And how is it people didn't know he was gay? Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[MindGoneHaywire]

Wow...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Agl4IvNnQPo&eurl=

[Dusty Chalk]

Maria Callas, lol...

[MindGoneHaywire]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruQ6f3nDFhE