Appreciating frank zappa

[90-percent]

I first heard it at the October 16, 1971 zappa/mother's Stony Brook late show. I grew up in the three village area of long Island and I lived close enough to ride my bicycle to the show. Something about zappa and his music and intelligence and values really resonated with me. Through the 70's and 80's I bought each album as it was released and went to concerts when they were within driving distance.

Went to about eight shows on the 1988 tour, most notably the last one at Nassau coliseum.

Like his wife said, when you get into Frank,, you're in it for life

-90% jimmy

?si=gYRr5JZJ42hNXpOF

[Figarosmom]

1. My husband loved Zappa

And the Mothers of Invention.
The Albums were played quite a lot at home and in our VW camper van.

[RainCaster]

2. So many lyrics resonating in my head

Zircon encrusted tweezers

My favorite baby seal

Catholic girls

Dental floss

[Brother Buzz]

3. The late great George Duke on Frank Zappa

[GReedDiamond]

4. Being a big fan of Frank & The Mothers, imagine my surprise...

...when, in 1981, my band was recording in the same studio where Don Preston, an original Mother of Invention, was working on a movie soundtrack project.

He agreed to play the grand piano on our song, "I Hate Sports."

Also, Sam "Sluggo" Phipps of Oingo Boingo played the sax solo.

Here's the YouTube of the tune:

[Pinback]

11. Don Preston!

Always been a fan of his. I went to see him at a small gig in Atlanta a few years ago and at intermission had a chance to tell him how much I enjoyed his music. I told him I’d been listening to some of his solo stuff, and especially liked “Eye of Agamoto.”

When they resumed playing, he played “Eye of Agamato”! I could tell he was kind of struggling through the piece, because — even though he has talent out the (excuse the expression) Wazoo — he probably hadn’t played it in a while. Plus, the keyboard he had to play for this gig was some fairly low-grade M-Audio controller (embarrassing for our whole city, I thought!). But he and the band pulled it off pretty well.

ETA: Just remembered — for that one tune he played the crappy spinet piano the club had on hand, possibly even worse for him than that M-Audio keyboard!)

I talked to Preston again briefly after the show and thanked him for playing “Eye of Agamato.” He glowered at me with slitted eyes and just said, “Y-y-y-y-yeahhhh….” as if to say, “Yeah, you’re the asshole who made me play that!”


Guess I should have requested “Lonesome Electric Turkey,” and then he could have just improvised any goofy thing that came into his head!

Anyway, I was so thrilled to meet one of my heroes, one who didn’t have the career that Zappa did, of course, but a hugely important influence in my life!

I enjoyed your band’s track, too, by the way — a fun and clever rockin’ tune!

[GReedDiamond]

12. Thanks for your Don Preston story...

...made me laugh.

Glad you liked our tune, much appreciated!

[Skittles]

5. loved him

I thought he was so cool, and his intelligence impressed me.

[PufPuf23]

6. Gave about 40 Zappa vinyl albums recently to the music teacher at the Reservation high school where I graduated.

Also gave him most of the Grateful Dead albums up to Touch of Grey. He is a Deadhead about 25 years my junior.

I am not a Native American and he is Mormon and not NA as well but a Deadhead, the high school is about 30 windy miles to drive from our homes.

"Do you like Zappa too, I have lots of albums>"

None of the albums had been played since late 1990s.

He is one of my neighbors and saved my life in November when coughing blood. He drove me over 2 hours to nearest hospital and ER and talked me into the system so they did not think me a crazy person.

Was introduced to Zappa by roommate at a boarding school in 1968.

Zappa shows:

Fillmore West, the first time.

Other times in no recalled order.

4 times at Berkeley Community Theatre, favorite show ever February 1974; exe spouse / college sweetheart has panties in the quilt from another BCT show.

Twice at Winterland, one of these shows the Magic Band opened and Beefheart sang Bongo Fury with Zappa.

Circle Star Theatre in San Carlos where the stage went around in slo-motion like a Lazy Susan and Tom Waites opened.

Those shows were between 1969 and 1984.

Was a chaperone of a high school thespian club spending a planned week on Broadway after Christmas and over New Year 79-80. There was a hotel full of high school kids from across the USA. We saw Baby Snakes in a theatre near Times Square. That was my addition to the cultural experience unique to our group.

[JoseBalow]

7. Frank was the best, I can never get enough of his great talent

I listen to his music every single day, I love it all!

(10:29)

[ProfessorGAC]

8. My Zappa Story

I've posted this before but for those Frank fans who didn't see it, I'll post it again.
In the early 90s (1992, I think) I was in Frankfurt, Germany to visit a reactor design company we worked with.
I had a couple engineers with me and the first afternoon we were heading back to our room and this guy passed us with a young woman & teenaged boy.
One of my guys said "That guy looks familiar." I said "Yeah, that was Frank Zappa."
The next morning I go down for breakfast and I see Frank sitting in the atrium (Frankfurter Hof) drinking coffee & reading the USA Today International.
I went over to tell him I really liked his "Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar" series.
He said thanks then said "You must be a musician. They're the only ones who ever say that."
I told him I was a keyboardist & guitarist. And, as I was about to walk away he asked me if I had breakfast yet. I said no & he says "Well, have a seat with me." & he calls the waiter over.
A minute or so later, my 2 guys head toward the restaurant but I just waved them by toward the restaurant.
So for 40 minutes or so Frank & I talked guitars, music & baseball. (Yep, baseball. Who knew?)
As I need to leave I stand up and reach for the bill to sign it and he says "No, I've got this."
So, I had breakfast with Frank, in Germany, and he paid for it.
About a year & a half later he died.
Talk about being in the right place at the right time!

[WestMichRad]

9. I'll assume he was an Orioles fan

… and probably “disliked” the Dodgers!

I always wanted to talk with Mr Zappa but never met him, other than seeing him in concert on one occasion (in Marquette MI, 1975, of all places).

[ProfessorGAC]

10. I Don't Recall...

...him focusing on any one team.
He was a big fan but had a "pox on both their houses" attitude about the recurring labor/ownership strife that ket happening every few years in the 80s and 90s.
And, he really liked Ricky Henderson.
I mostly remember our guitar talk & music theory (though that wasn't super deep).
I spent 2 or 3 minutes explaining why I never had any Gibson guitars. He obviously knew the difference between those & Fenders but wanted to know why I preferred the latter. My reasons, he had heard from other players before. After all, he knew a thousand of them!