Frank Zappa

[Matching Mole]

While I'm clogging the Music board with my "wisdom", here comes another gem. Am I alone in finding the music of Frank Zappa utterly unpalatable? I don't mind some of his early stuff, like Freak Out and We're Only In It For The Money and Hot Rats, but most of his music is sarcastic, smarmy, jokey, tedious crap. Anything he recorded after 1971 is just toxic to these ears. I'm writing this listening to a CD of his (Strictly Commercial - a "best of") for the sake of a friend, and boy is it tough going.

Thoughts?

 

[CarterS]

Zappa was never meant to be easy-going listening. You need to give it some time and effort and it should start to grow on you.

 

[materamagic]

peaches enragillia or however spelled sounds great. disco boy is a good one, some ecclectic taste you got, there, zappa was interesting, out there stuff not liked by everyone but you get the hardcore zappa fans. did you know he and/or his band performed with Lennon on one of Johns live albums sometime in nyc or the live show around that time

 

[Binxy]

It's funny, I don't really like anything Pre-Hot Rats. Absolutely love most of his mid/late 70's/early 80's stuff.

I will admit he can get peurile but with a catalogue of over 50 albums, it's never all going to be gold. It also represents a time in music we will, sadly, probably never hear/see again. He was a real muso's muso who had the freedom to do as he wished and take it up to anyone, because he was solely self funded.

He also fought the PMRC against severe censorship of music in the 80's (he didn't win but he made a difference - things would be a lot worse today without him).

Musically, check out "One Size Fits All" and "The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life" for a taste of his true genius. I also highly recommend "The Real Frank Zappa" book.