No Subject

[buck@satyr.sylvan.com (Michael Butler)]

Newsgroups: rec.music.gaffa
Path: buck
From: buck@satyr.sylvan.com (Michael Butler)
Subject: Mr Z ( was Re: What Kate is listening to)
Message-ID: <CKMA60.FyF@satyr.sylvan.com>
Organization: Sylvan Associates...  NOT!
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 1994 21:54:00 GMT
References: <9402021027.AA21840@cthru.iplan.co.za>

Kuyper H hangdogs:

>OK, head hung humbly! Not much I'm afraid, I only _own_ Overnite and
>Apostrophe, and I've heard most of Joe's Garage (on order) and
>whatever the radio station plays when they're feeling brave.

Oh, heck.  SOrry (grin).  For what it's worth, Zappa *did* write a lot
of dumb lyrics.  He'd be the first to admit it.  But that's mostly
because instrumentals get *no* airplay.  So he'd plop whatever vocal
amused him on top.  And he did have a quirky sense of humor.

The "Shut Up" series is particularly pointable-to as representative
of what Frank was capable of as a purely instrumental composer.

He was _good_.

>Last year one of the best DJ's on South African rock radio was "let go"
...
...
>door looking for my blood.  That's essentially been the Zappa I've
>been exposed to, I kinda assumed the rest was in the same line.

Great story.  Most people assume pretty much what you did.  Tain't
exactly true.  

<Michael takes deep breath, launches into lecture mode:>
(hit 'n' now if you wanna)

One of the things Zappa tried to do was to compose using "humor
somethings" to balance other compositional elements, rather like a
Calder mobile.  _Over-Nite Sensation_ was cranked out in the studio
after Zappa had sequestered himself with several dozen of the current
hit records and bombarded himself with them.  It was at least partly
his comment on/answer to the pop music of the day, and *was intended*
to create one or two hit songs to help him pay for his other projects,
thus the somewhat arch title.  It worked.  And the "humor somethings"
are laid on mighty thick there.

>I did not mean to imply anything _negative_ about his musicianship.

OK, sorry I came to that conclusion.

>> >Well, I enjoy Overnite too, so there!
>> 
>> Good.  What do you think of the "Shut Up 'N' Play Your Guitar" series?
>
>Not heard it, sorry :-(

If you get a chance, listen to 'em, especially the third volume,
_Return of the Son of Shut Up 'N' Play Your Guitar_.  Not easy
listening, but worth it, IMHO.

>I guess I'll have to be more careful in the future.  If it's any
>excuse, I was on medication when I wrote the original post :-)

No problem.  I didn't mean to jump down your throat.  :)

--M

ObKaTe:  EEK!  Can't think of anything to say!  Arrrgh!