I’m keeping this one very simple and to the point as its the third such posting, and we still have a couple of more to do unless my count is off. With that being said, let’s raise a glass for the Third Wave of Frank Zappa re-issues that have just come out thanks to the association between Universal Music and Zappa Records. For those who might be unaware of this cool musical news, let me quickly recap and state how for the first time in a very long time that the complete catalog of the legendary Frank Zappa is now in his family’s control. This led to their being re-issued in order for new generations of fans to enjoy and those older fans to finally complete their collection or start building a new one. The Third Wave of releases takes us from 1979 to 1984 and while only a few years are the albums that gave us Steve Vai and made Valley Girl speak a nationwide sensation. Fer sure, Ohmagawd, Totally!!! My favorites from this batch are “Joe’s Garage”, “You Are What You Is”, “Baby Snakes” and “Them Or Us” – What are yours? I’ll leave the comments open for you to share your own insight, but please leave the views to this batch of twelve. You can always check the other postings to speak about the earlier twenty four.
Continue reading Frank Zappa Re-Issues Continue “Joe’s Garage” Marks Wave 3
Tag Archives: mothers of invention
The Frank Zappa Re-Issues Continue With Second Wave (8/31/2012)
Yes I know that “Freak Out” was the first actual Frank Zappa and the Mothers Of Invention album and hence a part of the first wave of re-issues that were coming care of the arrangement between the Zappa Family Trust and Universal Music but give me a little bit of an artistic license here. I still have a few more chapters to post and make it up to you. For those who are just joining us and seeing this as completely new news, for the first time in many, many years – the entire music catalog of the late great Frank Zappa is back in the hands of the Zappa Family Trust and are being re-issued by Universal Music. I spoke about it in THIS POST in case you are wondering. For those legacy fans who might not have a complete set as yet now is the perfect time to start fixing that. I have also said this in the earlier post but will repeat again that this is great for the new fan and those too young to have experienced Zappa when he was still with us. He was the king of experimentation and innovation along with creativity in sound and they need to follow this legacy especially if they are fans of Progressive music.
Continue reading The Frank Zappa Re-Issues Continue With Second Wave (8/31/2012)
Let Your Music Collection “Freak Out” with Frank Zappa (7/31/2012)
There has truly never been a better time to be into or to get into the music of the legendary Frank Zappa. This is especially the case if you are a fan of Progressive or Avant-garde type of stuff because there was no one else quite like him and that is what makes me share this bit of press with you readers of the PiercingMetal Musings blog. Prepare yourself now….go ahead….
Continue reading Let Your Music Collection “Freak Out” with Frank Zappa (7/31/2012)
Frank Zappa: Eighteen Years Gone (12/4/1993-12/4/2011)
It’s pretty wild to realize that it was eighteen years ago today that the world of music lost the genius of Frank Zappa. I have to admit that I was very late in the game in becoming a supporter of what he did and this surprised me since his clever “weirdness” would have been right up my alley had I started listening sooner. At the time I was sadly locked into three or four bands in terms of my musical focus and this is a very unhealthy practice because it limits your discovery to the other wonderful things that are going on in the world of music.
Zappa had been active for pretty much my entire life by the time that I got into him and it was thanks to my friend Riz that I got a couple of albums as a Birthday or Christmas present, I no longer recall which it was but I do remember that it was a vinyl LP of “You Are What You Is”. From there I was hooked and I snared a couple of other albums from the local record store with both “Zoot Allures” and Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers Of Invention”. Really great stuff, but clearly music that you had to let do its thing on your musical psyche first to get the proper effect. Since we were all musicians we used to sometimes have Zappa hangs where all we would do was enjoy his music and drink some cold beers. It was a fantastic way to indulge in his genius with ones own musical comrades.
He was an innovative music creator, a filmmaker, an elder statesman on music life and pretty much a composing genius along with being an ass-kicking guitar player. Thanks to the music of Zappa I first heard of folks like Steve Vai and Terry Bozzio to name a few. The list goes on but I will keep it short. Frank did so much and all of it was inspiring to learn about. I learned a lot about his life in the autobiography “The Real Frank Zappa Book” and cannot recommend it highly enough. Sadly, Zappa would leave us in 1993 because of prostate cancer. According to press reports, it had been working its sinister design on the musician for ten years and was not diagnosed before it was far too late to help him. He died just short of his 53rd birthday. Frank was survived by his wife Gail and their four children. Of them all, his son Dweezil continues to play Frank Zappa music in a touring sense with his “Zappa Meets Zappa” show. I’ve seen the DVD and its fantastic. Well worth buying and seeing live if at all possible.
So much can be learned about the musician and his myriad of achievements for the betterment of what we call music via his Wikipedia page. Check that our HERE.
I created a Widget in Amazon.com that features a ton of his work in music and even some books on his life. If you consider yourself a true Connoisseur of edgy and Progressive music, then you need to do yourself the favor and treat your library to some Frank Zappa if you find that it is sparse along those lines. You can thank me later.
Thank you Mr. Zappa for all that you gave us. You’re sounds will live on forever thanks to all your recordings and ideas along with those whom your style influenced the strongest. We owe you a tremendous debt for trying to make a difference. The world will never know another like you.
Official Zappa Website: http://www.zappa.com/
Oh yeah, before I forget. I shot this photo awhile ago as its in my direct path on the avenue I hit when I am off to the market. It always struck me as a curiosity, but I shot the image for the hell of it and now I have a place to put it. I admit that I am not sure whether this was just someone’s similar surname or if this was a hardcore fan who etched it into the cement forever. I will go with that one okay? Enjoy and again, listen to some Zappa – It does a musical mind good.