Zappa.com

I've gone by the name of sonny but already I want to change it to Sonny and can't figure out how to do it...

Anyway I'm currently obsessed with Frank Zappa and I admit I don't own any original albums, only original dvds but the internet has allowed me to appreciate this man in a way I wouldn't have been able to do if I'd had to pay for every album because he made so much music I couldn't justify spending the money!

But that's completely irrelevant, I suspect the great man would understand it's all about being one of the chosen ones who can appreciate how truely great he was and I am firmly in that category.

My favourite era is the whole of the 70's and I'm usually listening to live renditions of classics such as Zombie Woofe, Penguin in Bondage, Montana etc etc and marvelling in how every rendition is different yet always absolutely perfect so it's hard to have a favourite...

Of course there are so many great Zappa tracks and the titles I chose above just sprang to mind, I don't want to sound like a noob picking popular tracks because I love all of his work. My background is metal and of my tastes I would say Meshuggah, Primus and Coprofago points to where I'm coming from.

My first memory of Frank Zappa was as a kid always skimming through cd's in record shops and seeing him name cropping up in the Z's and an overriding memory is seeing a documentary on BBC2 just before he died, knowing he was terminally ill and how cool I thought his music was but how it was beyond my comprehension and I needed to go out and explore music and come back to him in a few years time.

I'm going to bookmark this page and see how it goes, if I feel like sticking around I tell you I can be a post whore but I'm also liable to leave as quickly as I arrived if I lose interest.

We LOVE post whores!

you like Frank Zappa, that's good!
where do you get these zappa records on the internet or are you talking about various live renditions?
because if you don't have many of the studio albums, you're missing a bunch, friend!

don't get me wrong the live stuff can be fantastic even if an audience recording, but much of the studio stuff is what he wanted to have out there as being repeated representations of how he wanted it to be heard. Live venues can introduce so many crazy variables, especially with the recorder hidden under the jacket . . . etc.
This listener would encourage ya to check out some of the studio releases or anything in the official catalog
unless I totally missed yer point, which happens
(:
nice to see ya!

_________________
" . . . On the outside now . . ."

um yeah you've missed my point but I can see how you read not owning any originals as not having the studio albums. I was meaning I haven't gone out and bought these albums but instead I acquired them from Soulseek!

I love all the studio albums - Freak Out, Apostrophe, One Size Fits All, Absolutely Free, We're Only In It For The Money, Overnite Sensation to name but a few. I was under the impression Zappa professionally recorded most of his gigs so there's no point settling for a tape recorder hidden in a pocket!

I mean take Zomby Woofe and Montana for instance - both from Overnite Sensation and both really great sounding but they appear on various live albums and they sound different each time. Zomby Woofe on YCDTOSA vol 1 is absolute perfection. Montana is always great but the live version from 1973 in Stockholm (I think) when Jean-Luc Ponty was in the band is incredible and one of my favourite ever Zappa solos. In fact it's on youtube:


.... and I can't post a link because I'm a newbie. Go to youtube and type in zappa sweden 1973 montana and it should come up top of the list.

Welcome to the board.
IMO I feel its wrong to dl official Zappa releases, but thats just me. If you want to dl live unofficial Zappa shows check this link out...it may change your life.

http://www.zappateers.com/bb/index.php

_________________

Ah yes, I understand perfectly.
you said

I would think that enjoying it and seeing so many releases and the more you hear it the more you like it, would be the thing that would enable you to justify spending the money. One of the reasons I like having my own hard copy is just so that I can find it.
But however you came to it, one of the things that knocks me out IS all the different versions of songs, different times, different shows, different bands etc.
He was a composer, so he could do that because he wanted to hear what it sounded like that way. . .\
I know that version of Montana on youtube
and guess what? there's another with video and Dupree's Paradise, here
http://www.zappa.com/stufftoget/video/index.html
left hand side, 2nd one down
(:

_________________
" . . . On the outside now . . ."

cheers


Yes of course I am debating whether to get some of those on original now I'm familiar with them but the problem is I won't listen to the originals even if I buy them because I listen to everything through my pc or mp3 player and I already have the music!

Anyway, I didn't come here to talk about downloading music I just thought I'd mention the fact that rather than spend a months wages or more solidly on Zappa cd's, I stole them off the internet because I wanted to hear them and it's so easy to do! Anyway I bet most of you on this forum don't own every original even if you have in your posession every album! Plus I have bought the original dvd's so some of my hard earned cash has gone to the Zappa family

I don't own anything that is STOLEN.

Music pirates can lick my ass.

When I first got into Zappa, I copied from some CD's that a friend had until I bought my own. I downloaded some too. I've now replaced the downloads with official releases, though I by no means have the full collection yet! I'm working on it!
If you live in the UK, theres a shop called Music Zone and they sell a lot of Zappa CD's at pretty cut down prices. That's where I got most of mine. I also use play.com where the prices are pretty reasonable and it's free delivery too.

_________________
"Listen to that noise! It's like Barry White eating wasps."

yes a brief look on amazon gave certain prices at £15.99 and I'm thinking fuck that! If / when I get some it'll be brand new but as cheap as I can find them. CD's are rip off in this country if you go to the high street stores.

Anyway, thanks punknaynowned the link to Montana '73 Hollywood. Same year, 100% different guitar solo! That's what it's all about. The solo in Stockholm is much better though

Me and my big mouth coming here and in my first post mentioning that I've got into Zappa through the internet. I understand your viewpoint of course but the way I see it is I probably wouldn't have even tried it if I had to buy it before even knowing what it would sound like. And with so many albums to choose from... anyway, I'm no thief and if I get a pay rise next month I'll be purchasing my favourites, especially those which I know will better quality that I already have.