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first to record fuzz bass (see notes in The Lost Episodes) "Fountain of Love" I think...

First (or one of the first) to record orchestra in multi-channel concept.(see Yellow Shark notes)

First major artist to seriously compose for the synclavier.

Possibly the first to conceptualize downloading music by subscription through the phone lines!
(see white paper he sent to major record labels)

Basically started "outsider music" and it could be argued that he was really the first "punk"
or "enfant terrible" in the industry. Come on people, wasn't he more of a badass than Iggy?
Sure he didn't cut himself up but he was more of an "individual" than ANYBODY!! Right to the end too.

Basically started "sampling" in the late seventies.

Read about how "Girl in the Magnesium Dress" was created...I think that's got to be a first.

That's all I can think of at the moment...

Zappa wrote classical music first. He didn't write rock and roll until he was in his early twenties. Perhaps he was the first classical composer to make a living by running a rock and roll band?

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The way I see it Barry, this should be a very dynamite show.

first jazz rock album? (hot rats)

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Who's this dude with his hair straight back?
His new white socks, 'n his pants all black
His T-shirts rolled His watch is gold
A '55 Chevy that his brother just stoled

First (and probably only) to use a 5-track recorder, courtesy of Paul Buff...

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The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true Art and Science. - Albert Einstein

No Paul Buff used it before Frank

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'N then I might just Jump back on An' ride Like a cowboy Into the dawn to Montana

First to play at a Royal establishment in the UK like the Festival Hall in '68 with his own band and hire members of an orchestra?

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"drums are too noisy, 'n you've got no corners to hide in"

first major artist to get control and ownership of his master tapes.

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"bit of nostalgia for the old folks."

this sounds similar to my experienc. i am a (very) poor artist. i would never even consider myself to be an artist, let alone to pursue my artistic interests if it weren't for two people. first and foremost is FZ and the other is R. Crumb. these two artists (along with a number of others) are the people who pointed out< to me at least, that it is ok to make the kind of art that you yourself would like to see hung on your wall or coming out of your speakers. it is a debt that i can only hope to one day repay

First funny genius!

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'N then I might just Jump back on An' ride Like a cowboy Into the dawn to Montana

I think there was some dispute as to whether Blonde On Blonde was the first double album...

And yes he was the first to "transduce" the marimba

the mothers of invention was first ROCK double album.

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Who's this dude with his hair straight back?
His new white socks, 'n his pants all black
His T-shirts rolled His watch is gold
A '55 Chevy that his brother just stoled

I was sure the Beau Brummelstones had the first rock double album.

http://noolmusic.com/videos/beau_brummelstones.php

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Stay with me flagrantly and we'll have ecstasy for all eternity.

i get it!

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Who's this dude with his hair straight back?
His new white socks, 'n his pants all black
His T-shirts rolled His watch is gold
A '55 Chevy that his brother just stoled

Dammit! Oh well no more Zappa for me.

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"If you wind up with a boring, miserable life because you listened to your mother, your Dad, your priest, to some guy on television, to any of the people telling you how to do your shit, then you DESERVE it."

Was he the first to do a double live lp as well?

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REDUNZL

oh no. zappa's first double live was 'roxy & elsewhere', released 1974.
deep purple came before him with 'made in japan' in 1972.
and humble pie had 'rockin' the fillmore' in 1971.
and 'colosseum live' was released in 1972.
and, there were at least a couple more than those ones before zappa...

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"bit of nostalgia for the old folks."

He might have been the first guitarist to release an album that features
fretless guitar work, (One Size Fits All). But I could be wrong.

Some fans mentioned, in earlier posts, that they had tried and failed to
enlighten others to the musical work of Frank.
In my experience, it is vital that you hit the new listener with something
they can relate to.

When I met my wife, 10 years ago, she liked Rock 'n Roll and Country music.
I played her 'Harder Than Your Husband' and it did the trick.

was the first who made me buy more than 100 records on vinyl

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*Most people wouldn't know good music if it came up and bit them in the ass.*

I don't think you are going to 'convert' a lot of women with this list of firsts. They probably will see you as even more obsessed.

I think most Zappophiles know the feeling: you like it very much but the response in your social environment is not the same as you think the music deserves. You might even have the feeling that Zappa's music has become part of your own identity and, therefore, get the idea that the others do not appreciate you for what you are...

It's my opinion, that there is something about Zappa that is distinctively showing a certain attitude. That attitude is visible in every picture, in every interview, in every song, in every joke, in every note. It's what some people call the 'raised eye brow'. And people respond to that attitude: they either like it, or they don't like it. Your wife apparrently belongs to the latter. You're not going to change her ideas about it by exposing her to that attitude.

My advice: enjoy zappa what he's worth and enjoy your wife for what she's worth.

I think that Ray Charles had him beat on this item.

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Bill

Tommy James and the Shondells' "Crimson and Clover" was recorded using a 16 track recorder in 1968.

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Bill

Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" came out 2 months before "Freak Out".

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Bill

First musician to sue a country (and won if i am not mistaken).

is blonde on blonde a ROCK record?

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Who's this dude with his hair straight back?
His new white socks, 'n his pants all black
His T-shirts rolled His watch is gold
A '55 Chevy that his brother just stoled

FZ might be the first rap artist.

The song intro to 'I Am The slime' is a rap!
A vocal rhyme over a backing groove.

Speed it up....and it is fittingly modern.

What do you think?