Posted on 09/23/2016 8:21:30 PM PDT by Bullish
Hello again Boys and Girls. This is the Central Scrutinizer speaking…
Tonight’s selection is a Jazz Fusion album from 1972 entitled “The Grand Wazoo”. It’s one of my all time fav’s and represents one of Zappa’s earliest leaps into composing for a ‘Big Band’ sound.
This is a link to the entire album separated into its 5 tracks. Though I loved this album thoroughly as a youngster I always really dug tracks 4 and 5, “Eat that question” and “Blessed Relief” the best. Some of this takes a few listens before it grows on you bigtime. Zappa aficionado’s know exactly what I mean by that. You young hipsters amongst us should give it a listen too and see what some of us old weirdo’s used to, and still love.
Warning, This music is NOT for everyone. There are “opaque melodies that would bug most people” You've been warned.
Wow! I haven’t heard this since it came out (when I listened to it over and over).
Thanks for posting and refreshing the lost memory!
My pleasure, man. You’re very welcome.
Now I’ve moved on to Waka/Jawaka... LOL.
At 2:50 on the GW, you can hear the lead bridge break of Pink Floyd money.
Thanks!
(sort of)
iTunes just made a bunch of $$$, replacing all that vinyl...
I’m still surprised - after how many years - ya can still remember...
Tnx again
Waka Jawaka came before this album but in the same year IIRC. I have them both in my library. Of those two I prefer this one by far.
In the middle of the track “eat that question” comes a guitar lead using effects from the wah-wah pedal which legend says Zappa invented. I don’t know if that’s true but It’s one of my favorite Zappa leads of all time and that’s saying something. It does show how Frank was a master at using effects to get different sounds from the same guitar.
When I seen him live he had a stack of knobs and things that was higher then he was that he would twiddle around with to get different effects.
Agreed. WJW has less structure, more improvisation, runs on a bit.
I just haven’t heard either in years!
Well, PF copied Zappa then because “money” came out in ‘73. This is from ‘72.
They’re both great and a little different from what he was up to before and after. However they’re the same ‘big band’ structure. IIRC Waka Jawaka has a killer pedal slide lead on the track “It just might be a one shot deal” which is the best song on the album and one of the best pedal steel leads I’ve ever heard. That one REALLY grows on ya’ IMO.
I agree again. That pedal steel solo is beautiful, one of my favorite parts in this whole Zappa period. Really tasteful. I can’t recall Zappa using a pedal steel anywhere else.
It’s not Zappa playing the PS by the way in case you’re wondering. It’s Sneaky Pete Kleinow on the PS.
I had all the Zappa albums coming up from Freak Out to One Size Fits All. Grand Wazoo was one of my favorites.
Where did they go? When did they come from?
Did you have the album”we’re only in it for the money”?
I loved that one from the early mothers.
Hello, sorry for the delayed response. I left town on Saturday the 24th and just got back home (no laptop).
Yes indeedy I had We’re Only In It For The Money...probably my most favorite early Mothers album along with Uncle Meat and a few others.
Overall I think Overnight Sensation is my alltime favorite album though.
Unfortunately, I lost that album due to a break in and went about trying to find a replacement. Never found another copy of it but found out that the tracks were on the American released "in it for the money' so I tried to find a copy of that one. Of course, it wasn't in the stores anymore by then and it was before Amazon and the internet so I went around looking through used album places like Rhino records and such. Never found either one and was very hungry to hear those tracks again. They never got any play on any radio anywhere in those days. Finally got a copy of "In it for money' on CD through Amazon about 10 yrs ago. For some reason those two were the hardest mothers albums to find. Weird because that was really some of the best of the early stuff.
I did another post featuring Zappa's 'The Grand Wazoo' last Friday I posted a link to the full album seperated into it's 5 tracks. didn't get much interest in the post so I don't know if I will continue my "Opaque melodies" posts in the future.
Thanks for your reply, FReegards,
Bullish
Oh whoops, I just noticed this is the Grand Wazoo thread. For a minute I thought it was the previous FZ thread I posted... My bad.
I can see how that was confusing as I had responded to your Grand Wazoo thread on Saturday morning around 6:00 am and me and the wife took off for the beach at approximately 7:00 am for a week vacation on the Alabama coast.
I didn’t see your reply until the following Saturday when we got home. I had no computer access for the week I was gone.
Yep, I was one of those Zappa Heads back in the day. My neighbor next door bought the Freak Out album sometime around 1967 or 68 and I loved it. Bought it shortly thereafter and continued with Zappa until the late 70’s.
Weasels Ripped My Flesh is another great one from FZ and I always loved the live album Roxy And Elsewhere.
The Hot Rats album with Peaches En Regalia just blew me away when it was released!
Hard to believe Frank is no longer with us...great talent taken too soon.
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