Frank Zappa / Zircon-Encrusted Tweezers
Marc Barman
"Apostrophe" album. A classic!
Two of the songs on the album, "Dyna-Moe-Humm" and "Montana", reference
"Zircon-Encrusted Tweezers" in their lyrics.
Do any of you Zappa-philes know the deep inner meaning of this reference?
It's geneology? Are there any other FZ songs with this reference?
Thanks!
Marc "I'm going home to my Mothers" Barman
Hewlett-Packard Co.
Palo Alto, CA
bar...@hpcea.hplabs.hp.com
Guitarist from hell
>After searching for many months, I finally got a hold of Frank Zappa's
>"Apostrophe" album. A classic!
>Two of the songs on the album, "Dyna-Moe-Humm" and "Montana", reference
>"Zircon-Encrusted Tweezers" in their lyrics.
Well, you have the albums mixed up. THese songs are on Overnite Sensation.
I assume you bought the CD which has both Apostrophe and Overnite Sensation.
>Do any of you Zappa-philes know the deep inner meaning of this reference?
>It's geneology? Are there any other FZ songs with this reference?
I don't think there is any deep rooted meaning to Zircon Encrusted Tweezers.
Zappa has many themes running throughout his catalog of music, Fido (or
Phideaux), Billy the Mountain, Serious Leather, Suzie Creamcheese, Mr. Green
Genes, Desenex Burgers, groupies (and their nefarious activities), Meat,
and probably hundreds of other referrences exist in at least a couple of albums
each, things like groupies pop up all the time. Zappa admits that he has
no attachment to these concepts he just includes them for consistancy sake
(he calls it "conceptual continuity").
Another referrence you can find on the Apostrophe and Overnite Sensation
disc, real poncho's vs. Sears poncho's are contemplated in both Cosmik
Debris and Camarillo Brillo.
>
>Thanks!
>
>Marc "I'm going home to my Mothers" Barman
>Hewlett-Packard Co.
>Palo Alto, CA
>bar...@hpcea.hplabs.hp.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard Fox | fo...@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu
Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence |
Research | from the depths of the
The Ohio State University | Utility Muffin Research Kitchen
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Where can I go to get my jeans embrodered?" - Eddie
"At jeans North where nothing fits" - Flo
-- Call Any Vegetable, Frank Zappa
Jeremy York
>"Apostrophe" album. A classic!
>
>Two of the songs on the album, "Dyna-Moe-Humm" and "Montana", reference
>"Zircon-Encrusted Tweezers" in their lyrics.
>
Whah-whah-whah-what???
Apostrophe was one of the first albums I bought as a tyke, after hearing
"Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" on the radio. My album doesn't have either
of these songs! From memory, tracks included : Don't Eat The Yellow
Snow/Nanook Rubs It/St Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast; Apostrophe (with
Jack Bruce); Stinkfoot; Cosmik Debris; Uncle Remus; a few others.
Is what you bought a re-release or something?
As far as the weird references, I can't really help you. Zappa is
pretty damn bizarre, and so are his bands, so there are a lot of
inside jokes floating around. Maybe you'd find enlightenment
in his book that got published last year. Call 818-PUMPKIN to
find out availability of Zappa shtuff, it's a hotline for
those who've been Zapped.
I've heard that those in the rock press that liked Zappa back then,
didn't like Apostrophe all that much. If you compare it to some of
the stuff that he had been doing earlier, it's much more accessible,
commercial, and tame. The experimental music and production
work were missing, instead it was just a bizarre rock album. Don't
get me wrong, I really like the album, it's just interesting to see
what some people thought of it at the time.
Did anyone read the Zappa interview recently in High Times? I wonder
about his sanity, it seems he really believes a lot of this flaky
conspiracy stuff that you hear, for example, on Thing-Fish. Aids
was cooked up in a secret gov't lab to kill off unwanted blacks and
homosexuals, thus relieving "de white main's boiden, if youz acquires
mah drift". He talks like he really believes this shit! I wonder if
he really believes some of the crap that he spouts about homosexuals
on some albums, too? I mean, I used to just laugh and take it all as
a joke until I saw that interview, but now I'm not sure what to think
of him. Does anyone have anything to say about this?
Finally, what would people think of a Zappa mailing list? However, I'm
not interested in, or capable of, setting it up. Any takers? There's
certainly a lot to talk about!
--
jer...@klahhane.stat.washington.edu
Larry Spence
>In article <861...@hpcea.CE.HP.COM> bar...@hpcea.CE.HP.COM (Marc Barman) writes:
>>After searching for many months, I finally got a hold of Frank Zappa's
>>"Apostrophe" album. A classic!
>>Two of the songs on the album, "Dyna-Moe-Humm" and "Montana", reference
>>"Zircon-Encrusted Tweezers" in their lyrics.
>
I have a vaguely related technical question. On the "Apostrophe(') / Overnight
Sensation CD," it credits Bob Stone with "Digital Transfer and Tweeze." I
don't have those albums on vinyl, and my tapes are less-than-pristine, and I
noticed a few glitches on the CD. Not many, but a couple of unintended-
sounding noises. Also, the EQ sounds slightly different than the original.
Does anyone know what "tweezing" was done? The CD is marked "AAD," so there's
no claim of remixing (FZ does only digital mixing now). Nonetheless, I get
the impression that something more than the usual remastering was done. FZ
usually uses the term "tweezing" the way mere mortals (ahem) would use
"tweak." What was tweaked/tweezed? Were the master tapes damaged?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Some people's hot
Some people's cold
Some people's not very
Swift to behold"
- "Po-Jama People" (One Size Fits All)
--
Larry Spence
larry@csccat
...{texbell,texsun}!csccat!larry
John M. Relph
jer...@klahhane.stat.washington.edu writes:
>Finally, what would people think of a Zappa mailing list? However, I'm
>not interested in, or capable of, setting it up. Any takers? There's
>certainly a lot to talk about!
I'm interested in subscribing to a Frank Zappa mailing list. I am not
willing to administer it, as I already administer one mailing list. I
am, however, certainly willing to donate the highly customized
digestification software for UNIX that I've got. If anyone on a UNIX
box is interested in administering a Zappa mailing list, please let me
know.
-- John
--
You've seen one nuclear holocaust, you've seen them all. -- XTC
Larry Spence
>about his sanity, it seems he really believes a lot of this flaky
>conspiracy stuff that you hear, for example, on Thing-Fish. Aids
>was cooked up in a secret gov't lab to kill off unwanted blacks and
>homosexuals, thus relieving "de white main's boiden, if youz acquires
>mah drift". He talks like he really believes this shit!
He does. I wonder about his line that AIDS is overhyped by the govt., and
that the risks aren't really that big. Frank's wife has said that when
she met Frank, he had every (venereal) disease that was known to mankind
at the time (I guess that means everything but AIDS?). He's always joked
about groupies and diseases, etc. This is one area in which I think Frank
is WAY off the mark, and his comments could potentially help kill people
who believe him.
>I wonder if
>he really believes some of the crap that he spouts about homosexuals
>on some albums, too? I mean, I used to just laugh and take it all as
>a joke until I saw that interview, but now I'm not sure what to think
>of him. Does anyone have anything to say about this?
I think Frank's music is wonderful, although even that has been in decline
since 1979 (my opinion). But I wouldn't try to live my life based on his
philosophies in general. I'd like to read this High Times article, though.
Frank has said that he's down on drugs, but that cigarettes and coffee are
"food," not drugs. I admire a lot of things he's done, but he has been
known to be full of shit from time to time.
>Finally, what would people think of a Zappa mailing list? However, I'm
>not interested in, or capable of, setting it up. Any takers? There's
>certainly a lot to talk about!
I don't like mailing lists in general. They make it difficult for people
who aren't fans to casually pick up enough info to get interested (unless
you subscribe to every list in existence), and they segregate discussions
into "ghettos." I don't mind using the = key and looking for stuff that's
of interest to me, and I often find out about something new that I wouldn't
have gone out of my way to find out about otherwise. I also like the conflict
between rabid, mindless fans and cynics who think they're just drooling! A
mailing list can easily degenerate into "Oh gosh, isn't all of band X's
stuff just PERFECT," which bores me to death.
Tar On My Teeth
>about his sanity, it seems he really believes a lot of this flaky
>conspiracy stuff that you hear, for example, on Thing-Fish. Aids
>was cooked up in a secret gov't lab to kill off unwanted blacks and
>homosexuals, thus relieving "de white main's boiden, if youz acquires
>mah drift". He talks like he really believes this shit! I wonder if
>he really believes some of the crap that he spouts about homosexuals
>on some albums, too? I mean, I used to just laugh and take it all as
>a joke until I saw that interview, but now I'm not sure what to think
>of him. Does anyone have anything to say about this?
>
It is a fact that sometime before the 20's and the 30's either the US
Gubmint or local authorities infected many blacks in prisons with
the syphyllis ("that being what they done before when they was messing
with de zyphyllis"). This was done without the peoples consent too.
Now tell me that it isn't possible for some fundamentalist/racist guy
to produce a "potion" that would get rid of all "highly rhythmic
individuals and sissy boys." I'm not saying that this indeed happened,
I'm saying that it is not beyond the realms of possibility (remember
the Nazi Germany that produced and "ultimate solution" to the "Jewish
Problem," during that time Americans as a whole were also unbelieving
that such genocide could occur at all. As a matter of fact some strange
individuals *still* doubt the veracity of the "numbers" of Jews who were
"exterminated").
Regarding Zappa's "homophobe" attitude - this is a little more difficult.
Is he truly homophobic or is he acting as an antenna for the general
currents that he percieves in America today? In a like manner is he
really misogynistic or does the same argument apply. In the case of
his alleged "woman hating attitude", it might be illustrative to see
parts of his interview in the video DOES HUMOUR BELONG IN MUSIC. Also
listen *carefully* to his lyrics in "What is the ugliest part of your
body" and "Any kind of pain". I think that you will revise your
opinion. I cannot make the same definitive claim about his supposed
"homophobic" attitudes. Perhaps someone else can elucidate????
Samir Chettri
(che...@huey.udel.edu)
Guitarist from hell
>Did anyone read the Zappa interview recently in High Times? I wonder
>about his sanity, it seems he really believes a lot of this flaky
>conspiracy stuff that you hear, for example, on Thing-Fish. Aids
>was cooked up in a secret gov't lab to kill off unwanted blacks and
>homosexuals, thus relieving "de white main's boiden, if youz acquires
>mah drift". He talks like he really believes this shit! I wonder if
>he really believes some of the crap that he spouts about homosexuals
>on some albums, too? I mean, I used to just laugh and take it all as
>a joke until I saw that interview, but now I'm not sure what to think
>of him. Does anyone have anything to say about this?
Well, Frank is well known for very outrageous and controversial opinions
on many matters. I highly recommend his autobiography, _The_Real_Frank_Zappa_
Book_ which is full of such things.
For instance, his attitude toward people is not to trust anyone, to believe
that everyone you meet are assholes until proven otherwise, to generally
feel that people are out to rip you off.
Now this is a very severe attitude. But after reading the book, you will
realize that he is continually being ripped off (or people are trying
to rip him off), from Warner Bros who he sued because they didn't pay him
for 4 records to musician unions which enforce outrageous rehearsal pay
scales to concert hall unions which forced him to lose millions of dollars
on the 1988 tour because they charged him outrageous amounts of money for
the union staff which didn't do anything because he brought along his own
staff of roadies and such. With these sorts of things happening, I can
understand his attitude.
Now, as for his comments about Aids and corruption in government and other
comments he has made recently, I believe he is just trying to get a point
across. THe point is "It could be true, don't dismiss it out of hand, at
least consider it. If you don't believe it after you have examined the
facts with an open mind, then fine, but don't turn your back on his
arguments just because they seem preposterous". This is my opinion on
what he would say to you when you say he's full of shit. Actually, he
would probably say to go fuck yourself.
Anyways, I really have obtained a perspective that Zappa is more right
than you would think normally. Take a look at all the crap thats happening
in the world (the bad crap, not the good crap). You might realize that
much of what he preaches is true:
Religion is dangerous in the wrong hands,
Most people are out for themselves and don't care how their
stupidity affects others
Most politicians are corrupt to some extent
Many politicians are too stupid to hold the posts they have
Religion should be kept out of government at all costs (something
that gets blurred in our country)
A Secret Government does exist in the US (just look at Oliver
North), and they are doin things that would scare the
piss out of any of us.
Well, these are my opinions that I share with Frank, think about them. I
also think that everyone should read his autobiography. His chapters on
the PMRC and unions are very poignant
>
>Finally, what would people think of a Zappa mailing list? However, I'm
>not interested in, or capable of, setting it up. Any takers? There's
>certainly a lot to talk about!
I'd be all for a mailing list but as everyone else has said, I wouldn't
want to be in charge of it.
>--
>jer...@klahhane.stat.washington.edu
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard Fox | fo...@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu
Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence |
Research | from the depths of the
The Ohio State University | Utility Muffin Research Kitchen
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I'm about to get sick from watching M-TV"
-- Trouble Every Day (Does Humor... version), Frank Zappa
Marc Barman
>>"Apostrophe" album. A classic!
>>Two of the songs on the album, "Dyna-Moe-Humm" and "Montana", reference
>>"Zircon-Encrusted Tweezers" in their lyrics.
>
>I assume you bought the CD which has both Apostrophe and Overnite Sensation.
Yes, that's the CD. Sorry for the mix-up!
>Another referrence you can find on the Apostrophe and Overnite Sensation
>disc, real poncho's vs. Sears poncho's are contemplated in both Cosmik
>Debris and Camarillo Brillo.
I'll check that out!
>>
>>Thanks!
>>
Thanks Again!
Larry Spence
>comments he has made recently, I believe he is just trying to get a point
>across. THe point is "It could be true, don't dismiss it out of hand, at
>least consider it. If you don't believe it after you have examined the
>facts with an open mind, then fine, but don't turn your back on his
>arguments just because they seem preposterous".
I would never dismiss Frank's opinions out of hand. However, I think it's
irresponsible to downplay the risks of anal sex, as he does in the song
"Promiscuous" from Broadway the Hard Way! MOST of the stuff the govt. spews
may be bullshit, but it would be a mistake to assume that EVERY warning they
issue is unnecessary. With regard to AIDS, I don't think it's a good idea
to say "Maybe AIDS is a govt. scheme." Maybe it is, but would YOU want to
say that if you weren't absolutely sure?
>This is my opinion on
>what he would say to you when you say he's full of shit. Actually, he
>would probably say to go fuck yourself.
Given Frank's recent level of cynicism (record high!), I doubt if he would
even bother with that. He'd probably have his bodyguard deal with me.
>Anyways, I really have obtained a perspective that Zappa is more right
>than you would think normally. Take a look at all the crap thats happening
>in the world (the bad crap, not the good crap). You might realize that
>much of what he preaches is true:
> Religion is dangerous in the wrong hands,
> ... etc ...
Agreed 100%. Frank was saying this stuff in 1969, when Nixon was president,
in 1979, before Reagan got elected, and in 1988, as Reagan was about to be
replaced with Bush. We certainly can't say he didn't warn us!
I still think it's irresponsible for him to say it's OK to be promiscuous
and have anal sex when there's AIDS, Epstein-Barr, super-syphilis, warts,
and all the other nasty stuff out there. Frank is married, maybe he doesn't
actually have to deal with the consequences of what he's preaching. I wonder
what he tells Moon, Dweezil, and Ahmet to do about sex?
Larry Spence
>With regard to AIDS, I don't think it's a good idea
>to say "Maybe AIDS is a govt. scheme." Maybe it is, but would YOU want to
>say that if you weren't absolutely sure?
Oops, my brain must have been disengaged when I wrote that. I MEANT to say,
"I don't think it's a good idea to say 'Maybe being promiscuous and having
anal sex is OK.'" Maybe it is, but would YOU want to tell people that if
you weren't absolutely sure?
I hypothesize about govt. schemes all the time without being absolutely sure
it's true!
Erland Sommarskog
>Finally, what would people think of a Zappa mailing list? However, I'm
>not interested in, or capable of, setting it up. Any takers? There's
>certainly a lot to talk about!
What's wrong with rec.music.misc?
--
Erland Sommarskog - ENEA Data, Stockholm - som...@enea.se
Erland Sommarskog
>I don't think there is any deep rooted meaning to Zircon Encrusted Tweezers.
>Zappa has many themes running throughout his catalog of music, Fido (or
>Phideaux), Billy the Mountain, Serious Leather, Suzie Creamcheese, Mr. Green
>Genes, Desenex Burgers, groupies (and their nefarious activities), Meat,
>and probably hundreds of other referrences exist in at least a couple of albums
>each, things like groupies pop up all the time. Zappa admits that he has
>no attachment to these concepts he just includes them for consistancy sake
>(he calls it "conceptual continuity").
Hm, but not all of these are picked out of the blue. The groupie
thing apparently had its background to the life on the road back
in those days, and maybe still has. Suzie Creamcheese apparently
was a girl connected with Mothers, although her real name supposedly
was soemthing different.
And Mr Green Genes doesn't really belong here; that's just a song
about a kids TV programme to tell them to eat their vegetables. The
name of the TV programme was just Mr Green Genes I'm told. As far as
I can recall that expression doesn't turn up elsewhere except in "Son
of Mr Green Genes" which simply is development of the theme in the
original song.
As for the tweezers I don't know what it is. Probably just as
Richard says, just another of these weird expression he throws in
times.
And the term "conceptual continuity" is of course taken from
"Stink-Foot".
R o d Johnson
>>After searching for many months, I finally got a hold of Frank Zappa's
>>"Apostrophe" album. A classic!
>>Two of the songs on the album, "Dyna-Moe-Humm" and "Montana", reference
>>"Zircon-Encrusted Tweezers" in their lyrics.
>>It's geneology? Are there any other FZ songs with this reference?
>
>I don't think there is any deep rooted meaning to Zircon Encrusted Tweezers.
Actually, I remember Zappa mentioning this in interviews at the time.
Apparently zircon is sort of a personal symbol of a certain kind of
ostentatious cheesiness to him. He mentioned Fats Domino, who wore
suits encrusted with zircons, and late-night TV ads for those $15.95
"diamonds" which are actually zircons.
When it comes to the meaning of tweezers, well, you're on your own. . .
Rod Johnson - U Michigan Linguistics : Internet: r...@um.cc.umich.edu
in exile in Minnesota : Phone: (507) 645 9804
It's Mr. Boyo to you Dylan
>It is a fact that sometime before the 20's and the 30's either the US
>Gubmint or local authorities infected many blacks in prisons with
>the syphyllis ("that being what they done before when they was messing
>with de zyphyllis"). This was done without the peoples consent too.
Are you perhaps confusing this with the small town in (Mississippi?)
where mostly poor blacks were left with untreated syph for a period
of a couple of decades so that the long term effects of syph could
be studied? (I'll try and find my book on the history of this
atrocity.)
--
Skate UNIX.
J. Eric Townsend -- j...@karazm.math.uh.edu
EastEnders mailing list -- east...@karazm.math.uh.edu
John_Fereira
>
>I don't think there is any deep rooted meaning to Zircon Encrusted Tweezers.
>Phideaux), Billy the Mountain, Serious Leather, Suzie Creamcheese, Mr. Green
>Genes, Desenex Burgers, groupies (and their nefarious activities), Meat,
>and probably hundreds of other referrences exist in at least a couple of albums
>each, things like groupies pop up all the time.
Some pretty interesting Zappa trivia questions could be made from
some of these concepts. For example:
What was "destined to replace the mudshark in your mythology"?
Anyone care to put together a Zappa quiz?
>
>"Where can I go to get my jeans embrodered?" - Eddie
>"At jeans North where nothing fits" - Flo
> -- Call Any Vegetable, Frank Zappa
"Where can I go to get my stomach pumped?"
-- Same as above
--
John Fereira
john%hp-...@hplabs.hp.com or jo...@hp-ptp.ptp.hp.com
Erland Sommarskog
>Some pretty interesting Zappa trivia questions could be made from
>some of these concepts. For example:
>
>What was "destined to replace the mudshark in your mythology"?
Well, one shouldn't make them more obscure than they are. Although
the quote above look incredibly weird out of context it is just
another back reference to another Zappa song, and in this case
also a dance. A couple of years ago there was a guy who asked about
songs that referred back other songs with the same group. Of course
you could flood the net with only Zappa tunes if you wanted too.
(List the Zappa songs without references instead. :-)
"You go out, You go out, You do the Mud Shark baby."
Eric BIDSTRUP
> And Mr Green Genes doesn't really belong here; that's just a song
> about a kids TV programme to tell them to eat their vegetables. The
> name of the TV programme was just Mr Green Genes I'm told. As far as
> I can recall that expression doesn't turn up elsewhere except in "Son
> of Mr Green Genes" which simply is development of the theme in the
> original song.
(actually 60's tv trivia), Mr. Green Jeans was the side kick of
Captain Kangaroo, a popular kids TV show I remember watching while
growing up in the 60's. I seem to vaugely remember his name coming
up in the news for sometthing unrelated to the show in the late 60's
or early 70's, which I am guessing is how Frank latched on to the name.
-Eric Bidstrup
(or someone who looks just like him)
Scott Bodarky
Regarding "Apostrophe" and "Overnight Sensation"...
bar...@hpcea.CE.HP.COM (Marc Barman) writes:
>>Two of the songs on the albums, "Dyna-Moe-Humm" and "Montana",
>>reference "Zircon-Encrusted Tweezers" in their lyrics.
fo...@giza.cis.ohio-state.edu (Guitarist from hell)
>Another referrence you can find on the Apostrophe and Overnite Sensation
>disc, real poncho's vs. Sears poncho's are contemplated in both Cosmik
>Debris and Camarillo Brillo.
Another common link between the two occurs at the conclusion of "Stinkfoot"
and in "Dirty Love." Those smooth voices at the end of "Stinkfoot" are
singing:
"The poodle bites,
The poodle chews it.
The poodle bites,
The poodle chews it."
Zappa himself sings it in "Dirty Love." I have no idea what it means.
--
-Scott Bodarky | "You can't run a race without no feet,
bod...@cme.nist.gov | And pretty soon there won't be no street,
| For dummies to jog on and doggies to dog on,
National Institute of | Religious fanatics can make it be all gone.
Standards and Technology | -FZ
Tar On My Teeth
>
> "The poodle bites,
> The poodle chews it.
> The poodle bites,
> The poodle chews it."
Interestingly enough, the school I went to had a french kid and people used
to call him "poodle" as an insult. I wonder if the "poodle" is Jean
Luc Ponty?
Samir Chettri
Sandra Galejs
> thing apparently had its background to the life on the road back
> in those days, and maybe still has. Suzie Creamcheese apparently
> was a girl connected with Mothers, although her real name supposedly
> was soemthing different.
Suzie Creamcheese's real name is Pamela Zarubica (whose name can be
found somewhere in the tiny print on the first Mothers album).
She was a good friend, hanger-on, and housekeeper for Frank and his household
in the early, poverty-stricken days of the Mothers of Invention. She has
a spoken bit or two on one of the early albums (Uncle Meat, I think).
Note: this is NOT the Miss Pamela who appears in 200 Motels, was a member of
the GTOs, and wrote "I'm With The Band: Confessions of a Groupie":
that's Pamela DesBarres. (a great book - apparently she never actually slept
with Frank, but she gave Captain Beefheart a lyrically-described hand job once).
The Suzie Creamcheese information comes from a semi-reliable
(unauthorized) bio of Frank Zappa that I have at home
(title = "Absolutely Free", I think).
(I use too damn many parentheses when I write to news)
((((but they usually nest correctly))))
the present-day composer refuses to die!
Sandra Galejs (gal...@cg-atla.agfa.com)
Erland Sommarskog
>>
>> "The poodle bites,
>> The poodle chews it.
>> The poodle bites,
>> The poodle chews it."
>
>Interestingly enough, the school I went to had a french kid and people used
>to call him "poodle" as an insult. I wonder if the "poodle" is Jean
>Luc Ponty?
Well, who knows? Interesting as it might be is that in the out-chorus
to "Dirty Love" the lines are intermixed with "Come on Frenchie". If
we like to be even more deep we might notice that in the leaflet for
the Apostrophe(')/ Over-Nite Sensation CD the photo of Ponty is on
the same page as the lyrics to "Dirty Love". And he is alone on
that page.
On other hand, in "Stink-Foot" the poodle must be Fido who after an
overdose of Bromidrosis told us of his view on the conceptual
continuity. And don't think that Fido is Ponty. I have a little
hard imagining picking up Zappa's slippers....
To make this article somewhat more sensible, I would like to
discourage from examining Zappa's lyrics from hidden messages.
There are sure private intimations and associations impossible
to look through without background knowledge. But when Zappa has
something to tell *us*, he says it very clear. Then he mixes
up what happens to be in his head at the time. Sometimes it
alludes on the members in the band, sometimes it reflects back
to another songs. (It might be a coincidence, but Zappa is an
artist that could play about any songs from his production on
stage and he reflects back to them. At least he is not ashamed
of his old material.) Sometimes it is just something he picked
up for the moment, like Dianh-Moe Humm. (From SF films where
there always seems to be a dynamo humm in the background.) Or
compare "Montana" on Stage, vol 2 where changes "dental floss"
to "Whipping Post" just because someone in the audience asked
for "Whipping Post" (must be a John Cage composition).
"I wrapped a newspaper around my head, so I looked like I was deep."--
R o d Johnson
>I have a little
>hard imagining picking up Zappa's slippers....
That has got to be the sickest thing I have ever heard.
(oh, all right, :)
Rod Johnson - U Michigan Linguistics : Internet: r...@um.cc.umich.edu
in exile in Minnesota : Phone: (507) 645 9804
"It's --> --> --> --> Tackhead Tape Time"
Richard Stern
> to "Whipping Post" just because someone in the audience asked
> for "Whipping Post" (must be a John Cage composition).
Whipping Post is an Allman Bros tune (actually, I'm not sure if they wrote
it, but they certainly made it popular).
Strangely enough, Zappa started doing Whipping Post live sometime in 1984
(~10years after the stage 2 show).
Lars P. Fischer
>compare "Montana" on Stage, vol 2 where changes "dental floss"
>to "Whipping Post" just because someone in the audience asked
>for "Whipping Post" (must be a John Cage composition).
If my brain is not all messed up, "Whipping Post" is a CSNY tune that
was quite popular at the time (CSNY is about as far from John Cage as
you can get). One of the best things about Zappa (live) is that he's
extremely fast at linking things and *very* good at responding to the
audience. There's a lot of good illustrations of this on the YCDTOSA
series.
>"I wrapped a newspaper around my head, so I looked like I was deep."--
"Now, I'm quite different than your average costumer."
--
Lars Fischer, fis...@iesd.auc.dk | Q: How does a project get to be one
CS Dept., Univ. of Aalborg, DENMARK. | year late? A: One day at a time.
Lars P. Fischer
>Another referrence you can find on the Apostrophe and Overnite Sensation
>disc, real poncho's vs. Sears poncho's are contemplated in both Cosmik
>Debris and Camarillo Brillo.
"Now, is that a Sears poncho or a Seattle poncho - who can tell
anymore?" - YCDTOSA II
Lars P. Fischer
>If my brain is not all messed up, "Whipping Post" is a CSNY tune that
Why is it that some people can't ever get there fact straight?
"Whipping Post" is, of course, by Allman Brothers Band.
/Lars
--
Lars Fischer, fis...@iesd.auc.dk | The difference between genius and
CS Dept., Univ. of Aalborg, DENMARK. | idiocy is that genius has its limits.
Doug Hammond
>Whipping Post is an Allman Bros tune (actually, I'm not sure if they wrote
>it, but they certainly made it popular).
Yes, they wrote it. It was a staple of their live shows for a long time.
Doug
Bob Myers
Whipping Post is an old Allman Brothers Band tune. Audiences always seem
to request it, a phenomenon which apparently became part of Zappa folklore.
There is a studio version of Whipping Post on one of Zappa's later releases,
Them or Us, I think.
--
Without deviation (from the norm), progress is not possible.
-FZ
Bob Myers
bmy...@tc.fluke.COM
(206) 356-5299
Darryl Trujillo
>Whipping Post is an old Allman Brothers Band tune. Audiences always seem
>to request it, a phenomenon which apparently became part of Zappa folklore.
>There is a studio version of Whipping Post on one of Zappa's later releases,
>Them or Us, I think.
>--
Yes, it's on Them or Us, but it's a live cut. The only live cut on the album.
--
Darryl Trujillo d...@everexn.uucp uunet!everexn!dmt
Sonoma County, Ca., USA {apple,pacbell,hplabs}!well!fico2!everexn!dmt
"People who give up their civil liberties for security end up with neither"
-Ben Franklin
Perttu Raivio
>
> Whipping Post is an old Allman Brothers Band tune. Audiences always seem
> to request it, a phenomenon which apparently became part of Zappa folklore.
The original request was by a (probably) drunk Finn at the
Helsinki concert which is documented on YCDTOSA II. After the incident
Zappa decided that he will never again let down a fan who requests
Whipping Post, which Zappa couldn't play at the time. Zappa started
playing Whipping Post and mentioned the incident in a few interviews
and of course everyone wanted to hear the song afterwards.
Another "first" (and probably last) for Zappa in Helsinki was
Satumaa (Dreamland, the Finnish tango) on YCDTOSA II. One of the
Finnish roadies on the gig had brought Zappa the notes to Satumaa and
asked him to play it. It's the most rocking version of the song I have
ever heard, especially the end. The pronounciation is terrible, of
course. The only correctly pronounced word is the name of the song,
Satumaa.
BTW, the actual name of the venue which Zappa doesn't remember
was Kulttuuritalo (the Culture Hall). No, I wasn't there. (Grrrr...)
--
K.P.Raivio - Helsinki U of T - rai...@spica.hut.fi
Ei fl|ittej{, ei niin dzoukin p{tk{{k{{n...