Free Republic

FANS of rock's most avant grade figure will adore this 40th anniversary re-release of his cult 1974 album [snip]

Listening all those non-essentials brought me back to FZ and his timeless classic about the "flakes". http://youtu.be/RFvtoJrK1Zg

This is how things work in a free market! Love me some Zappa! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWXUatVuxQg

YOU know that a new year has truly arrived when critics stop issuing all those lists of the best films, books, plays, recordings and whatever of the year gone by. These lists seem to be popular with readers, and they stir up lively reactions. snip... Yet in other fields, critics and insiders think bigger. Film institutes periodically issue lists of the greatest films of all time. (“Citizen Kane” seems to have a lock on the top spot.) Rock magazines routinely tally the greatest albums ever. And think of professional tennis, with its system of rankings, telling you exactly which player...

Which songs epitomize the stupidity and ignorance of Obama supporters? If you have any examples, either in video links, posted lyrics, or just recollections, please tell us. I respectfully submit the following fantastic example from the God of Rock/Jazz/Xenocronicity, etc. The most prescient musical philosopher of all time, Frank Zappa, doing Flakes, from Shiek Yerbouti, in a pink jump suit, in 1981. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFvtoJrK1Zg

The city of Baltimore declared today Frank Zappa Day in honor of the iconoclastic rock musician and composer, who was born there 69 years ago on Dec. 21, 1940. Last week the city's public art commission also announced that a bronze statue of Zappa would be erected outside of a public library sometime next year......

I've been looking and I haven't heard this mentioned yet. During the Obamunist coronation ceremony lefties Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen were singing "This Land is your Land." To my utter shock and amazement, they actually brought out a verse that is hardly ever sung in public. This verse openly calls for the overthrow of private property. Watch from 2:42 on the video, here are the lyrics: There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me; Sign was painted, it said private property; But on the back side it didn't say nothing; That side was made for...

"We found this fascinating series of photos from the archives of LIFE magazine, giving readers a peek inside the homes of the parents/grandparents of some of the most influential musical artists from the 1970's, including the likes of Frank Zappa [above], Grace Slick, The Jackson Five, Elton John, Eric Clapton and many more previewed below..."

They just released a live album of a great (previously unreleased!) performance in 1975. The teaser sounds REALLY good!

News - for all you Zappa aficionados out there - There's a new album out of Frank's work, and it rocks! The track list:Bathtub ManSpace BoogerHermitageTrudgin' Across the TundraOccam's RazorHeidelbergThe Illinous Enema BanditAustralian Yellow SnowRolloThis was put together from a couple of Frank's "build reels" that he never finished. It's got excellent sonic quality, and is composed long jams of familiar songs that are played just a little differently than they were elsewhere in his catolog. Just got mine today, and I'm loving it so far!

I am not really into the music scene of today, as I believe that everything that is touted as 'new' or 'the next big thing' always ends up being something somebody else already did. I have lately found myself digging back into music that really was innovative and ground-breaking. A lot of which was done before I was even around (I am 30). For example, Steely Dan, King Crimson, Yes, David Bowie... I have always been fascinated by Frank Zappa, as he is basically universally thought of as a musical genius, but just have never really dove into his musical...

When we were last in eastern Europe, we almost made a sidetrack to Vilnius. We were enticed by Lithuania's fascinating history and rich cultural heritage. But mostly we just wanted to see their statue of Frank Zappa's head. Now, at last, Baltimore is taking a page from Vilnius' book. Thirteen years ago, a band of plucky Lithuanian intellectuals pooled their funds, solicited their friends, and built a bronze bust of the musical iconoclast. Saulius Paukstys, longtime president of a Zappa fanclub, even convinced authorities that the statue should be erected in downtown Vilnius, in front of the Belgian embassy. Zappa...

Frank Zappa's daughter Moon Unit has topped a list of celebrity offspring with the most bizarre names, according to an online poll.Another of the US singer-songwriter's four children -- Dweezil -- also makes the top 10 at number seven, but there are no mentions for the ground-breaking musician's two other children: Ahmed Emuukha Rodan and Diva Muffin. Moon Unit Zappa won out ahead of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter, Apple. Behind them followed Misty Kyd -- Texas singer Sharleen Spiteri's daughter -- Blur bass guitarist Alex James' son, Geronimo, and Heavenly Hirani Tiger Lily, the...

A PROPOSAL FOR A SYSTEM TO REPLACE ORDINARY RECORD MERCHANDISING - copyright 1983 by Frank Zappa - Ordinary phonograph record merchandising as it exists today is a stupid process which concerns itself essentially with pieces of plastic, wrapped in pieces of cardboard. These objects, in quantity, are heavy and expensive to ship. The manufacturing process is complicated and crude. Quality control for the stamping of the discs is an exercise in futility. The system is subject to pilferage (as, in some instances, pressing 'over-runs' have been initiated, with the quantity pressed above the amount of the legitimate order removed from...

Certain topics seem to strike a chord with Harvard students—human rights, politics, and female orgasms. Last night, over 200 students of all genders and sexual orientations lined up outside a jam-packed Adams Lower Common Room to attend a seminar on female orgasms. Matie E. Fricker—a representative from the “sexuality boutique” Grand Opening—arrived with two plastic tub-fulls of sex toys, books, and safer sex supplies. “You’re going to hear a lot about (crude reference to sexual intercourse deleted by rface) tonight,” she announced to the crowd. During her two-hour presentation, Fricker criticized negative social perspectives on female orgasms and said there...

Taking an ax to the arts By BILL HILL ONCE MORE When budget cutters grab the ax, you can be sure the first casualties will be programs supporting the arts in public schools. The pork barrel will be loaded to grease the appetites of corporate donors to political campaigns. CNN's Lou Dobbs presented a segment this week about the cuts in music and arts programs and the tragic effect those cuts have. It has long been known that schools with strong programs in the arts produce youngsters with higher scores in language skills, math and science. Dobbs documented this and...

In an effort to be inclusive, this thread is for nonmetrosexual males (and likeminded women) to advise queer guys on their outfits, decor, vehicles, hairstyles, homes and hobbies. I've outfitted the thread with keywords toward this end.Enjoy.