If you liked this, be sure to check out our Frank Zappa podcast! kzread.info/dash/bejne/o62D0s-KZ9OTdKQ.html

You know when I was 15 or 16, (I'm about to turn 64 now), I wore a purple FZ t-shirt and all my friends called me "Zappatized". But the knowledge of your community for FZ amazes me. That's all I wanted to say... look at the dedication and love for FZ. He lives on in our memory and will never die in our hearts.

I have this on vinyl, signed by Zappa himself. It's hanging in my bedroom.

@rosshart9514

2 жыл бұрын

I'm jealous.

Frank--and drummer Aynsley Dunbar--at their SWINGING-EST! Thanks!

This is a companion piece to Waka Jawaka (a name that appeared on a Ouija board one time). These albums were Frank's foray into big band music, the logical progression from Hot Rats, albeit with a smaller lineup. Like painters, Zappa had his period pieces as he was experimenting with different sounds and combinations of musicians. Being made up of instrumental pieces, The Grand Wazoo is similar in style to Zappa's three previous albums: Hot Rats, Burnt Weeny Sandwich (one of my favorites), and Waka/Jawaka. For Waka and Wazoo, Frank used some 15-20 different musicians, thus the rather eclectic, received sound for each.

@Frunobulax74

2 жыл бұрын

@Frankincensed - None of the albums you listed are entirely instrumental. Frank's first 100% instrumental album release was Sleep Dirt in 1979.

@Frankincensedjb123

2 жыл бұрын

@@Frunobulax74 I didn't say entirely. They're predominantly instrumental, 98%. Don't be a contrarian ass.

Strange - I don't know why I like this song. I have never heard it before. It's kinda weird. But it captured my interest and I did not want to stop listening. It's good.

Love this album. I always considered this and "Waka Jawaka" as a kind of pairing, Zappa's excursions into big-band jazz. He had many great horn sections through the years but it was only in these couple of albums that he seemed to seek out that big band jazz feel. My take. And yeah, Dan, "Blessed Relief" is wonderful. A soothing balm for just about any kind of stress that I've used many, many times over the decades. So aptly named as a song. And one of those rare times we get to hear Frank playing acoustic. Like on "Sleep Dirt", where Frank chews the hell out of acoustic guitar. It was the same Martin acoustic on both songs, that he traded his Telecaster to Flo of "Flo And Eddie" for. Blessings.

Frank opened the number with a solo played on an acoustuc guitar through a wah-wah. The most amazing thing I guess is that he was in a wheel chair when he did it.

I love this whole album! Many years ago my first German Short-haired Pointer was named Cletus Awreetus Awrightus after a song on side two. Great choice of a song guys!!

Oh’ push me into the orchestra pit, nearly kill me then I’ll come home and put this kick arse shit together while I’m on wheels, unbelievable hey? Bands = Grand here and Petite for tour. 🎼🎶

I loved this album . I played it a million times back then .

The original version of this song is entitled Think It Over (and I believe it had rudimentary lyrics). You can hear an early rehearsal of this on the posthumous CD Joe’s Camouflage, issued several years ago by the Zappa Family Trust.

@AndyMmusic

2 жыл бұрын

It was supposed to be part of Zappa's sci-fi musical, Hunchentoot. The lyrics went "if anything gets in your way just think it over" Classic Zappa double meaning and you can hear the instruments playing these lines before and after the solos.

The song you need to react to on this album is Cletus Awreetus Awrightus, one of my two or three very favorite tracks by Frank. His use of horns on it is genius.

@mrkv4k

2 жыл бұрын

I mean, there is so much to pick from, but yeah, that is one of my most favorite Zappa songs ever. The whole album (without 3rd track) is in my top 10, I have even been using the first few bars of Waka Jawaka as my ringtone.

Frank never trashed a hotel room or threw a TV set out of the window, all through his Music.

Frank Zappa music is a movie for your ears.

Love you two, and the reactions you show when hearing his brilliance for the first time!!!!💞

@SightAfterDark

2 жыл бұрын

😊Love you too Darryl, thanks for watching!

I think the first instrument you mention is an acoustic guitar played thru a wah-wah pedal. Frank used that to create a sort of lute-like sound on a number of tunes early in his career. Always playing and toying with unusual timbres, polyrhythms, genre-blending, that FZ guy was the bomb!

@CaseyShoaf

2 жыл бұрын

It could be his fretless guitar.

@rickmerlotti7720

2 жыл бұрын

@@CaseyShoaf Yeah, you could be right.

I can't quite believe you got so far into your Zappa journey without hearing this before!

@SightAfterDark

2 жыл бұрын

🥰

Funky, Jazzy Big band. Always one of my favorites. Great Choice! Sifa? Nice Guns! 👀

love the member who gave you a tip fore this one..

Frank's album art is off the charts!!! Love Overnight Sensation!! But also Joe's Garage slips in there also, "It looks just like a Telefunkin U 47"!!!!

On the posthumous release Zappa/Wazoo there is a truly spiffy version of this. A 20 piece outfit that only preformed 9 dates, ifn I remember correctly. Well worth searching out. Only instrumentals, but with music this gorgeous, I never missed lyrics.

@DanielTaylorOCMD

2 жыл бұрын

I put Wazoo in my top 5 Zappa Albums, a truly spectacular piece of skilled musicianship the likes of which are seldom seen.

Yep, you guessed right, one of my favorite pieces of one of my favorite albums. A boring comment on a truly amazing piece of music. Excellent choice.

I love this album. Frank steps back and let's the others shine. But Frank's insane imagination is all over it.

thank you so much for putting in the amazing work especially the videos on frank zappa. his music will never be repeated

Masterful! Love your reactions Dan And Sifa❤

The Grand Wazoo is the guy in the real poncho. Not the Sears poncho but the real poncho. Got it!

@SightAfterDark

2 жыл бұрын

😆

One of Zappa's best works :)

The “bad guys” of the Grand Wazoo are the violins and other strings of easy listening Muzak. The battle is between big band jazz versus Muzak.

I just realized I don't have this in my collection. I have it on CD somewhere, but I haven't played a CD in 20 years. Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus is my jam!

You are the best! Greetings from Amsterdam.

Excellent album. The follow-up to Waka/Jawaka and Frank's foray into jazzy big band sounds. Like it's predessesor it was completely written and recorded while Frank was in a wheelchair convelescing from a broken leg after being pushed into the orchestra pit at the Rainbow Theater in London by a deranged audience member. The incident also crushed his larynx making his voice a full octave lower. You can tell the difference in his voice from the pre-1971 M.O.I. recordings.

Loooove his jazz fusion output so much. And my favorite Zappa drummer (AD) Listen to that … Perfect piece of music.

@stevedotwood

2 жыл бұрын

@Zolar Czakl I know 🤣. He's a great drummer, can't deny that, but Ainsley is so perfect for these jazz tunes. He creates melodies on his kit

@globextradingsystemsllc1740

2 жыл бұрын

@Zolar Czakl That's not true,Polar. Watch out ,bro. I might insult the sh*t out of you soon. Hey, Tell the you tubers the key signature of a g minor scale. You want me to embarrass you? Don't be on the wrong side of me,please/I respected you ,to a point but for you to say this to this guy,was uncalled for. Bozzio is, indeed his best drummer, Not the only good one,They were all good, but he was exceptionally good.

@globextradingsystemsllc1740

2 жыл бұрын

@@stevedotwood Sure, whatever you say!! I'll find franks interview in 1976 and he says Bozzio was, to that point of the interview, his best drummer, but got a little "frenzied" was franks exact quote.

@globextradingsystemsllc1740

2 жыл бұрын

@Zolar Czakl Not Vince, Zolar. Vince was too jazz oriented and too poly rhythmic, which made him a SLOPPY MESS,from time to time. I was there twice listening to his solo and he FUMBLED and hit the rims,sloppy stick work.I saw it and JUDGED HIM,LIVE. Two occasions, not just once. .MUSICAL TERMS ,MY SON, not opinions!You want to start with that?

@stevedotwood

2 жыл бұрын

@@globextradingsystemsllc1740 FZ's opinion. I have mine.

More Amazing Zappa Great review Thanks.

Also great for listening to at high volume on long road trips. You guys are the best!

@SightAfterDark

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching Chad!

when I first heard this on vinyl there was a part where the drums caused a skip/repeat and we listened to it for several minutes before we realised the music wasn't supposed to be like that!

@SightAfterDark

2 жыл бұрын

☺️

@gsk_wd8cia

2 жыл бұрын

All these years I thought someone had walked near the record player while I was recording this album. I still expect to hear the skip whenever I listen to this....

The Grand Wazoo is an honorary title for the keeper of the scrolls and rolls of parchment at the hardware store. While some find his hat is comical, he takes his hat quite seriously.

@markofrontz1343

2 жыл бұрын

You know your Z. Still giggling

As I understand it Frank played altered acoustic, and Tony Duran played the electric slide parts.

Oh yeah. Smoking a bone and zoning out on this album in the early 70s. A few years ago the Zappa family released a live recording called DC Boogie. The first part has Frank playing the best psychedelic guitar I've ever heard.

Unusual piece for Frank - I think he starts out playing his guitar through a Leslie. Then the trombone section takes over.

@stevedotwood

2 жыл бұрын

Not unusual to me. Signature Frank

Grand Wazoo = the size of the performers (a large group). He would also perform this tune with a Mini Wazoo(a smaller group)... Good guess Sifa. The Album Cover describes exactly what the song Sounds Like... Zappa and his wonderful Audio Imagery. I used this tune in a Music Video....Red Bike Build

'With the oil of Aphrodite and the dust of The Grand Wazoo, you might not believe this little fella, but It will cure your asthma too'. -FZ- Cosmik Debris... This is def one of my favorite Zappa records. It really showcases Frank the Composer!

This tune always reminded me of the David Letterman theme song from the ‘80s.

My favourite track on this album is _Cleetus Awreetus Awrightus,_ surely the funniest instrumental track ever recorded.

Zappa's music is the Himalaya and this piece---or even the entire record---is the highest peak. First time listeners make sure to use a oxygen apparatus.

reminds me of a line from Dread Zepplin 'I man dont's ,toots with no coke, only ting for me, is the Custard Pie

Wonderful! Have not heard this since c. 1995 - great album, great reaction! PS audio rather low on the vid; made me jump out of my seat when end tune played @ normail volume...

Alot of his music was done by an instrument called a synclavear, a computer generated instrument Frank enjoyed playing with!! He still wrote the music but fed it to the computer, he said really cut down on the human mistakes!!!

Fuck yeah!!! Great album. Being confined to a wheelchair gave Frank a lot of time to write this masterpiece. Cleetus Awreetus Awrightus is my favorite. BTW I changed my KZread handle for personal reasons. But I'm your ever anxious music snob JLL.

I haven't read the liner for this album in 30 years or so but if I remember (and I'm summarizing), the good guys are on a nearby hillock playing a shuffle, the bad guys are trying to drown them out with AM pop broadcasts. Love you guys and thanks.

Not to be redundant but this is another Zappa masterpiece. Written and performed while Frank was recovering from his fall into the orchestra pit. What do you do when you almost got killed? Frank did this. Great request, great reaction. Thanks Dan and Sifa!

@GoodCorporateRobot

2 жыл бұрын

@Zolar Czakl yes you are correct. I meant no disrespect. I was trying to keep the focus of my response on the reaction and not on that terrible incident.

It's nice to think a cool jam could bring down the walls of Jericho almost as readily as the overwhelming blare more commonly conjured by the tale. I hope Frank may one day witness the collapse he envisioned, i believe, from whatever vantage point he occupies. I do love the beboppy excursioning by any instrument, sounds most familiar, if not more appropriate on horns, I guess. Loved muted, staccato shizz az much az legato shizz all my life. Much

1. To clear up any confusion, the first solo is just Frank on guitar, the second guitar break (during the theme statement) is Tony Duran, then Bill Byers on trombone, then Sal Marquez on trumpet battling against the hand-signalled sounds of the other horns, then the break during the final theme statement is filled by Don Preston on keys. 2. I suspect the "battle of musical armies" storyline predates the music (that's Frank's usual way of working) - but it's fitting that the second theme statement has the tempo gradually slowing down, as if Emperor Cletus's army were exhausted. 3. The story on the album of course identifies the Grand Wazoo as Cletus's Mystery Horn (i.e a C-melody saxophone) - but Frank also used Grand Wazoo to mean the head of a masonic-type lodge, hence that poem of the same name (which he allegedly wrote when he was in jail in 1964). Either way, I'm not aware of any hard evidence that he was punning on "oiseau" when he made up the word. (Remember that in 1964 both Sesame Street and the appropriate Eddie Floyd song were years in the future, so no pressing reason for a "big bird" reference)

Nice shirt Dan. ;-)

@SightAfterDark

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks☺️!

The question 'Who is the Grand Wazoo?' is perfectly answered in the song 'The Grand Wazoo' found at the 'the lost episodes' album.

there is a booklet that came with the album. It was a fiction short story by Frank that must be read to be believed !

in the most tense encounter of the battle, the trombones threaten from the rear, coming up on the flank of the valiant percussionists. Surely defeat was at hand! And yet the brave strings beat them back, and victory was there to be had....But then....

"THE GRAND WAZOO" favori avec "Uncle meat", deux véritable jungle musicale.

everywhere there was blood and fear....

it was really scary!

The Grand Wazoo is a funny translation of the French: "Le Grand Oiseau" - or "Big Bird" if you like - but it's also the name of Zappa's jazz-fusion band which he later compressed to "Petite Wazoo" - probably for budget reasons

@marcribe6483

2 жыл бұрын

The Petite Wazoo Band.

@stevedotwood

2 жыл бұрын

@@marcribe6483 Yes, thanks for correcting

@SightAfterDark

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the info!

@stevedotwood

2 жыл бұрын

@@Frunobulax74 Excuse my French 🤣

@Grithron2

2 жыл бұрын

Petit Wazoo, pun on "petting zoo" - a name Frank only coined years after the fact. If you can point to any hard evidence that Frank had an "oiseau" pun in mind, please do so.

The clavicle is a bone. I don't know if it's an instrument as well.

Did you hear the bits Pink Floyd used to make Money, Franks solo early on and later the bass.

@SightAfterDark

2 жыл бұрын

We did!

@andyfield1581

2 жыл бұрын

@@SightAfterDark Have you ever checked out Mike Keneally track name is Kedgeree live at The Baked Potato

I have a request - can y'all try to balance your audio? The volume of your intro and outro is much higher than the content - my old ears get wazoo'd when the outro comes in at 11. Hey, at least I stuck around to the end XD

This is my Zappa album to relax with. And to your question. In cosmic debris he mentions the "dust of the Grand Wazoo" which makes me think it's some sort of place. But you better ask Cleetus Areetus Arightus (and I know I've got the spelling wrong and you will never find him)

@MrWaterpumpkin

2 жыл бұрын

I don't know why but I always thought (or immagined) The Grand Wazoo was an Indian Chief

I had a friend with a nickname similar to the title of this song, actually it was waz, And he ratted me out to his parents Trippin, so yeah, awkward.

@SightAfterDark

2 жыл бұрын

☺️

Dan: "Warm up music at the Coliseum!" Sifa: " waiting for the bad guys....then the fracus started....!" You guys are still the best! Aynsley Dunbar plays multiple layers of 3 against 4 rhythms and Frank plays tastfully understated rhythm guitar throughout, while the evil and debauched horns repeatedly fume-up from the lower regions of the Coliseum......threatening to overwhelm the goodness of the groove. The stately theme restores order so that a soloist takes stage, only to have the evil fumes return. Such a fun album! And in the context of the 1970's , Zappa and Miles Davis set the boundaries of free form jazz.

I don’t understand why I should be interested in the reaction of ordinary people I don’t know

@SightAfterDark

2 жыл бұрын

We don’t understand why you would take the time to comment on something you’re not interested in ☺️

but then everyone decided to get together for snacks

I believe Frank had wanted to tour with this album and band/orchestra but due to the the number of personnel involved and the associated costs and logistical problems he decided not to.

@stevebinning977

2 жыл бұрын

@@HakanTunaMuzik Thanks for the information.

Great piece from a great album. "Blessed relief" at dumping Flo & Eddie is proved here IMHO. Good choice James

@SightAfterDark

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching Paul!

sorry back again..but can not even do my disches and for my wonderfulfantasticoneofakindcreature She understood magnifisans she did not realy understand

"It" was a bottleneck guitar (slide guitar)

@SightAfterDark

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Danny!

This is no Mediocre Wazoo 8-P

You should read the liner notes. They're as entertaining as the music!

Synclaver

@chrisbywater275

2 жыл бұрын

Nope. Didn't exist at the time. It's also Synclavier

bla bla bla but it was two persons in the world that bought the first cynclavier at about twohondred tousends. Frank Zappa and Benny Andersson..legends know more

I'm sure one can read it onliine

To be clear, some Zappa songs turn me off right away. I hear 30 seconds, and I don't want to keep listening. Other Zappa songs I know right away are awesome and I understand why I like them. This one is in some other weird Zappa category, but I couldn't stop listening, and I've gotta say I like it. But I don't fully understand why.