I love this site - it has to be one of the most amazing places on the internet.  Gabor, you are so generous to give all these bands the oppurtunity to get their music heard.  The site is a source of great music made ny people who are in it for the love of it, not for riches ( although they'd be quite welcome, of course ). Zappa is simply the greatest guitarist who ever walked this planet and I feel priviledged to have seen him in concert several times. I wish I could go back in time and experience again those wonderful gigs.  Good luck all.

Many thanks for your kind comments and words. They are much appreciated!

Anyway, a few months ago I was at a Frank Zappa concert and afterwords I was speaking with Frank too. The only bad thing that could be said about it is that it was only in my dream. The first thought when I wake up was that I will never have the chance to see him again, and that I will have to spend the rest of my life without seeing him on stage. I am very sad about it. But the good news is, there were some new songs I never heard before :)

Gabor,

Great comments.  Funny and touching. The first time I saw Zappa was at the Knebworth festival in England in 1978.  I was just a kid and didn't take much notice as I'd not heard any of his music before!  I just wish I could relive that concert with the passion I have for his music now. My favourite albums are Roxy and Elsewhere and Zappa In New York - they are the bands I'd love to have seen.  Zappa and George Duke in the same band - wow!  Terry Bozio and the Brecker Brothers jamming with FZ - those were the days!  Keep up the stunning work, Gabor.

Yeah, Roxy And Elsewhere was one of the ones that got me turned on to Zappa. I think it broke my brain. What I enjoy all the many great things about this album is how naturally Frank Zappa’s witty, intelligent and very human personality shines right through. He was not only a musical genious but also just a guy who liked to have a good time on stage.

I started with Hot Rats, but I really really like Zappa in New York, or Roxy and Elsewhere. Dear god, Roxy and Elsewhere is one of my favorite albums ever. The guitar work and creativity in this album is just phenomenal.

I was turned on to Zappa only one year ago. My cousin put on Apostrophe/Over-Nite Sensation one night and my life was never the same.

Gabor:

Anyway, a few months ago I was at a Frank Zappa concert and afterwords I was speaking with Frank too.

And what did he say to you?

:)
 

Danny:

Gabor:

Anyway, a few months ago I was at a Frank Zappa concert and afterwords I was speaking with Frank too.

And what did he say to you?

 

He said: "Great googly-moogly - you're gonna do it too!"

 

Two years ago, Gabor gave me an introduction playing "Tinsel Town Rebellion". Hooked ever since. First hearing Zappa was like a bomb going off in my head.

Okay - my favourite Zappa memories.

1.  Wembley Arena, 1980 - I had just smoked a huge joint, and the band were playing The Illinois Enema Bandit.  FZ was in the middle of an elongated guitar solo and it was so spellbinding I was playing air-guitar along with him, and floating to another planet.  Suddenly I came to my senses and realised I must look like a fool, and opened my eyes ... and there, all around me were around 7000 other guys all playing air guitar along with FZ, floating to the same planet I was!!  I nearly cried at the sight and the hairs on the back of my neck still go up at the thought.  Oh man!

2.Hammersmith Odeon, 1982 - me and a friend were hanging around at the back of the theatre in the hope of catching a glimpse of FZ leaving the place after a great show where he'd been joined on stage by his son Dweezil.  Suddenly a car pulled up along the back stage door and out comes FZ and entourage!!!! There was no more than the width of the car between us and I shouted ''HEY, ZAP!!!" He looked up, smiled and waved and then he was in the car and off.

Hope you don't think I'm behaving foolishly by remembering these moments but his music means so much to me that these small meomories are real precious.

We miss you Zap!

Thanks for your stories, Steve!

Having never attended a Frank Zappa concert but seeing those few concert videos have been released, it is really hard to get a feel for how it should be.

With the exception of maybe ten minutes, the great guitar work and the great instrumental music I hoped to see isn't on "Baby Snakes" and "Dub Room Special", but plenty of goofing off, clay animation...and Italian guy picking his nose and swearing...and a lots of onstage talky talky, etc.  "Does Humor Belong to Music?" is a very frustrating DVD, the sound and picture quality is far from great - the band almost sounds like a wedding band. :)

I wish I could see a really good Zappa concert DVD.

You're right about the dvds - there is too much goofing around, and they seem to put claymation on whenever Frank goes into a guitar solo - GODAMMIT!  But there are still some great moments to be found, especially on the Dub Room Special. 

I kinda feel the same about the later period albums such as THEM OR US, BROADWAY THE HARDWAY and THING FISH.  They just seem sonically lightweight and just not as ass-kicking as the classic period stuff.  But then again FZ's average stuff is way better most people's best efforts. 

I wonder what he'd be doing if he was alive today............

Whenever I listen to FZ, I always consider the effort he has exerted in his early recordings with the Mothers. Back then, there was no Pro Tools, or digital studios for that matter. Yet, everything sounded so fat in the recordings, not to mention how creative Zappa was for his time.

Frank was by no means a technophobe. He owned one of the first ever synclaviers. In his final years, he was working a lot with hard disk recording and editing. If he was alive today, he'd probably be using computers to push all sorts of boundaries. And he'd probably be a politician.

Anyway, the world would be a much better place if Zappa was alive today.

Agreed.  I would always prefer to listen to Hot Rats era than the very last stuff - not because of the music but because of how the music sounded.  Analogue, baby!

Two people can listen to the same note and have two different reactions. I am a huge Frank Zappa fan. To me he is a genius, a modern day Mozart. A man that understood the intricacies of music. Frank knew how to work the chord progressions and how to manipulate the notes into a sound that to some seemed out of control and annoying. But to me it is the most marvelous sound in the world...

Have you ever thought about if Frank hadn't existed, who could have filled the void?
Any idea?