A magical thing called the Wilbury Twist

What are John Candy, Eric Idle, Whoopi Goldberg, Woody Harrelson, Kevin Arnold (er, Fred Savage), Milli Vanilli, Cheech Marin, not to mention Tom Petty, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, and Jeff Lynne all doing in the same video?

Why, the Wilbury Twist!



What am I doing posting a YouTube video in lieu of downloadable and readable content? Slacking off. The only excuse I have is getting out of work late tonight and having to be in early tomorrow, while preparing to head out to a conference like the young professional that I am.

I promise when I get back, if you're all good little boys and girls, there will be more Wilburys treats for you all to enjoy!

And if I'm not back, that means my plane went down in the everglades! What a hoot!

Not for love of trying

Invisible Sun
The Police
Ghost in the Machine
A&M Records : 1981
[Listen] [Buy]

Microphone Fiend
Eric B & Rakim
Follow the Leader
UNI Records : 1988
[Listen] [Buy]

Wondering Man
Giuliano Sorgini
[Listen]

The Pinocchio Theory
Bootsy's Rubber Band
Ahh... The Name is Bootsy, Baby!
Warner Bros Records : 1977
[Listen] [Buy]

Well, I've reached a small crossroads, now that the FZ Primers are somewhat complete. I received some cracking emails about them, and plan on responding to all those who took the time to write within the next couple of days.

That being said, it left me temporarily empty. What is there to contribute, to offer, to post, to submit for your listening pleasure? It has been so long since I listened to anything else, as the temptation of drowning in FZ was too much to resist. However, I'm back into the swing of the bizarre and just plain tasty, and so, without further ado, some of the current obsessions.

---
The Police are a karaoke favourite for me. "Message in a Bottle" is a failsafe when I take the mic, mainly because I sing it early enough in the night that I still have enough in the voice to nail his high singing, before my vocal chords get ravaged by whiskey and the inevitable late night taco and/or pizza slice. As for their catalog, something perverse in me just decided to download their entire collection the other day, to try and get reacquainted.

Admittedly, I was a little geeked to hear about their reunion tour, but that faded a little when I saw them at the Grammys [obviously they're a touch rusty as a trio], as well as when I heard the damn ticket prices [even though portions of the sales go to charity]... so put all those feelings in a blender, and you get this pick.

I'm not entirely sure why this track is so addicting to me; maybe it's the doomy, gloomy rhythms accentuated by the pounding tribal drums and monotone synth lines, or maybe it's the post-apocalyptic lyrics that imagine a world not too far from what we actually have today.

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Ahh, Eric B. and Rakim. What can be said that hasn't already? Rakim's flow and lyrical styles have influenced just about every MC worth their salt in the last 15 years, while Eric B's jazz-heavy, soulful sampling and beats are simply too good to pass up. I'll spare the bio as I imagine almost everyone knows the deal already, but damn, raking back through the old collection, and I spin this for the first time in a long time.... the rest is history.

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And now for something completely different, this track coming from the library music archives. Library music, or production music as it's also known, is the term given to tracks owned by production music libraries for leasing and licensed use in film, television, commercials or radio. When a track is licensed for use elsewhere, the library is paid their fee, which is normally split 50/50 between library and composer. In the 70s, there was an booming music library industry, especially in Europe, with many big-time composers trying their hand at simple, catchy music along a genre or instrumental theme.

Now, the market is considerably smaller, but very much alive and kicking. Here, some Italian library music from the 70s by the composer Giuliano Sorgini, who scored a few soundtracks in the 70s for Italian zombie/horror flicks like Let Sleeping Corpses Lie and SS Hell Camp [not much of note, cinematically]. It's simple enough, but upon two or three listens, it takes root a little deeper in your cerebellum. The funky opening drum break is quickly joined by the loopy, psychedelic organ/guitars you've come to expect of this era, and all in all, it wouldn't sound too out of place in a film like Easy Rider, or some vintage lingerie commercial. Easy to place, hard to stop listening to.

I'm still getting to grips with this weird little niche genre, so maybe when I master it a little more, expect more comprehensive posts looking at the odd library/production music from the last 3 decades.

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To close today, another equally random choice, but one that takes the funk to the nth degree. Bootsy Collins, the funky, space cadet bassist/vocalist who's certainly been around the block, gracing everything from the JBs to Funkadelic to The GrooveGrass Boyz [a truly weird bluegrass/funk collaboration with bluegrass stars Del McCoury, Doc Watson and Mac Wiseman] to Bill Laswell to DeeeLite [of course we all remember "Groove is in the Heart", that acid/dance classic] to even writing songs about his hometown NFL franchise, the Cincinnati Bengals.

*regains breath*

Yeah, Bootsy's done it all, and with unmistakable style, verve and personality. Here, an older cut from his 2nd album with Bootsy's Rubber Band. Full of groove, full of ass-shaking, hip-swinging goodness.

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Wow. Looking back on this post, there is no way all these tracks should go together. But in my jumbled mind, they do, in some strange way. I guess I'm getting back to basics: eclectic selections from all over the map, hopefully for your enjoyment.

I defy anyone to mix these together into a coherent-sounding mix.

More from me tomorrow, I think, and another equally-confused lineup.

***
One last note: the final part of the FZ Primers will drop on monday, I decided. I simply don't have the energy or constitution to pump out another installment this week, and so it will have to wait. Fear not, though, as it should close everything out nicely.

Now run along and enjoy the warm-ish night.

The FZ Primers, Part Five: 4 to 1

***This is Part V of a 5 or 6-part series detailing the work of FZ, and sharing my favourite FZ tracks of all-time. It will be a regular feature every Friday [or Saturday...whoops] through March. Part 6 next week will cover the Five Essential FZ Albums [if you could only ever get 5 FZ LPs in your lifetime. For Part I, look here. For Part II, look here. For Part III, look here. For Part IV, look here.***

So, folks, we finally made it. For the most part, this series arrived on time, except for, oh, the last 3 of 5 [giving me a bad batting average], and, hopefully, for the most part, you all enjoyed it greatly. It's been cathartic to finally sit down and hammer this out, and now I can safely say I've done my musical idol some small modicum of justice in finishing this compilation. Whether you agree or vehemently disagree with my picks, let me know. I want to know what your favourites are, instead of just ramming mine down your throats.

I am exhausted, tired, but extremely happy. Below, find the top 4 [technically 6] best FZ tracks according to yours truly, the right honourable JT. Enjoy.

4.
Village of the Sun > Echidna's Arf [for you] > Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?
FZ
Roxy & Elsewhere
Discreet : 1974
[Listen to Village of the Sun]
[Listen to Echidna's Arf [for you]]
[Listen to Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?]
[Buy]

NOTE: For this pick, I couldn't bear to tear apart the live performance, so DL each one and queue them up/listen to them in the order they are listed above.

A perfect nugget of FZ live. Forming a 17-minute segment taken from a series of live shows recorded at the Roxy in Hollywood, this collection epitomizes the showmanship I wish I'd had a chance to see.

Flawless execution of difficult music, beginning with "Village of the Sun", a lazy rocker about a small turkey farming town in rural California. The composition is tight, solid harmonies, good groove. From there, it opens up into "Echidna's Arf [for you]", and mania prevails. The pace quickens considerably and the horns take over, including a sweet little trombone solo amid the constant changes and sixteenth notes. "Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?" keeps the atmosphere high, with several band members busting out nasty solos [including a sick drum interlude around [5:22]] amid the pockets of dirty jazz grooves that develop.

For once, I'm not going to try and describe this into oblivion [the funnier among you might suggest I already have], but this trio has the kind of live magic we've come to expect from contemporary bands like the since-departed Phish and other acts in the jam-band or jazz realm [moe., The Bad Plus, Medeski Martin and Wood, etc.]. A sense of humour, a ton of personality, and the musical chops to back it all up. My bet is that a lot of this passage was tightly scripted [considering FZ's obsessive attention to detail], but the best bet for you is to sit back, play them in order and get a tiny taste of the FZ concert experience. Fucking awesome music.

3.
Watermelon in Easter Hay
FZ
Joe's Garage Acts II & III
CBS : 1979
[Listen] [Buy]

I mentioned it in the introduction to the FZ series, but this song is seriously important to me. Allow me to quote myself for a hot second:

I think i first mentioned it towards the end of 2005, when I was sick, tired, fighting a deadly disease and battling the slow, painful attrition, and the one song that made sense was one of Zappa's, a long, rapturous guitar solo called "Watermelon in Easter Hay." Taken out of context from its surroundings, FZ's concept double-LP Joe's Garage [a play about a man against the oppressive government, fighting to maintain his individual rights of expression], it is a perfect piece of music; his solo builds and builds, reaching several glorious peaks, each note echoing and rising into the heavens. It says everything a voice could not - against the gentle repetitive rhythm, you can hear the lone man's battle cry in each riff, each wild lick and climb up the fretboard. The man is lost, but he is not without hope. It was perfectly aligned with my own struggles, and I'll be damned if it didn't bring a tear to my eye each time.

It follows a natural arc; FZ doesn't force the issue or get ahead of himself as he plays, and the drama builds and builds until its release in the final minute. The accompaniment is perfect -- a slow, gentle guitar riff and equally languid bass/drums, thus giving him room to climb, and climb he does.

It works well in the context of the concept album, but also well outside that, and it absolutely had to make it somewhere high on the list. FZ, for all his compositional wizardry, was mercurial with the guitar; of all the incredible FZ solos out there [like the Shut Up N' Play Yer Guitar series, 3 LPs that showcase instrumental, guitar-solo tracks], this is the pinnacle, for personal, emotional and conceptual reasons. Gets me every time.

2.
Honey, Don't You Want a Man like Me?
FZ
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. III
Zappa Records : 1989
[Listen] [Buy]

Sassy, classy, hilarious. FZ live, on a different level from the tracks at #4 in my list. The music is basic and addictive, the story is hilarious. Crowd banter, get an amazing sense of his on-stage presence and chemistry between him and bandmates. This track gets insane amounts of playback at my house, for reasons I don't fully understand. Listening to it makes me feel like I'm right in the front row, singing along with every word, anticipating the lyric change mid-song, and laughing when everyone else around me laughs.

This is probably also that pick that will puzzle people to no end, especially compared to some extremely heavy-hitters that have preceded it in the list, but hey, I never said I would make a ton of sense. "Honey, Don't You Want a Man Like Me" stuck in my mind a long time ago, and it simply won't go away. I could listen to it all day and not get bored, from the sloppy, free-wheeling guitar playing to the sharp organ blasts and the vocal harmonies. Simple, yet perfect.

1.
Inca Roads
FZ & The Mothers of Invention
One Size Fits All
Warner Bros : 1975
[Listen] [Buy]

Inca Roads
Frank Zappa
The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life
Barking Pumpkin Records : 1991
[Listen] [Buy]

This is it, folks. The Mount Everest of my FZ obsession. I think this is one of his first songs that I ever heard, way back in 1996. I was at a friend's house, and his dad had all these weird CDs. By that point I'd heard of FZ, and so I played the first disc from his 1991 double album The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life. Track 13 was "Inca Roads", and on the first listen, I thought it was a little too goofy for me [this coming from the kid who'd only recently decided to stop listening to Pearl Jam and maybe expand backwards into older music], but the more I played it, the more it made sense. It was dense and intricate, a complex puzzle to be solved, layer by layer. Ignore the lyrics, and focus on the time signature, the breakdowns, the soloing, the mesmerizing combined effect of all the instruments, all the personnel, playing as a well-oiled machine, bringing a vision to life.

It really took my appreciation for music to a whole new level, just in the fact that I began to respect more the composition and not the face, not solely looking at the image, the artifact, or that radio-friendly stuff. It made me want to dive into jazz and fusion, trying to find weirder, more complicated, more skilled musicians beyond the 3-chord progression of the pop song. From there, it was the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and then deeper still, struggling to search out atonal and modal jazz, the free jazz wilderness of Coltrane, and then full circle, back to the perfect simplicity of 12-bar blues.

Don't get me wrong for one second; I dig popular music as much as the next person, but "Inca Roads" really blew the blindness from my eyes and made me see that these basic musical instruments could be used to fulfill entirely different prophesies.

For your listening pleasure, I present two different mp3 versions of the song: the original recording, from 1975's One Size Fits All, and the live version from 1991's The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life. As if that were not enough to induce an overdose, two YouTube videos showing further interpretations of the song.

The first is a live performance of ex-FZ band member Mike Kenneally [coincidentally, he plays rhythm guitars on the 1991 recording] playing it with ex-Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa bassist Bryan Beller. The duo deconstruct it into an acoustic guitar and acoustic bass, still retaining the rhythmic perfection of the original.

In the second, we get to see FZ's band play it live from 1974, and the live shots are cut with some freaky, splendid claymation that work well with the music.

It might be considered a trite response for me to say that it's my favourite because it's one of his first songs I ever fell in love with. Of course, as I've noted, it goes much deeper than that, and I can credit the song with maybe putting me in a position to write and listen to the wide range of music I post on here. Without it, who knows where I might have ended up on the spectrum of sound?

Putting that aside for a second, let me look at the song a little closer.

It is, at first glance, all over the map. Bizarre flute and sax lines stab into the drum-heavy opening. Xylophones and Timpanis overlap George Duke's falsetto singing.

For the first couple of minutes [as you can see in the 2nd video], FZ simply mediates, presiding over their execution and keeping time like any self-respecting maestro should. Then, when he gets his opportunity at [2:00], he bursts in, seizing his chance, Gibson SG blazing. At [4:23], FZ breaks into manic, screeching staccato notes at the top of the neck, imitating the sci-fi sounds of a spaceship control panel, bleeping and flickering into life, 13 seconds of ear-popping music.

Listen for the entire band rejoining the fray at [4:36], chorus singing, each instrument following the vocal line. Bright, glorious, happy.

Several reiterations of the main theme precede a pinpoint tempo change at [6:35], when George Duke's synths howl and wail into outer space, backed by frenzied fusion music, complete with rolling bass lines and schizophrenic drum fills. Feel the walls crashing in around you, as these aliens land and take root, destroying everything around you and conquering the earth, the hysteria captured in Duke's solo. The band brings it back together, the song finally ending with a blast.

It's a roller coaster to listen to, ending as far from its beginning as it possibly could. It captures FZ to a tee, and it captured me after those first few listens in a friend's basement over a decade ago.

***The FINAL installment, Part VI, will appear on Friday. Enjoy, and let me know what you think in the comments.***

Addendum to the Gabriel action

Jetzt Kommt Die Flut
Peter Gabriel
[Listen]

That's a German version of Here Comes the Flood as anonymously requested which may have come off a single also containing a German Games Without Frontiers. I can't be sure though, as I don't have a library that extensive.

Also, check out these videos I found! It's a program put together about Peter Gabriel during the making of his Security album, which I covered, oh, just the other day. It comes in five parts, so it's a bit of a commitment to watch. For those really interested in the history of this album, or in recording in general, it's a rewarding watch.

Part 1

Check out that kickass intro! Thanks to CGI, we don't get cool shit like that anymore. This part starts out slow but goes into Peter's method of scoping out world music for rhythms to re appropriate.


Part 2

If you only watch one of these videos, watch this one for the vintage recording tech alone. How cool is that drum machine? Or the Fairlight pulling sounds stored on floppies as big as your head?


Part 3

In this installment we have the pleasure of meeting his musicians. Be sure to check out Tony Levin's stick. Oh, and how high were these guys? "...It's got a lot of strings, I don't even know how many, lots of strings." You play the thing Tony, but you don't know how many strings? And how about the tautological wisdom of the drummer: "a machine is a machine".


Part 4

Electronic instruments and mixing. I finally find out what makes that sound at the end of San Jacinto, my favorite Gabriel moment.


Part 5

Vocal wrap up and a live performance. All that work for a mixed critical reaction. The end.


I don't actually expect anyone but the most interested of the interested to really watch all these, but I thought they'd be a nice "educational component", to borrow a phrase from work, to my tour through Gabriel.

The FZ Primers, Part Four: 8 to 5

***This is Part IV of a 5 or 6-part series detailing the work of FZ, and sharing my favourite FZ tracks of all-time. It will be a regular feature every Friday [or Saturday...whoops] through March. For Part I, look here. For Part II, look here. For Part III, look here.***

EDIT: The link to "The Ocean is the Ultimate Solution" is now fixed, and trust me, it's worth coming back for. Also, I know we've been having some file download issues. When you click on the link, sometimes it says that the page cannot be found. I've found that it works the 2nd or 3rd time you click on it, if the links are right. I wish I knew what was causing it so maybe I could fix that, but for the time being, that's the best advice I have. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

There is still a little climbing to be done, but it will not be disappointing. Only eight more to go, an octet of FZ excellence. In today's segment, a trio of straight-up rockers and one track of extended prog rock ecstasy.

And once again, various technical difficulties meant this landed here far later than I would have hoped, but you can't win 'em all I guess. The conclusion to the series will kick you hard, and hopefully that it will atone for tardiness. There will be another installment once the countdown is done, including more detailed write-ups of five FZ albums that you absolutely have to have. If you are only able to buy 5 FZ albums before you die, these are the ones. [In my opinion of course]

8.
San Berd'ino
FZ & The Mothers of Invention
One Size Fits All
Discreet : 1975
[Listen] [Buy]

One Size Fits All was the last release to feature the Mothers of Invention name, and served as the home to some of FZ's more straight-up rock than was found in all his previous releases. Here, there is less of the jazz-rock instrumentation, and storm walls of layered guitar parts to fill your brain. The drums are heavy and blunt [thanks to Chester Thompson's tireless tectonics and Ruth Underwood's percussion toys], the bass duo of Tom Fowler and James Youman keep the low end full of thunder and vigor, and the Brock/Duke/FZ trio kick down the door from the front of the stage.

With a father in the military while FZ was growing up, the family moved around considerably during his childhood, and one place they spent time was the Southern California town of San Bernardino. While there, FZ was arrested in the early 60s on an exaggerated obscenity charge, and spent 10 days in Tank C at San Bernardino County Jail.

The ten days I spent in Tank C at the San Bernardino County Jail were very educational. Unless you've been to jail, you can't imagine what it's actually like....We were supplied with one razor blade per day, and one small shower stall at the end of the cell block for forty-four men. The scum on the shower basin was about four inches thick. I didn't shave or take a shower the whole time I was there.

Conversely, the song itself deals with "Bobby," a young inmate sent there for 30 days on a drunk-driving charge.

And, not surprisingly, it rocks. Chugging along thanks to one of my favourite FZ band lineups, including the lazy harmonica skills of Bloodshot Rollin' Red [aka Captain Beefheart], and the triumvirate of vocal power from FZ, George Duke and Napoleon Murphy Brock. Power, flair, intricacy, humour: the FZ quartet.

7.
Camarillo Brillo
FZ & The Mothers
Overnite Sensation
Discreet : 1973
[Listen] [Buy]

A familiar FZ topic, revisited. Crazy hippies, their weird ways, and, in this instance, the equally bizarre sexual experiences between them and his protagonist.

Overnite Sensation was a distilled version of the wild jazz-fusion released in the 3 years prior to this LP, as FZ pared his intricate compositions into explosive, concise 3-to-6 minute chunks, each track like a firework in a bottle, straining to get out.

"Camarillo Brillo" leads off the 35-minute record, telling the tale of sex with a "Magic Mama" who could "throw a mean Tarot". You can imagine where the lyrics might go from there, but the music is what pulled me into this one. Aside from the extreme sing-a-long power, the tune is catchy as all hell, punctuated by FZ's short guitar blasts and a funky, bouncing bass line. It's goofy pop, definitely aimed at a more mainstream audience, something hinted at by the sarcastic LP title. Sex, drugs, weird experiences in the desert, and everything you've come to expect from an FZ performance.

6.
The Ocean is the Ultimate Solution
FZ
Sleep Dirt
WEA/Discreet : 1979
[Listen] [Buy]

The Dead Sea Scrolls for prog-rock enthusiasts. This is 13 minutes, 21 seconds of absolute instrumental sex, punctuated with several soaring aural orgasms that will render you immobile and unable to walk. This is unfortunate not to make it higher on my overall list, losing a little bit of rank due to its length [FZ, although amazing in large doses, is not always palatable in such huge chunks, and listening to this track more than once or twice a day is exhausting from the listener's perspective], but it is magnificent, wonderful, inventive, dazzling fusion music from the depths of FZ's genius.

Where to begin? There are several miniature "movements" within this larger piece, crossing from acoustic guitar-driven passages into frenetic, high BPM electric territory and back again, frequently lapping the two in a coherent, logical effort. Terry Bozzio's drumming is flawless, as he managed to keep his bass drum pounding at the frantic pace of FZ's design. The first half of the song also gives bassist Patrick O'Hearn ample opportunity to join the speed-fest, with a disgustingly good solo [not sure if it's a double bass he's using or not] and guttural, deep melody support from the lowest possible end of the register.

FZ starts out with eclectic chord progressions, and at [6:50] remaining, his soloing begins. Fuck. It's breathtaking, up there with his best efforts captured on other albums [especially the Shut Up N' Hold Yer Guitar LP series]. From there, it's foot on the gas to the end, as more guitars join the mix, and Bozzio's insane time-keeping pushes the whole thing to a pressure-releasing, mind-bursting conclusion.

From an extremely underrated album of instrumentals, originally intended to be part of a quadruple-LP set, this is a fucking superb track. Listen once without saying a word, then skip right back to the beginning and try in vain to summarize what you heard each rotation and what your brain attempted to confirm. Absolute brilliance.

5.
Dirty Love
FZ & The Mothers
Overnite Sensation
Discreet : 1973
[Listen] [Buy]

To conclude today, another saucy slab from Overnite Sensation. Raunchier and somehow more obvious than "Camarillo Brillo", this song really hits the mark as an example of his blend of dirty funk, straight-up rock, and jazz ideas converge in a tight, compact 3-minute song.

A groovy track, with some deep, heavily-tweaked backing vocals, a dirty quick FZ solo, female chorus backing singers, all combining to make you feel like this should only be listened to in the dark when no-one's watching. It gets this high on the list because it has insane replay value for me, and has made it onto more than its fair share of random mixes handed out to friends and acquaintances over the years.

***The penultimate installment, Part V, will appear next Friday. Enjoy, and let me know what you think in the comments.***

Growing Up: A Tour of Peter Gabriel. Part 2 of ?

I like the touch and the smell of all the pretty dresses you wear.

Intruder
Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel [3]
Geffen : 1980
[Listen] [Buy]

Not One of Us
Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel [3]
Geffen : 1980
[Listen] [Buy]

Family Snapshot
Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel [3]
Geffen : 1980
[Listen] [Buy]

Games Without Frontiers
Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel [3]
Geffen : 1980
[Listen] [Buy]

The Rhythm of the Heat
Peter Gabriel
Security (Peter Gabriel [4])
Geffen : 1982
[Listen] [Buy]

San Jacinto
Peter Gabriel
Security (Peter Gabriel [4])
Geffen : 1982
[Listen] [Buy]

Shock the Monkey
Peter Gabriel
Security (Peter Gabriel [4])
Geffen : 1982
[Listen] [Buy]

The Family and the Fishing Net
Peter Gabriel
Security (Peter Gabriel [4])
Geffen : 1982
[Listen] [Buy]

We were all hanging out one evening, college students, socializing. Procrastinating. Avoiding life while waiting for something to happen. It must have been a radio show night for me, because I had my binder of mp3 discs. Now being the kind of a guy I am, when I burned my entire mp3 collection to CDs, I entered every folder onto a spreadsheet so that, at any time, I could find what disc any album was on or vice versa.

That spreadsheet somehow got passed around and I faced a good ribbing about my commitment to organization. The jokes stopped however when a young lady reading the list choked on an “oh my god”, as if she’d uncovered something forgotten but tremendous. Everyone was now focused on her as she said “oh my god, I loved that album”. Suddenly aware of everyone’s attention, she quickly shuffled the list, dismissively saying “nothing. It’s too embarrassing.”

No amount of prodding from the crowd would get her to reveal her secret. Later in the evening, well after other subjects had come and gone, she climbed up next to me on the couch, leaned in, and whispered: “Peter Gabriel’s Security was my absolute favorite album when I was a kid.”

It was the hottest thing anyone ever whispered in my ear.


Peter Gabriel’s third and fourth albums are my favorites from his catalog, containing some of his tightest, most compelling, and darkest tracks. I hope that right now you are listening to Intruder, which sets an incredibly stark tone from the instant you press play. Then, at the 42 second mark, you get a riff that sounds like it could go somewhere bright, somewhere good, pull you out of this world you unwittingly entered, but the progression turns, accentuated by a compressed yell. No, you’re not getting out that easily.

In case this is your first listen and you’re not the kind of person who can easily pull lyrics from a song, (because I’m not), let the first three lines leave no doubt that Peter’s here on serious business:

I know something about opening windows and doors
I know how to move quietly, creep across creaky wooden floors
I know where to find precious things in all your cupboards and drawers

When most of the kids in my 4th grade class were listening to Kriss Kross and Boyz II Men, I was digesting this. I’m not saying that as a judgment against those who enjoyed them, but at the time I certainly didn’t volunteer to bring my tapes in on “play your favorite music in art class” day. It’s a wonder I have relatively normalized social skills.

My other absolute favorite here comes from Security. The sounds of San Jacinto are merit enough to place the song on a pedestal, but I was always taken in by the imagery of it: the contrasts of steam and stone in sweat lodges with the suburban comforts of back yard pools and strip mall steak houses. In a live version, Peter explains the inspiration for the song:

Many years ago we were touring around America and we got to a place in the Midwest. It was late, we were having a drink, and there was a guy who had been working as a porter. We got chatting, and one of the things he said was that “my apartment is burning down.” This was a strange thing for somebody to say quite so casually. He said “I don’t have any means of getting there. I don’t care about my possessions. The only thing I care about is my cat.”

We gave him a lift to the apartment and managed to get his cat out alive. We were talking afterwards and it turns out he was an Apache Brave. He told me of the time when, at age 14, he’d been taken up to the top of the mountain with the old medicine man and, in his sack, there was something moving. It turned out to be a rattlesnake. As they got to the top of the mountain the old man pulled out the snake, bit the boy with it, and left him there for 14 days. If he came down back to the village, he was a brave.

The end of the song has always been one of my favorite moments. I wish there were a way to take the subjective experience of these sound waves and impart to you the power and significance they hold for me. To explain the way the background shifts thick from ear to ear, the way it manages to sound both of nature and artifice providing unsteady grounding in both worlds, belonging to neither, to underscore the simplest of affirmations neglected daily in our churning technologic civilization: we will walk / on the land / we will breathe / of the air / we will drink / from the stream / we will live / hold the line.

I don’t mean to take away from the other songs featured here by focusing mostly on these two. Not One of Us is a mostly straightforward rock tune with a breakdown at the end that hints at his direction in the next album. Family Snapshot is the most skillful and poetic way I could imagine executing a song written from the point of view of an alienated man and hopeful assassin. I listened to Games Without Frontiers for countless hours in my childhood, enchanted by the sound.

The Rhythm of the Heat is dark, moody, unrelenting, has a terrific climax, and is a great lead in to San Jacinto. Shock the Monkey wasn’t ever my favorite, but grew on me as I aged. One of Peter’s biggest hits before Sledgehammer and Big Time broke, it is an example of his ability to craft an easily digestible pop tune while retaining his odd imagery and sound. The Family and The Fishing Net was another childhood favorite. I was drawn in by the absolute oddity of it, even more so than I. Being at the end of side A meant it was easy to rewind back and listen repeatedly. I don’t know how many times I played this with headphones on, miming along, but I’m sure if you can manage to travel back to my bedroom in 1992 with a video camera, it would make great YouTube material. Oh yeah, and in case you couldn’t tell by the tone of the song, it’s about a wedding. Cheers!


Oh, the young lady? I didn’t pay it much mind since she had a boyfriend, who’s now her husband and father to her child. She did give me an idea though: a dating service for kids raised on Gabriel. They could call it The Fishing Net.

Uh-Oh

As you've come to expect, the FZ post is landing tardy again. My internet just isn't playing fair, and I get on for minutes at a time which is frankly not enough to do the uploads. I believe El Roy has something for tomorrow, and then FZ part IV will touch down on monday.

Many apologies. I hate it when this happens. Now go get drunk!




JT

Videos at the Week's End

The work week is almost done. But, before you go, check out two of my all-time favorite music videos.

Sledgehammer
Peter Gabriel
So
Geffen : 1986



You Can Call Me Al
Paul Simon
Graceland
Wea : 1986



What would we do without YouTube? Sadly, it won't last forever, but then again what does?
Stay Tuned. -- Silent K

Of Disposable Pleasures & Meaningful Pursuits

Morning Child
4hero
Play With The Changes
Raw Canvas : 2007
[Listen] [Buy] [Site]

Bad As They Come [remix]
3582 [Fat Jon & J. Rawls]
Situational Ethics
3d : 2003
[Listen] [Buy]

Mer Du Japon
Air
Pocket Symphony
Astralwerks : 2007
[Listen] [Buy] [Site]

Always
Amon Tobin
Foley Room
Ninja Tune : 2007
[Listen] [Buy] [Site]

Vigor
The Gasman
Love Collection
Planet Mu : 2007
[Listen] [Buy] [Site]

Get It
RJD2
The Third Hand
Xl Recordings : 2007
[Listen] [Buy] [Site]

It sure has been a while since I've shared any new gems. I've been elsewhere and I'm not sure if I'm even back from wherever the hell that is that I went/am. I'm still working on the Yoshida Brother's post. But seeing as that's not complete yet, I've figured that the time is nigh for some new cuts from my angle [obtuse] of the FmGT spectrum.

I found 4hero with their 1998 release of 2 Pages. Fans of Broken-beat, Down tempo & Acid Jazz really loved this one, and if you haven't heard it yet I urge you to do so now. It would be an understatement to say that I had a relationship with the tracks 'Escape That' and 'Spirits in Transit' - dang that's a good album. So, 2007 has brought 4hero's fifth album: Play With The Changes. We get that signature chill beat, smooth string, the occasional sitar, and those effervescent downbeat-electronic undertones - this is surely a 4hero album. It's very groovy and very sexy. 'Morning Child' starts the album on a very upbeat makin'-you-feel-proud note with blasting strings and horns. There are some 4hero tracks from previous albums that I would prefer as instrumentals - but 'Morning Child's vocals are just right on the money - so much that I've been starting my day with this track for the last month straight - I'm not kidding. Other notables on the album are the seducing 'Take my Time'; The almost-like-a-Ridge-Racer track 'Look Inside'; The better-than-a-Jamiroquai instrumental 'Sophia' and the whiskey-sippin'-cool 'Why Don't You Talk. The production duo of Dego & Mark Mac have pulled up the aces yet again.

We've posted quite a bit from Fat Jon in the past, so much that long-time FmGTenizens no doubt have a fine collection of his brand of slick-ass instrumental hip-hop beats [and for that you're welcome - especially the Champloo soundtrack and not to mention everything under the name of Five Deez]. Here though we've got Fat Jon paired up with independent producer J. Rawls churning out beats that'll penetrate your mind and your feet to get you thinking and tapping up a storm on both fronts. 'Bad As They Come' plays the double agent as solo-listening-bliss and as party track for fine tune booty bouncing - sometimes I don't know which one I like more [I lie, yes I do.]

I was very surprised and excited to hear that a new Air album came out just a few days ago. I've always been a fan of their subtle sound, but at the same time I have wanted them to push it a little bit more than they do. On some listening sessions I think "these guys are brilliant" but at other times I have found myself thinking, "Ugh, this is the same old Air" - there's really nothing wrong with that though. As their albums on the whole go - they are best listened to as full entities and not as single track platters - so it's rare for me to suggest an individual Air track over simply suggesting a full album. Air has always been conducive to a cohesive hour-long listening journey, best served with some booze and a leather couch. From prior albums, 'Kelly Watch The Stars' & 'Radian' always stood out for me though, as anomalies that I could listen to on single repeat - just as 'Mer Du Japon' does from Air's most recent effort: Pocket Symphony. The piano leads the way and I'm helpless to do anything but follow as I'm dropped into the oceanic false ending. Godin & Dunckel still have it - if you're a fan of Air already, then you'll surely dig this.

Hip-hop/Electronic/Jazz-beat fusion artist Amon Tobin never fails to impress. I can't say that I can listen to every single one of his tracks without punching the 'next track' button - but his technical proficiency is solid, solid, solid and impressive to the point of mouth drop. Regardless of if he's wearing the Cujo mask or not - he takes elements of styles that I love and turns them into melodic abstractions that deserve multiple listening sessions. Tobin's recently released album, The Foley Room [named for the studios used in recording film soundtrack sound effects] is above par for the course. Those not versed in Tobin might find this a little too abstract - if so I suggest pulling up 'Always' (featured today) as well as 'At the End of the Day.' These gems are melodic and beautiful - 'Always' is bright and bouncy where as 'At the End of the Day' is dark and brooding. I'm NOT simply discarding the remainder of the album, but the afformentioned tracks so rightly deserve call out. Like the Air album above, if you're a fan of Tobin, then you're in for a helping of oishii ongaku [tasty music].

I've recently become obsessed with The Gasman. And really, I don't know how to better articulate his style than this: take 1 part Luke Vibert [slightly leaning toward the Wagon Christ side] and mix with 3 parts Orbital and a small side of steamed Aphex Twin and you'll get something very close to The Gasman. With the release of his 8th album Love Collection - I find myself really surprised that I've never heard of him before. The Gasman's minimal Techno is erratic, progressive and smooth all at once. Check out today's featured track,'Vigor' and you'll see what I mean.

RJD2, the underground NYC Hip-hop producer that seemed to come out of no where and grab hip-hop & electronic fans with full force in 2002 with his proper debut album 'Dead Ringer.' His solo material is incredible and his collaborations are equally impressive - bringing beats like no other to the hip-hop scene and - in my honest opinion - completely trumping what DJ Shadow tried on his most recent album [don't get me wrong, I love Shadow - and that's a whole other post in itself]. I did feel like there was some sort of connection however when Shadow stated that his then upcoming album 'The Outsider' was going to be a drastic change and that his current fans would probably not like it - this for the most part came to fruition - but bless Josh for following his path. And so as the Shadow deviated, I read an article about how RJ had stated that his then upcoming album - the recently released The Third Hand - was going to be a deviation from what fans had come to expect. As Shadow went hip-hop, RJ stated that in 2007 he would go [albeit relatively] Hip-Hop-Free *gasp, gulp...smile.* A Pop record from RJD2? But believe it or not, it's solid. I heard a lot of people giving RJ shit for the tracks on which he sang from his second album Since We Last Spoke. But, I found myself digging those tracks the most. Those in that boat will absolutely love The Third Hand - it's really great to see an artist make pop and not make it annoying as fuck - And it's equally cool to see someone move from behind the decks to in front of the microphone. But as I speak about his talent as a great singer, I've ended up choosing an instrumental track to share with you today. 'Get It' is definitely a track for skeptical RJ fans - it's the taste test. But really, his style has only changed slightly - if you dug him before then you will dig him even more now, and unlike the Amon Tobin or Air records, this new RJ album surely has the potential to convert previous non-believers.

You'll have to excuse me now - JT, Codec and I are about to grab some all-you-can-eat Sushi. I'm sure we'll make some Sapporo induced drunk phone calls to The Roy in between sessions of unagi and toro.

Kam Pei! [Stay Tuned]
-- Silent K

Off to Big Plans

(original image copyright Wolfgang Staudt)

Unlimited SaGa: Overture
Masashi Hamauzu
Unlimited: SaGa (OST)
Digicube : 2003
[listen] | [buy]

Battle Theme I
Masashi Hamauzu
Unlimited: SaGa (OST)
Digicube : 2003
[listen] | [buy]

Battle Theme II
Masashi Hamauzu
Unlimited: SaGa (OST)
Digicube : 2003
[listen] | [buy]

Room of Surprises
Masashi Hamauzu
Unlimited: SaGa (OST)
Digicube : 2003
[listen] | [buy]

Momentary Respite
Masashi Hamauzu
Unlimited: SaGa (OST)
Digicube : 2003
[listen] | [buy]

Intended as one of many posts to come on heartbreaking beauty of the original video game score, its ability to compel and its (in this case, non-) associative relationship to memory.

I've loved game music since I was young - full of outsized ambition and promise, intensely visual, tied neatly to themes you could bullseye from a quarter-mile off (heroism, adventure, love, conflict, loss). For as many zero-comment entries as it's going to take, you'll come to terms with its gravity over the course of my tenure with FmGT Labs.

We'll start with Unlimited: SaGa. Never played it? See, neither have I. The couple of major-console titles (Saga Frontier, Saga Frontier II) in the series are rambling, aimless and marred by the sorts of late-nineties inattention to localization that would cripple a lot of SquareEnix's best, and an overly complicated battle system (plus more of the same) is pretty good reason to stay away from this one. Read any of the game's reviews, however, and Masashi Hamauzu's bright, full-spectrum orchestration of the game emerges as the game's only consistent reason to play.

Drenched in Celtic modality, bound up nicely with leitmotif - a technique employed by some of the industry's best - the Unlimited: SaGa soundtrack is no lightweight. If you listen to nothing else, check the Battle Theme; use your own conflicts, paint your own visuals, feel something stir.

It may sound strange to try to appreciate any of this without the proper context (read: ~80 hours of gameplay), but I'm right there with you on this one. Until next time...

The FZ Primers, Part Three: 12 to 9

***This is Part III of a 5 or 6-part series detailing the work of FZ, and sharing my favourite FZ tracks of all-time. It will be a regular feature every Friday [or Saturday...whoops] through march. For Part I, look here. For Part II, look here. ALSO: I did try to upload this yesterday, but my internet was problematic so it had to land late. Apologies for the wait.***

We've approached the halfway mark, and there's still some golden FZ to come. This list was harder than I thought, the more that I think about it, because a lot of his music touched me in ways that not a lot of music could [or did, for that matter]. There's a lot of dreck in the music world today, a lot of bubbly, over-packaged bollocks that is rammed down our throats and forced upon us at every opportunity. Performing this examination of FZ has been a detox of sorts for me, as it's all I've really listened to for weeks now. I've dusted off every last FZ artifact I could find around my apartment, dug out every CD, every liner note and scrutinized them like they were the Shroud of Turin.

And we've finally made it, into the top 10. Buckle up, and let's travel a little deeper.

12.
My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama
FZ
Weasels Ripped My Flesh
Bizarre Records : 1970
[Listen] [Buy]

At number 12, we shift towards FZ's pop-rock side once again, with his short, sweet, defiant vow of revenge on his girlfriend's square parents. Captured by a heavy, persistent rhythm, a horn section and the gurgling lower register of a violin, FZ lets rip with abandon, throwing in heavy guitar licks and a solo that screams and attacks the senses like a cannonball to the sternum. Short, sweet, and thoroughly deserving of a place on the list at number 12.

11.
Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy
FZ
Bongo Fury
Discreet : 1975
[Listen] [Buy]

This song, in most critics' lists attempting to pin down FZ's music, would probably not even crack the Top 50, but I swear, it is lodged permanently in my heart in this discussion. It is a long story, as quirky and weird as anything else FZ sang about, but it is charming and oddly endearing. Accompanied on the vocal narration by George Duke [yes, THE George Duke], it's vivid, wild and extremely entertaining, telling the story of a bizarre love encounter against a wall of intricate rock that was a FZ hallmark.

Coming off Bongo Fury, a collection of live recordings made in Texas with Captain Beefheart along for the ride [I'm considering putting together another Beefheart primer, for those who missed the first, so be warned], it is the bright spot in an album with plenty of blinding light.

FZ's guitar solo is short and sweet, barely touching a tenth of his skills, but in this track, it's not about him. It's about the band, the lyrical madness, and the overall listening experience, for it's easy to forget that regardless of FZ's prowess, he couldn't have made it happen without an equally deranged and talented band [of which he had several over the years], and this track gives respect to all.

It also bears saying that Duke's voice is absolute liquid velvet on the ears.

10.
Trouble Every Day
FZ & The Mothers of Invention
Freak Out!
Verve : 1966
[Listen] [Buy]

Freak Out! was FZ's debut album, and one of the most outrageous, inventive, and era-defining debuts that comes to memory. Four sides of vinyl, ambitious in scope, execution and intent, and signaling his arrival in the music world with force and gusto. Released in 1966, Freak Out! was not only one of the first concept albums [as we understand the term "concept album" to be applied], but also one of the first double albums in the history of rock music. Quite the double play [pardon the pun], but it was as scrupulously planned, carefully executed and meticulously arranged as anything else in his catalog.

No scrap or filler here [I'm looking at you, Billy Corgan, with your outrageous Smashing Pumpkins double LPs], not a single inch of tape wasted or note played in vain.

If FZ is to be remembered for anything, it's his attention to detail and depth of execution. At first listen, the songs appear disparate and goofy, perhaps making it easy to write off, but upon further examination, the meat is there for all to enjoy, as he shows his intent to become the firm alternative to the pre-package crooning of pop as he knew it.

This track, which comes in the album's final stanza, is six minutes of swampy, sloppy, street blues, powered by a chugging persistent rhythm and FZ's carefree guitar playing, bending each note as if his life depended on it. Against this grimy backdrop, FZ's voice echoes clearly, and his screed is undeniable, an angry response to the Watts riots, not the acts themselves but the difficult conditions and oppression that caused them.

Hey you know something people / I'm not black / But there's a whole lots a times / I wish I could say I'm not white

If all that you can ever be / Is just a lousy janitor / Unless your uncle owns a store / You know that five in every four / Just one amount and nothin' more / Don't watch the rats go across the floor / And make up songs about being poor / Blow you harmonica son!

[Get the full lyrics here]

It's a fantastic song, not just for what it represents, but for the way it is presented, in the style of urban blues. This song contains arguably some of the most incisive, insightful protest lyrics of the era, and for that reason, along with a million more I've tried to communicate, it is firmly on the list. A fantastic song.

9.
Absolutely Free
FZ and the Mothers of Invention
We're Only In It for the Money
Verve : 1967
[Listen] [Buy]

The late '60s still found the Mothers of Invention going strong, and FZ aimed his sights at contemporary culture yet again, this time slamming his fist into the hippie culture, the Summer of Love, and the superficiality of life during the era. Everyone standing for something, but not understanding what. Flower power, free love, aimless drifting and the fleeting focus on the common cause of the day before moving on to the next big thing. FZ's response was We're Only In It for the Money, a mish-mash of styles ranging from 50s doo-wop to the baroque-sounding folk psychedelia practiced by the likes of Donovan.

Similarly, it cemented his role as the vocal champion of the freaks, those shunned by both sides of the cultural equation. There were the peace-and-love tie-dye set, and the suit-wearing yes men, with FZ planted firmly in the middle, equally outspoken against both for their shortcomings. The album itself divides into two parts, the first lampooning the problems he saw in society, and the second offering solutions or ways to fix that which had gone awry. With the counterculture now successfully commodified and as vacant as the mainstream world against which it stood, mediocrity held sway.

This album was FZ's loud, trippy response, of which this song grabbed me hardest. Its twee instrumentation and vocal effects dominate the soundscape, echoing and swirling around the listener in an acid-soaked frenzy. Although this album should be digested as an entire artifact for the full effect, this track is one I come back to time and time again, as its message is so artfully distilled and presented in three-and-a-half glorious, weird, cacophonous minutes.

It achieves what all the acoustic singer-songwriters could not.

---
***Part IV will appear next Friday. Enjoy, and let me know what you think in the comments.***

Two Things:

NYC-Area Readers:

• If you've been following JT's Zappa Primers and would be interested in learning more about the man from a "book," Bargain Books on Carmine and Bleecker is selling a paperback on the man's life to the tune of 480p. for $7.

• I'm going to sign up for this - http://www.hiphopkaraokenyc.com/ - later tonight. If you're looking for some unintentional entertainment (or want to take the mic yourself), get yrself down to the Knitting Factory!

Returning you to yr regularly scheduled programming.. now.

The world looks the same, but sounds different

Sunday After You
Kenna
New Sacred Cow
Columbia : 2003
[Listen] [Buy]

New Sacred Cow
Kenna
New Sacred Cow
Columbia : 2003
[Listen] [Buy]

Love Hate Sensation
Kenna
New Sacred Cow
Columbia : 2003
[Listen] [Buy]

Freetime
Kenna
New Sacred Cow
Columbia : 2003
[Listen] [Buy]

Codec's most recent [and brilliant] post got me thinking. Yeah, a miracle I know. I'm thinking. Using my brain. Flexing my grey matter.

This album definitely crept up on me many years ago, at least a year before it was to be released. I was given it by hand on two separate occasions, in equally random circumstances, and in retrospect, it was one of the better things I'd heard in a while. I remember the first few listens, how I felt completely refreshed. At that point in time, it was a sensation, a breath of fresh air.

The first copy I received was from a classmate in college, a random acquaintance with whom I spent a semester back in '02 trading weird albums and new records we bet the other person hadn't heard. He interned at Interscope on two different occasions, working in their studios and also doing promotional work here and there. I gave him two albums, he gave me two in return, and so on. One autumn afternoon, he handed me Kenna, telling me it was stuck in limbo thanks to record label politics, you know, the regular bullshit.

I listened over and over again, and couldn't believe why this wasn't on every street corner, being sung from the rooftops and distributed to the masses.

I'll spare you the bio, but this album, produced by Chad Hugo [The Neptunes] deserved better. Weird, unclassifiable, addictive music, with healthy spoonfuls of anything that'll appeal to everyone. Electronica, dance, synth, rock, soul, R&B, full of power, emotion and force. It is the perfect soundtrack to the gloomy world we live in, where we must struggle to find the flashes of colour amongst the monotone.

Listen while holding your lover close. Digest it while riding the herky-jerky subway through the dismal depths of your urban environment. Spin it in the clubs to inspire the crowd to grind and slow-dance in a sweat. Play it loud in the dark, defiant and rebellious against the unhelpful world.

This quartet from the debut album should do him more than enough justice.

This album definitely found me, and found me deep in flux, unsure of my post-college future, my relationships, my education, where I would end up and how I would end up doing it. It soothed the frayed edges, gave me a canvas on which to paint hope, and by finding its way to me not once, but twice, it definitely answers Codec's question.

I hope you derive as much pleasure from it as I did.

***Stay tuned for Part 3 of the FZ Primers, coming in under the subterfuge on Friday afternoon. The countdown is getting closer.***

I Play My Cadence

(original image copyright keturahrae)

Iron Galaxy
Cannibal Ox
The Cold Vein
Definitive Jux : 2001
[listen] | [buy]

The F-Word
Cannibal Ox
The Cold Vein
Definitive Jux : 2001
[listen] | [buy]

Pigeon
Cannibal Ox
The Cold Vein
Definitive Jux : 2001
[listen] | [buy]

Scream Phoenix
Cannibal Ox
The Cold Vein
Definitive Jux : 2001
[listen] | [buy]

I draft these thoughts moments before they'll go live on your screen; old habits don't die, and the truth is that no amount of monastic reflection was going to bring how I feel about Cannibal Ox onto the page. Best to do it in small steps, to drop one foot in front of the other until you find yourself where you want to be. Fuck, how do you begin to write about the kind of album that finds you, a song that sounds at first listen as familiar as it will ten years down the line - the touch of a small, silver volume knob tuned to the secret rhythm of your life?

The Cold Vein has been looking for me for the last six years and made contact just a couple of weeks ago. Thinking on it, none of this would have worked if I hadn't been as lost as I was - just numb enough to look away as it set the line and began to pull me along. First to the record store, where I paid for my first CD in years, and immediately back for the instrumentals on a 12" piece of vinyl that I can't yet use but am promised I someday will.

Since the encounter: twice, three times a day I've switched off shuffle and let The Cold Vein - seventy-five minutes at a listen-through - score my state of mind, discovering connections and themes and meaning in the thick fog of so much reflection.

If El-P ever manages to top his work on this album, then I have found proof of an afterlife. The soundscape is scratchy and well-worn, a low-fi patchwork quilt that wears like the only thing you've got against a city that doesn't care. Vast and Vordul use this canvas like a brick wall, tagging poetry in a million shades of blue and grey, constructing a tale of oppression, love and rebirth; if you've ever lived in New York - if you've ever felt alone - this is a chapter in your life, dog-eared or still to come.

What's the last album that tracked you down?

[Announcements:]

• A new Can Ox album is supposedly due to drop later this year,
• and a well-confirmed El-P solo production (feat. a strong roster of Def Jux tenants and Trent Reznor besides) is out in a couple of weeks.

Only real in the way that I feel from day to day

World on a String
Neil Young
Tonight's the Night
Reprise / WEA : 1975
[Listen] [Buy]


Come on Baby Let's Go Downtown
Neil Young
Tonight's the Night
Reprise / WEA : 1975
[Listen] [Buy]

Headache. All day. Sinuses, makes the world feel like it's condensed into singularity hovering one centimeter in front of the bridge of my nose. Couldn't concentrate on work. Can't concentrate on this.

I don't know what it is, but when I get headaches, (especially morning after headaches) what makes me feel good, at least for a little while, is good head nodding rock and roll. Played loudly, but not too loudly, and not through headphones. Also, in the dark.

So thank you Neil for kicking the ass you're known to kick. Enjoy these two tracks from one of his best. I'll be back when I can see straight.

The FZ Primers, Part Two: 16 to 13

*** This is Part II of a 5 or 6-part series detailing the work of FZ, and sharing my favourite FZ tracks of all-time. It will be a regular feature every Friday [or Saturday...whoops] through march. For Part I, look here. ***

16.
Valley Girl
FZ
Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch
Barking Pumpkin Records : 1982
[Listen] [Buy]

FZ's big hit, or rather, his only song to ever break the Top 40 charts. A satire of those vacant California girls obsessed with shopping and image, FZ's daughter Moon Unit [14 at the time] wrote and performed all the lady parts [easy, those of you with dirty minds], and it was a roaring success, coining that catchphrase, and lending its name to a shitty film starring a young Nicolas Cage the following year.

Straight-up rock, addictive as hell, and showing that FZ still had the cutting edge wit and satire that was the hallmark of his earliest albums. The guitars grind, the bass chugs and growls like Satan's pick-up truck, and Moon Unit's contribution is pitch-perfect.

Ever been to the Sherman Oaks Galeria? Now it's like you never need to, as this brings Val-speak straight to your brain.

15.
The Orange County Lumber Truck
FZ & The Mothers of Invention
Weasels Ripped My Flesh
Bizarre Records : 1970
[Listen] [Buy]

I don't know where to begin with this one. The LP it comes from is a mish-mash of studio and live recordings, various odds and ends around the time that the Mothers broke up, and a collection of songs that didn't fit in any other albums but blend nicely here.

This track is a brief, eclectic instrumental, taking in FZ's many moods and providing yet another weird lineup, with some flugelhorn making it into the mix. The opening head is a groovy, sunny little riff that breaks into driving rock and another short, sweet FZ solo.

14.
Uncle Remus
FZ
Apostrophe'
Discreet : 1974
[Listen] [Buy]

For all his zaniness and eccentric personality, FZ was never far wrong on his more political or social views. Time and again he lampooned the popular culture, condemned crooked, puritan politicians or ineffectual bureaucracies. He bemoaned and fought censorship, he railed against the Catholic Church, against art, and in this short, sweet track from Apostrophe’, he approached racism in the middle classes.

"Whoa, are we moving too slow?
Have you seen us, Uncle Remus?
We look pretty sharp in these clothes [yes we do]
Unless we get sprayed with a hose”

”Just keep your nose to the grindstone, they say
Will that redeem us, Uncle Remus?
I can’t wait until my ‘fro is full grown
I’ll just throw away my doo-rags at home”

Having seen the Civil Rights movement come and go, the early- to mid-70s, a period where things were supposed to be turning around and equality was just a day away, were still very much the same. In public, the average person may have been civil and polite, but behind closed doors, the same tired racism and intolerance prevailed.

This track attacks that directly, backed by an extremely suave, seductive jazz arrangement, driven by piano and drums. George Duke's piano work is gorgeous, and the lyrics are pertinent even now.

13.
Waka/Jawaka
FZ
Waka/Jawaka
Discreet : 1972
[Listen] [Buy]

So the legend goes, FZ's Mothers were performing in London in December of 1971, and an audience member thought FZ was giving his girlfriend the come-on over the course of the show. Eventually, the audience member jumped on stage and pushed FZ into the orchestra pit, injuring him and doing enough damage to confine FZ to a wheelchair throughout 1972. His focus drifted from the jocular, sarcastic rock songs, and he disbanded the Mothers [the London show was their last], and he began to hone back in on the jazz he'd begun to explore in his album Hot Rats [released in 1969].

The end result, were two cracking back-to-back albums, Waka/Jawaka, and The Grand Wazoo, where intricate instrumentals reigned supreme. Jazz-fusion time, and with excellent results for the listener.

More attention is paid here to extending soloing, as compared to the other long instrumental track "Big Swifty" that kicks off the records. FZ was a brilliant composer, and whenever this song pops up, I can never skip it. Sure, it's jazz to a point, but fuck. FZ is worth 12 minutes of your time for this one.

---
*** Part III will appear next Friday. Enjoy, and let me know what you think in the comments. ***