Drummer reacts to "Stairway to Heaven" (Live) by Frank Zappa

[@fenderchamp8241]

His version is a scream! The best.

[@wowwhywow]

History lesson: Zappa would enter the rehearsals of this group after they were already rehearsing for a few hours, and one day,,, when he entered, they were playing around with Stairway to Heaven. He listened for a few minutes and when they paused...he said "That's a nice sounding tune...who is that?" And he was serious. The guys in the band looked at each other in confusion thinking "Does he REALLY not know Stairway to Heaven?" Frank did not consume rock music, so NO,he wasn't kidding...he really never had heard it. He decided to put it in the show and started fucking around with the words and arraingment, but when they played in it London... in front of Jimmy Page and Robert Plant whom were in the audience...Plant told Frank that he could have the rights to release the song ONLY if he kept the lyrics as they were on the original. This is the same Robert Plant that told Frank he did NOT have permission to mention Led Zepplin during his story about the Mudshark back in 1971 So the official Zappa release does not play around with the lyrics and pretty much follows the original version in every respect.

[@andymccracken4046]

Thanks, I liked the Filmore East album and heard only recently it was about Led Zep.

[@Ferretbomber]

although Black Sabbath was one of his fave bands of the 70s. He just didn't mass consume rock, but he liked a few things here and there.

[@donpardo2510]

I saw a list of Frank's favorite song. Classical and obscure jazz

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

Teenage Frank certainly consumed music. The CD Zappa's Jukebox is a great example of what he was listening to from doo-wop to blues to jazz to classical. Once he became a recording artist in his own right, he really didn't listen to the big rock bands of the 60s and 70s, that's for sure. Whipping Floss on Stage Vol. 2 is a great honest example of Frank not knowing the song Whipping Post. I'm sure that Frank didn't know Stairway to Heaven. As to this particular version, it isn't played strictly straight lyrics from London because Robert Planet (nod to Fillmore East ;) was there. It comes from three different performances. 0.00-2.13 Vienna, Austria, May 8, 1988 2.13-8.21 Florence, Italy, June 6, 1988 8.21-9.20 London, England, April 18, 1988 To your point of playing it with straight lyrics, the main body of this performance (with the lyrics) is from Italy, some 6 weeks after Frank met with Page and Plant, so perhaps he intended for that gig to play it straight. I don't know if it was played with a lot of screwing around with the lyrics all through the tour anyway, such as the obvious Beatles parodies "Norwegian Jim" "Louisiana Hooker With Herpes" and 'Texas Motel." One Stairway that stands out as being screwed around with is Stairway To Star Wars.

[@leddygee1896]

Frank is the only musician that ALL the other "Rock Stars" of the day bowed to. They all revered him, Clapton, Hendrix, Page... And rightly so!!

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

Put yourself back in 1988. No internet as we know it, no cell phones to text what is going on in real time, etc. You're at the concert. You don't know the setlist. For Zappa, the setlist was written just before the show, so even the band didn't know the setlist until it was time to play. SO, as an audience member, you're enjoying the concert, and the encore is Stairway to Heaven! WTAF?? You're blown away because everyone on the planet (except Frank...) knows Stairway to Heaven and you can't believe you're seeing it being played by ZAPPA! Then when it's time for the iconic guitar solo, you're treated to hearing it played by the horn section instead. MIND BLOWN!!

[@uluwatu63]

To me it was always the last song, he was obviously mocking like the other songs before in reggae-rythm. By adding his musical signature, he made them more enjoyable, but not mindblowing. Not on the level of Frank Zappa, Master of art.

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

@@uluwatu63 Mind blowing for the reasons I mentioned. Hearing Zappa playing Stairway to Heaven, very unexpected and if you don't know it's coming, all the more. Knowing the iconic guitar solo is about to happen and then hearing the horns playing it, and playing it perfectly, mind blowing.

[@NondescriptMammal]

​@@uluwatu63 Maybe he is mocking the song, I think it's more that he liked to de-commercialize a song like this, take off its gloss and polish and grandiosity, deconstruct it and put it together again, and then throw in random goofy sounds here and there just to pull it down off its high horse of commercial success. I think it is done with humor more than mockery, and I like this part of his artistry.

[@scottirwin3426]

The best version ❤

[@jeffmartin1026]

I did get to see The Best Band...., twice on this tour, Albany and Rochester NY. When they started Stairway, everybody was getting pumped for Frank to blaze thru the big guitar solo. When the horn section took it on it was incredible. The person I was with in Albany was a music major at school and a brass player. He turned to me and said "They can't do that! I've tried to and it doesn't work". I said, "That's why they are in his band and you are not". He said "Yeah, you're right" and we laughed and laughed.

[@brie_b]

That's exactly what I was thinking though. How are they doing that? It's wild.

[@lynnsparks6670]

Shit i dissappear for a minute and find out youve been reacting to Zappa and the Dead... Fuck yeah brotha!

[@paulhogan3536]

Amazing Zappa cover of the allman brothers just as good

[@NondescriptMammal]

You can definitely here the Spike Jones influence on Zappa in this one

[@alldayadventures5418]

Album TITLE SAYS IT ALL: The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life Another Smash Hit: Does Humor Belong In Music Yes, Zappa had an AGENDA...! He was in it for US the FANS, not the Music Industry.

[@hansvandermeulen5515]

This tour did the US east coast and Europe and would continue at the US west coast and summerfestivals throughout the US but that never happened as most of the band wanted a different bass player which was unrealistic with a repertoire of anywhere between 120 and 300 songs, that would four months of rehearsal, missing out on äll the summer fun. So the US west coast audiences never heard the best FZ band ever.

[@Ferretbomber]

I remember getting this double cd in the late 80s after his final '88 tour, loved it. One of his best live albums, i played the shit out of this. He also does 'Purple Haze' by Hendrix, the Godfather theme, 'When Irish Eyes are Smiling' ... all sorts of covers on that tour, they went in a lot of directions, tremendous band. Unfortunately Zappa had enough of some internal strife that developed and cancelled the U.S. dates of the tour after completing the European leg, so American audiences didn't see them. Thanks as always for the reaction Lee. Have a great day, man.

[@L33Reacts]

Thanks for the info man I appreciate you! So glad to have you. Zappa is such an interesting fella. I'll have to check out some other covers of his

[@Ferretbomber]

there are literally dozens of live albums from Frank. When he died he was in the process of initiating a project he called 'beat the boots', he was going to release 1,000 live albums to counter all the bad bootleg live recordings of his shows which he felt poorly represented his work. So the Zappa Family Trust has slowly been releasing approved live albums the last decade or so. It is an immense amount of work. One thing about Frank, would rehearse for 3 hours every afternoon before a show in the late 70s and into the 80s, and change lyrics, make the band learn songs in a variety of styles, etc., so every live performance was different to a degree. He would also have a 'word of the night' and they would integrate it into the show. On the '88 tour they learned like 120 songs and could switch between them via hand signals from Frank, and could play any of them in reggae, swing, rock, country, disco, etc. So from show to show you got a different set list and probably a different style version of some of the songs. Most bands would learn 25 songs, go on tour, play the same 15-20 songs every night in the same style and that was it. Zappa went way beyond.@@L33Reacts

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

This album was released in April 1991 and the follow up, Make a Jazz Noise Here, two months later in June. The first of the '88 tour trio of CDs was Broadway The Hard Way, released in Oct. '88. There is a fourth '88 disc. The posthumous Zappa '88 - The Last U.S. Show. American audiences did get to see him, just not all of them. The first leg of the tour began in early Feb. and ended March 25. The band was supposed to come back to the states to continue, but they imploded in Europe. I don't even know that they completed the Euro leg of the tour. It may have ended when it did because, as Zappa would say if he was pissed, "House lights! Concert's over." To that point, I don't know if tickets to what would've been the return to American leg of the tour were already sold and needed to be refunded. That would be a huge expense to Frank.

[@jeffmartin1026]

@@Royale_with_Cheeze Frank talked bluntly about the financial loss. The band was complaining about the bass player (so I have read) and Frank ended up going along with them and the band broke up. Frank later said that when he listened back to the tapes that there was no problem that he could discern. He wasn't happy about having ending the tour.

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

@@jeffmartin1026 There wasn't a problem with their playing. Just inter-personal problems between some members of the band and Scott. They just couldn't stand to be with him. Frank liked him as a bass player, and for good reason. He is a great player and, like Chad Wackerman, in the band from 1981 through to the end. The members of the band who couldn't stand to work with Scott any longer told Frank they wanted him to fire him. He said he liked him and wasn't going to be dictated to, so that was that. Putting 36 years behind and looking at the tour with 36 more years of wisdom as a person (more objectivity), I can say that it's probably for the best that the tour ended. While it was his greatest lineup after the 73-74 bands, everything became too "jokey" with the secret word every night as well as changing the lyrics around (secret word) and becoming too much of an insider's club only to get the references. If you play Lonesome Cowboy Jim for somebody who never heard the original, it just sounds weird. Too much laughter going on between Ike and Frank, etc. The band was capable of playing anything, but Frank must've been getting bored with the familiarity of it all and needed to keep it funny for his amusement. Just my humble opinion.

[@lassekristoffersen5906]

Made me so happy. Best "NEW"FOREVER composer and best ALWAYSFOREVER band. - I'm full. Musicbelly very very happy.

[@latheofheaven1017]

I've never really loved the reggae and silly noises of the first section, but from where the brass section picks up the guitar solo to the end, it's absolute magic!

[@AndyMmusic]

This was from the 1988 tour. The last tour Zappa ever did.

[@njdcd950003]

Last US tours.

[@AndyMmusic]

@@njdcd950003 Frank Zappa never toured anywhere after the 1988 tour..He did play guitar on stage in 1991 in Prague, but that was a one off, so not a tour.

[@njdcd950003]

@@AndyMmusic 👏🙌

[@waltercrain2910]

turns one of the rock's most iconic treasures into a comedy, jazz, reggae, big band, hurricane... so many new textures... and the horn section guitar solo... he's just the best. hahahahhaa ends with the little circus thing... he and jerry tickle different parts of me.

[@NondescriptMammal]

I love how the horn parts leading up to the climax sound like they were done by a high school marching band

[@donkraus1991]

Zapped again! Thanks for bringing Zappa to your show

[@ChuckDrennen]

Led Zappalin.

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

The Tinsel Town Rebellion album was originally intended to be titled Fred Zeplinnn, but John Bonham died a little while before it was completed. But it's even more involved than that. After scrapping Fred Zeplinnn because Bonzo died, the album was going to be titled Crush All Boxes and be different than what became Tinsel Town Rebellion, including tracks that would comprise much of You Are What You Is. There's a bootleg (live) recording of an album titled Fred Zappalin, but Frank has nothing to do with its title or release, of course.

[@gilbertgiuliani.4452]

Saw this tour in 84 played 3 nights at the Warrner Theatre in D C had tickets for the 1st and 3rd nights . The concert was billed as being different all three nights the set was the same but how they played them varied 1st night Zappa played the guitar solo 3rd night it was the 5 piece horn section as the one you shared

[@Grithron2]

I don't think anyone's mentioned on this comments page that there were two arrangements for the song. On the US leg of the tour, it was much closer in tone to the Led Zeppelin original, and there were more occasions on the US tour where Frank took an actual solo prior to the famous horn section break. Also, periodically throughout the tour there were secret-word infested versions: Stairway to Sheep, Stairway to Cornhole [notice a pattern here?], Stairway to Star Wars, Stairway to Home Shopping Network, Stairway to Nicaragua (my favorite), and of course Stairway To Fire (as in "ring of...")

[@Jan-xn3kz]

I was lucky enough to see this as an encore along with Ravels Bolero. The horn section reproduces Jimmy Page’s guitar solo note for note.

[@L33Reacts]

That's amazing. I knew it all sounded close but I didn't realize it was exact. That's so damn cool lol

[@jackkilman8726]

This is my favorite cover of this song, as well as Zappa's best cover imo. It manages to be both faithful and wildly irreverent at the same time.

[@L33Reacts]

It absolutely stripped away the reverence of the song without it being TOO irreverent. Zappa did a wonderful job with this. Super different but still faithful to the original.

[@alldayadventures5418]

AZDZ (Ahmed Zappa Dweezle Zappa) came out with a couple of Great Albums in the 90's. MUSIC FOR PETS is a great Album. Very Head-Banger Music in the style of ZAPPA. Best Songs on that Album: "CHOKE": very hard rockin... "Coyote Face" is great and "FATHER TIME" a tune about Daddy Frank while he laid in his Death Bed. A Very, Very Haunting Tune... It will hit you deep in the gut...!

[@alldayadventures5418]

Yur Mama's Carpet is a Boodledang... too many great tunes on Music for Pets, almost no one has ever heard it....!

[@donaldanderson6604]

There are several albums by this line up which basically self- destructed on tour. However, Zappa was ill at the time and may well have had the cancer which eventually killed him. However, there is no doubting that this is one of his most amazing line ups. Some of the musicians were later reunited for the Zappa hologram tour, which was seriously weird.

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

Zappa wasn't diagnosed with cancer until 1991. He didn't suffer ill health during the 1988 tour. The band imploded because some of them couldn't stand Scott Thunes and demanded that Frank fire him. He said he wasn't going to be dictated to and he liked Scott, so they had to decide to make it work or the tour was going to end. End of story. It's a shame because after the European leg of the tour, it was supposed to return to the states. They may well have even had their Halloween extravaganza in NYC if they lasted.

[@Grithron2]

@@Royale_with_Cheeze Actually he did suffer ill-health in 1988 - see Andy Greenaway's book. And the full story of "Scott versus the band" and how the tour came to an early end is more complicated than you might think - again, the details are in that book.

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

@@Grithron2 I'm not a person who enjoys reading, but if I'm truly interested in the subject, I will slog through a book. I recently read Pauline Butcher's book and then Arthur Barrows' as well. I may pick this one up. By the way, it helps to put the title of the book in the message. I had to look up Andy's name and put Zappa with it to even find it. I saw a few reviews on Amazon. Thanks for the reco.

[@doeshumorbelonginmusic5799]

More of his interesting covers for example are "Bolero" (Ravell) or "I'm the walrus" (Beatles). I've seen Zappa live 4 times. 2 times in the horrible Sporthalle in Cologne Germany, where almost no one managed to create an enjoyable sound because of the bad acoustic in this building. But Zappa and his crew did. He blew you away with 3 or 4 of his most powerful songs without a break in between so you almost forgot to breathe and then stepped to the mic just to say in the coolest way ever: "Hi, folks." His presence on stage was unic. Frank was a monster and I miss him.

[@GES8215]

that was very pleasant

[@barneymiller6204]

Comedy music as only Frank could do!

[@gregjones861]

L33: I feel like I'm in Alice In Wonderland listening to this. Holy crap what a way to do a cover! Thank you for turning me onto this. Wow. Batman and Frankenstein are splashing through the marsh together. What a world this creates.

[@L33Reacts]

Yeah this is how it's done!! He did such a great job with this. It seems his covers are top notch Just like his own material. This and whipping post are phenomenal.

[@jimmayors2315]

Wish you had reacted to the live video of this song. Willis takes a seat on a stool and kills it while the band launches in parody after parody

[@michaeljozwiak25]

Then maybe a band to be checked out, if no one has mentioned it before, is Dread Zeppelin.

[@jamespuleo3269]

Zep covers in a reggae style with an Elvis-parody lead singer~~~~ Fun and funky !

[@ChuckDrennen]

Hold on a minute. I have to alter my body chemistry to listen to this.

[@L33Reacts]

Yeah grab the pen bro and strap in lol

[@midnightrambler7716]

Check out Dread Zeppelin. Complete with an overweight Elvis impersonator, Tortelvis in white jump suit doing Zeppelin classics to reggae. Hilarious! Maybe this is where they got the idea! 😂

[@jcf1963]

Reggae. Ska for the solo.

[@michaelhogan6770]

Much more dog barks and other silly sounds in other versions.

[@salsalzman2325]

This band self destructed on tour because of Zappa's deteriorating health, and problems with his second in charge, the amazing bass God Scott Thunes in over his head. I don't know if any other touring band had this large a repertoire, he claimed they rehearsed 400 songs for this tour. (Pronounced "Ken-knee-ley" dude! He might be the closest living musician keeping Zappa style music alive, can't recommend anyone more highly than Mikey)

[@genegonzales2264]

Keneally's a badass!

[@craigfazekas3923]

Scott Thunes is the only FZ band member that I've ever actively disliked. I won't watch Does Humor Belong in Music ? because of him & his stage prescence.... 🚬😎👍

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

Zappa wasn't diagnosed with cancer until 1991. He didn't suffer ill health during the 1988 tour. The band imploded because some of them couldn't stand Scott Thunes and demanded that Frank fire him. He said he wasn't going to be dictated to and he liked Scott, so they had to decide to make it work or the tour was going to end. End of story.

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

@@craigfazekas3923 Scott is a prick. I saw The Zappa Band in 2022 and Scott was wearing a shirt that read something like "I hate all you fucking people". Serious arrogant prick. There are some videos on YT featuring his daughter performing some music and people comment. He has replied to folks and is arrogant. My favorite Zappa bass players are Tom Fowler and Patrick O'Hearn. Arf arf!

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

@@craigfazekas3923 Scott is an arrogant fk. The band imploded because of him. I saw the Zappa Band in 2022. Scott was wearing a shirt that read "You fkn people make me sick" I saw a video on YT that features his daughter playing some music. People comment. Scott replied to some of them in some arrogant fashion. My favorite Zappa bass players are Tom Fowler and Patrick O'Hearn. Nothing wrong with Arthur Barrow, for that matter.

[@seanjockel43]

During the European leg of this tour the band Frank an ultimatum. Either bass player Scott is replaced or they wouldn't perform. Frank call their bluff and canceled the rest of the tour. Frank lost a ton in lost ticket sales

[@L33Reacts]

Why? Was he not jiving with everyone? Or something bad.

[@seanjockel43]

@L33Reacts I believe he was. Being too bossy. Frank, however thought very highly of Scott

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

Frank lost 400,000 on the tour. That was the end of all touring for him. It's funny because the attendance for all the shows that he did play was about 400,000 people. I remember when I first heard that thinking that if everyone who saw the show would send him one dollar, he would break even. Imagine getting 400,000 envelopes in the mail. Holy chain-letter, Batman!

[@paulhughes2317]

I think he is taking the piss.

[@jessem470]

The solo on this version Blows

[@seanjockel43]

Played by the horn section !!

[@timjefferson2137]

I see what you did there :)

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

@@timjefferson2137 I didn't see what he did there until you pointed out that you saw what he did there. Then noticing the capital B to give a clue. Bravo to you and to Jesse for the comment! Arf arf!

[@angelicamarch3407]

I didn't know Zappa did Led Zepplin?

[@donpardo2510]

@L33Reacts you can lose yourself in Zappa's catalog. I have 92 Zappa albums, no best of collections or bootlegs.

[@larryhelmeczy4320]

This was a good band but it didn't happen at the right time for Frank. He may have been in declining health or he may have had too many other interests. His bassist, Scott Thunes led the rehearsals. Scott was (is) extremely talented but he's not much of a "people" person. Tensions cropped up. Also, there's a fair number of covers with this band. Some are good, others are only OK, IMM. I don't know if it was a strain for Frank to write his own compositions and arrangements for this large of a group at that time or not. I think Scott did some of them. They didn't all memorize the book like Frank's older bands did.

[@markdearlove8634]

Killer

[@MarkTanelli-hy5nd]

Check out Zappa/Mothers Live album from 1974 - Roxy and Elsewhere - Side Two. Three tracks that are simply incredible - Village of the Sun, Echinda’s Arf and Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing. The band on this album was one of my favorites of his. Frank Zappa - lead guitar, vocals, producer Jeff Simmons - rhythm guitar, vocals Napoleon Murphy Brock - flute, tenor saxophone, vocals George Duke - keyboards, synthesizer, vocals Don Preston - synthesizer Bruce Fowler - trombone, dancer Walt Fowler - trumpet, bass trumpet Tom Fowler - bass guitar Ralph Humphrey - drums Chester Thompson - drums Ruth Underwood - percussion

[@circulation69]

Hey Lee, first off, great reaction. Secondly, on the subject of Mike Keneally, guitar/vocals with this Zappa line up, he's an astounding musician and a really good laugh. Here's a link to him doing a solo version of your favourite Zappa track... how is that possible you may ask? kzbin.info/www/bejne/pofGf2Z4n759Z7Msi=COwQIaO5CWft3PYl

[@L33Reacts]

Hey thanks bro! I appreciate that 🙏 I will check that out. I don't know how that's possible, but I'm down to see lol