FRANK ZAPPA "BLACK NAPKINS" (reaction)

[@SalamaSond]

Black Napkins is one of those Zappa songs that you can't say you've "heard it", until you've heard Frank do it about 10 different ways, each mind-blowing in its own way.

[@HakanTunaMuzik]

There is an intro section to this, would have been great if you heard that as well, the band had not played this before and we get to hear FZ teaching these mostly orchestral musicians what to play.

[@AmberPearcy]

Love “Black Napkins”! There’s also a version on Baby Snakes. 🙂

[@yiasemi]

First time I saw Frank we were queuing early, when it started to rain heavily. The French theatre let us early birds in, just in time to hear this in a soundcheck. This lovely man greeted us all and asked us to behave. I don't think anyone even breathed loudly. Good times.

[@GunnarHolldorf]

I simply love Black Napkins in every single version... this orchestral version is so great and the introduction of this is also fantastic because he explains the composition to the orchestra and makes the transcription for the different instruments direct before he startet his solo - only because he wants to play this solo - outstanding. Thanks to you both for reacting so cool to all the FUZ stuff - regards from Germany gho_artworks

[@Gudeness1]

Sweeet! Whenever there is a conversation about Zappa's best, this song comes up. I every time I hear a different version of this song, my immediate reaction is, "This one's the best!" Thank you for covering this one! Too bad I can only give it one like.

[@SightAfterDark]

Thanks for watching!

[@mntzz]

This is the coolest thing I have ever heard in my life.

[@willieboy3011]

Back in the 70s we listened to Zappa for his funny, satirical songs--Yellow Snow, etc. Now I must say that his guitar impresses me more. This is my favorite. He does a longer version of this song, which is excellent too. Glad ya'll did this one.

[@jgreber1790]

Black napkins, so many versions so little time! One of Frank’s marquee titles, I’ve never heard a bad version of it. I was fortunate enough to hear it live a number of times. My favorite version was done at Maples pavilion Stanford University late 70s early 80s-ish. Frank played the song with the volume on 10 and the tone that came out was crystal clear and had the sonic energy to split marble. He definitely wasn’t playing around and the song was treated as an anthem which it sort of is. Thanks for this reaction and for continuing to bring Frank’s music to ears that might have otherwise not known the genius of the man!

[@SightAfterDark]

Thanks for watching!

[@paulfenwick8767]

I like this a lot. Part of it, the 2nd part, sounded a little like Pink Napkins. Which came first Peter? If I'm honest, I prefer the studio version best but both this and the previous viewing of the other version are excellent also. Good selection again Peter 🙂

[@HakanTunaMuzik]

there is no studio version, they're all live

[@Peter-K]

Thanks Paul, I just added this to my collection a month ago and was highly impressed by most of it. I have a copy of the original Orchestral Favorites LP, and always wanted more of that orchestral Frank sound. I know you have issues with some of the posthumous stuff, but I look at it now as like a time capsule to explore. Most of the stuff they are releasing is live shows, unedited and raw the way they were when we were watching him perform. It would be more the pity to let this stuff rot on the shelves, it may not have passed his muster, though he had started to release the 'vault' material long before he died, so I know it was his intention. And who knows how much would have come out by his hand if he had not died so young.

[@paulfenwick8767]

@@Peter-K Ahmet and Travers are wank stains on Frank's memory IMHO and that will never change Peter. Best we keep away from this issue, lol.

[@chazblitz]

​@@paulfenwick8767Wank stains😂😂😂😂

[@paulfenwick8767]

@@chazblitz you like, lol

[@floriansteinitz1506]

Hi there Sifa and Dan, the different live versions of this song depended on the cast of the actual band FZ was touring with (brass, horns, additional lead guitarists and so on). There is a bootleg (I know there are hundreds of them) by the name of Titties And Beer - Zoot Allures live in Paris recorded February 1977 few days before he played (West-) Berlin, so when I purchased the record later that same year I had a documentation of what I experienced in Berlin. The sound quality was so good that it must have (had?) been taken from the sound board directly because audience recordings were horrible at the time. The outstanding piece was Black Napkins with keybordist Edwin 'Eddie' Jobson playing a jaw-dropping solo on his see-through violin (no idea what material it was made of). I never again heard anything like this even though there are a lot of violinists in Rock music. Fine drumming from Terry Bozzio. Also available on CD, no reason to hesitate. Hi from Berlin, Germany

[@SightAfterDark]

Thanks for all the info!

[@BrianWhitney-e3y]

Thank you. I love this version. I do like the long live in New York version the best but FZ was brilliant

[@carlosmarques9468]

I usually go out for a jog with my headphones and when I'm dead tired I select Black Napkins and feel like a semi-god ready for a marathon.

[@SightAfterDark]

Nice

[@Joe-Flow]

Fantastic guitar work! I wish more of his music was like this.

[@woodstockorientalrugcleani430]

I wish you guys would have reacted to the studio version from the album, Zoot Allures. This is amazing, but the album version is just so concise and concrete.

[@jaubrey543]

Agree that there’s no bad versions of Black Napkins, and was fortunate to be at one of his concerts when played live. But the Apostrophe recording is so … dang … clean!

[@paulfenwick8767]

On your heading, it says featuring Dweezil Zappa. He would have been 6, what was he doing?, lol.

[@Peter-K]

Wasn't that Sharleena and Chunga's Revenge you are referring to? Did you get to see Dweezil play with him in 88? I did, and I watched FZ more than Dweezil while he played, the way he looked at his son was with pure pride, it was nice.

[@paulfenwick8767]

@@Peter-K yeah, saw them at wembley arena in London and know what you mean about the pride thing🙂

[@zappafanseeker1099]

@@Peter-K Frank was indeed super proud of Dweezil, to the point of excitement. It was not too hard to get Frank mad, or engaged... but excited was rare. I was at the Universal show in 84 when DZ played Sharleena, and proud poppa stood behind and flicked his Bic with a huge grin on his face. I have taken at least a hundred pictures of Frank, but That moment would have been my favorite moment to capture.

[@gergsar]

next, listen to pink napkins, by FZ!

[@GoodCorporateRobot]

The Mike Douglas version is still my favorite, but this one's great too!

[@mocthezuma]

OI! IT JUST MIGHT BE A ONE-SHOT DEAL! do it

[@marcvanderiet5592]

Other then pink, black is my favorit colour napkin.

[@bwana-ma-coo-bah425]

Elite is the word you are looking for.

[@timkaufhold4739]

There is a version of pink napkins that is recorded with incredible sound equality. Can't remember which album it from.

[@marcvanderiet5592]

It's from the "Shut up and play your guitar" album

[@neshobanakni]

This is close to the version I love.

[@itssimple7285]

Did you hear the siren? Didja?

[@scotstevens5263]

Hmmm….. between Black Napkins by Frank and Maggot Brain by Funkadelic. Both are hot guitar tunes to be sure. But if I had to choose……. Frank comes out on top🎸🎶

[@andreasrosenberg9317]

Oh, great =) onliy thing missing is the intro to this (Y)

[@hansvandermeulen5515]

September '75.

[@xlerb_again_to_music7908]

This is it, the real deal... Lovely :( but I feel sad.

[@zappafan3473]

zappa is firth of fifth

[@mikerobo2112]

My orchestral favourites doesnt have this on it.