FRANK ZAPPA | "FLAKES" (reaction)

[@WillCashem]

"I'm a moron and this is my wife, she's frosting a cake with a paper knife." I actually remember when a company was running a commercial on TV in the '70's for a can of cake frosting that was supposedly so soft and creamy that you could frost a cake with a cardboard knife and they showed a lady doing it. When I first heard this song I started laughing and said, "I remember that commercial!"

[@bjwnashe5589]

Adrian Belew definitely earning his pay here.

[@EdwardGregoryNYC]

Every time I encounter such flakes in the realistic world, this song comes to mind. Average or not, this is one of those songs that just follows you through life.

[@enricocavallo4386]

It's a worldwide phenomenon. Plenty of flakes in Germany, too, not only in California.

[@AmberPearcy]

I was thinking of this song when we had to call a plumber last Sunday. 😂

[@WillCashem]

Never flush a tampoon!

[@patricktilton5377]

The next song after the abrupt ending of "Flakes" is . . . "Broken Hearts Are For Assholes"

[@Alix777.]

Maybe you think you're a lonely guy Maybe you think you're too tough to cry

[@vrankholland8113]

I agree that this isn't the most typical Zappa song with weird twists and melodies. Anyway, that's the "shake your booty" album. For me this is the most danceable and commercial album he has made. I'm using this album to introduce Zappa-virgins to his amazing repertoire

[@tomgnyc]

I just looked it up. Zappa would be 84 now. Damn.

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

83. Born Dec. 21. He would be 84 in Dec.

[@alancumming6407]

83. Flakes everywhere.

[@WillCashem]

@@alancumming6407 I think I've had more than my fair share of flakes.

[@timothyturner3396]

Everyone who ever encountered Frank Zappa misses him dearly ❤

[@alancumming6407]

Although I've been listening to Zappa since 1968 and have seen him live a few times, I didn't actually know him. When he died it wasn't the same as losing one of my family or a friend. What made me sad was that I was no longer going to hear any new Zappamusic.

[@jeffmartin1026]

I think it was a broader swipe at the dumbing down of America, a theme he used often.

[@todd8155]

Idiocracy...

[@michaelhallen2808]

One of my favorites from Zappa. Lyrics are hilarious and spot on. Flakes are everywhere.

[@scottmoquin]

Broken hearts are for assholes.....

[@barbabullalala]

i listened it 1 million times !!!

[@todd8155]

So what you gonna' do? Cause you're an asshole. (Next line, ie a quote from the song, so don't censor it KZbin, it's not a personal attack)

[@johnahabig]

Favorite song comically brilliant and musically impressive

[@TarantuLandoCalcuLingus]

Dont flush a tampoon, remember folks!

[@TarantuLandoCalcuLingus]

Edit: frank never drove in his life due to never wanting to waste time at the dmv lol

[@chaosmos24]

The Dylan impression is too good. The vocals, harmonica, and lyrics. If I heard that out of context, I could believe it really was Bob.

[@100CupsColombia]

Oh as far as social commentary goes this is an absolute stunner and as true today as it ever was!

[@kerbygator]

It's like Zappa could see into the future.

[@austinpinnow1218]

Frank Zappa definitely is a straight line when he has a message just like the slime

[@jlrp9929]

this song is a slap in the face to a large part of humanity. By far one of my favorites del maestro Zappa.

[@frankgarcia1]

This is one of my Alltime favorite Zappa songsbut its because of the lyrics.

[@johnsrensen3366]

Love the whole album

[@wayneh.191]

There are a few more songs on this that you have not heard...and yes that is Adrian on the guitar.

[@ArneKristofferNatvik-q5m]

And on Bob Dylan impression.

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

Any Zappites in here actually like the version from Hammersmith Odeon? I like the Tommy Mars keyboard part that sounds like a violin.

[@todd8155]

I was admiring the Tommy Mars parts (keyboards). Tommy had leeway from Frank to do his own arrangements etc. so that is really saying a lot about Tommy's abilities. I don't think I have given Timmy enough credit throughout the years. Hence my really hearing Tommy's playing and admiring it. And the incredible sustain on the guitar too.

[@thomasvieth578]

THIS is my second favorite song after Yo Mama, sorry, you don't feel the same

[@todd8155]

Yo Mama is awesome.

[@jonp4846]

"when they oughta should" 🤣

[@ferleiva7080]

I think they wanted you guys to hear the Dylan skit, it always makes me LOL

[@williamhinshaw6838]

Absolutely,...Bob D. mumbling/ rambling, punctuated by ragged dying harp....hilarious

[@WahPopWah]

Fantastic Dylan skit/homage. The harmonica is spot on especially one forlorn toot that I can't be bothered to time, you'll know where it is if you know this choon.

[@tauronval1404]

Amazing song and reaction👌🏻…

[@miguelmccullough5417]

Frank Zappa Flakes, Adrian Belew got his shot with Zappa. Cause Belew is an abstract guitar player brilliant player. But his Bob Dylan impression cracked Frank up. So Adrian Belews Bob Dylan impression was the clincher

[@stevedotwood]

Frank never drove a car, so he got the information from Gail probably.

[@mikedemike5393]

he owned a Bentley.

[@stevedotwood]

@@mikedemike5393 Sadly the motor was eaten by snakes

[@mikedemike5393]

well he stabbed and shot and spat...@@stevedotwood

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

Frank drove until it was time to get his license renewed and at that time could afford a driver. He said that he refused to stand in line at the DMV, but he also said that he used to drive constantly looking in his rear-view mirror because he was afraid the authorities were looking to get him.

[@stevedotwood]

@@Royale_with_Cheeze thanks for the info - I didn't know

[@yamuekcrow4621]

Agreed. Sunday after dinner complaint. Frank seems vexed but fades into half-hearted frown.

[@hansvandermeulen5515]

Basic tracks is live but there's lots of overdubs such as the double (triple?) tracked lead vocal. Adrian Belew doing a Bob Dylan impersonation aas live. The bit about the moron and his wife (and all the lyrics after that) was written at overdub sessions, the basic track was instrumental there with a Belew guitar solo.

[@pgro7422]

You should check out “In France” on the them or us album. Johnny Guitar Watson is the lead singer on this song.

[@DenUitvreter]

I think it's quite brilliant to take the consumerist perspective and get to a protest song from there.

[@davehagi9883]

The thing that he does, exactly.

[@StevenMichals0812]

Have you heard the album We're Only in it for the Money? It's a good one!

[@SightAfterDark]

Yes😊! We reacted to the album on our patreon a couple of years ago. Here’s a link to the trailer that we did for it. Thanks for watching! m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYS5nn5rqKtqebM&pp=ygUuc2lnaHQgYWZ0ZXIgZGFyayB3ZXJlIG9ubHkgaW4gaXQgZm9yIHRnZSBtb25leQ%3D%3D

[@andreasrosenberg9317]

Good One

[@MarkMorgan-kj9om]

Trying to put together some music that might get airplay on the radio

[@SightAfterDark]

LOL

[@enricocavallo4386]

Yes, we know the thing that he does, you're not crazy 😁

[@wolftracks9010]

Frank didn't drive a car ever and didn't even own one. And that wasn't Bob Dylan but a band member. Thanks for posting.

[@Royale_with_Cheeese]

Frank did drive but was always looking in his rear-view mirror for cops. When it was time to renew his license, around 1968, he said he refused to stand in line at the DMV, and by that time could afford a driver so he never renewed his license. He owned a Rolls Royce that he was driven around in.

[@wolftracks9010]

Oh okay. I didn't know that...thanks!

[@-R.Gray-]

Maybe he needed an excuse to use Adrian's Dylan impersonation.

[@GreggoMusicChannel]

You should really see this live version! It's a lot better than the studio version (I think). This was a concert shown on TV one Halloween. kzbin.info/www/bejne/maWsp2OfhJdnsLs PS: I saw most of these guys in LA recently. They go by the name of Banned From Utopia. They played a lot of FZ songs. I even had a nice conversation with Ray White (the singer).

[@SightAfterDark]

Awesome!

[@robinreiley1828]

Frank is Definitely being Serious here. Frank was a Man who demanded absolute precision from his musicians ,going so far as to Fine Them , if they played more notes than the number of Bars he would assign them for their Solo. He demanded the Very Best from Himself, had a fanatical work ethic, working non stop, all day writing musical scores. His Wife would have to force him to stop and eat.

[@SightAfterDark]

Who needs to eat anyway?

[@mikedemike5393]

pronounced ''shake yer booti''...At about that time in history,business's started to become very dishonest and Frank must have experienced what he called ''flakes''....which are people that overcharge,,,don't do the job properly or on time and are lying snakes.. As he said ''you'll probably join us''because people are greedy ,happened to play out and now 99% of business are snakes or flakes and the whole society works by the motto''if you don't cheat you will come last''.....this has now caused motor cycle clubs to have 99% instead of 1% on their colours...because the whole society chose the path of least resistance.

[@timholder6825]

Wanna buy some mandys Bob?

[@pascalsimon9780]

L'album qui m'a fait aimer FZ. La 1ère face ne peut pas se découper...Elle doit s'écouter dans son ensemble.

[@Xyz-nu1yr]

buy you some mandies bob ? 😁🤣👍👌

[@alansilverman8500]

I agree, you're not crazy... The subject matter is something we can all relate to - even Bob Dylan! The music is not as interesting... one of his tributes to fifties doowop like the song "Sharleena"...

[@SightAfterDark]

We love Sharleena!

[@paulfenwick8767]

Musically pretty straight forward and excellently produced. Lyrically, it's Frank at his caustic best. I just love his utter contempt for Dylan, for American work and American society. It's done in a fun way but that's the message. I totally agree with Dan's take. There's much better out there to be tapped musically but a great example of Frank's view. Good reaction and good choice Wayne.

[@amedeeabreo7334]

“When I heard ‘Like a Rolling Stone’, I wanted to quit the music business,” Zappa said, “I felt [that] if this wins and it does what it’s supposed to do, I don’t need to do anything else… But it didn’t do anything. It sold, but nobody responded to it in the way that they should have.” Zappa even considered producing a Bob Dylan album.

[@paulfenwick8767]

@@amedeeabreo7334 He also said he talked to vegetables and they responded to him

[@amedeeabreo7334]

@@paulfenwick8767 hahaha....no ...he didn't say that

[@paulfenwick8767]

@@amedeeabreo7334 At one point, I believed in Father Christmas and The Easter Bunny but, like most, I grew up and learned different.

[@amedeeabreo7334]

@@paulfenwick8767 Please give us the quote where Frank says he talked to vegetables.

[@outernothingness1177]

Around this was the point where Frank turned from making serious social criticism into just whining about random things he didn't like. This one's not very impressive.

[@williamhinshaw6838]

Wasn't his lyrical focus on the absurdities/excesses/conformism of typical humans and sometimes the un-typical?

[@diggerthegroundhog8799]

I'm a new follower. Good job with Flakes. Except it's They're greatttttt! Not good. If you two have a chance Franks wonderful and amazingly talented son, Dweezil, not Ahmet who is a major flake is getting ready to tour for the first time since before Covid and he will be doing some very rare Frank tracks. If you haven't seen Dweezil live you haven't done nuffin yet. Just go

[@SightAfterDark]

We definitely hope to catch the Dweez soon :)

[@Joe-Flow]

Oh wow, another Zappa tune. I'm overjoyed! And what a cool title. Can't wait for SAD's reaction to Frank's other hits, like Mucus, Colostomy Bag, Feces Pot Pie, and Head Cheese.

[@paulfenwick8767]

😆. Keep the good fight going Joe.

[@alancumming6407]

That's an unreleased album. Specially designed for folks who don't like Zappamusic. Flakes everywhere.

[@todd8155]

Brutal comment! 😐😶🥴

[@michaellongstaff4624]

Think you're missing the point of this song. Its all about the humour in the lyrics, not the music which is relatively simple. With Zappa you take different things from different songs.

[@0okamino]

I’m sorry, but I don’t have the credentials to tell you that you’re not crazy. However, I think you can be correct even if you’re insane, so don’t worry about that.

[@Artificialintelligentle]

Hello Dan and Sifa. Love your new music now. Dan getting better and better on guitar. Let me post Frank facts again: - Prime Frank 75-78. Peaking era of the prime era - December 76 to March 1st 78 -. Ray white, Adrian Belew,Bozzio. Two keyboard players, Mars and Wolf 77 -78. Ed Mann percussion master, jazz improviser marimba. Best live performances.Best live concert movie made.Highest Album sales. Best guitar solo album 10/28/77 solos. Highest concert attendances 76 early 78. SNL live performances. Mixing all past organic material with a hard direction towards mainstream Hard rock metal jazz fusion. Everything after 1978 were weaker variations of this era.

[@paulfenwick8767]

Absolute bollocks. Seems you're more interested in commercialism....you should listen to "Hits FM" as that would fit your needs better 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Artificialintelligentle]

@@paulfenwick8767 I understand vinnie busted your music listening cherry for your first concert ,probably sneaking out without your parents permission at the time.Keep in mind, son, that Frank wrote alot of commercialized composition styles in vinnies very short era..Don't get clouded with your reasoning because of the shut up and play your guitar series when Frank took a direction in air sculptured solos, using the les paul from the SG and overkilling it with pickups and messy polyrhythms with his drummer. There are tons of NON commercialized guitar air sculptured solos, WITHOUT the use of pickups during the 76-78 era,and plenty of commercialized songs during the weaker vinnie era. Nothing original that Frank hadn't done prior,except some sloppy polyrhythm drumming from a guy trying to impress BEYOND his capability at the time. You got hamstrung for life.

[@paulfenwick8767]

@@Artificialintelligentle You stick with Frank's 4th/5th best drummer and the schoolboy smut era. I had seen Frank lots before Frank sacked Mr mistakes and replaced him with a superior drummer.

[@Artificialintelligentle]

@@paulfenwick8767 1 - Did you know Franks most distributed commercialized song was "I don't want to get drafted", distributed on 45's in juke box throughout most bars and nightclub jukeboxes in the USA in 1980, during sloppy Colai era? Talk about commercialized stuff,huh? 2- Did you know I witnessed vinnie totally mess up a drum solo Halloween night 1978. He missed the tom toms and clicked his sticks in a display of sloppy soloing.He could have been nervous or on something, He was wearing very dark sunglasses. Perhaps Frank told him to ace the sunglasses when performing, It might have cleaned up his sloppy playing. It was embarrassing. I was there, I saw it, I heard it. 3 - Did you know Franks sales and concert attendance dropped during mid 78- mid 79 before he cancelled the rest of 79 tour? His lineup was INFERIOR to the previous one. You need a music education, son! You missed out on his best LIVE performing era.

[@Artificialintelligentle]

@@paulfenwick8767 Bozzio left on his own and took Patrick o'hearn with him. He even allowed vinnie to use his kit for the audition. He felt he should give something back to Frank for abandoning him right after the record setting hammersmith performances. Frank didn't sack him, you fool. Frank didn't pay sloppy vinnie what he wanted. He wasn't worth what he asked for, so vinnie ran to Gino Vannelli ,UGH. That's the best he could come up with utilizing all these fantasy sloppy polyrhythmic techniques you get wet on?? You want to listen to vinnies master of drumming polyrhythms and cleanest fastest ever over vinnie? Listen to some of the older recordings of Virgil Donati. You will quickly forget about sloppy Colai. You need to get off riding vinnie's di** and that failed era.. It's looking bad for you now.

[@Manoli18805Tzikos]

That sounds really cruel Horrible