Frank Zappa, Peaches en Regalia - A Classical Musician’s In-Depth Analysis

My first time digging into a Zappa piece, and it’s obvious that he knew what he was doing… and did it very well! “Brilliant” is an oft-overused term, but it seems appropriate to apply it to Zappa as we dive into the many layers and elements of Peaches en Regalia.
Here’s the link to the original song by Frank Zappa:
• Peaches En Regalia
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Amy Shafer, LRSM, FRSM, RYC, is a classical harpist, pianist, and music teacher, Director of Piano Studies and Assistant Director of Harp Studies for The Harp School, Inc., holds multiple degrees in harp and piano performance and teaching, and is active as a solo and collaborative performer. With nearly two decades of teaching experience, she teaches privately, presents masterclasses and coaching sessions, and has performed and taught in Europe and USA.

[@VirginRock]

As usual, please write here your questions only.

[@ed.z.]

Don’t you feel lucky that you don’t have to suffer through Metal ugly noise.

[@toothfairy6570]

Are there any rock/metal songs you've changed your opinion about? Either songs you disliked at first but now after getting little more familiar with these genres you like more or other way, songs you firstly found good but now after understanding some of this music and re-listening to that song you realized there isn't really anything special in it?

[@ed.z.]

@@toothfairy6570 I changed my closed mind about all metal being ugly when listening to a couple of AC/DC tunes. But I still think it’s mostly trash. Not that anyone asked me for my two cents.

[@timfeeley714-25]

@@ed.z. I DO! 🤣

[@jackfiamingo9180]

@@ed.z. The vast majority of Amy's reactions have not been about metal artists. This song certainly isn't. I don't know anyone who claims to be knowledgeable that would classify Zappa that way. You may fail to recognize Zappa's genius or that of Pink Floyd, Queen or ELO, etc. However, It's usually a case of familiarity (or lack there of). Many will never know if there is something to be appreciated. They think they already know what want and their not wasting there time with that 'garbage'. An intelligent person will investigate further and might find they were short sighted and wind up with something wonderful. At 20, my sister hated Prog and Hard Rock. I could never figure out how she could hate what she had not really explore. She is 68 now and that is now what she primarily listens to. It took her 40 years to discover the music she pushed away so many years ago. Is there a LOT of crap out there?? There is. You may find that is the case with a significant amount music made in the last two decades. I'm an old bastard. Give me 1965 thru 1995 any day. Have my favorite artists laid an egg or two? Come on. I've also sat listening to a guy explain why Beethoven was the worst composer of his time. I gently poked him for more detail. It was pretty obvious that his brush with Beethoven was quite limited (almost none). Now there is a guy who needed to dig a bit deeper.

[@Frownlandia]

Now that the Zappa people on youtube have found you, there is no escape from doing a series!

[@jimmydevice]

Yes, You should be vary careful. Zappa is a landmine of bizarre. Vlad will help you explore the swamp.

[@edwardtmarsh884]

AND PLEASE -- SHUT UP, for Pete's --or FRANK's-- sake!!!

[@wagohowardmusic]

Yup- ask me and I’ll join ya! I teach theory and love Zappa! (There is a new feature!!) never tried, be my buddy? Ps- wow and yea! The two although same in theory are very hard even in the four and six strings! Awesome!

[@Gizzlefitz]

This analysis accurately explains why musicians are usually more appreciative of Frank's compositional genius. Most listeners were first attracted to Zappa's music by the humorous lyrics and sometimes the 'shock' appeal of the subject matter. A very good introduction to the vast array of what Frank Zappa managed to accomplish in the relatively short time he was with us.

[@SpaceCattttt]

I guess he had to lure audiences in that way? Frank always said that he'd be perfectly happy writing nothing but instrumental music, but instrumental music doesn't put food on the table, so you have to have some singers as well. And since he didn't really need or want singers, he instead decided to both have some fun with his lyrics and also to use his songs to criticize and satirize whatever institution, elected official and corrupt member of society he disagreed with. The purpose of the naughty jokes and juvenile lyrics, I think, was to make his work more accessible to the general audiences. After all, complex music doesn't appeal to everyone, but by catering to the lowest common denominator, he ensured that enough people would stick around long enough to buy his records, which would then afford him to compose and record the instrumental music he truly cared about. Some would call this "selling out" but considering how sophisticated the music with the naughty lyrics is, it's hard to be so dismissive about it.

[@Gizzlefitz]

@Space Cat It worked. The first album heard was Fillmore East 1971,in 1971and then Just Another Band. It was because of the crude lyrics and the fact we had never heard a record with swearing on it before. Then, two years later, Overnite Sensation was released, then Apostrophe, and it was then I started to notice how amazing the music was and started buying every album he produced as soon as they were released,and also backtracking to find all the earlier material.

[@smorrow]

The best Zappa stuff isn't this formulaic. Sinister Footwear, Inca Roads, Greggery Peccary... So what are you saying? That musicians like Frank because they can spot the formulas, but also because there is no formula to spot? Well, not that there's any indication so far that this lady likes or would like Sinister Footwear.

[@Gizzlefitz]

@Stuart Morrow The term 'best' is subjective and entirely dependent on the individual. I'm sure Amy would like The Yellow Shark and probably wouldn't like parts of Thing Fish or The Man From Utopia. Musicians usually recognize the compositional skills ahead of those who know nothing about writing music. The general public will usually (not always) take more notice of the humor and shock value. Classically trained Musicians can understand the skills involved in virtuoso guitar playing, but aren't always as easily impressed by it ; They've often already seen some very impressive instrumentalists.

[@smorrow]

@@Gizzlefitz I was referring to this video being centred around the formula (it's a formulaic song) and you saying that that's what musicians like about Zappa ...when the most characterically Zappa songs, which are often the same ones most loved by the fanbase, aren't formulaic.

[@frankpentangeli7945]

Zappa was a BIG fan of modern classical music, especially Stravinsky, Webern and Varèse. He also wrote a bunch of orchestral pieces over the years.

[@adamm7001]

I’m here for a Zappa series. You could have a dedicated Zappa channel and that would keep you busy for years. Breaking down Black Page, RDNZL, Gregory Peccary et al would be fascinating. And these amazing works emerged from the mind of one man. Clearly a genius.

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

Frank Zappa's own explanation of how the song came about. *"Peaches En Regalia" started off as a set of chords that I worked, scribbled on a piece of paper, and these chords were played by a 4-piece group-this is the backing track. And after the backing track was constructed-the original backing track was in 3 sections: the front, a long middle section which contained a blues violin solo, and then a recapitulation at the end-and this was recorded in three chunks, and the intention was to edit these chunks together to make a long piece which would have been 12 or 14 minutes. And the middle part was okay, but it seemed at the end of the day that it didn't fit with the rest of it. So "Peaches En Regalia" was built in layers-it was one of the first major overdubbing projects that I got into. And it was the first album that I made using a 16-track recorder, which was a brand new piece of technology at that time.* *And it was just- All the melodic material in it was written in the studio, just pretty much a line at a time, and then either I would play the extra part or Ian Underwood would overdub the extra part. So it was a, let's call it an organic composition. It wasn't something where I would sit down and write it all out working with a score.*

[@hansvandermeulen5515]

Ian Underwood - piano Shuggie Otis (who was 15 at the time) - bass Ron Selico - drums Don 'Sugarcane' Harris - violin solo Johnnie Otis - tack piano The jam section with the violin solo and the tack piano were edited out so the basic track ended up being just piano, bass and drums. I've known this album since the first cd release in the late '80s. Such a brilliant, tight, layered piece. While he would rearrange his tunes from tour to tour, sometimes severely changing the structure of a song. Peaches would get tweaked in the details but the basic structure didn't change.

[@ophiragamliel]

Zappa used to orchestrate while improvising with other - all exquisite - musicians. And altogether, they were playing the society and life around them. That's where the humor is coming from. And that is why we all adore them, with Zappa as a musical leader, rather than a composer. But it's really lovely hearing the theoretical analysis, and realizing what kind of genius he was to make it in such a way...

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Shuggie Otis on bass. Wow.

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

@@Hartlor_Tayley 15-year-old Shuggie! OG there.

[@smorrow]

Constructed. That's a word that FZ uses alot. I don't know where this quote is from but it sounds like him.

[@shorty8650]

"The most important thing in art is The Frame. For painting: literally; for other arts: figuratively-because, without this humble appliance, you can't know where The Art stops and The Real World begins." FZ Thank you sharing these interpretations of the Maestro’s piece!

[@larvalangel]

If you do a whole Zappa series I will watch every minute on the edge of my seat. Thank you

[@JasonCone]

Glad to see the enthusiasm and appreciation for Zappa's compositional skills. He's also impressive as a band leader (the tightness of some of the band's live performances is amazing) and soloist. Very interesting and talented musician.

[@douglaslafreniere5707]

Zappa was so much ahead of his time always out of the box and on the edge like when he played a bicycle with a bow on the Steve Allen show . I hope you will react and analyze more Zappa

[@brucerobb8904]

One thing to remember is that a Dadaist influence runs through Frank’s music, especially early on, and it’s evident in his titles. Mid to late 60s culture, sometimes referred to as “Freak” (not Hippie) had a Dadaist feel. Both Frank and Beefheart used Dadaist elements to keep their audiences on their toes - give them an experience. The title might reflect that.

[@madp3d]

I have 35 (of his approximately 85) albums and have listened to him for over 40 years. I started this video expecting a more critical reaction. I am happy you could see, and highlight the true nature of his talent. Some say there is a fine line between genius and insanity. Frank Zappa was a musical genius. May his music play on and may he rest in peace.

[@darrenlawrence587]

PLEASE do a whole Zappa series. There's so much to unpack. Peaches is a relatively straightforward 'tune' compared to his more complicated compositions. Music is the best!

[@timfeeley714-25]

And beauty is a French phonetic corruption of a short cloth neck ornament currently in resurgence.

[@labakrapscalio451]

Music is the best

[@timfeeley714-25]

@@smorrow Thank you, I will do my utmost best to help you keep that promise! Who Are The Brain Police?

[@jay_vero]

i am so happy you enjoy this. zappa is so dear to me and i love when somebody "gets it". please more like this i also really enjoy your harp translation with this, i bet your own version of this song would be really good.

[@sentientbeing9144]

WORD

[@jay_vero]

@@marlon-jl4ge clearly hahaha thats why people still study him 30 years after he passed away, to learn how to be ugly boring clowns

[@marlon-ih5tc]

Shit ugly zappa looked like a bum at the end 🤣

[@jay_vero]

@@marlon-ih5tc thank you for your input i'm glad to see such nice people still on the internet. god bless you and have a great day

[@origamimambo545]

The thing that excites me about you exploring Mr. Zappa's music with your in-depth analysis is that Zappa was very much a technical composer. I look forward to you listening to more of his incredible body of work.This episode was just what i was hoping for, you explain all of it so well. Thank you.

[@suterb]

This is from a promotional radio spot released for the Hot Rats album: "Hi there, kids. The name of this song is called 'Peaches En Regalia.' It tells the story of a bowl of peaches that lives in the Royal Garden Hotel, across the street from the Kensington Market in London." If you want to hear how this song was put together, the Hot Rats Sessions box set has the original piano piece that formed the basis of the song, as well as a song that contains the various early takes and false starts that led to the final version. It also shows how the drummer came up with the fills at the beginning.

[@richardphilpott1225]

You made this old man cry.............and laugh. Nothing better than seeing someone deflowered by Frank. I ask only that you listen to "Watermellon in Easter Hay", you will not regret it. Thanks.

[@jimh4496]

Yes please do a Zappa series. I have been enjoying FZ for 45 years now, read watched and listened to everything I can find. Anxiously awaiting your exploration of the music and the man.

[@robertfripp1979]

I believe a Zappa series will boost your channel to a million subscribers in a couple of months, so I’d say go for it. 😊

[@dreyescope6926]

Definitely you could do a series on Frank Zappa that would be enjoyable and engaging for all involved. If you want to see one of his great bands at work, I'd suggest Inca Roads, the performance on video from A Token Of His Extreme. His virtuoso percussionist in that group, Ruth Underwood, left Julliard to play with Frank. I enjoyed this analysis and had never considered that the form of this piece was a sort of Sonata ALlegro. Thanks.

[@flyingintheface6139]

This was an astonishingly intricate analysis of a seemingly simple sounding piece of music. It's actually more complex than the general public might consider it to be.

[@Dweezil1996]

Peaches En Regalia sounds simple?!

[@comicmorphiclong-boxevolut4773]

I watched your other Peaches video and have been delighted in your astute first impressions of Zappa's work; playful, complex, rhythm orientated etc! Please dissect more Zappa! It teaches me so much and enhances my appreciation of his music and music in general! Subscribed!

[@arnesaknussemm7294]

Amy, you named some of his favorite composers! As a child, I think he was 13, as a birthday present he asked to call Edgar Varese's house. He didn't find it, he was in Europe for work, but he spoke to his wife. Later a correspondence began between Zappa and Varese.

[@ed.z.]

A valuable reaction to a musical treasure trove of Zappa genius. “Montana” and “Inca Roads” would be fascinating. And of course the rest of album, Hot Rats.

[@thewaldfe9763]

Alien Offrice and Zombie Woof might be interesting too. In my opinion, going for life versions usually is a good idea.

[@yamandusztainbok8456]

@@thewaldfe9763 Tyler Bartram has a video that treats Alien Orifice in considerable depth: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHWXoXpvf8l-mck

[@Pjaypt]

The better the music, the better the analysis! So far, the best music analysis channel for the not learned like me it's HERE!!! Kudos 👍

[@kennethbernard384]

I would very much look forward to a whole Zappa series. Maybe look at all/some of The Yellow Shark? Think it'd be great to have a classical musician's thoughts on this work.

[@MattKrogmeier]

I'd LOVE for her to compare "G-Spot Tornado" from both the Jazz From Hell album and the version on The Yellow Shark!

[@tonymilone5458]

I have been a Zappa fan for many, many years now. I'm so glad you enjoyed this piece. Something I think you would really like to see are his hand written scores. He wrote out all of the parts for his band members and they were expected to play them as written no matter how difficult. In the Frank Zappa documentary about "Apostostrophe" there is a part where his percussionist Ruth Underwood unfolds a gorgeous, hand written score. I bet some of these may be available on line to see and I'm sure you would enjoy dissecting some of them

[@MarionJInce]

I recommend Zappa’s “G-spot Tornado” off of The Yellow Shark album, his last. It is orchestra focused.

[@Gizzlefitz]

Zappa also conducted that one. A Masterpiece !

[@Delsbo]

@@Gizzlefitz Hear hear!

[@ancientmedia4834]

I appreciate the little story told in the liner notes of the Yellow Shark (which is fantastic), where Zappa talks about the original composition and performance of "G-Spot Tornado" programmed and played back on a Synclavier (i.e. not played by humans), and then the musicians of the Ensemble Modern wanted to perform it. Zappa didn't think they could do it, but he printed it all out anyway and handed it over to Peter Rundel, whose only comments were something like "I love it. It's wonderful."

[@Gizzlefitz]

@@ancientmedia4834 I had that album but lost it in a fire. I'll have to get it again.

[@antidote7]

Amazing piece and album played by the Ensemble Modern...

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

Peaches En Regalia was recorded and released in 1969. In 1981, 11 years later, I played the record for a friend of mine who wasn't acquainted with the music of Frank Zappa. His reaction was, "Is this New Wave?" Well, for music that was already 11 years old to be considered New Wave, I guess that's a great example of far ahead of his time Frank was, and still is.

[@bjorn6495]

Varese and Stravinsky were indeed two of Zappa's biggest influences.

[@mosesbacke2311]

As were Schoenberg and Pierre Boulez. So of course he was well aware that he used the sonata allegro form for Peaches En Regalia, probably musing about the fact that 99,9 percent of his listeners (including me) never would be able to detect it.

[@Pedro_MVS_Lima]

A Zappa series, huh? That should be fun, actually. But beware of what you wish for, Zappa's work is huge and varied. I loved this analysis! Thanks!

[@arnesaknussemm7294]

We are Talking of One of the greatest composer of 20th century. Zappa was One of a Kind, he was THE Genius. "The present day composer refuses to die" (cit. Edgard Varese , Frank Zappa)

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

When Frank was a boy he looked up Edgar Varese’s phone number in New York City and called up. He asked him how to compose music. Precocious young lad. Frank is on his own planet and although he covered a lot of ground in his music it was always distinctly Frank. I could go on on about Zappa but I will spare you for now. Thanks Amy this was a great introductory song and the entire Hot Rats album is great but there are more surprises in store on other pieces.

[@timfeeley714-25]

The phone call was a present for Frank's birthday from his parents, back then a long distance phone call was complicated and expensive.

[@cliffwebb1443]

There's about 50 Zappa albums. Most are gold.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@timfeeley714-25 no small feat. What would you like for birthday young Frank ? I want to make a long distance to Edgar Varese. Lol.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@cliffwebb1443 most are gold I agree

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

@@cliffwebb1443 62 released in his lifetime with even more released in the 29 years since his passing.

[@jimd7260]

I'd love to see you analyze Frank's song "The Black Page."

[@cmarano]

Hahaha... sorry..... hahaha... good one!

[@pallhe]

Amy is a Zappa fan in the making.

[@yinoveryang4246]

Glad you actually enjoyed this one, and found something more to explore in his music.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

You brought some incredible insights to this song. Allegro Sonata is something new I learned today.

[@jasfan8247]

Haha, it basically means "funky tune" but Italien is also Zappa's first language. 🍝

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@jasfan8247 I can see Frank introducing a song as an Allegro Sonata and then launching into Lets Make the Water Turn Black.

[@jasfan8247]

@@Hartlor_TayleyI can imagine , great turn. And the crowd think he's joking offcourse.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@jasfan8247 yes which makes it even funnier. Until Amy taught me about it would have not gotten the joke.

[@smorrow]

@@jasfan8247 I don't think he spoke any other language than English.

[@edwardthorne9875]

I certainly enjoy your reactions to more complex and compelling music, where you can use your training to dive into the deeper music. Music like your recent ELO piece is not meant to be analyzed, but enjoyed as a life soundtrack. Zappa demands a bit closer listening. I've been waiting for you to uncover him, and enjoyed your using this piece as a way to teach Sonata form. 'Inca Roads' would be my next Zappa suggestion. Much more joyous than 'The Wall'!

[@SalamaSond]

Well done. Let me highlight for you a unique feature of Zappa's music that you'll find in many, many of his compositions, one that appears in a very simple form in Peaches. Notice in the second part of the 1st theme, that is a quintuplet followed by a triplet. Frank loved to use these precise clusters in a mechanical, yet fluid way, to create an experience like an instantaneous accelerando/ritardando. He often used odd-numbered tuplets (3,5,7,11,13...) over single beats and, within those, he would write nested tuplets to perform a similar function, like a microcosm within a microcosm, for those who were paying attention. His music was often born of rhythm.

[@Scott_works]

I really enjoyed your in depth analysis of "Peaches En Regalia". I was funny watching your first listen. Your facial expressions showing your initial discomfort, how Zappa takes an established form and plays with it, bending it out of shape, like a child taking a common object and humorously suggesting it has some other function. And then your smile as you get the joke. Zappa does that with everything. I loved how you explained the Sonata Allegra form, and this composition fits that perfectly. While Frank would play in any greasy bar, he loved high minded composition and studied extensively. He was foremost an entertainer, and always brought a naturally sarcastic and ironic view of society. When he tells his musical story, the instruments mock the sounds of the acts he describes. And no subject is off limits, though he tends to go outside the boundaries of "polite" and "politically correct" society with a virtuosity that gives him license to do so. The more cynical theme. Peaches En Regalia is a truck stop diner special. It is half of a peach, served on top of a piece of lettuce with cottage cheese. Like it is some fancy French dish they are serving you or something. The overstatement of elegance in the serving of a half peach, a scoop of cottage cheese on a piece of lettuce in a truck stop diner is the funny part. Hilarious. And then there is the urban slang for the dish. It is a female vagina in regalia of the natural anatomy. Common among band members on the road enjoying the smorgasbord of truck stop "dishes" they might meet outside of industrial towns.

[@timfeeley714-25]

All of Frank's music was written out except his guitar solos, which were never played the same way twice. Other than a couple of months of music lessons, Frank was completely self-taught utilizing the library starting when he was fourteen.

[@withoutdestination7840]

Not entirely true, many songs were constructed during practice, or in concert. Otherwise, why did he hire people (Steve Via for example) to transcribe many of his songs after they were on wax.

[@timfeeley714-25]

@@withoutdestination7840 He hired Steve to transcribe his guitar solos. Not his songs.

[@withoutdestination7840]

I forgot that he had worked on the guitar book, but still....I've listened to hundreds of hours of unofficial concert recordings, as well as rehearsal tapes. Many songs were constructed as they went along. Especially the early bands.

[@smorrow]

​@@timfeeley714-25 The Greggery Peccary score that is published today is due to Steve Vai, transcribing from the 1975 tapes. This implies that even a piece like Greggery Peccary, while obviously being a written-out piece[1], was not written out in a perfect, classically-correct way like you suggest even his rock songs were. And why WOULD it be? Proper scores like are Unix files - to add one bar somewhere in the middle you need to rewrite the whole thing. And Frank tweaked parts all the time upon hearing them actually played, so... So yeah, Frank wrote music like Raymond Scott wrote music. Those tweaks lived in the heads of the musicians and nowhere else. Look at the story of how What's New in Baltimore was written. Actually, why DO people promote the myth that everything was written-out? Like what part of it do you even want to be true? That the musicians you admire were so robotic as to have needed it? That Frank had the time to waste? (And it really would be alot of time, considering how the songs and bands change from one tour to the next. To the extent that the rock songs were written out at all, it would more have been in lead-sheet form) [1] Google "The Adventures Of Greggery Peccary - Ian Underwood's Score"

[@timfeeley714-25]

@@smorrow Okay

[@crystalneill1676]

My husband's aunt originally played the harp for Frank Zappa and is credited on a few of his albums & she taught his daughter the harp.

[@eziozanelli3585]

Seen him live, never forget the quality of the sound. Great guitarist and composer, great band. I suggest "Inca Roads" and "The purple lagoon"

[@MikeinWillowglen]

Congratulations on finally making it to the party. Mr. Zappa has been a part of my life since my best friend in college put on the Mothers and passed me my first joint. 50 years have passed and I have enjoyed Frank Zappa's music every single day. His library of music is so deep I am sure you will find more to your liking. I enjoy your take on music. God I thank you for ears.

[@alldayadventures5418]

Amazing after less than 4 Minutes of exposure to Zappa the deep impression you have of him. Which is 100% correct. However, with over 100 album releases, you must navigate carefully. He has pure silliness as much as his pure genius. GRAND WAZOO / SLEEP DIRT are 2 masterpieces if you want a DEEP DEEP Exposure...! Also The YELLOW SHARK, performed in front of the WHO's WHO of the classical world in 1996 - 1 week before his death.

[@flyingintheface6139]

That's the type of caution I was going to suggest. If she had started with something like Valley Girl or Bobby Brown she probably wouldn't have wanted to hear more.

[@BrianMCarroll]

Amy, your journey to discover rock music reminds me of when I first really paid attention to classical music. For a long time, classical music all sounded the same to me. Then one Saturday morning, the rock station on my radio played Berlioz’ Symphony Fantastique uninterrupted, in its entirety. I was spellbound. Later I read some of Frank Zappa’s liner notes where he wrote that Edgar Varese was one of his major early influences. So I went to my university’s music department and listened to recordings of Varese’s music. No longer could I think of classical music as “all sounding the same”. What eye openers! Since then both rock and classical music have fascinated me. (Not to mention jazz, blues, folk, soul, gospel…)

[@rikardottosson1272]

Uncle Remus from Overnite Sensation is a relatively non-crude ditty, but all of side A of Apostrophe (‘) - I mean the four that tie together- don’t eat the yellow snow/nanuuk rubs it/ st alphonsos pancake breakfast / father o’blivion are musically more interesting and the lyrics are almost acceptable

[@MartijnHover]

All of his lyrics are "acceptable". Only Americans think they are "unacceptable" because Americans believe that some words should not be heard. Which is of course silly.

[@rolandosarabia810]

Very comprehensive analysis, especially for a non-musical mind like mine; who has always known that this is a masterpiece.

[@manuelernestoacebedo]

The Zappa effect once again helping me finding awesome youtube channels. Gracias, amiga músico.

[@mifunetoshiro]

What a great analysis! At least a thousand likes! And yes, please do a Zappa-series! What a ride that would be!!!

[@mfasiscrackbeats3543]

for someone such as myself who got into Frank Zappa via hip hop believe it or not but my point is as someone who’s inspired by the man as well is that i dig and appreciate the passages, segue ways and chord progressions. easily one of, if not my favorite tracks and album. it’s triumphant, dominant, serene, whimsical and a bit quirky while the whole time taking you on this adventure per se. brilliantly composed and arranged no doubt about it. R.I.P. Mr. Zappa.

[@captainavinit]

Something I chose got played, that's never happened before. Makes me feel I'm at the right channel. Thank you for looking into Zappa, really enjoyed it. Look forward to any future visits.

[@scottlozon4255]

subscribed because of your incredible analysis of Frank Zappa, he was a truly talented composer. Thank you.

[@fenderbender909]

Starting around 3:00 in the video I'm reminded of a Zappa quote, wherein it was spoken, "The best music reveals itself in layers".

[@jeffmartin1026]

Thank you for this analysis - I'm one of those folk that just likes to give the music a listen. It's nice to get some background/structure understanding to his work. One of his themes over the years is food - Call Any Vegetable, St. Alphonso's Pancake Breakfast, Watermelon in Easter Hay. I think this song is simply named after the true glory of the peach.

[@ctodd122]

I really appreciate your analysis and would love to see a Zappa series

[@ErikMCMLXV]

I think it would be interesting to hear her go through the album Joe’s Garage the way she’s going through The Wall

[@welshred5995]

ha ha that would be an eve opener for her.

[@sentientbeing9144]

at least Pojama People - man that piece RIPS!

[@keriford54]

I think "One Size fits all" would be better as it has all the Zappa playfulness and invention without getting too crass.

[@vhescalante]

You should try "Watermelon in Easter Hay" so you can hear how he approaches melody in a different way as in "Peaches".

[@MrJakebs]

I love this dissection of Zappa’s work. Eye opening of something I knew, but have never understood technically. I just discovered a new favorite channel. Thank you. Keep up the good work.

[@karlsloman5320]

Frank Zappa was not only a musical genius but a comedic genius as well.

[@annatraustadottir4387]

There is Zappa music that is much more challenging than this. I like lot of his music but sometimes my sense of humor does not go along with his, although it often does. I like this music and the humor in it.

[@christianwilliamson9752]

Glad I voted...seeing your huge glowing smile from listening to this felt rewarding for me...Zappa is just a whole other universe to be explored and I know you will.

[@bobseago1513]

I appreciate your analysis,already loving a lot of music, classical and more recent genres. Many thanks, you are an inspiring teacher

[@paulburke9198]

i'm not done watching this "commentary" yet , learning a lot tho' not a musician my self but I've always recognised that Zappa is what I would describe as "referencing the shit out of his piece" and I am only now understanding just how incredibly complex it all is . Thanks for diving into this , I appreciate my apretiation a lot more now. (going to get a few spelling errors, live with it ).

[@MistinIndia]

Great breakdown! You mentioned many of Zappa's influences and ideas!

[@richpeltier9519]

It's as if Frank intentionally found musicians of the highest calibre, so that he would have the responsibility of writing music worthy of their interest. The drummer on this track, Ron Selico, had previously played with James Brown. JB was notoriously hard on his band, who were considered the best at what they did (in much the same way Frank's bands did) and was a drummer himself. He was hard on his whole band, but mostly the drummers. He was "fine them for mistakes" hard. At the core of all of Frank's bands, there was always a legendary drummer. 🤘🧙‍♂️🤘 Rich tAMB

[@breakingdad8]

I've been listening to FZ with appreciation for over 50 years. I am not a musician, only a fan, but always wondered about the theory behind it all. Thank you for explaining this with such clarity to a mere mortal.

[@shadshowadradna]

I think this was from Zappa's first sessions using a 16-track studio, and it's worth pointing out that there are only five musicians playing on the piece. So I think this track is as much a product of him exploring what he could do with this technology as it is an adventure in music composition. But it _is_ both of those things combined.

[@jeanclaudesagot7030]

Hello ! only 4 musicians on this number : FZ ( obviously ) Ian Underwood Shuggie Otis Ron selico Happy new year !

[@jackieradford1516]

Love it when people first hear Frank and his genius

[@artactsound444]

So glad to see you enjoyed it, congratulations on the through análisis. After heating your Harp playing I could not help thinking how good the hole piece would sound on Harp as a main instrument, perhaps accompanied by tambourine and orchestral bells. I had the privilege to discover Frank Zapa and the mothers of invention when I was 18 in 1965

[@nesseq]

Young Lady, that was a very well spent 30 minutes of my life. Thank you.

[@steveho69]

Well stated. Thanks for breaking down this beautiful music into smaller parts for inspection.

[@teamuncle]

A Zappa Series please..you are a great teacher.

[@jurgenschmidt2759]

Frank Zappa's music can give you almost all rock music styles and songs and adding to it an introduction to the more classical music world for the rock music fan. And to experience it live is very special, even when the music is not played or conducted by the Mastro himself. In the early 2000s one very special tribute band, the Muffin Men from England, were on yearly tours through Europe and gave wonderful interpretations of his music. For quite a while, Jimmy Carl Black, the original drummer and sometimes vocalist of the Mothers of Invention, was playing with them. Always an amazing experience. And so much fun to talk to the 'Indian of the Group' and have a beer with him. A very interesting and good guy. He was not very talkative about his Zappa years but shared other road stories. And he very kindly signed my 200 Motels long player. So Jimmy, you are missed, like Frank is.

[@andrefflch2010]

This video is the most amazing video i saw in my life. I'm a Phd Philosophy student in Brazil. Our published articles follow, more or less - more than less - the same structure. I actually intend on publishing an article with my brother, who is actually a musician, about the identity of structures between Bachs littles fugues and Kants superposing ideia of his architetonics.

[@LoudModeOn]

KZbin needs an entire series dedicated to the breakdown of Zappa's music, that would be awesome!

[@bwana-ma-coo-bah425]

never going to work, there are not that many intellectual people out there. it's a Frank Zappa thing they just wouldn't understand.

[@smorrow]

Tyler Bartram

[@markrinehart8813]

It's amusing to me with Zappa's music. Growing in the 60's & 70's, most of my friends, me included, thought his music, for the most part, being nothing more than junk. There was a few songs we liked to a degree, but not something we had/needed to hear. During high school, early 70's, there were three groups who really liked his music. The 1st were the hard core drug users (LSD, Opium, etc), and the other two (surprisingly) were the high marching band & the high school orchestra. The last two loved playing his music, as they played it quite often at school events and school concerts. Only when they played it, did I enjoy listening to his music.

[@tedcole9936]

Thanks, I really enjoyed the analysis on this one!

[@zootzallures7044]

Thank you,I have been listening to Zappa for nearly 50 years.Your analysis is one of the best I have seen.You get it,and explained it concisely.Take a well deserved bow.Oh,side note.My son at about 3 years old(30 years ago) would ask me to play the car horn song aka Peaches En Regalia ,over and over. Still amongst his favorite pieces of music,mine as well.

[@robmason6466]

This is the best music channel on KZbin. Beautiful. Great job. Thanks.

[@antidote7]

Yes, Zappa series please!

[@steveberkery6128]

Lovers of Zappa are lovers of music Classical to rock, jazz to funk, doo wop to surf guitar, he added his genius to every genre He collaborated with (and mentored) some of the most talented musicians on earth, from Steve Vai to Ensemble Modern… He led the resistance against the 1980’s censorship movement against rock music, with his usual eloquence He was intelligent, he was hilarious, he was prodigiously talented, he was profoundly human… IMHO, the most important musician of the 20th century…

[@gregant9864]

Ohhhhhh..... what a lovely sound 😮😮😮❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@jobyoanvillarreal9400]

Amy, thank you for your great analysis, I enjoyed it very much. Zappa was a genius, some of the great classical composers recognized him as a musical genius. Please check the full Zappa concert with the London Symphonic Orchestra. One of my favorite pieces of that album is 'Sad Jane' which is an amazing classic composition. Very complicated stuff.

[@chedino]

Thanks Amy for sharing your knowledge in such a honest way. Serindipity took me to to you and Peaches and I loved your analisys, same with your instant love with Purple's. Best regards from Argentina!

[@noahhenson1669]

A year later, you're probably aware by now that 1) Varese and Stravinsky were key influences on Zappa; and 2) as with other tracks on Hot Rats, the name comes from the way the notes on the page looked to Zappa's comical, analytical mind: "It Must Be a Camel" and "Little Umbrellas" being the best examples. Anyway, thank you for another deeply engaging inspection of one of my favorite pieces of 20th century popular music.

[@lsbill27]

Frank often dipped his toes into what's called progressive rock. Two of the most purely prog rock bands are Yes and Emerson, Lake and Palmer (ELP). These two bands are arguably the roots of what is called prog rock today. We called them classical rock bands back in the day because they use many of the structural elements of classical music. In fact, ELP actually did some covers of classical music. The members of these bands were all virtuoso performers. I think you'll really get a kick out of investigating these two bands.

[@mrfranksan]

Frank Zappa definitely deserves this wonderful analysis. I can imagine him rolling his eyes as the prototypical artist simply conveying "I said what I meant and meant what I said." Secretly I think he would feel appreciated. It's like you said: irreverent but upholding and using (honoring) the tradition. He was a prickly maestro who claimed not to care if he was forgotten.

[@kimn9802]

Frank is supposed to have hand written down the score for nearly all of his songs. I've heard it commented that they're beautiful to look at. I know you're probably being bombarded with suggestions as to what songs to listen to, but I'd urge you to listen to the song 'Alone Again Or' by the band Love, from the album 'Forever Changes' that was released in 1967. The album is considered one of the finest psychedelic albums ever recorded and the song a touchstone in popular music. It has a memorable melody featuring acoustic guitar, some tastefully integrated string arrangements, mariachi horns and an interesting dynamic structure that will definitely appeal to you. Please find the time to give it a listen. You won't be disappointed.

[@racinnut77]

Zappa's genius as a composer is only matched your genius as a communicator 😊

[@keithtidy186]

Thank you for your in depth interpretation of Peaches Amy. You are ideed correct on the underlying humour, Frank was prone to making life difficult for his musicians and that gave him great joy, take for example the drums, after the drummer exclaimed his music was a black page, Frank set to and wrote a piece called the 'Black page' and said "here, this is a black page!" Now, as others have suggested, I too would like to here your take on 'Inca Roads' too! Thank you

[@richpeltier9519]

What I learned from Zappa in a nutshell. Learn the rules and use them, but don't them limit or define your art. 🤘🧙‍♂️🤘 Rich tAMB

[@beamzappa6266]

I love it, please do some more Zappa again sometime, Frank has some astonishingly complex compositions that truly dwarf the scope of Peaches en Regalia.

[@antidote7]

A Zappa series would be great!

[@buddystewart2020]

Frank was an interesting guy, I love some of his quotes, I have a whole word document with hundreds of them: A composer is a guy who goes around forcing his will on unsuspecting air molecules, often with the assistance of unsuspecting musicians. Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid. 'Conducting' is when you draw `designs' in the nowhere -- with your stick, or with your hands -- which are interpreted as 'instructional messages' by guys wearing bow ties who wish they were fishing. I really enjoyed your analysis, it's something I've felt about his music for years, how he incorporates structure and improvisation into his music. I just wouldn't have been able to put it into words like you did, which I appreciate. I played French Horn in concert band and percussion and electric bass for 40+ years so I could hear all the influences he brought to his musical pallet. A series on Zappa's music would be awesome, but be warned, he has a huge catalog of music. You won't be able to do them all, unless you mean that series to go on for a very, very long time. Which I'm ok with too.

[@user-et2px9jc2h]

Zappa was a great composer, great guitar player, satiric, social critic at the time, and...simply the best (like Tina) :)

[@John_13_35]

She noted the drums were like a lead instrument on this piece. Zappa was a percussionist from early on. He placed percussion higher in the mixes often and wrote OUTRAGEOUS parts for percussion,, like the Black Page as an example. Frank "music is the best!" Zappa

[@TommiBrem]

I think you might like the Zappa album recorded by Ensemble Ambrosius, which is Zappa on baroque instruments if memory serves me well.

[@OnisiTalas]

Wow man,harp is magical...

[@One_Proud_Papa]

Frank is a genius. One of Frank's most famous students is Steve Vai. He writes incredibly complex guitar music. I highly recommend you check him out as well.

[@thewaldfe9763]

And Mike Keneally.