Frank Zappa praises Gentle Giant

[@kyleschmidlin]

When I was getting into Gentle Giant, trying to turn people onto them, I described them as a cross between Frank Zappa and Jethro Tull.

[@tixximmi1]

With a dash of soul.

[@synthonaplinth5980]

@SoftserveSodium The first or the second Gotic album?

[@BrainiacFingers]

Cross between Zappa and Tull wrapped in the ghost of John Dowland.

[@DemK_Music]

Yknow I sat the exact same thing! Mix of my two favourite artsits/ands ever so naturally they're quite up there too

[@michaelhudson2912]

a little early Crimson in there too

[@ronniefarnsworth6465]

Gentle Giant was Fantastic Classic Prog !!! I saw them at their peak in 1975', twice in 1976' and in 1977' Always Great & Fun on stage !!! 👍🎶🎸🎹🥁🎤🎻🎷🎼

[@KenSmith-bv4si]

75 was their Free hand tour, saw them in Philly that year.

[@sicochoco]

Thaaaaaanks, I was sure Frank knew about GG, this confirms it, my two favorites where favorites amongst them!!

[@artistesconcients]

Ah puta! Me ganaste!

[@rogeliozavala1076]

of course he knew GG. They played in newcastle city hall in the '71. and also king crimson shared stage with them both

[@CynicalBastard]

Amazing.

[@DavidSmith-ss1cg]

Gentle Giant opened for Ozzy, once - and the stoned kiddies yelled for Ozzy. The drummer, Derek and Ray's older brother Phil, called the crowd "cunts." I'm sure that Zappa heard about that(and admired it).

[@craigdamage]

The Gentle Giant album "Octopus" is absolutely stunning. Composition wise and the vocals are so utterly unique.

[@joecrow1481]

Frank knew his stuff-big supporter of Man, Caravan too!

[@chriswakefield9538]

Funnily enough John Weather's joined Man after Gentle Giant disbanded.

[@whitedwarf13]

I wish he said more about them. He changes the subject too quickly.

[@narozzz]

I would not be the least bit surprised if " The Boys In The Band" was among the songs he had in mind, it being essentially a flawless hybrid of "Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus" and "Zomby Woof", by accident if not design.

[@narozzz]

(And yes, I'm aware that "Over-Nite Sensation" postdates "Octopus" by about a year.)

[@Eleventhearlofmars]

Here’s JOHNNY!!

[@burnwash8174]

"The inimitable patriarch of classical pop" I see.

[@juandhaltrich]

well, he can't be imitated with much success, so I would say it was an accurate description.

[@DavidSmith-ss1cg]

It's too bad that Zappa was mostly interviewed by media people that mostly knew that he did some songs about sex or poop. Zappa did instrumental music and added words to get his songs on the radio. He saw no reason not to have fun with it. None of them knew or cared how smart he was, but they knew that he had written a song about "Don't Eat Yellow Snow." I saw him in concert, but I mostly knew him through the column he wrote for "Guitar Player" magazine, and he was very smart and really funny, and the things he said about the party favors, though funny, made sense - stoned musicians would be late or "sick" and would forget their parts; it was about professional behavior. I still miss him, like Hendrix, who knows what he could have done if he had been spared.

[@Leon-hp1wm]

just listening to Were in it only for the money and freak out, DAMN those are one of the best lyrics ever

[@shayneoneill1506]

Zappa was a shrewd businessman though. He tolerated some of the stupidity from the press through gritted teeth even though privately (and later quite publically) detested it, because he knew thats how he gets paid and that by putting up with the daft nonsense from pop culture, he could put together the funds to follow his real dream, become an established experimental orchestral composer. And he largely achieved that dream. It took a while, but by the 90s people in that very very different world where finally taking zappas serialism and classical composition seriously.

[@shayneoneill1506]

I gotta be honest though. The interviews that get me irate are the "Boy your children sure do have some strange names". Like, bitch please, your talking about his children. Give the man some respect, he's not just a 'whacky' musician, he's a devoted father. And with 60-70 albums of some of the most complicated music in the history of rock and roll, surely THATS more interesting then his kids names

[@yngvebalmsteen9174]

Spared? He chain smoked almost his entire life. He would have had to be big enough to spare himself.

[@321snoot]

@criminallivesmattersblm I don't know how old you are, but Frank was only 53 when he passed away. That is not "quite old"; that's too young.

[@Seventysongs]

I always saw Zappa at times, something that sent me to the Gentle Giant. Just like the old Chick Korea's Return To Forever. This is the band! And Zappa was the man!

[@Rog5446]

Very interesting, as the last time I listened to a GG track, it crossed my mind that there were similarities between them and Zappa's music. I think it was the time signatures more than anything.

[@WilliamJones-sf5pt]

You want to live during a time that is incomparable. There needs to be so many great musicians going on that comparing them is abysmal.

[@davidsanderson5918]

Lovely. Nice to know this.

[@mikereiss4216]

Too bad he didn't mention which soul groups he was referring to. I do agree about GG and not surprised he likes them.

[@danjuric622]

Awesome!

[@U2WB]

I didn’t realize that I could fall asleep in less than 90 seconds. Good lord that was the dullest interview I’ve ever heard. The interviewer sounded like she was too stoned to speak.

[@lemming9984]

...and Zappa was thinking he needed to have a crap...

[@chimalpopoca9291]

.. Zappa Giant !!..

[@MrGTO-ze7vb]

You play with synthesizers???? Yes I have many.... and those Gentle Giant Geniuses have many.... Frank we miss you... RIP

[@carlr0gers417]

Commin' from the maestro what a complement.

[@shayneoneill1506]

I was a little surprised at his appreciation for soul, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Frank never hated simplicity, in fact it was part of why he adored doo-wop. Frank just didn't like *mediocre* simplicity, and he always had a soft spot for black music, as that music formed the sound track for much of his youth. Soul actually kind of fits into that schema.

[@rael2099]

Tommy was not The Who's brightest moment despite its popularity. Quadrophenia is where is at and I'm sure Zappa might have liked it if he gave it the opportunity. As for GG, these guys would make a run for his money any time, they challenged each other and push themselves to the limits and still have real fun with that. The kind of musicians Frank would've loved to work with. Imagine the Shulman bros on a tour with FZ. It would have been awesome.

[@kidflersh7807]

They are talking about the 1975 movie, not the album.

[@iunnox666]

I'm not sure Zappa would have liked working with Gentle Giant. He liked to be the only one in charge from what I know of him.

[@lmp9726]

No surprises here. Kerry Minnear and Zappa were both heavily influenced by Edgard Varèse.

[@omarmunozcastorena4466]

well said Zappa!!

[@porflepopnecker4376]

Anyone who agrees with me is right. Anyone who disagrees with me is wrong. That applies to Frank as much as anyone else.

[@juriwaro]

For sure GG won't say nothing bad 'bout Zappa too.

[@rockholiday7344]

Frank Zappa is overrated? He's praised in the music community as one of the greatest arrangers and writers and players of super complicated pieces of music in history.

[@aeroaddict]

Underrated you mean? Then, yes.

[@jovanponjavic7321]

Hahahahahah

[@davidklepinger4809]

Free Hand.

[@plasticdadaii8225]

Cutting Edge reporting strikes Again!

[@Katehowe3010]

I got lost in the depth!

[@Marklar3]

Lisztomania was a fun movie.

[@neildowne-g7q]

This post is directed to blueslic putz . I only refer to this public Interview of praise for gg From fz.I know Fz liked other artists. Blues police ah

[@MrFallout2]

neat. zappas last line was lolzy

[@porflepopnecker4376]

Bloffy shmort groo-goos.

[@GrandFunker]

Couple of sticks in the mud!! Lisztomania was fun

[@burnwash8174]

Notice it gets quiet very suddenly - that's when they start having sex.

[@Pighood]

Did Zappa ever meet Fripp?

[@gardenofeels6872]

Good question. How great would it have been if they had made a record together? Two avant- gard musicians trying to outdo each other.

[@jonegillbergorsson8847]

Zappa would also have been very lucky if members of Gentle Giant had mentioned him in those days in England: The Shulman brothers; Minnear, Green or Weathers. Like Ronaldo playing on the field with Messi...Nothing less... And that is what thay did and we still enjoy ( -:

[@dogperday]

Do you think Gentle Giant gave a shit?

[@TheGunnCat]

A lot of people like Frank Zappa because he would say what was on his mind. But the fact is many of his opinions were complete BS (not about GG).

[@harmono8766]

Wow he didn't say much.

[@greenblackswerl]

What did she as him in the beginning? I can’t figure it out

[@popsandworm]

"Have you seen Lisztomania", which was a film about Franz Liszt by the same director as Tommy.

[@wendellwiggins3776]

That's cool

[@bonnie43uk]

I wish Frank Zappa would release some new stuff.

[@markproctor8857]

Not easy when you have been dead for 28 years..

[@gardenofeels6872]

He released a lot of new stuff. Maggots, puss, various body fluids, hair, etc etc.

[@hazardousjazzgasm129]

Miles Davis and Mozart should get off their lazy butts and put out new work too

[@321snoot]

There's loads of stuff in the Zappa "vault" that's never been released, which the Zappa family could do for decades to come.

[@chrischoir3594]

Frank was a musical genius and the father of Jazz fusion

[@stuartfishman1044]

Miles Davis and the many musicians who played with him might disagree.

[@chrischoir3594]

@@stuartfishman1044 Miles Davis was maybe the 3rd person or 4th person to do Jazz Fusion. Frank was first, then Tony Williams then Larry Coryell. You can bet there were others before them playing in Dive bars

[@hazardousjazzgasm129]

@@chrischoir3594 What year?

[@WELLBRAN]

Larry coryell was the grandfather of jazz fusion

[@321snoot]

Frank Zappa was definitely NOT the "father of jazz fusion". And if someone said that to him, he'd be wondering, "Have you even listened to my f&cking music? " Zappa was completely unique but, yes, a true musical genius.

[@robyartic]

Interesting orchestration? They were able to play more then 30 instruments on live show and sang all five! Absolutely best prog band ever! He had no idea who they really were!

[@nightjaronthegate]

He wasn't talking about Gentle Giant then; he said there was a lot of interesting orchestration in soul music.

[@ThefightingCelt]

I have always held the opinion , since I first listened intently to a few of Zappas albums , that he and his music are overrated . Gentle Giant , however , are most definitely the real deal .

[@johnbazy]

That's about the most immature comment you could spew. Zappa literally has a huge catalogue of records where all of them sound different and have a different quality in songwriting, so just listening to the first few that caught your eye, making no analytics and deciding your stance on the first listen is, actually when listening to any music, fucking stupid. When I listened to Apostrophe, initially I thought it was weird as hell, but that didn't mean I was right about it.

[@carvaiio]

ThefightingCelt They're both wonderful.

[@steentje56]

well said!!

[@Seventysongs]

I totally disagree that Zappa is overrated. I just always thought that a few moments would refer me to the Gentle Giant. The same thing happened when I heard Return To Forever. All three, a little of the best that has ever been done in modern music.

[@friendofzeus]

Right on the money. Though Sheik Yerbouti is excellent.

[@ThefightingCelt]

Frank Zappa was a one off although vastly overrated in my opinion .

[@arfshesaid4325]

who is this rater you speak of and what aspect of the man is over rated

[@DeadnWoon]

If you like this audio above and want to thank me for my work of finding, selecting, compiling and uploading it here, you may donate a few cents to my bitcoin wallet: 12dhMrN66Kdygqwfbm86NbTbkiaEmm6MDB

[@alistairkinnear8737]

The who were eminently dislikeable by anyone but a shallow musical neophite. Zappa did say that Hendrix could do with orchestration though, which tells me a little about Zappa's snobbery and also that he misses the whole point about heavy rock of the 70s.

[@alistairkinnear8737]

+Cathode Roy my opinion. thank god for Zeppelin.

[@porflepopnecker4376]

+Alistair Kinnear Goo-goo.

[@alistairkinnear8737]

+Porfle Popnecker at least you make no bones about it mate.

[@johnbazy]

+Alistair Kinnear Yeah let's plagiarize blues legends and our warm-up acts with sloppy guitars and sloppier vocals instead of pioneering 70's rock, metal music, concept albums and live shows. Sounds like a great idea.

[@alistairkinnear8737]

Well let's...otherwise you are forgotten by most.