Frank Zappa- The Grand Wazoo REACTION & REVIEW

Song Link: • Frank Zappa - The Gran...
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[@markdrechsler5660]

Love it. Insane drumming. Insane writing. Frank is on a different plane.

[@jonsmith9518]

Frank surrounded himself with the very best. He gave them all their moments to shine. In the end, the were all very proud to have been part of his vision. Genius.

[@bobholtzmann]

The Trumpet Mute is a common device used in jazz, to get that high pitched, sassy voice. It's normally used for solos in classic bluesy jazz - one of Frank's Laurel Canyon neighbors, Joni Mitchell, used it in "Harry's House / Centerpiece" from The Hissing Of Summer Lawns" (1975).

[@StefanoBartaletti]

The wonderful thing about this track, and many others as well, is that Frank wasn't playing the Star role z but he was giving space to everyone for their solos. Music at its best.

[@pilesovinyl]

Oh, you're KILLIN' me JP, you just GOTTA review the track Cleetus Awreetus Awrightus from this album, it's IMO one of his very finest tracks ever. Towards the end the instrument you're asking about is a trumpet with one of those mute cones used on it to soften and change the sound a bit (a technique not used as much anymore).

[@TerrysQuest]

This was always one of my favorite Zappa pieces for drumset practice, no need to look out for fancy time signatures so one can just jam and have fun with it like they did. Aynsley Dunbar is just brilliant with his drags and putting one time against another. And all through the chaos bits he is still maintaining the pulse for everybody with one hand. I consider myself fortunate to have grown up when all these albums were new and got to see him in many incarnations. There was a wicked tour with the Mahavishnu Orchestra that stands out.

[@dieterbohm9700]

OMG! I can't believe you finally did it! My favorite Zappa's album by far. For Calvin and eat that question are my favourite tracks.

[@justaguy2365]

I love Cleetus Awreetus Awrightus

[@-davidolivares]

Frank didn’t do drugs, apparently he didn’t need them but jazzid trip is perfect. My first time hearing this, come on, there’s so much stuff to hear yet. I was pretty poor back then so if friends didn’t have it, I didn’t hear it. The cover looks familiar… maybe from perusing the record bins, racks, boxes, shelves. Thought it was epic, parts, the chaotic parts, emmm, s’alright, so so, but overall epic. Def will go on my Zappa work playlist.

[@timcardona9962]

Great reaction, you really noticed everything "I love how we got that little chaotic breakdown and then it cleaned itself up" - love this part and it's likely the result of Zappa's unique methods of conducting where he can get the entire orchestra to "fall apart"{ and re-assemble itself, so to speak. Awesome stuff

[@JustJP]

Ty Tim! :D

[@charcolew]

This track teeters on the edge of chaos almost elegantly, like a drunk dancing along a high windowledge. Never falls, never nearly falls, but swings so close to the edge that you think "gone". And that would feel very trippy...

[@flickurseanbean_1]

Looking forward to your reaction to the rest of the album. Flawless writing by Frank and talented musicians!

[@justaguy2365]

Frank was confined to a wheelchair for the recording of this. He wasn't able to use a wah pedal, so he had to go with an envelope filter. Which he put to great use on that opening guitar

[@GoodCorporateRobot]

Frank got thrown off stage during a show into a concrete orchestra pit 15 feet below the stage and was very seriously injured. What did he do while he was convalescing? This. From the mind of Franks Zappa, music like nobody else has written. Great reaction!

[@popeyeman69]

I was lucky enough to see every N.Y. and Long Island Halloween show Frank did. The Hofstra performance with Capt'n Beefheart was epic. That night Simon and Garfunkle got BOOED off the stage, they were using different names

[@bjwnashe5589]

Genius music. Zappa at his very best.

[@bardmathiasbergersen5068]

One of my FZ favs. Thanks for your reaction! Jazzy indeed.

[@linuxgameplayxp6246]

This is one of his greatest compositions. What a ride.

[@zappafan3473]

A newish friend arrived to my house in San Francisco one afternoon maybe about 8 years ago. I had this album on. "What are you listening to?" she asked. I told her, and she responded, "Oh, my parents played on this album". If you know your Frank history you'll probably know who they are. My jaw about hit the floor.

[@josephchisholm2654]

The chaotic section made me think it, but really this whole piece would pair well with the Sun Ra Arkestra.

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

Whenever someone does a reaction to either this album or Waka/Jawaka, I like to point out that these two albums were written and recorded while Frank was convalescing in a wheelchair after being pushed from the stage in London only 5 months earlier. That push from the stage left Zappa in pretty bad shape for a while. I expect that most any other "pop star" would spend that time taking handfuls of painkillers and staring off into space. Frank got right back to work, composing the material and hiring a 20-piece orchestra of musicians to play it. Nine months to the date after the London incident, he mounted a (albeit brief) tour with that 20-piece orchestra. A couple of months after that very brief tour, he pared it down to 10 pieces and went back on the road. That's dedication to his art.

[@frozenbeefpie]

The album cover is the perfect representation of this track: musical war and chaos at times but the battle remains well structured until the end. If you liked this and Big Bands, you have to listen to Waka Jawaka.

[@1967PONTIACGTO]

This is my favourite of the "big jazz band" Zappa albums, and my favourite Zappa album of the 1970s.

[@petterv6604]

I just listened to this track earlier today, a top 3 Zappa composition! Eat That Question is going to be wild

[@gaiaeternal5131]

Hi Justin. Dave from London (City Of Glass?). Really liked this piece, which I haven't heard for yonks. You're right that it's at the big band end of jazz, and I love that. Complex yet accessible and melodic, with some terrific solos. Instrumental Zappa is what I like best. P.S. My song ref City Of Glass is by Stan Kenton. Music in the same vein?

[@jimimurti]

Love it, geniusses at work, all of them in a perfect composition, superb drumming.

[@stevedotwood]

Le Grand Oiseau - Top favorite album, along with Waka/Jawaka - and my favorite Zappa drummer (Ainsley Dunbar always sounded like there were 2 drummers, and he plays so melodically)

[@mysteriousplankton]

I remember falling asleep to this album many times.

[@xlerb_again_to_music7908]

Charismatic, insane, wonderful, one of a kind.... but enough about me. What a scorcher track! :)

[@Ninang363]

That first "What Is That?" moment is a trumpet with a mute

[@markdavis7345]

Jaxcid trip? Actually, what you're describing is what Frank called an "Ives Collision." Charles Ives. The sound of two marching bands passing each other on the street.

[@alldayadventures5418]

Jazz-it-Trip... Frank does have an album called "Jazz From Hell". This song and most of this album can fall into that Category.

[@norbertzillatron3456]

I suggest you lend an ear to "Genius In France". An homage to Frank Zappa by Weird Al Yankovic.

[@mysteriousplankton]

The trumpet was using a "mute". That's how he got that sound.

[@IozziEric]

Jazzy Zappa is my favorite Zappa!!!

[@peterf4552]

Aynsley Dunbar was the drummer for Journey on their first four albums.

[@willardgrant2001]

amazing composition!

[@kubolkudesai]

Respect for you listening to Zappa and Sylvian.

[@JustJP]

Ty Kubol :)

[@dantean]

Aynsley Dunbar--Frank's greatest AND MOST RECORDED drummer. If you don't know him, he's with the Peter Green-era John Mayall Bluesbreakers band; was the FIRST Jeff Beck Group drummer (pre-the first album being recorded); lost Jimi Hendrix's coin flip to Mitch Mitchell to be the Experience drummer; said "no" to both Robert Fripp and Jimmy Page when forming King Crimson and Led Zeppelin, respectively; was the first (i.e., pre-teeny bopper era) Journey drummer when they played heavy rock; drums Bowie hits 1984 and Rebel, Rebel; Jefferson Starship's Jane and Find Your Way Back; Whitesnake's Here I Go Again (the 1987 version that was a hit, though he'd left by the time the video was recorded it's his playing we hear on the vid); and was named session player of the year by ASCAP or BMI or one of those. He's a GIANT and you should know him.

[@TerrysQuest]

and that tombone solo!

[@georgedavis-stewart4225]

Just peachy. The interplay is mesmerising.

[@maruad7577]

Great piece. I enjoyed that.

[@jean-pierrebolduc2837]

Ainsley Dunbar is the drummer in the "Diamond dogs" album.

[@Royale_with_Cheeze]

Aynsley also played with Lou Reed, among others.

[@wowwhywow]

You are listening to the album in the original order that it was released in. A remastered version in later years changed the order of the songs and I don't think Zappa would've been happy...He would be much happier knowing that you are hearing it in the correct order... so...S'all good, man.

[@Phlakaton88]

Waka Jawaka box is essential if you dig this.

[@shyshift]

The Mute was created so Trumpet players could practice quietly but they soon found out it had an amazing sound for live and studio performances. I used one in the Eureka High School Stage Band. There’s a plethora of types for different sounds too.

[@erikahlander3489]

I wish that you had started with this one instead of Montana! Zappa said: Jazz is not dead. It just smells funny. Concerning sheat music and black page: Check up the background story of the Zappa piece "the Black page"... Exactly!!!

[@steevenfrost]

Jazz ...man! I like this a lot. I need to buy it.

[@WilliamWiest1959]

I believe that's Tony Duran on guitar.

[@kevtruth]

Okay. Onto the next killer composition

[@DavidImiri]

Yeah, that's top tier. About as good as it gets with Zappa - which is really saying something.

[@frankbarbaro4363]

Great album Great track. This album Hot Rats and Waka /Jawaka are some of his best.

[@jackal59]

My gods, that is the filthiest sounding Moog I've ever heard.

[@JustJP]

Downright dirty!

[@martinduner1844]

Re Aynsley, let me recommend the very first Journey album (s/t).

[@jamespaivapaiva4460]

Good timing, I had the Over-Nite Sensation of burning nerves.Because swallowing is difficult and the injections help minimally I got "Blessed Relief" from a medicated missle up The Grand Wazoo! (sorry, too graphic?). Funny how reading the comments reminds me of The Muppets!. Listening as it is to Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem,(or so it seems sometimes!), I feel like Rizzo the Rat. But there's always a Statler and Waldorf waiting in the weeds to out-snark me! Peace and Love.

[@Alix777.]

Hey Justin...I hope you will explore some more Zappa in the future, and maybe you will do some "Sheik Yerbouti" or "You are what you is" , "Drowning Witch" or even "We are only it for the money" albums tracks, even if you are not really into the comedy rock thing.For me 80's Zappa is the best one, I also like early Zappa like "Absolutely Free". The only jazz fusion album I like is "Burnt Weeny Sandwich" but this Grand Wazoo is not for me.This "Jazzcid Trip" as you rightly said is a bid too heavy on my stomach. Glad you like it at least !

[@sicko_the_ew]

Now all I can think to say about this is that it was a proper Jacid Trip. :D Not literally, because Frank Zappa was very anti-drugs, but there's a musical form of pleasant disorientation that probably has similar effects to some narcotics. (This is a fairly wild guess, since, though I would've loved to take pretty much all the narcotics it's possible to take, I must be a bit mentally unstable, because even something supposedly mild like dope does thinks like make me imagine I'm a tyrannosaurus sticking my head through Jurassic treetops, looking for things to bite. This works out more harmlessly than might seem, given that state of mind, because my body remains human, with a very small mouth full of pathetic little blunt teeth. It might sound like fun, but the problem arrives when you would start to think, "OK, enough of this; I want to be human again", if you were human at the time, but can only manage a kind of animal panic at being trapped in some place you don't want to be any more, and there's no way out. Thank the Good Lord Above for blessing us with alcohol with which to drink ourselves into a stupor, then, otherwise I'd have to make do with staying straight. Which is a possibly sarcastic way of saying I even stay away from booze. Not because I think any of it's evil; just out of necessity. I have terrible envy for friends of mine who get on well with various drugs that are meant to destroy you. As I said, if I could I'd probably be a pincushion.) Maybe Frank Zappa (and Ian Anderson, too, I've heard) had a point, avoiding chemical attitude adjusters. What would happen if in the middle of a show, your triangle player, or floor sweat mopper suddenly had the mind of a tyrannosaurus? It might cause various inconveniences. For others, drugs might be almost necessary - just to add some edge to what they could've managed without making chemical adjustments to themselves. *Tim Smith* loved drugs, from what I've heard, for instance (as does *Kavus Torabi* from what I've heard him say), and they had some pretty good music ready to go for their *LSD* album when Tim went and spoiled everything by copping out by having that stroke. *Gen* was meant to be on the album, for instance, and they probably took some drugs while making it. Lucky bustards! kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnjWYZKmn5Knbrc

[@cygnusx-1800]

Harmon mute & Wah-Wah pedal on the trumpet.

[@alldayadventures5418]

Really difficult tune for many to listen to. Very complicated and takes many, many listens to fully enjoy it. After well over 100 listens I still hear new passages. Even made a Music Video from it. (on my chan)

[@maartenlemmens8628]

They switched the song order on the cd release compared to the vinyl record. The weird trumpet sound is caused by a mute in the horn.

[@petterv6604]

its a trumpet with a damper/mute

[@brabuss94]

This album is fantastic! Enjoy!

[@SpaceCattttt]

You are following the original, vinyl order of the tracks. The CD version flipped the first two tracks with each other for some reason. Anyway, I think this title track is the highlight of the album, but although it's a nice jam, it doesn't really go anywhere. It's basically just a groove and some loose improvisations. It's not nearly as composed or inspired as Frank's later stuff.

[@saturninebear]

Genius! I tell you.... GENIUS.

[@wowwhywow]

It's a trumpet with a mute AND ALSO a wah wah.

[@JustJP]

Sounds incredible! :D

[@floydshambles]

zappa didn't do drugs, but he sounds great if you are tripping.

[@chaosmos24]

Burnt Weeny Sandwich on fungi is the most overwhelming auditory experience I have ever had.

[@Rowenband]

Although I like a lot of Zappa's stuff, I can't get int this. I just don't get it. Maybe too jazzy for me !

[@pentagrammaton6793]

Zappa does little for me, but he certainly was good at pumping out material.

[@jfergs.3302]

he was certainly no slacker :)

[@gidgetmaurer123]

I enjoy alot of Zappas work, brilliant musicians. But shtick wares thin over the time.

[@frugalseverin2282]

Sorry, I still don't get it, sounds like aimless noise-making even without the sarcastic lyrics. Not my cuppa tea.

[@WilliamWiest1959]

Welcome to the show and you are now dismissed 😅

[@murdockreviews]

Inconsequential Zappa noodling. I really don't think everything he did was gold.

[@HakanTunaMuzik]

you stick to pop music.

[@murdockreviews]

@@HakanTunaMuzik oh, an elitist.

[@HakanTunaMuzik]

@@murdockreviews not really, I listen to everything, but when someone calls Zappa inconsequential noodling then I have to say something.

[@murdockreviews]

@@HakanTunaMuzik all good. 😀 I like some Zappa, also some of his jazzier and avant garde material, but this - I don't know...let's agree to disagree in a civilised manner.

[@Alix777.]

Zappa is great, but this album is very uninspired imo, compared to Burnt Weeny Sandwich or any other albums of early Zappa.

[@jfergs.3302]

Well it stared well, and overall much better than that dreadful opener... That said, a tune of two halves. The first half, very frank, pretty melodic, tootles along nicely. But then around the 7 min mark seems to go off the rails a bit. A number of the solos thereafter come across (to me anyway), as ramblingly discordant, and not so enjoyable.

[@pentagrammaton6793]

I guess we'll get the rest of the album, with a sense of inevitability.

[@jfergs.3302]

@@pentagrammaton6793Indeed. When a disc starts on track 1, you know you're in for the long hall.... for good or bad !

[@pentagrammaton6793]

@@jfergs.3302Aye. I liked Zappa a bit when I was in my early 20s, but I guess I was just overawed by the absurd silliness and sheer musicality...then it began to dawn on me that most of it is empty nothing by way of jazz virtuosity.

[@jfergs.3302]

@@pentagrammaton6793Aye, know what you mean, and it could tie in with the sheer volume of stuff he's put out. Always looking to push the boundaries etc, but it just doesn't always work. And when things go too far, get too random, that's when terms like 'experimental' pop up :) He's done some great stuff, but not everything's been golden. Take this for instance, i've heard it, but not in an age, and that's usually a sign i didn't love it cos obviously I've hardly revisited it One track at a time eh. That said, then in comparison you get something like FZ''s double live LP, Roxy and Elsewhere, that I can listen to all the live long day. And think i've even proposed it to JP, eons ago as a poss long song Saturday, type deal That's deffo up there on my best live albums of all time.

[@pentagrammaton6793]

@@jfergs.3302yeah I mean the thing about the endless jazz noodling, is that he only got to be experimental once! Everything else was just more of the same, like an all you can eat Chinese buffet. On the other subject, I've never been one for live albums much (with a very few exceptions).

[@FrankTerranova1]

There is a term in Psychology called Projection. It pretty much means that an indiviual ascribes one's feelings, desires, beliefs even action's onto another person, or a group. Check that shit _at_the_door.

[@FreeBrunoPowroznik]

Projection also entails discarding your negative feelings onto somebody else, not just ascribing them (eg looking down on somebody to throw/project your own unconscious feelings of inferiority onto them), but what has that got to do with this Zappa monsterpiece?

[@maartenlemmens8628]

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aynsley_Dunbar