Guitar Player Listens to Black Napkins for the First Time (Frank Zappa)

[@erolbulut2584]

"Too hard for Frank?" LOL

[@Matty88K]

Yeah, beer almost went up my nose!! The parts too hard for Frank!! FZ's much tastier than Vai.

[@DukeofPrunes11]

the synth sound is coming from the synth, seperate from the guitar. thats just how in sync his band was

[@timkaufhold6163]

63 albums of original music you just deeper your toe in the Frank Zappa pool enjoy the ride

[@talknrock9005]

I intend to thanks

[@Grithron2]

Oh dear, by prioritising live footage, you picked one of the weakest versions - there are so many better Napkins I could've directed you to. In fact, on another page I gave you the link to the "raw unedited" Osaka version (edited/remixed for the album track). May I suggest Sleep Dirt next (either the acoustic jam version, or the live one which montages it with Black Napkins)

[@zappafanseeker1099]

totally agree with you on Sleep dirt, and the napkins variations. I was at a number of soundchecks in 88 when Sleep napkins was evolving during Franks noodling time, and it still gives me goosebumps.

[@talknrock9005]

thanks alot for the feedback and thanks for giving the version you want to hear i'm never sure which versions are best

[@Peter-K]

@@talknrock9005 the version of this from 77 at the Palladium in NY is incredible, not that this wasn't. They may be both called Black Napkins, but the jam section is completely different, as all his live jams were improvised live and in the moment. Spontaneous composition can sound a bit sloppy, but considering he is making it up as he goes, it is quite impressive if you ask me.

[@arielriley7632]

instablaster...

[@ganazby]

I’m warming to your reactions. Frank was a unique entity. So much fun and joy in his music, with just a hint of melancholy. Keep going.

[@mhleadpastorscnc10]

Great video work, but, will add this. Keep watching and reacting to more Frank Zappa and you will see that he is every bit as skilled as Steve is and many of the other greatest. True musical genius.

[@talknrock9005]

thanks i intend to keep listening to Frank

[@mhleadpastorscnc10]

@@talknrock9005 awesome. Looking forward to enjoying with you.

[@erolbulut2584]

Frank told Steve that his guitar sounded like an 'electric ham sandwich'! LOL

[@andreasrosenberg9317]

genre is Zappa =)

[@garytitone853]

FYI - This was the first live show MTV aired. Yes back in the day when MTV played live music. Dig deep and check out the Frank Zappa Halloween 81' Box Set.... The genre is "Zappa"

[@zappafanseeker1099]

The two 81 shows were also filmed by an HBO crew. An intact version of the show can be found on the DVD "the torture never stops", and several chunks on "Dub room Special"

[@bernardsalvatore1929]

I was there brother!!

[@tomkitchen9457]

Best song 🎵

[@bernardsalvatore1929]

Okay I've just discovered this video and I'm watching it for the first time I'm about halfway through it and I realize that I was at this concert!!! In the late 70s I attended several of Frank Zappa's Halloween concert which he would hold at the Palladium Theater in New York City!! I was at this concert because my friend was taping it off of MTV and I'm actually shown in the crowd during one of the breaks!! Just for the host's information, there is nothing that Frank Zappa Played that is too hard for Frank Zappa to play!! Rest assured that Steve Vai was the student in this relationship!! As a matter of fact you can get the words straight from the horse's mouth there are several interviews on KZbin of Steve Vai speaking of how he met Frank Zappa for the first time and got into the band!!! There is nothing quite like a Frank Zappa Halloween concert!! REST IN PEACE, FRANK!!

[@albertb867]

RE: "maybe Steve Vai plays the stuff that's to hard for Frank" Give us a break. Check out >> Frank Zappa - Stevie's spanking (Featuring Steve Vai) Live duet version kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXvboIlrhJ17i7c OR > Steve Vai about Frank Zappa >> kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZmYmHaYZtmbb5I

[@DiscountDeity]

if you like Steve Vai, check out the video of him talking about his audition for Zappa.

[@peterbartolomeo956]

And how at Zulu Wars Frank played impossible guitar solos. Stevie said ..Ive never seen anyone play as Frank Zappa did

[@zappafanseeker1099]

I am glad to see young people doing reaction videos to FZ, and its always good for a lively comment section. The videos seem to follow a pattern of , 1) I can watch and catergorize this chunk o music on the fly..no problem. 2).this is like jazz, rock, blues, metal, punk, wait a minute...what is this? 3)WTF????? 4)finally if we (Zappa lifers) are lucky, comes the aha moment of realizing that it is all/none of the above, and what you get is a unique and magical musical adventure. This video at about 3:40 has a glimmer of the aha that I truly hope sinks in for the reviewer. My aha moment came some 50 years ago, when all I had to work with was Freakout, Money, and lumpy Gravy. Following down the FZ rabbithole turned into a black hole of neverending amazement that has shown no signs of slowing down after 50 years for me. It's a way of life...just get on the Bus. Music is the Best.

[@talknrock9005]

Yes that makes since 🤔👍🙂

[@ewoe21]

I miss Frank.

[@GoodCorporateRobot]

"Maybe Stevie plays the hard parts that Frank can't play"... If you really did your homework on Frank Zappa you never would have made that statement.

[@tunnelamende6214]

Steve Vai was hired to play complicated stuff that Frank composed but couldn't play himself. Steve could play "The Black Page", Frank couldn't. So maybe you should do your homework? ;)

[@ronaldhascher1412]

Frank could play it, he just did not want to, if you knew anything about the Mothers of Invention.

[@tunnelamende6214]

@@ronaldhascher1412 I still disagree. I have been a Zappa fan for 27 years and I know my stuff. („I’m not a virtuoso guitar player. A virtuoso can play anything, and I can’t“, Ochigrosso 1989, S. 179)

[@huntermushero9362]

My favorite version was the one he did one the Michael Douglass show. It’s a lot clearer and Frank’s guitar tone is sweet. Also it is just Zappa playing.

[@noname1st139]

I urge anyone who likes Vai, Zappa to watch the baby snakes movie, for live concert footage it's the pinnacle, Adrian bellew, Terry bozzio

[@leddygee1896]

Frank Zappa, King of deadpan...

[@jeffmartin1026]

Keep in mind that Frank's genre covers Do-Wop, Blues, Rock, Classical, and Jazz often thrown into a blender with cheesy sci-fi, social and political commentary, sex, humor and a thread of Dadaism. His inspiration was Edgar Varese, a classical composer you should give a listen to to help frame Franks music. His early musicianship was playing drums which gives an interesting approach to playing guitar. I have been a Zappa fan since his first LP back in the 60's and I suggest giving a few of his earlier songs a listen to: Brown Shoes Don't Make It and America Drinks and Goes Home are interesting songs. For his instrumental works Peaches In Regalia, Sofa #1 and Sofa #2, Heavy Duty Judy and his (IMHO) finest, Watermelon In Easter Hay are all great listens. His LP We're Only In It For The Money played straight thru will give you the full spectrum of what he is about.

[@talknrock9005]

Sweet thanks for all the recommendations 👍

[@dennisrohm6372]

Frank called Steve, his stunt guitarest

[@talknrock9005]

that is the perfect name for Vai

[@pipco121234]

Watch ‘Stevies Spanking’ and the genre is FZ {- .That’s Chad Wackerman on drums who was one of 40 drummers who auditioned and had played for no one of note before Zappa replacing an ‘A’ list of drummers, Ainsley Dunbar, Terry Bozzio, Vinnie Coliuta, you also need to watch ‘The Black Page’ 1 & 2 ( named because it’s black with notes) by either FZ or Dweezil... Steve Via was Frank’s transcriber at 18 till he was old enough to join the band kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZmYmHaYZtmbb5I

[@benmurphy7654]

I wouldn't even call it jazz blues. Frank was his own sound that drew from about every style known to man. He did bluesy stuff sometimes, but a lot of what you're calling blues I'm not understanding. The rhythms are more complex than any blues I've ever heard and the harmony doesnt sound like jazz or blues that often. It's also too aggressive a lot of times to be either and would be considered progressive rock. Sometimes he gets into fusion jazz, but thats just jazz mixed with everything else basically. He was not sloppy, his knowledge of fucked up rhythms was just fucking with your head. He liked to break things up into absurdly hard to count rhythms. He would hire the best in the world and come up with ideas that would make them have to work really hard to keep up. There is some stuff that is going on that he is making sound natural that would blow your mind if you tried to learn it note for note off of some sheet music. It's hard to fathom for a lot of people, but shred is usually more physical and less mental than some of the more difficult music that came before it. That is what made Steve so good. He can do both with command. That said he isn't as good of an improviser as Frank was and when it comes to composing it's no contest. I think like most younger musicians you'd benefit from getting a more thorough understanding of these older styles and what makes them what they are. I feel like most have trouble telling almost all of the classic styles apart.

[@timoj24]

Believe it or not almost All of frank’s albums were live with fantastic engineering... you’ll have to listen to more of frank simply put and learn about PROJECT OBJECT. You cannot compare him to anyone, he is completely original.

[@mickraubenheimer2544]

Maybe comment more After the solo, instead of constantly speaking over it yeah?

[@DukeofPrunes11]

gotta listen to muffin man next

[@talknrock9005]

ill check it out

[@DukeofPrunes11]

or inca roads if you really want to understand why zappa is his own genre

[@talknrock9005]

thanks ill look into it

[@stevious7278]

"Too hard for Frank"? Ha Ha Ha... Young man you have no idea.

[@jamesnorrisbarrett8927]

the stuff that's too hard for frank? really? it doesn't exist

[@twocosmic2982]

You seriously didn't say to hard for frank??

[@monabonejakon2797]

blasphemy

[@becuzitsthere4484]

It appears this Reaction thing may be too hard for you.

[@richardkafka5625]

"Too hard for Frank?" I don't think so!

[@waynewilliams4795]

An absolut nobody has the temerity to comment on FZ!

[@ronaldhascher1412]

You just shedded the h out o' one of the greatest muzicians that ever lived, youngin' ! A man who wrote more muzak' in his short life, then you may ever dream of. . . Do your homework affore You o' h f id' anywho ?

[@ronaldhascher1412]

Zappa was from Juliard school of music and was a conductor. He could play any insrument in the band, including bicycle spokes. COMEDY ROCK.

[@zappafanseeker1099]

Frank was NOT from Juliard. (Ruth Underwood was tho. Robert Martin was from Curtis in Philly, and numerous band members were through Berklee in Boston ). Frank was from the library. He was a composer, and could WRITE for any instrument in the band or orchestra, but there were many that he could not play...thats why he had the band, so he could hear what he wrote sounded like. I would say that the way he conducted was essentially using the band as an instrument, as opposed to a more conventional timekeeper.

[@ronaldhascher1412]

Anyone who sez' Mothers of Invention is PRETTY GOOD ? Jus' don' giddit' yet.

[@georgekrats2573]

man you guys always pick the worse versions.Why?

[@talknrock9005]

when you request a song leave what version you want so i know

[@peterbartolomeo956]

Stevie Via is only a student. Frank Zappa is the Grandmaster. If Stevie lived 1000 years he couldnt play as well as Frank Zappa......you are young ....go fetch the guitar solos of Frank Zappa from the 60s and early 70s. He has NO EQUAL. NONE. NOT HENDRIX NOT STEVIE RAY NOT ERIC CLAPTON NOT DUANE ALLMAN ....NONE. ONLY JEFF BECK AND JIMMY PAGE STAND A CHANCE TO REACH ZAPPA LEVEL.