Frank Zappa - St Etienne - 1982

Frank Zappa - "St Etienne", France - 1982
Extrait de "Video From Hell" de 1986.
"St Etienne" est le second solo du titre "Drowning Witch" de l'album "Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch" joué le 28 mai 1982 au Palais des Sports de Saint-Étienne.
Zappa remporta pour cet album un Grammy Award en 1988, dans la catégorie Meilleure Performance instrumentale de rock (Best Rock Instrumental Performance, en anglais)
Une chose assez étonnante est que cet album reçut un sticker "Parental Advisory" bien que l'album soit entièrement instrumental. Ceci est du au combat mené par Frank Zappa contre le Parental Music Resource Center (PMRC), qui a instauré ce sticker.
Zappa Humor Inside : "Exotic French Sidewalk Entertainment inserted here for diversion while we re-synchronize original VHS footage to The Digital Audio Master"
Shot with a Hitachi home
video camera,
by Thomas Nordegg
during the concert in
St. Etienne, France
May, 1982.
• Tech guru, Thomas Nord...
Thomas Nordegg was Frank Zappa's guitar tech back in the day. Later, he became guitar tech for his son, Dweezil Zappa, and for former guitarist in Frank Zappa's band; Steve Vai! Thomas Nordegg has quite an impressive effects setup, including lots of TC Electronic gear, and a bunch of rather unusual guitars that can pull off some amazing tricks !

[@IbanezFan550]

I have transcribed and learned this solo... the fact that it was improvised is absolutely mind blowing. Genuinely. The phrasing and timing are remarkable, as is the completely unique style. There are no rock cliches or standard licks thrown in, it is sublimely musical and inventive for the entire six and a half minutes. Frank was a monster player!

[@hafidimloul640]

YES FRANK IS A FREAK'IN KILLING GUITAR ' PLAYER .HAFID 5:25

[@stugerson4838]

@IbanezFan550....ls your real name Steve Vai ?

[@peipy44]

You are so right about the phrasing, really unique and totally distinctive.

[@danmartinazzi]

true! Nobody come close

[@andyhampsten4252]

Well said. This is why Frank is number 1 ... and no one comes close.

[@Wizuu0274]

Really can't look past Wackerman's playing here. It's like he and Frank are one and the same mind.

[@BreezyandtheBlazers-vd3xw]

My favorite guitar solo of all time

[@jeffbrett7849]

One of the most beautiful guitar pieces ever....sublime

[@Syd4510]

The greatest improvising soloist of all time, I reckon!

[@yoddeb]

This clip will blow people away a couple of centuries from now.

[@bigbananadealer846]

this shit is so fucking clean, dude is a fucking mastermind. seriously how the fuck did he do that

[@bodhisattva71]

*Truly a guitarist of the 4th dimension.*

[@TonyDC10.3]

One of the most if not the most beautiful pieces I’ve ever heard. I’ve heard so much but this is another level no one has reached.

[@andrewmoser5539]

Not only is this one of Frank's best performances, but we can see him get nervous at 3:15, and he breaks a string in the fade out at the end. What a fucking monster... Frank had been touring every year for a decade by this point (1972 to 1982), and like many OG rock performers, his playing got better with the more time he spent on the road. By 1982, Frank was fucking SCARY on the guitar, and this video is evidence of that fact.

[@seanbrennan5192]

I don’t care, this is the best guitar solo by any human as far as I’m concerned

[@tagaudi]

dear sean. There are so many 'the best guitar solos' from where this one came

[@frankfertier34]

@@tagaudi I am a very long time Zappa geek ("66) and I must admit this solo has a very unique meditative flavour, on par with some Holdsworthian gems (The 4.15 Bradford executive) kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2rZZ5ycmZyqoM0

[@seanbrennan5192]

@@frankfertier34 Thanks for the link! Holdsworth was one of the greats. Zappa respected him greatly, been getting into him a bit. I’ll add this one to my playlists

[@esjope]

You are not wrong. Zappa has played most of the all time best guitar solos in the history of the humanity.

[@esjope]

This is just so amazing solo. Too magnificent for us, regular people.

[@yoddeb]

He sits there pretty calmly considering what is going on, i.e striking gold every few seconds. Fucking incredible improvisation. Thank you Frank!!

[@urbanbader4113]

This gotta be played at my funeral Amen 🇨🇭

[@johnharpdalton4092]

Frank struck gold that night and uncovered an untouched seam.... one that no-one else has found since.

[@tagaudi]

He worked a lot on this solo before and after he performed in Saint E

[@jimpalmer792]

It just does not get any better than this. [Except perhaps for Ancient Armaments .....]. Miss you Frank.

[@jimpalmer792]

Two Words: Goose Bumps !

[@TimPrendergast]

this performance is why i wanted to learn to play guitar... it's pure meditation.

[@xwarx1000]

Best , bravest and the most adventurous musician ever. RIP FZ.

[@aks03755]

Perhaps one of the greatest guitar solos of ALL time. The part between 2:42 and 3:18 simply rips your heart out.

[@zachshuler1143]

aks03755 sounds similar to sinister footwear

[@aks03755]

zach shuler Haha... funny to rediscover this comment of mine and your response 6 years after I originally posted! The last 5 digits are just my zip code. The first three letters, well...

[@Alix777.]

Genius underrated guitarist

[@moi3557]

The whole lot rips mine out!

[@urbanbader4113]

Yep 💯👍🏽

[@antonellaritamontanari399]

Wow wow wow that is a masterpiece 😮

[@marsharupe8112]

This just blows me away. Frank was such a stunning guitarist.

[@jean-francoisgleyze]

magnifique merci Frank jf Gleyze

[@hafidimloul640]

Merci pour le MAÎTRE INCONTESTÉ ET DÉFINITIVEMENT INCONTESTABLE, ET MERCI PUISSANCE 10 A TON COMMENTAIRE "J.P.G "

[@seanbrennan5192]

He just kept getting better and better, never slowed down. Not until the cancer got him. RIP frank, you were a master of your craft.

[@urbanbader4113]

Phenomenal out of space world's most underrated guitar master ever. Okay 🤗 his ego might have been a little less whatever I never forget you. Francis Vincent you made my life so much wiser 👍🏽💯🏴‍☠️

[@SKoradov]

Nobody else can play lake Frank. Genius!

[@Mumon010]

A truly creative individual.

[@gillesnoennec1968]

He is the man,that 's all !

[@alex222pak]

"I don't do drugs, I am drugs" -Frank Zappa

[@alex222pak]

@Jeff Sylvester No, I think Dali stole it from Zappa!

[@p.b.palaciosalmafuerte3463]

@@alex222pak jaja, so true.

[@pipeandslippersman]

i think ol' frankie would have been a teeny bit pissed off about that quote being attributed to him. any half arsed internet search will throw up a dozen examples of how anti-drug he was. although, if certain people want to lump coffee and cigarettes into the mix - the man was a fucking junkie...

[@tagaudi]

"Sometimes people ask me: "Tell us, Frank. No, really, tell us, Frank: WHAT ARE YOU ON?" And then I tell them: 'I'm on duty!'"

[@bikingfencer]

😄

[@gillesnoennec1968]

Zappa is a man who really loves music,that's why he's a genius. Thanks for all.

[@ViveLeQuebecLibreTabarnak]

how autistic are you?

[@FrankBurnham]

​@user-yp2mw2ko9kYES!!!! YES!!!! DEAR GOD YES!!! patterns, art, create!

[@FrankBurnham]

Einstein played the Violen, not sure about Tesla.

[@urbanbader4113]

Partially as everything even you like doesn't mean you are good in 🎉

[@gillesnoennec1968]

En français c'est plus facile.quand je dis qu'il aime la musique c'est que ses morceaux sont tous écrits note à note sur partitions pour les musiciens.il n' y a pas ou peu d' improvisation.vous imaginez le boulot ? il a réalisé son rêve avec l'orchestre symphonique de Londres

[@GuidoKGroup]

This guitar solo (from the "Ship arriving too late ....." tune) is divine. Unbelievable. You can learn so much from it. It stirs me to tears. Zappa rules !!!!

[@urbanbader4113]

I have tears now too RIP

[@davidaldridge9341]

Simply the most awe-inspiring guitar solo of all time...

[@FreeBrunoPowroznik]

This solo is so exquisite, it even makes the magic guy worth watching!!!

[@Claudio-e8s]

Non conoscevo Frank Zappa, ma dopo aver ascoltato, per puro caso, Camarillo Brillo, sito nell'album Over-Nite Dentation, mi innamorai, musicalmente parlando, di Lui, e, di conseguenza, divernni uno dei suoi fans più sfegatati. R.I.P. Frank "Genius" Vincent Zappa. E grazie per avermi fatto conoscere la Tua genialità musicale. ❤

[@sephiroth3082]

5:38 is insane

[@sound-ur1bq]

and the sound ! the sound he got was killing

[@bikingfencer]

The Zappa revolution in performance was his ability to produce studio quality sound in live concerts.

[@holtstertag1977]

I can listen to this everyday and never get bored, as with most of his solos but this one is truly special!

[@urbanbader4113]

A unique personality possessed by bringing his genius music 👍🏽💪 I'm enjoying it up since 45 year's Amen

[@jefffelderman2409]

R.I.P. to my favorite musician and biggest guitar inspiration, who departed this world 24 years ago. This solo, like so many others he played, is a masterpiece composition created totally "in the moment." His level of genius is unparalleled.

[@urbanbader4113]

His tyrao too

[@OmnesiaBand]

Absolute genius of the highest order. Ineffable.

[@NickHolum]

My favorite Frank solo I think. Can't look past Wackerman's playing here either. He and Frank are locked in esp.

[@NickHolum]

@@DWHarper62 idk id say aside from Vinnie and maybe Humphries , Chad is as complimentary to Zappa as anyone else

[@NickHolum]

@@DWHarper62 idk, as a drummer… both Bozzio and Chester are two of my all time favorites… but those were different bands with different members, chosen for different musical directions. So if you want some bullshit internet debate where you make a fallacious and subjective statement and say “prove me wrong” then you can gfy. If you want to listen to a drummer who has a full catalogue of clicking with all time great guitar players (Holdsworth, Zappa, etc) there plenty of records to choose from. There’s even a specific double album by Frank called “Guitar” which features Chad on virtually every song… including this one. Or you can go to the first track from TBBYNHIYL… Heavy Duty Judy… the connection with Frank is immediate from the first notes of the concert. Chad is an absolute monster.

[@NickHolum]

@@DWHarper62 doh'k Steven Crowder dbag ... I even said Vinnie is best, but you're too interested in dumb internet debates

[@NickHolum]

@@DWHarper62I’m probably not gonna lose any sleep tonight over being called an asshole by the guy who went all Steven Crowder on me.

[@NickHolum]

@DWHarper62 Correct, you came into my comments with your Steven Crowder BS pushing your dumb opinion that nobody is interested in hearing about… so yes, gfy.

[@peipy44]

MAGNIFICENT

[@RollingStoneZzzzz]

I'm glad in 71 and later I got to see Frank and Flo and Eddy. Not one note is improvised. A real virtuoso! Das 😎 all!

[@jonplaysbass33]

This music heals my soul... Thanks from a big fz fan from Argentina ...

[@lastdaysguitar]

Frank LOVED phrygian

[@seanbrennan5192]

It’s mixolydian. And Frank did love his mixolydian

[@lastdaysguitar]

@@seanbrennan5192 He played in Phrygian as well. Geez, why do musicians feel they have to one up each other? I'm not talking about just this one song!

[@seanbrennan5192]

@@lastdaysguitar Yeah he uses Phrygian as well. His bread and butter is definitely mixolydian though, I brought this song to my guitar teacher. It’s the only reason I know what mode it’s in lol. He uses Phrygian in Transylvania boogie, and he might actually use it in the first guitar solo of drowning witch. I’m not actually too sure judging by the sound

[@st939]

Simply THE BEST, no comparison.

[@gregoryg3256]

🌠 Wowie Zowie...Zappa eee...

[@danmartinazzi]

No time no space here, pure art!!!

[@KanuuDeTako]

I'm happy to watch a live video of Drowning Witch. It's one of the best songs of Zappa.

[@ArtMuzak]

Totally agree

[@bernhardsart]

Pure Genius!!!!

[@myriadplanes]

Absolute bliss, what an amazing sound. Zappa is the highest. Pure joy

[@27solonsoho]

Musical genius

[@invernomuto00]

best ever improvisation period.

[@SeiStatoTu]

Only for outer listeners, Very Franky. Thank You

[@joaocarlosfavaro9789]

he can't be beat he can't be beat he can't be beat he can't be beat

[@runrunrun6777]

Best guitar solo ever.

[@alaingogniat7133]

RIP-genius Frank Zappa

[@fuegoranou9705]

miss you Frank, still lovin you , irène from France

[@pequeuxdarleux1480]

masterpiece

[@alaingogniat7133]

...this must be the best Guitar Solo ever ❤

[@davethecaveman]

best solo EVER

[@moccagriselda]

Could have been outdone only by himself.

[@ICA17887]

Zappa Genius.

[@fuegoranou9705]

extraordinaire, thanks from france

[@laurentfraisse7300]

Présent le vendredi 28 mai 1982, mon premier concert de Zappa.

[@seanbrennan5192]

Lucky bastard! I was negative 14 years old…

[@OldGuysWhoLikeOldComics]

Thank you, Thomas, for shooting this extraordinary footage.

[@rohanroll]

THAT HELL OF A TONE HE HAD... ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@alaingogniat7133]

Nobody can reach he's dimensions 😊

[@lostinthiswhirlpool]

Correction : L'album pour lequel Frank Zappa eut un Grammy Award en 1988 n'est pas "Ship arriving too late to save a drowning witch", mais l'album "Jazz from hell", album qui contient ce solo...

[@zey7974]

euphoric. just amazing..

[@大深堀]

ザッパの🎉🎉🎉😂😂😂❤❤❤ギターワーク凄くいいですねー。大好きな作品です。🎉

[@jejzap1334]

I saw him 3 days after in Bordeaux - each time I see this video it remember me this epoque - thank you

[@zolarczakl3880]

Today is 24 A.Z. RIP, Uncle Frank. Instant compositions every night. Solos could be ugly and dangerous or full of feeling, like this example.

[@lautrichpirr7861]

fantastisch

[@CarloFromaggio]

Excellent job!!!! ¡VIVA TOM FOWLER!

[@propellerkuh3230]

I see his paintings here, but more poetically. Eternal solo!

[@ЭмильАгаев-е4х]

PHANTASTIC!!!1!!

[@swamisMotelBand1]

Thank you Poitique

[@bancosolo]

wow just perfect deep wow

[@pascaloprandi4053]

un grand monsieur ce zappa

[@unkleskratch]

this live version is on the Jazz From Hell album- yes, its that clean.

[@michelmuller7270]

fantastique musicien..

[@feuquegougueul1592]

I really like it, but miss tthis concert at 100 miles from my home!

[@trestabernae7250]

Que c'est bon.... Merci Frank

[@fuegoranou9705]

miss you Frank, lov you forever, irène from france

[@FuzzbeeMorse]

Gorgeousness!

[@zolarczakl3880]

Charlie Manson's doppelganger as a street performer in Paris.

[@aliensporebomb]

I had no idea footage of this solo existed at all. Amazing.

[@fuegoranou9705]

miss you Frank irène from france

[@anothervinnie7413]

A moi aussi...Vincent

[@fuegoranou9705]

oh Frank miss you

[@GuidoKGroup]

Perhaps one of Zappa's best guitar solos, ever. Zappa rules. #TheGuidoKGroup

[@gillesnoennec1968]

Eigthy-two, i was too young, regrets.

[@fuegoranou9705]

miss u

[@jeffmold9058]

Phantasticuss fantastico!

[@charlysstore]

Excellent. Thanks for sharing and kindly regards from Deutschland

[@berthetolivier290]

I was there !

[@tomasclasson]

Fantastic solo. Reminds me of a solo on "The torture never stops", at least in the beginning.

[@periurban]

All you shredders - do this instead. (Bet you can't.)

[@PaulRoseGuitar]

Amen...

[@auguston1991]

they can´t they suck dick

[@fuegoranou9705]

viva Zappa, miss you, irène from france

[@strav1231]

Just fucking wow! Thanks for this wonderful post - and thanks Thomas for sharing the filming....

[@MikkelGrumBovin]

O M G `! i - WE, miss Frank SO much,- 😭

[@todoeSSonido]

En el minuto 5:10 en adelante se relaciona con el solo de "Yo Mama", que buena música...gracias Frank!

[@steveclarke12]

Stunning!

[@teamuncle]

Live Frank..........Astounding.