Zappa and the Mothers of Invention - "Help, I'm a Rock/Transylvania Boogie" (live 10/20/68)

[@bwanna23]

Unless you were there, you don't know just how strange and beautiful this was at the time. Like a breath of fresh air.

[@extracrazyguy]

weed flavor air

[@MrWaterpumpkin]

@@extracrazyguy no weed in this man's band

[@seanbrennan5192]

@@MrWaterpumpkin but definitely in the audience 😅

[@KingKook]

Welp, I never left 🤡😎😵👻

[@johnreuter4916]

@@MrWaterpumpkin Of course it is well know that they only smoked High School Diplomas.

[@erosionhead420]

It’s late February in 2023. Someone is still digging on some Zappa 🥰😊

[@saltybildo9448]

Always here in Florida son 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@petermalfatti7064]

Guilty as charged...

[@simonrose9272]

There are many here among us.......

[@markbond6199]

Yep

[@bobxex]

F'n A!

[@solarwave]

Frank having another wonderful conversation with his guitar.

[@davidstowell6462]

Love this, thanks for posting. The original Mothers were always great. Nobody, NOBODY had a sound or an approach like they did. Liberty of expression, and always asking questions. Thank you Frank Zappa.

[@whispjohn]

I saw Frank Zappa and the mothers at a pop festival in 1970 on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, it was at Shepton Mallet showground and was the inspiration for the now famous Glastonbury Festival. They were a great live band, Sanatana played straight after them, what an afternoon. Zappa had Howard Kaylon and Mark Volman from the Turles in that band and they started the show with Happy Together.

[@kenfalloon3186]

I was there. I remember Frank saying ''Man its so cold up here''

[@brianfergus839]

Good stuff you guys 👍

[@jimmydean1689]

Flo & Eddy

[@greglawrencemusic]

@@jimmydean1689 "The Fluorescent Leech & Eddy" ;-)

[@bobbyjuju7442]

Lovely!

[@whiskeyriver4322]

I was way too young to get the original Mothers most of the time; although I was immediately struck by a sledgehammer when Frank stuck that lit cigarette into the headstock and took me for a ride to Oblivion...... I was hooked, even with the stuff I didn't get; I eventually would. The word gets thrown around quite often these days; but Frank was truly, the only genuine musical "genius" of the twentieth century. I was tremendously fortunate to grow up during his lifetime, and see him regularly on stage. Thank You Dweezil, for keeping Dad's music alive.

[@rjwh67220]

I bought Freak Out whoever it first came out. I haven’t been the same since.

[@kazheadrest3626]

Lol. Me too.

[@simonrose9272]

Hot Rats was my first. Also changed me for life

[@Franky5s]

Jazz ... Rock ... Classical ... Pop ... and some Rap too, one of my Zappa favorites.

[@wtecosky]

Bravo!!! I love the original Mothers. Shockingly good.

[@keithalan8720]

i love zappa .so raw .so elite. chaos and perfection bordering the lines of musical genious.

[@davidzimmerli489]

I saw Zappa and the original Mothers of Invention at the Garrick Theater in Greenwich Village, NYC in the Summer of 1966. This was before Zappa had made a name for himself. There must have been not more than 25 people in the small, narrow theater. At one point the band stopped playing, sat down on their amplifiers, and just stared at us. At another point they pelted us with grapes. It was the period when Zappa tried to move his audiences out of complacency and become engaged with what was going on in the world. At the time, the Viet Nam War was escalating.

[@jeffentin3428]

I saw them at the Garrick, too. I was not quite 15. Changed my life completely: ) They had a pimple squeezing contest that night! Now that's entertainment!

[@robertzemko6590]

Not sure if grapes played a role in the Vietnam war however I guess the band thought it was a good idea at the time. (lol)

[@dibensy59]

I never heard this before. It's excellent.

[@krominunna]

Big sound! Best version of Help, I'm a Rock so far.

[@helpimarock66]

My absolute favourite live version of Help I'm A Rock, Those chords that Zappa Jams on before transylvania boogie are so haunting!

[@bertkilborne6464]

Starting at around 2:50 it's like a deja-vu I'm gonna go insane if I don't remember where I've heard that before

[@teetosh]

This was the lineup with Lowell George on a red tele I saw at Fillmore East and when Frank bent over to plug in his wah pedal his butt crack was showing as his orange leatard pulled down. The NYC crowd let him have it. Opening the show was the unsigned Chicago Transit Authority with The Buddy Miles Express as the middle act with Jim McCarthy on Guitar who was late and missed half the set and never locked in.

[@jwardbass4452]

Both of these songs are among my favorite Zappa songs I never thought they'd be played in the same video!!!

[@statesofinertia]

Incredibly great! Really we recorded too. I'm in awe of these guys as musicians

[@garyturnbull9719]

Wonderful I’ve Frank Zappa and his bands so clean and inventive👏🏻👍

[@garyfunt836]

Gary Turnbull 1

[@opalbug969]

Frank Zappa and his Mothers are Beautiful

[@charcolew]

Help I'm a Rock is an epic statement about American culture

[@jensandersen7011]

Yep, The Christian Right.

[@seanbrennan5192]

Most modern culture in general, even today. “The mind is like a parachute, it doesn’t work unless it’s open.”-FZ

[@Wburasbrent]

@@jensandersen7011 One man’s closed mind is another’s enlightenment

[@miguelaplanas]

Absolutely gorgeous. The Eastern flavour of Transilvania Boogie comes out beautifully. Thank you, Frank!

[@KingKook]

Frank's playing improved sooOOoo quickly around this time, from constant gigs and fresh new concepts... Continually... 👹

[@knoxrembrandt]

DAs ist mein LIEBLINGSSTÜCK VON FRANK ZAPPA . Absolut Kult.

[@mitchell9110]

"They are all musicians!", Frank Zappa referring to the Mothers in the liner notes of "Freak Out".

[@danieljacob732]

Saw The Mothers a few months later in Montreal, August 17th 1969

[@johnfeliceCeprano]

BEST!!!! Thanks a lot for this classic!!!

[@luciobaldo8702]

Amo a Zappa

[@robertmoran]

Seriously intense! Varese would be proud. :)

[@monoped8437]

not really varese like, at all.

[@jogmas12]

Help! I love the classic lineup

[@vincentbearinger2242]

I used to have that album in the late 60s Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention freak out, don't get too high and try to listen to this album!

[@VoodooDangerbird]

Challenge Accepted

[@RafikCezanneTV]

This is epic. Thanks for posting!

[@pandanurse]

np!

[@bobxex]

People always LOVED or HATED these guys with nothing in between.

[@Iranianjunkie]

Last night I was listening to Dolores Cannon talk about the Root Races. This is an idea describing beings coming to earth and observing through all elemental forms, then into complex forms biologically, all the way to humans. This idea that we had to experience all these different forms leading up to the human experience. I think I finally understand what Zappa was talking about.

[@docbailey3265]

I FEEL IT, man.

[@terrymarshall5480]

What can I say.. genius

[@MrWaterpumpkin]

IMMENSIVELY, MONSTEROSLY BE AUTIVELY OUTSTANDING!

[@paulwhitfield429]

It’s a drag being a rock.

[@josephtravers777]

I'd rather be a policeman

[@bensteyn8420]

The best Zappa band of all times. And I love this kind of guitar solos. Endless with only some small effects & no technical overkill.

[@bobf9749]

Yeah, I like the clean guitar sound. Nowadays, it’s considered old-fashioned.

[@ChrisNotoProgman]

Love This !

[@flemmingdalsgaard3231]

"This is sort of like jazz in its own peculiar way..."

[@scottconnors8419]

isn't the Pict from the Miami pop festival?68-9? good board quality recording thanks love any early mother's..always listen to.your mother's kids.. great times....

[@scottconnors8419]

Interesting thnx,my old friend had picts from Miami pop fest w him n Zappa n Zappa sitting on fence giving him the finger,had a shoebox full picture s he took at that fest....like the 66-early 70' mother's change where they got Ray Collins back for brief time..great vocals for the band...

[@brunoghezzi4137]

L-R: Motorhead, Jim Black, Roy Estrada, Art Tripp, FZ, Billy Mundi, Ian Underwood, Bunk Gardner, Lowell George.

[@donaldronson1387]

Motorhead, Jimmy Carl, Roy, Artie, Frank, Don, Ian, Buzz, Bunk

[@michaelhansen7516]

Randomly sampled this song, next thing it new it was fading out with da-dum-da-da ... da-dum-da-da ...

[@rone714]

Art Tripp replaced Billy Mundi in December 1967. All 3 ( including JCB) never toured at the same time.

[@garyturnbull9719]

I,love Frank Zappa etc etc

[@seaoftranquility7228]

I was born a couple of days later. Coincidence? Yes.

[@danielrainville8094]

Perfect

[@jmitch623]

From their first album.

[@dukeplow]

I see that the guitar FZ is playing in this photo is up for sale.

[@jameskennedy721]

great photo -

[@Jlipnicki]

A favourite track on the first album, this is a good looser version. Like many very imaginative people he got a bit carried away later. I like the early stuff, some later, not the middle.

[@juanfilipwinifred]

Nothing beats the original mothers

[@arabianutopec]

really rock

[@RobHollanderMusic]

Thank you! Does anyone know if Frank did any film scores other than 200 Motels?

[@darwinblinks]

this is the theme for the anti-Facebook ad campaign where "nobody wanna rock"

[@exentr]

Two drummers. Is it Motorhead Sherwood? Looks like two Jimmy Carl Black but I guess it is Ian Underwood on tambourine. I don't know whether the line up on the photo is the one playing. edit: It is two Jimmy Carl Black and two Ian Underwood. Ian plays tambourine and saxophone. Jimmy plays drums and tambourine. I must say. Frank had some interesting line ups.

[@nadabrahmamedia731]

the drummers in this pic are jimmy carl black and art tripp… ian’s on sax; james “motorhead” sherwood’s on tambourine…

[@exentr]

@@nadabrahmamedia731 It's easy when the names are given. Ofcourse you're right. It's Art, Ian and Sherwood. Roy, Frank and Bunk

[@theitineranthistorian2024]

jamming l.a. style all over the world.

[@puckhockey4733]

My guess is that Frank was making a comment on "I am a Rock" by Simon and Garfunkel.

[@makucevich]

Good one! All these years and I never put that together.

[@danielburk2394]

Its about Elvis Presley. Thats what the " Help I'm a Cop" line is about. Elvis was a part time cop. Had the title anyway.

[@puckhockey4733]

@@danielburk2394 This was originally performed ca. 1966, probably not coincidentally the same year as "I am a Rock" was released and became popular. This was before Elvis had met with Nixon or any of that stuff, if that's what you're referring to. I would add that Frank famously disliked police after his problems with them while he was running Studio Z. If you were just making a funny, sorry I missed it :P

[@sneakerfacevids441]

I believe Lowell George On rhythm guitar

[@donaldronson1387]

Lowell joined just after they got back to LA from the European tour

[@akesignarsson6407]

From what record is this ?

[@4tuneagent]

The studio version of "Help, I'm A Rock" is from their first album, Freak Out, from 1966. "Transylvania Boogie" is from Chunga's Revenge LP. This is a Live Concert recording..

[@terrymarshall5480]

It's on freak out but not like this..this one is a masterpiece.

[@saltybildo9448]

RIP Frank

[@pommelhorsepommelhorse8731]

sounds like The Great Society

[@socalpal8416]

'...it's a drag being a rock' lol.

[@bwanna23]

Help, I'm a cop!

[@matthatter2849]

Is that Billy Mundi (far right?), Jimmy Carl Black, AND Art Tripp all on drums in that pic?

[@Vladrakul01]

Love this recording. Is it from a particular bootleg? If so...which one? Would dig hearing more of this show.

[@pandanurse]

10-20-68 in Amsterdam. Good quality, except for the last few songs. You can get it free and legally at zappateers.com

[@floydian1867]

+Ozark Soundscape How do you get stuff from that website ? I haven't used anything like it before.

[@pandanurse]

floydian1 Download bit torrent. It should be fairly easy to learn from then on

[@krominunna]

@@pandanurse I wish I could get there.

[@jetblackrecords5540]

A part of me since a Goat of cheese.

[@vinyldeptford919]

where was this recorded??? Please tell...

[@4tuneagent]

The guy who posted this said it's from Amsterdam, 1968.

[@bertilknudsen]

35 years before Prodigy?

[@istoeckler1]

FZ in Memorial unvergessen

[@danielfournier735]

I saw them live at northern mich university around 19777. Allot of crazy noise band. Not your typical rock and roll band. You kinda ! Wait ! For it ! But it never comes. Where's the talent ???

[@jamesschaidt1096]

Help... I'm in Iraq !!! 🤣🎼

[@ichirofakename]

noodle king

[@kb4446]

Heavy metal before heavy mental.

[@mp-pv8nd]

c'mon panda I'm trying to get tired in kvetmazoo,mi where's my beverage bub