Frank Zappa Showcase

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 7 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #6,374 in Music, #169,181 overall

Frank Vincent Zappa

A composer is a guy who goes around forcing his will on unsuspecting air molecules, often with the assistance of unsuspecting musicians. ~ Frank Zappa

I have been a huge FZ fan for years. He has a whole shelf to himself in my CD and album collection. He was a guitarist, songwriter, composer, band-leader, film producer with a prolific output but little commercial success. He covered musical genres from rock, jazz, doo-wop, electronic, experimental and classical among others.

There will be a little bit of everything here: music videos, lots of concert footage, cover tunes, interviews, tv and documentaries. Some of them are rather lengthy but Zappa did a lot more than the standard 3-minute radio format stuff. So bookmark this page because you're going to be coming back again and again.

CAUTION: Please be aware that there may be the occasional objectionable lyric.

"Popular" FZ Tracks 

Let's start out with some Zappa tunes that you may have heard before. Frank didn't have a lot of commercial success, but several songs, phrases, and musical concepts have become part of our lexicon and seeped into the social fabric.

**Notes For This Module**
There were not actual videos for "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow" and "Valley Girl" so I chose the ones with the best audio so you can enjoy the song.

"Valley Girl", recorded with his daughter Moon Unit, was Frank's only single that made it onto the charts.

Dancing fool Zappa 1 point

Dont eat that yellow snow 1 point

Frank Zappa - Montana - Stockholm 73 1 point

Valley Girl by Frank and Moon Zappa 1 point

Frank Zappa Stinkfoot 0 points

Frank Zappa Albums 

On Amazon.com

The albums containing the songs in the above module are available on amazon.com.

Sheik Yerbouti

Contains Dancin'Fool. Originally released Mar, 1979

Amazon Price: $10.99 (as of 12/30/2009) Buy Now

Apostrophe (')

Contains Montana. Originally released Sep, 1973

Amazon Price: $10.99 (as of 12/30/2009) Buy Now

Over-Nite Sensation

Contains Don't Eat The Yellow Snow and i>. Originally released Mar, 1974

Amazon Price: $10.99 (as of 12/30/2009) Buy Now

Shipping Arrive To

Contains Valley Girl. Originally released May, 1982

Amazon Price: $11.98 (as of 12/30/2009) Buy Now

A Personal Favorite 

One of my favorite Frank Zappa songs.

Frank Zappa - Watermelon in Easter Hay 0 points

Watermelon In Easter Hay 

On Amazon.com

Here are albums available on Amazon.com containing Watermelon In Easter Hay.

Joe's Garage: Acts I, II & III

Amazon Price: (as of 12/30/2009) Buy Now

Guitar (2 Cd)

Amazon Price: $16.99 (as of 12/30/2009) Buy Now

Streaming Zappa 

Concert Vault at Wolfgangsvault.com

Early Zappa 

Frank Zappa - King Kong (BBC records 1968) 1 point

zappa 1970, 71 france pt1 1 point

Frank Zappa - oct 68, TV Paris 1/2 parts 0 points

The Mothers of Invention Frank Zappa 0 points

Frank Zappa Biography 

And Autobiography

Real Frank Zappa Book

Determined to write a book that had " real stuff in it," the outspoken Zappa, one of the most inventive and controversial artists of the past 20 years, is frank, often disgusting, and always entertaining...

Amazon Price: $10.80 (as of 12/30/2009) Buy Now

Mother! The Frank Zappa Story

Amazon Price: (as of 12/30/2009) Buy Now

Electric Don Quixote: The Definitive Story Of Frank Zappa

Music historian Neil Slaven has brilliantly chronicled the complex strands of Zappa's life and work in a book that will please not just Zappa fans but anyone interested in the history of rock music.

Amazon Price: (as of 12/30/2009) Buy Now

Zappa: A Biography

Ten years after his death, Frank Zappa can be better appreciated than during the mercurial composer and performer's life, and Miles' attempt to do so is the most comprehensive biography to date.

Amazon Price: $10.88 (as of 12/30/2009) Buy Now

Frank Zappa: In His Own Words (In Their Own Words Ser)

Amazon Price: (as of 12/30/2009) Buy Now

Zappa Interviews, TV Shows, Documentaries... 


Frank Zappa interview 1974

Runtime: 532
220793 views
344 Comments:


Norman Gunston Frank Zappa Interview

Runtime: 240
6811 views
27 Comments:


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Frank Zappa - The Mike Douglas Show (1 of 2)

Runtime: 443
661200 views
854 Comments:


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Mike Nesmith and Frank Zappa on "The Monkees"

Runtime: 179
403874 views
448 Comments:


Frank Zappa on politics

Runtime: 267
4912 views
18 Comments:

curated content from YouTube

YCDTOSA 

You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore

This is the six installments of FZ's mammoth live retrospective, proving he could do anything on stage and did. Each set contains over 2 hours of music on 2 CDs; all performances are previously unreleased. Zappa intentionally didn't organize the material chronologically, pointing out in the liner notes, "The performance of any band from any year can be (and often is) edited to the performance of any other band from any other year, sometimes in the middle of a song." Indeed, some of the after-the-fact musical segues (everything runs continuously) are no less ingenious than the playing.

Zappa Covers 

Frank occasionally played other people's songs and music. He always added his own unique touch.

I'm the walrus Frank Zappa 1 point

Frank Zappa - Stairway To Heaven - Cleveland 3/5/88 1 point

Frank Zappa - Whippin' Post 0 points

Frank Zappa "Bolero" 5/17/88 0 points

Frank Zappa Items To Bid For 

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Original Clips, Trailers, Promos and Videos 

200 MOTELS 0 points

Frank Zappa - Roxy Trailer 0 points

Frank Zappa Apostrophe (') album promo 0 points

Baby Snakes Trailer 0 points

Frank Zappa / Amazing Mr. Bickford "Dupree's Paradise" 0 points

FZ Before The Senate Commerce Committee 

Against The PMRC

I've posted part 1 here. You can go to YouTube.com to watch
part 2, part 3 and part 4.

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curated content from YouTube

More Great Zappa Video 

Here's a few more videos from YouTube.com of some great Frank Zappa music.

Zoot Allures & Trouble Every Day 0 points

Frank Zappa - Inca Roads 0 points

Frank Zappa -Black Napkins, Lie So Big 0 points

Frank Zappa - G-Spot Tornado 0 points

Frank Zappa-Cosmic Debris 0 points

FZ Showcase Guestbook 

Please leave your comments about this lens here. Comments, criticisms, your Zappa stories, etc. If you have a request for a video you would like to see here, let me know and I'll do my best to find it.

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by BigJim

They call me Big Jim. I am a lensmaster, the founder of the Squidoo City Guide, a musician and much more. Thanks for looking at my lenses.




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