Mission Statement: to do very little, for very few, for not very long. Disappointing the easily pleased since 1819. Not as good as it used to be from Day One. History is Bunk - PT Barnum. Artificially Intelligent before it was fashionable. Fat camp for the mind! Nothing lasts, but nothing is lost. The Shock of the Old! Often bettered, never imitated.
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Zappa Recovered Dept.
Wotta guy. Wotta guy. Wotta guy.
Zappa's late 'seventies tri-ology, intended to comprise in part or whole the aborted multi-disc set Lather, was issued as three spiffy standalone albums in disappointing sleeves. There's nothing wrong with Gary Panter's primitive technique, but it's an ill fit for Zappa's music. Cal Schenkel's genius artwork for that early and perfect run of albums was was considered, composed, and always on the money. Panter's punk graphics are immediate, raw (SWIDT), and oddly dislikeable. So I spent some happy hours - nearly three - coming up with replacements I prefer. I've given them a series look and copied a certain photo library's watermark style, as a kind of barely amusing in-joke. One of the images is a composite - guess which! Or not!
You probably already have the albums in some form, but if you don't, ax in a comment!
Fascist Theocracy?He got that right. And he was right about it starting with Reagan. Zappa would have been righteously appalled at America's supine embrace of the New Order, the feebleness of its resistance at every level. For fuck's sake, America. It's not like you couldn't see it coming, not like you weren't told.
This post sponsored in part by Al Banian's Bunion Buster - available wherever footcare products are sold! (Butane not included)
That's a brave stance, Mister Anonymous Internet Opinion Holder!
You might have noticed, if you'd thought about it for a minute or so before stabbing at your keyboard, that I didn't refer to the number of Americans that didn't vote for Trump. Nor the ninety million eligible voters who didn't vote at all, who would have been on the sharp end of his anger, and represent the largest voter demographic by far. Nor did I mention "Trump or Harris", which is no longer a useful argument.
I used the word America, which is a country. A country that has basically failed to live up to its own globally-advertised and often enforced ideals, a country that sat on its fat butt (about a quarter of the US population is obese) while the New Order rolled in.
The USA absolutely ruled and owned twentieth century culture. All the art forms. I've always loved US pop culture, right up to the point where it stopped being the twentieth century. Not just the US, but all Western culture started feeding off itself, spiraling into recursion, repetition, diminishing returns.
This isn't a sour "everything has turned to shit and it was so much better in my day" thing. I'm genuinely saddened by the fall of the USA (even though what it fell from wasn't that stainlessly great anyway), because, in my lifetime, America was something to look up to, genuinely aspirational in a way my own country wasn't. An idealistic delusion in a way, but at least there was an ideal, and voices that spoke up for it. Where are those voices now?
Those voices were quieted, my dear Farq. Not by muscle, but by the vast indifference of the overwhelming multitudes, who never understood that once you sit down to dinner at a table full of Nazis, you become a Nazi.
Mr. Zappa viewed the majority of women as secretaries or mattresses. Just ask Moon, she knows. That doesn't take away his artistic accomplishments, or negate his belief in the power of educating yourself and voting for the greater good.
Attempting to attack Harris is pointless. Polemics is not a 'many splendoured thing'. She was a mere Vice President and wasn't really a dangerous entity but the same might not be said of Vance who seems to be yet another Trump puppy who seems intent on turning many of the governments of Europe against America. Another thing that America and Trump might not see coming is if Trump escalates and promotes further this suspicion around town that Trump is a treacherous pro- Russia/ Soviet? clown, which would be a first in US presidential history. I feel that if Trump isn't removed, one way or another, America could find itself isolated at an ambassadorial level, especially with all this crap about taking over foreign soil. Americans who voted Trump in SHOULD have seen it coming, the rest of us did.
imagine me in a tweedy coat with those patches and holding a pipe: "America is a hemisphere."
And anyone who wants to play the Harris is appalling bit ain't paying attention. Ask the folx in Dearborn. Ask the folx in the Valley here in Texas whose kids are telling me they didn't think Trump meant them. FFS, ask the idiot cotton grower I talked with at the grocery store the other day (we were discussing the price of eggs) who is trying to figure out who's lit-er-al-ly gonna pick his cotton. I was appalled by Harris and I voted for her; Zappa woulda too. There's a bout a hair's width of difference between these two parties on a good day, but in that hair's width are a whole bunch of living, breathing human beings whose lives are being destroyed, consciously and intentionally, by they TechBreauxOligarchs(tm), Trusk(c), and their minions.
If only I had one of those coats(r) and a pipe(tm), I could be a real professor(c), huh?
And here's the only relevant Harris in this context: Thana Harris, whose extraordinary vocals for Sleep Dirt got overdubbed then underdubbed, presented here as a FoamExclusive™ extended play. Anyone used to the all-instrumental version may appreciate her amazing voice better out of context. Lyrics are up to par, too!
Don "Sugarcane" Harris, of Don & Dewey fame, surely merits a mention in this context, if only for "Farmer John"--love that one. Bonus points because Isle fav It's a Beautiful Day had an instrumental called "Don and Dewey." Props to Peppermint Harris too?
Let's not be 1980's any more. Fine, I listen to seventies eighties music. But politically we are not there. Russia is no longer a communist thread. It is an example of how to get your country fellow men in line. And a state that dictates a narrative is a dictatorship. Remember where dictators came from. In Greece dictators were chosen out of a group of men to have power for a certain period of time. And it did not work. USA is doing it, Russia and China, Hungary and Turkye, Saoudi etc and those countries suffer. only a few, the oligarchs, prosper.
Interesting comment. I'm pretty sure the word and idea of "dictator" is Latin, not Greek. That's Trump's model, the Roman Emperor with absolute power. He's a mean, petty, vengeful destroyer, a tantrum toddler pissing and shitting himself as he grabs and smashes everything he couldn't achieve himself. Welcome to Civilization Phase III - “Plot continuity is derived from a serial rotation of randomly chosen words, phrases, and concepts, including (but not limited to) motors, pigs, ponies, dark water, nationalism, smoke, music, beer, and various forms of personal isolation.”
When I observe these troubled times, I often ask myself, "What would Frank Zappa say?". He would be equally scathing about The Orange One and Kamala. And rightly so.
Trump seems to be both kneeling down and bending over to make Putin happy (to quote Frank Z lyric). Maybe those embarrassing Trump photos do exist in The Kremlin. My longer rant about Trumps ignorance is now ‘old news’ and clear for all to see.
There's certainly footage from hidden cameras in Trump's Russian hotel suite - I mean, of course there is. Putin has him by his shriveled little nutsack.
Oh puhlEEASSE, I recall seeing a frame grab of a DJT stand-in with his back to the camera in a hotel room where water-play was supposedly in train. The man's a blustery ego-maniac but he ain't stupid.
Studio Tan and Sleep Dirt are not go to FZ albums for me, however now I’ve heard all three Thana Harris vocal overdubs, I’ve cobbled together my favourite tracks from those two albums using the three TH vocal versions as the centre piece, and its a great single album length listen, so thanks Farq. I had only previously heard the Spider Of Destiny with vocal overdubs on a bootleg many years ago, (obviously not for everyone) but now I appreciate this era a lot more.
If your comment doesn't immediately appear, it means Kreemé is checking the handwriting before passing it on to me. I'm a busy man and have no time to decipher crayoned scrawls.
Oh right, because every American voted for Trump. Don't kid yourself, Mr. Zappa would have been "righteously appalled" at Kamala Harris.
ReplyDeleteThat's a brave stance, Mister Anonymous Internet Opinion Holder!
DeleteYou might have noticed, if you'd thought about it for a minute or so before stabbing at your keyboard, that I didn't refer to the number of Americans that didn't vote for Trump. Nor the ninety million eligible voters who didn't vote at all, who would have been on the sharp end of his anger, and represent the largest voter demographic by far. Nor did I mention "Trump or Harris", which is no longer a useful argument.
I used the word America, which is a country. A country that has basically failed to live up to its own globally-advertised and often enforced ideals, a country that sat on its fat butt (about a quarter of the US population is obese) while the New Order rolled in.
Don't kid yourself, yourself.
The USA absolutely ruled and owned twentieth century culture. All the art forms. I've always loved US pop culture, right up to the point where it stopped being the twentieth century. Not just the US, but all Western culture started feeding off itself, spiraling into recursion, repetition, diminishing returns.
DeleteThis isn't a sour "everything has turned to shit and it was so much better in my day" thing. I'm genuinely saddened by the fall of the USA (even though what it fell from wasn't that stainlessly great anyway), because, in my lifetime, America was something to look up to, genuinely aspirational in a way my own country wasn't. An idealistic delusion in a way, but at least there was an ideal, and voices that spoke up for it. Where are those voices now?
Those voices were quieted, my dear Farq. Not by muscle, but by the vast indifference of the overwhelming multitudes, who never understood that once you sit down to dinner at a table full of Nazis, you become a Nazi.
DeleteMr. Zappa viewed the majority of women as secretaries or mattresses. Just ask Moon, she knows. That doesn't take away his artistic accomplishments, or negate his belief in the power of educating yourself and voting for the greater good.
Deletejust read Moon"s. book last month. very. weird life &. story
DeleteAttempting to attack Harris is pointless. Polemics is not a 'many splendoured thing'. She was a mere Vice President and wasn't really a dangerous entity but the same might not be said of Vance who seems to be yet another Trump puppy who seems intent on turning many of the governments of Europe against America. Another thing that America and Trump might not see coming is if Trump escalates and promotes further this suspicion around town that Trump is a treacherous pro- Russia/ Soviet? clown, which would be a first in US presidential history. I feel that if Trump isn't removed, one way or another, America could find itself isolated at an ambassadorial level, especially with all this crap about taking over foreign soil. Americans who voted Trump in SHOULD have seen it coming, the rest of us did.
DeleteGreat covers Farq! As for Mr. Anonymous, just delete him, total waste of time.
ReplyDeleteHe needs to include thinking in his daily regime, and if I can help him do that, why, th' IoF© has a reason to be cheerful!
DeleteFarq, I'd love to get a downloadable version of Sleep Dirt! Many thanks for scrounging that up!
ReplyDeleteHere's two versions (in different covers) - the vinyl and the 2012 CD mix:
Deletehttps://workupload.com/file/jgXfsu7xEUf
Much obliged! I have the original LP, but had heard there were some alternate versions floating around.
Deleteimagine me in a tweedy coat with those patches and holding a pipe: "America is a hemisphere."
ReplyDeleteAnd anyone who wants to play the Harris is appalling bit ain't paying attention. Ask the folx in Dearborn. Ask the folx in the Valley here in Texas whose kids are telling me they didn't think Trump meant them. FFS, ask the idiot cotton grower I talked with at the grocery store the other day (we were discussing the price of eggs) who is trying to figure out who's lit-er-al-ly gonna pick his cotton. I was appalled by Harris and I voted for her; Zappa woulda too. There's a bout a hair's width of difference between these two parties on a good day, but in that hair's width are a whole bunch of living, breathing human beings whose lives are being destroyed, consciously and intentionally, by they TechBreauxOligarchs(tm), Trusk(c), and their minions.
If only I had one of those coats(r) and a pipe(tm), I could be a real professor(c), huh?
I can only imagine you in a DayGlo™ Neoprene™ thong and a pair of sparkly foam antlers.Yes, I'm on meds - why do you ask?
Deletethank you
Delete"who's lit-er-al-ly gonna pick his cotton"[?]
DeleteBeing at a loose end work-wise I'd be up for that if the commute weren't so long from Britain, and the price of boot-polish weren't so high.
And here's the only relevant Harris in this context: Thana Harris, whose extraordinary vocals for Sleep Dirt got overdubbed then underdubbed, presented here as a FoamExclusive™ extended play. Anyone used to the all-instrumental version may appreciate her amazing voice better out of context. Lyrics are up to par, too!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy: https://workupload.com/file/2U6x8RuY8Lx
Yowza! Thanks Farq, I had this track on a bootleg cassette, outstanding.
DeleteDon "Sugarcane" Harris, of Don & Dewey fame, surely merits a mention in this context, if only for "Farmer John"--love that one. Bonus points because Isle fav It's a Beautiful Day had an instrumental called "Don and Dewey." Props to Peppermint Harris too?
Delete"champagne eyes"
DeleteLet's not be 1980's any more. Fine, I listen to seventies eighties music. But politically we are not there. Russia is no longer a communist thread. It is an example of how to get your country fellow men in line. And a state that dictates a narrative is a dictatorship. Remember where dictators came from. In Greece dictators were chosen out of a group of men to have power for a certain period of time. And it did not work. USA is doing it, Russia and China, Hungary and Turkye, Saoudi etc and those countries suffer. only a few, the oligarchs, prosper.
ReplyDeleteInteresting comment. I'm pretty sure the word and idea of "dictator" is Latin, not Greek. That's Trump's model, the Roman Emperor with absolute power. He's a mean, petty, vengeful destroyer, a tantrum toddler pissing and shitting himself as he grabs and smashes everything he couldn't achieve himself.
DeleteWelcome to Civilization Phase III - “Plot continuity is derived from a serial rotation of randomly chosen words, phrases, and concepts, including (but not limited to) motors, pigs, ponies, dark water, nationalism, smoke, music, beer, and various forms of personal isolation.”
Yep got the romans and greek mixed up. the gist however remains the same
DeleteThese are great work, Maestro. You wouldn't have Studio Tan for this old warhorse would you? I only have the songs on the Lather CD.
ReplyDeleteVinyl and CD rips - not sure if there's a real diff, but anyway:
Deletehttps://workupload.com/file/fJM3gh3Rz5H
Thanks!
DeleteWhen I observe these troubled times, I often ask myself, "What would Frank Zappa say?". He would be equally scathing about The Orange One and Kamala. And rightly so.
ReplyDeleteTrump seems to be both kneeling down and bending over to make Putin happy (to quote Frank Z lyric). Maybe those embarrassing Trump photos do exist in The Kremlin.
DeleteMy longer rant about Trumps ignorance is now ‘old news’ and clear for all to see.
I reckon those pics are real, too.
DeleteThere's certainly footage from hidden cameras in Trump's Russian hotel suite - I mean, of course there is. Putin has him by his shriveled little nutsack.
DeleteOh puhlEEASSE, I recall seeing a frame grab of a DJT stand-in with his back to the camera in a hotel room where water-play was supposedly in train. The man's a blustery ego-maniac but he ain't stupid.
DeleteNot stupid at all. Which only makes him more evil.
DeleteStudio Tan and Sleep Dirt are not go to FZ albums for me, however now I’ve heard all three Thana Harris vocal overdubs, I’ve cobbled together my favourite tracks from those two albums using the three TH vocal versions as the centre piece, and its a great single album length listen, so thanks Farq. I had only previously heard the Spider Of Destiny with vocal overdubs on a bootleg many years ago, (obviously not for everyone) but now I appreciate this era a lot more.
ReplyDelete