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I was listening to them yesterday as it happens.John Otway and Wild Willie Barrett etc etc etc
BÖC have better songs, and a lot more of them.They have to be up there.
But I think even they would make a claim for The Doors. Or as said above, one of Zappa's incarnations.
But yeah, for their first three albums alone, never mind the following five...they deserve at least a shout.
BÖC have better songs, and a lot more of them.
More good songs.Are you sure about that?
(P.S. I disagree with the first half of your sentence completely, but I'd be surprised if BOC had more songs than Zappa, unless perhaps you're splitting the various Zappa bands apart from each other, in which case I'd find it more believable).
More good songs.
Not very long on song though...nee matter how good his widdling was, sackless do-wop ditties n free-form improvisation does not a good record make.Oh I see.
Well then I definitely disagree.
BOC are great, but Zappa was an absolute genius.
Not very long on song though...nee matter how good his widdling was, sackless do-wop ditties n free-form improvisation does not a good record make.
I'm being a bit dismissive really - can't say I'm very well versed on awld Frank. He doesn't exactly grab is though. It's all a bit out there innit and half the time he's taking the piss. Being experimental n all that's great, having a jam, improvising this and that. I like songs though. Has Frank Zappa got any songs quite as strong as (Don't Fear) The Reaper? I doubt it.I disagree strongly.
I'm being a bit dismissive really - can't say I'm very well versed on awld Frank. He doesn't exactly grab is though. It's all a bit out there innit and half the time he's taking the piss. Being experimental n all that's great, having a jam, improvising this and that. I like songs though. Has Frank Zappa got any songs quite as strong as (Don't Fear) The Reaper? I doubt it.
There is sentence (or part of) on Wikipedia that sums up FZ for me - "... supporters of his music admired its compositional complexity, while critics found it lacking emotional depth". He was always interesting but it sometimes felt like the music took second place behind broader concepts.Well, they're very different kinds of bands so comparing one song against another will always be very much subjective. DFTR is a great song, no doubt. Zappa has some absolute corkers too though. I can't say there's any I know of with the kind of melancholy of DFTR, but then I'm not aware of any BOC songs with the humour of Zappa, so it's a tricky pair of bands to compare really. "Is this sad song a better sad song than this happy song is a happy song?" It's always going to be a difficult question to ask.
Like I said, I do like what I've heard of BOC and I have a lot of respect for them as a band, so I'm not trying to put them down in any way, I just think Zappa was another level when you take his entire output into account.
I'm sure there are better examples of "great songs of Zappa's" but this one is one of my personal favourites. I'm not saying it's a better song than DFTR, but give this a go and see what you think:
In a slightly similar vein I remember reading something about Captain Beefheart's Observatory Crest. He and his long term fans are dismissive of it because it's too conventional a song - but it's a good song.There is sentence (or part of) on Wikipedia that sums up FZ for me - "... supporters of his music admired its compositional complexity, while critics found it lacking emotional depth". He was always interesting but it sometimes felt like the music took second place behind broader concepts.
I think BOC had their daft moments here and there - Hell Bent For Leather maybe? Godzilla even? Zappa's heading into comedy music at times though and as entertaining as it might be - I love Spinal Tap and Tenacious D are great too - I just can't take it all that seriously. Bobby Brown Goes Down's a good song, but by the same token so is the South Park soundtrack, so where do we draw the line between proper music and parody? Maybe that's just me but comedy and music are two different things. IF someone was to say Tenacious D is one of the top 20 rock records of the past 20 years they'd be laughed out of town - and that's despite there being some top musicians on there and some strong compositions.Well, they're very different kinds of bands so comparing one song against another will always be very much subjective. DFTR is a great song, no doubt. Zappa has some absolute corkers too though. I can't say there's any I know of with the kind of melancholy of DFTR, but then I'm not aware of any BOC songs with the humour of Zappa, so it's a tricky pair of bands to compare really. "Is this sad song a better sad song than this happy song is a happy song?" It's always going to be a difficult question to ask.
Like I said, I do like what I've heard of BOC and I have a lot of respect for them as a band, so I'm not trying to put them down in any way, I just think Zappa was another level when you take his entire output into account.
I'm sure there are better examples of "great songs of Zappa's" but this one is one of my personal favourites. I'm not saying it's a better song than DFTR, but give this a go and see what you think:
In a slightly similar vein I remember reading something about Captain Beefheart's Observatory Crest. He and his long term fans are dismissive of it because it's too conventional a song - but it's a good song.
I think BOC had their daft moments here and there - Hell Bent For Leather maybe? Godzilla even? Zappa's heading into comedy music at times though and as entertaining as it might be - I love Spinal Tap and Tenacious D are great too - I just can't take it all that seriously. Bobby Brown Goes Down's a good song, but by the same token so is the South Park soundtrack, so where do we draw the line between proper music and parody? Maybe that's just me but comedy and music are two different things. IF someone was to say Tenacious D is one of the top 20 rock records of the past 20 years they'd be laughed out of town - and that's despite there being some top musicians on there and some strong compositions.
P.S. I realise not all of Zappa's output is humorous.
Sorry but that is a bold claim to make. I've seen the rest of the thread but Zappa was an excellent songwriter and as much as I love BOC he easily matched them song for song and then some, and not just the noodling either.More good songs.
Hell Bent for Leather was a Judas Priest trackIn a slightly similar vein I remember reading something about Captain Beefheart's Observatory Crest. He and his long term fans are dismissive of it because it's too conventional a song - but it's a good song.
I think BOC had their daft moments here and there - Hell Bent For Leather maybe? Godzilla even? Zappa's heading into comedy music at times though and as entertaining as it might be - I love Spinal Tap and Tenacious D are great too - I just can't take it all that seriously. Bobby Brown Goes Down's a good song, but by the same token so is the South Park soundtrack, so where do we draw the line between proper music and parody? Maybe that's just me but comedy and music are two different things. IF someone was to say Tenacious D is one of the top 20 rock records of the past 20 years they'd be laughed out of town - and that's despite there being some top musicians on there and some strong compositions.
P.S. I realise not all of Zappa's output is humorous.