# Your Favorite Frank Zappa Period



## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Your Favorite Frank Zappa Period

There were many more periods that could have been added to the poll, like Studio Z, Hot Rats etc.

List your fav.


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

live at the fillmore east


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

I tried hard but it's impossible for me to answer. 

I might be able to say which of these period I like (somewhat) less, which would be the Flo & Eddie-period, although I like it nevertheless. There is also a (very) small amount of albums I care somewhat less for (Studio Tan, Drowning witch maybe and Franscesco Zappa).


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Couldn't choose just one period. I love the charm and personalities of the original Mothers, and their dada-esque musical approach. But I also love the 73-75 band not only for the great musicianship, but for the R&B/Jazz influences brought in by Duke, Ponty, Nappy Brock and Chester Thompson. I feel like the 1977-1982 period were peak years for FZ's guitar playing, and the '88 tour sported one of the greatest assemblages of talent in his entire career. Make A Jazz Noise Here is definitely a desert island disc.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

^ Agreed but I keep coming back to the early Dada MOI period but like you also love 73-75 band (who wouldn't) and his shut and play guitar period but Make A Jazz Noise here and other '88 stuff like Best Band, get heavy rotation (sugar plum) at my place too.


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Gotta be 73-76 or something, since I couldn't go for the best band you never heard in your life that I actually heard live!


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Kjetil Heggelund said:


> Gotta be 73-76 or something, since I couldn't go for the best band you never heard in your life that I actually heard live!


You lucky Sod, the last time Zappa came to OZ was '76 but I have seen ZPZ with Steve Vai which was great.

Best band would be- 86 Jazz from Hell - YCDTOSA period


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## motoboy (May 19, 2008)

I like most eras. I think I'm the only Zappa fan that doesn't like much of anything before "Hot Rats," though.


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## Jay (Jul 21, 2014)

1966 through 1972 (excluding Reuben and Flo & Eddie)


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## ST4 (Oct 27, 2016)

Well, I love the whole period of music from Freak Out, up to One Size Fits All, then there are albums I avoid more than others. There are amazing albums throughout his whole outpout, including Yellow Shark of course


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## Antiquarian (Apr 29, 2014)

I really got into listening to Frank in the late 70s, early 80s. So I really enjoy _Sheik Yerbouti _and _You Are What You Is_. My interest kind of tailed off after the_Them or Us_ album. I've really enjoyed nearly everything Zappa produced, but there was so much interesting happening musically at the time that my attention was understandably divided.


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## Funny (Nov 30, 2013)

I had Freak Out on a cassette that I played into the ground, so that will always have a special place, but the mix of crack musicianship with broadly cartoonish music and rich soundscapes of the mid-70s forms my favorite set. It seemed like by the 80s the music was in general still cartoonish but more closely, obsessively etched - sometimes too closely, I thought.


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## trupiosz (Nov 24, 2016)

I voted Early Frank 1966- 1969.

Absolutely Free, We're Only in It for the Money and Hot Rats are the only 3 Zappa CDs i own.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

trupiosz said:


> I voted Early Frank 1966- 1969.
> 
> Absolutely Free, We're Only in It for the Money and Hot Rats are the only 3 Zappa CDs i own.


Some very good choices there, suggest you try Uncle Meat too


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## trupiosz (Nov 24, 2016)

Thanks for the recommendation. I'm going to listen to it on spotify soon.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

You're right. Better spend your money on living composers.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Casebearer said:


> You're right. Better spend your money on living composers.


*86 Jazz from Hell - YCDTOSA* This period from '86 until FZ's death was an exciting time for me getting into his music. The music was coming out at a frantic pace, and I was having a great time listening to all of the new CDs. The Helsinki Concert, Guitar, and Make A Jazz Noise Here got played constantly in my car and living room. As did all of the re-issues.

I had a hard time with Yellow Shark, and Civilization Phase III because things seemed so empty after Frank died.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

^ Same for me, I first heard Zappa from ABC Classic FM in Aust in 1981

http://www.zappainaustralia.com/radio.htm

_"ABC Australia FM 'History of Frank Zappa'. run over 4 weeks containing many LP tracks & segments of interviews"

_From then on I was madly chasing every LP and cassette I could find and the the period from 86 on was particularly good with many releases whilst Zappa was still with us. Yellow Shark was bitter sweet.....


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## David OByrne (Dec 1, 2016)

I've barely heard any Frank Zappa


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

David OByrne said:


> I've barely heard any Frank Zappa


Nows your chance, check out this thread Frank Zappa


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Famous Frank Zappa period? I thought Zappa was a dude.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> ^ Same for me, I first heard Zappa from ABC Classic FM in Aust in 1981
> 
> http://www.zappainaustralia.com/radio.htm
> 
> ...


I think we got into Zappa around the same year. I knew of him before of course but around 1981 or 1982 a friend really introduced me to one of his albums and I suddenly got a whole different idea on his music. Been taping and buying since then although I hardly bought any of the releases after Civilization Phase III. I was just too late into Zappa to catch the 1980 tour but I catched the superb 1988 tour in Rotterdam. What a show, I'll never forget that.


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## David OByrne (Dec 1, 2016)

He sounds like an interesting guy


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

David OByrne said:


> He sounds like an interesting guy


Once you get going on Zappa music, it becomes an obsession.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Very true. Once hooked I think I got almost all of his official releases first on cassette (yeah, still have 'em!), then on vinyl and/or cd within one decade.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Casebearer said:


> Very true. Once hooked I think I got almost all of his official releases first on cassette (yeah, still have 'em!), then on vinyl and/or cd within one decade.


Would say your sitting I quite a few bucks there, particularly the Vinyl and even the cassettes


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Well, the cassettes are not Zappa-releases but taped from friends' vinyl and library vinyl. 
I have around 20 Zappa-releases on vinyl, the rest is on cd. Jealous?


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Sounds good, I've got 30 plus Zappa vinyl LP's so can't complain including all the early stuff even got Lumpy Gravy on LP

Zappaholic here


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