Them or us is an album by american musician frank zappa, released in october. He also wrote experimental classical music and gallivanted around the world. In 1984 fz selfpublished them or us, a 351 page book created with a dot matrix printer. The words and music of frank zappa moves beyond the details of frank zappa. The words and music of frank zappa kelly fisher lowe. The front cover is that photo from true glove with fz and his oven mitten. Download freak out the frank zappa story a radio 4 on music podcast. Watch the video for them or us from frank zappas them or us for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. Them or us by frank zappa meet your next favorite book. Frank zappa took creative risks that few musicians would even consider. If you want an album zappas early 80s period with mostly vocals, go for tinseltown rebellion and you are what you is.
Written by frank zappa, this book formerly called christmas in new jersey. The album opener is a cover of a doowop song by lewis and robinson. This is facsimile edition and exactly copies all the content pages of the original edition. All tracks written by frank zappa, except where noted. Francesco zappa, them or us, thingfish and the old masters.
Bass scott thunes drums chad wackerman harmony vocals ike willis, napoleon murphy brock, ray white other insinuations frank zappa piano brad cole saxophone, vocals falsetto bobby martin 2 3. This book is dedicated to all of the fans who have made the last 20 years of largescale absurdities possible. Originally journalist peter occhiogrosso was invited to transcribe zappas actual words to paper, but when zappa read the first draft he felt it was way too serious and dry. Not lyrically thematic like sheikyerbouti but musically conceptual with some of the best zappa solos marquesons chicken, whipping post some highly avant garde psychedelic jams ya hozna, sinister footwear some of the usual zappa comedy rock antics baby take. The genius of this book is lost on most of us as is the sad case with manymost of this albums and songs as well, because zappa requires a great deal of attention and immersion to really get to the meat of his language musical and otherwise, but when you do, i can assure you, it is most definitely worth it. Them or us the book by frank zappa, contains the lyrics to flam bay, spider of destiny and time is money, from sleep dirt these were all part of the unproduced hunchentoot stage play. They scorned american education and scorned the government.
This time, the backing track is all performed at the same time, and it is also a lot more complex than most of the backing music for franks other solos, especially the wild drums. In 1984 frank zappa selfpublished them or us, created with a dot matrix printer. His upbringing was rocky, and his family life was also tough. Find album release information for them or us frank zappa on allmusic allmusic. A workaholic perfectionist rock star who eschewed the hippie culture of the 1960s, deploring its conformism, spurious ideals and drug use. Listen online to frank zappa radio from argentina buenos aires. The closer you are in france them or us begins in a manner that you could call oldfashioned in the eighties. Radionomy zappa stream radio free online radio station.
The project discussion page is the place to talk about technical and editorial issues and exchange ideas. The mothers of invention, ozric tentacles, steve hackett, hawkwind, area hits from the 60s plays the top hits from the biggest artists of the 60s. Listen to free internet radio, sports, music, news, talk and podcasts. My life with zappa, frank zappa and me radio 4 is the soapy retelling of this. Frank zappa music listen free on jango jango radio. Them or us is pretty much a frank zappa guitar solo that was taken from a performance of black page 2 in bolzano, italy in july of 1982. It resonated with progressive rock fans in a way no other zappa album has, earning generous fm radio play while sending it into the uk top 10, boosted by one of the most recognizable instrumental. In a 1967 radio interview, zappa explained that the albums outlandish 11minute closing track. This facsimile edition brings this seminal work on conceptual continuity to a new generation of fans who have outgrown the ordinary. But with your help we can continue to put it center stage. Frank zappa radio plays frank zappa along with similar artists like. The book is written in quasiscreenplay style and contains tons of conceptual continuity stuff.
Frank vincent zappa december 21, 1940 december 4, 1993 was an american. Them or us bass, synthesizer minimoog scott thunes drums chad wackerman guitar solo frank zappa. This straightforward rocker is wellknown to the seasoned frank zappa fan, nonetheless remains a prominent favorite. Frank zappa is within the scope of the composers wikiproject, a group of editors writing and developing biographical articles about composers of all eras and styles. Of all the qualities that typified frank zappa, perhaps the most striking is that he was a paradox. I think more recently started up your own company called home care home radio.
Released in october 1984, them or us is frank zappas last studio rock album unless one counts thingfish. Frank zappa listen to free radio stations accuradio. Zappa wrote a warning which appeared on the inner sleeves of these albums, as well as frank zappa meets the mothers of. Them or us is an album by american musician frank zappa, released in october 1984 by barking pumpkin records. This book used to be called christmas in new jersey. The first question i have to ask, and this is for people who havent read the book either, is the opening section of the book is a play about francesco zappa. This cheesy little homemade book was prepared for the amusement of people who already enjoy zappa music. I finally got around to finding a copy of the them or us book, and am currently enjoying it. I think theres a possibility lynch is crazy enough to go for them or us if someone offers an insane amount of money for the production.
With them or us zappa is continuing the direction he took with ship arriving too late to save a drowning witch. Frank zappa is supposed to have said that writing about music is like dancing about architecture. The real frank zappa book is frank zappas autobiography, published in 1989. A facsimile paperback edition was released in 2010. Frank zappa the nordic concerts official promo video. Frank zappa the radio is broken lyrics metrolyrics. The thing that stands out most to me and to a lot of other people is that the album is almost defiantly conservative by zappas standards. Free customizable online radio with unlimited skips. She writes it down when the meters go around and falls in love in a space warp space warp space warp.
Zappa recorded a full album with such songs as cruisin with ruben and the jets in. This book is about zappas visits in all of the nordic countries. The radio is broken it dont work no more the radio is broken it dont work no more the lovely lisa kranston. The official website of frank zappa and the zappa family trust. Frank zappa them or us sinister footwear zappa analysis.
I absolutely love these 2 albums and theyre as good as and up there with weasels, money, lumpy, joes garage and one size. Yeah, and kinda tell tell us us more more about about whats whats its hard to talk about it because they dont have a european distributor for it. Big change is format, which is half of the original edition. Frank zappa was the mothers, and the mothers were whatever frank zappa wanted them to be. Radio zappa ha invitato gli ideatori, giulio todescan e marina resta, a presentare il nuovo film festival dedicato al lavoro a vicenza. The 1984 radio broadcast with the berkeley symphony orchestra playing live from.
Zappa recorded a full album with such songs as cruisin with ruben and the jets in the sixties. What happened when pauline got a job with frank zappa. Pink floyd us and them album the dark side of the moon 1973 us, and them and after all were only ordinary men. My favourites to this day are the closer you are, sharleena, truck driver divorce,sinister footwear ii, marquesons chicken and them or us not zappas best album by a long shot, but it still holds a special place in my heart. Foreword this cheesy little homemade book was prepared for the amusement of people who already enjoy zappa music. In 2004, rolling stone magazine ranked him at number 71 on its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time, and in. And it could turn out great, like a bloated comic book inland empire and possibly the worst box office disaster in the history of cinema. In this case, that meant a collection of jazzleaning orchestral rock with an extra twist of postpsychedelic savagery. This facsimile edition brings this seminal work on conceptual continuity to a.
Frank zappa on track every album, every song 1966 to. Its sad because the only reason why he stopped doing rock was because he was getting sick. It contains a little of everything for everyone, but most of all it has that cold and dry early80s feel that made this and other albums like the man from utopia and frank zappa meets the mothers of prevention sound dated pretty quickly. Following problems with the album thingfish, which mca records refused to distribute, zappa made a deal with emi records, which would allow them or us and thingfish to be distributed by capitol records in the united states. The closer you are earl lewis, morgan bobby robinson 2. Book this book does not require a rating on the projects quality scale. Thanks for helping us support these fine charities.