cdxxv. COREA, Chick (1941-2021)
Children's Song #12 (1984)
CC, piano
(2:33)
[scrolling score]
from: Children's Songs
Chick improvises a little on this one, which requires some difficult rhythmic precision ...
cdxxv. COREA, Chick (1941-2021)
Children's Song #12 (1984)
CC, piano
(2:33)
[scrolling score]
from: Children's Songs
Chick improvises a little on this one, which requires some difficult rhythmic precision ...
cdxxiv. KENEALLY, Mike (1961- )
Blue 68 (2004)
MK, guitar
Metropole Orkest
Jurjen Hempel, cond.
(1:52)
from: The Universe Will Provide
Mike's initial foray into orchestral composition, he calls it an imaginary collaboration with his eight-year-old self!
cdxxiii. MITCHELL, Joni (1943- )
from: Turbulent Indigo
Everybody looks so ill at ease
So distrustful, so displeased
Running down the table
I see a borderline
Like a barbed wire fence
Strung tight, strung tense
Prickling with pretense
A borderline
Why are you smirking at your friend?
Is this to be the night
When all well-wishing ends?
All credibility revoked?
Thin skin, thick jokes
Can we blame it on the smoke
This borderline?
Every bristling shaft of pride
Church or nation
Team or tribe
Every notion we subscribe to
Is just a borderline
Good or bad, we think we know
As if thinking makes things so
All convictions grow along a borderline
Smug in your jaded expertise
You scathe the wonder world
And you praise barbarity
In this illusionary place
This scared, hard-edged rat race
All liberty is laced with
Borderlines
Every income, every age
Every fashion-plated rage
Every measure, every gauge
Creates a borderline
Every stone thrown through glass
Every mean-streets kickass
Every swan caught on the grass
Will draw a borderline
You snipe so steady
You snub so snide
So I've been ready
To diminish and deride
You're so quick to condescend
My opinionated friend
All you deface, all you defend
Is just a borderline
Just a borderline
Another borderline
Just a borderline
cdxxii. ZAPPA, Frank (1940-1993)
from: Zoot Allures
Kosei Nenkin Kaikan, Osaka, Japan, February 3, 1976
One of the three "signature" FZ tunes [see Post cdxvi] ...
Zappa recorded Black Napkins frequently. It appears on 16 other FZ releases!
cdxxi. THE POLICE
from: Zenyatta Mondatta
A monochordal jam in B; saved from boredom by Summers's echoing riffs and Copeland's innovative fills ...
cdxix. ZAPPA, Frank (1940-1993)
cdxvii. ZAPPA, Frank (1940-1993)
The Divan Suite (2011)
1. Once Upon a Time (5:40)
2. Sofa #1 (3:11)
3. Magic Pig (1:42)
4. Stick it Out (4:53)
5. Divan Ends Here (4:17)
FZ, guitar
Mark Volman, vocals, percussion
Howard Kaylan, vocals
Ian Underwood, keyboards, alto saxophone
Don Preston, keyboards, gong
Jim Pons, bass, vocals
Aynsley Dunbar, drums
from: Carnegie Hall
The only official performance of the whole suite. Parts of it appear in various guises on different releases (Sofa, for example, originated in two versions on 1975's One Size Fits All; Stick it Out is on 1979's Joe's Garage, etc.) ...
cdxvi. ZAPPA, Frank (1940-1993)
Zoot Allures (eight versions)
1. from Joe's Menage (2008)
2. from FZ/OZ (2002)
3. from Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa: A Memorial Tribute (1996)
4. from Zoot Allures (1976)
5. from Halloween '81 (2020)
6. from You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol. 3 (1989)
7. from Does Humor Belong in Music? (1986)
8. from The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life (1991)
The evolution of the tune over a 13-year period ...
One of three signature FZ compositions; the other two are Watermelon in Easter Hay and Black Napkins ...
cdxv. MINTZER, Bob (1953- )
Comotion (1997)
BM, tenor saxophone
Gil Goldstein, piano
(5:46)
from: Longing
No typo, this is comotion commotion!
That is to say two cats in motion continuously, coordinated, cool, copasetic, and commerative.
cdxiv. ZAPPA, Frank (1940-1993)
from: Weasels Ripped My Flesh
from The Factory, Bronx, NY, February 28, 1969.
Twinkle, twinkle in minor. Frank was in good form.
"We'll be back in a little while."
cdxiii. WEATHER REPORT
cdxii. YOUTH (Soundtrack)
Mick's Dream (2015)
David Lang, composer
The Berlin Radio Chorus
Simon Halsey, cond.
(2:03)
from: Youth (Soundtrack)
In this magical film, Harvey Keitel plays a film director trying to make his "legacy" cinematic masterpiece.
In his dream, his former characters all gather in a field and recite their iconic lines to him, which is depressing. Lang sums it all up in a two-minute cue!
cdxi. JARRETT, Keith (1945- )
Bop-Be (1995)
KJ, piano
Gary Peacock, bass
Jack DeJohnette, drums
(6:18)
from: Keith Jarrett at the Blue Note: The Complete Recordings
Jarrett says his vocalizations are more of an interaction than a reaction.
Whatever -- they're annoying. But he's so damn good, we have to let it be, imho.
**
cdx. ZAPPA, Frank (1940-1993)
from: Just Another Band From L.A.
If you've never heard Frank Zappa's magnum opus rock opera -- the rock opera of all rock operas -- you don't know what you're missing.
The story of Billy -- a mountain; and Ethell -- his small wooden wife -- is told in musical segments like only Frank could tell it ...
This performance -- from Pauley Pavilion on August 7, 1971 -- was geared towards an L.A. audience. A few references:
cdviii. ZAPPA, Frank (1940-1993)
from: Weasels Ripped My Flesh
So my fan-boy claim to fame was realized at Show 2 on the evening of December 10, 1973, as memorialized at the beginning of Dickie's Such an Asshole, from The Roxy Performances beginning at around 2:48, where you can hear me yell out a request for Dwarf Nebula -- and Frank's response up to around 3:25 ...
As Zappa explains, Dwarf Nebula is actually a piece of electronic music -- but the little processional march which precedes it is a delightfully little ditty which this '73 band could easily have handled.
So my request was really for the Dwarf Nebula Processional March!
cdvii. LENNON, John (1940-1980)
from: Milk and Honey
It's understandable that it took Yoko three years to release this final album.
This track was actually intended for Ringo's 1981 album, Stop and Smell the Roses, but became a hit when released as a single.
Cameos by George Harrison, Dick Cavett, Andy Warhol, and Miles Davis.
**
cdvi. WEATHER REPORT
from: Sweetnighter
The third album.
This is a Vitouš tune in 3/4.
This is the early WR band that "always solos and never solos."
This is a drummerless track (just percussion) that refuses to stop grooving.
This is Zawinul comping softly on the Rhodes while Wayne and Miroslav play a disjointed melody above.
This is Jazz Chamber Music.
cdv. BECKER, Walter (1950-2017)
from: Circus Money
co-written with Larry Klein. There's some real poetry in these lyrics.
As with most of the tracks on this -- Becker's final album -- the groove is reggae.
**
Do you remember the scene
Remember the scene of the crime
The scene of the crime of a love
The crime of a love gone down
Do you remember the time
Remember the time of the year
The time of the year was the spring
The year was the spring of our ruin
Let's assume that some folks may be expendable
The better is the enemy of the good
Dont'cha ask perfection of your trophy wife
Dont'cha take no chances with your trophy life
Do you remember the one
Remember the one in a million
The one in a million affair
The one with the glorious prospects
Do you remember the shade
The shade of the sky which is burning
Black was the shade in retreat
Blue was the color returning
Let's imagine some guy driving a coffee truck
Yet he dares to dream the impossible dream
Better have some answers for your trophy wife
Better not get cozy with your trophy life
Do you remember the face
The face of such graceful dimension
The one that you wore in the world
It was such a lovely invention
Do you remember the name
Remember the name of the man
The name of the man who tried hard
"Immemorious" was his name-o
cdiv. ZAPPA, Frank (1940-1993)
from: You Are What You Is
Zappa built his home studio (The Utility Muffin Research Kitchen) in 1979, after the Warner Bros. suit was settled.
The first Zappa Records release was going to a triple-album (Warts and All), but FZ eventually thought it too unwieldy, and changed his plans for a single-album entitled Crush All Boxes.
Eventually, he concentrated on the material which resulted in Sheik Yerbouti (1979, the first release on his own label) and this fantastic album.
**
The "Beautiful Suite" consists of six separate tracks, which form a sort of mini-oratorio ...
**
Society Pages
FZ, vocals
Ray White, vocals, guitar
Ike Willis, vocals, guitar
Denny Walley, slide guitar
Tommy Mars, keyboards
Arthur Barrow, bass
David Logeman, drums
You're the ol' lady from the society pages
From a small town somewhere I used to be
You owned the paper and a bunch of other stuff
That didn't appeal to me
OL' LADY, OL' LADY
OL' LADY, OL' LADY
OL' LADY, OL' LADY
OL' LADY, OL' LADY
The hospital plans (yer brother drew 'em all)
You ran the paper 'n the Charity Ball
Every day on the third or fourth page
There you was ... you was quite the rage
Somehow, you was all kinda cheap 'n wrong
Just like in a lotta small towns
Where folks like you
Hang around too long
And pass out jobs to yer relatives 'n such
So you all keeps a lot, 'cept but nobody else
Ever gets too much ... to speak of ...
So what? What can you say?
So long as the trash gets picked up
So long as the trash gets locked up
Just so the trash don't stack up
Some day you won't be on page three
Or page four anymore
OL' LADY, OL' LADY
OL' LADY, OL' LADY
OL' LADY, OL' LADY
OL' LADY, OL' LADY
By the grace of God you had a son
He's the one and only one
He grew up and by and by
He came to be a Beautiful Guy
I'm a Beautiful Guy
FZ, vocals
Ike Willis, vocals, guitar
Ray White, vocals, guitar
Steve Vai, stunt guitar
Tommy Mars, keyboards
Arthur Barrow, bass
David Logeman, drums
I'm a beautiful guy
And you have walked by
And I have gave you the eye
But you pretend to be shy
But I'm a beautiful guy
(You know what I mean? You know what I mean?)
And so I want you to know why, why, why
You make me cry, cry, cry
'Cause you want to try, try try
Some stupid game on me
They're drinking lighter
They're full of water
I hear them say:
"Let's jog ..."
They're playing tennis
Their butts are tighter
What could be whiter?
Hey?
Your athletic approach has a lot of appeal
The girl is responding to your little deal
She's modern 'n empty 'n totally vain
But beauty, of course, can feel no pain
No pain
No pain
No pain
Beauty Knows No Pain
FZ,vocals
Ray White, vocals
Ike Willis, vocals
Bob Harris, vocals
Steve Vai, stunt guitar
Tommy Mars, keyboards
Arthur Barrow, bass
David Logeman, drums
Motorhead Sherwood, snorks
Jimmy Carl Black, voice
Moon Zappa, voice
Beauty knows no pain
So what you cryin' about
Girl
Beauty knows no pain
So what you cryin' about
Girl
Beauty knows no
Beauty knows no
Beauty knows no
Even if yer plain
You could be tryin' it out
Girl
Even if yer plain
You could be tryin it out
Girl
Beauty is no
Beauty is no
Beauty is no
Beauty is a bikini wax 'n waitin' for yer nails to dry
Beauty is a colored pencil, scribbled all around yer eye
Beauty is a pair of shoes that makes you wanna die
Beauty is a
Beauty is a
Beauty is a
Lie
But you don't care if it's a lie
'Cause you are such a beautiful guy
(Hi, girls!)
Your head is north, your feet is south
And you save the rest for Charlie's mouth
Your head is north
Your feet is south
And you save the rest for
CHARLIE'S ENORMOUS MOUTH
ENORMOUS MOUTH
CHARLIE ...
" ... and it doesn't have that stale aftertaste!"
Charlie's Enormous Mouth
FZ, vocals
Ike Willis, vocals
Ray White, vocals
Bob Harris, vocals
Steve Vai, stunt guitar
Tommy Mars, keyboards
Arthur Barrow, bass
David Logeman, drums
Charlie's enormous mouth, well, it's awright
The girl got a very large mouth, but it's awright
Her teeth look okay
She must be brushin' 'em quite a bit
'Course her mouth is extra large
'N we can only assume as to how
She's been usin' it
Charie's enormous mouth, well, it's awright
The girl got a very large mouth, but it's awright
She got lips all around the hole
Where she puts her food in
They call it THE MOUTH
They call it THE MOUTH
They call it THE MOUTH
Which is as good a place as any for a tongue
To include in, that's why
They call it THE MOUTH
They call it THE MOUTH
They call it THE MOUTH
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
(Kinda young
Kinda wow ...)
Charlie's enormous nose, well, it's all white
The girl got a very large nose but it's all white
She once was okay
But she's been blowin' it quite a bit
'Course her friends are extra large
'N we can only assume as to how
She's been choosin' it
Charlie's enormous nose, well, it's all white
The girl got a very large nose, but it's all white
She got stuff all around the hole
Where she puts her spoon in
They call it THE NOSE
They call it THE NOSE
They call it THE NOSE
And when it finally rots away I guess you'd
Prob'ly drive a truck in ... they used to
Call it THE NOSE
They called it THE NOSE
They called it THE NOSE
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
(Kinda young
Kinda dead ...)
Charlie's disgusting brain, well, it's all black
The girl got a very dead brain, it won't come back
She used to convey
But then she took an extra hit
'Course her friends are extra dumb
'N they were terribly excited while they
Watched her doin' it
Charlie's disgusting brain, well it's all black
The girl got a very dead brain, it won't come back
She got dirt all around the hole
Where they dumbed her box in
They call it THE GRAVE
They call it THE GRAVE
They call it THE GRAVE
Which is as good a place as any for a
Chump to repose in ... that's why they
Call it THE GRAVE
They call it THE GRAVE
They call it THE GRAVE
Any Downers?
FZ, vocals, guitar
Ike Willis, vocals
Ray White, vocals
Bob Harris, vocals
Steve Vai, stunt guitar
Tommy Mars, keyboards
Arthur Barrow, bass
David Logeman, drums
And all around
At the side of the grave
Stood Charlie's friends
Who could not save
This stupid girl
From the way she behaved
But among the mourners
And the frowners
A cry were heard ... (aaaargh!)
ANY DOWNERS? (Oh, no!)
ANY DOWNERS? (Oh, no!)
ANY DOWNERS? (Oh, no!)
ANY DOWNERS? (Oh, no!)
No I ain't got any more
No I ain't got any more
No I ain't got any more
No I ain't got any more
Your downers is gone
They was all you could get
To ease your mind
And your deep regret
Over Charlie's mouth
So enormous 'n wet
Now all you got
Is your TV set
You turn it on
You watch and dream
A dream of love
On your tiny screen
But what do you see
As you lay in bed?
It's a bald kinda girl
With a pointed head
Oh no ...
Conehead
FZ, vocals, guitar
Ike Willis, vocals, guitar
Ray White, vocals, guitar
Bob Harris, vocals
Steve Vai, stunt guitar
Tommy Mars, keyboards
Arthur Barrow, bass
David Logeman, drums
Conehead ... she ain't really dumb
She's just a
Conehead ... 'tater chip crumbs
All over her face
Is there any more beer
Stashed away at her place? She's just a
Conehead ... she can't help herself
"She's a Conehead kind of a girl ..."
(Ha ha ha!)
Pitch her a ring
That is the thing
That's getting her hot-uh
A hoop or a ring
Goin' over the top of her Conehead
"She is from a small town in France
'N she's a Conehead kind of a girl, kind of guy"
That's what she gives me is-uh Oooh!
Conehead
When she's on her knees
The point is so high
(High!)
I keep sayin' please
Keep it out of my eye, 'cause she's a
Conehead
(She's a Conehead kind of a girl, kind of a guy, kind of a girl-thing ...)
Saturday Night
You're home alone
The TV lights up
As her dad comes home
He's been workin all day
At the drivin' school
In a stupid-lookin' hat
That he uses to fool
The people of Earth
Who might get back
If they knew he was really
From Remulak, where the
Conehead ... people are from, where the
Conehead ... people go to, when the
Conehead ... people are done with the
Conehead ... things that are fun
Connie the Cone
Is dressed real neat
Like a teen-age girl
From down the street
But Mom 'n Dad
They don't approve
Carbohydrates
Is all they groove
Connie's eye
Has a tiny tear
But they rinse it away
With a case of beer
A bag of chips
'N fiberglass
Her diet's a riot
I can't keep quiet
I'd love to try it
But I think I'll pass
To eat the kind of stuff they pack
(Yes, they're packin' it!)
You'd hafta be from Remulak, where the
Conehead ... people are from, where the
Conehead ... people go to, when the
Conehead ... people are done with the
Conehead ... things that are fun, where the
Conehead ... people are from, where the
Conehead ... people go to, when the
Conehead ... people are done with the
Conehead ... things that are fun, where the
Conehead ... people are from, where the
Conehead ... people go to, when the
Conehead ... people are done with the
Conehead
cdiii. TAKE 6
I've Got Life (1994)
Alvin Chea, vocals
Cedric Dent, vocals
Joel Kibble, vocals
Mark Kibble, vocals
Claude V. McKnight III, vocals
David Thomas, vocals
Paulinho DeCosta, tambourine
(3:25)
from: Join the Band
These six incredibly talented musicians are serious Christians, so I ask -- tongue firmly implanted in cheek -- why did you not credit the terrific drummer on this track? đŸ˜•
**
You know that I've got it
I've got it
You know that I've got it
Well you might wonder why I'm so happy
And if I'm right there's one thing you should know
I've just been connected to an
Everlasting source of power
And that power makes me glow
No I'm not saying I don't have problems
And I can't say that I don't get down
But it behooves me to move with a pep in my step
When I'm excited 'bout the joy that I've found
I might have trouble on every side yet not distressed
I might be perplexed but never in despair
Persecuted but not forsaken
Cast down but not destroyed
Whoa I've got life in Jesus
That I've got life just look at the smile on my face
Oh I've got life in Jesus
And you know that I'm gonna win this race
Got that life got that life
Well I'm glad: That's right, Glad:
Because now I know that I can win
This race isn't given
To the swift or the strong
But the one who endures to the end
No, I'm not saying that I don't have burdens
And I can't say I'll never fall
But with my hand in His hand
I'm headed for a better land
And I know that it'll be worth it all
You know that I've got it
I've got it
You know that I've got it
I'm a'living-a'livin-a'livin-a'livin again
Got that life. Got that life,
Got that life. Got that life,
Got that life. Got that life. Got that life,
I'm a'living-a'livin-a'livin-a'livin again
cdii. HOLIDAY, Billie (1915-1959)
cdi. COLTRANE, John (1926-1967) & HARTMAN, Johnny (1923-1983)
from: John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman
Irving Berlin tune, written for Annie Get Your Gun (1946).
Hartman was reluctant initially. He went and heard Trane at Birdland, and after working with Tyner on some ideas, they went into the studio and did the album in one or two takes.
cd. SIDRAN, Ben (1943- )
from: Life's a Lesson
Every Jewish child learns this song at a very early age. It is easy to sing and carries an important universal message.
How good it is
For all people
To dwell together
In unity
Solos:
cccxcix. ZAPPA, Frank (1940-1993)
cccxcviii. WONDER, Stevie (1950- )
Pearl (1969)
SW, harmonica, keyboards, vocals
James Jamerson, bass
Benny Benjamin, drums
(2:45)
cccxcvii. WILCO
from: A.M.
Wilco's debut album; this was the single -- both tanked ...
Pigeon-holed as alt-country, I would never have discovered them had I not read an article in Rolling Stone about Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2001) [see Post xxiv] ...
Not crazy about country music, but I sure do like the alt ...
**
I've got a box full of letters
Think you might like to read
Some things that you might like to see
But they're all addressed to me
I wish I had a lotta answers
'Cause that's the way it should be
For all these questions
Being directed at me
I just can't find the time
To write my mind
The way I want it to read
You'll come back again
And I'll still be your friend
I got a lot of your records
In a separate stack
Some things that I might like to hear
But I guess I'll give 'em back
I wish I had a lotta answers
'Cause that's the way it should be
For all these questions
Being directed at me
I just can't find the time
To write my mind
The way I want it to read
You'll come back again
I'll still be your friend
I can't find the time
To write my mind
The way I want it to read
Just can't find the time
To write my mind
The way I want it to read
N-Z A-HA / Take On Me / ccclxx ABERCROMBIE, John / Timeless / xxiii ABERCROMBIE, John / JOHNSON, Marc / ERSKINE, Peter / Light Beam / cxlix ...