FRANK! you finally watched it. I don't read Bitches, so thanks for re-posting.

My brother just saw it for the first time and did not find it as funny as I had built it up.

how's the Petra Haden now that you've had some time w/ it?

I agree with the consensus that it's not something I'm going to listen to often, but it's very cool how she found some great low-key elements of the songs to emphasize. It's sort of like a good essay about a great book: when I get back to the original album, I hear new things thanks to Petra Haden.

LJ: I just got the thatdog album recently from a friend. I like it, but I like her solo album with Bill Frisell better. She also sings on a couple of Mike Watt's albums, including his proggy last one. She's also Charlie Haden's daughter, if you're curious.

I haven't heard Antony & the Johnsons yet, but y'all are making me want to.

Hee. I just unwrapped Johnny Cash's American Songs and played "Delia's Gone" while taking my daughter to high school.

I think her eyebrows went straight through her hairline and kept going.

I just got the thatdog album recently from a friend

Which one? I had "Totally Crushed Out," but I think they made a few others. I should look into her solo album.

And I don't exactly know who Charlie Haden is, other than a vague sense he has something to do with jazz.

And I don't exactly know who Charlie Haden is, other than a vague sense he has something to do with jazz.

Heh. Where's that boucher?

Charlie Haden was the bass player in Ornette Coleman's revolutionary free jazz group from the late 50s/early 60s. He's a white guy with a country background, who played in (I think) country or western swing groups before he hooked up with Ornette (plastic sax) and Don Cherry (pocket trumpet). He's had a long and distinguished career since then.

I would like to start a small shitstorm, if I may. I think Frank Zappa sucks. Okay, not sucks--I recognize his immense talents as a muscian and a composer, but the lyrics of his songs always feel like he wrote down whatever was amusing him that day and didn't give a shit. This bugs me. They aren't about anything and they don't mean anything and they feel like work of a writer whoi is too arrogant or too slipshod to rewrite anything. Even the funny stuff isn't really that funny. The only way I can deal with them is to think of the voice as another musical instrument, but since Zappa wasn't much of a singer, his voice doesn't add musicallity (is that a word?) to this work.

Why this should bug me so much as to make much of Zappa's work almost unlistenable, when I find John Linnell's goofy lyrics adorable and catchy, I don't know. So, Zappa-lovers, what am I not getting?

I've never been a Zappa fan either Robin. But I do remember an interview or something where he said that he only writes lyrics because he needs to sing something. He only really cares about the music.

Which one? I had "Totally Crushed Out," but I think they made a few others. I should look into her solo album.

That, I don't know. The cd just said "thatdog".

So, Zappa-lovers, what am I not getting?

That's no shitstorm for me. I'd rather get jabbed with a sharp stick than listen to Zappa. Beefheart, on the other hand, does everything Zappa was trying to do, but does it right. In fact, Beefheart's presence redeems the only Zappa album that I'd ever want to listen to, Hot Rats, which beats getting poked at with a sharp stick by a decent margin.

I want to blame the DayQuil for all the dangling prepositions in my previous post. I want to, but I won't.

Yeah, what scrappy said. The only stuff of his I've ever liked are a couple of the novelty songs ("Dancing Fool", "I Don't Want to Get Drafted"). I find his albums unlistenable.