It can get a bit skewiff. There are so many ‘how did you forget....’ instances, thankfully the forum allows post saving. ‘86-88 are among the most difficult years to get on top of. The range of tunes, personal events etc. Even though their music appeared as rumours on the musical horizon a few years previously, the genius of artists such as Zappa, Beefheart and Fela Kuti really became apparent and appreciated around this age. CV were a contemporary regional explosion compared to the music you were inheriting from previous eras and inheritance comes in many forms.
Actual record shops with cheap, second-hand vinyl definitely helped. Let’s be honest, we’ve all soulseeked or rinsed blogspots for semi obscure electronica via equivalent methods, but cheap records meant you could still explore affordably. Discogs isn the same as traipsing round stores in the fucking rain, fingers rifling through dust covers with art you couldn’t quite believe or always afford. Anyone taken a punt on a record simply because the sleeve was intriguing? It wasn’t image as vanity, like a dress code or following a philosophy, so much as direct experience, the mindgasm when you find those sweet spots in and of music, like finally getting your cock wet. You’re balls deep.
Where do you even begin with Zappa? Rather than bore the tits off you further, it comes down to specific songs from specific lp’s. He was a god among mates and a slow build personally, until I heard the pieces below (and their equivalents). Persuasion by heart and sonic alchemy. There wasn’t a eureka moment so much as a series of rewinds. How did that go again? Rewind. Whaaat? The chord changes and rhythm puzzles your subconscious wants to fuck, even if your conscious mind doesn’t always configure the flow immediately or fully. The jokes. Scathing imagery. Balls out craft. Unreal talent of players coalescing. Filthy.
In no particular order and picking new video sources that corporate octopus YouTube has bequeathed to viewers, culprits cited are below (contribute more if you want) or it’ll take all weekend and I’m already being shouted at
Such a short brief glimpse of the heavens is a real tease, so included the original and a longer live rendition for the majesty
Had this on tape forever, even the kids sing parts of it and add their own words and replacements
On and on. Road Tapes habe a Helsinki gig of lightning talent really hitting their stride, opening up a metaphorical valve.
View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2013 CD release of "Road Tapes, Venue #2" on Discogs.
www.discogs.com
A concert is online from the same tour in Stockholm. My only claim to Zappa fame is being pictured in similar styled attire and sartorial bluntness as a kid. Take your pick. “Moving to Montana soooooon”, prescient as always
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