How would you rate Frank Zappa as a guitarist?

MattCameronKicksButt
MattCameronKicksButt Posts: 4,317
edited November 2007 in Other Music
Just curious. I'm not a musician. I love Frank Zappa but I'm interested to hear what other people think of his guitar playing.

I personally don't think he's THAT great but I don't know any better. :)
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • The Vacant
    The Vacant Posts: 271
    Phenominal? Listen to the studio Willie The Pimp, or Shut Up And Play Your Guitar.
  • MattCameronKicksButt
    MattCameronKicksButt Posts: 4,317
    The Vacant wrote:
    Phenominal? Listen to the studio Willie The Pimp, or Shut Up And Play Your Guitar.

    Thanks! I'd quite like a varied opinion. :p
  • The Vacant
    The Vacant Posts: 271
    More varried huh? As a soloist he could play a range from rock, funk, jazz, and the occasional blues. He knew when to shread and when to hang back. From a writing standpoint he developed complex arrangements that had very intricate details, and yet enough openess and space to allow improv. He's up there with Hendrix as far as innovative rock playing goes, but I think he covered much more stylistic ground than Hendrix ever did.

    Missed that part where you said you loved Frank. Guess you don't need examples of Frank's work pointed out to you. Sorry 'bout that.
  • Evacuation Rules
    Evacuation Rules Posts: 2,162
    He's an improviser. He creates spontaneous compositions on the guitar.
  • MattCameronKicksButt
    MattCameronKicksButt Posts: 4,317
    The Vacant wrote:
    Missed that part where you said you loved Frank. Guess you don't need exampled of Frank's work pointed out to you. Sorry 'bout that.

    I do! Like I said, I'm not a musician. I love Jimi as well but not as much as Zappa. (I quite often hear them being compared).

    I just wanted to know what other fans thought, that's all... from a professional point of veiw.
  • Bushleaguer28
    Bushleaguer28 Posts: 776
    frank zappa IMO is one of the most underrated and forgotten about guitarists in todays world . . . people talk about hendrix and while hendrix was great and i cant argue with those that call him the best ever zappa IMO should be right up there alongside him.
    http://mastersofourdomain.blogspot.com/

    My Movie/Music Reviews & Sports Blog
  • FinsburyParkCarrots
    FinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    One of the very greatest, but he could be boring at times. Sometimes he was too cerebral, but he could be beautifully expressive at his best. He'd usually cut Vai when they would solo together, on account of the clarity of his tone and his economy with phrasing: Vai would be going for the stunt guitar landspeed record, and you only need to run back and forth on a whole-tone scale before people get the idea, whereas Frank would think about what to say with his modal and scalar knowledge.

    Frank was a musician as well as a virtuoso, and the two are much more rarely exclusive, mutually, than one might think.
  • MattCameronKicksButt
    MattCameronKicksButt Posts: 4,317
    FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:
    One of the very greatest, but he could be boring at times. Sometimes he was too cerebral, but he could be beautifully expressive at his best. He'd usually cut Vai when they would solo together, on account of the clarity of his tone and his economy with phrasing: Vai would be going for the stunt guitar landspeed record, and you only need to run back and forth on a whole-tone scale before people get the idea, whereas Frank would think about what to say with his modal and scalar knowledge.

    Frank was a musician as well as a virtuoso, and the two are much more rarely exclusive, mutually, than one might think.

    I understood the first sentence.
  • FinsburyParkCarrots
    FinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    MattCameronKicksButt wrote:
    I understood the first sentence.


    Um, okay! Frank sometimes noodled too much in his solos, but when he was on the ball, his shredding was better than any metallers because it was thought-out and interesting to listen to and feel. There. :D
  • MattCameronKicksButt
    MattCameronKicksButt Posts: 4,317
    FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:
    Um, okay! Frank sometimes noodled too much in his solos, but when he was on the ball, his shredding was better than any metallers because it was thought-out and interesting to listen to and feel. There. :D

    Got it. ;)
  • josevolution
    josevolution Posts: 32,344
    go on youtube and pull up "stevie getting spanked " and then come here and let us know what you think ,i say amazing ....
    jesus greets me looks just like me ....
  • MattCameronKicksButt
    MattCameronKicksButt Posts: 4,317
    josevolution wrote:
    go on youtube and pull up "stevie getting spanked " and then come here and let us know what you think ,i say amazing ....

    I'll have to have a look another time because the links not working for me.

    For future reference, I'm not a smart girl, you should have told me to type in Frank Zappa before the spanking bit!


    :D
  • josevolution
    josevolution Posts: 32,344
    MattCameronKicksButt wrote:
    I'll have to have a look another time because the links not working for me.

    For future reference, I'm not a smart girl, you should have told me to type in Frank Zappa before the spanking bit!


    :D

    oh yeah sorry i'm at work so i can't post the link to the video but it really is something to watch ,steve vie & zappa phenominal ...
    jesus greets me looks just like me ....
  • Indian Summer
    Indian Summer Posts: 2,296
    I rate Frank Zappa as slightly gay to flaming. Can't stand the guy....guitar or not.
    "It's all happening"
  • Jeremy1012
    Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:
    One of the very greatest, but he could be boring at times. Sometimes he was too cerebral, but he could be beautifully expressive at his best. He'd usually cut Vai when they would solo together, on account of the clarity of his tone and his economy with phrasing: Vai would be going for the stunt guitar landspeed record, and you only need to run back and forth on a whole-tone scale before people get the idea, whereas Frank would think about what to say with his modal and scalar knowledge.

    Frank was a musician as well as a virtuoso, and the two are much more rarely exclusive, mutually, than one might think.
    Richard, one day I will convince you that Vai is a consummate musician as well as virtuoso :) he, like Zappa, just happened to make some bad music. Some of it is very musical. He is not just a shredder ya know ;) In fact, he is the only player of that ilk worth anything IMO.
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • who's_pearljam?
    who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    He was one of my favorites! I'm not even one to compare guitarists with each other. He wasn't for everybody, and he was so prolific that there's bound to be some things people don't like.
    He was educated in music, and it showed in his guitar playing, but really he just let it rip instinctively when he soloed.
    He also had all these songs that were in different time signatures, (not like the normal 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4) but timing like 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9. haha, THAT'S fun to solo and figure out where you are.
    His technique was really weird as a player, too. He kind of picked the strings like a chicken would peck at food, and live he was so great at getting that gooselike honking sound with feedback and his wah wah pedal. :D

    One of the first albums I ever bought was Mothers of Invention - Freak Out in '67 or so. Everyone else was buying The Beatles and Strawberry Alarm Clock and pop stuff, but I went down the dark path of music! Zappa and Captain Beefheart. :D
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • MattCameronKicksButt
    MattCameronKicksButt Posts: 4,317
    who's_pearljam? wrote:
    He was one of my favorites! I'm not even one to compare guitarists with each other. He wasn't for everybody, and he was so prolific that there's bound to be some things people don't like.
    He was educated in music, and it showed in his guitar playing, but really he just let it rip instinctively when he soloed.
    He also had all these songs that were in different time signatures, (not like the normal 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4) but timing like 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9. haha, THAT'S fun to solo and figure out where you are.
    His technique was really weird as a player, too. He kind of picked the strings like a chicken would peck at food, and live he was so great at getting that gooselike honking sound with feedback and his wah wah pedal. :D

    One of the first albums I ever bought was Mothers of Invention - Freak Out in '67 or so. Everyone else was buying The Beatles and Strawberry Alarm Clock and pop stuff, but I went down the dark path of music! Zappa and Captain Beefheart. :D

    So you like him then? :D

    That was the kind of answer I was hoping for. I can't play guitar myself.
  • Get_Right
    Get_Right Posts: 14,240
    as far as getting unique sounds from his guitar and palying a wide array of genres:
    he was one of the best
    that being said, I dont really care for much of his music, but I respect his talent and vision
  • who's_pearljam?
    who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    MattCameronKicksButt wrote:
    So you like him then? :D

    That was the kind of answer I was hoping for. I can't play guitar myself.


    Haha,,, well, the short answer to your original questions was "up there" :D
    I've been playing all my life and there are some guitarists who I look at and think, man, They got it!

    Adrian Belew is another of my favorites. He's out there, too. I guess I'm out there! Zappa helped put Belew on the map, too. I love the Baby Snakes movie. Great performances with Zappa and Belew in that one.
    I like the obscure players,
    Ry Cooder
    Adrian Belew
    Robert Fripp
    Sharon Isbin
    and about a hundred others!
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • MattCameronKicksButt
    MattCameronKicksButt Posts: 4,317
    who's_pearljam? wrote:
    Haha,,, well, the short answer to your original questions was "up there" :D
    I've been playing all my life and there are some guitarists who I look at and think, man, They got it!

    Adrian Belew is another of my favorites. He's out there, too. I guess I'm out there! Zappa helped put Belew on the map, too. I love the Baby Snakes movie. Great performances with Zappa and Belew in that one.
    I like the obscure players,
    Ry Cooder
    Adrian Belew
    Robert Fripp
    Sharon Isbin
    and about a hundred others!

    Well thanks for the tip. I've never heard of any of those.

    I only have a couple of his albums and I mostly like him because... I just enjoy listening and singing along. :o Sexual Harassment is one of my favourites though which is what made me wonder.

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