Frank Zappa's Joe's Garage Gets its Premirere 29 Years On

[evlbstrd]

Rock opera, like its revered creator, was ahead of its time
BY STEVEN LEIGH MORRIS
Published on September 18, 2008

Ted Soqui
Jason Paige's Joe: Solipsistic bliss in his garage, relishing an art form about to be banned
Some people can just seethings coming. In 1979, one year before Ronald Reagan was elected president, Frank Zappa wrote a rock opera called Joe's Garage. It's a "stupid story," said Zappa, a fantasia about a garage-band singer who finds himself at odds with an increasingly religious, controlling society in which music is eventually banned for its destructive effects on society.

Much more:
http://www.laweekly.com/2008-09-18/stage/racy-against-time/1

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. I wish he was still around to run for president

There's a campaign I would LOVE to work on. LOL

[evlbstrd]

2. I still have the t-shirt from his 80s campaign.

He was brilliant and Joe's Garage was truly prophetic.

[amerikat]

3. link to the song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlIe5mBqIB4

for those that are wondering what this post is about.

[Initech]

4. Joe's Garage (1979) = Year Zero (2007) ?

Both albums revolve around exactly the same premise. I'm sure if Zappa were still alive today that he and Trent Reznor would be in cahoots and creating something truly genius.

[young_at_heart]

5. I remember him from high school (vaguely)

He was in the class behind me. Frank Zappa’s band during high school was called The Blackouts.

[evlbstrd]

10. Yes!

How cool is that?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

6. "These executives have plooked the fuck out of me" - FZ, "Outside Now," Joe's Garage, 1979

These executives have plooked the fuck out of me
And there's still a long time to go before I've paid my debt to society
All I ever really wanted to do was Play the guitar 'n' bend the string like
reent-toont-teent-toont-teenooneenoonee
I've got it
I'll be sullen and withdrawn
I'll dwindle off into the twilight realm of my own secret thoughts
I'll lay on my back here until dawn
In a semi-catatonic state
And dream of guitar notes that would irritate
An executive kind of guy...

:toast:

[XOKCowboy]

7. Watermelon in Easter Hay - the last great guitar solo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBQPkLuwy80

Frank for some reason played Tulsa twice in the late 70s. The first time was on the Joe's Garage tour and the second was You Are What You Is. So I've been blessed twice in this life.

Frank was the unrecognized genius of our age.

[evlbstrd]

It's a beautiful, mournful solo.

I only got to see him once, but have been a fan since I first heard Freak Out in 1970 (I was running a little late).

[XOKCowboy]

13. I got started on Freak Out..

That says a little about both of us doesn't it? ;)

[evlbstrd]

23. That's a good thing.

[evlbstrd]

11. dupe

[Kat45]

8. Great! I wish I could see it.

I love "Joe's Garage." Bought the albums when they came out.

[Bennyboy]

9. I have always seen this as a play....

I am so glad they are doing it and hope it has a looooooooong run.

Frank was the best.

[evlbstrd]

12. He described the production in the album booklets.

A cheesy grade school play with cardboard sets.

[XOKCowboy]

14. A kick for Frank

You are missed.

[spag68]

15. Zappa

was a real genius. My fave was Mothers live with Flo and Eddie< the turtles> including but not limited to the "Mud Shark" and "Peaches and Regalia". As a public service, everyone now knows not to eat the yellow snow.

[Jeanette in FL]

16. That was a great article

I can only imagine what Frank would be saying now after 8 years of this regime.

From the article: (I can literally hear Frank speaking)

The next year, 1986, Zappa appeared on CNN's Crossfire, with so-called leftist journalist Tom Braden (a former employee of the CIA's International Organizations Division), conservative columnist Robert Novak and John Lofton of the right-leaning Washington Times. In a contentious conversation, Zappa revealed the prescience that makes Joe's Garage as relevant as the day it was written:


Lofton: Do you support records that promote incest as just another kind of sex, or in some instances it might even be preferable? Do you agree with that?

Zappa: No I don't agree with it. I don't have any interest in incest ... but I didn't realize that incest was such a terrible problem in the United States that we suddenly need government intervention ...

Lofton: Does the government have any purpose, Frank?

Zappa: Yeah, it has a number of purposes ... how about national defense?

Lofton: I consider this national defense, pal! Our families are under attack by people like you, with these lyrics.

Braden: John, you don't have to buy them.

Zappa: Can I make a statement about national defense? The biggest threat to America today is not communism, it's moving America toward a fascist theocracy, and everything that's happened during the Reagan administration is steering us right down that pipe.

Novak:... Do you really think ... in this country, with the permissiveness, that we are moving toward a fascist theocracy?

Zappa: You bet we are, buddy.



Braden: One example of a fascist theocracy?

Zappa: When you have a government that prefers a certain moral code derived from a certain religion, and that moral code turns into legislation to suit one certain religious point of view, and if that code happens to be very, very right wing, almost toward Attila the Hun ...

Lofton: Then you are an anarchist. Every form of civil government is based on some kind of morality, Frank.

Zappa: Morality in terms of behavior, not in terms of theology.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

"Joe's Garage" is one of my all time favorite songs. Hope that they have a great run with this production.

BTW, aren't we long over due for another round of beers? :toast:

[evlbstrd]

24. Long overdue.

I finally got smart and started brewing my own!

[Philosoraptor]

17. One of the best albums ever!

[Hubert Flottz]

18. This Frank Zappa tune is one of my all time favorite FZ tunes...

And I loved them all...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V11SDRxGZDA

[KharmaTrain]

19. I Hope That Means My Vinyl Copies Will Be Worth More...

There were two albums...Joe's Garage that came out in '79 and then Parts II & III in '80.

I'd love to see a full choreographed version of "Wet T-Shirt Nite". :rofl:

That was at the height of his rebellion against the music industry...great stuff. Glad to see it coming to life.

[Liberal Dose]

20. I adored Frank Zappa and am always happily surprised when someone else gets my Central Scrutinizer

jokes.
I didn't realize Frank was a prophet, too:
Zappa: Can I make a statement about national defense? The biggest threat to America today is not communism, it's moving America toward a fascist theocracy, and everything that's happened during the Reagan administration is steering us right down that pipe.

[Mabus]

21. Frank who?

Gotcha!

It's about time. If their production of "Joe's Garage" is half as good as Zappa's "200 Motels" then I will want to see it.

[progressoid]

22. My first Zappa album!

I remember playing it for high school friends and they were both amazed and confused. It was great!

[Zomby Woof]

25. A little green rosetta

Will make yer muffin betta!

[zappaman]

26. He would be appalled

but not surprised about where our country is today. Everyone knows he spoke in Washington about record labeling, but not too many know he did the same at the state house in Annapolis. Some right-wing woman had put forth a bill even more radical then the Washington women and he just destroyed it.
My favorite quote was in reference to the section that described what was allowed to be seen on a record when it came to a woman's chest. Although full of technical terms and measurements, it basically said you could not show any nipple. Frank said, "I love nipples. It's one of the first thing you see when you pop out of the womb. They're beautiful and they are what makes a breast. Take away the nipple, and what do you have? A blob of fat."
The bill went down in flames.
God, I miss him.
Can't wait to see this show.

[Pluvious]

27. Thank you so much for posting this

I am SO gonna see this, I can't believe they've done it.
I've often thot this would make such a fun play.

This is just so fucking cool

---
"It isn't getting any smarter out there."
-Frank Zappa

[evlbstrd]

29. I'd have to sell my body to get to LA to see it.

That won't get me past Lawrence, KS.
If you see it, let me know what you think of it.

[Pluvious]

31. There is no IF about it

LOL - it's my destiny to see this

Events like this are why I continue to live in LA
(that plus the beachy weather is hard to beat)

(oh, and the girls, gotta love all these sluts heh heh)

I will most definitely post a review !!!

(after I come back to Earth)

[PufPuf23]

28. Frank is my cultural hero

Good to see he is so appreciated at DU.

Saw him first at Eureka Municipal Auditorium circa 1968 and last in Berkeley with orchestra and puppets and no rock band at Zellerbach at UC circa 1986 and about 15X in between at Winterland, Fillmore West, Berkeley Comunity Theatre, Circle Star (with Tom Waits, what a weird venue), and probably elsewhere but I forget now. lol

I really liked the Apostrophe/Roxy Band but my favoriate album is probably We're Only in it for the Money. Freakout came out my sophmore year of HS.

[evlbstrd]

30. You lived in the right place at the right time.

I envy you. We're the same age.

[Bonobo]

32. I wish someone would pick up "Thingfish" instead.

Harry, you're a woooooooorm!