FRANK ZAPPA – Zappa Picks – by Larry LaLonde of Primus (2002 Rykodisc)
This was a cool idea for a series. I love the concept. Big name fans of Zappa compiling their own Zappa disc. I only know of one other disc — a Zappa Picks by Jon Fishman of Phish. I prefer Primus to Phish, so getting Larry LaLonde’s instalment of Zappa Picks seemed like a good idea. LaLonde assembled an eminently listenable, endlessly entertaining and humorous Zappa album. And of course the playing is still stunning, because it’s Zappa.
What I like about this album is that you get a lot of great and challenging tunes that aren’t on the Simply Commercial hits album. In fact I think there’s only one song that appears on both! The CD is sequenced in such a way that it sounds like an actual album in terms of flow. Songs merge into each other seamlessly and the pacing is perfect. I’m discovering a lot of music I missed, because I simply don’t have all the Zappa albums. Who does?
This is spacey fun. It’s guitar nirvana. It’s percussive. There is a wealth of material both instrumental and vocal. It’s weird all the way to the edges of comprehension. It stretches every genre you can think of. It’s anything but boring.
Highlights:
- “Five-Five-FIVE”
- “Dumb all Over”
- “Camarillo Brillo”
- “Doreen”
- “Wind Up Workin’ in a Gas Station”
- “Black Page #2”
5/5 stars
mikeladano.com 
Who has all the Zappa albums? I dunno…lemme check my record collection!!! ;)
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I think I’d prefer this to the Best Of collection that I have. In fact, I think they should take this approach with artists more often.
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Judas Priest had something similar called Chosen Few. They had famous rock stars pick the songs.
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Kiss-Kiss Picks-by Lebrain of Record Store Tales(2016)
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Am I limited to a single CD tracklist?
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Only enough to fit a triple vinyl edition
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Although I want the Japanese version
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Does LaLonde record any covers for the album or does he just arrange the setlist?
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He just made the track listing. He did play in a Zappa cover band called Caca. They only played a few times.
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A guy I knew in university, called Smelly Dave, used to have a Zappa shelf … CDs as far as the eye could see (almost). He might be in with a shout of having them all!
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Haha we all knew a guy in university named Smelly Dave.
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He wasn’t at all – no idea where the name came from.
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Well you lucked out, then. Our Smelly Dave was pretty rank. Big heart, though. He always offered to shre his pickled onions and garlic.
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“… pickled onions and garlic.”
We know why he was Smelly Dave, then.
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Mmmm pickled onions. Eat ’em like candy!
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This looks awesome. I ain’t a Zappa afficianado, but I always like what I hear. This could be a great trip through his weird piles of awesome.
So, when can we expect Lebrain’s Zappa Picks?
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You want DD’s Zappa Picks?
You got about 9 spare cdrs handy?
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Sure! I’ve got a whole spindle of 50 here!
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Also: Ashamed to admit I only own about 3 albums on LP. No CDs. Zappa is one artist I resisted starting because I knew it’d be a slippery slope and there’s just So Much out there…
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If I were just starting I would get
Absolutley Free
Hot Rats
One Size Fits All
Roxy and Elsewhere
Zappa In New York
You Are What You Is
Broadway the Hard Way
You Cant Do That On Stage vol 1/2
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You can’t. Maybe one day, but I haven’t heard enough Zappa to make a Picks.
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