Hot Rats

The reason that Zappa’s drummer auditions were “brutal” was simply that his music was brutal to play. Zappa’s compositions were unusually angular and often written in very unusual and complicated asymmetric meter (time signatures) and road maps. Most virtuoso (in the usual sense) drummers capable of laying down a great groove in 4/4 or 3/4 would not stand a chance playing many of Zappa’s compositions and would fall apart very quickly. Same with players on any other instrument.

FZ’s “Keep It Greasy”: Time signature alternates between 19/16 and 21/16 with a slow section (guitar solo) in 11/4…..AND then make it groove, or improvise a solo. Good luck with that!

With all of the discussion of drummers, I'm surprised no one has brought up the infamous "The Black Page #1" and the "easy teenage New York version," "The Black Page #2."

Terry Bozzio talked about playing it and said, "...it just sat on my music stand and for about 15 minutes every day for 2 weeks, before we would rehearse, I would work on it. And after 2 weeks I had it together and I played it for him. And he said, "Great!!" took it home, wrote the melody and the chord changes, brought it back in. And we all started playing it."

Saw Hot rats Hoped this was a zappa post.

Please get the Hot rat sessions boxed set- 6cds i think, will let you hear how the hot rats album came together.

Have pretty much every released Lp and cd,

In addition have 500 Live tapes.

Example I have 5 version of the shut up and play your guitar set.

Original Mail order set,

original box set

YSL Jap pressing set

ect.

Saw him a few times In the seventies at the Chicago Auditorium and once conducting the Chicago Civic Orchestra performing the Yellow Shark plus a rehearsal earlier.  My brother was a member in his teens (viola).