If you notice, Fanatics, tonight is a bit of a concept show. It’s all Zappa, all night. We take this Saturday’s broadcast to do this because on 12-04-93, Frank Zappa passed away. I know, it’s not the happiest occasion to celebrate the man, his music and his considerable intellect but I wanted to do it, so here we are.
It was at the 4th of december at the KCRW radio where Henry Rollins has his own programme – the two-hour show can be listened there online (the setlist is also there!). Have fun, Fanatics!
Very cool that Rollins should have done this, but checking the set list it’s like FZ wasted the last 13+ years of his life: no music from that period.
See, that’s what us fanatics notice!
One can hardly blame him for choosing the cover version of WPLJ from Burnt Weeny Sandwich over the one from Does Humor Belong In Music, though.
Regarding his choices of material, his statement on the page indicates right upfront that he’s relatively new to FZ, only included things from albums he owns, and wants to know more. For a non-fanatic, this is an excellent playlist, and bravo to Henry for using his airtime for such a wonderful purpose!
Always been a huge fan of Rollins…. its nice he can be a Zappa fan too.
Best concert I ever saw as well was Rollins too.
I wrote to Henry last year saying I was digging the fact that he had started playing some Zappa on his show. He wrote back asking for recommendations of more albums to check out! I’m not claiming any influence, but he did play three or four songs from albums I recommended to him. 🙂
Henry is a true music Fanatic and appreciates good music even if he doesn’t understand it. In the past when he’s played Zappa he has been quoted as saying he hasn’t heard much all of Frank’s music but he’s liked everything he’s heard so far. In speaking on Jazz he says up front that he’s in no way qualified to comment on the likes of John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy or Duke Ellington. That said I’d be willing to bet he knows far more about these musicians than the average person.
As an underground Canadian writer, I’d always been inspired by Rollins’ DIY Punk ethos which he brings to everything that he does. Given the format of his radio show, his FZ choices were a perfect primer for someone new to Zappa’s catalog. Unlike many of his generation, it’s refreshing to hear someone who keeps his opinion close to his chest, and lets his choice in music do the speaking for him.