Comments on: ce n'est pas une bicyclette

ce n'est pas une bicyclette

madamjujujive — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 18:58:15 -0800

In 1963, a full 3 years before his first MoI recording, a young, beardless Zappa appeared live on the Steve Allen show playing a musical composition on bicycles. Jerry Hopkins, the show's talent coordinator, discusses how the young musician's debut performance came about. Hardcore zappaphiles can view Part 1, Part 2 (Danger: long & grainy B&W YouTube clips, diamonds in the rough).

By: rxrfrx

rxrfrx — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 19:09:30 -0800

wow(ie)!

By: George_Spiggott

George_Spiggott — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 19:11:34 -0800

OMFG. We can jam in Joe's Garage, indeed. Thank you for this.

By: absalom

absalom — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 19:19:18 -0800

Another damn YouTube video! Excellent find.

By: Ethereal Bligh

Ethereal Bligh — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 19:20:38 -0800

That's wonderful. A lot of people probably don't know that Zappa's first love was always "New Music".

By: caddis

caddis — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 19:21:44 -0800

Tube Shot! that was great, thank you madam.

By: kosem

kosem — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 19:22:07 -0800

I'm listening to Zappa right now. Your taste and timing are exquisite madamjujujive. As usual. Also, folks like me who never had the pleasure of live Zappa should go check out Zappa plays Zappa. The show at the Beacon theater a few weeks ago was really quite good, which I found surprising. Just realized that the last show was this last weekend. I'm late with my plug. What a shame. You should have seen it.

By: George_Spiggott

George_Spiggott — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 19:33:59 -0800

Later, with the help of Mike Nesmith, he was to graduate from the bicycle to bigger things.

By: ArsncHeart

ArsncHeart — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 19:37:01 -0800

Thank you for these links. Oh, thank you. Zappa, we hardly knew ye.

By: tellurian

tellurian — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 19:47:00 -0800

Sweet! Susie, Yes.

By: newfers

newfers — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 20:03:03 -0800

Zappa was and is one of the greats. My god, I must have 30 cd's of his music, and I have barely scratched the surface. Also, I should note there's scarcely a dud amongst the lot. Some albums were better than others, but Zappa was never, ever boring. Thank you SO much for this post! I've heard about this appearance, and it was great to finally see it!

By: snsranch

snsranch — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 20:55:35 -0800

Damn, MJJJ, this is cool beyonds words. Gracias!

By: elr

elr — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 21:30:27 -0800

Wow, first a Peter Pan porno by Alan Moore and now this. What a lovely day! I'm gonna go listen to a live version of "Billy the Mountain" now. Thanks.

By: fenriq

fenriq — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 21:58:43 -0800

That was pretty nice to watch, thanks madame!

By: dbiedny

dbiedny — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 21:59:07 -0800

Yummy Thanks. At the Moogfest in NYC last week, the School of Rock did a pair of Zappa covers. It was beyond great.

By: nickyskye

nickyskye — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 22:00:19 -0800

That is an amazing video Madamjujujive. What cojones Zappa had and visionary mischief. Frank was very Dada, in spite of being a Mother. For my 13th birthday I got the Freak Out album. Certainly wasn't Donovan. I was disappointed at first and then flattered because it was really interesting, complex and daring in ways I never heard anybody's music be at that time. Transcript of Zappa testimony before Congress (1985) regarding contents of music and the lyrics of records. Frank Zappa Conehead, Alien Orifice. Zappa Internet Jam Sessions. 200 Motels trailer. Great info on good ole Wikipedia about Frank.

By: sirvesa

sirvesa — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 22:26:52 -0800

I too have about 30 Zappa cds and they are all pretty good. The thing that was most amazing about him was his range. There is an album for every mood. This was very cool to watch. Amazing that TV at the time would take a chance on this sort of thing. Can anyone imagine them doing that today? I don't think so.

By: puke & cry

puke & cry — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 22:55:09 -0800

That was incredible! Thank you, Madamjujujive!

By: bardic

bardic — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 23:15:09 -0800

Great stuff, and thanks for the further links nickyskye. Further adds to my inchoate theory that there was nothing radical about the late sixties, other than what they built upon thanks to achievements in American culture in the 1950's and early 1960's. Just looking so put together in that suit and proceeding to do something Fluxus-like on national TV--that's art.

By: spacelux

spacelux — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:14:05 -0800

Great links! Loved the Mike Nesmith and Zappa video too! Since nickyskye mentioned Conehead, how about Zappa with the Coneheads? sorry for the nosebleed video (let's all bless youtube & google in the meantime)

By: hortense

hortense — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 01:03:13 -0800

Frank mentions writing the score for Timothy Carey's Worlds Greatest Sinner.Not to mention the talking asshole and our own growabrain

By: wsg

wsg — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 01:47:38 -0800

I would have voted for him for POTUS after reading his book. It's great. Frank was great on so many levels. Frank's priceless, erudite 1986 appearance on Crossfire (where he owns Robert Novak and that other republican blowhard) has been posted here before. Here's the appearance at the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearings to modify the existing state pornography statute so as to include records, tapes and CDs, which was defeated in no small part, me thinks, because of Zappa's efforts. '86 was a busy year for Frank.

By: Joseph Gurl

Joseph Gurl — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 02:24:58 -0800

that's pretty funny. Too bad I can't take Zappa. There's a great bike group called the Portland Bicycle Ensemble that has taken these ideas to a pretty impressive extent; all the players are active instrumental improvisers as well, so they have very "musical" sensibilities. They ride the bikes to gigs with the amps in bike trailers. Love those guys.

By: madamjujujive

madamjujujive — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 04:41:56 -0800

Most excellent links in thread, many thanks to all for creating a very rich and fun thread. I wonder how I have missed growabrain's stellar Zappa treasure trove until now??? I am going to have to tuck that away for tonight if I want to get any work done today.

By: Smedleyman

Smedleyman — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 10:59:19 -0800

madamjujujive, dude, thanks a lot! *gushes*