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Barry
26-06-2009, 11:07
Good Morning Everybody,

Thought all you Zappaphiles out there might be interested in an article about Zappa's 'Hot Rats' album in the August edition of HiFi News magazine.

Off to the pub now to raise a glass to Michael Jackson.

The Grand Wazoo
26-06-2009, 16:22
Hot Rats is the album that made many folks sit up & listen to Zappa (for a while, anyway).

While The Beatles were messing with 8 track recording, Frank was among the pioneers of using 16 tracks - & I think that's one of the reasons why this album was so great. It allowed for the possibility of using the vast array of musical talent that Ian Underwood had at his disposal - there are places on Hot Rats where he was multi-tracked up to 10 times on various different instruments. It was also, I think, the first album where a proper fully stereo miked up drumkit was recorded - one track each for the bass drum and snare coupled with a left & a right stereo track for the other parts of the kit.

It's also perhaps the first album to really show what Zappa was capable of doing with a guitar.
I love 'Son of Mr. Green Genes' & 'Peaches en Regalia'.

I'll be collecting my copy of HFN tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to reading the piece.

Barry
26-06-2009, 16:42
............While The Beatles were messing with 8 track recording, Frank was among the pioneers of using 16 tracks - & I think that's one of the reasons why this album was so great. It allowed for the possibility of using the vast array of musical talent that Ian Underwood had at his disposal - there are places on Hot Rats where he was multi-tracked up to 10 times on various different instruments. It was also, I think, the first album where a proper fully stereo miked up drumkit was recorded - one track each for the bass drum and snare coupled with a left & a right stereo track for the other parts of the kit.

It's also perhaps the first album to really show what Zappa was capable of doing with a guitar.
I love 'Son of Mr. Green Genes' & 'Peaches en Regalia'.
.........


Hi Chris,

You not wrong :eyebrows: - "read horl abart it" in the HiFi News article.

Barry
27-06-2009, 09:10
By now Chris you should have obtained your copy of HFN and so might understand my cryptic comment.

Your posting was remarkably prescient, especially on the miking of the drum kit and of Ian Underwood's contribution. (The final paragraph in the 'Production Notes' column on p.74 is interesting.)

Are you sure you are not moonlighting and writing for HFN under the nom de plume 'John Bamford'?

Regards

The Grand Wazoo
27-06-2009, 09:50
By now Chris you should have obtained your copy of HFN and so might understand my cryptic comment.

Your posting was remarkably prescient, especially on the miking of the drum kit and of Ian Underwood's contribution. (The final paragraph in the 'Production Notes' column on p.74 is interesting.)

Are you sure you are not moonlighting and writing for HFN under the nom de plume 'John Bamford'?

Regards

No, I still haven't got it yet! A couple of hours before I can get into town (I've been too busy cleaning & posting records in the village for some geezer!!)

The Grand Wazoo
27-06-2009, 17:13
Hahaha Barry,
Yes I see what you mean! Just read the piece & it says all I said plus more (though I think I was a little more specific about the miking up of the drumkit for stereo).

I'll be playing it later, I think.

Barry
28-06-2009, 01:58
Just think of all those hundreds of hours of live recordings waiting for you! And all the alternative versions of 'Hot Rats'. :lol: