Album : Bongo Fury – Zappa/Beefheart/Mothers

Hanspostcard asked me and a few other good people to be part of a project where we take a few of our favorite albums to a desert island. It’s been a lot of fun and I’ve picked up some new music and some reminders of others I haven’t listened to for a while. It is really cool to hear the personal stories related to the various picks. So below is one of the albums I decided to take with me (along with lots of cigars, potato chips, grape soda, chocolate bars, fishing rod, some matches, sunglasses, lotion, hammock, lots of water and some flares in case I get sick of myself).

Have to take some Zappa and this one with Captain Beefheart fills the bill. Has the mix that I need. Frank doing his live thing with a great band and throw in the Captain doing his thing. Right up my alley. Mad jazz, hard rock, a taste of country and like Frank says “A little madness”

I’m a huge fan of Frank’s guitar playing and he cuts loose on this one often.  With Zappa and Beefheart together I get a two for one deal. I get “Bongo Fury”. The music is all over the map and it is more than a taste of Zappa live ( 3 studio cuts). One of those cuts is ‘200 Years Old’ a slow blues with Beefheart sounding like his inspiration,  Howlin Wolf/Muddy Waters. Frank laying down some of those chops I like. It’s not smooth but it’s greasy and rough the way they intended and it sounds great.

‘Advance Romance’ gets some vocal help from Napoleon Murphy Brock and George Duke (great Zappa sidemen) and the band jams and does their live thing. Again Frank does some tasty solos. The album ends with the top 40 hit ‘Muffin Man’ (just kidding. It should have been). Frank takes us out, laying down some last licks, he introduces the band and the Captain adds some of his silky smooth vocals. Man do I miss these guys and girls.

So there it is folks. The Zappa/Beefheart/Mothers experience. It’s unique. They didn’t make a lot of music together. Maybe that’s a good thing for some people. Not me.

Really had to think about this. I’ve been on an extended Zappa listen lately. There are so many great releases and re-releases (7 hrs of Hot Rats) that I could lock into but I’ll go with one of my original listens for nostalgic reasons and other things. I miss ya Frank, Don, Mothers. But I still have the music. “I wish I had a pair of bongos”

Oh ya. I’m packing the bongos right now.

Check out Fox’s take below. He’s a bongo player too. Along with the two CB’s and Brando.

https://hotfox63.com/2020/07/03/19805/#comments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oFtYkPhTDo