FILLMORE EAST - PLAYGROUND PSYCHOTICS: COMEDY SHOWS WITH FLO AND EDDIE

Zappa became impressed by Flo and Eddie's vocal abilities and gave them the central role for his next three albums. They went touring for two years as the eye catchers of the second line up of the Mothers of Invention. Recordings from these live performances are available on three CDs, "Fillmore East, june 1971", "Just another band from L.A." and a documentary like double CD "Playgrond psychotics". At this time the lyrics had for several episodes become the main dish with Flo and Eddie behaving like comedians. With these lyrics Zappa tried to entertain as well as shock his public, including disgusting sexual acts, a song about god on a sofa floating through the universe and a story about a mountain being drafted (the sofa episode can be found on "You can't do that on stage anymore vol. I"). They set the tone for his habit of describing sex in an unromantic pornographic way. The music during the dialogue parts of the live performances didn't have an important role, sometimes being no more than some vamping background accompanyment as in "Do you like my new car" or pausing a moment as occasionally done during "Billy the mountain".

FILLMORE EAST, JUNE 1971

On stage the groupie life became one of the themes, that gradually developped into something of a mini opera, released on "Fillmore East june 1971". The CD re-release improved the idea of a series of songs about the bizarre sex life of groupies, because the awkward way it was cut in half on the album could now be avoided. It's also better mixed.
Next are two examples in 4/4 where Zappa is using syncopes and triplets to make the rhythm within the metre more complicated. Whereas the main "Latex solar beef" theme has a regular rhythm, the accompanying figures are using syncopes on the fourth beat. In the first bar they set in a 16th before the beat and then divide the remaining time into two; in the second bar the "Mudd shark" notes are played a 16th in front and after the beat. The "Latex solar beef" theme returns in a variation at the beginning of "Willy the Pimp".

Latex solar beef, opening (midi file)
Willie the Pimp (1971), Latex solar beef variation (midi file)

Latex solar beef, opening (transcription)
Willy the pimp (1971), Latex solar beef variation (transcription)

The slow main riff from "Willy the Pimp" (originally on "Hot Rats") is in a normal rhythm. It neatly follows upon the "Latex solar beef" variation, introducing a solo in between the vocal parts. It's a fine solo and the bootlegs from this period (see the Beat the boots section) indicate that there were more of them. "Willy the Pimp" is one of the two instances were Zappa changed his opinions on CD by leaving something completely out. "Willy the Pimp" now got a more normal ending and part II was removed. The other instance concerns the synthesizer ending of "I'm so cute" on "Sheik Yerbouti", that was shortened.

Willy the pimp (1971), theme (midi file)

Willy the pimp (1971), theme (transcription)

"Bwana dick" is one of Zappa's songs in the tradition of "Brown shoes don't make it", where he's using many themes in different tempi, different keys and different meters. Of the original songs on "Fillmore East", this one is the most divers. It's the opposite of the two vamp based pieces, "Mudd shark" and "Do you like me new car", where the lyrics stand central.

Bwana dick, section (midi file)

Bwana dick, section (transcription)

SOME TIME IN NEW YORK CITY

When Zappa was giving his three concerts at the Fillmore East in June, he was introduced to John Lennon and Yoko Ono, who had recently moved from London to New York. It was proposed that John and Yoko would do a guest appearance at the end of the late concert that day. Four pieces were prepared, a regular cover song called "Well" and three improvisations. The ensuing live jam session is more interesting because it's weird, than for its musical content. The first improvisation, named "Jamrag" by John and Yoko, consisted of John and Yoko stuff and Mothers routines, including Zappa's "King Kong" theme. The second one, "Scumbag", was another joint jam, this one around a vamp. The four bars vamp was made up of John chanting "scumbag" every two bars and a bass motif, played with several variations during this song. The vamp tends to dominate, but there's no use in listening to the "scumbag" line as if it were a lead melody, it simply won't change. The song gets better listenable when you devote most of your attention to what the other parts are doing. The score below might help, the "scumbag" notes are only a minor part of what's going on in total. As composers of "Scumbag" Lennon, Ono, Kaylan and Zappa get jointly credited. Yoko is singing and squealing through all pieces and gets a chance to show what sounds her vocal chords can produce in the last improvisation, while John is feedbacking. It's titled "Au" by John and herself and "A small eternity with Yoko Ono" by Zappa.

Scumbag, 1:03 till 1:15 (midi file)

Scumbag, 1:03 till 1:15 (transcription)

The next day it was agreed upon that both would release a version of their own on their upcoming albums and Zappa gave John a copy of the tape. John and Yoko included this live jam as a bonus on their 1972 double album "Some time in New York City". It's a political pamphlet with so called protest songs, half of them by John, half of them by Yoko. It sold poorly for Lennon standards. Whereas Zappa had parodied the Sergeant Pepper album sleeve of the Beatles, John now parodied Zappa's Fillmore East cover on his turn, writing all over it in red. Zappa may have liked this, but he wasn't amused by that he didn't get co-credited for "Jamrag". On the recent 2005 single CD issue Yoko appears to have skipped most of the jam, the double CD is the original version. For contractual reasons Zappa couldn't bring out his version that year. It only resurfaced in 1992 on "Playground psychotics". "Jamrag" got split into "Say please" and "Aaawk", leaving out the "King Kong" theme. The mix of Zappa's "Scumbag" is quite different from what John's producer Phil Spector did. The guitars aren't in the foreground no more and Howard Kaylan, who was almost mixed out, is back in business.

Photos:
- Yoko Ono, John Lennon and FZ
- Fillmore East cover by Cal Schenkel with additions in pink by Al Steckler, John and Yoko.
Source: Some time in New York city CD booklet.



PLAYGROUND PSYCHOTICS

"Some time in New York city" is an album you can afford to make when you're already rich and famous, when there's no record company executive trying to obstruct things because it's less commercial. The same applies to Zappa's "Playgroud psychotics". To quote from the liner notes: "This album moves beyond mere rock 'n roll into the dangerous realm of social anthropology. It offers to younger musicians the chance to participate vicariously in the touring world of the early 1970's (way back when it was still fun to do)". And that is exactly what this double CD does. If you go along with Zappa's intentions it becomes enjoyable. Nearly half of the material is made up of takes from recorded conversations, while being on the road. The combination with music from three shows works well for building up a documentary and if things had been filmed as well it would have been nice to have on DVD.
Musically there's little news. The jam with John Lennon from above is on it, some collages and several known pieces, that don't differ much from their original releases. Included are two solos, one on keyboard during "Billy the mountain" and a guitar solo by Zappa called "Brixton still life". It starts over a pedestrian beat on D. After 50 seconds the bass player sets the meter to 4/4. It is from this point onwards that the transcribed section from below is taken.

Brixton still life, 0:50 till 1:20 (midi file)

Brixton still life, 0:50 till 1:20 (transcription)

"Playground psychotics" was constructed in 1992 when Zappa was severely ill. It must have taken quite some time going through the recorded conversations, but I have the impression that more could have been made of the music if Zappa would have had more time. I don't know to what extent the concerts got recorded, but there are some things on the bootlegs from this period, that I personally would have welcomed on this CD. See the Beat the boots section for a "Call any vegetable" solo from 1970 and a variation upon "Who are the brain police" on "Disconnected synapsis". Then there's a solo following upon "Holiday in Berlin" on "Tengo na minchia tanta" and a "go to the club..." intro to the groupies opera on the same CD.

The touring with Flo and Eddie ended abruptedly in December 1971 with disasters for the band. At a Montreux gig in November the concert hall took fire and the touring equipment got distroyed. Worse, Zappa got thrown off a stage in London the next month, where he had to be taken to a hospital with both legs broken. Zappa was forced to recuperate at his home. Indirectly this meant the end of The Mothers of Invention in this set up.

Mark Volman, Howard Kaylan, Aynsley Dunbar and FZ
Photo by Jorgen Angel, used with permission.

The following block is quoted from http:\\www.theturtles.com in 2005, a little interview with Flo and Eddie reflecting upon their time with Frank from 1970 till 1993:
"What did you think of Frank Zappa? Whatever happened between you guys and Frank? Did you remain friends?
Answer:
Howard: "Frank was an icon for a generation, and a true genius...also one of the greatest guitar players...."
After the incident in London, England, Mark and Howard continued touring with the members of The Mothers. This was the first Flo & Eddie Band. Howard: Yes, we DID see Frank after the Rainbow Theatre accident...It took a while, but Frank sat in with us in NYC at the Bottom Line one year, and we sat in with his band in Detroit the year after...."
"Toward the end, we became good friends again, going up to his famous studio and watching our old concert footage; laughing about the good old days. He knew that the clock was ticking but he kept chain-smoking, coffee drinking and eating anchovy pizza...The man was one of the few real geniuses I've ever had the honor to work with."
In addition to a couple of live onstage guest appearances, in 1987 Mark and Howard reunited with Frank....
Howard:"Frank's original intention was to get the "Filmore East" band back together to do one huge world tour...."
"So we got together in L.A. at a rehearsal hall for two days...." Unfortunately, it was not to be. Apparently there are tapes of the rehearsals in existence somewhere.
When asked which of his bands were Frank's favourites, Gail Zappa was quoted in an interview as saying he liked all of them, but mentioned Mark, Howard and Aynsley Dunbar as particular favourite members for their talent and senses of humour."