*** Frank Zappa ***

[Rabshakeh]

Whilst we are on Zappa and blues, does anyone know, from interviews or books, what blues musicians most influenced Zappa's own blues writing?

His blues tracks generally sound quite similar to each other, but don't sound much like the standard Muddy Waters template that much white blues of the era starts with. (Not intending to say that all white blues of the 60s sounds like Muddy Waters, but, if it isn't MW, it is often quite easy to spot whatever the influence is, whereas here I find it harder. I may just not be familiar.)

Howling Wolf's raspier records are obviously in there. Rhythmically I hear Billy Boy Arnold, maybe? 

[mjzee]

Someone posted this on Facebook:

Frank Zappa : "There was a place in San Diego on the ground floor of the Maryland Hotel where you could buy R&B singles unobtainable elsewhere - all those Lightnin' Slim and Slim Harpo sides on the Excello label. (The reason you couldn't order them in the 'white-person record stores' was that Excello had a policy that if a store wanted to carry their R&B line, it also had to take their gospel catalog.) The only way I could get a Lightnin' Slim record was to travel a couple hundred miles and buy it secondhand, all scratched up. (The Real Frank Zappa Book 1989):

Did you have any friends at the time who shared your enthusiasm for Varèse?

Frank Zappa : No, but I would play it for them anyway. I mean, usually if they'd come over to the house, everybody does this same thing, if you have records, you tend to play your favorite items for whoever comes in. And that gives them the test to find out what kind of person that individual is. What I used to do was play them parts of the Varèse album and then play them Lightnin' Slim things like "My Starter Won't Start" or "Have Your Way" or I'd play them some Howlin' Wolf. That would clear them out really fast.

They didn't like that stuff either?

FZ: Well, usually that would get rid of the girls and the ignorant boys and what was left over was somebody you could have a conversation with.

It's interesting that you mention these two separate currents because I was introduced to your work by a classical cello player who mostly listens to avant-garde 20th century music and you.

FZ: Well, he's missing a good bet by not checking out those old records by guys like Lonesome Sundown and Lightnin' Slim. That's good stuff because it's real direct, it's not a matter of pretense there. It's right to the point.

- Frank Zappa, quoted in Frank Zappa: The SongTalk Interview.

[Д.Д.]

 

[Rabshakeh]

Thanks! Some good answers.

Presumably what's good for Zappa is also good for Beefheart.