From fstroupe@gmi.net Thu Feb 06 03:34:46 2003
Subject:so far OT .....Zappa, Cooper, Allmans, Won't get fooled again.

I saw the Who in 75...during the organ thing on "Won't get fooled again",
they just stood around looking at each other. I thought that it looked
pretty silly...but otherwise, the performance was so awesome, it really
didn't matter. Hell, they were touring the album with "Squeeze Box" on it,
probably the most lame music they ever put out, and the concert still blew
me away.

>Similarly, the playing on the studio albums that preceded Fillmore East
isn't nearly as exciting >or interesting as what we hear on that live album.
Everyone's playing better on Fillmore East. >Simply put, if they were "off
their game" on Fillmore East, I'd like to hear the evidence, from >that same
era, that demonstrates what they were like when they were *on* their game.
You'd >think there would be something on tape somewhere to prove it. But I
haven't heard about it.

I personally prefer the live versions over the studio versions of most of
their songs. They, themselves, considered themselves a jazz or jam band,
with live performance their forte. For years, I have been seeking video of
the Fillmore shows, to no avail. I assume some exist, have seen a couple of
small clips on something on MTV or VH1.

I agree fully that there is no evidence that they were "off their game" at
the Fillmore. All I have to go on is the opinion of someone I trust.
Actually, it really pissed me off when he first told me, though now, I am
only pissed off because I didn't get to see them to make my own comparison.

John, don't take the criticisms towards your opinions of Zappa and Cooper
too hard. I, for one, spent years trying to legitimacize (don't think
that's really a word) their music, their talent, their genius, to those that
weren't impressed by them. I quit trying, and now, finally, they recieve
more of the credit they were due in their day. You either loved them, or
you didn't. But I will say this, with both, if you don't appreciate the
lyrics, you have to listen to the MUSIC, not so much the LYRICS, to
appreciate them as musicians/composers/etc. And I will be the first to
admit, I don't love every single thing that either did.

Didn't get a chance to see Zappa until 1980. Was somewhat dissapointed that
he didn't do that many of his songs that I really loved, but I was BLOWN
AWAY by the ones he did do. Up to that point, I really did not appreciate
him as a guitar player, but that ended less than five minutes into the show.
Man, that guy could play.

I personally felt that Cooper's music held up well without the theatrics.

And, too, I guess that both are acts that "you just had to be there". That
day and time: the tail-end of the Vietnam era, the awesome talents taken
too young (Janice, Jimi, Morrison, Duane, etc), the other great artists that
were being consumed by substance abuse, the changes that rock music was
going through, the great bands of the '60's were breaking up, and the myriad
of other bad vibes of the early '70's, Zappa, Cooper, and a few others
provided some comic relief, along with some sophistication to the music.
Little did we realize that DISCO was looming on the horizion....

I personally believe that Mama Cass and Janice would not stand a chance in
today's market, at least not without cosmetic surgery. No reflection on the
awesome talent that was within each of them, I don't think that either would
be allowed so much as a foot in the door...

Frank

"The Illinooooooooooooooooois enema bandit, I heard he's on the
loooooooooose, I heard he's on the loose!"