Frank Zappa - Cosmik Debris (with Steve Vai guitar solo) - 1980, Salt Lake City (audio)

[dlevita]

vai solo was dope!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!

[RagingBullwinkle]

Told a friend tonight if I could have 4 things back I lost it would be my parents my cat and Frank. After an hour still have not changed my mind.

This shit just makes me smile how can it not?

[myleftearful]

great post

[terrytickler]

good to see all you zappa heads long live zappa

[avisar10]

I just LOVE Zappa!

אני נהנה מהמוסיקה הזו. פשוט-אוהב את זאפה!

[rmlisak]

Christopher walken the raven

[gubbenpersson]

bad upload,but zappa is zappa(vai is vai)kings and genius

[bunny2hops]

i hate myself for noticing this, but anyone think vai looks like weird al in this photo?

[aaa567ify]

@bunny2hops Maybe a little. Sometimes I see comments like this and I' ll laugh because I'll notice it too in other vids for different celebrities. In another video, Vai has straight hair, sort of long and wearing all black clothes with a slim mustache and far away him standing at an angle he reminded me of Trent Reznor with longer hair. I know sounds crazy, but I remember some of the Reznor band photos. Could of been the lighting on the stage. Good day

[dexploratio]

@bunny2hops nope

[WeAreMUNG]

@bunny2hops

lol

yeah, I can see it, now that you mention it.

this is one of my fave tunes from Mr Frank.

though not my fave version of said tune

[samadhidavao]

great!!! BOW!!! tho, i miss the video...

[probrojeffro]

Frank is the one that should have 25 million views, if you're talking amazing talent, not Mariah Carey, Jessica Simpson, or Katy Perry. I love Frank. He was so anti-BS. His interaction with the audience, letting them up on stage to sing, dance, letting the camera get right next to him. He just didn't give a shit about Hollywood. Love you Frank. Miss ya. Peace!

[Leverquin]

@probrojeffro what is anti bs?



[NipplesMagee]

@Leverquin Anti-Bullshit

[gumbyonacid]

@probrojeffro don't you understand that there are way more people that like crap? it is not rocket science- the masses are programmed machines- there is no accounting for taste- but really, who gives a shit.....I listen to what I want to listen to- the commercial world does not exist for me so why should it bother me?

peace

[bensmethod]

@gumbyonacid a wise philosophy :)

[Easleytee]

@gumbyonacid

BRAVO!

Ignore the musically illiterate...perhaps they'll mercifully fade away.

[neilgrant61]

@gumbyonacid

well said that man



[bc1010101]

i was able to get people to be more open minded and learn how to listen. dont have to be mainstream or new or hooky to be good. thank god i was able to explore w/no limits or regrets. ive gotton so much from music i feel people that cant be open minded are missing so much. it makes me sad

[bc1010101]

though i have a very wide range and taste for all kinds of music from the 20-21st centuries, i never heard much of steve vai. a good buddy -pete zeldman played w/him in NYC alot in 80s. he called him a loungs lizard. pete could drum-ex. the crosswinds/billy cobham album @13. he said give steve a listen but this is the 1st listen and due to the poor quality i cant tell if i like him. i thrived on giving anyone a listen, funny, people threw me off the stereo @ parties but after i forced the issue

[TheLydianRocks]

@bc1010101 Listen to flexable and the passion and warfare albums, 2 different sounds of vai, both superb!

[ricardodelacalera]

masterpiece

[milpoolXXX]

In that picture his guitarist looks like Weird Al. 

Great tune.

[milpoolXXX]

@milpoolXXX ... And yes, I know it is a young Steve Vai. (FYI, Zappa also complimented YJM on his abilities.)

[TheBatchainpuller]

Frank dressed him for this and the purple hair is anybodys guess whose idea it was.

[fadethetrade]

@TheBatchainpuller Light blue.

[dmtspeck]

steve vai kinda looks like weird al in this pic

[blackfloyd23]

I don't see how I have passed this up. Could Steve Vai be the Glenn Gould of the electronic guitar (sans J.S. Bach reinterpretations)?

[thesoundengine]

Vai with the fluid guitar playing

[mgs316]

Funny that some of you rip virtuoso playing yet Frank hired one for his group to play things he couldn't. So apparently Frank saw value in virtuoso playing and that it does have feeling. Funny that guys that can't play always have to rag on guys that can. Most guys that can play see value in blues players but that respect never goes the other way. Feeling insecure?

[AnnaAnnaYes]

@mgs316 You are so true,i have never heard Satriani or Vai disrespect guys like

B.B King or Buddy Guy, but those guys don't disrespect virtuosos either.

[Zappafan1980]

@mgs316

AND it makes Zero sense to compare Blues Rock Virtuosos and Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Vitrtuosos

Steve Vai was 18 or 19 when Frank Zappa hired him for his Band he could play all Zappa pieces perfectly

and you could write them in Notes, Frank was pretty impressed by that

And Steve Vai could play like Eddie Van Halen

his song For the Love of God is voted most beautiful Solo ever by the way

[Th1sWasATriumph]

@Zappafan1980 Voted by who? They didn't ask me, so do you think it somehow becomes beautiful just by TELLING people it is?

[Zappafan1980]

@Th1sWasATriumph

1. Do you dislike Steve Vai

Let me give you some examples of my Point why you could trust Votings

If 8 movie critics say Transformers 3 is a shitty movie and 2 say its a good movie

then i trust the 8

If 70 % of a nation vote a new president and 30 % dont like him they have to accept the new president

I dont know who voted For the Love of God but i am sure they had good music taste

[Th1sWasATriumph]

@Zappafan1980 In many ways I DO dislike Vai. However, for something subjective like music, let's put it like this: you disparage an artist that you don't like and someone like me says "well solo x was voted most beautiful ever by the way". Does that change your mind one little bit about that artist or solo?

[Zappafan1980]

@Th1sWasATriumph

O. k. then so you dont like Steve Vai, then i have to accept that,

I personally like his work until 1999, and most things he did then, sound boring and repetetive to me,

Can you at least be so kind and tell me WHICH guitarists you like so that i can get an idea of your personal taste

[fadethetrade]

@Th1sWasATriumph No,but you need to decipher between the music that is aesthetically superior over other music such as comparing beethovens ode to joy and entire 9th symphony with anything Justin bieber worte and performed.If someone likes bieber and dislikes beethovens 9th,then that person needs to go back to school and take music appreciation courses. Vai is a genius and he performs/ writes beautiful music .Hes the best guitarist/musician combined in the world.you should acknowledge this

[Th1sWasATriumph]

@fadethetrade I'm sorry, if you're still at the "some music and artists, like that which I like, is OBJECTIVELY BETTER" argument then this is pointless. Music is subjective, whether old or new, and about the only thing you can objectively judge is things like technical accuracy and speed.

[fadethetrade]

@Th1sWasATriumph It's subjective BUT when you don't have all the knowledge of music from the rennaissance period thru the baroque thru 20th century music which includeds,big band,contemporary,avente garde,broadway,rock,jazz,heavy metal soul,etc. you must be educated in ALL STYLES before considering a subjective view.Until then,stay quiet and listen to the expert musicologists.

[Th1sWasATriumph]

@fadethetrade How can a reaction be subjective if it requires a comparative context? That makes it OBjective, because you're naming something as simply better than something else by comparison. By your argument, you would need to have listened to every single song every recorded or written, by EVERYONE. And isn't it funny? Here I am, being schooled by an expert musicologist (I genuinely laughed when I read that) and yet my reaction to music is exactly the same. I guess something's wrong.

[fadethetrade]

@Th1sWasATriumph I'm not a musicologist.You need to have a broader understanding and appreciation for all styles of music,and learn an instrument and play it well,then after that,you can make jusdgements on different styles and musicians.Why do you not like Steve Vai?.is it becuase of his heavy metal style,or is it because of his funky style or is it because of his brilliant 20th century music writing style or is it too much guitar shredding?You made such a broad statement not liking him?

[Th1sWasATriumph]

@fadethetrade I do like, and indeed compose and play, a broad spectrum of styles. I'm a guitarist, and I pride myself on being an extremely good guitarist. Vai is a great player but his style and approach is simply one which, artistically and indeed philosophically, no longer appeals to me. If you're not a musicologist then why would you tell me to listen to musicologists?

[fadethetrade]

@Th1sWasATriumph It's called Music appreciation.what type of background in music do you have? do you believe a paint by numbers portrait is better then works by savadore dali because you can understand the paint by numbers and dali is too aberrated for you.??If you chose the paint by numbers portrait because its easier on your eyes,.its less important but your lack of comprehension limits your view on more quality things because you dont understand them.Its your own taste that needs improvement.

[Th1sWasATriumph]

@fadethetrade Unfortunately music appreciation doesn't authorise anyone to tell other people that they do, don't or SHOULD like or dislike a particular style, artist or group. My background is playing guitar for 10 years and enjoying how I compose music both for guitar and orchestral/electronica arrangements.

[fadethetrade]

@Th1sWasATriumph You miss the point again. Music appreciation classes and a music education from basic scales,key signatures up thru improving with pentatonic scales and lots of symphonic and avent garde listening,steers a listener more towards a wider listening interest.A well schooled professional musician or player owns a Zappa,page,Duke,beatles,dimeol­a,etc,and Bach and Beethoven CD as well.All I need to do is look at your collection of cd's and I;ll know where your head is at

[Th1sWasATriumph]

@fadethetrade You went from factual - that music appreciation classes CAN steer a listener towards a wider listening interest - to the opinionated, that a well schooled professional musician owns x cds. Vai, like Satch and many other guitarists, owes some of his initial influence and motivation to Hendrix. Not a massive esoteric record collection. Just one guy. With me it was Brian May. Don't tell me what a musician needs to listen to, because I AM one.

[fadethetrade]

@Th1sWasATriumph ANd you already DISLIKE Vai! That's already a step away from quality,not your own cheap taste!!

[Th1sWasATriumph]

@fadethetrade You are hopelessly biased. You simply cannot believe anyone would dislike Vai's music. And this is why this conversation is doomed. If you would only qualify your ridiculous assertions as being your opinion, or what you think . . . but no, it's cast-iron to you. And music simply isn't like that.

[Easleytee]

@Th1sWasATriumph

For your edification, I spoke with Mr. Vai earlier today. He opined that he doesn't give a royal Fook that you have no interest in his art or artistry.

Argument settled.

[Th1sWasATriumph]

@Easleytee You DO know that's not how the internet works, right?

[fadethetrade]

@Th1sWasATriumph No ,it doesnt change your mind but it should allow you to think about expanding your taste in music or other things in life.When someone has more information and knowledge about something,they can appreciate things that they otherwise didnt like or understood. A friend of mine hated classical music until i educated him into listening more and he became a classical buff!! Subjective?sure,in the beginning until they educated themselves more in that subject ,then all of a sudden...

[frictionism]

Oh no! I have to disagree with Walls1441 on the comment about Steve Vai and Joe Satriani because I think they are so great ...especially Steve Vai of course.

[Walls1441]

Vai and Satriani are both terrible guitarists.

[adamg709]

@Walls1441 But you're really good,right?

[calochamp]

@Walls1441 ahahahahaahahahahahahahahahaha­hahaahahahhaahahhahahahahahaha­hahahahahahahahhahahahahahahah­hahahahahahaha

[afms93]

@Walls1441

*terrific

Here...Now that sentence is correct...

[shaynemelvin1]

@Walls1441 Yup. They got famous by sucking terribly. lol

[Guitareben]

@Walls1441 Yea... course they are.

[edbingey]

@Walls1441 You need to put ellipses at the end of such a contentious comment - it will help lend it the provocative gravitas your bald statement is so sorely lacking in its present state....

[axmanglen]

oh ya of course! no intentional dis respect to the one and only STEVE VAI ! i think he is incredible.. zappa's cosmik debris solo on the other hand was an all time favorite of mine when it comes to blues

[TheMrLusk]

To be in Zappa's band playing whatever instrument. And to be accepted by the late GREAT Frank Zappa... You had to be GREAT. Unless your name was Sting ;)

[axmanglen]

zappa has his own character , as well as Via both excellent but zappa 's solo is so untouchable ... i mean for real real i listened to this at age 6 and it was whats is ... kick ass!! zappa:-)

[mtgeorge27]

II don't remember posting this but I must have. After listening to it now I think I just liked it better when Frank Soloed. I love Steve (we studied at Berklee together) and this must be right after he left in 79. So I'm wrong, it's a great solo. I guess I miss frank but I don't really know why i said that it sucked. That was stupid of me to post.

[fadethetrade]

@mtgeorge27 I didn't feel comfortable with a guitarist playing in zappas band that was better then zappa and more of a virtuoso then franks viscerol playing was.But if Frank wanted it,then it was good enough for me!

[ColdAsIce3211]

@fadethetrade Better than Frank? Steve Vai would laugh at you if you told him that

[fadethetrade]

@ColdAsIce3211 VAi already stated he was a virtuoso and frank was more of a vicserol player.

[Taikamya]

Sorry for joining the discussion but.. Vai always said that his master(Satriani) was the best player of TODAY.(Meaning there were better in the old days) and Vai always stated that Zappa was beyond his time. Having more technique doesn't mean playing better. As Zappa late said when working with classical music. He said "Music is a way of expression of a self" and technique is not expression one"self". Technique anyone can learn.

However, Vai always made clear that we was "newbie" at those days.

[fadethetrade]

@ColdAsIce3211 I meant a better technician virtuoso player.

[mtgeorge27]

That solo sucked.

[molecule10000]

@mtgeorge27

how was that bad solo in your expert opinion?

[Civas0072]

I love Zappa music and I love this song too ... awesome!

[fadethetrade]

I remember frank was so sick on Halloween 80 NY ,he had to cancel the last show.But I remember seeing vais solo on this song in NY and I thought,"damn,he plays faster then frank!""

[guitarjerry1126]

This is great!!

[SteveSparx]

+ he died 13 years TO THE DAY after this show~RIP FZ

[SteveSparx]

Vai in late 80-81 only! Great Post

[gazmoid]

@SteveSparx

Naaa, you got to give Vai till Flex-Able at least !

[strav12]

Hey! I'm ready, willing 'n able!!! MO FZ PLS - before the price of meat goes up - you know, global warming/freezin an' all that shit - and thxs for the great postings too - absolutely gorgeous solos here from SV, TM and the incredible high vocals of the almighty BM!

[gazmoid]

@strav12 No, not Bobby Martin here. That was Bob Harris #2. Great Vai solo though.