Having said that this is one of the best Rock songs ever created, and as subjective as music or anything else is, I think most people would agree if they hear it and check out the lyrics. It describes a bunch of kids forming their own band, and Zappa couldn't have nailed it any better. It comes complete (or replete, as Frank would say) with their mom yelling for them to "Turn that Down!" and asking "Don't you boys know any NICE songs?" and of course trying to attract the girls in the neighborhood. It's brilliant. Compared to much of Frank's other material it's very easy to listen to, especially if they aren't familiar with his music. With Frank being Frank there are spots in the tune where it threatens to get a little over the top, but he reigns things in before they boil over as in many of his tunes. It's smooth and it has a familiar sound and beat. It even has four measures of a Surf beat; complete with handclaps, thrown in for good measure. As always, the production (the overall sound quality) and musicianship are impeccable. It's fun too. Highly recommended.
Every line in the lyrics is classic, but I'll quote my favorite verse. On the surface it's a basic idea; the notion that some beer will cover a multitude of sins, such as being out of tune or just plain sucking on your instrument. The way he talks about beer turning the three chords they've managed to learn into a "symphony" is so on-point and I still get a grin out of it. Here's the verse:
Down in Joe's garage
We didn't have no dope or LSD
But a coupla quarts of beer
Would fix it so the intonation
Would not offend your ear
And the same old chords goin' over and over
Became a symphony
We could play it again and again and again
'Cause it sounded good to me
(ONE...MORE...TIME...)
[two-note guitar solo]
The rest of the lyrics are just as good. I think most people would get a kick out of them. I'm playing the tune in my head right now and I have to comment on something that shows that the level of Frank's intelligence, and the sheer depth to which he thought about things, is stupefying. During the part of the song where their mom is hollering for them to turn down, the song goes into a 16-bar break that illustrates what the band sounds like to the mom (and also probably what it really sounds like without the effects of alcohol on the band's ears). The tune cuts to half-time, which makes it sound like it slows down dramatically and sounds bogged-down and "swampy." They repeat the same simple melody four times, and they're all playing slightly flat and dismally, which makes it sound completely out of tune and nothing at all like "music" to their mom. It's basically what's known as a "Dirge," which is slow and somber and which most people don't much care for anyway, plus it's all flat and fucked-up sounding. The band is hearing a beautiful symphony, while their mom is hearing the soundtrack of Purgatory. To even think about portraying that concept in a song; much less pulling it off, shows Frank's level of intelligence and thought process. It's never been done by anyone else that I know of. That's taking things to a very deep level, but at the same time it's also hilarious and really fun to listen to. It's pure genius. That was Frank. If you do happen to spin the tune, you'll know it when it happens. Enjoy.
Joe's Garage (studio version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oH8u9PxWJo
No comments:
Post a Comment