Saturday, June 25, 2011

One Size Fits All

Released June 25, 1975, One Size Fits All is a rock album by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. It is the last Zappa album to be released with the subheading of "Mothers of Invention". One of Zappa's heroes, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, guests on two tracks.

The album features the final version of The Mothers of Invention, with George Duke, Chester Thompson, Ruth Underwood, Tom Fowler and Napoleon Murphy Brock. It also features one of Zappa's most complex and well-known tracks, "Inca Roads".




Early U.S. LP pressings of One Size Fits All are particularly notable, for two reasons:

Many early copies contain a skip during "Inca Roads" at approximately 4:40 into the track. This error was a manufacturing defect not caught during the test pressing stage. The album was recalled after the mistake was caught, but a significant number had already been sold. The highly complex nature of the music made it difficult to recognize the error without comparing it to the correct version.

Some copies also have the catalog number "BS 2879" inscribed - and crossed out - in the runoff matrix, indicating that at one point One Size Fits All was (perhaps mistakenly) planned to be released on Warner Bros. Records, whose Reprise Records subsidiary distributed Zappa's DiscReet Records label. The album was ultimately released on DiscReet with a catalog number in Reprise's sequence, DS 2216. Warner Bros. did not reassign the number BS 2879 to another album.

In 1988, One Size Fits All was released on CD by Rykodisc.

Frank Zappa was an innovator, a master of fusion, and an eccentric genius of unparalleled creativity. Today, he's A Bit Of Groovy!


Sources: Wikipedia, VVN Music Almanac

Friday, June 24, 2011

Happy 67th Birthday To Jeff Beck

Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. One of three noted guitarists, with Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, to have played with The Yardbirds, Beck also formed The Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. He was ranked 14th in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and the magazine has described him as "one of the most influential lead guitarists in rock". He was also ranked second greatest rock guitarist of all time in Digital Dream Door, a site that ranks movies and music. MSNBC has called him a "guitarist's guitarist"

Much of Beck's recorded output has been instrumental, with a focus on innovative sound and his releases have spanned genres ranging from blues-rock, heavy metal, jazz fusion and most recently, an additional blend of guitar-rock and electronica. Beck has earned wide critical praise; furthermore, he has received the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance six times.

He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: as a member of The Yardbirds (1992) and as a solo artist (2009). Source: Wikipedia

For more, including tour dates, go to Jeff Beck's Official Site: http://www.jeffbeck.com/

See him get inducted and perform at the Rock Hall of Fame 2009 Awards Ceremony:



Thursday, June 23, 2011

Hot Tuna talk about 'Steady As She Goes'

Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady talk about the new Hot Tuna record, 'Steady As She Goes' on Red House Records.



From guitarinternational.com:
The deluxe record, which hits shelves and online music stores on June 28th, is perfect for audiophiles, as it was mastered at half-speed and pressed on premium 180 gram vinyl.

To buy the album, go to furpeaceranch.com.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Today in 1966, Jimmy Page made his live debut with The Yardbirds

Today in 1966, Jimmy Page made his live debut with The Yardbirds at the Marquee Club, London. Source - thisdayinmusic.com

The Yardbirds are one of my favorite bands and Jimmy Page is, without a doubt, my favorite musician. He has influenced countless guitarists around the world from the 1960s to the present day. Simply put, rock music would not be what it is without Jimmy Page.

That's why Jimmy Page is today's Bit Of Groovy!

Although not footage of the Marquee Club, here are a few videos of The Yardbirds with Jimmy Page: