edison wrote:
Regarding guitar playing technique;
I think both Frank and Dweezil would be the first to admit they stood on the shoulders of giants.
They are both amazing guitar players.
The 2 main differences in what has informed their playing technique?
-They stood on the shoulders different giants. It has to do with the era in which they were raised, what was on the radio, what records they bought, who spoke to them musically and socially. Frank largely drew from old blues, R & B, even surf. Dweezil grew up listening to bands like Van Halen.
Very different.
-Frank was a classical composer who wrote music. This factor played huge in how Frank played his solos. He said himself that his playing was more like spontaneous composition. There were lots of classic riffs that he drew from, but much of his extended playing veered off the path of traditional nodes and would even be intentionally dissonant in ways that Dweezil may not likely conceive.
Dweezil grew up attending his fathers concerts and while the Van Halen influence was very strong in the 80s
his career as a musician is of larger canyons than one of the guitar gods Eddie Van Halen.
To quote Eddie Van Halen at one time over a decade ago
"
Dweezil Zappa is better at being Eddie Van Halen than Eddie Van Halen"
DZ can play Eruption backwards and forwards in his sleep, in no way does
the intercontinental absurdities steam liner stop there.
When DZ performs in the context of ZPZ outside of a special performance in Phoenix in 2008
Van Halen has little to no influence. Everyone has a right to be inspired by a collection of historical musical influences
but in the case of ZPZ it is obviously DZ is influenced by Frank more than anything else.
There DZ solo on Inca Roads in 2006 that was FZ meets David Gilmore Pink Floyd at Pompeii Meddle on Steroids.
Now David Gilmore has done some really fine solos in his career with Pink FLoyd but nothing as inspiring as that
Dweezil Zappa solo Inca Roads. Meddle Me This , At one time overhead the albatross
hanged motionless upon the air but Dweezil Zappa by intent or not
redefined what David Gilmore could only attempt to achieve if he ever played in the context of Inca Roads.
In this history of guitar for my taste if I want to hear a guitarist I want to hear Frank Zappa.
Well today in 2009 if I want to hear live guitar I want to hear Dweezil Zappa.
I don't care no one else stacks up for my taste in what I want to hear
Dweezil playing in Franks modal air sculpture technique because that is what I enjoy.
Anyone could come up with a Top 100 Guitarist of all time and while if given the opportunity some of them
may do a good job in FZs air sculpture techniques the fact is what they have done just don't stack up.
They would have to be in DZs shoes and plain and simple they are not.
The don't go out there doing that style.
The Top 100, 1,000 or 10,000 Guitarists of all time fro the most part just do their own thing.
Now Hendrix could rise from the dead or any Hendrix Clone
where I 've had that opportunity to see the best of em' just don't entertain me as much as Dweezil Zappa.
Don't get me wrong I have seen many entertaining guitarist that many call the guitar gods
but on the eighth day God made Frank Zappa and Frank Zappa had a son Dweezil that carries the message
that his father created.
With Dweezil Zappa I not only enjoy what he has achieved but there is so much to look forward to.
Regardless of all those influences, what we hear in FZ and DZ in all their performances throughout their entire careers
no one has gone out there and taken the chances with this type of stuff as FZ had and DZ is now showing.
Additionally as Dweezil has been doing with written composition performed on guitar as heard in G-Spot Tornado
St Alfonsos and Inca Roads that just floats my boat more than any other guitarist in the history of the instrument
Be it written or 5 to 9 minute air sculptures these solo techniques are my kind coffee.
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