Zappadan Aykroyd

I'm recovering from a pretty brutal round of oral surgery and in a significant amount of pain, but I will surface here briefly to acknowledge the very special occasion that is today.

Every year from December 4 (the day he died in 1993) to December 21 (his birthday in 1940) devotees of all things FZ celebrate the feast of Zappadan, commemorating the life and immeasurable musical legacy of a certain Frank Zappa. I couldn't, despite the excruciating dental discomfort, allow the last day of Zappadan to pass unnoticed.

There isn't any use describing who FZ is/was if you don't know. I was introduced to him through the Joe's Garage trilogy at age 12 in 1979 by the best guitar player in our middle school class, and my life has never been the same since. There are billions more like me, so resistance is futile.

My face hurts so excuse me if I dispense with the usual glowing verbosities -- it was, after all, FZ who so famously stated that writing about music is like dancing about architecture -- and get straight to the point of this little post, which is a DVD of the FZ parts (sketches, monologues, and musical performances) of his two appearances on Saturday Night Live in 1976 and 1978. These were the only two times he was allowed on the show before being banned forever, for reasons that will likely become clear once you watch this stuff.

Frank Zappa 
"Saturday Night Live"
NBC-TV Studio 8H
New York City, NY
12.11.1976 + 10.21.1978

01 Opening Credits 
02 I'm the Slime 
03 Purple Lagoon 
04 The Killer Trees 
05 Peaches En Regalia 
06 Skating Credits 

07 Opening Credits 
08 Dancin' Fool 
09 The Coneheads At Home 
10 The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing 
11 Night On Freak Mountain 
12 St. Alphonzo/Rollo 
13 Frank's Message 

Total time: 59:28

Tracks 01-06: 12.11.1976
FZ — guitar, vocals
Ray White — guitar, vocals
Eddie Jobson — keyboards, violin
Patrick O'Hearn — bass
Terry Bozzio — drums, vocals
with
Don Grolnick — keyboards
Alan Rubin — trumpet
Tom Malone — trombone
Ronnie Cuber — baritone sax
Lou Marini — tenor sax
Mauricio Smith — alto sax
Ruth Underwood — marimba, percussion
Daoud Shaw — percussion
plus
Don Pardo — sophisticated narration on "I'm The Slime"
John Belushi — Samurai Futaba on "Purple Lagoon"

Tracks 07-13: 10.21.1978
FZ — vocals
Denny Walley — guitar, vocals
Tommy Mars — keyboards, vocals
Peter Wolf — keyboards
Ed Mann — percussion
Patrick O'Hearn — bass
Arthur Barrow — bass
Vinnie Colaiuta — drums
with
Alan Rubin — trumpet
Tom Malone — trombone
Lew Del Gatto — alto sax
Lou Marini — tenor & soprano sax
Howard Johnson — baritone sax
plus
John Belushi — Samurai Futaba on "Rollo"

NTSC DVD of off-air master VHS tapes made from Comedy Central rebroadcasts in 1998, with LPCM lossless audio
3.92 GB NTSC/December 2014 archive link

I apologize for the brevity of this but I can barely see the screen, so it's gonna have to do. I hope you have a great rest of your weekend and take a minute to suggestively fondle your special zircon encrusted tweezers in fond remembrance of Frank Zappa and all the pumpkins he made bark so melodiously. Happy Zappadan!!!! :D~~J.