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The Latest Breaking News from Frank Zappa

“If you’re a bass player in a rock band, you are by definition a moron”: As Frank Zappa’s bassist, Scott Thunes rose to legend status, then turned his back on it all

The bass enigma delivers the inside track on Zappa’s genius and why bass players need to know their place

MusicRadar

“Bass players aren't supposed to have ideas. If you're a bass player in a rock band, you are by definition a moron”: He was Zappa’s bassist and remains a low-end enigma – but Scott Thunes has never held back on his opinions

Scott Thunes blazed a unique trail with Frank Zappa – but maintains solo bass is a complete no-no

Guitar World

"Window or aisle, how would you like to return home?": Dweezil Zappa on how his dad ran his band

No drugs, no improvising, no overplaying

MusicRadar

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Moon Unit Zappa on her childhood and father Frank

IN FULL

The Independent UK

Moon Unit Zappa on her childhood with dad Frank, groupies and guns: ‘I was primed for subservience’

INTERVIEW: Long before Elon Musk started giving his children weird names, the daughter of rock star Frank Zappa was dealing with being little Moon Unit. Now she’s written a book about ‘truly the worst experiences of my life’ as the eldest child of her erratic, unconventional parents. She talks to…

The Independent UK

Four records that embody the joy of the double album – from the Beatles to Outkast

In the summer of 1966, a race was on between two very different opponents. On one side was Bob Dylan, the established and bestselling folk artist. On the other was new act The Mothers of Invention, a genre- (and mind-) bending band led by avant garde composer Frank Zappa. The…

The Conversation

“I went to Genesis on Friday, bought the album on Saturday, then went to the show again on Sunday, and I knew all the words”: A glimpse into the prog world of Lifesigns’ John Young

Keyboardist on Kate Bush’s baking, Frank Zappa’s humour, Patrick Moraz’s romance, Eva Cassidy’s mystery – and buying his own band’s album from Amazon

Louder

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“They can steal pretty much everything. They haven’t figured out a way of stealing the live experience. And they still have to pay for that!” Adrian Belew on survival, orchestra music and Frank Zappa

Now touring with King Crimson offshoot Beat, the Bowie, Shatner and Hancock collaborator has long been confident that the future is secure on the road – which pleases him because he loves it

Louder

“Every one of them said yes without hesitation": Hank Marvin and Roger Taylor have just remade a '60s classic for charity

With a little help from Simon Phillips, Peter Erskine, Nick D’Virgilio, Eric Manegold, Vinnie Colaiuta, and more

MusicRadar

“I got together with Jeff a few years ago. The famous white Strat was sitting on the couch so I said, ‘Jeff, pick it up and play it!’” Rockabilly rover Mick Rogers on playing with Frank Zappa, touring with Kiss, and rootsy jams with Jeff Beck

The veteran rocker recalls how Frank Zappa helped him get his first Les Paul – and also got him kicked out of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – and discusses his recordings with Jeff Beck, which Rogers says were the last the late virtuoso ever made

Guitar World

“One of the coolest guitars I own”: Dweezil Zappa has some absolutely wild guitars in his vault – but his insane one-of-one fretless Gibson SG is one of his favorites

Zappa has an eye for weird and wonderful instruments, and this heavily modded example – which began life as a Roxy SG – might be one of his finest

Guitar World

The greatest gig I've ever seen: 24 writers pick the most memorable live show of their lives

24 life-changing live shows from 60 years of gigs

Louder

“Donald Trump is a huge fan of mine. Mostly he’s jealous of my hair, which is much cooler than his”: Gene Simmons’ wild tales of Eddie Van Halen, Bob Dylan, Cher and Donald Trump

Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Eddie Van Halen and Diana Ross – they’ve all crossed paths with Gene Simmons

Louder

LPO/Edusei review – devastating Wijeratne and Martinů meet zany fun with Zappa

London Philharmonic programme brought together aching music of exile and displacement with kooky excursions by the pop fusion guru

The Guardian - UK

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Guitar World

“I’m glad I found these performances. I hadn’t seen them in decades”: Footage of Dweezil Zappa and Jack Black’s cover of Crazy Train, featuring Eddie Van Halen’s ‘Rasta’ guitar, was never released – but now it’s been unearthed

Filmed on the set of On The Spot, it brings together two pieces of gear with interesting stories to tell

Metal Hammer

“It’s such a good party trick – ‘So you think you’re heavy? Listen to this song from 1969!’” Enslaved’s Ivar Bjørnson argues King Crimson are the gateway from metal to prog

Norwegian multi-instrumentalist explains what the genres have in common, buying a synth just to learn one Pink Floyd song, and discovering musical airplane engines via his wife

Metal Hammer

“I wrote to Vincent Price. I didn’t expect a reply, but he knew who I was. He really got stuck into the role”: The twisted story of Alice Cooper’s shock rock classic Welcome To My Nightmare

How Alice Cooper made shock rock classic Welcome To My Nightmare – with help from a horror icon

Louder

"Much darker and more despondent album than the raucous title track might suggest": Little Feat successfully capture a grim early-70s vibe on Dixie Chicken

Dixie Chicken solidified Little Feat's reputation before later albums saw them drifting towards a jazzier sound

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Louder

“I always thought that Pink Floyd were a band for people who don’t like music or rock’n’roll”: Jack Bruce’s wild tales of Ginger Baker, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Leslie West and more

From Ginger Baker’s genius to Leslie West’s food roadie, former Cream man Jack Bruce saw it all

Louder

Great new prog you must hear from Karmakanic, Earthside, Bjørn Riis and more in this week's Tracks Of The Week

Fab new proggy sounds from Andre Drage, Derev, Dave Francis and more in Prog's Tracks Of The Week

Guitar World

“I would say he’s underrated in the echelons of guitar. Honestly, there’s no-one close”: Steve Vai reveals what it’s like to work side by side with fellow Frank Zappa alum Adrian Belew on the BEAT tour

The two virtuosos have been flexing their distinct styles on the ongoing BEAT tour – which celebrates King Crimson's '80s repertoire – alongside bassist Tony Levin and Tool drummer Danny Carey

MusicRadar

“Jesus, that was hard! But I got it. I welcome the challenges”: Guitar hero Steve Vai reveals the difficulties of playing King Crimson music - and how he gets by with a little help from Robert Fripp

“I’m a fan and want to play the exact notes,” Vai says

MusicRadar

“This was the first amp modeller that I’ve tried that feels like a real amp”: Vower’s Joe Gosney and Rabea Massaad reveal their festival Quad Cortex setups – and why there's a Zappa-inspired “harmonic exciter” on the 'board

In this video interview, the Gosney and Massaad talk modellers, hybrid rigs, and why they're now both fully onboard with guitar's digital transformation

Evening Standard

Squid get evil for killer new album: 'It's dark and grisly, but still funny'

Squid talk to us about their new album Cowards, which has evil as its theme and sounds like nothing you’ve heard before

Louder

“Stevie Ray Vaughan was a little worse for wear. He was eating KFC out of a box and then ate the box as well”: Jeff Beck’s wild tales of Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen and Frank Zappa

Sharing the stage with Page, giving Hendrix a guitar, being mistaken for Jagger – these were some of Jeff Beck‘s most memorable friendships

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