Packard Goose is a song that Frank Zappa recorded in 1978. It was performed by the 1978 band on the fall tour. the lyrics deal with music critics, in particular they deal with the inept and often corrupt ways of early rock ‘n’ roll journalists. Frank Zappa then worked the song into the plot of Joe’s Garage, which was released in November of 1979. Act III song 2.
It was an honor to be a part of this elite group of musicians to recreate Packard Goose. It was super cool to have original Frank Zappa alumni Arthur Barrow performing on Bass. Arthur played bass on the original 1979 recording of Packard Goose, which is featured on the Joe’s Garage Pt III album, and he used the same bass!
Marc Atkinson – Drums, Vocals
Arthur Barrow – Bass Guitar
Scott Szeryk – Guitars
Mike Genovese – Vocals
Nina DiGregorio – Vocals “Mary”
For the recording of this song I used the Music Man-Game Changer loaded with Ernie Ball M-Steel Strings into Fractal Audio Axe FX2, PreSonus studio live, ProTools (Avid).
Fractal Audio Preset for Packard Goose
The guitar solos in Packard Goose were superimposed over the studio track, a technique developed by Frank Zappa known as Xenochrony (See definition below). The first half of the guitar solo was recorded live on April 1, 1979, from the solo section of Easy Meat, and the second half on March 31, 1975 also from Easy Meat. All of which has been painstakingly re-created by yours truly (Scott Szeryk) for this performance.
Xenochrony is a studio-based musical technique developed at an unknown date, but possibly as early as the early 1960s, by Frank Zappa, who used it on several albums. Xenochrony is executed by extracting a guitar solo or other musical part from its original context and placing it into a completely different song, in order to create an unexpected but pleasing effect. He said that this was the only way to achieve some rhythms.
Line up on original Packard Goose:
Frank Zappa (lead guitar, vocals)
Warren Cucurullo (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Denny Walley (slide guitar, vocals)
Ike Willis (lead vocals)
Peter Wolf (keyboards)
Arthur Barrow (bass, vocals)
Ed Mann (percussion)
Vinnie Colaiuta (drums)
Lyrics:
Maybe you thought I was the Packard Goose
Or the ronald Macdonald of the Nouveau-abstruse
Well fuck all them People, I don’t Need no excuse
For being what I am
Do you hear me, then?
All them rock ‘n roll Writers is the worst Kind of sleaze
Selling punk like Some new kind of English disease
Is that the wave Of the future?
Aw, spare me please!
Oh no, you gotta go
Who do you write for?
I wanna know
I believe you is the Government’s whore
And keeping peoples Dumb is where you’re Coming from
And keeping peoples Dumb is where you’re Coming from
F**k all them writers With the pen in Their hand
I will be more Specific so they Might understand
They can all Kiss my ass But because it’s So grand
They’d best just Stay away
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, joe, who Did you blow?
Moe pushed The button boy
And you went To the show
Better suck a little Harder or the shekels Won’t flow
And I don’t mean Your thumb
So on your knees You bum
Just tell yourself It’s yum
And suck it ’till You’re numb
Journalism’s Kinda scary
And of it We should be wary
Wonder what became Of mary?
(Voice of Mary’s vision)
Hi! it’s me
The girl from the bus
Remember?
The last tour?
Well, Information is Not knowledge
Knowledge is Not wisdom
Wisdom is not truth
Truth is not beauty
Beauty is not love
Love is not music
Music is the best
Wisdom is the domain of the wiz, which is extinct.
Beauty is a french Phonetic corruption
Of a short cloth Neck ornament
Currently in Resurgence.
If you’re in the Audience and like What we do
Well, we want you To know that we Like you all too
But as for the Sucker who will Write the review
If his mind Is prehensile (his mind Is prehensile)
He’ll put down His pencil
(he’ll put down His pencil)
And have Himself a squat On the cosmic utensil
(cosmic utensil)
Go give it all you got On the cosmic utensil
(cosmic utensil)
Sit ‘n spin until you rot On the cosmic utensil
(cosmic utensil)
He really needs To squat On the cosmic utensil
(cosmic utensil
Cosmic utensil)
Now that I got that Over with I’ll just play my Imaginary guitar again
Hey.Soundin’ pretty good!
Hey, get down
Boy, what an Imagination!
Love myself, better Than I love myself
I think
What tone!
Sounds like an Elegant gypsy!
What is that? Musk?
It’s hip!