mitch mcneil

Mitch McNeil contributed a track to "Conceptual Continuity - A Cover Freak Tribute To Frank Zappa".

from Coverfreak dot com / http://coverfreak.com/zappa-tribute/ - 2010 12

2. You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here - Mitch McNeil 

It was during the early 60s that Mitch McNeil's musical education began in Moline, Illinois, at the home of a stern german emigré whose mission in life was preparing piano students for the conservatory. (Her husband, a flautist, was rumoured to have performed for Hitler and the Nazi high brass back in the good old days.) Mitch's total immersion education in long hair piano technique was knocked way off the tracks by an acute case of Guitar Fixation (and all the trappings that came with it) in the early teen years. It was during this period that his mind was properly blown by The Mothers' BROWN SHOES DON'T MAKE IT ("They can't say THAT on a record, can they?") - and his life was never the same.

From there it was on to classical guitar, then the requisite teen rock combos, a stint in a Javanese gamelan, hippie drum circles, a minimalist jazz rock chamber ensemble, a post-nuclear Casio cocktail trio, and other various off-the-beaten-path instrumental groupings, increasingly equatorial in nature. He's currently guitarist/arranger for the Oak Park-based exotic instrumental ensemble, Alewife. Throughout Mitch's musical odyssey, Frank has been out there on the psychic fringe, beacon in hand, pointing the way.

He chose YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING mostly because it's simple enough to decode in 4/4 time, with the limitations of a guitar/bass/digi-drum arrangement. Secondly, he's always loved the song and its cheesy teen/doo-wop vibe. The lyrics never fail to coax at least a happy smile from him. It remains the ultimate Zappa-esque put down. Plus it's got kazoo.