Zappa The Musician

Zappa could have been one of the most underrated guitarist and musician for his time. Only die-hard fans could truly understand the motives and the reasoning behind some of his strangest work. With album titles like ``We`re Only in it for the Money`` and ``Uncle Meat`` and tracks called ``I Promise not to Come in your Mouth`` and ``I`m the Slime``, it’s easy for critics to classify Zappa`s music as rubbish. It`s not like Zappa cared less what the critics thought either. If critics or audiences were appalled by Zappa`s musical content, it made him happy. These songs, albums and concepts are directed to those ``normal``, happy-go-lucky people who did not accept change and difference in their life. It`s not like Zappa was willing to change for anyone either. For years to come he would have to deal with controversies either within his band or ones that were politically charged with higher forces of authority. The funny part is those forces and normal people did not realize these songs were mostly about them. Almost every Zappa track has a personal connection. This fuelled Zappa to continue writing music this way.

Zappa also had a passion for the rock concert. It’s not like The Mothers of Invention was your typical three-piece like Cream. They were an army. Zappa knew that fans paid hard-earned money to see a good show and that’s what he gave them every night. He was strict with his musicians on tour because he knew the importance of live music and was fortunate he had such a powerful following that he couldn’t have let down.

As for a guitarist, there are guys like Jeff Beck, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani who are not only considered virtuosos but also considered as some of the best in the world. Zappa had some slick chops when playing guitar and he incorporated many different styles of music through an electric guitar. Long before Vai and Satriani there was no one who could possibly play like him. One could make a strong case for Beck but he was more of a bluesy-rock guitarist much like Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix (who were considered by many as the best in the world). I believe it was more of a popularity contest at the time.  Who was playing similar to Zappa at the time? There weren’t many songs in the form of ¾ and they’re weren’t nearly as many arrangements used by anyone the way Zappa used them on his records and live shows. If Frank Zappa was more commercial, we wouldn’t be talking about how Jimi Hendrix or the Beatles were the best artists of all-time. In terms of vision and clarity of how Zappa wanted his music to sound, he should rank up there with Mozart, Beethoven and Bob Dylan as the greatest composers and musicians of all-time.

Zappa The Man: His Legacy and The Emotional Last Interview

It might have taken decades to figure out who Frank Zappa really was (much like Bob Dylan, we might never know either). In his one of his last television appearances on The Today Show in 1993 shortly before his death, Frank Zappa seemed a lot more calm and relaxed. Even though there were more bad days than good, Zappa seemed a little happier. Perhaps for the first time in his historic career, he could relax. He and Gail could also invite friends over to the house to play music together and have conversations (and did it more often that one would expect). The workaholic in Zappa seemed to tire but his passion was still there. It`s tough for someone to go on camera and express how they`re feeling and how they are dealing with their negative issues. Even though it`s obvious he was a little sad, Zappa responded in more of a positive manner to the interviewer`s questions. He urged viewers to get health checkups and contradicted the interviewer when she described him as a legend. For the first time in his life, it seemed as if Zappa was completely normal. Just like everyone else in the world including the politicians he disliked and the ``pom-pom`` girls he criticized, Zappa was like everyone else. He had feelings just like the rest of the world and could be beat by unfortunate health issues that could beat us all. Frank Zappa was a sensitive man and it is blatantly obvious in this interview. He truly did care for the world and his country. He did want to help the people and force change into the things he felt was wrong within our society. He was so passionate about his views and about his social critiques because of his sensitivity and numerous topics frustrated him easily. When asked what Zappa wanted to be remembered for, it`s easy for him to say nothing. Simply because Zappa did not feel like he was supposed to change the world or be remembered as this force larger than life. All he wanted to do was educate the people and speak his mind for being different which should be accepted. Everyone is capable of doing something monumental with their life and should live to achieve their goals; which Zappa did. To be remembered as a legend is somewhat pathetic to Zappa because all he did was live his life the way he wanted to and encouraged others to do the same. Even though we might have seen a softer man in the interview, we also saw a strong human being who created an original vision and a strong person who lived life the way it should be lived: with unlimited choices and no regrets.

Zappa The Composer: Too Advanced For His Time

With inspirations drawing from various composers such as Edgard Varese and Igor Stravinsky, Frank Zappa set a goal to be a musical composer himself. He dipped into classical music further into his career however he could have also been considered a composer and a conductor with his rock music as well. Frank Zappa`s vision was too advanced for his time and this was a good thing. He was the only musician in the 1960`s that wanted to succeed at delivering not only rock tunes, but wanted to explore the musical landscape with every genre he possibly could have. These days it is easier for an artist to release eight albums and they could be vastly different from one another. Take Radiohead for example, releasing an alternative rock album as their first and their latest effort consists of a groovier, electronic record. Back then it was hard to differentiate your music because there was a lot of pressure from record labels and fans. Record labels weren’t too fond of taking risks either.  Also, the times were different and there weren’t many artists who had the liberty of changing and experimenting with different musical styles. Even though it might have been frowned upon, Zappa decided to do his own thing; whatever he wanted to do and he was highly successful in doing so. Perhaps because the old and modern day composer does indeed ``refuse to die`` and also constantly evolves. Zappa`s music evolved and the audience can hear it on every record. Zappa was a rock n’ roll artist however his music could have also been classified as avant-garde, jazz, fusion, metal, experimental, rhythm and blues, classical and at times even pop. Zappa could not have possibly fit in the norm and fit in with bands such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Zappa set the standards high for his original and thought-provoking music and that is why he had such a big impact not only in the music business but as a human being on earth.

Strange Influence

King Crimson. Genesis. Alice Cooper. Marilyn Manson. Mike Patton. Fantomas. The Mars Volta. The Dillinger Escape Plan. What do all these artists have in common? For their time (and the way they shaped their careers), they will forever be known as different and original. I'm sure I missed a few names on the above-mentioned list, but all those artists are major players in the experimental music scene. Zappa could be considered as the King of Experimental. As it was mentioned previously in this course, nobody was doing anything remotely close to Zappa's music at the time. Even Zappa's vision of how he wanted to compose was totally new back then. He went in the totally opposite direction of the norm and continued to produce anti-commercial music and art; and he was extremely successful in doing so. The funny part is Zappa had an R&B collection of over 700 singles, loved Doo-Wop and was fascinated by classical music. This is the same case for a lot of experiemental musicians. They're intrigued by stuff that is more "out-there" however the music they listen to or are influenced by is as normal as it gets. For example, grind-core giants The Dillinger Escape Plan are one of the heaviest and ¨noisiest¨ bands in the heavy metal scene. Somehow they are primarily influenced by 1980´s glam-pop and lead singer Greg Puciato´s favorite artist is Justin Timberlake. It isn´t about how strange or obscure your influences are or even what one listens to for that matter. It is more so how a musician or an artist can shape their legacy into a sound or an image of their own.

Was Jail Necessary For Zappa's Legacy?

Frank Zappa's time in prison was easily the worst experience of his life. Not only was he "framed" and wrongfully accused of a crime, he was also exploited in local papers and media outlets. This experience led Zappa to believe America was a disgusting place and he learned "The Real American Way of Life". He was determined to prove America was corrupt and wanted to show his fellow Americans the truth about their beloved country. Zappa also came out of prison a different person. Even though it is safe to say Zappa was a little bit "weird", when Zappa finished his prison sentence became too weird for his own good. Perhaps this was a way or an attempt to prove America was "scum". Maybe Zappa's time in jail could be underestimated as one of the greatest things to ever happen to him or his career. As strange as it might seem, jail might have been the reason Zappa's career was so successful. His views changed, his opinions of his homeland changed and he was obviously bitter towards representatives of authority. Jail was a big influence on his politically driven music. Jail also influenced the way he saw authority deal with their problems and Zappa became more humorous to prove authority and his country lacked of sense of humour. Zappa was driven to not only to force his "pornographic tape" down America's throat but wanted to force any type of art he was associated with down their throats as well (music, film, social critic, etc.) If it was a shock to them or disgusted them, he achieved his goal. If Zappa never went to jail, would his music have been composed the same way? Would "conceptual continuity" still play such a major role in his work? These questions cannot have a correct answer. Although with Zappa's involvement in the censorship of music and his openly expressed opinion on the Watts Riot, he definitely was inspired by his horrid time in prison.

Frank Zappa Rock N' Roll Comics

While trying to find references for the remainder of this course I stumbled upon rare interviews, live performances and printed items like books and magazines that I had no idea about. I must say as a child, I was never into reading. If I had to read a book for school, chances are I asked my fellow classmates what it was about or I forced my mother to read it to me (which only happened a couple of times before she forced me to do homework like everyone else). Although I really enjoyed visuals. Every week I would pick up a new colouring book, wrestling magazine or hockey yearbooks with eight-by-eleven photos of some of the world's greatest players. When I turned nine years old, I was at my Uncle Mario's house while he was cleaning up his storage room. He decided to part ways with his comic book collection. I inherited over eighty of the best and most rare comic books known to mankind. The collection consisted of mainly X-Men, Spider-Man and Thor comics including some special edition issues. Mario also introduced me to Ghost Rider, which was pretty extreme for a kid under the age of ten. As I got older, I got more into comics and I still buy them to this day. As I continued my research on Zappa, I came across this odd comic book that was released in 1994. The cover says it is unauthorized so I cannot confirm if Zappa had anything to do with the release. Judging by the cover (I downloaded it as an online PDF document, wishing I had a physical copy) it seems like the publisher is Revolutionary Comics however the title reads: "Rock N' Roll Comics: Frank Zappa-Viva La Bizarre." The phrase can also be found on the back cover. The first page of the 34-page comic book consists of its own unique interview with Larry "Wild Man" Fischer. What I found noticeably hilarious was that they referred him to Weird Al Yankovic as if they were long lost brothers. Of course in 1994, Weird Al Yankovic was perhaps pop-comedy's biggest star with his renditions of classic pop songs and he also appeared on MTV's video shuffle constantly. "Long before Weird Al, there lived another wacky, musical madman..." was the opening line. I could understand the timing...but how many other wacky men can we relate "Wild Man" to before Weird Al?!

The black and white comic is separated into two divisions both titled "The Ballad of Frank Zappa"; (1) Movement One-Viva La Bizarre and (2) Interlude One: Tokens of his Extreme Circa 1979. The opening cover is Zappa looking like a detective, reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes. The focus of this comic book is Zappa's life and his career. Movement One deals more with his life as an early adolescent to being an iconic rock figure. Perhaps the "cream of the crop" (or cream of the comic) is when he was arrested at Studio Z, the illustration shows Zappa being question by Detective Willis and arrested while he is in a straight-jacket. This bit of irony proves Zappa was not able to do or prove anything during his arrest. Interlude One focuses more on Zappa as a composer all the way to Zappa testifying at the Senate Hearing. Seeing Zappa's life in the form of a comic book is quite beautiful to say the least. Illustrations of Gail, Flo and Eddie and numerous groupies also make the comic fascinating. The last page is a continuation of Fischer's interview where he describes a falling out with Zappa after Zappa helped him launch his album. He says Zappa always "hated him" and he owed nothing to Zappa, only the IRS. It seems as if Wild Man Fischer was actually interviewed for this publication (since it was unauthorized) but I cannot find solid proof of it. Either way Fischer was also crazy so it wouldn't surprise me if this is a real interview. I wish I had a physical copy of this comic. It must go for top dollar these days since it was listed as "one of the weirdest comics ever made" by numerous social media websites. I downloaded a PDF of it while searching on Google for various Zappa content. I would love to upload the whole thing on my blog, but I'm afraid that is not possible. Take my word for it: it's a grown man's colouring book and it is awesome.

ZAPPA The Movie...Potential Soundtrack?

The longevity and success of Frank Zappa's career could very well be documented in the form of a film. Not quite a documentary, "Zappa: The Movie" could be made as a motion picture.Why a film hasn't already been made is another story. There were many important stages in his life that could be showcased (childhood, personal views, controversy, changing the shape of rock n' roll, etc.) What could be the most interesting aspect for this film is that ever since he was a small boy, Zappa was fascinated with music. Whoever studies Zappa knows that the music he was influenced by was not always rock music. Doo-Wop, R&B and classical compositions not only interested Zappa but these genres influenced his own music. "Zappa: The Movie" could have a great soundtrack, filled with many different songs representing a handful of genres. Narrowed down to 18 tracks, this is what the soundtrack could look like in chronological order based on Zappa's career: (this could also be a killer mix-tape for the die-hard fan)

1. Edgard Varese - Ionisation
2. Lightnin' Slim - Bad Luck Blues
3. The Platters - Only You
4. The Drifters - Under The Boardwalk
5. Howlin' Wolf - How Many More Years
6. The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man
7. The Yardbirds - For Your Love
8. Frank Zappa (MOI) - Hungry Freaks Daddy
9. Frank Zappa (MOI) - Who are the Brain Police?
10. Elvis Presley - Hound Dog
11. Frank Zappa (MOI) - Help I'm A Rock
12. Frank Zappa (MOI) - Call Any Vegetable
13. Jimmy Carl Black (MOI) - Lonesome Cowboy Burt
14. Frank Zappa (MOI) - Penis Dimension
15. Frank Zappa - Mo n' Herb's Vacation
16. Captain Beefheart - Lick My Decals Off Baby
17. Steve Vai - I Know You're Here
18. Dweezil Zappa - Let's Talk About It