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.
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