Why I admire Frank Zappa
He was brilliant. His records oozes creativity.
Frank Zappa (placeholder)
From the website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American composer, guitarist, singer, film director, and satirist. In his 33-year musical career, Zappa proved to be one of the most prolific musician-composers of his era, releasing over 60 albums during his lifetime, almost all of which consisted of original compositions. He was also a renowned electric guitarist and a gifted producer-engineer who self-produced almost every recording he made after his 1966 debut.
His work spanned virtually every contemporary musical genre (including avant-garde, rock, doo-wop, jazz, jazz fusion, reggae, ska, electronic music, contemporary classical, blues, musique concrète, hard rock, big band, progressive rock, pop, proto-rap and world music), and was often noted for its blend of high art, rock opera, absurdity, scatological humor, and for its hilariously caustic social satire. He was also noted as a spotter of talent and his various groups included such musical luminaries as Adrian Belew, Lowell George, Jean-Luc Ponty, Ruth Underwood, George Duke, Vinnie Colaiuta, Mike Keneally and Steve Vai.
Zappa had a large and fiercely dedicated worldwide following throughout his varied career, throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and the Scandinavian countries, in particular. His early albums were a strong influence on other groups (including The Beatles) and his critically acclaimed work garnered brief mainstream success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with hit singles: “Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow”, “Dancing Fool” and “Valley Girl”. Zappa, as demonstrated by his disparaging comments about the music business, never cared much for mainstream acclaim.
Recent stories by and about Frank Zappa
My favorite memory of Frank Zappa
Well, it was not a physical meeting. Rather, it was through the magic of live radio. While I was living in Dallas, I found out that Frank was going to be interviewed live on KNON-FM so I called in and got to talk to him live on the air.
I told him that when I was very young, I had seen the cover of his album, Weasels Rip My Flesh, and that I turned out pretty much okay. This was during the whole PMRC situation, and the topic went from music that was supposedly “bad for kids” to album art that offended the Washington Wives’ sensibilities.
It was just a brief tete a tete, but I will always remember that bit of communication with Frank Zappa. Though I wish I could have met him face to face while he was still alive, it was still a meeting of minds and that was pretty cool even back in the 1980’s.
My favorite memory of Frank Zappa
Well, it was not a physical meeting. Rather, it was through the magic of live radio. While I was living in Dallas, I found out that Frank was going to be interviewed live on KNON-FM so I called in and got to talk to him live on the air.
I told him that when I was very young, I had seen the cover of his album, Weasels Rip My Flesh, and that I turned out pretty much okay. This was during the whole PMRC situation, and the topic went from music that was supposedly “bad for kids” to album art that offended the Washington Wives’ sensibilities.
It was just a brief tete a tete, but I will always remember that bit of communication with Frank Zappa. Though I wish I could have met him face to face while he was still alive, it was still a meeting of minds and that was pretty cool even back in the 1980’s.
Why I want to meet Frank Zappa
Perhaps the best American COMPOSER and icon that the world has ever seen.
Why I want to meet Frank Zappa
because i would be quite amazed to be in the presence of such a musical genius
How I met Frank Zappa
One weekend, I had a woman friend visit me in Boston. She had flown up from Charlotte, and I basically wanted to impress her. In our travels, I figured I would take her to the new, ritzy, mall thingy that had sprung up between Copley Hotel and Saks Fifth Avenue. The mall had your Gucci, your Bonwit Teller, and your Ylang Ylang, whatever that was.
At the end of the mall was a place your could relax and have a drink, snack or coffee. So we helped ourselves.
Scanning for a place to sit, I saw Frank Zappa sitting in a conversation space on the second floor.
“Oh look!” I said, non-chalantly. “There’s Frank! come on!”
I acted like it was no big whoop, and marched right up, with her standing back, and said what a big fan I was, and that I had a friend here from out of town who would love to meet him.
Then I asked him to translate an obscure German passage from “Joe’s Garage”, which he did with Chreshire grin.
My friend came over at his behest, and we talked briefly. He was to be playing a concert that night, but sadly we couldn’t go. I had seen him a few years earlier in Charlotte anyway, so I was satisfied.
Frank was perhaps the most prolific composer in 20th centur America, and yet he is give, I think, short shrift.
Happily, the Charlotte Symphony did do a concert of all Zappa music once.
There is justice, in small deeds.
