Zappa, Frank

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{{epname|Zappa, Frank}}
 
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{{Infobox musical artist
 
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| Notable_instruments = [[Gibson Guitar Corporation|Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster]]<br/>[[Gibson SG]]<br/>[[Gibson Les Paul]]<br/>[[Fender Stratocaster]]<br/>[[Synclavier]] }}
 
| Notable_instruments = [[Gibson Guitar Corporation|Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster]]<br/>[[Gibson SG]]<br/>[[Gibson Les Paul]]<br/>[[Fender Stratocaster]]<br/>[[Synclavier]] }}
  
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'''Frank Vincent Zappa'''<ref name="Francis">Until discovering his birth certificate as an adult, Zappa believed he had been christened "Francis," and he is credited as Francis on some of his early albums. His real name was "Frank," however, never "Francis." Cf. {{cite book | title = The Real Frank Zappa Book | first = Frank | last = Zappa | coauthors = with Peter Occhiogrosso | date = 1989 | publisher = Poseidon Press | location = New York | id = ISBN 0-671-63870-X}}</ref> (December 21, 1940 &ndash; December 4, 1993) was an [[United States|American]] [[composer]], [[musician]], and [[film director]]. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa established himself as a prolific and highly distinctive composer, electric guitar player and band leader. He worked in almost every musical genre and wrote music for [[rock music|rock]] bands, [[jazz]] ensembles, [[synthesizer]]s and [[Orchestra|symphony orchestra]], as well as [[musique concrète]] works constructed from pre-recorded, synthesized or [[Sampling (music)|sampled]] sources. In addition to his music recordings, he created feature-length and short films, [[music video]]s, and album covers.
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'''Frank Vincent Zappa''' (December 21, 1940 &ndash; December 4, 1993) was an [[United States|American]] [[composer]], [[musician]], and [[film director]]. Until discovering his birth certificate as an adult, Zappa believed he had been christened "Francis," and he is credited as Francis on some of his early albums. His real name was "Frank," however, never "Francis."<ref>Zappa, 1989.</ref> In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa established himself as a prolific and highly distinctive composer, [[electric guitar]] player, and [[band leader]]. He worked in almost every musical genre and wrote music for [[rock music|rock]] bands, [[jazz]] ensembles, [[synthesizer]]s, and [[Orchestra|symphony orchestra]], as well as ''[[avant-garde]]'' works constructed from pre-recorded, synthesized, or [[Sampling (music)|sampled]] sources. In addition to his music recordings, he created feature-length and short films, [[music video]]s, and album covers.
  
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His ability to coalesce eclectic and highly-varied musical styles and genres into a unified musical expression was a hallmark of his output.  
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Zappa's ability to coalesce eclectic and highly-varied musical styles and genres into a unified musical expression was a hallmark of his output. A thorough-going [[iconoclasm|iconoclast]], he directed his barbed wit not only against the [[Washington]] political establishment and the [[Hollywood]] music industry, but also toward the [[hippie]] and drug cultures, suburban "valley girls," and the insipid music of youth.
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Zappa was posthumously inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1995 and received a [[Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award]] in 1997. In 2005, his 1968 album with the Mothers of Invention, ''[[We're Only in It for the Money]],'' was inducted into the United States [[National Recording Preservation Board]]'s [[National Recording Registry]]. The same year, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine ranked him number 71 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
  
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==Career and Reputation==
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==Career summary and reputation==
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[[Image:zappa.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Frank Zappa at the [[Armadillo World Headquarters]] on September 13, 1977.]]
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Although he only occasionally achieved commercial success, Zappa maintained a highly productive career that encompassed composing, recording, touring, producing, and merchandising his own and others' music. Zappa self-produced almost every one of the more than 60 albums he released with the [[Mothers of Invention]] and as a solo artist. He received multiple [[Grammy]] nominations and won the Grammy Award for [[Best Rock Instrumental Performance]] in 1988, for the album, ''[[Jazz from Hell]].''<ref>Rolling Stone, "The Immortals" in [[Rolling Stone]], issue 972.</ref> Throughout his career, Zappa took a keen interest in the visual presentation of his work, designing some of his album covers and directing his own films and videos.
  
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Although he only occasionally achieved major commercial success, he maintained a highly productive career that encompassed composing, recording, touring, producing and merchandising his own and others' music. Zappa self-produced almost every one of the more than sixty albums he released with the [[Mothers of Invention]] or as a solo artist. He received multiple [[Grammy]] nominations and won for [[Best Rock Instrumental Performance]] in 1988 for the album ''[[Jazz from Hell]]''.<ref name="Rolling Stone Book"/> Zappa was posthumously inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1995, and received a [[Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award]] in 1997. In 2005, his 1968 album with the Mothers of Invention, ''[[We're Only in It for the Money]]'', was inducted into the United States [[National Recording Preservation Board]]'s [[National Recording Registry]]. The same year, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine ranked him #71 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.<ref>{{cite web| title = The Immortals| work = Rolling Stone Issue 972| publisher = [[Rolling Stone]]| url =http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7248602/71_frank_zappa | accessdate = 2007-03-13 }}</ref> In 2007, his birthtown [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]] declared August 9 official "Frank Zappa Day" in his honor.<ref>Pitts, Jonathon; 8-5-07, The Baltimore Sun, ''Zappa redux''</ref>
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Politically, Zappa was a self-proclaimed "practical conservative," an avowed supporter of [[capitalism]] and independent business.<ref>Dan Ouellette, [http://home.online.no/~corneliu/pulse.htm Interview with Frank Zappa,] Pulse! Magazine. Retrieved October 17, 2008.</ref> He was also a strident critic of mainstream education and organized [[religion]]. Zappa was a forthright and passionate advocate for [[freedom of speech]] and the abolition of [[censorship]], and his work embodied his skeptical view of established political processes and structures. Although many assumed that he used drugs like many musicians of the time, Zappa strongly opposed recreational drug use. Indeed, he lost many fans in the late 60s by his sarcastic denigration of the [[hippie]] lifestyle and the [[Beatles]].
  
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Politically, Zappa was a self-proclaimed "practical conservative," an avowed supporter of [[capitalism]] and independent business.<ref>
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Zappa was married to Kathryn J. "Kay" Sherman (1960&ndash;1964; no children), and then in 1967, to Adelaide Gail Sloatman, with whom he remained until his death in December 1993 of [[prostate cancer]]. They had four children: [[Moon Unit Zappa|Moon Unit]], [[Dweezil Zappa|Dweezil]], [[Ahmet Zappa|Ahmet Emuukha Rodan]], and [[Diva Zappa|Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen]].
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{{Cite news
 
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  | last = Ouellette
 
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  | first = Dan
 
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  | title = Interview with Frank Zappa
 
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  | publisher = Pulse! Magazine
 
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  | year = 1993
 
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  | date = August 1993
 
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  | url = http://home.online.no/~corneliu/pulse.htm
 
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  | accessdate = Retreived August 7, 2007 }}</ref> He was also a strident critic of mainstream education and organized [[religion]].<ref>{{cite book  | title = Frank Zappa
 
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| first = Barry
 
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| last = Miles
 
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| publisher = Atlantic Books
 
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| location = London
 
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| year = 2004
 
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| pages = p. 345; p. 56
 
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| id = ISBN 1 84354 092 4}}</ref>
 
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Zappa was a forthright and passionate advocate for [[freedom of speech]] and the abolition of [[censorship]], and his work embodied his skeptical view of established political processes and structures.<ref>{{cite book  | title = The Words and Music of Frank Zappa
 
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| first = Kelly Fisher
 
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| last = Lowe
 
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| publisher = Praeger Publishers
 
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| location = Westport
 
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| year = 2006
 
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| pages = p. 197-203
 
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| id = ISBN 0-275-98779-5}}</ref> Although many assumed that he used drugs like many musicians of the time, Zappa strongly opposed recreational drug use.<ref> Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', pp. 113-122.</ref>
 
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Zappa was married to Kathryn J. "Kay" Sherman (1960&ndash;1964; no children), and then in 1967 to Adelaide Gail Sloatman, with whom he remained until his death in December 1993 of [[prostate cancer]]. They had four children: [[Moon Unit Zappa|Moon Unit]], [[Dweezil Zappa|Dweezil]], [[Ahmet Zappa|Ahmet Emuukha Rodan]] and [[Diva Zappa|Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen]]. Gail Zappa handles the businesses of her late husband under the company name the ''Zappa Family Trust''.
 
  
 
==Biography==
 
==Biography==
 
===Early life and influences===
 
===Early life and influences===
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Frank Zappa was born in [[Baltimore, Maryland]], on December 21, 1940 to Francis Zappa (born in [[Partinico]], [[Sicily]]) who was of [[Greeks|Greek]]-[[Arabs|Arab]] descent, and Rose Marie Colimore who was of three quarters [[Italian people|Italian]] and one quarter [[French people|French]] descent.<ref>Zappa with Occhiogrosso, 1989, ''The Real Frank Zappa Book'', p. 15.</ref> He was the oldest of four children (two brothers and a sister).<ref name="Rolling Stone Book">{{cite encyclopedia| year =1993| title =Frank Zappa | encyclopedia =The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll| publisher = Simon & Schuster Inc| location = New York, NY| isbn =0-684-81044-1}}</ref> During Zappa's childhood, the family often moved because his father, a [[chemist]] and [[mathematician]], had various jobs in the US defense industry. After a brief period in [[Florida]] in the mid-1940s, the family returned to [[Edgewood, Maryland]].  
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Zappa was born in [[Baltimore, Maryland]], on December 21, 1940, to Sicilian-born Francis Zappa, who was of [[Greeks|Greek]]-[[Arabs|Arab]] descent, and Rose Marie Colimore who was three quarters [[Italian people|Italian]] and one quarter [[French people|French]]. He was the oldest of four children—two brothers and a sister. During Zappa's childhood, the family often moved because his father, a [[chemist]] and [[mathematician]], had various jobs in the U.S. defense industry. After a brief period in [[Florida]] in the mid-1940s, the family returned to [[Edgewood, Maryland]].  
  
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As a child, Zappa was often sick, suffering from [[asthma]], earaches and a [[Sinus (anatomy)|sinus]] problem. A doctor treated the latter by inserting a pellet of [[radium]] on a probe into each of Zappa's [[nostrils]].<ref name="chemicals"/> Nasal imagery and references would appear both in his music and lyrics as well as in the collage album covers created by his long-time visual collaborator, [[Cal Schenkel]].  
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As a child, Zappa was often sick, suffering from [[asthma]], earaches and a [[Sinus (anatomy)|sinus]] problem. In 1952, his family relocated again, mainly because of Zappa's asthma. They settled first in [[Monterey, California]], where Zappa’s father taught [[metallurgy]] at the [[Naval Postgraduate School]]. Shortly thereafter, they moved to [[Claremont, California|Claremont]], then again to [[El Cajon, California|El Cajon]] before once again moving to [[San Diego, California|San Diego]]. During this period, his parents bought a record player, an event initiating Zappa’s interest in music, and he soon started collecting records. Television also exerted a strong influence, as demonstrated by quotations from show themes and advertising jingles found in some of Zappa's later work.
  
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In 1952, his family relocated mainly because of Zappa's asthma. They settled first in [[Monterey, California]], where Zappa’s father taught [[metallurgy]] at the [[Naval Postgraduate School]].  Shortly thereafter, they moved to [[Claremont, California|Claremont]], then again to [[El Cajon, California|El Cajon]] before once again moving a short distance, to [[San Diego, California|San Diego]]. During this period, his parents bought a record player, one event initiating Zappa’s interest in music, as he started collecting records.<ref>Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 12.</ref> Television also exerted a strong influence, as demonstrated by quotations from show themes and advertising jingles found in some of his later work.
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The first records Zappa purchased were [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] singles, and he began building a large collection that he would keep for the rest of his life. He was particularly interested in the sounds of drums and percussion. He owned a snare drum at age 12 and started learning the rudiments of orchestral percussion.<ref>Zappa (1989), 29.</ref> Around the age of 13, Zappa began to become deeply engaged with modern classical music when he was around 13, especially the percussion works of [[Edgard Varèse]]. By 1955, the Zappa family moved to [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]], a small [[aerospace]] and farming town in [[Antelope Valley]] of the [[Mojave Desert]], close to [[Edwards Air Force Base]], [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], and the [[San Gabriel Mountains]].
  
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The first items of music Zappa purchased were [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] singles, and he began building a large collection he would keep for the rest of his life.<ref>Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 36</ref> He was, however, mainly interested in sounds for their own sake, in particular, the sounds of drums and percussion. He owned a snare drum at age twelve, and started learning the rudiments of orchestral percussion.<ref>Zappa with Occhiogrosso, 1989, ''The Real Frank Zappa Book'', p. 29.</ref> Events that initiated Zappa's deep engagement with modern classical music occurred when he was around thirteen.<ref name="idol"/> He read a ''[[Look (American magazine)|LOOK]]'' magazine story on the [[Sam Goody]] record store chain that lauded its ability to sell an LP as obscure as ''The Complete Works of Edgard Varèse, Volume One''.<ref name="Varese">Zappa with Occhiogrosso, 1989, ''The Real Frank Zappa Book'', p. 30-33.</ref> The story further described [[Edgard Varèse|Varèse]]'s percussion composition ''[[Ionisation (Varèse)|Ionisation]]'' as "a weird jumble of drums and other unpleasant sounds." Zappa then became convinced that he should seek out Varèse's compositions and this would have a profound influence on his own [[music]].
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Zappa's heterogeneous ethnic background and the diverse cultural and social mix that existed in and around greater [[Los Angeles]] at the time were also crucial in situating Zappa as a practitioner and fan of "[[outsider art]]." His mother gave him considerable encouragement in his musical interests. Though she disliked Varèse's music, she was indulgent enough to award Zappa a long distance call to the composer as a fifteenth birthday present.
  
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Zappa's heterogeneous ethnic background and the diverse cultural and social mix that existed in and around greater Los Angeles at the time were also crucial in situating Zappa as a practitioner and fan of "[[outsider art]]".<ref>{{cite book | title = Frank Zappa: The Negative Dialectics of Poodle Play | first = Ben | last = Watson | coauthors = | date = 1996 | publisher = St. Martin's Press| location = | id = ISBN 0312141246}}</ref> Indeed, throughout his career he was deeply distrustful and openly critical of "mainstream" social, political and musical movements, and he frequently lampooned popular musical fads like [[psychedelia]], [[bubblegum pop]], [[rock opera]] and [[disco]].<ref>Among his many musical satires are the 1967 songs "Flower Punk" (which parodies the song ''[[Hey Joe]]'') and ''Who Needs The Peace Corps?'', which are withering critiques of the late-Sixties commercialization of the [[hippie]] phenomenon.</ref>
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In 1956, Zappa met [[Captain Beefheart|Don Van Vliet]] (best known by his stage name "Captain Beefheart") while taking classes at [[Antelope Valley High School]] and playing drums in a local band, the Blackouts. In 1957 Zappa was given his first guitar. Among his early influences were [[Johnny "Guitar" Watson]], [[Howlin' Wolf]], and [[Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown]]. Zappa developed an eclectic, innovative, and personal guitar style and eventually became one of the most highly regarded electric guitarists of his time.<ref>Rolling Stone, The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.</ref>
  
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By 1955, the Zappa family moved to [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]], a small [[aerospace]] and farming town in [[Antelope Valley]] of the [[Mojave Desert]], close to [[Edwards Air Force Base]], [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], and the [[San Gabriel Mountains]]. Zappa's mother gave him considerable encouragement in his musical interests. Though she disliked Varèse's music, she was indulgent enough to award Zappa a long distance call to the composer as a fifteenth birthday present.<ref name="Varese"/> Unfortunately, Varèse was in Europe at the time, so Zappa spoke to the composer's wife. Zappa later received a letter from Varèse thanking Zappa for his interest, telling him about a composition he was working on called "Déserts." Living in the desert town of Lancaster, Zappa found this very exciting. Varèse invited Zappa to see him if he ever came to New York. The meeting never took place (Varèse died in 1965), but Zappa kept the framed letter displayed for the rest of his life.<ref name="idol">
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Zappa's interest in composing and arranging burgeoned in his later high school years where he started seriously dreaming of becoming a [[composer]]. By his final year of high school, he was writing, arranging and conducting ''avant-garde'' performance pieces for the school orchestra. He graduated from Antelope Valley High School in 1958, and he would later acknowledge two of his music teachers on the sleeve of the 1966 album, ''Freak Out!''
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{{Cite news |
 
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  | last = Zappa
 
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  | first = Frank
 
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  | title = Edgard Varese: The Idol of My Youth
 
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  | publisher = Stereo Review
 
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  | pages = 61-62
 
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  | year = 1971
 
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  | date = June 1971
 
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  | url = http://home.online.no/~corneliu/edgard_varese.htm
 
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  | accessdate = 2007-12-30 }}
 
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</ref><ref>On several of his earlier albums, Zappa paid tribute to Varèse by quoting his: "The present-day composer refuses to die."</ref>
 
  
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{| style="font-size:85%" align="right" border="1" color="black" width=300px
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He left community college after one semester, and maintained thereafter a disdain for formal education, taking his children out of school at age 15 and refusing to pay for their college.
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| {{Listen|filename=Zappa_BlackPage1.ogg|title="The Black Page Drum Solo/Black Page #1"|description=Sample from the album ''[[Zappa in New York]]'' (1978)|type=[[Ogg]]}}
 
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In 1956 Zappa met [[Captain Beefheart|Don Van Vliet]] (best known by his stage name "Captain Beefheart") while taking classes at [[Antelope Valley High School]] and playing drums in a local band, The Blackouts.<ref name="Rolling Stone Book"/> The Blackouts, a racially-mixed outfit, included Euclid James "Motorhead" Sherwood (who later became a member of the Mothers of Invention). Zappa and Van Vliet became close friends, influencing each other musically, and collaborating in the Sixties and mid-Seventies (e.g., on Van Vliet's ''[[Trout Mask Replica]]'', which Zappa produced, and the 1975 Mothers of Invention live album ''[[Bongo Fury]]''). They later became estranged for a period of years, but were in contact at the end of Zappa’s life.<ref>Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 372.</ref>
 
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In 1957 Zappa was given his first guitar. Among his early influences were [[Johnny "Guitar" Watson]], [[Howlin' Wolf]] and [[Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown]] (he would in the 1970s and 80s invite Watson to perform on several albums).<ref>{{cite video | url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dXTifyOu3Y | year=1976 | people = Mike Douglas |title = The Mike Douglas Show | publisher=[[YouTube]]| medium=TV show |accessdate=January 22, 2008.}}</ref> Zappa considered soloing as the equivalent of forming "air sculptures,"<ref name="DZlinernotes"/> and developed an eclectic, innovative and personal style. He eventually became one of the most highly regarded electric guitarists of his time.<ref name="rs100">He is ranked 45th in {{cite news | title = The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time | url = http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5937559/the_100_greatest_guitarists_of_all_time/ | date = August 27, 2003 | publisher = [[Rolling Stone]]|Retrieved January 22, 2008.}}</ref><ref>He is ranked 51st in {{cite news | title = The 100 Wildest Guitar Heroes | url = http://preview.vinolin.com/post/show/id/15310 | date = April 2007 | publisher = [[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]|Retrieved January 22, 2008.}}</ref>
 
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Zappa's interest in composing and arranging burgeoned in his later high school years where he started seriously dreaming of becoming a [[composer]]. By his final year at Antelope Valley High School, he was writing, arranging and conducting avant-garde performance pieces for the school orchestra.<ref>Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 40.</ref> Due to his family’s frequent moving, Zappa attended at least six different [[high school]]s, and as a student, Zappa was often bored and given to distracting the rest of the class with juvenile antics.<ref>Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 48.</ref> He graduated from Antelope Valley High School in 1958, and he would later acknowledge two of his music teachers on the sleeve of the 1966 album ''Freak Out!''<ref>
 
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{{cite book  | title = No Commercial Potential. The Saga of Frank Zappa. Then and Now
 
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| first = David
 
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| last = Walley
 
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| publisher = E. P. Dutton
 
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| location = New York
 
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| year = 1980
 
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| pages = p. 23
 
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| id = ISBN 0-525-93153-8}}</ref> He left community college after one semester, and maintained thereafter a disdain for formal education, taking his children out of school at age 15 and refusing to pay for their college.<ref>Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 345.</ref>
 
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Throughout his career, Zappa always took a keen interest in the visual presentation of his work, designing some of his album covers and directing his own films and videos.
 
  
 
===1960s===
 
===1960s===
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Zappa attempted to earn a living as a musician and composer, and played a variety of night-club gigs, some with a new version of The Blackouts.<ref>Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 59.</ref> Financially more important, however, were Zappa's earliest professional recordings, two soundtracks for the low-budget films ''[[The World's Greatest Sinner]]'' (1962) and ''Run Home Slow'' (1965).  
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Zappa attempted to earn a living as a musician and composer, playing a variety of night-club gigs, some with a new version of the Blackouts. More important financially, however, were Zappa's earliest professional recordings: Two soundtracks for the low-budget films ''[[The World's Greatest Sinner]]'' (1962) and ''Run Home Slow'' (1965).  
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In 1965 Zappa was approached by Ray Collins who asked Zappa to join a local R&B band, The Soul Giants, as a guitarist.<ref name="Rolling Stone Book"/> Zappa accepted, and soon he assumed leadership and convinced the other band members that they should play his music so as to increase the chances of getting a record contract.<ref>Zappa with Occhiogrosso, 1989, ''The Real Frank Zappa Book'', p. 65-66.</ref> The band was renamed "The Mothers" on Mothers Day. The group increased their bookings after beginning an association with manager [[Herb Cohen]], and they gradually began to gain attention on the burgeoning Los Angeles [[underground music|underground]] scene.<ref>Walley, 1980, ''No Commercial Potential'', p. 58.</ref> In early 1966, they were spotted by leading record producer [[Tom Wilson (producer)|Tom Wilson]], when playing “Trouble Every Day,” a song about the [[Watts Riots]].<ref>Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 103.</ref> Wilson had earned acclaim as the producer for [[Bob Dylan]] and [[Simon & Garfunkel]], and was also notable as one of the few African-Americans working as a major label pop producer at this time.
 
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Wilson signed The Mothers to the [[Verve Records|Verve]] division of [[MGM]], which had built up a strong reputation for its modern jazz recordings in the 1940s and 1950s, but was then attempting to diversify into pop and rock, with an "artistic" or "experimental" bent. Verve Records insisted that the band officially re-titled themselves "[[The Mothers of Invention]]" because "Mother" was short for "[[motherfucker]]" &ndash; a term that apart from its profane meanings can denote a skilled musician.<ref>
 
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{{cite video
 
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  | people = Nigel Leigh
 
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  | title = Interview with Frank Zappa
 
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  | medium = BBC Late Show
 
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  | publisher = BBC
 
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  | location = UMRK, Los Angeles, CA
 
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  | date = March 1993 }}
 
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</ref>
 
  
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{| style="font-size:85%" align="right" border="1" color="black" width=300px
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[[Image:Frank Zappa.jpg|thumb|300px|Frank Zappa and band performing at Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY. Oct 25, 1980]]
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| {{Listen|filename=Zappa_HungryFreaks.ogg|title="Hungry Freaks Daddy"|description=Sample from the album ''[[Freak Out!]]''|type=[[Ogg]]}}
 
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With Wilson credited as producer, The Mothers of Invention and a studio orchestra recorded the groundbreaking double-album ''[[Freak Out!]]'' (1966). It mixed R&B, doo-wop and experimental sound collages that captured the "freak" subculture of Los Angeles at that time,<ref>Walley, 1980, ''No Commercial Potential'', p. 60-61.</ref> The album immediately established Zappa as a radical new voice in rock music, providing an antidote to the “relentless consumer culture of America.<ref> Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 115.</ref> The sound was raw, but the arrangements were sophisticated.  
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In 1965, joined Zappa a local [[R&B]] band, the Soul Giants, as a guitarist. Zappa soon he assumed leadership of the band, convincing its other members to play his original music so as to increase the chances of getting a record contract.<ref>Zappa (1989), 65-66.</ref> The band was renamed "The Mothers" on Mothers Day. The group increased their bookings after beginning an association with manager [[Herb Cohen]], and they gradually began to gain attention on the burgeoning Los Angeles [[underground music|underground]] scene. In early 1966, The Mothers were spotted by leading record producer [[Tom Wilson (producer)|Tom Wilson]], when playing “Trouble Every Day,” a song about the [[Watts Riots]]. Wilson had earned acclaim as the producer for [[Bob Dylan]] and [[Simon & Garfunkel]], and was also notable as one of the few [[African-Americans]] working as a major label pop producer at this time.  
  
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Wilson also produced the follow-up album ''[[Absolutely Free]]'' (1967), which was recorded in November 1966, and later mixed in New York. It featured an extended version of the Mothers of Invention and focused more on songs that defined Zappa’s compositional style of introducing abrupt rhythmical changes into songs that from the first place were build of different elements.<ref>Lowe, 2006, ''The Words and Music of Frank Zappa'', p. 5.</ref>
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Wilson signed The Mothers to the [[Verve Records|Verve]] division of [[MGM]], which had built up a strong reputation for its modern [[jazz]] recordings in the 1940s and 1950s, but was then attempting to diversify into [[pop music|pop| and [[rock and roll|rock]], with an "artistic" or "experimental" bent. Verve insisted that the band officially re-title themselves "[[The Mothers of Invention]]" because "Mother" was short for "motherf-cker."
  
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The Mothers of Invention played in New York in late 1966, and being successful, they were offered a contract at the Garrick Theatre during Easter 1967. This also proved successful, and Herb Cohen managed to extend the booking, which eventually came to last half a year.<ref>
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With Wilson credited as producer, The Mothers of Invention recorded the groundbreaking double-album ''[[Freak Out!]]'' (1966). It mixed R&B, [[doo-wop]], and experimental sound collages that captured the "freak" subculture of Los Angeles at that time. The album immediately established Zappa as a radical new voice in rock music, providing an antidote to the “relentless consumer culture of America."<ref>Miles (2004), 115.</ref> The sound was raw, but the lyrics and arrangements were both sophisticated and highly original.
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{{cite book
 
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| title = Necessity Is . . .: The Early Years of Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention
 
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| first = Billy
 
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| last = James
 
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| publisher = SAF Publishing Ltd.
 
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| location = London
 
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| year = 2000
 
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| pages = pp. 62-69
 
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| id = ISBN 0-946-71951-9}}</ref>  
 
  
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Now situated in New York, and only interrupted by the band’s first European tour, the Mothers of Invention recorded the album widely regarded as the peak of the group's late Sixties work, ''[[We're Only in It for the Money]]'' (released 1968).<ref>{{cite web | url = http://wm10.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dpfexqq5ldse | title = We're Only in It for the Money. Review | last= Huey| first = Steve | publisher = Allmusic.com | accessdate= 2008-01-02}}</ref> It was produced by Zappa, with Wilson credited as executive producer. From then on, Zappa would produce all albums released by the Mothers of Invention or as a solo artist. ''We're Only in It for the Money'' featured some of the most creative [[audio editing]] and production yet heard in pop music, and the songs ruthlessly satirized the [[hippie]] and [[flower power]] phenomena.<ref>Watson, 2005, ''Frank Zappa. The Complete Guide to His Music'', p. 15. Walley, 1980, ''No Commercial Potential'', p. 90.</ref> The cover photo parodied that of [[The Beatles]]' ''[[Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]''.<ref name="MoneyCover">As the legal aspects of using the Sgt Pepper concept were unsettled, however, the album was released with the cover and back on the inside of the gatefold, while the actual cover and back were a picture of the group in a pose parodying the inside of the Beatles album. Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 151.</ref>
+
Wilson also produced the follow-up album, ''[[Absolutely Free]]'' (1967). It focused more on songs that defined Zappa’s compositional style of introducing abrupt rhythmical changes into songs that were built from of complex musical elements. The album's music sophistication dampened its commercial success but established Zappa as a serious composer rather than the leader of what many believed at the time to be a musically complex [[acid rock]] band.
  
−
While in New York, Zappa increasingly used tape editing as a compositional tool.<ref name="cc">Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 160.</ref>  A prime example is found on the double album ''[[Uncle Meat]]'' (1969),<ref>James, 2000, '' Necessity Is . . .'', p. 104.</ref> where the track "King Kong" is edited from various studio and live performances. Zappa had begun regularly recording concerts,<ref>In the process, he built up a vast archive of live recordings. In the late 1980s some of these recordings were collected for the 12-CD set ''You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore''.</ref> and because of his insistence on precise tuning and timing in concert, Zappa was able to augment his studio productions with excerpts from live shows, and vice versa.<ref name="Mix2003">
+
The Mothers of Invention played in [[New York]] in late 1966, and were offered a contract at the [[Garrick Theatre]] in [[London]] during [[Easter]] 1967. This also proved successful, and the booking came to last half a year. Returning to New York, the Mothers of Invention recorded the album widely regarded as the peak of the group's late-60s work, ''[[We're Only in It for the Money]]'' (released 1968). It was produced by Zappa, with Wilson credited as executive producer. From then on, Zappa would produce all albums released by the Mothers of Invention or himself. ''We're Only in It for the Money'' featured some of the most creative [[audio editing]] and production yet heard in pop music. The songs, however, alienated some fans as they ruthlessly satirized the [[hippie]] and [[flower power]] phenomena, with the cover photo parodying that of [[The Beatles]]' ''[[Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]''.
−
{{cite web
 
−
  | title = We are the Mothers...and This Is What We Sound Like!
 
−
  | author = Chris Michie
 
−
  | publisher = MixOnline.com
 
−
  | date = January 2003
 
−
  | url = http://mixonline.com/recording/business/audio_mothers_sound/
 
−
  | accessdate = 2008-01-04 }}</ref>
 
  
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Zappa and the Mothers of Invention returned to Los Angeles in the summer of 1968. Although the Mothers of Invention had fantastic success in Europe and England, had fanatic fans everywhere, they were not doing that well.<ref>Walley, 1980, ''No Commercial Potential'', p. 116.</ref> In 1969 there were nine members, and Zappa was supporting the group himself from his publishing [[Royalties|royalties]] whether they played or not. In late 1969, Zappa therefore broke up band due to financial strain. Although this caused some bitterness among band members,<ref>Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 186.</ref> several would return to Zappa in years to come. Remaining recordings with the band from this period were collected on ''[[Weasels Ripped My Flesh]]'' and ''[[Burnt Weeny Sandwich]]'' (both 1970).
+
While in New York, Zappa increasingly used tape editing as a compositional tool. A prime example is found on the double album ''[[Uncle Meat]]'' (1969), where the track "King Kong" is edited from various studio and live performances. Zappa had begun regularly recording concerts, and because of his insistence on precise tuning and timing in concert, Zappa was able to augment his studio productions with excerpts from live shows, and vice versa.
  
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{| style="font-size:85%" align="right" border="1" color="black" width=300px
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Zappa and the Mothers of Invention returned to Los Angeles in the summer of 1968. Although they had many avid fans and the group's musicianship was unrivaled, crowds at their live concerts often reported Zappa as disdainful of his young audiences, and thus the early popularity of the Mothers of Invention began to wane. In 1969, the Mothers had nine members, and Zappa was supporting the group himself from his publishing [[Royalties|royalties]], whether they played or not. In late 1969, Zappa broke up the band due to financial strain. Although this caused some bitterness among band members, several would return to Zappa in years to come. Remaining recordings with the band from this period were collected on ''[[Weasels Ripped My Flesh]]'' and ''[[Burnt Weeny Sandwich]]'' (both 1970).
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| {{Listen|filename=Zappa_PeachesEnRegalia.ogg|title="Peaches En Regalia"|description=Sample from the album ''[[Hot Rats]]''|type=[[Ogg]]}}
 
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|}
 
  
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After he disbanded the Mothers of Invention, Zappa released the acclaimed solo album ''[[Hot Rats]]'' (1969).<ref>{{cite web | url = http://wm10.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fpfexqq5ldse | last = Huey | first = Steve | title = Hot Rats. Review | publisher = Allmusic.com | accessdate=2008-01-02}}</ref><ref name="mileshotrats">Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 194.</ref> It features, for the first time on record, Zappa playing extended guitar solos. Also, it contains one of Zappa’s most enduring compositions, “Peaches En Regalia,” which would reappear several times on future recordings.<ref name="hotrats"/> Everything backed by jazz, blues and R&B session players including violinist [[Don "Sugarcane" Harris]], drummer John Guerin, multi-instrumentalist and previous member of Mothers of Invention [[Ian Underwood]], and bassist [[Shuggie Otis]], along with a guest appearance by Captain Beefheart (providing vocals to the only non-instrumental track, “Willie the Pimp”). It became a very popular album in England,<ref>Zappa with Occhiogrosso, 1989, ''The Real Frank Zappa Book'', p. 109.</ref> and had a major influence on the development of the [[jazz-rock fusion]] genre.<ref name="hotrats">Lowe, 2006, ''The Words and Music of Frank Zappa'', p. 74.</ref><ref name="mileshotrats"/>
+
After he disbanded the Mothers of Invention, Zappa released the acclaimed solo album ''[[Hot Rats]]'' (1969). It features, for the first time on record, Zappa playing extended guitar solos. It also contains one of Zappa’s most enduring compositions, “Peaches En Regalia,” which would reappear several times on future recordings.
  
 
===1970s===
 
===1970s===
−
Zappa kept composing music for symphony orchestra while playing and recording with the Mothers of Invention. He made contact with conductor [[Zubin Mehta]] and a concert was arranged in May 1970 where Metha conducted the [[Los Angeles Philharmonic]] amended with a rock band.  
+
Zappa kept composing music for symphony orchestras while playing and recording with the Mothers of Invention. He made contact with conductor [[Zubin Mehta]] and a concert was arranged in May 1970, where Mehta conducted the [[Los Angeles Philharmonic]] amended with a rock band.  
  
 +
Zappa's next solo album was ''[[Chunga's Revenge]]'' (1970), which was followed by the double-album soundtrack to the movie ''[[200 Motels]]'' (1971), featuring the Mothers, The [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]], and, among others, [[Ringo Starr]], [[Theodore Bikel]], and [[Keith Moon]]. The film, co-directed by Zappa and [[Tony Palmer (director)|Tony Palmer]], was shot in a week on a large sound stage outside of London.
  
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[[Image:zappa.jpg|thumb|left|220px|Frank Zappa at the [[Armadillo World Headquarters]] on September 13, 1977.]]
+
====Flo and Eddie====
 +
After [[The Turtles]] dissolved, Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, also known as "Flo and Eddie," joined the [[Mothers of Invention]] as "Phlorescent Leech & Eddie." Due to contractual restrictions made early in their career, Mark and Howard were prevented from using the name "The Turtles," as well as their own names in a musical context.
 +
 +
While with The Mothers, they appeared on
  
−
Zappa's next solo album was ''[[Chunga's Revenge]]'' (1970).<ref>Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 205.</ref>, which was followed by the double-album soundtrack to the movie ''[[200 Motels]]'' (1971), featuring The Mothers, The [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]], and, among others, [[Ringo Starr]], [[Theodore Bikel]] and [[Keith Moon]]. The film, co-directed by Zappa and [[Tony Palmer (director)|Tony Palmer]], was shot in a week on a large sound stage outside of London.<ref name="Lowe200">Lowe, 2006, ''The Words and Music of Frank Zappa'', p. 94.</ref>
+
[[Chunga's Revenge]] <br/>  
 +
[[200 Motels (soundtrack)]] <br/>
 +
[[Fillmore East-June 1971]] <br/>
 +
[[Just Another Band From L.A.]] …as well as appearing in the film ''[[200 Motels]]''.  
  
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{| style="font-size:85%" align="right" border="1" color="black" width=300px
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[[Image:Zappa-buffalo-ny.jpg|thumb|270px|Frank Zappa in 1980]]
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| {{Listen|filename=Zappa_WakaJawaka.ogg|title="Waka/Jawaka"|description=Sample from the album ''[[Waka/Jawaka]]''|type=[[Ogg]]}}
 
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|}
 
  
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In 1971-72 Zappa released two strongly jazz-oriented solo LPs, ''[[Waka/Jawaka]]'' and ''[[The Grand Wazoo]]'', which were recorded during the forced layoff from concert touring, using floating line-ups of session players and Mothers alumni.<ref> Lowe, 2006, ''The Words and Music of Frank Zappa'', p. 101.</ref>  Among other albums from the period is ''[[Over-Nite Sensation]]'' (1973), which contained several future concert favourites. It is by some considered one of Zappa’s best albums.<ref>Lowe, 2006, ''The Words and Music of Frank Zappa'', p. 106-107.</ref> The albums ''[[Roxy & Elsewhere]]'' (1974) and ''[[One Size Fits All]]'' (1975) feature ever-changing versions of a bands still called the Mothers, and were notable for the tight renditions of the highly difficult [[jazz-fusion]] songs, demonstrated by such pieces as "[[Inca Roads]]," "Echidna's Arf (Of You)" or "Be-Bop Tango (Of the Old Jazzmen's Church)." <ref name="Lowe74">Lowe, 2006, ''The Words and Music of Frank Zappa'', pp. 114-122.</ref> A live recording from 1974, ''[[You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 2]]'' (1988), captures "the full spirit and excellence of the 1973-75 band."<ref name= "Lowe74"/> Zappa would also release ''[[Bongo Fury]]'' (1975), which featured live recordings from a tour the same year that reunited him with Captain Beefheart for a brief period.<ref>Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 248.</ref>.
+
====Over-Nite Sensation====
 +
In 1971-72 Zappa released two strongly jazz-oriented solo LPs, ''[[Waka/Jawaka]]'' and ''[[The Grand Wazoo]]'', which were recorded during the forced layoff from concert touring, using floating line-ups of session players and Mothers alumni. Among other albums from the period is the ironically titled ''[[Over-Nite Sensation]]'' (1973), Zappa's first commercial success which contained several future concert favorites. It is by some considered one of Zappa’s best albums. It was followed by his greatest commercial success, ''Apostrophe (')'', which contained his only single to make the pop charts, "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow." The albums ''[[Roxy & Elsewhere]]'' (1974) and ''[[One Size Fits All]]'' (1975) feature ever-changing versions of a bands still called the Mothers, and were notable for the tight renditions of the highly difficult [[jazz-fusion]] songs, demonstrated by such pieces as "[[Inca Roads]]," "Echidna's Arf (Of You)," or "Be-Bop Tango (Of the Old Jazzmen's Church)." A live recording from 1974, ''[[You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 2]]'' (1988), captures the instrumental excellence of the 1973-75 band. Zappa would also release ''[[Bongo Fury]]'' (1975), which featured live recordings from a tour the same year that reunited him with Captain Beefheart for a brief period.
  
 
===1980s===
 
===1980s===
 +
After spending most of 1980 on the road, Zappa released ''[[Tinsel Town Rebellion]]'' in 1981. It was the first release on [[Barking Pumpkin Records]]. The album is a mixture of complicated instrumentals and Zappa's use of ''[[sprechstimme]]'' (speaking song or voice)—a compositional technique utilized by such composers as [[Arnold Schoenberg]] and [[Alban Berg]]—showcasing some of the most accomplished bands Zappa ever had. The political and sociological satire in songs like the title track and “The Blue Light” have been described as “hilarious critique of the willingness of the American people to believe anything.”<ref>Lowe (2006), 165.</ref> The album is also notable for the presence of guitar virtuoso [[Steve Vai]], who joined Zappa's touring band in the Fall of 1980.
  
−
After spending most of 1980 on the road, Zappa released ''[[Tinsel Town Rebellion]]'' in 1981. It was the first release on [[Barking Pumpkin Records]],<ref name="LoweTTR">Lowe, 2006, ''The Words and Music of Frank Zappa'', p. 161.</ref> and it contains songs taken from a 1979 tour, one studio track and material from the 1980 tours. The album is a mixture of complicated instrumentals and Zappa's use of ''[[sprechstimme]]'' (speaking song or voice)—a compositional technique utilized by such composers as [[Arnold Schoenberg]] and [[Alban Berg]]—showcasing some of the most accomplished bands Zappa ever had (mostly featuring drummer Vinnie Colaiuta).<ref name="LoweTTR"/> While some lyrics would still raise controversy among critics, in the sense that some found them sexist,<ref>Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 284.</ref> the political and sociological satire in songs like the title track and “The Blue Light” have been described as “hilarious critique of the willingness of the American people to believe anything.”<ref>Lowe, 2006, ''The Words and Music of Frank Zappa'', p. 165.</ref> The album is also notable for the presence of guitar virtuoso [[Steve Vai]], who joined Zappa's touring band in the Fall of 1980.<ref>Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 283.</ref>
+
The same year the double album ''[[You Are What You Is]]'' was released. Most of the album was recorded in Zappa's brand new [[Utility Muffin Research Kitchen]] (UMRK) studios, which were located at his house, thereby giving him complete freedom to work. The album included one complex instrumental, "Theme from the 3<sup>rd</sup> Movement of Sinister Footwear," but focused mainly on rock songs with Zappa's sardonic social commentary satirical lyrics targeted against teenagers, the media, and religious and political hypocrisy. "Dumb All Over," is a tirade on religion, as is "Heavenly Bank Account," wherein Zappa rails against [[Televangelism |TV evangelists]] such as [[Jerry Falwell]] and [[Pat Robertson]] for their purported influence on the U.S. administration as well as their usage of religion as a means of raising money. 1981 also saw the release of three instrumental albums ''[[Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar]],'' ''Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar Some More,'' and ''The Return of the Son of Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar,'' which were initially sold via mail order by Zappa himself, but were later released commercially through [[CBS]] label due to popular demand. The albums focused exclusively on Frank Zappa as a guitar soloist, and the tracks are predominantly live recordings from 1979-80, and highlight Zappa's improvisational skills with “beautiful recordings from the backing group as well.” The albums were subsequently released as a 3-album box set, and were in 1988 followed by the album ''[[Guitar (album)|Guitar]]'' focusing on recordings from 1981-82 and 1984. A third guitar-only album, ''[[Trance-Fusion]],'' completed by Zappa shortly before his death, featuring solos recorded between 1979 and 1988 (with an emphasis on 1988) was released in 2006.
  
−
The same year the double album ''[[You Are What You Is]]'' was released. Most of the album was recorded in Zappa's brand new [[Utility Muffin Research Kitchen]] (UMRK) studios, which were located at his house,<ref name="Mix2003"> thereby giving him complete freedom to work.<ref>Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 269.</ref> The album included one complex instrumental, "Theme from the 3<sup>rd</sup> Movement of Sinister Footwear," but focused mainly on rock songs with Zappa's sardonic social commentary satirical lyrics targeted at teenagers, the media, and religious and political hypocrisy.<ref>{{ cite web | url= http://wm10.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gcfyxqw5ldhe | title = You Are What You Is. Review | last = Huey | first = Steve | publisher = Allmusic.com |accessdate = 2008-01-07}}</ref> "Dumb All Over," is a tirade on religion, as is "Heavenly Bank Account," wherein Zappa rails against [[Televangelism | TV evangelists]] such as [[Jerry Falwell]] and [[Pat Robertson]] for their purported influence on the US administration as well as their usage of religion as a means of raising money.<ref name="LoweYAWYI"/> Songs like ''Society Pages'' and ''I’m a Beautiful Guy'' showed Zappa’s dismay with the [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] administration and its "obscene pursuit of wealth and happiness."<ref name="LoweYAWYI">Lowe, 2006, ''The Words and Music of Frank Zappa'', pp. 169-175.</ref>
+
In May 1982, Zappa released ''[[Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch]],'' which featured his biggest selling single ever, the Grammy nominated "Valley Girl" (topping out at number 32 on the ''[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]'' charts. In her improvised "lyrics" to the song, Zappa's daughter [[Moon Unit Zappa|Moon Unit]] satirized the vapid speech of teenage girls from the [[San Fernando Valley]], which popularized many "[[Valspeak]]" expressions such as "gag me with a spoon" and "barf out."
  
−
{| style="font-size:85%" align="right" border="2" color="black" width=300px
+
The year 1983 saw the release of two different projects, beginning with ''[[The Man From Utopia]],'' a rock-oriented work. The album itself is eclectic, featuring the vocal-led "Dangerous Kitchen" and "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats," both continuations of the “Sprechstimme” excursions on ''Tinseltown Rebellion.'' The second album, ''[[London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 1]]'' contained orchestral Zappa compositions conducted by [[Kent Nagano]] and performed by the [[London Symphony Orchestra]]. A second record of these sessions, ''[[London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 2]],'' was released in 1987.  
−
| {{Listen|filename=Zappa_SYNPYG.ogg|title="Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar Some More"|description=Sample from the album ''[[Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar]]''|type=[[Ogg]]}}
+
−
|}
+
For the remainder of his career, much of Zappa's work was affected by use of the [[synclavier]] as a compositional and performance tool. One could program the synclavier to play almost anything conceivable to perfection. “With the Synclavier, any group of imaginary instruments can be invited to play the most difficult passages … with ''one-millisecond'' actually—every time,” even though it essentially did away with the need for musicians.<ref>Miles (2004), 319.</ref> In 1984, he released four albums. ''[[Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger]],'' which juxtaposed orchestral works was commissioned and conducted by world-renowned conductor [[Pierre Boulez]] and performed by his [[Ensemble InterContemporain]], as well as premiere synclavier pieces.
−
1981 also saw the release of three instrumental albums ''[[Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar]]'', ''Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar Some More'', and ''The Return of the Son of Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar'', which were initially sold via mail order by Zappa himself, but were later released commercially through [[CBS]] label due to popular demand.<ref>
 
−
{{Cite news
 
−
  | last = Zappa
 
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  | first = Frank
 
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  | title = Absolutely Frank. First Steps in Odd Meters
 
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  | publisher = Guitar Player Magazine
 
−
  | pages = 116
 
−
  | year = 1982
 
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  | date = November 1982}}</ref> The albums focus exclusively on Frank Zappa as a guitar soloist, and the tracks are predominantly live recordings from 1979-80, and highlight Zappa's improvisational skills with “beautiful recordings from the backing group as well.”<ref>{{citation | last= Swenson |first = John | publisher = Guitar World | date= November, 1981| title = Frank Zappa: Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar, Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar Some More, ''The Return of the Son of Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar}}</ref> The albums were subsequently released as a 3-album box set, and were in 1988 followed by the album ''[[Guitar (album)|Guitar]]'' focusing on recordings from 1981-82 and 1984. A third guitar-only album, ''[[Trance-Fusion]],'' completed by Zappa shortly before his death, featuring solos recorded between 1979 and 1988 (with an emphasis on 1988) was released in 2006.
 
−
 
 
−
In May 1982, Zappa released ''[[Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch]]'', which featured his biggest selling single ever, the Grammy nominated "Valley Girl" (topping out at #32 on the ''[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]'' charts<ref name="BBsingles"/>). In her improvised "lyrics" to the song, Zappa's daughter [[Moon Unit Zappa|Moon Unit]] satirized the vapid speech of teenage girls from the [[San Fernando Valley]], which popularized many "[[Valspeak]]" expressions such as "gag me with a spoon" and "barf out."<ref>{{ cite web | url= http://wm10.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:wbfuxxyaldfe | title = Valley Girl. Frank Zappa. Song Review | last = Huey | first = Steve | publisher = Allmusic.com |accessdate = 2008-01-07}}</ref>
 
−
 
 
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[[Image:FZ-hearing.jpg|right|thumb|250px|left|Frank Zappa testifies before the [[United States Senate|US Senate]] in September, 1985.]]
 
−
 
 
−
1983 saw the release of two different projects, beginning with ''[[The Man From Utopia]],'' a rock-oriented work. The album itself is eclectic, featuring the vocal-led "Dangerous Kitchen" and "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats," both continuations of the “Sprechstimme” excursions on ''Tinseltown Rebellion.'' The second album, ''[[London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 1]]'' contained orchestral Zappa compositions conducted by [[Kent Nagano]] and performed by the [[London Symphony Orchestra]]. A second record of these sessions, ''[[London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 2]]'' was released in 1987.  
 
−
  |
 
−
For the remainder of his career, much of Zappa's work was affected by use of the [[synclavier]] as a compositional and performance tool. With the complex music he wrote, the synclavier represented anything you could dream up.<ref name="ZappaSynclavier">Zappa with Occhiogrosso, 1989, ''The Real Frank Zappa Book'', pp. 172-173.</ref> One could program the synclavier to play almost anything conceivable to perfection. “With the Synclavier, any group of imaginary instruments can be invited to play the most difficult passages . . . with ''one-millisecond'' accurary – every time.”<ref name="ZappaSynclavier"/> Even though it essentially did away with the need for musicians,<ref>Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 319. </ref> Zappa viewed the synclavier and real-life musicians as separate things.<ref name="ZappaSynclavier"/>  In 1984, he released four albums. ''[[Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger]],'' which juxtaposed orchestral works commissioned and conducted by world-renowned conductor [[Pierre Boulez]] (which was listed as an influence on ''Freak Out!'') and performed by his [[Ensemble InterContemporain]], as well as premiere synclavier pieces.
 
  
−
The album ''[[Thing-Fish]]'' was an ambitious three-record set in the style of a Broadway play dealing with a dystopian "what-if" scenario involving feminism, homosexuality, manufacturing and distribution of the AIDS virus, and a [[eugenics]] program conducted by the United States government.<ref>The musical was eventually produced for the stage in 2003. See {{cite web|url=http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/otherresources/interviews/Thing-Fish.htm |title=Thing-Fish - The Return of Frank Zappa|accessdate=2007-12-11}}</ref> New vocals were combined with previously released tracks and new synclavier music, and therefore "the work is an extraordinary example of [[bricolage]]" in Zappa's production.<ref>
+
The album ''[[Thing-Fish]]'' was an ambitious three-record set in the style of a Broadway play dealing with a dystopian "what-if" scenario involving feminism, homosexuality, manufacturing and distribution of the AIDS virus, and a [[eugenics]] program conducted by the United States government.<ref>British Theater Guide, [http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/otherresources/interviews/Thing-Fish.htm Thing-Fish—The Return of Frank Zappa.] Retrieved October 17, 2008.</ref> New vocals were combined with previously released tracks and new synclavier music, and therefore "the work is an extraordinary example of [[bricolage]]" in Zappa's production.
−
{{Citation
 
−
 
−
On September 19, 1985, Zappa testified before the [[United States Senate|US Senate]] Commerce, Technology, and Transportation committee, attacking the Parents Music Resource Center or [[PMRC]], a music [[censorship]] organization, founded by then-Senator [[Al Gore]]'s wife [[Tipper Gore]]. The PMRC consisted of many wives of politicians, including the wives of five members of the committee. In his prepared statement, Zappa said
 
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<blockquote>"The PMRC proposal is an ill-conceived piece of nonsense which fails to deliver any real benefits to children, infringes the civil liberties of people who are not children, and promises to keep the courts busy for years dealing with the interpretational and enforcemental problems inherent in the proposal's design. It is my understanding that, in law, First Amendment issues are decided with a preference for the least restrictive alternative.  In this context, the PMRC's demands are the equivalent of treating dandruff by decapitation. (...) The establishment of a rating system, voluntary or otherwise, opens the door to an endless parade of moral quality control programs based on things certain Christians do not like. What if the next bunch of Washington wives demands a large yellow "J" on all material written or performed by Jews, in order to save helpless children from exposure to concealed Zionist doctrine?"<ref>{{ cite web| url=http://www.joesapt.net/superlink/shrg99-529/p51.html
 
−
| title = Record Labeling. Hearing before the committee on commerce, science and transportation.
 
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| publisher = U.S. Government printing office
 
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| date = 1985-09-19
 
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| accessdate = 2007-12-31
 
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}}</ref></blockquote>
 
  
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Zappa put some excerpts from the PMRC hearings to synclavier-music in his composition "Porn Wars" from the 1985 album ''[[Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention]].'' Zappa is heard interacting with Senators [[Fritz Hollings]], [[Slade Gorton]], [[Al Gore]] (who admitted to being a Zappa fan), and, most notably, an exchange with Florida Senator [[Paula Hawkins]] over what toys the Zappa children played with. Zappa would also go on to argue with PMRC representatives on the [[CNN]]'s ''[[Crossfire (TV series)|Crossfire]]'' in 1986 and 1987.<ref>{{cite video | url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ISil7IHzxc | year=1986 | people = CNN |title = Crossfire with Frank Zappa and John Lofton | publisher=YouTube| medium=TV debate|accessdate=2007-08-07 }}</ref>
+
On September 19, 1985, Zappa testified before the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] Commerce, Technology, and Transportation committee, attacking the Parents Music Resource Center or [[PMRC]], a music [[censorship]] organization, founded by then-Senator [[Al Gore]]'s wife [[Tipper Gore]]. Zappa put some excerpts from the PMRC hearings to synclavier-music in his composition, "Porn Wars" from the 1985 album, ''[[Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention]].''  
  
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The album ''[[Jazz From Hell]],'' released in 1986, earned Zappa his first [[Grammy Award]] in 1988 for [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance|Best Rock Instrumental Performance]]. Except for one live guitar solo, the album exclusively featured compositions brought to life by the [[synclavier]]. Although an instrumental album, Meyer Music Markets sold ''Jazz from Hell'' featuring an "explicit lyrics" sticker (a warning label introduced by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] in an agreement with the PMRC).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ericnuzum.com/banned/incidents/80s.html|title=Censorship Incidents: 1980s|work=Parental Advisory: Music Censorship in America|last=Nuzum|first=Eric|accessdate=2007-07-23}}</ref>
+
The album ''[[Jazz From Hell]],'' released in 1986, earned Zappa his first [[Grammy Award]] in 1988, for [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance|Best Rock Instrumental Performance]]. Except for one live guitar solo, the album exclusively featured compositions brought to life by the [[synclavier]].  
  
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Around 1986, Zappa undertook a comprehensive re-release program of his earlier recordings.<ref> Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 340.</ref> He personally oversaw the remastering of all his 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s albums for the new [[compact disc]] medium. Certain aspects of these re-issues were, however, criticised by some fans as being unfaithful to the original recordings.<ref>For a comprehensive comparison of vinyl of CD releases, see {{cite web | url = http://www.lukpac.org/~handmade/patio/vinylvscds/index.html | title = The Frank Zappa Album Versions Guide – Index | accessdate = 2008-01-07}}</ref>
+
Around 1986, Zappa undertook a comprehensive re-release program of his earlier recordings.<ref>Miles (2004), 340.</ref> He personally oversaw the remastering of all his 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s albums for the new [[compact disc]] medium. Certain aspects of these re-issues were, however, criticized by some fans as being unfaithful to the original recordings.<ref>Luk Pac, [http://www.lukpac.org/~handmade/patio/vinylvscds/index.html The Frank Zappa Album Versions Guide.] Retrieved October 17, 2008.</ref>
  
 
===1990s===
 
===1990s===
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[[Image:ZappaYellowShark1992e.jpg|thumb|left|275px|Frank Zappa conducting [[Ensemble Modern]], [[Alte Oper]], Frankfurt, September 1992]]
 
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In early 1990, Zappa visited [[Czechoslovakia]] at the request of President [[Václav Havel]], a lifelong fan, and was asked by Havel to serve as consultant for the government on trade, cultural matters and tourism. Zappa enthusiastically agreed and began meeting with corporate officials interested in investing in Czechoslovakia. Within a few weeks, however, the US administration put pressure on the Czech government to withdraw the appointment. Havel made Zappa an unofficial [[cultural attaché]] instead.<ref>Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', pp. 357-361.</ref>
 
  
−
Zappa's political work would soon come to a halt, however. In 1991, he was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer.<ref name="Great Guitarists">{{cite book|last=Freeth |first=Nick |coauthors=Douse, Cliff |title=Great Guitarists |year=2001 |publisher=Bookmart Limited |location=UK |isbn=1 84044 093 7 }}</ref> After his diagnosis, Zappa devoted most of his energy to modern orchestral and synclavier works.
+
In early 1990, Zappa visited [[Czechoslovakia]] at the request of President [[Václav Havel]], a lifelong fan, and was asked by Havel to serve as consultant for the government on trade, cultural matters and tourism. Zappa enthusiastically agreed and began meeting with corporate officials interested in investing in Czechoslovakia. Within a few weeks, however, the U.S. administration put pressure on the Czech government to withdraw the appointment. Havel made Zappa an unofficial [[cultural attaché]] instead.<ref>Miles (2004), 357-361.</ref>
  
−
In 1992, he was approached by the German chamber ensemble [[Ensemble Modern]] who was interested in playing his music. Although ill, Zappa invited them to Los Angeles for rehearsals of new compositions as well as new arrangements of older material.<ref name="milesEM">Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 369.</ref> In addition to being satisfied with the ensemble’s performances of his music, Zappa also got along with the musicians, and concerts in Germany and Austria were set up for the fall.<ref name="milesEM"/> In September 1992, the concerts went ahead as scheduled, but Zappa could only appear at two in Frankfurt due to illness. At the first concert, he conducted the improvised opening, and the final “G-Spot Tornado” as well as the theatrical “Food Gathering in Post-Industrial America, 1992”  and “Welcome to the United States” (the remainder of the program was conducted by the ensemble’s regular conductor Peter Rundel). Zappa received a 20-minute ovation.<ref>Miles, 2004, ''Frank Zappa'', p. 371.</ref> It would become his last public appearance in a musical function, as the cancer was spreading to an extent where he was in too much pain to enjoy himself by what he would otherwise call an “exhilarating” event.<ref>Slaven, 2003, ''Electric Don Quixote'', p. 386.</ref> Recordings from the concerts appeared on ''[[The Yellow Shark]]'' (1993), Zappa’s last release when alive, and some material from studio rehearsals appeared on the posthumous ''[[Everything Is Healing Nicely]]'' (1999).
+
Zappa's political work would soon come to a halt, however. In 1991, he was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer. After his diagnosis, Zappa devoted most of his energy to modern orchestral and synclavier works.
  
−
{| style="font-size:85%" align="right" border="1" color="black" width=300px
+
In 1992, he was approached by the German chamber ensemble [[Ensemble Modern]] who was interested in playing his music. Although ill, Zappa invited them to Los Angeles for rehearsals of new compositions as well as new arrangements of older material. In addition to being satisfied with the ensemble’s performances of his music, Zappa also got along well with the musicians, and concerts in Germany and Austria were set up for the fall. In September 1992, the concerts went ahead as scheduled, but Zappa could only appear at two of them in Frankfurt due to his illness. They would be his last public appearances in a musical function. Recordings from the concerts appeared on ''[[The Yellow Shark]]'' (1993), Zappa’s last release when alive, and some material from studio rehearsals appeared on the posthumous ''[[Everything Is Healing Nicely]]'' (1999). In 1993, prior to his death, he completed ''[[Civilization, Phaze III]],'' a major synclavier work he had begun in the 1980s.
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| {{Listen|filename=Zappa_Nlite.ogg|title="N-Lite"|description=Sample from the album ''[[Civilization, Phaze III]]''|type=[[Ogg]]}}
 
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|}
 
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In 1993, prior to his death, he completed ''[[Civilization, Phaze III]]'', a major synclavier work he had begun in the 1980s. Frank Zappa died on December 4, 1993, age 52, from prostate cancer. He was interred in an unmarked grave at the [[Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]] in [[Westwood, Los Angeles, California|Westwood, California]].<ref name="Great Guitarists"/>
 
  
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==Discography==
+
Frank Zappa died on December 4, 1993, age 52, from prostate cancer. He was interred in an unmarked grave at the [[Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]] in [[Westwood, Los Angeles, California|Westwood, California]].
−
{{Main|Frank Zappa discography}}
 
  
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==Notes and references==
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==Legacy==
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{{reflist|2}}
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In the annals of American [[popular music]], Frank Zappa will be remembered for his uncompromising social attitudes and excellent musicianship. In many ways he was a pioneer as his musical temperament yielded an amazing body of work that defied just about every convention of the era in which he lived and worked. The melange of musical styles (pop, [[jazz]], [[R & B]], electronica, experimental ''[[avant-garde]]'') that comprised his musical palette, made it difficult to stereotype his [[music]]. Though this severely limited any broad popular appeal and any resulting commercial success, he nonetheless became an iconic figure admired by many. The polyglot nature of his music could be characterized as being quintessentially "American" due its diversity and in his willingness to accept any style or influence into his compositional universe.
  
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==Further reading==
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==Notes==
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<references/>
  
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* {{cite book
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==References==
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| title = Dangerous Kitchen: The Subversive World of Zappa
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* James, Billy. ''Necessity Is—: The Early Years of Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention''. London: SAF, 2001. ISBN 978-0946719143.
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| first = Kevin
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* Lowe, Kelly Fisher. ''The Words and Music of Frank Zappa''. The Praeger singer-songwriter collection. Westport, Conn: Praeger, 2006. {{ASIN|B01K3L4PUQ}}
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| last = Courrier
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* Miles, Barry. ''Frank Zappa: The Biography''. New York, NY: Grove Press, 2004. ISBN 978-0802142153.
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| publisher = ECW Press
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* Zappa, Frank, and Peter Occhiogrosso. ''The Real Frank Zappa Book''. New York: Poseidon Press, 1989. ISBN 978-0671638702.
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| year = 2002
 
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| location = Toronto
 
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| id = ISBN 1-55022-447-6
 
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==External links==
 
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All links retrieved April 9, 2024.
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* {{imdb name | id=0953261 | name=Frank Zappa}} ''www.imdb.com''
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|DATE OF BIRTH= {{birth date|1940|12|21|mf=y}}
 
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|PLACE OF BIRTH= [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]], [[Maryland]]
 
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|DATE OF DEATH= {{death date|1993|12|4|mf=y}}
 
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{{Frank Zappa}}
 
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{{reflist|2}}
 
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* {{cite book
 
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| title = Dangerous Kitchen: The Subversive World of Zappa
 
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| first = Kevin
 
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| last = Courrier
 
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| publisher = ECW Press
 
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| year = 2002
 
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* [http://www.zappa.com/ The Official Frank Zappa Site]
 
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|NAME= Zappa, Frank
 
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|ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Zappa, Frank Vincent
 
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|SHORT DESCRIPTION= [[Composer]], [[Musician]], [[Bandleader]], [[Conductor (music)|Conductor]], [[Record producer|Producer]]
 
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|DATE OF BIRTH= {{birth date|1940|12|21|mf=y}}
 
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|PLACE OF BIRTH= [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]], [[Maryland]]
 
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Latest revision as of 05:10, 9 April 2024

Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa at a concert in Norway in 1977
Frank Zappa at a concert in Norway in 1977
Background information
Birth name Frank Vincent Zappa
Born December 21 1940(1940-12-21)
Baltimore, Maryland
Died December 4 1993 (aged 52)
Los Angeles, California
Genre(s) Rock, jazz, classical, experimental
Occupation(s) Composer, Musician, Conductor, Producer
Instrument(s) Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, vibraphone, synclavier, drums
Years active 1950s–1993
Label(s) Verve/MGM, Bizarre/Straight, DiscReet, Zappa Records, Barking Pumpkin Records, Rykodisc
Associated acts The Mothers of Invention
Captain Beefheart
Website Zappa.com
Notable instrument(s)
Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster
Gibson SG
Gibson Les Paul
Fender Stratocaster
Synclavier

Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American composer, musician, and film director. Until discovering his birth certificate as an adult, Zappa believed he had been christened "Francis," and he is credited as Francis on some of his early albums. His real name was "Frank," however, never "Francis."[1] In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa established himself as a prolific and highly distinctive composer, electric guitar player, and band leader. He worked in almost every musical genre and wrote music for rock bands, jazz ensembles, synthesizers, and symphony orchestra, as well as avant-garde works constructed from pre-recorded, synthesized, or sampled sources. In addition to his music recordings, he created feature-length and short films, music videos, and album covers.

Zappa's ability to coalesce eclectic and highly-varied musical styles and genres into a unified musical expression was a hallmark of his output. A thorough-going iconoclast, he directed his barbed wit not only against the Washington political establishment and the Hollywood music industry, but also toward the hippie and drug cultures, suburban "valley girls," and the insipid music of youth.

Zappa was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. In 2005, his 1968 album with the Mothers of Invention, We're Only in It for the Money, was inducted into the United States National Recording Preservation Board's National Recording Registry. The same year, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 71 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Career summary and reputation

Frank Zappa at the Armadillo World Headquarters on September 13, 1977.

Although he only occasionally achieved commercial success, Zappa maintained a highly productive career that encompassed composing, recording, touring, producing, and merchandising his own and others' music. Zappa self-produced almost every one of the more than 60 albums he released with the Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist. He received multiple Grammy nominations and won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1988, for the album, Jazz from Hell.[2] Throughout his career, Zappa took a keen interest in the visual presentation of his work, designing some of his album covers and directing his own films and videos.

Politically, Zappa was a self-proclaimed "practical conservative," an avowed supporter of capitalism and independent business.[3] He was also a strident critic of mainstream education and organized religion. Zappa was a forthright and passionate advocate for freedom of speech and the abolition of censorship, and his work embodied his skeptical view of established political processes and structures. Although many assumed that he used drugs like many musicians of the time, Zappa strongly opposed recreational drug use. Indeed, he lost many fans in the late 60s by his sarcastic denigration of the hippie lifestyle and the Beatles.

Zappa was married to Kathryn J. "Kay" Sherman (1960–1964; no children), and then in 1967, to Adelaide Gail Sloatman, with whom he remained until his death in December 1993 of prostate cancer. They had four children: Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan, and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen.

Biography

Early life and influences

Zappa was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on December 21, 1940, to Sicilian-born Francis Zappa, who was of Greek-Arab descent, and Rose Marie Colimore who was three quarters Italian and one quarter French. He was the oldest of four children—two brothers and a sister. During Zappa's childhood, the family often moved because his father, a chemist and mathematician, had various jobs in the U.S. defense industry. After a brief period in Florida in the mid-1940s, the family returned to Edgewood, Maryland.

As a child, Zappa was often sick, suffering from asthma, earaches and a sinus problem. In 1952, his family relocated again, mainly because of Zappa's asthma. They settled first in Monterey, California, where Zappa’s father taught metallurgy at the Naval Postgraduate School. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Claremont, then again to El Cajon before once again moving to San Diego. During this period, his parents bought a record player, an event initiating Zappa’s interest in music, and he soon started collecting records. Television also exerted a strong influence, as demonstrated by quotations from show themes and advertising jingles found in some of Zappa's later work.

The first records Zappa purchased were R&B singles, and he began building a large collection that he would keep for the rest of his life. He was particularly interested in the sounds of drums and percussion. He owned a snare drum at age 12 and started learning the rudiments of orchestral percussion.[4] Around the age of 13, Zappa began to become deeply engaged with modern classical music when he was around 13, especially the percussion works of Edgard Varèse. By 1955, the Zappa family moved to Lancaster, a small aerospace and farming town in Antelope Valley of the Mojave Desert, close to Edwards Air Force Base, Los Angeles, and the San Gabriel Mountains.

Zappa's heterogeneous ethnic background and the diverse cultural and social mix that existed in and around greater Los Angeles at the time were also crucial in situating Zappa as a practitioner and fan of "outsider art." His mother gave him considerable encouragement in his musical interests. Though she disliked Varèse's music, she was indulgent enough to award Zappa a long distance call to the composer as a fifteenth birthday present.

In 1956, Zappa met Don Van Vliet (best known by his stage name "Captain Beefheart") while taking classes at Antelope Valley High School and playing drums in a local band, the Blackouts. In 1957 Zappa was given his first guitar. Among his early influences were Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Howlin' Wolf, and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. Zappa developed an eclectic, innovative, and personal guitar style and eventually became one of the most highly regarded electric guitarists of his time.[5]

Zappa's interest in composing and arranging burgeoned in his later high school years where he started seriously dreaming of becoming a composer. By his final year of high school, he was writing, arranging and conducting avant-garde performance pieces for the school orchestra. He graduated from Antelope Valley High School in 1958, and he would later acknowledge two of his music teachers on the sleeve of the 1966 album, Freak Out!

He left community college after one semester, and maintained thereafter a disdain for formal education, taking his children out of school at age 15 and refusing to pay for their college.

1960s

Zappa attempted to earn a living as a musician and composer, playing a variety of night-club gigs, some with a new version of the Blackouts. More important financially, however, were Zappa's earliest professional recordings: Two soundtracks for the low-budget films The World's Greatest Sinner (1962) and Run Home Slow (1965).

Frank Zappa and band performing at Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY. Oct 25, 1980

In 1965, joined Zappa a local R&B band, the Soul Giants, as a guitarist. Zappa soon he assumed leadership of the band, convincing its other members to play his original music so as to increase the chances of getting a record contract.[6] The band was renamed "The Mothers" on Mothers Day. The group increased their bookings after beginning an association with manager Herb Cohen, and they gradually began to gain attention on the burgeoning Los Angeles underground scene. In early 1966, The Mothers were spotted by leading record producer Tom Wilson, when playing “Trouble Every Day,” a song about the Watts Riots. Wilson had earned acclaim as the producer for Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel, and was also notable as one of the few African-Americans working as a major label pop producer at this time.

Wilson signed The Mothers to the Verve division of MGM, which had built up a strong reputation for its modern jazz recordings in the 1940s and 1950s, but was then attempting to diversify into [[pop music|pop| and rock, with an "artistic" or "experimental" bent. Verve insisted that the band officially re-title themselves "The Mothers of Invention" because "Mother" was short for "motherf-cker."

With Wilson credited as producer, The Mothers of Invention recorded the groundbreaking double-album Freak Out! (1966). It mixed R&B, doo-wop, and experimental sound collages that captured the "freak" subculture of Los Angeles at that time. The album immediately established Zappa as a radical new voice in rock music, providing an antidote to the “relentless consumer culture of America."[7] The sound was raw, but the lyrics and arrangements were both sophisticated and highly original.

Wilson also produced the follow-up album, Absolutely Free (1967). It focused more on songs that defined Zappa’s compositional style of introducing abrupt rhythmical changes into songs that were built from of complex musical elements. The album's music sophistication dampened its commercial success but established Zappa as a serious composer rather than the leader of what many believed at the time to be a musically complex acid rock band.

The Mothers of Invention played in New York in late 1966, and were offered a contract at the Garrick Theatre in London during Easter 1967. This also proved successful, and the booking came to last half a year. Returning to New York, the Mothers of Invention recorded the album widely regarded as the peak of the group's late-60s work, We're Only in It for the Money (released 1968). It was produced by Zappa, with Wilson credited as executive producer. From then on, Zappa would produce all albums released by the Mothers of Invention or himself. We're Only in It for the Money featured some of the most creative audio editing and production yet heard in pop music. The songs, however, alienated some fans as they ruthlessly satirized the hippie and flower power phenomena, with the cover photo parodying that of The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

While in New York, Zappa increasingly used tape editing as a compositional tool. A prime example is found on the double album Uncle Meat (1969), where the track "King Kong" is edited from various studio and live performances. Zappa had begun regularly recording concerts, and because of his insistence on precise tuning and timing in concert, Zappa was able to augment his studio productions with excerpts from live shows, and vice versa.

Zappa and the Mothers of Invention returned to Los Angeles in the summer of 1968. Although they had many avid fans and the group's musicianship was unrivaled, crowds at their live concerts often reported Zappa as disdainful of his young audiences, and thus the early popularity of the Mothers of Invention began to wane. In 1969, the Mothers had nine members, and Zappa was supporting the group himself from his publishing royalties, whether they played or not. In late 1969, Zappa broke up the band due to financial strain. Although this caused some bitterness among band members, several would return to Zappa in years to come. Remaining recordings with the band from this period were collected on Weasels Ripped My Flesh and Burnt Weeny Sandwich (both 1970).

After he disbanded the Mothers of Invention, Zappa released the acclaimed solo album Hot Rats (1969). It features, for the first time on record, Zappa playing extended guitar solos. It also contains one of Zappa’s most enduring compositions, “Peaches En Regalia,” which would reappear several times on future recordings.

1970s

Zappa kept composing music for symphony orchestras while playing and recording with the Mothers of Invention. He made contact with conductor Zubin Mehta and a concert was arranged in May 1970, where Mehta conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic amended with a rock band.

Zappa's next solo album was Chunga's Revenge (1970), which was followed by the double-album soundtrack to the movie 200 Motels (1971), featuring the Mothers, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and, among others, Ringo Starr, Theodore Bikel, and Keith Moon. The film, co-directed by Zappa and Tony Palmer, was shot in a week on a large sound stage outside of London.

Flo and Eddie

After The Turtles dissolved, Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, also known as "Flo and Eddie," joined the Mothers of Invention as "Phlorescent Leech & Eddie." Due to contractual restrictions made early in their career, Mark and Howard were prevented from using the name "The Turtles," as well as their own names in a musical context.

While with The Mothers, they appeared on

Chunga's Revenge
200 Motels (soundtrack)
Fillmore East-June 1971
Just Another Band From L.A. …as well as appearing in the film 200 Motels.

Frank Zappa in 1980

Over-Nite Sensation

In 1971-72 Zappa released two strongly jazz-oriented solo LPs, Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo, which were recorded during the forced layoff from concert touring, using floating line-ups of session players and Mothers alumni. Among other albums from the period is the ironically titled Over-Nite Sensation (1973), Zappa's first commercial success which contained several future concert favorites. It is by some considered one of Zappa’s best albums. It was followed by his greatest commercial success, Apostrophe ('), which contained his only single to make the pop charts, "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow." The albums Roxy & Elsewhere (1974) and One Size Fits All (1975) feature ever-changing versions of a bands still called the Mothers, and were notable for the tight renditions of the highly difficult jazz-fusion songs, demonstrated by such pieces as "Inca Roads," "Echidna's Arf (Of You)," or "Be-Bop Tango (Of the Old Jazzmen's Church)." A live recording from 1974, You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 2 (1988), captures the instrumental excellence of the 1973-75 band. Zappa would also release Bongo Fury (1975), which featured live recordings from a tour the same year that reunited him with Captain Beefheart for a brief period.

1980s

After spending most of 1980 on the road, Zappa released Tinsel Town Rebellion in 1981. It was the first release on Barking Pumpkin Records. The album is a mixture of complicated instrumentals and Zappa's use of sprechstimme (speaking song or voice)—a compositional technique utilized by such composers as Arnold Schoenberg and Alban Berg—showcasing some of the most accomplished bands Zappa ever had. The political and sociological satire in songs like the title track and “The Blue Light” have been described as “hilarious critique of the willingness of the American people to believe anything.”[8] The album is also notable for the presence of guitar virtuoso Steve Vai, who joined Zappa's touring band in the Fall of 1980.

The same year the double album You Are What You Is was released. Most of the album was recorded in Zappa's brand new Utility Muffin Research Kitchen (UMRK) studios, which were located at his house, thereby giving him complete freedom to work. The album included one complex instrumental, "Theme from the 3rd Movement of Sinister Footwear," but focused mainly on rock songs with Zappa's sardonic social commentary satirical lyrics targeted against teenagers, the media, and religious and political hypocrisy. "Dumb All Over," is a tirade on religion, as is "Heavenly Bank Account," wherein Zappa rails against TV evangelists such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson for their purported influence on the U.S. administration as well as their usage of religion as a means of raising money. 1981 also saw the release of three instrumental albums Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar, Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar Some More, and The Return of the Son of Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar, which were initially sold via mail order by Zappa himself, but were later released commercially through CBS label due to popular demand. The albums focused exclusively on Frank Zappa as a guitar soloist, and the tracks are predominantly live recordings from 1979-80, and highlight Zappa's improvisational skills with “beautiful recordings from the backing group as well.” The albums were subsequently released as a 3-album box set, and were in 1988 followed by the album Guitar focusing on recordings from 1981-82 and 1984. A third guitar-only album, Trance-Fusion, completed by Zappa shortly before his death, featuring solos recorded between 1979 and 1988 (with an emphasis on 1988) was released in 2006.

In May 1982, Zappa released Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch, which featured his biggest selling single ever, the Grammy nominated "Valley Girl" (topping out at number 32 on the Billboard charts. In her improvised "lyrics" to the song, Zappa's daughter Moon Unit satirized the vapid speech of teenage girls from the San Fernando Valley, which popularized many "Valspeak" expressions such as "gag me with a spoon" and "barf out."

The year 1983 saw the release of two different projects, beginning with The Man From Utopia, a rock-oriented work. The album itself is eclectic, featuring the vocal-led "Dangerous Kitchen" and "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats," both continuations of the “Sprechstimme” excursions on Tinseltown Rebellion. The second album, London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 1 contained orchestral Zappa compositions conducted by Kent Nagano and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. A second record of these sessions, London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 2, was released in 1987.

For the remainder of his career, much of Zappa's work was affected by use of the synclavier as a compositional and performance tool. One could program the synclavier to play almost anything conceivable to perfection. “With the Synclavier, any group of imaginary instruments can be invited to play the most difficult passages … with one-millisecond actually—every time,” even though it essentially did away with the need for musicians.[9] In 1984, he released four albums. Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger, which juxtaposed orchestral works was commissioned and conducted by world-renowned conductor Pierre Boulez and performed by his Ensemble InterContemporain, as well as premiere synclavier pieces.

The album Thing-Fish was an ambitious three-record set in the style of a Broadway play dealing with a dystopian "what-if" scenario involving feminism, homosexuality, manufacturing and distribution of the AIDS virus, and a eugenics program conducted by the United States government.[10] New vocals were combined with previously released tracks and new synclavier music, and therefore "the work is an extraordinary example of bricolage" in Zappa's production.

On September 19, 1985, Zappa testified before the U.S. Senate Commerce, Technology, and Transportation committee, attacking the Parents Music Resource Center or PMRC, a music censorship organization, founded by then-Senator Al Gore's wife Tipper Gore. Zappa put some excerpts from the PMRC hearings to synclavier-music in his composition, "Porn Wars" from the 1985 album, Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention.

The album Jazz From Hell, released in 1986, earned Zappa his first Grammy Award in 1988, for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Except for one live guitar solo, the album exclusively featured compositions brought to life by the synclavier.

Around 1986, Zappa undertook a comprehensive re-release program of his earlier recordings.[11] He personally oversaw the remastering of all his 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s albums for the new compact disc medium. Certain aspects of these re-issues were, however, criticized by some fans as being unfaithful to the original recordings.[12]

1990s

In early 1990, Zappa visited Czechoslovakia at the request of President Václav Havel, a lifelong fan, and was asked by Havel to serve as consultant for the government on trade, cultural matters and tourism. Zappa enthusiastically agreed and began meeting with corporate officials interested in investing in Czechoslovakia. Within a few weeks, however, the U.S. administration put pressure on the Czech government to withdraw the appointment. Havel made Zappa an unofficial cultural attaché instead.[13]

Zappa's political work would soon come to a halt, however. In 1991, he was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer. After his diagnosis, Zappa devoted most of his energy to modern orchestral and synclavier works.

In 1992, he was approached by the German chamber ensemble Ensemble Modern who was interested in playing his music. Although ill, Zappa invited them to Los Angeles for rehearsals of new compositions as well as new arrangements of older material. In addition to being satisfied with the ensemble’s performances of his music, Zappa also got along well with the musicians, and concerts in Germany and Austria were set up for the fall. In September 1992, the concerts went ahead as scheduled, but Zappa could only appear at two of them in Frankfurt due to his illness. They would be his last public appearances in a musical function. Recordings from the concerts appeared on The Yellow Shark (1993), Zappa’s last release when alive, and some material from studio rehearsals appeared on the posthumous Everything Is Healing Nicely (1999). In 1993, prior to his death, he completed Civilization, Phaze III, a major synclavier work he had begun in the 1980s.

Frank Zappa died on December 4, 1993, age 52, from prostate cancer. He was interred in an unmarked grave at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, California.

Legacy

In the annals of American popular music, Frank Zappa will be remembered for his uncompromising social attitudes and excellent musicianship. In many ways he was a pioneer as his musical temperament yielded an amazing body of work that defied just about every convention of the era in which he lived and worked. The melange of musical styles (pop, jazz, R & B, electronica, experimental avant-garde) that comprised his musical palette, made it difficult to stereotype his music. Though this severely limited any broad popular appeal and any resulting commercial success, he nonetheless became an iconic figure admired by many. The polyglot nature of his music could be characterized as being quintessentially "American" due its diversity and in his willingness to accept any style or influence into his compositional universe.

Notes

  1. ↑ Zappa, 1989.
  2. ↑ Rolling Stone, "The Immortals" in Rolling Stone, issue 972.
  3. ↑ Dan Ouellette, Interview with Frank Zappa, Pulse! Magazine. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  4. ↑ Zappa (1989), 29.
  5. ↑ Rolling Stone, The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
  6. ↑ Zappa (1989), 65-66.
  7. ↑ Miles (2004), 115.
  8. ↑ Lowe (2006), 165.
  9. ↑ Miles (2004), 319.
  10. ↑ British Theater Guide, Thing-Fish—The Return of Frank Zappa. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  11. ↑ Miles (2004), 340.
  12. ↑ Luk Pac, The Frank Zappa Album Versions Guide. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  13. ↑ Miles (2004), 357-361.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • James, Billy. Necessity Is—: The Early Years of Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention. London: SAF, 2001. ISBN 978-0946719143.
  • Lowe, Kelly Fisher. The Words and Music of Frank Zappa. The Praeger singer-songwriter collection. Westport, Conn: Praeger, 2006. ASIN B01K3L4PUQ
  • Miles, Barry. Frank Zappa: The Biography. New York, NY: Grove Press, 2004. ISBN 978-0802142153.
  • Zappa, Frank, and Peter Occhiogrosso. The Real Frank Zappa Book. New York: Poseidon Press, 1989. ISBN 978-0671638702.

External links

All links retrieved April 9, 2024.

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