Frank Zappa

[kuranes]

He's an interesting guy. Some of my favorite Mothers' songs.

YouTube - Igor's boogie phase one & two - Zappa
YouTube - Frank Zappa - Little House I Used to Live In
YouTube - Overture To A Holiday In Berlin - Zappa
YouTube - Frank Zappa, holiday in berlin full length

He had something of an extreme "INTP" philosophy about interactions with people - Zappa quote-
"Try to imagine what the opposite of loneliness is. Think of it. That everyone in the world loves you ? What is that ? Realize you are in isolation. Live it ! Enjoy it ! Just be glad that there aren't a bunch of people who want to use up your time. Because along with all the love and admiration that's going to come from the people that would keep you from feeling lonely, there is the emotional freight you have to bear. People who are wasting your time; and you can't get that back. So when you're lonely and all by yourself, guess what you have ? You have all your own time. That's a pretty good fucking deal. Something you couldn't buy any place else...And every time you're out being sociable and having other people be ' nice ' to you, so that you don't feel ' lonely ', they are wasting your time. What do you get for it? Because after they're done being nice to you, they want something from you. And they've already taken your time! Loneliness is... not a bad deal. It's a good deal."

Zappa wasn't just posturing with this philosophy. He actually lived it. Reportedly his wife and he admitted that they got along best by trying to speak to one another as little as possible. ( Maybe like those monks with their vows of silence, doing all their interactions by showing versus telling ? By example versus verbally ? )

His kids knew that dad was not to be disturbed while composing and that he spent most of his awake time at home while composing, according to a book I just read about FZ, by Barry Miles. ( Dweezil or Moon feel free to jump in here to MBTIC threads and contradict this ! ) The rest of the time he was out touring or otherwise unavailable.

Somewhere in between 1980 and 1981 his daughter Moon slipped a note under his door addressing him as "Daddy" ( not as "Frank", as he preferred ) and "introduced herself." "I'm 13 years old. My name is Moon. Up until now I have been trying to stay out of your way as you record. However, I have come to the conclusion that I would love to sing on your album." She left the house telephone number and the name of her Mom ( Gail ) as her "agent" for him to contact, suggesting that she might do her Encino accent, or "Surfer Dude" talk for him. This eventually became the core of the "Valley Girl" song that was one of his few mainstream successes.

FZ didn't believe songs had any intrinsic quality for influencing emotions either. FZ agreed with Stravinsky ( who has a famous quote on the subject ) on this point, as well as admiring his music and that of Edgar Varese. "If an instrument sounds sad, change its rhythmic accompaniment and see if it still does."

Any of you guys like Frank ?

He was a refreshing change from the "theocracy" he predicted would eventually creep into government power ( versus secular considerations ) in America, if we weren't vigilant, but still an abrasive guy, in his own way.

Frank and Doo-Wop
Doo Wop

[Jack Flak]

I've always admired his character more than his melodies. Dissonance generally displeases me.

[kuranes]

Originally Posted by Jack Flak

I've always admired his character more than his melodies. Dissonance generally displeases me.

I thought of you as I posted this.

A lot of his stuff isn't really dissonant ( or atonal ), despite his admiration for Schoenberg. I would agree that it's not "radio friendly" though.

[pure_mercury]

I always appreciated Zappa's masterful grasp of different musical genres, his general weirdness, and the corresponding weirder-ness that he was completely sober for all of creative period (his chemical vices were cigarettes and black coffee, apparently). He seemed like a bit of tough guy to get along with, but many creative types are.

[substitute]

I totally LOVE Zappa. Been into him since I was about 12 and seen him in concert once or twice. My kids' favourite song is the eskimo thing about the deadly yellow snow haha... they sometimes answer the intercom thing on our appartment when it rings by picking up the phone and saying real fast "watch out where the huskis go and don't you eat that yellow snow!"

[EJCC]

Originally Posted by substitute

I totally LOVE Zappa. Been into him since I was about 12 and seen him in concert once or twice. My kids' favourite song is the eskimo thing about the deadly yellow snow haha... they sometimes answer the intercom thing on our appartment when it rings by picking up the phone and saying real fast "watch out where the huskis go and don't you eat that yellow snow!"

Sweet! You should play them "Motherly Love". That's pretty accessible. And it has kazoos! Can you go wrong?

Although I'm personally a fan of *belts* "A moon beam throooooooooough the pruuuuuuuune... IN JUUUUUUUUNE!" *does a little dance*

[EJCC]

Originally Posted by kuranes

I thought of you as I posted this.

A lot of his stuff isn't really dissonant ( or atonal ), despite his admiration for Schoenberg. I would agree that it's not "radio friendly" though.

Probably more because of the sophomoric humor than anything else. He actually went to trial for that, you know!