Zappa's work and legacy was completely defined by his personality, philosophy, and ideas. Zappa put his all into his music, and things released in certain periods of his life reflect who he was at the time, and the way he thought.
All of his songs have something to do with Zappa and who he was. From songs making commentary about things he felt strongly about, to songs about his family and children, his music wasn't just music - it was Frank. All Frank. In a world where cookie cutter love songs were the norm, Zappa was never afraid to put his all into his work.
Remember earlier in this blog when I discussed going to jail and how that affected Frank? (I think I discussed that...) This affected him his ENTIRE LIFE. He wasn't in jail for long, but themes spiking from that experience would continuously show up in his work throughout his life. He wrote about what he knew. Even his classical pieces were inspired - inspired by his life, his future, his family, his influences.
Conceptual continuity is the perfect example of how his life and legacy are completely affected by his work (or, the other way around). Everything he did - EVERYTHING - somehow tied into at least one other aspect of his life. Even things like the game show in 200 Motels tied in with events later in his life, like his appearance on Make Me Laugh.
While not all of the connections were obvious (and others not even intentional), it shows that Zappa's life was part of his opus, not just his music and compositions. Everything came full circle with Zappa.
/m u s i n g s a n d r a m b l i n g s o f a n e w f o u n d z a p p a f a n/
Friday, April 8, 2011
Zappa, the entrepreneur
As I've said before, Zappa was always looking out for opportunities to get his name out there. He was a very good businessman. Zappa knew that publicity was important, so he appeared on TV shows and in interviews quite often.
However, Zappa never sacrificed his art for publicity. If anything, it allowed him to express himself more. He would never have been able to fund 200 Motels if he was an unknown; it was thanks to his interviews, appearances, and connections with other bands and artists that he was able to produce such a thing.
Zappa's record label was also a smart business decision on his part. He handpicked all of his artists, some of whom (like Alice Cooper) even went on to achieve lots of success later on in their careers.
One thing that we learned at the end of this semester shocked me, though. I had no idea, prior to this class, that Zappa was asked to be Czechoslovakia's consultant for the government on trade, cultural matters and tourism. This never came to be due to interference from the US government. Zappa actually turned much of his attention over to business ideas and ventures later on in his career. Ever the entrepreneur and workaholic, he continued to work even after he was slowed down due to cancer.
Even in his final years, Zappa was doing interviews.
However, Zappa never sacrificed his art for publicity. If anything, it allowed him to express himself more. He would never have been able to fund 200 Motels if he was an unknown; it was thanks to his interviews, appearances, and connections with other bands and artists that he was able to produce such a thing.
Zappa's record label was also a smart business decision on his part. He handpicked all of his artists, some of whom (like Alice Cooper) even went on to achieve lots of success later on in their careers.
One thing that we learned at the end of this semester shocked me, though. I had no idea, prior to this class, that Zappa was asked to be Czechoslovakia's consultant for the government on trade, cultural matters and tourism. This never came to be due to interference from the US government. Zappa actually turned much of his attention over to business ideas and ventures later on in his career. Ever the entrepreneur and workaholic, he continued to work even after he was slowed down due to cancer.
Even in his final years, Zappa was doing interviews.
Zappa, the social critic
I'd like to concentrate on one song for this section: Valley Girl.
This song was co-written by Zappa's daughter, Moon Unit, who alerted him to this new trend starting in California. Zappa normally made social commentary on concepts, ideas, and things that he felt strongly against. He didn't know much about this before he wrote the song, but on his daughter's suggestion made a song about this new phenomena.
What's most interesting about this is how popular valley girls got AFTER this song was released. Zappa's song definitely helped popularize this stereotype, and it became more widely known because of him.
In this one rare case, Zappa's social commentary actually helped to make something more popular and more well known than it was to begin with!
This song was co-written by Zappa's daughter, Moon Unit, who alerted him to this new trend starting in California. Zappa normally made social commentary on concepts, ideas, and things that he felt strongly against. He didn't know much about this before he wrote the song, but on his daughter's suggestion made a song about this new phenomena.
What's most interesting about this is how popular valley girls got AFTER this song was released. Zappa's song definitely helped popularize this stereotype, and it became more widely known because of him.
In this one rare case, Zappa's social commentary actually helped to make something more popular and more well known than it was to begin with!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Zappa, the musician-performer
Zappa was never what you would call theatrical. While his ideas were certainly out there, he was never in the business to put on a show. He was there for the music, and wanted to put the emphasis on it.
At the beginning of the "Does Humor Belong in Music?" DVD, he even states:
NO LASER WEAPONS
NO FOG
NO OVER-DUBS
it was really just his band, playing their songs. While they were a bit crazy, he wasn't going to put on a show just to please people. He was enough of a show by himself. And people loved it. The crowd during this show was very into it, despite the lack of special effects or dance breaks. And why would you need them, when Frank's music was so interesting already?
Zappa brought concerts back to the way they should be. At a Zappa concert, it was just the audience, Frank, and the talented musicians he was playing with. There would be no guitar smashing, no stage diving, no costume changes (though he did a bit of that in DHBIM, for comedic effect!). If the performers on stage hammed it up a bit, that's just because that's their personality. He never put on a stage act. What you saw with Zappa was what you got.
Zappa was very professional, both in the studio and onstage. He expected his band to perform to a specific standard no matter when they were playing, and was not afraid to speak his mind when people got out of line. He hand picked his performers to be the best of the best, and expected that to show on stage as well as in a recording.
And he did a damn good job of it, too - he motivated his band to do things that people had never heard before, and still can't be fully replicated today.
At the beginning of the "Does Humor Belong in Music?" DVD, he even states:
NO LASER WEAPONS
NO FOG
NO OVER-DUBS
it was really just his band, playing their songs. While they were a bit crazy, he wasn't going to put on a show just to please people. He was enough of a show by himself. And people loved it. The crowd during this show was very into it, despite the lack of special effects or dance breaks. And why would you need them, when Frank's music was so interesting already?
Zappa brought concerts back to the way they should be. At a Zappa concert, it was just the audience, Frank, and the talented musicians he was playing with. There would be no guitar smashing, no stage diving, no costume changes (though he did a bit of that in DHBIM, for comedic effect!). If the performers on stage hammed it up a bit, that's just because that's their personality. He never put on a stage act. What you saw with Zappa was what you got.
Zappa was very professional, both in the studio and onstage. He expected his band to perform to a specific standard no matter when they were playing, and was not afraid to speak his mind when people got out of line. He hand picked his performers to be the best of the best, and expected that to show on stage as well as in a recording.
And he did a damn good job of it, too - he motivated his band to do things that people had never heard before, and still can't be fully replicated today.
Zappa, the composer
Throughout this course I've been surprised again and again by how different Zappa's compositions could be. From something that sounds like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LvS8qKMAs8
to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS-5Dxhp4OE
to even this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Trqfeg-5Duo
his music just covers such a broad range of styles. If someone were to ever ask me to describe Zappa's music, I wouldn't know where to begin. Is it rock? Is it progressive? Is it classical? Truth is, it's a bit of all of those, and that's what makes Zappa's music so interesting.
Not only is he diverse, but he's deep [for lack of a better word], as well. Every song was written with a meaning, or a message. Certainly, not all messages are as important as others - while "Valley Girl" was making a commentary on a trend at the time, the lyrics weren't exactly poetic - all of his songs were written with a theme in mind. Whether he be commenting about social status, about the government, or something that he's just interested in, Zappa didn't just write songs for the sake of writing songs. He wrote them because he believed that he had something to say, and wanted to get it out there.
What I like most, I think, about Zappa's compositions is that he wrote everything for himself. Don't like his music? He doesn't care. He was a fairly well-known person at the time of his death, but I believe that he would have been just as happy with his life and what he managed to do if he wasn't. He had a love of music, and worked for himself.
His contributions have certainly inspired musicians nowadays, too. He was a pioneer of music in many aspects, and paved the way for artists who came after him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LvS8qKMAs8
to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS-5Dxhp4OE
to even this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Trqfeg-5Duo
his music just covers such a broad range of styles. If someone were to ever ask me to describe Zappa's music, I wouldn't know where to begin. Is it rock? Is it progressive? Is it classical? Truth is, it's a bit of all of those, and that's what makes Zappa's music so interesting.
Not only is he diverse, but he's deep [for lack of a better word], as well. Every song was written with a meaning, or a message. Certainly, not all messages are as important as others - while "Valley Girl" was making a commentary on a trend at the time, the lyrics weren't exactly poetic - all of his songs were written with a theme in mind. Whether he be commenting about social status, about the government, or something that he's just interested in, Zappa didn't just write songs for the sake of writing songs. He wrote them because he believed that he had something to say, and wanted to get it out there.
What I like most, I think, about Zappa's compositions is that he wrote everything for himself. Don't like his music? He doesn't care. He was a fairly well-known person at the time of his death, but I believe that he would have been just as happy with his life and what he managed to do if he wasn't. He had a love of music, and worked for himself.
His contributions have certainly inspired musicians nowadays, too. He was a pioneer of music in many aspects, and paved the way for artists who came after him.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Ah, ah, ah, ah, stayin' alive...
"Talkin' it up!/On The Barry Gibb Talk Show/Talkin' about issues/Talkin' about real important issues"
- SNL, "Barry Gibb Talk Show Theme"
Is it just me, or does Howard Kaylan (of Zappa's Flo & Eddie era band, and also from The Turtles)
look like a lost member of the Bee Gees?
or, at least, the SNL version from the "Barry Gibb Talk Show" segment with Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon?
Maybe it's just the beard (and hair, and general look) but it can't just be me. Right? Maybe I'm just crazy. But this is something I kept focusing on during 200 Motels.
- SNL, "Barry Gibb Talk Show Theme"
Is it just me, or does Howard Kaylan (of Zappa's Flo & Eddie era band, and also from The Turtles)
look like a lost member of the Bee Gees?
or, at least, the SNL version from the "Barry Gibb Talk Show" segment with Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon?
Maybe it's just the beard (and hair, and general look) but it can't just be me. Right? Maybe I'm just crazy. But this is something I kept focusing on during 200 Motels.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Less than Perfect
"I'm not perfect, but I keep trying
Cause that's what I said I would do from the start."
- Hedley, "Perfect"
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newbay/gcpro_audiosolutions_2010summer/#/14
There's something that really stands out to me in this article. Zappa says:
If there is one thing I manage to excel at, it's failure - I manage to fail at 100 percent of the things I do.
Zappa was never 100% satisfied with any of his work, according to this quote. He says that there is never enough machinery or personnel to get things "exactly right". He was his own hardest critic - he strived for perfection in everything he did, and rarely got it (perfection is a very hard thing to achieve!).
I've also noticed that Zappa has always been a very well-spoken man. I've only ever seen one musician who was as well worded (and opinionated) as he was; Marilyn Manson. Both of these men continue to surprise me with the more I learn about how smart they are, and how well-educated they are on the topics they speak about.
I truly believe that Zappa, like he said he would have been if not a musician, could have been a chemist or a physicist. He definitely has the mental capacity for these jobs, and I think he would have been just as innovative in those fields as he was in music.
Cause that's what I said I would do from the start."
- Hedley, "Perfect"
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newbay/gcpro_audiosolutions_2010summer/#/14
There's something that really stands out to me in this article. Zappa says:
If there is one thing I manage to excel at, it's failure - I manage to fail at 100 percent of the things I do.
Zappa was never 100% satisfied with any of his work, according to this quote. He says that there is never enough machinery or personnel to get things "exactly right". He was his own hardest critic - he strived for perfection in everything he did, and rarely got it (perfection is a very hard thing to achieve!).
I've also noticed that Zappa has always been a very well-spoken man. I've only ever seen one musician who was as well worded (and opinionated) as he was; Marilyn Manson. Both of these men continue to surprise me with the more I learn about how smart they are, and how well-educated they are on the topics they speak about.
I truly believe that Zappa, like he said he would have been if not a musician, could have been a chemist or a physicist. He definitely has the mental capacity for these jobs, and I think he would have been just as innovative in those fields as he was in music.
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