ROCK-on Worldwide

DECEMBER 21ST 1940 TO DECEMBER 4TH 1993

“Rock journalism is people who can’t write, interviewing people who can’t talk, in order to provide articles for people who can’t read.”
Frank Zappa

I thought I’d start with that quote from the great man himself to put the piece in perspective. Never short of a few words on any given subject, Rock’s most opinionated man, was not known for mincing his words. He would most certainly found it ridiculous that some sixteen years after the fact he was being commemorated on the anniversary of his death on a website dedicated to classic rock. After all this was the man who once said, “I don’t give a fuck if they remember me at all.” The pigeon holing of his music into one category would also have irritated him. Understandable, given that much of his music wasn’t even Rock, and for that matter, defied categorisation to the point that the only term it could be lumped under was “Zappa.”

So why include him? Well just because his musical output doesn’t necessarily reflect the perceived hallmarks of what constitutes rock, his attitude to the establishment (a staunch defender of free speech), his free thinking (standing up to the authoritarianism of religion and censorship), the scale and consistency of his output (over 60 albums in his life) and his incredible guitar playing is more true to form than other legends of rock whose drug fuelled antics seem childish in comparison.

Whilst Zappa continues to have a loyal fan base, expanded to a new generation by his son Dweezil and the incredible Zappa Plays Zappa touring band, many people still don’t seem to have heard his work. He remains a name that people recognise but couldn’t name his music, unless it was Peaches en Regalia or Valley Girl.

LINK

This is such a shame as the music listening world is divided firmly into those who have experienced Zappa and those that haven’t. It is a necessary rite of passage for any music lover to be challenged by the occasionally bizarre musical landscape his work occupies. The same applies to all you musicians out there. You owe it to yourself to try and play some of his music because it is unbelievably difficult, take it from me, but once again it is very rewarding.

Zappa is a musical colonic irrigation. You flush out all the shit, you’re not entirely sure what you’re left with, but it feels good nonetheless. Ultimately though when talking about Zappa it’s probably best to let him have the final word, so here is a selection of Zappa quotes.

• When God created Republicans, he gave up on everything else.

• Some scientists claim that hydrogen, because it is so plentiful, is the basic building block of the universe. I dispute that. I say there is more stupidity than hydrogen, and that is the basic building block of the universe.

• A composer is a guy who goes around forcing his will on unsuspecting air molecules, often with the assistance of unsuspecting musicians.

• A drug is not bad. A drug is a chemical compound. The problem comes in when people who take drugs treat them like a license to behave like an asshole.
• I think it’s really tragic when people get serious about stuff. It’s such an absurdity to take anything really seriously … I make an honest attempt not to take anything seriously: I worked that attitude out about the time I was eighteen, I mean, what does it all mean when you get right down to it, what’s the story here? Being alive is so weird.

His early works with the original line up of the Mothers Of Invention (Zappa’s band with an ever changing line up of musicians that played with him until he finally disbanded in the mid Seventies) Freak Out and We’re Only In It For The Money showcased his unique compositional style (influenced by his love of avant garde composers like Edgar Varese) and biting lyrics satirising life in America. Never one to stick to a single style he released 60 albums in the nearly thirty years of his composing and playing life.

• Freak Out! (July 1966)
• Absolutely Free (April 1967)
• Lumpy Gravy (December 1967)
• We’re Only In It For The Money (February 1968)
• Cruising With Ruben & The Jets (November 1968)
• Uncle Meat (March 1969)
• Mothermania (April 1969)
• Hot Rats (15 October 1969)
• Burnt Weeny Sandwich (December 1969)
• Weasels Ripped My Flesh (August 1970)
• Chunga’s Revenge (23 October 1970)
• Fillmore East – June 1971 (August 1971)
• 200 Motels (October 1971)
• Just Another Band From L.A. (March 1972)
• Waka/Jawaka (5 July 1972)
• The Grand Wazoo (November 1972)
• Over-Nite Sensation (7 September 1973)
• Apostrophe(’) (22 March 1974)
• Roxy & Elsewhere (10 September 1974)
• One Size Fits All (25 June 1975)
• Bongo Fury (2 October 1975)
• Zoot Allures (29 October 1976)
• Zappa In New York (13 March 1978)
• Studio Tan (15 September 1978)
• Sleep Dirt (12 January 1979)
• Sheik Yerbouti (March 3, 1979)
• Orchestral Favorites (4 May 1979)
• Joe’s Garage (19 November 1979)
• Tinseltown Rebellion (11 May 1981)
• Shut Up ‘N’ Play Yer Guitar (11 May 1981)
• You Are What You Is (September 1981)
• Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch (May 1982)
• The Man From Utopia (March 1983)
• Baby Snakes (March 1983)
• London Symphony Orchestra vol 1 (9 June 1983)
• The Perfect Stranger (23 August 1984)
• Them Or Us (18 October 1984)
• Thing-Fish (21 November 1984)
• Francesco Zappa (21 November 1984)
• FZ Meets The Mothers Of Prevention (21 November 1985)
• Does Humor Belong In Music? (27 January 1986)
• Jazz From Hell (15 November 1986)
• London Symphony Orchestra vol 2 (17 September 1987)
• Guitar (April 1988)
• You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore vol 1 (May 1988)
• You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore vol 2 (September 1988)
• Broadway The Hard Way (November 1988)
• You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore vol 3 (October 1989)
• The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life (April 1991)
• You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore vol 4 (June 1991)
• Make A Jazz Noise Here (June 1991)