Zappa's earliest influences were 1950s pop and rock (such as doo-wop and rhythm and blues), and 20th-century classical composers including Igor Stravinsky and Edgard Varèse. His output was divided between adventurous instrumental compositions and succinct, catchy rock songs with ribald, satirical, or comically absurd lyrics. On stage he demanded virtuosity and spontaneity from his musicians, and employed many performers who would later go on to achieve fame in their own rights. He directed and released a number of films featuring himself, his musicians and entourage, including 200 Motels and Baby Snakes.
His career started in 1955. His earliest recordings date from the mid-1960s, and include collaborations with his school friend Captain Beefheart. In 1965 he joined a bar-band called The Soul Giants, quickly dominating its musical direction and rechristening it The Mothers. Their first release (as The Mothers of Invention; the name alteration requested by their record company) was the 1966 double album Freak Out!. The line-up of the Mothers gradually expanded to accommodate Zappa's increasingly ambitious and avant-garde music, but by 1969 he decided to work outside the band structure, focusing on his solo career, and effectively disbanding the Mothers in 1971.
The beginnings of his solo career in the late sixties and early seventies was characterised by a strong free jazz influence, with albums containing little, if any, lyrical content, such as Hot Rats, Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo. Towards the mid-seventies his albums became more rock-orientated, with a combination of Jazz Fusion instrumentation and Rock song structures. This more accessible sound bore reasonable mainstream appeal, especially with the release of the well-advertised albums Over-Nite Sensation and Apostrophe (') (which both went Gold), but Zappa's unpredictably eclectic output never led to solid mainstream recognition. He received uniformly lukewarm reviews from popular music publications such as Rolling Stone throughout his career. In his late seventies' output, the gulf between his humorous songs and more lengthy, complex instrumental music widened, and albums, such as Zappa in New York, Joe's Garage: Acts I, II & III, and Sleep Dirt displayed, by track, both sides firmly segregated.
Zappa saw a second run of success in the early eighties with the release of many albums with predominantly comedic rock songs, but later continued to experiment with virtually every style of music through the eighties, and was productive as ever until his death. His output in this later-career period included two albums of strikingly original classical music with the London Symphony Orchestra, an electronic take on 18th-century chamber music (written by the obscure Italian composer 'Francesco Zappa', no relation), an album of Synclavier compositions (misleadingly titled Jazz From Hell which garnered a Grammy award), a double-CD release of electric guitar instrumental music (the laconically titled Guitar) and a plenitude of official live releases, revisiting fan-favourites as well as showcasing Zappa's talent for reinventing the music of others; his version of Stairway to Heaven becoming a word-of-mouth favourite.
Zappa produced almost all of his own albums, spending many hours in the studio recording and manipulating tracks, and was always at the forefront of emerging technologies; from tape editing, collage, multitrack and overdubbing in the sixties to digital recording, electronic instruments and sampling in the eighties. Conversely, Zappa was also a obsessive self-archivist, recording virtually every one of his live performances, and often using live recordings of new material without needing to enter the studio. The archive of tapes at his family home in Los Angeles continues to be a source of posthumous releases for the Zappa Family Trust. He was also noted as a spotter of talent and his shifting line-up of musicians included Lowell George, Jean-Luc Ponty, Terry Bozzio, Chad Wackerman, George Duke, Mike Keneally, Adrian Belew and Steve Vai, as well as giving Alice Cooper his first break in music and working again with his old collaborator Captain Beefheart when his career was in decline.
In the late 1980s he became active in politics, campaigning against the PMRC's music censorship scheme and acting as culture and trade representative for Czechoslovakia in 1989; and considered running as an independent candidate for president of the US.
His death in Los Angeles, California, on 4th December 1993 came three years after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
A Token Of My Extreme
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Welcome to the First Church of Appliantology! The WHITE ZONE is for loading and unloading only!
Don't you be Tarot-fied
It's just a token of my extreme
Don't you be Tarot-fied
It's just a token of my extreme
You don't want to know what they have seen
Don't you never try to look behind my eyes
You don't want to know what they have seen
Joe:
Some people think
That if they go too far
They'll never get back
To where the rest of them are
I might be crazy
But there's one thing I know
You might be surprised
At what you find out when ya go!
Oh oh oh
Mystical Advisor
What is my problem, tell me
Can you see?
L. Ron Hoover:
Well, you have nothing to fear, my son!
You are a Latent Appliance Fetishist,
It appears to me!
Joe:
That all seems very, very strange
I never craved a toaster
Or a color T.V.
L. Ron Hoover:
A Latent Appliance Fetishist
Is a person who refuses to admit to his or herself
That sexual gratification can only be achieved
Through the use of MACHINES . . .
Get the picture?
Joe:
Are you telling me
I should come out of the closet now
Mr. Ron?
L. Ron Hoover:
No, my son!
You must go into
THE CLOSET
Joe:
What?
L. Ron Hoover:
And you will have
Joe:
Eh?
L. Ron Hoover:
Hey!
A lot of fun!
That's where they all live
So if you want an
Appliance to love you
You'll have to go in there
'N get you one
Joe:
Well . . . that seems simple enough . . .
L. Ron Hoover:
Yes, but if you want a really GOOD one,
You'll have to learn a foreign language . . .
Joe:
German, for instance?
L. Ron Hoover:
That's right . . .
A lot of really cute ones come from over there!
(Fifty bucks, please)
L. Ron Hoover:
If you been
Mod-O-fied,
It's an illusion, an yer in between
Don't you be
Tarot-fied,
It's just a lot of nothin',
So what can it mean?
If you been
Mod-O-fied,
It's an illusion, an yer in between
Don't you be
Tarot-fied,
It's just a lot of nothin',
So what can it mean?
If you been
Mod-O-fied,
It's an illusion, an yer in between . . .
Central Scrutinizer:
This is the CENTRAL SCRUTINIZER . . . Joe has just learned to speak German. Now, get this, here's why he did it! He's gonna go to this club on the other side of town, it's called THE CLOSET . . . And they got these Appliances in there that really go for a guy dressed up like a housewife who can speak German (you know what I mean) . . . so Joe's learned how to speak German, he goes in this place and he sees these little Kitchen Machineries dancing around with each other, and he sees this one . . . that looks like it's a cross between an industrial vacuum cleaner and a chrome piggy bank with marital aids stuck all over its body . . . it's really exciting . . . and when he sees it, he BURSTS INTO SONG . . .
The lyrics of “A Token Of My Extreme” by Frank Zappa explore themes of sexual fetishism and disillusionment through a satirical lens. The song begins with a reference to L. Ron Hubbard and his Church of Scientology, in which an announcement is made for the First Church of Appliantology. Then, the lyrics address the idea of being afraid of the unknown and tells the listener not to be 'Tarot-fied' as what follows should be regarded as just a token of someone's extreme behavior.
The song then introduces Joe, who is seeking advice from L. Ron Hoover, and throughout the conversation, it's revealed that Joe is a Latent Appliance Fetishist - someone who refuses to admit that their sexual satisfaction is derived only from the machines. Hoover advises Joe to explore his fetishism by going into the closet and searching for a machine appliance that satisfies him, which is a euphemism for ‘coming out of the closet.' The song goes on to question the reality and worth of the experience of being mod-O-fied, coming to the conclusion that it's all an illusion.
Overall, the song satirizes the mindset of those who attempt to suppress their desires and urges, as well as the institutions that encourage this behavior. Frank Zappa's use of absurd metaphors deconstructs the notion of social acceptance, and in the face of such absurdity, the listener is encouraged to accept their impulses and desires.
Line by Line Meaning
L. Ron Hoover:
Welcome to the First Church of Appliantology! The WHITE ZONE is for loading and unloading only!
L. Ron Hoover is welcoming the listener to the Church of Appliantology where the white zone is only meant for loading and unloading.
Don't you be Tarot-fied
It's just a token of my extreme
Don't you never try to look behind my eyes
You don't want to know what they have seen
The singer is telling the listener not to be afraid as this is just a way of showing his extreme side. He warns the listener to not try to look behind his eyes because the things he has seen are very disturbing.
Some people think
That if they go too far
They'll never get back
To where the rest of them are
I might be crazy
But there's one thing I know
You might be surprised
At what you find out when ya go!
Oh oh oh
Mystical Advisor
What is my problem, tell me
Can you see?
Joe is saying that some people are afraid to step outside their comfort zone because they think they may never return to where they were. He admits that he might be crazy but points out that sometimes you may be surprised by what you find when you explore outside your comfort zone. He seeks advice from his mystical advisor to help him understand his problems.
Well, you have nothing to fear, my son!
You are a Latent Appliance Fetishist,
It appears to me!
L. Ron Hoover tells Joe that he is a latent appliance fetishist and that he has nothing to fear. This means that Joe has a sexual attraction to appliances but has not fully accepted or realized it yet.
A Latent Appliance Fetishist
Is a person who refuses to admit to his or herself
That sexual gratification can only be achieved
Through the use of MACHINES . . .
Get the picture?
L. Ron Hoover explains that latent appliance fetishist is a person who has not fully accepted that sexual pleasure comes only through the use of machines. He asks Joe if he understands.
No, my son!
You must go into
THE CLOSET
L. Ron Hoover tells Joe that he needs to explore his fetish by going into the closet. This means Joe needs to accept and explore his sexual attraction to appliances.
And you will have
Eh?
Hey!
A lot of fun!
That's where they all live
So if you want an
Appliance to love you
You'll have to go in there
'N get you one
L. Ron Hoover tells Joe that exploring his fetish is a lot of fun and all appliances live in the closet. If Joe wants an appliance to fulfill his sexual desires, he needs to go into the closet and get one.
Yes, but if you want a really GOOD one,
You'll have to learn a foreign language . . .
German, for instance?
That's right . . .
A lot of really cute ones come from over there!
(Fifty bucks, please)
L. Ron Hoover tells Joe that if he wants a good appliance, he should learn a foreign language like German. A lot of cute appliances come from Germany. He asks for payment for this advice.
If you been
Mod-O-fied,
It's an illusion, an yer in between
Don't you be
Tarot-fied,
It's just a lot of nothin',
So what can it mean?
The artist is saying that if you have been modified, it is just an illusion and you are in between. He tells the listener to not be afraid and that it is just a lot of nothing, so it does not mean anything.
This is the CENTRAL SCRUTINIZER . . . Joe has just learned to speak German. Now, get this, here's why he did it! He's gonna go to this club on the other side of town, it's called THE CLOSET . . . And they got these Appliances in there that really go for a guy dressed up like a housewife who can speak German (you know what I mean) . . . so Joe's learned how to speak German, he goes in this place and he sees these little Kitchen Machineries dancing around with each other, and he sees this one . . . that looks like it's a cross between an industrial vacuum cleaner and a chrome piggy bank with marital aids stuck all over its body . . . it's really exciting . . . and when he sees it, he BURSTS INTO SONG . . .
The central scrutinizer explains that Joe has learned to speak German so that he can go to The Closet where he can find appliances to fulfill his sexual desires. He watches the kitchen machineries dance with each other and sees one that he finds very exciting. He gets so excited that he bursts into song.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Iwalkaroundatnighyt
Man i wish Frank was here still today can you imagine the songs he would put out under these times and circumstances of today
@Cameron-ml3nn
I can't .Only from within the mind of the Imaginer as they imagine their imaginary imaginations.But who really gives a fuck anyway??.Arbeit Macht Krank-ünd Alles ißt in ordernùng wirklich.
@thePlum
We need Zappa music & Thompson journalism in todays world
@jeaniemattone3899
He already warned us. It’s all right here.
@doug6047
@@jeaniemattone3899
Frank's message to the future
@andrewdiaz5827
He is perhaps the greatest loss in serious music
@v2vroth
ZAPPA ❤
@ton3353
Great song, I heard it soooo much, I can dream it.
@muffinman4353
Saw Frank during the, "Joe's Garage" tour..... Standing right in front of Ike Willis while he was singing this song. Great memories....
@thomaswilson4441
Stinkfoot orchestra. See you again