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 Typical Sound Check
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mark: All skate. Men only!
Aynsley: Man, shou . . . shoulda put the fuckin' [...]
?: Gotta put that sign on the front, man
?: Got to get that sign on the front
?: [...] sign of the bass player
Aynsley: Because I . . . I'm gonna have to find [...] I'm gonna take about five minutes with the other thing in there in time to go on
?: Hey man
?: Hey, it's far right here
?: [...] together?
?: It's far right there
?: Well . . .
?: Perverse!
George: Hey, I'm still an hour here
Mark: See it, my washboard's in the car
?: What?
Aynsley: See, they gotta have two holes here
?: Ah!
Jeff: Yeah
?: Washboards . . .
Jeff: Oh we got our amps switched. I should be having . . .
Mark:
If you do not hear me
You may now walk out
For I am here
And I am talking . . .
The lyrics to Frank Zappa's song "A Typical Sound Check" describe the chaos and confusion that often ensues during the sound check process before a music performance. The dialogue among the musicians highlights the technical difficulties and communication breakdowns that can arise as they try to set up the equipment and make sure everything is working properly. The use of profanity and rough language can be interpreted as a reflection of the frustration and pressure that comes with putting on a show.
Throughout the dialogue, there are references to various musical elements such as the bass player, strange sounds, and the placement of instruments on stage. The use of the quote from Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" serves as a humorous interruption to the otherwise hectic scene.
Overall, the song captures the often overlooked and stressful process of preparing for a live music performance. It reveals the behind-the-scenes chaos that goes into creating an impeccable sound, which ultimately sets the stage for a successful show.
Line by Line Meaning
Mark: All skate. Men only!
Announcing to the band that it's time for a sound check and only male members can participate in it.
Aynsley: Man, shou . . . shoulda put the fuckin' [...]
Aynsley regrets not putting something in place, possibly a missing equipment, which may cause trouble during the sound check.
?: Gotta put that sign on the front, man
Someone suggests putting a sign, probably indicating the event's name or something else on the front stage so that the audience can see.
?: Got to get that sign on the front
Another voice agrees to the suggestion made earlier and emphasizes the importance of putting a sign in front of the stage.
?: [...] sign of the bass player
The person's speech is inaudible, but probably talking about the need to place a sign that mentions the name of the bass player or any particular aspect of the bass performance.
Aynsley: Because I . . . I'm gonna have to find [...] I'm gonna take about five minutes with the other thing in there in time to go on
Aynsley is mentioning that he needs to find someone or something, which might take approximately five minutes, before going on stage.
?: Get some more weirdness
Someone in the band is asking to add more strange or unconventional things to the soundcheck, thereby implying that it is essential for a good performance.
?: Hey man
A voice trying to get someone's attention politely and casually while referring to them as 'man.'
?: Hey, it's far right here
Somebody identifying the location of an area in the stage which is far right.
?: [...] together?
A person speaking incoherently; probably asking for a piece of equipment or something to be connected or assembled.
?: It's far right there
Another voice confirms the location that was earlier pointed out and tries to reassure them that it's at the spot mentioned.
?: Well . . .
A vague expression by someone, implying that they're unsure or undecided about something.
?: Perverse!
A random exclamation for an unknown reason.
George: Hey, I'm still an hour here
George is probably referring to the time left for the performance or the start of the event, implying that he is still early by one hour.
Mark: See it, my washboard's in the car
Mark mentions that his washboard instrument is still in the car and maybe someone needs to retrieve it so that they can start the soundcheck.
?: What?
Someone asking for clarification about what was just said earlier.
Aynsley: See, they gotta have two holes here
Aynsley points out that two separate spots are required for a sound check, implying that there is only one place available for the same.
?: Ah!
An expression of regret or realization for an unknown reason.
Jeff: Yeah
Jeff agrees to something said earlier.
?: Washboards . . .
Someone speaking incomprehensibly—probably making a statement or asking a question about washboards.
Jeff: Oh we got our amps switched. I should be having . . .
Jeff realizes that the amps for the instruments may have got mixed up and suggests that he is supposed to have some other amp.
Mark: If you do not hear me
You may now walk out
For I am here
And I am talking . . .
Mark addresses the audience and requests them to listen to him speaking during the soundcheck. He also gives them the option to leave if they cannot hear or don't want to listen to him.
Contributed by Leo G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.