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.
Cold Light Generation
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spider: I'm gonna turn on a cold light
Moon: Don't you get it?
Todd: No, not at all
Moon: Don't you get it?
Todd: Not as often as I'd like to
Moon: I get it . . . It's weird . . . It's like . . .
Mike: Yo, I hear music!
Mike: Music!
Ali: Musik? . . . draussen, gell?
Mike: There's a little party goin' on out here!
Ali: Ja, gell a party, da is irgendwo a Party!
Mike: A party in the piano . . .
Ali: Naa, ned I'm Piano
Mike: . . . yeah, P.P.
Ali: . . . Nah, ned I'm P.P.
Mike: Hey, P.P.
Ali: Naa, ned I'm Piano, I'm Piano is keine Party
Mike: Hey, listen . . . listen . . . listen, shhh!
The lyrics of Frank Zappa's "Cold Light Generation" are quite abstract and difficult to interpret. However, it could be understood as a conversation among a group of people discussing the idea of cold light generation, which seems to depend on "state of health and energy". Cold light refers to light emitted by a chemical reaction that doesn't produce heat, contrasting with the warmth of a light bulb or the sun. It can also be interpreted in a spiritual sense, as enlightenment or understanding that comes from a calm and centered state of mind.
The conversation continues, with different reactions from each person involved. Spider states that he will "turn on a cold light", which could be seen as him seeking enlightenment or a state of calmness. Moon seems to be trying to explain the concept to Todd, who doesn't understand it, but also admits that he doesn't get it as often as he'd like to. Mike and Ali then interrupt the conversation, talking about music and a party. This sudden shift in subject matter is typical of Frank Zappa's surreal and unconventional style.
Overall, "Cold Light Generation" is a song that invites multiple interpretations, but seems to revolve around the idea of seeking understanding and enlightenment, which could come from a calm and centered state of being.
Line by Line Meaning
You know as well as I do that cold light generation depends on your state of health and energy
The amount of cold light produced is dictated by the individual's level of wellness and vitality, which can vary from person to person.
I'm gonna turn on a cold light
I am going to activate a device that will emit cold light.
Don't you get it?
Do you not understand what I am trying to say?
No, not at all
No, I do not comprehend.
I get it . . . It's weird . . . It's like . . .
I understand it now, and find it strange and difficult to describe.
Yo, I hear music!
Hey, I am perceiving audible sound!
Musik?
Music?
Music!
Yes, music!
Musik? . . . draussen, gell?
Music? . . . outside, right?
There's a little party goin' on out here!
There is a small social gathering taking place in this area.
Ja, gell a party, da is irgendwo a Party!
Yes, right, a party, there is a party somewhere around here!
Naa, ned I'm Piano . . .
No, it isn't from a piano.
. . . yeah, P.P.
It's actually just the abbreviation, P.P.
. . . Nah, ned I'm P.P.
No, it is not the abbreviation P.P.
Hey, P.P.
Hey, P.P.
Naa, ned I'm Piano, I'm Piano is keine Party
No, it does not come from a piano. 'I'm Piano' is not a social event.
Hey, listen . . . listen . . . listen, shhh!
Everyone, please quiet down and focus your hearing.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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