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.
Echidna's Arf
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
George Duke (keyboards, synthesizer, vocals)
Tom Fowler (bass)
Ruth Underwood (percussion)
Jeff Simmons (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Don Preston (synthesizer)
Bruce Fowler (trombone)
Walt Fowler (trumpet)
Ralph Humphrey (drums)
Chester Thompson (drums)
Debbie (background vocals)
Lynn (background vocals)
Robert Camarena (background vocals)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Village...
The first line "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah" is a nod to the Beatles' famous "She Loves You" chorus. It's a playful and enthusiastic call to the band to jump right into the song. "Village" refers to a musical technique known as "vamping," where the band repeats a simple chord pattern while the soloist improvises over it. In this case, the band is playing a funky jazz-rock groove while Zappa solos over it.
The title "Echidna's Arf" is a reference to a bizarre creature in Greek mythology called the Echidna, which was said to have the body of a snake and the head of a mammal. The "arf" part of the title is an onomatopoeic expression of a dog barking. The music itself is a wild and unpredictable mix of rock, jazz, and avant-garde elements. The horns blare and swirl around each other, the keyboards flit between different textures and tones, and the guitar and bass drive the rhythm forward in fits and starts.
As the song progresses, Zappa's solos become more and more frantic and intense, as though he's trying to convey a sense of chaos and madness. The band is right there with him, pushing the boundaries of what's technically feasible on their instruments. It's a virtuosic display of musicianship that aims to blur the line between composition and improvisation, structure and chaos.
Overall, "Echidna's Arf" is a challenging and exhilarating piece of music that showcases Zappa's unique vision as a composer, bandleader, and guitarist. It's a reminder that true artistry involves taking risks and pushing boundaries, even if it means leaving behind familiar comforts and conventions.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
An enthusiastic and energetic expression of excitement.
Village...
An incomplete sentence, used to hint at an upcoming location or setting.
Step right up and listen to the
Bouncing Ball of Death!
Come closer and pay attention to the dangerous and unpredictable situation at hand.
Find yourself a partner and
get ready... (get ready),
get ready... (get ready),
get ready... (get ready),
to die!
Prepare yourself for the worst outcome, as the stakes are high and the danger lurks in every corner.
Here we go!
A signal that the fun (or danger) is about to start.
Let's get this show on the road!
Let's start the proceedings and get things moving forward.
You could be threatened by the voice
Of Elvis Presley
You may feel intimidated or threatened by someone or something that stands out in a big and impactful way.
You could be frightened by the
Weight of your Cheddar
You may feel scared or apprehensive due to the magnitude or complexity of your situation or responsibilities.
You could be penalized by the
Vision of your Peers
You may face consequences or drawbacks as a result of others' opinions or judgments of you.
In short,...
Summarizing the previous ideas or observations.
It's the hope of hopes,
It's the love of loves,
This is the song
Of Echidna's Arf,
And now...
Introducing the main topic or theme of the song, 'Echidna's Arf', that represents the highest form of hope and love.
Let's hear it for him,
Folks,
Applauding Echidna's Arf and showing admiration for the hero or protagonist.
Yeah!
An exclamation of approval and excitement.
Contributed by Jordan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ianrienecker6620
what a phenomenal composer frank was by far.
@hernanmazzini5277
By arf
@jacquiecotillard9699
Been trying to learn this on guitar. Got it up to 75% but the difference between 75 and 100 is unreal. It’s so dense. But also so elegantly structured, the actual layout of the notes is really intuitive and feels good to play in a way I can’t really describe. I see what he meant about air sculptures
@davidosorioorozco5170
I'm the same with the bass, it's a pleasure to learn from this immortal genius.
@KahurangiSteez
Playing it at 90bpm, no probs. Playing it at the native 107, oof. Shit's insane
@fuzzballzz36
I learned part of it too at one time, and you're not kidding! It's incredibly dense and structured.
@griefforest1870
Same here, it´s doable for me and I got it down at roughly 60 to 70 percent of the speed... I´ll keep practising it! That final part is extremely fun and rewarding tho
@tixximmi1
First heard this song live in '74. I couldn't believe it. In concert the part at 3:33 was the best sound I had ever heard. The instrumentation was incredible. Especially for the time. Couldn't even listen to the radio a week after the show.
@didndido3638
Never heard something like this in my life...took me years to really process it...still in awe!
More humans like Zappa!!!
@steveschmitz2839
Ruth Underwood is an American Treasure.