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.
Hot Poop
Frank Zappa Lyrics
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Better look around before you say you don't care
Shut your f*** mouth about the length of my hair
How would you survive
If you were alive
Shitty little person?
In Frank Zappa's song "Hot Poop", the lyrics are cryptic and open to interpretation. The lines seem to be a direct commentary on Gary Kellgren, the recording engineer at Studio Z where the song was recorded. Zappa mentions that Gary is fond of turning knobs and that the other people in the studio believe that it is how they can create. This could be a reference to the experimental nature of Zappa's music, with Gary's role being integral to the process of producing and manipulating sound. The final line, "I wonder what everyone else is whispering about", adds a mysterious element to the lyrics, suggesting that there may be other discussions and motives at play in the studio beyond what is being said aloud.
However, the most interesting part of the song is the backwards message that is hidden in the track. When played backwards, Zappa's message becomes clear. He sarcastically tells the listener to "better look around before you say you don't care", hinting at the importance of being aware of the world around you. The second line, "shut your f*** mouth about the length of my hair", is a comment on the social attitudes toward appearance, particularly the hippie movement of the time. The final lines, "how would you survive, if you were alive, shitty little person?", are a direct call-out of anyone who might judge or criticize others without understanding their experiences. Overall, the song is a complex commentary on creativity, individualism, and conformity.
Line by Line Meaning
Gary Kellgren: He is working the controls because all he does is love to turn knobs...
Gary Kellgren is operating the sound equipment and enjoying adjusting the knobs to create the desired sound effects.
They think it is the way they can create...
Some people believe that manipulating sound through technology is the only way to create music.
I wonder what everyone else is whispering about...
The singer is curious about the conversations happening around them.
Better look around before you say you don't care
Be aware of your surroundings and the consequences of disregarding them before claiming apathy.
Shut your f*** mouth about the length of my hair
Stop judging others based on superficial traits that have no bearing on their worth as a person.
How would you survive
If you were faced with difficult circumstances, would you be able to persevere?
If you were alive
The singer questions whether the listener is truly living or just existing.
Shitty little person?
Is the listener a truly unpleasant and small-minded individual?
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind