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.
Marqueson's Chicken
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
c. June-July, 1982
Guitar solo:
Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK
June 19, 1982, 2nd show
FZ--guitar solo
Steve Vai--written guitar lines
Tommy Mars--keyboards
Bobby Martin--keyboards
Ed Mann--percussion
Scott Thunes--bass
Chad Wackerman--drums
(Instrumental)
While "Marqueson's Chicken" is an instrumental piece, it is still worth analyzing the emotions and imagery it evokes through the music alone. The composition opens with a fast-paced guitar riff played by Frank Zappa that is soon joined by Tommy Mars on keyboards and Ray White on rhythm guitar. The interplay between the guitar and keyboards creates a sense of tension and urgency, as if something important is happening or about to happen. The quick changes in tempo and rhythm also contribute to this feeling, as if the music is mimicking the unpredictable nature of life.
As the piece progresses, Bobby Martin's keyboards and Ed Mann's percussion join in, adding to the complexity of the sound. The percussion creates a sense of chaos and unpredictability, while the keyboards add a layer of dreaminess and whimsy. Even without lyrics, "Marqueson's Chicken" seems to tell a story of excitement, uncertainty, and adventure.
Overall, "Marqueson's Chicken" is a masterpiece of musical storytelling that showcases Frank Zappa's impressive guitar skills and his ability to create emotion without words. It is a song that is both thrilling and thought-provoking, and one that can be enjoyed by music lovers of all backgrounds.
Line by Line Meaning
Unknown location in Europe
The exact place of the performance is not known but it took place in Europe.
c. June-July, 1982
The performance took place around June or July in the year 1982.
Guitar solo:
This part of the song features a guitar solo.
Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK
The performance was held at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, UK.
June 19, 1982, 2nd show
The performance was the second show held on June 19, 1982.
FZ--guitar solo
Frank Zappa played the guitar solo for this part of the song.
Steve Vai--written guitar lines
The written guitar lines for this song were composed by Steve Vai.
Ray White--rhythm guitar
Ray White played the rhythm guitar for this performance.
Tommy Mars--keyboards
Tommy Mars played the keyboards for this performance.
Bobby Martin--keyboards
Bobby Martin also played the keyboards for this performance.
Ed Mann--percussion
Ed Mann played the percussion for this performance.
Scott Thunes--bass
Scott Thunes played the bass for this performance.
Chad Wackerman--drums
Chad Wackerman played the drums for this performance.
(Instrumental)
This portion of the song is entirely instrumental and contains no lyrics.
Contributed by Olivia G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.