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.
The Birth Of Captain Beefheart
Frank Zappa Lyrics
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You know, me, the magic man, invisible, and all that jazz, ha! Flies through time and space, dimension warp, all that rhythm. Well, anyway uh, I'm here tonight to tell you that we have a heck-of-a-little teenage opera for you. You're really gonna dig it, mmmh, yeah, it's really groovy!
The Birth of Captain Beefheart is an intriguing song with an enigmatic quality, seemingly hinting at the origins of the eponymous artist. The opening lines feature Captain Beefheart introducing himself in a mysterious fashion, describing himself as an enigmatic character who possesses magical abilities to move through time and space. This sets the tone for the song, which seems to exist in a fantastical alternative universe, where everything is shrouded in a mystical haze. Despite the vagueness of the lyrics, the song conveys an irresistible sense of excitement and wonder, as if the listener is being beckoned into an otherworldly realm.
As the song progresses, it becomes apparent that it is a kind of meta-commentary on the creation of Captain Beefheart as an artist, with numerous references to inspiration, creativity, and musical innovation. At one point in the song, Beefheart refers to himself and his fellow musicians as "the knights of Fanto," which has been interpreted as a nod to Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention, who were frequently referred to as the "Mothers of Prevention." The lyrics also touch on themes such as artistic revolution and the transformative power of music, making it clear that the song is not just a lighthearted romp, but rather a deep meditation on the nature of creativity itself.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello, there, kids, it's your old friend Captain Beefheart!
Greetings, youngsters, it's me, your long-time companion Captain Beefheart.
You know, me, the magic man, invisible, and all that jazz, ha!
You all know me, the mysterious wizard who can turn invisible and all that other cool stuff.
Flies through time and space, dimension warp, all that rhythm.
I can travel through different periods and locations in the universe using my magical abilities, and it's a very rhythmic experience.
Well, anyway uh, I'm here tonight to tell you that we have a heck-of-a-little teenage opera for you.
In any case, I'm here to inform you that we have a fantastic, exciting teen-oriented opera for your entertainment tonight.
You're really gonna dig it, mmmh, yeah, it's really groovy!
You'll certainly enjoy it, because it's trendy, upbeat, and entertaining.
Contributed by Jake V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.