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 Dick Kunc Story
Frank Zappa Lyrics
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I started out in florida, uh producing a record at a studio, and I got friendly with the engineer, and got interested in engineering. next thing I knew, I was listening to an album called 'freak out!' by the mothers of invention. I became very interested in their concept of music, their concept of, of uh, society in general, and their concept of humor, which I thought was very good, and uh enjoyed, because uh, they were saying a lot- whole lotta bunch of stuff that I wanted to say and I agreed with and thought was true. then one day I decided, 'I'll move to new york' because the air is clean, and the people are friendly, and everybody's in love. so I went to new york, and I got this job at this incredible twelve track studio. well, I didn't know from twelve track, I thought four track was really hot stuff. so I went in there and they said, 'here's the board. learn it.' he go, 'your first client's coming in in five minutes.' well, my first client was frank zappa,
who I didn't know from adam, I had never heard his music before. he walked in and started to talk to me about, 'well, I'm gonna do this, and this, and this, and this, and this.' and I was going, 'yeah, sure frank, anything you say.' because I had no idea what he was talking about. but as we got into the session, I realized that he was a genius, and that he had a vision of what he wanted to do that was far beyond my comprehension at the time. but I learned really fast by just watching him work, and listening to him give me direction, and listening to him explain to the musicians what he wanted.
Frank:
I don't want to be a millionaire, I just don't want to be a drag. also, I'd like to have my health. I was born to rock and roll, this is what I'm doing. as long as people want to hear it, as long as it makes me happy to do it, and as long as it's of sufficient quality to keep it interesting for me to work on, I'm gonna keep doing it. I don't feel that I've reached any particular plateau, I just feel that I haven't hit bottom yet. and when I do, I'll probably turn up my toes and die. but until that time, I'm gonna keep working. because that's what I like to do, and that's all I can do.
The Dick Kunc Story by Frank Zappa talks about the journey of two individuals, Dick and Frank. Dick, who started out as an engineer and producer, got interested in Frank's music when he listened to an album called 'freak out!' by the mothers of invention. Dick loved their concept of music and humor, which he considers true, and wanted to be a part of it. He moved to New York and got a job at an incredible twelve track studio. He didn't know much about it, but he learned fast by watching Frank work and listening to his direction. Frank, on the other hand, talks about his passion for rock and roll music and how it's his calling. As long as people want to hear it, he would keep making music.
Line by Line Meaning
I started out in florida, uh producing a record at a studio, and I got friendly with the engineer, and got interested in engineering.
My journey began in Florida where I produced a record at a studio, and became familiar with the recording process. I bonded with the studio engineer and gained interest in the engineering side of music production.
next thing I knew, I was listening to an album called 'freak out!' by the mothers of invention.
Soon after, I discovered an album titled 'Freak Out!' by The Mothers of Invention.
I became very interested in their concept of music, their concept of, of uh, society in general, and their concept of humor, which I thought was very good, and uh enjoyed, because uh, they were saying a lot- whole lotta bunch of stuff that I wanted to say and I agreed with and thought was true.
Their approach to music, society and humor fascinated me. I appreciated the valuable insights they presented and found myself nodding in agreement with their perspectives.
then one day I decided, 'I'll move to new york' because the air is clean, and the people are friendly, and everybody's in love.
Eventually, I made the decision to move to New York because of its perceived clean air, friendly people, and romantic atmosphere.
so I went to new york, and I got this job at this incredible twelve track studio.
After moving to New York, I landed a job at a fantastic twelve-track recording studio.
well, I didn't know from twelve track, I thought four track was really hot stuff.
At the time, I wasn't familiar with twelve-track technology, and considered myself proficient in the use of only four-track equipment.
so I went in there and they said, 'here's the board. learn it.'
When I showed up for work, I was simply given a twelve-track mixing console and told to figure out how to use it.
he go, 'your first client's coming in in five minutes.'
Suddenly, I was informed that my first client was arriving in just a few minutes' time.
well, my first client was frank zappa,
As it turned out, my initial client was none other than Frank Zappa.
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