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 Gumbo Variations
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How many bars?
FZ: Uh... Why don't you count it off?
Alright
FZ: You start... You three start together on this
Alright
One... Two... One, two...
First, it is important to note that Frank Zappa often utilized improvisation in his music, allowing for freedom and spontaneity in his compositions. This is evident in the exchange between Zappa and the band when he asks "How many bars?" and then instructs them to count it off. The lyrics themselves in The Gumbo Variations do not convey a specific message or storyline, but instead serve as a platform for musical experimentation.
The opening lines, "Take two" and "How many bars?" are a nod to the practice of recording multiple takes of a song in the studio and the need for a specific number of bars in each measure of music. The rest of the lyrics consist of brief exchanges between Zappa and the band as they navigate their way through the song. These exchanges are meant to keep the musicians on track and aware of each other's movements.
The Gumbo Variations showcases Zappa's avant-garde approach to music-making and highlights his ability to fuse different genres and styles into a cohesive, multi-layered piece. The song features elements of jazz, rock, and experimental music, and is known for its complex rhythms and unconventional instrumentation. Overall, The Gumbo Variations is a testament to Zappa's creativity, technical skill, and innovative spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
Take two
Let's do another take to get the perfect recording
How many bars?
How many measures does this piece have?
Uh... Why don't you count it off?
I don't know, maybe you should count the measures before we start?
You start... You three start together on this
You three musicians begin playing your instruments at the same time to start this piece.
Alright
Okay, let's do it.
One... Two... One, two...
The count-in to begin playing the song.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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It funks. It progs. It jazzes. It rocks. It was the soundtrack to a car accident I was in during which nobody was harmed including the vehicle itself. An excellent metaphor for the song itself lol.
m s
It must have been a hot rat… or Willie the Pimp came by and dented your car… I bet little camel variations never sounded so en regalia
rep0rter
Damn, Mr Zappa. You truly will be missed as one of the best musicians ever. This whole album is a 10/10.
Ronaldo Laquidara
Never really got into Frankie
One album my old pal liked umm it was Zoot Allures it was cool..
Damn good on thee 🎸👍🏻
Part Time
I remember buying this album when it first came out, always wished it would be played on the radio so people could hear Zappa..
David Sovik
Frank Zappa was one of the many underrated musicians out there. He has always surrounded himself with extremely talented performers to make great music, that is different,.
Got a chance to see him in Denver in the early 70's when he had the Turtles singers, Floe & Eddie. For 2 1/2 hours he put on a show that just amazed!
mavermoros
A modern LP tout court. Avant-garde when it came out, avant-garde today and avant-garde in 1000 years.
DaWiredChristian
This blew me away as true Alternative music!
Γεωργια Σχοινα
Pure art !
Primitive In The Extreme
Wonderful instrumental track. A journey.