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 Spew King
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ian: You're gonna be the king, the spew king, really
?: Disintegrated in two seconds
Howard: Walter Dale
?: Oh, God, there's a few people here, I didn't
?: There are a lot people here
?: My God
?: They're all twelve years old and pimply
The lyrics of The Spew King present a dialogue among several characters who seem to be discussing the performance of someone named Ian, who is becoming known as the Spew King. The first lines of the song suggest that there might be some difficulty in achieving the desired sound effect, the "HOO-HAA!" that Ian should be able to produce. The song then proceeds to describe the excitement surrounding Ian's new title, with one of the characters exclaiming "You're gonna be the king, the spew king, really". We also get a sense of the crowd that has gathered to witness Ian's performance, with some of the characters reacting to the "pimply", twelve-year-old youngsters present.
However, the most peculiar and disturbing aspect of the lyrics is the final line spoken by Aynsley, asking if the young audience is penetrable. The line can be interpreted in several ways, all of them disturbing, such as suggesting that Aynsley is a predator, or that he believes that the youngsters won't understand or appreciate the performance. In any case, the line adds a dark undertone to what might have otherwise seemed like a humorous song about a performance artist.
Line by Line Meaning
Howard: I think the big problem, Ian, is that it sort of gotta go "HOO-HAA!" as you do it. HOO-WAAARGH!
Howard is expressing his concern that Ian's performance lacks the excitement it needs. He is suggesting that it should have more force behind it, something like a "HOO-HAA!" or "HOO-WAAARGH!"
Ian: You're gonna be the king, the spew king, really
Ian is encouraging his friend to really get into the performance and embrace their ability to make the audience react, even if it means being the 'spew king.'
?: Disintegrated in two seconds
Unknown speaker is making a vague comment that something will not stand up to scrutiny for very long, using the metaphor of disintegration.
Howard: Walter Dale
Howard is either calling out a person's name or possibly referring to a place. The meaning is unclear without additional context.
?: Oh, God, there's a few people here, I didn't
Unknown speaker is expressing surprise or possibly panic at the sight of an unexpected audience.
?: There are a lot people here
Unknown speaker is pointing out that there is a large audience present.
?: My God
Unknown speaker is expressing shock or surprise at something that has just happened or been revealed.
?: They're all twelve years old and pimply
Unknown speaker is commenting on the appearance of the audience, suggesting that they are young and not very attractive.
Aynsley: Are they penetratable?
Aynsley is asking if the audience is receptive to their performance, using sexually suggestive language to make the point.
Contributed by Audrey I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.