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.
Toads Of The Short Forest
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
HANDS UP!
POO-LAAAH!
FZ: Thank you
The lyrics of "Toads of the Short Forest" reflect the chaotic and complex musical structure of the song. The introduction reveals that there are multiple musicians playing in different time signatures simultaneously, which creates an unsettling and disorienting atmosphere. The command to put one's hands up suggests a sense of surrender or disorientation, adding to this effect. The seemingly nonsensical interjection of "poo-laaah!" further emphasizes the chaotic nature of the music and lyrics.
The song's title itself is a reference to an earlier song by Frank Zappa, "The Little House I Used to Live In," which contains the lyric "Toads of the Short Forest, Ihr Music ist nicht für Kinder." The Short Forest was a location in Laurel Canyon, California where Zappa and his band members lived, rehearsed, and experimented with their music. The use of the toad as a symbol of the unconventional and strange was a common theme in Zappa's work.
Line by Line Meaning
At this very moment on stage we have drummer A playing in 7/8, drummer B playing in 3/4, the bass playing in 3/4, the organ playing in 5/8, the tambourine playing in 3/4, and the alto sax blowing his nose
Currently, there is a complex and diverse musical composition being performed on stage. The various instruments are all playing in different time signatures, creating a uniquely challenging environment for the musicians. The sax, however, seems to be taking a break by blowing his nose.
HANDS UP!
Possibly a reference to a command given at a live performance to get the crowd to raise their hands in excitement or appreciation.
POO-LAAAH!
Unknown meaning, potentially a nonsense word used in a song for comedic or artistic effect.
Thank you
A polite expression of gratitude to the audience or listener for their attention and support.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Vincent Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
rstevie moore
1st half:
Whitney Studios, Glendale
c. August, 1969
FZ—guitar
Lowell George—guitar?
Max Bennett—bass
John Guerin—drums
2nd half:
Thee Image, Miami Beach, Florida
February 7-9, 1969
FZ—guitar
Lowell George—guitar
Don Preston—keyboards
Ian Underwood—woodwinds
Bunk Gardner—woodwinds
Motorhead Sherwood—baritone sax & tambourine
Buzz Gardner—trumpet & flugel horn
Roy Estrada—bass
Jimmy Carl Black—drums
Art Tripp—drums
eno seferovic
A composer is a guy who goes around forcing his will on unsuspecting air molecules, often with the assistance of unsuspecting musicians.
Frank Zappa
Frankincensed
People always misuse the phrase "ahead of his time," and many have used it for Zappa. Wrong. He was of his own time, very often of the most unusual, odd, and complex.
Andrew Seniska
What I find interesting about Zappa and the Mothers is the fact that their best and most unique music was released on 3 albums, Uncle Meat in 1969 and Burnt Weeney Sandwich and Weasels Ripped My Flesh, both released in 1970 after Zappa broke up the original Mothers, which not only shocked and pissed off the band members, but also the fast growing fan base. I had the good fortune to meet and talk to 3 of the original Mothers (Don Preston, Bunk Gardiner and Jimmy Carl Black) about Zappa suddenly breaking up the group. They all said they were at the height of their success in popularity and musically too and the 12 months before the breakup, they were touring and playing a lot of gigs to sold out venues. I think Zappa's last gasp as a truly great composer and musician was in 1969. His next album, Chunga's Revenge (1970) was a big departure musically, especially compared to the previous albums I mentioned. He lost me as a fan and I eventually stopped buying his albums and I would not even listen to them if my friends bought them and asked if I wanted to borrow them. The 1975 "Zoot Allures" band was a rock super group of young musicians and Zappa became a Rock Superstar Guitar God and even played with no shirt on. I saw that band live and it was so insipid and silly with his super group showing how fast the could play 32nd and 64th notes, I left half way though the concert. He became what he made fun of and satirized on those 1960's album and "No Commercial Potential" was his musical philosophy. That's what fame and fortune do to musicians and artists. I eventually tried to listen to some of those post 1969 albums and the only album I thought was good was Waka Jawaka from 1972. The later albums didn't matter to me because Zappa evolved into one of those creatures in Hollywood, rich, popular, respected by many calling him a musical genius. But so full of himself, so aloof, so boring. And this was because he treated the 1969 Mothers like shit by suddenly firing them with no royalties from records they contributed a lot to. I got Art Tripp's email address in 2010 and asked him about the band break up in 1969 and he said that Zappa was an asshole treating them like that and he turned down Zappa's offer to keep Tripp in the band. Tripp said no thanks and joined Captain Beefheart's band in early 1970.
Maurice van Dijk
Well who cares? The music is still alive and we all can take part of that, Art tripp in my opinion would never have nailed the 'black page' as Terry did at that time, so when you are a genius and consider the limits of your group you make your choices and go on......So if that makes you an asshole so be it....I enjoy every time area of bands he put together and i´ll bet every member of the mothers too, because they love him.......
Pete Simmons
I much prefer the earlier stuff and played them constantly for the last 30 years.. Although I don't mind stuff after, it doesn't have the same sort of depth to keep me interested to play a full LP. Possible exceptions for me are The Grand Wazoo and the side of Ship Arriving Too Late that has the title track (side 1 or side 2?? couldn't care less. Just read the label and put the right side on)
BlackMetalHeart99
I mean Beefheart wasn't exactly kind towards his bandmates either. Very interesting read though, thank you.
Squirlius DcMolen
I agree with a lot of this. Waka/Jawaka is a great one. Another is the Bongo Fury with Beefheart. A lot of the 70's records have some stupid ass comedy, never as sharp as the Mothers era comedy.
Patrick O'Connor
At this very moment on stage, we have drummer A playing in 7/8, drummer B playing in 3/4, the bass playing in 3/4, the organ playing in 5/8, the tambourine playing in 3/4, and the alto sax blowing his nose...
Zickcermacity
BobPagani:
Did you say his nose is shaped like a saxophone??
LOL just bustin y chops.
Yeah, I was leaning more toward 'nose' in that segment, just getting confirmation ;)
BobPagani
@Zickcermacity It's nose. He's making light of the noises being made on the sax at that moment.