Frank Zappa

Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, singer and satirist.

1980s

In 1980, Zappa helped former band members Warren Cuccurullo, Terry Bozzio and Patrick O'Hearn launch their new band, Missing Persons, by letting them record their 4-song demo EP in his brand new UMRK (Utility Muffin Research Kitchen) studios. In 1981, the double album You Are What You Is was released, featuring 19 songs, which included such complex instrumentals as "Theme from the 3rd Movement of Sinister Footwear", but mainly focused on rock songs with Zappa's sardonic social commentary. "Dumb All Over", is an example of this, being a devastating tirade on religion, as is "Heavenly Bank Account", wherein Zappa objurgates people such as Jerry Falwell for relying upon the US administration to finance the religious organisation, the 'Moral Majority', whilst simultaneously embezzling the funds. The album is notable for the presence of guitar virtuoso Steve Vai.

Related Topics:
1980 - Warren Cuccurullo - Terry Bozzio - Patrick O'Hearn - Missing Persons - 1981 - You Are What You Is - Jerry Falwell - Steve Vai

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In the same year, Tinsel Town Rebellion was released, a mixture of songs taken from a 1979 tour, one studio track and the rest were taken from the last tour of 1980. The album is a mixture of complicated instrumentals, of which "The Blue Light" is a salient example, demonstrating Vinnie Colaiuta's dexterity round a drum kit, and Zappa's use of sprechstimme (speaking voice), a compositional technique utilized by such composers as Arnold Schoenberg, and Alban Berg.

Related Topics:
Tinsel Town Rebellion - 1979 - 1980 - Vinnie Colaiuta - Drum kit - Arnold Schoenberg - Alban Berg

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In May of 1982, Zappa released Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch, which featured his biggest selling single, Valley Girl (topping out at #32 on the Billboard charts). In her improvised "lyrics" to the song, Zappa's daughter Moon Unit satirized the vapid speech of teenage girls from the San Fernando Valley. Naturally, this led to the meme-like propagation of "Valspeak" such as gag me with a spoon and barf out. In 1983, The Man From Utopia was released, which was striking for its album cover, portraying Zappa as a muscle-bound, demonic guitarist. The album itself is eclectic, featuring the vocal-led 'Dangerous Kitchen' & 'The Jazz Discharge Party Hats', continuations of the sprechstimme excursions shown on "You Are What You Is". "Tink Walks Amok" is a piece to exhibit Arthur Barrow's capabilities on the bass guitar, and doo-wop songs such as the title track and "Mary Lou".

Related Topics:
1982 - Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch - Billboard - Moon Unit - San Fernando Valley - Meme - The Man From Utopia - Bass guitar

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After a break Zappa returned, and much of his later work was influenced by his use of the synclavier as a compositional and performance tool and his mastery of studio techniques for producing specific instrumental effects. His work was also more explicitly political satirising the rise of television evangelists and the Republican party.

Related Topics:
Synclavier - Television evangelist - Republican

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On September 19, 1985, Zappa testified before the US Senate Commerce, Technology, and Transportation committee, attacking the Parents Music Resource Center or PMRC, a music censorship (though others would say watchdog) organization founded by then-Senator Al Gore's wife Tipper Gore and including many other political wives, including the wives of five members of the committee. He said,

Related Topics:
September 19 - 1985 - US Senate - PMRC - Censorship - Watchdog - Al Gore - Tipper Gore

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:"The PMRC proposal is an ill-conceived piece of nonsense which fails to deliver any real benefits to children, infringes the civil liberties of people who are not children and promises to keep the courts busy for years dealing with the interpretational and enforcemental problems inherent in the proposal's design.

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:"It is my understanding that, in law, First Amendment issues are decided with a preference for the least restrictive alternative. In this context, the PMRC's demands are the equivalent of treating dandruff by decapitation."

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Zappa put some of the PMRC hearings to music in his song Porn Wars. Zappa is heard interacting with Senators Fritz Hollings, Slade Gorton, Al Gore (who admitted to being a Zappa fan), and, most notably, a funny exchange with Florida Senator Paula Hawkins over what toys the Zappa children played with. Zappa would also go on to argue with PMRC representatives on the CNN's Crossfire in 1986 and 1987.

Related Topics:
Fritz Hollings - Slade Gorton - Al Gore - Paula Hawkins - CNN - Crossfire - 1986 - 1987

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His last tour in a "rock band format" took place in 1988 with a 12-piece group which was reported to have a repertoire of over 800 (mostly Zappa) compositions, but which split acrimoniously before the tour was completed. The tour was documented on the albums The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life (Zappa "standards" and obscure cover tunes), Make a Jazz Noise here (mostly instrumental and experimental music), and Broadway The Hard Way (new original material), with bits also to be found on You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Volume 6.

Related Topics:
Rock band - 1988 - The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life - Make a Jazz Noise here - Instrumental - Experimental music - Broadway The Hard Way

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