Frank Zappa — creator of beautiful ugly music — for dummies
Zappa (1940–1993) was one of the wisest, wittiest and most entertaining artists ever to surface in popular/rock music. Basically he made a ripple in every pool he dipped his toe in: pop, rock, jazz, classical, whatever. Zappa could not (and still cannot) be imitated. He refused to accept boundaries; he wouldn’t let anyone categorize him in any genre. He didn’t obey the rules of composition, producing complex structures with parts played in different time signatures.
Frank Zappa was one of a kind. But I guess you will need to listen to some of his music to be able to believe this. Go to your local library and rent a couple of ‘best of’ CDs, like
- “Strictly Commercial, The Best Of Frank Zappa” (1995),
- “Strictly Genteel, A Classical Introduction To Frank Zappa” (1997), and
- “Have I Offended Someone?” (1997).
If you can’t get enough, also rent
- “Cheap Thrills” (1998), and
- “Son of Cheep Thrills” (1999).
If you’re convinced, and you’re ready to buy, start with
- “Over-Nite Sensation” (1973),
- “Apostrophe” (1974),
- “Roxy & Elsewhere” (1974),
- “One Size Fits All” (1975),
- “Bongo Fury” (1975),
- “Zoot Allures” (1976),
- “Zappa In New York” (1978),
- “Sheik Yerbouti” (1979), and
- “Joe’s Garage” (1979).
Then go for
- “Broadway The Hard Way” (1988),
- “The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life” (1991), and
- “Make A Jazz Noise Here” (1991).
After that, anything goes.
Guitar aficionados need to listen to:
- “Shut Up ‘N Play Yer Guitar” (1981),
- “Shut Up ‘N Play Yer Guitar Some More” (1981),
- “Return Of The Son Of Shut Up ‘N Play Yer Guitar” (1981),
- “Guitar” (1988), and
- “Trance-Fusion” (2006).
Warning: listening to Zappa music could be INTELLECTUALLY REWARDING!
MAY IT TAKE YOUR BLUES AWAY & SHAKE YOUR BOOTY!
Afterthought
Is there an easy way to explore the music of FZ? Probably not. It’s never a stroll through the park. If you want to get into the music of FZ, and I mean the whole oeuvre (not just some “friendly” song), it’s like climbing the Mount Everest: you’ll suffer a lot along the way, but when you reach the top, the view will be magnificent. Once you’re into the music of FZ, everything else looks so ordinary, and it takes time to start appreciating anything else.
