Frank Zappa, conservative

[fonpr]

something that stood outside of every extant tradition.

[cavorting with nudists]

(Austin, I've learned quite a bit from your posts here.)

[dave from knoxville]

I apologize for my tone. People that know me a little bit know that I am having a tough time, but that's no excuse for being impolite. I am sorry across the board. If I have pissed off any of you recently, it's not you, it's me. I will try to reign it in; it's part of why I have not called in for a while.

Thanks

You're probably too hip to explain that, but I will offer the opportunity anyway.

It's pretty self-explanatory I thought, coming as it did in response to a comparison with James Brown, Miles Davis, Captain Beefheart and other musicians who were reportedly not nice people in their private lives.  Do their personalities make it impossible for me to enjoy their music?  No, because their music is for the most part uncontaminated by the specifics of their unlovely traits.  Apart from the instrumentals, which I have said I can often enjoy, Zappa seemed pretty determined that you never get very far into one of his records without being reminded of what a sneering, contemptuous, audience-hating, sexist, homophobic, scat-obsessed creep he was. I love Chuck Berry's music, but if he rarely got through an album side without bringing his sexual inclinations into it, I'd start having a problem.  So no, artists don't have to fill out a personality-assessment form for my sake. Make creepy records, though, and I reserve the right to be creeped out by them.

[wood and iron]

I apologize for my tone. People that know me a little bit know that I am having a tough time, but that's no excuse for being impolite. I am sorry across the board. If I have pissed off any of you recently, it's not you, it's me. I will try to reign it in; it's part of why I have not called in for a while.

Thanks

You're probably too hip to explain that, but I will offer the opportunity anyway.

It's pretty self-explanatory I thought, coming as it did in response to a comparison with James Brown, Miles Davis, Captain Beefheart and other musicians who were reportedly not nice people in their private lives.  Do their personalities make it impossible for me to enjoy their music?  No, because their music is for the most part uncontaminated by the specifics of their unlovely traits.  Apart from the instrumentals, which I have said I can often enjoy, Zappa seemed pretty determined that you never get very far into one of his records without being reminded of what a sneering, contemptuous, audience-hating, sexist, homophobic, scat-obsessed creep he was. I love Chuck Berry's music, but if he rarely got through an album side without bringing his sexual inclinations into it, I'd start having a problem.  So no, artists don't have to fill out a personality-assessment form for my sake. Make creepy records, though, and I reserve the right to be creeped out by them.

I'm sorry to hear you're having a tough time. I really love all your contributions to the FOT boards and the show when you do call in. Keep at it!

[cavorting with nudists]

I definitely agree.  Whatever the tough-time shit is that's impacting your life, it's more important than where one happens to come down on some smelly hippie with a weird moustache, so strength to you, Brother, and don't worry about the apologies. (I don't!  I'm a smug fuck!)

[BadGuyZero]

Steve Allen show, Frank Zappa Playing music on a Bicycle 1963

[Smelodies]

I thought this was a touching interview.

Zappa Interview Today Show 1993

[Spike]

What do you expect from someone who would name their offspring Dwerzil, Dweezil, Diva, Ahmet and Moon Unit? He was a W-E-I-R-D-O?  At least, John Wesley Shipp was named after a theologian.

[Austin From Chicago]

What do you expect from someone who would name their offspring Dwerzil, Dweezil, Diva, Ahmet and Moon Unit? He was a W-E-I-R-D-O?  At least, John Wesley Shipp was named after a theologian.

"Dwerzil"? Are you thinking of Elizaberth Dwerzil, author of Prozarc Nartion?

[Kormod]

He didn't want his children seen nor heard so he gave them weird names and ignored them.

[Rick in Salt Lake]

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/rftmusic/2010/10/moe_tucker_interview_2010_politics_tea_party_velvet_underground_video.php[/url]

What's this Mo Tucker quote about Bloomberg taking away salt?  How's that for a derailment from this topic?

I will remind sensible people everywhere that this is NOT an actual political argument:

"I'm against a President dismissing any and all who dare to disagree"


Because much of the political sphere will tell you that it is.  It's important that we remember that it is not.

It only is if one is making against a president that is not their guy. For example, people who talk of Obama as being a totalitarian autocrat had no problem with the previous administration's  assertion of the unitary executive theory...

We now return you to our previously scheduled topic...

[Rick in Salt Lake]

Oh yeah, and Black Sabbath stole his riff:

Frank Zappa - Hungry Freaks Daddy 1966[/url

Wow, it sure sounds like it. And to think, I thought The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Butthole Surfers stole the riff from Sabbath...

[Topher]

Hey, man, riffs are like joints...they're only good when they're shared.

--Tommy Chong

[JonFromMaplewood]

I kind of liked when Mo Tucker turned out to be a Tea Partier. It solidified my mental model of the Velvet Underground as comprised of people who are "non-standard issue"...for both good and ill.

[Flood]

What a great thread this turned out to be. Thanks for the replies, everyone! I sure learned a lot.

For my next thread, I'll wait for Tom to say something snide about Jon Lovitz on air.