Frank Zappa : The Greatest Conspiracy Theorist in Music

I want to Thank you for this post! Thanks!!!xoxoxo,
I've been a Zappa fan for ever and grew up in SLC. UT. where the Fowler Brothers are from. [Horn section of his band] I even have met them and all the other cats who played with Franks band.
You are 100% accurate. This guy was always talking about them. The people who look down on us!!!
Just as George Carlin, God Bless his soul!!!! What a true freedom loving funny guy. Towards the end of his life he really turned on the heat and expressed his vision on the BS of those above us. Everyone should listen to Frank and George.
Again thanks and I hope that us citizens go back and listen to Frank the "Master of Knownledge and Music". He was warning us with his music and it fantastic, brillant and funny. Hell, Steve Via got his start to fame playing for Frank , cause he could do what to regular folks the most outragous written music... so go figure that!
Peace and Freedom.... R Zilla

reply to post by isyeye

"this is not the central scrutinizer"
Universe blessed Frank in this world, and I'm sure he/she/it did/does in his "hereafter"
The man was a musical genius, and DID run for POTUS.
Very unsuccessfully, but he would've done a better job than GWB or AL G(W)ore. (Wife was integral to the PRMC)
The PMRC led to the destruction of many bands, most notably to me, the Dead Kennedy's, who were extremely political in their bent. I loved em' although didn't agree totally with their message, it was/is still important.
Frank Zappa is Dead, Long Live Frank Zappa!
BTW, F Lady Gaga (TPTB puppet).
Frank was a true champion of the 1st amendment, and constitutional liberty as well.
I would have loved to see him residing @ 1600 Pennsylvania.
In the corporatacracy we've lived in since the time of "Zapruder", I know that's an impossibility, but...
I can still Jam at Joe's Garage, so they haven't won yet. (Completely that is)
Thanks OP. Thanks for Honoring a Man for whom it is well deserved.

Here's another great interview with Frank talking about the recording industry, deprogamming, and sex. I've said this for years, if I had one wish in life, it would be to have been able to sit down with Frank for an hour and just listen to him talk. I think there have been few people in the world that are in the same league with Frank's genious, and probably even less that could rock out like he did while educating their listeners.



I would like to thank everyone that has taken the time to comment on this thread. It overwhelms me to see how many other people out there have such fond memories of this wonderful man. It's great to know that he will be remembered and generations to come will get to know the brilliance of "Uncle Frank". As mentioned before in this thread, I wonder what Frank would make of our world today? Much has changed, and there isn't another voice in the music industry quite like Frank's, but if he could speak today, I sure as hell would be listening.


“Government is the Entertainment division of the military-industrial complex.” ― Frank Zappa

Wow! Thanks for the memories

Absolutely Free was one of the first albums I ever had.

I wore it out!

Wonder what the kids are up to these days?

Enjoy! Proceed with caution

Found a little gem, I am rockin tonight

Too bad no video



From video info:

Zappa and The Mothers playing Call Any Vegetable in San Francisco, 1970-11-06. Soundboard recording (original taper was Carlos Santana!)


Frank Zappa - lead guitar, lead vocals, band leader
Howard Kaylan - vocals
Mark Volman - vocals
Ian Underwood - woodwinds, keyboards
George Duke - keyboards, trombone
Jeff Simmons - bass, vocals
Aynsley Dunbar - drums

Talk about synchronicity. I never hear Zappa on the radio, but sure enough after reading this thread this morning I got in the car and "Joe's Garage" came on.

Zappa was one of those strange bizzare mutants that is born every now and then . I wonder if he were alive today what he would think

reply to post by Son of Will


Thanks for the vid.
Says a lot about TPTB.
And about FZ, he was a true defender of the 1st.

reply to post by dreamingawake


Thanks for the link.
Very good stuff..
It's too bad visionary's like him exit this world too early.

Had the distinguished privilege of seeing Frank and the MoI at the "Psychedelic Supermarket" in Cleveland Ohio in 1966.
I cherish the memory, and he was a hero of my day. Nothing Frank ever said in public or in lyrics were nonsense. There was a meaning for everything, and the context of his words was the key to understanding him. Long Live Frank.

reply to post by isyeye


Honestly, I think the whole story "Secrets of Laurel Canyon" reads like something you might find in a Zappa album.

I can almost imagine Frank's take on the matter.

The military recruited the marginally talented sons of secret ops to infiltrate the peace movement and corrupt it with sex and drugs and sex. Fame and fortune, and groupies galore, how could the young patriots resist, who could ask for more.

Gotta live in the canyon, breath in the scent of sweet young meat, serve my counties interests, I am a patriot indeed.

You see, every member of her family had committed suicide, but in the canyon, that was normal.

As much as I like his views I think it takes me hard to take him more seriously because of the fact that he wraps his messages in conspiracies. I'm somewhat a skeptic when it comes to these gigantic conspiracies. I don't think that people are dumbed down because of what they eat. People do it to themselves and I think they need to break the habit and break their conditioning. Otherwise, though he sounds like he is one of the greatest conspiracy theorists in music.

reply to post by isyeye


Zappa might have created music that was at times "too complex to enjoy" -- but he is definitely one of my heros as a thinker.

He was someone with wisdom and insight and saw the truth and spoke it no matter how unpopular it was. It's a lot easier to blog about it than it was to speak in public in his day -- he grew up in an age with people like Hoover sabotaging lives. While things haven't really changed when we look at Julian Assange and the soldier who gave his life to leak information the military would rather keep buried, it's at least more accepted in public.

reply to post by isyeye


what about the hotels

Wow thanks for reminding me of the brain police.

Great song.

Haven't listened to it in ages.

Just brilliant, loving all the vids since I last posted..
Oh and had to come back, wasnt able to flag last time

Greetings,

I'm fairly new to ATS and happened to search, on impulse, 'Zappa' and was happy to see him discussed. My favorite Zappa quote "Politics is the entertainment wing of the Military-Industrial Complex".

I have the fortune to see FZ several times, the first in 1969 at Pauley Pavillon, UCLA with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The first concert my parents let me go to on my own and only because the 'Phil" was there. It had some technical problems but was a great night non-the-less. I even slept (read passed out) through the end of one of his concerts many years later.

I really love his more serious work and am happy to know that his less commercial works are revered around the world.

The only other band that stirs up such longing in me is Oingo Biongo. Sigh - the film work just doesn't compare.

Originally posted by VitriolAndAngst
reply to post by isyeye

 

While things haven't really changed when we look at Julian Assange and the soldier who gave his life to leak information the military would rather keep buried, .

Bradley Manning - Please don't forget this young man left to rot in prison.

originally posted by: VitriolAndAngst
reply to post by isyeye

 

Zappa might have created music that was at times "too complex to enjoy" -- but he is definitely one of my heros as a thinker.

c.

zappa is my fav. i liken myself to an encyclopedia of zappa knowledge and i think youre right.

if you were not a musician or serious listener you probably wouldnt get it cause you wouldnt understand what your are listening too. like you said, all the complexities.
i think frank will someday be the subject of study at juliard or MI or oberlin college. i really think that.

lest we forget the yellow shark. i mean we all should know that thing fish is the best conspiracy record ever made, no doubt.
frank recorded some serious orchestral works.

en.wikipedia.org...

and of course on of the ground breaking jazz fusion record hot rats. that is some of the best music i have ever heard period. there is some seriously sick playing on that record. i suggest you give a listen

en.wikipedia.org...

also as the 80's started all his work with the synclavier he did.

frank was on the cutting edge of music and the tech that goes with it his entire career. he was a brilliant composer. a great musician. he was funny and articulate and his most enduring quality in my opinion is he was uncompromising.

if you got it, great. if you didnt, well you werent meant to. no big deal

also, like when the ADL DEMANDED an apology for the song jewish princess..... they never got it.

he made his music and wanted it played his way and it was awesome. he was way ahead of his time. he always had the best musicians around him.

and if youve never heard it check out the adventures of greggary peccary... that one is for sure not for everyone but i love it.
steve vai calls it franks masterpiece.
there are lots of little pop culture references of the time in that song.

its fab....

I think my favorite album is Joes Garage, very cool twisted and timeless storyline.

Zappa lives on