That statement is just a desperate lashing out from the depths of my psyche over the ridiculous history of America and ominous course she has taken since Frank died. I remember the hoplessness I felt as a twenty and thirty something during the Reagan Years- a hopelessness that was assuaged (to a degree) by the simple fact that Frank Zappa was out there putting things in perspective for me and speaking out about the stupid and UBU-ish things America's "leaders" and American Society do and does in general.

When I was eighteen I registered for the last draft lottery for the war in Vietnam. A draft lottery goes like this: Three hundred and sixty-six balls or slips of paper (which represent the total days in the year plus one for leap year day) are placed in a big jar, drawn out and recorded. Then the pentagon will draft it's quota of conscripts according to the sequence of the lottery- that year my number was 28 and the Army stated their quota requirement for that year would be taken from the draft lottery up through number 32. But I wasn't worried about that; in fact I didn't give it a second thought because of Zappa's song "Billy The Mountain". "Billy The Mountain" was a satire, stage piece about a mountain who gets drafted but after talking it over with his Wife Ethyl (who was a tree growing off of his shoulder) decided that not only was he not going to report for his induction physical but that he and Ethyl were going to go to Las Vegas and celebrate.

I don't know how much you guys know about American politics but since the advent of twenty-four hour news coverage American politics have become a complete soap opera- I wish we could just say "Who gives a fuck?" but it seems that the stakes are getting pretty high. During the mid nineties when Clinton was embroiled in sex and other scandals (personally I think two consenting adults should be able to have sex and insert cigars wherever they choose without it being a federal case) which served to polarize the nation and it's governing bodies into a crippled lump of disfunctionality. As it turns out I think Bill Clinton probably is a sexaual predator and Hilary is an enable or at least in denial cause she wants to perseve her own political ambitions. But if Zappa had been around for all of that he'd have been smackin it sideways. After George Bush and his crony network stole the election in 2000 and 9-11 and everything that followed and continiues till today (we are a nation of SUV and Truck drivers who have driven up the price of gas by overconsumption (thankfully I have 2 hybrids which helps some) and now the conservatives in this country are trying to blame high gas prices on the liberals because "liberals" have impeded the developement of native resources which is ridiculous. Any oil that is produced from American soil is going to go to the highest bidder on the open market and that would be China.

I just feel like we need someone to shine a light on the whole mess and Zappa was beautiful for that. The best part about Zappa's opinions was that nothing was sacred, he gave no quarter. The first thing that impressed me about Zappa (other than the music) was the fact that he made fun of hippies and segments of society that were considered "cool" by me and my peers. He made me look inward and laugh at myself which made it easier laugh at and be critical of things outside myself.

I miss him

Possibly meant as retribution for my genuine dislike of a certain band who shall be nameless?

Wierd Al with better chops? This sounds like Wrightlew's assessment of The Smith's: " ( blank ) w/ better lyrics". Only your assessment is lamer (if that's possible). Actually I think Weird Al is underrated to a degree but that's another argument. It's true; Zappa had salacious and sophomoric tendencies which were mere diversions for his restless brain and unrelenting need to create and (more likely as not) basic excersises of his first amendment free speech rights. I think he wrote songs like "Titties and Beer" and "Dianah Mo Hum" just to demonstrate to himself and all people that we as Americans being protected by the constitution of The United States have the inalienable right to not only look a dirty pictures but to make up songs about forbidden topics and convey them to the public in the form of recorded material or public performance. Zappa had been railroaded by an overzealous prosecutor on obscenity charges when he was young and therefore very sensitive about the subject of free speech. He felt that if speech was restricted then it was just a matter of time before other freedoms we enjoy and take for granted would also come under scrutiny for possible obstruction.

Your assesment (if taken at face value) could be true but it is a gross oversimplification on the order of saying Beethoven is just a more dramatic Danny Elfman with better chops.

I just remembered Wrighty's analogy of The Smiths which reminded me of your analogy of Frank Zappa:

Smiths: Culture Club with better lyrics.

Zappa was a needle

I will!

I grew up in Billings, Montana. I struggled my whole childhood to integrate my reality of simple white folks living an existence bereft of urban influence, high culture and art with what I was seeing on tv and hearing about in the music I listened to. Imagine the validation I recieved from my first listening of Zappa's "Moving To Montana"! Suddenly it was cool to be here and somehow it made a lot more sense- but that didn't stop me from moving to Chicago the first chance I got. Zappa has never been mainstream but he has always been legendary and his ideas noteworhty and impactful on me and legions of other fans. If he were still around he'd be having impact I'm sure. In the eighties his momentum waiverd a bit because the new wave of music demanded turning away from the status quo and past influences- but he was on a roll when he died- tragically young.

That's why I like him as a candidate for a genuine "Great American". Not just a great american composer (which he was). Your exactly right "good qualities lacking in most people" and "most people" fail to recognize the importance of those qualities. Most people in America percieve "greatness" as tabloid sensationalism like "Ben and Jen" or "Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie" or sports figures and politicians, false idols like actors and rock stars. I acknoledge that some figures from those ranks have truly and deservedly ascended to the status of greatness. I guess Americans need heros and that has spawned some pretty sick obsessiveness. Certain media outlets in America recognize this and use it to ludirous ends and of course to make lots of money.

the day Bill Hicks died.

That's the opinion of a life long fan (fanatic) yeah but I am incredibally discerning when it comes to music; I always pick up on it when an artist I follow truly loses it.

All Zappa's output from end to end (career wise) had merit and value. Not long after his death his final opus "The Yellow Shark" was released and remained on the classic charts for almost a year reaching as high as number 1 or 2.

His career really hasn't ended finitely due to the deep vault of music and other materials that he left behind in the wake of three decades of continual artistic motion- he never stopped. Since his death (to their credit) The Zappa Family Trust has continued to develop and release material of high quality and I doubt I'll see the bottom of the vaults in my lifetime- sadly.

Casual Zappa enthusiasts tend to focus their experience on early stuff, which is fine, but Zappa never skipped a beat his whole career. Projects were continuously sparking off and branching out. He would start something in one decade and finish in another. His projects are all connected and play edoff each other. He reprised characters and musical themes all through his career. It is so incomplete to just take a segment of his career and hold it up as his best work. If I was forced to do that I would take his middle career from Overnite Sensation to Shiek Yerbouti but if I did that I would miss all the amazing output that came before and followed after his "middle career". Zappa's persona didn't waiver as much as you say, Zappa was Zappa, he had his moods and tended to contridict himself in interviews. On stage he mellowed a bit in later years, not feeling the obligation of vaudvillian or theatrical outbursts. He said he disliked cardboard cut out audiences and always engaged the audience with banter and conversational side bars, he was merciless when he encountered hecklers- why anyone would mess around with someone so dangerously astute is beyond me- probably just drunks.

You could argue that Zappa gave "music as comedy" a bad name, yeah you could- but I wouldnt't.

PS

I will if you insist.

What have you heard besides "Hot Rats" ?