Great Frank Zappa! Zappa immortal, his music, concerts, commentaries. He teaches us to stay commited, faithful to our work, no matter the trends. If Zappa were still alive, he would make a hell of a use of internet for the presentation of his music. Oh, how I miss the people like him today.
If you're interested in Frank Zappa, the man, as much as the composer, you might like my memoir Freak Out! My Life with Frank Zappa 1968-1971 which is my story but reveals Frank's home life not shown in other books, from getting up to going to bed, composing at the piano, rehearsing with the Mothers, visiting rock stars, freaks, family squabbles and more.
There are others out there like him, but they're not making the same kind of music he made. Steven Wilson is a very similar character though - rejects the mainstream, does his own thing, is a world class multi-instrumentalist, invites other world class musicians to play with him, is also a great engineer in the studio etc...
You can tell he admired Frank, and both gave a totally respectful interview. It's great to see an interviewer that does the proper background research and homework.
Very good interview. I like that Frank thinks at that time he would not have gotten a record contract. Thankfully for all of us he got one a lot earlier!!
His insights into industry couldn't be more true today. I think even scientifically it has been shown that popular music is converging into a more narrow set of sounds. They just keep making the same things again and again because they know it's safe and it sells.
Oh yes, live version of the song, you will probably like it: Watermelon In Easter Hay (Live, 1978) Some people need to listen it several times to get it inside and appriciate. Anyone knowing rock or jazz heard at least parts of it in other songs when artists borrow from him, some "tricks" are also very common since this song came out because they sound so "natural, obvious". I also hear tiny bit of Hendrix and so on. Great song, one of the few where Zappa expressed himself in such romantic, very beautiful way. I just got excited while listening to it... :)
Frank Zappa is alive somewhere. Frank Zappa, thank you for everything. Thank you for so much great music and philosophy. May God richly bless your soul.
@@moobrien1747 I don’t think that is very true. Kids movies back then had cursing and inappropriate shit all over the place…ever see Monster Squad? Jesus lol. It’s insane. But anyway, most people are afraid things are too Sanitized today, but I think things aren’t all that different. Just some things are a little more permissible and some things are a little less
Frank is 100% correct. Many album purchases in the 60s, 70s and 80s were based upon the Album Cover because in those days we didn't have "listening stations". As such, all we had to go on were the band name, the album title name, and the album cover art.
5:21 - such an important point and not one the angry people today would like very much. He'd make a lot of people very cross indeed with that one. Because he's right.
When I think of "heavy metal" FZ I think of the guitar and bass lick throughout Dumb All Over. It's simple and dumb (all over), a little ugly on the side, and really heavy live.
That haircut is the worst… Frank, here, visually exemplifying the antithesis of everything he railed against in the halcyon years of his infamous, iconoclastic ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ youth.
he said "pissed odd quotient", like the amount of people who would get pissed off about something, so the joke was that they acted like the curse word was Quotient instead of Pissed Off
Bit disingenuous of him to mock the part that image plays in getting a record contract (‘I don’t wear enough zippers’). There was no one more conscious of his early image than Zappa. No one who more carefully constructed a freak/hippy look in order to attract his music to certain sections of society and by association get a contract.
FZ was not disingenuous. He may have cultivated an image but that was only because whatever he had it was arrived at naturally so the emphasis you speak of was not 'forced' but just the desire of a Mother to make his art to reflect what he was creating at the time with social commentary.
@@daevideodaevideo6918 I don’t believe he arrived at that image naturally…it was coldly calculated to attract attention to himself and his music. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that. But he created an image in order to sell his music. Therefore it’s either disingenuous or hypocritical of him to mock the role of image in selling music. If he’d remained as straight looking as he did in that film of him playing a bicycle from around 1963, you can bet no one would have heard of him now.
@@op-xv3ui This just strikes me as black and white thinking. I think Zappa natrually had "Freak-like" or even a handful of hippie-like inclinations, and decided to lean heavily into those for his image. It's not the same as someone who has zero interest in leather and zippers, wearing leather and zippers. It's an exaggeration rather than a full-on forgery.
The "pissed-off quotient," with the comedy here being that the host John Barbour suggests "quotient" is the dirty part of the phrase--"pissed off" was censored from utterance on television in those days.
@@jayburdification indeed, a testament to Frank's wit, and also to local television at the time and J. Barbour being willing to host Frank in an informal, interesting interview setting.
That political era of Zappa was a joke. He seemed to be clinging on the relevancy. The best Zappa band was the original Mothers of Invention, and later the Flo & Eddie version. After that it was garbage.
Shit talk, but i agree, Frank Zappa is controversial until for himself sometimes. Some of political ideas are absolutelly useless. Him sense of be conservative is quite bizarre. Shure is: Frank Zappa would be votaded in Biden, or... Make scarrycrow falacies about Trumph
Great Frank Zappa! Zappa immortal, his music, concerts, commentaries. He teaches us to stay commited, faithful to our work, no matter the trends. If Zappa were still alive, he would make a hell of a use of internet for the presentation of his music. Oh, how I miss the people like him today.
Frank....needed now in 2022 more than ever.
Indeed
“I don’t wear enough zippers”
Still loving and learning from Frank!
And people will be learning for decades to come 🙏
If you're interested in Frank Zappa, the man, as much as the composer, you might like my memoir Freak Out! My Life with Frank Zappa 1968-1971 which is my story but reveals Frank's home life not shown in other books, from getting up to going to bed, composing at the piano, rehearsing with the Mothers, visiting rock stars, freaks, family squabbles and more.
What an all around stand up guy. The world misses you Frank Zappa! Become born again and give us your gift, we need you!
There are others out there like him, but they're not making the same kind of music he made. Steven Wilson is a very similar character though - rejects the mainstream, does his own thing, is a world class multi-instrumentalist, invites other world class musicians to play with him, is also a great engineer in the studio etc...
John Barbour, who is still kicking I believe, was all over TV in the 70's and 80's. Good television guy.
You can tell he admired Frank, and both gave a totally respectful interview. It's great to see an interviewer that does the proper background research and homework.
Very good interview. I like that Frank thinks at that time he would not have gotten a record contract. Thankfully for all of us he got one a lot earlier!!
His insights into industry couldn't be more true today. I think even scientifically it has been shown that popular music is converging into a more narrow set of sounds. They just keep making the same things again and again because they know it's safe and it sells.
Frank is brilliant, funny and a great musician. Thanks Frank.
I've never really been a fan of Frank's music but I love EVERY interview I have seen him in. Wonderful intellect.
You should listen to a live performance of Watermelon on Easter Hay. Even non-Zappaheads tend to love that one!
Oh yes, live version of the song, you will probably like it: Watermelon In Easter Hay (Live, 1978)
Some people need to listen it several times to get it inside and appriciate. Anyone knowing rock or jazz heard at least parts of it in other songs when artists borrow from him, some "tricks" are also very common since this song came out because they sound so "natural, obvious". I also hear tiny bit of Hendrix and so on.
Great song, one of the few where Zappa expressed himself in such romantic, very beautiful way. I just got excited while listening to it... :)
Check the "Don't Eat Yellow Snow" suite
@@HughMorristheJoker Will do. Thanks.
Frank Zappa is alive somewhere. Frank Zappa, thank you for everything. Thank you for so much great music and philosophy. May God richly bless your soul.
"It hasn't been OK to be smart in the United States for centuries." BAM!
RIP Frank...Return if Possible 🎶💯
Frank Zappa!
He was such a great quotioned genius! XD
Indeed.
Frank would have been canceled and mobbed if he was still around telling the unvarnished truth as he was here.
You'd like to fantasize as much with your apparent persecution complex. Beware, children, the Cancel Boogeyman lies in wait around the corner! Lmfao
All gays with Monkeypox hate Zappa
Frank would be running from the left now
and he’d be running as far away as he could from the right
Well, that makes no sense, but ok. Still a free country. Think as you wish.
what, you think he'd approve of modern Republicans? lol@@-ull3972
Totally agreed
Everyone would be wise to run from both the left and the right now
Great interview John !
He's talking about a song porn wars. Second side of zappa meets
The mothers of prevention album.
Is that Bob Newhart? lol. Fuck, Frank was the most honest person in town.
It's amazing that "pissed off quotient" would be bleeped, even in 1986. Pissed off is not vulgar now and was not vulgar then.
Much more censorship back then.
"Pissed Off Quotient??" Well I've never been so offended....lol
Well, there were standards......
What was Rated R is now "G"..
@@moobrien1747 I don’t think that is very true. Kids movies back then had cursing and inappropriate shit all over the place…ever see Monster Squad? Jesus lol. It’s insane. But anyway, most people are afraid things are too Sanitized today, but I think things aren’t all that different. Just some things are a little more permissible and some things are a little less
@@moobrien1747 other way round. There were movies from the 80s with nudity rated G.
Frank is 100% correct. Many album purchases in the 60s, 70s and 80s were based upon the Album Cover because in those days we didn't have "listening stations". As such, all we had to go on were the band name, the album title name, and the album cover art.
imo
Much of what FZ said back then is worse now.
imo
5:21 - such an important point and not one the angry people today would like very much. He'd make a lot of people very cross indeed with that one. Because he's right.
Indeed!
He grew up at Fort Derrick/Edgewood Arsenal and at China Lake.
Programming Centers!
Lol
He was right. Music has become more and more a product and less and less musical. He saw it heading in that direction.
Fearless!!!!!
When I think of "heavy metal" FZ I think of the guitar and bass lick throughout Dumb All Over. It's simple and dumb (all over), a little ugly on the side, and really heavy live.
It will be ugly for a thousand years.
Yes dumb all over heavy song.
Genius...
Indeed.
It is still not ok to be smart in the us.
Yeah! Put the Biden on the power... How stupid can they be?
That haircut is the worst… Frank, here, visually exemplifying the antithesis of everything he railed against in the halcyon years of his infamous, iconoclastic ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ youth.
two class acts talking...
Eff Zee. One of the SMARTEST people EVER. He thinks it's OK to be smart. How could one NOT agree with that. Fuck the PMRC.
As a Swede, I have a question. What's "quotient" and why is it censored the first time but not censored while used later in the show?
Love Eliasson
Ok, I’ll bite.....
He didn’t say “Quotient”-
John was covering, knowing what he said would be censored, and ad libbed by saying Quotient
@@MrToddling Thank you. Now I understand.
he said "pissed odd quotient", like the amount of people who would get pissed off about something, so the joke was that they acted like the curse word was Quotient instead of Pissed Off
Kvot
Bit disingenuous of him to mock the part that image plays in getting a record contract (‘I don’t wear enough zippers’). There was no one more conscious of his early image than Zappa. No one who more carefully constructed a freak/hippy look in order to attract his music to certain sections of society and by association get a contract.
FZ was not disingenuous. He may have cultivated an image but that was only because whatever he had it was arrived at naturally so the emphasis you speak of was not 'forced' but just the desire of a Mother to make his art to reflect what he was creating at the time with social commentary.
@@daevideodaevideo6918 I don’t believe he arrived at that image naturally…it was coldly calculated to attract attention to himself and his music. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that. But he created an image in order to sell his music. Therefore it’s either disingenuous or hypocritical of him to mock the role of image in selling music. If he’d remained as straight looking as he did in that film of him playing a bicycle from around 1963, you can bet no one would have heard of him now.
@@op-xv3ui This just strikes me as black and white thinking. I think Zappa natrually had "Freak-like" or even a handful of hippie-like inclinations, and decided to lean heavily into those for his image. It's not the same as someone who has zero interest in leather and zippers, wearing leather and zippers. It's an exaggeration rather than a full-on forgery.
@@DoomKid you may have a point up to a point.
What’s the POQ?
The "pissed-off quotient," with the comedy here being that the host John Barbour suggests "quotient" is the dirty part of the phrase--"pissed off" was censored from utterance on television in those days.
@@siggylloyd3566 wow that would never get censored these days. A testament to Frank.
@@jayburdification indeed, a testament to Frank's wit, and also to local television at the time and J. Barbour being willing to host Frank in an informal, interesting interview setting.
I wish I knew what POQ ment...
pissed off quotient...I just looked it up...
That political era of Zappa was a joke. He seemed to be clinging on the relevancy. The best Zappa band was the original Mothers of Invention, and later the Flo & Eddie version. After that it was garbage.
BS
What a load of shit. Someone got offended by Broadway the Hard Way's hard truths or something else along those lines, it seems.
Really? And what makes you an authority on which era of Frank’s music constitutes garbage?
Shit talk, but i agree, Frank Zappa is controversial until for himself sometimes.
Some of political ideas are absolutelly useless. Him sense of be conservative is quite bizarre.
Shure is: Frank Zappa would be votaded in Biden, or... Make scarrycrow falacies about Trumph
Education vs Indoctrination. Brilliant. Thank You Frank.