Zappa Play Zappa: Peaches En Regalia
[purchase FZ version]
I must have
been introduced to Frank Zappa in the early 70s. Although I don’t recall my
initiation rites, I know for a fact that I was well-versed by the time <Overnight
Sensation> came out: if hard pressed, I could probably sing along to the
entire album – 40 years later.
Sadly for
those of us who revered him and his music, Frank Zappa died a somewhat early
death in 1993 (couldn’t be that long ago!)
Dweezil
Zappa, you must know, is Frank Zappa’s older son. He is the man behind the band
called “Zappa Plays Zappa”, a touring group that aims to bring his father’s
music to a younger audience. In addition to organizing the band, Dweezil (not
his original/legal/birth name, but now his legal name) plays the guitar. He has
also had a hand in composing original music, though so far he has been nowhere
near a prolific as his father.
As a
long-time Zappa fan, I applaud efforts to keep Frank Zappa’s music alive &
relevant. I count him among the pre-eminent
musicians of the Rock era: pushing the limits in terms of musical structure;
certainly pushing the limits of lyrical contortion. He was among
the first to break out of the standard “guitars and drums” format that was
defining popular music by the mid-70s. Check it out:
She had that
Camarillo brillo
Flamin' out along her head,
I mean her Mendocino bean-o
By where some bugs had made it red
She ruled the Toads
of the Short Forest
And every newt in Idaho
And every cricket who had chorused
By the bush in Buffalo
Beyond his
musical skills, Frank Zappa stood behind his beliefs: he was a frequent
commentator about his political views – and, in retrospective, not far off the
mark. A snippet from his testimony against parental controls to music
content/lyrics in front of the US senate
(and Al Gore) back in 1985:
He said: The major record labels need to have H.R. 2911 whiz through a few committees before anybody smells a rat. One of them is chaired by Senator Thurmond. Is it a coincidence that Mrs. Thurmond is affiliated with the PMRC?
I hereby
make the case that his legacy is worthy of preservation, and who better to do
so than his son?
For your
listening pleasure, one of my favorite FZ tunes, performed by his son:
