I
always wondered if I never read this book, who knows what I would have done
musically? While like most bios, it delves into Frank’s Zappa’s childhood and teenage years. It was his thoughts on
music that made me read this countless times. The book maybe
a tad biased, as it’s from Frank’s point of view, but you can see why
Frank was so outspoken; from being arrested by an undercover cop called Detective Willis over a misdemeanour “conspiracy
to commit pornography” to being shafted royally by managers and record companies. In addition, Willis took Frank’s music without permission
that he recorded in Studio Z. I for one would love to find out what happened to
those tapes. Frank’s utter contempt for authority figures comes through crystal
clear; and some of it rubbed off on me. We are also treated to his thoughts on
50s love songs which he had nothing but disdain for them saying that they were “One of the
causes of bad mental health in the United States.” Frank's reasoning was that people
who buy into those lyrics go through life feeling cheated.
They
are a lot of interesting colourful characters in these pages; Louie the Turkey, Captain Beefheart, The
Plaster Casters etc I won’t spoil who else is mentioned. The chapters about
composition is where the book shines, it’s the musicians equivalent of “A Brief History of Time.” How he approaches music in general is not only fascinating, but a revelation. Frank Zappa was purveyor
of future music; its ideas, concepts are all too big to comprehend in the
present. Even now since his passing in 1993, its still future music. If you
want open your mind to bigger musical horizons, give it a read. You will learn
about life, the road, and music.
Stuart Ritchie
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