Frank Zappa is one of the most influential musicians in rock history. Frank Vincent Zappa, born on 21 December 1940 in Baltimore, died on 4 December 1993 in Los Angeles, showed a brilliant enthusiasm early on for composition techniques and sound structures from classical music.
In the mid-sixties, Zappa became a member of The Soul Giants. He became the band's guitarist. Not long after, he became the 'leader' and renamed the band The Mothers. His music was boycotted by most radio stations in America. About his partly provocative music, the American said in 1966: 'No chord is ugly enough to comment on all the atrocities committed by the government in our name'. In total, Zappa released 60 albums. In 1993, Frank Zappa died from prostate cancer. His ashes are buried at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles without a gravestone.
Over the length of his musical career, Zappa released no less than sixty albums and 48 singles. He did all this in just twenty-five active years. On his twenty-sixth album Sheik Yerbouti, which he released in 1979, is the track 'Dancin' Fool'. Frank later released this as a single that year, scoring his second highest chart position ever for a single.
With 'Dancin' Fool', Zappa criticises the disco culture that prevailed in America in the 1970s. The track tells the story of a man who, despite his poor dancing skills, cannot sit still to disco music. With this, he makes a fool of himself according to the song. Fortunately, Zappa did not lack a healthy dose of self-mockery. He was less satisfied with his vocal qualities. In an interview, he said that if he had to audition for his own band, he would not be accepted.
Top 2000
In the Top 2000 of 2019, there is only one song and that is at position 1882: Dancin’ Fool.
Sunday Morning Classic: Aprostophe (')
Of course, Zappa cannot be missing as a Sunday Morning Classic! On 25 October 2020, it was his turn with the album Aprostophe (').
This album is actually a collection of incomplete stories with a very large amount of humour. The album features some excellent musicians and great guitar work by Zappa. The xylophone seems to stand out the most on this album.
1. Don’t eat the yellow snow - A great introduction to Frank Zappa's strange humour that will fill the album. It has some great guitar fills and backup vocals and some impressive drumming.
2. Nanook Rubs It - A continuation of the story in the first track. Really fast guitar work thanks to Frank.
3. St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast - A very short, fast track. The horn work on this track is excellent. Note the impressive xylophone solo at the end of the track.
4. Father O' Blivion - Another fast track with Zappa singing priceless lyrics.
5. Cosmik Debris - This track has the best guitar riff on the album. The vocals on this track are great. The lyrics parody how many musicians in the 60s and 70s would seek the help of gurus.
6. Excentrifugal Forz - Another short, fast track with spatial effects on the guitar.
7. Apostrophe' - This is a full jam with Frank and Jack Bruce (Cream). The bass playing is excellent, the bass has this vague tone that is great. The guitar playing is excellent.
8. Uncle Remus - Great piano intro that leads into a full blast when the whole band starts, including great backing vocals.
9. Stink-Foot - A nice bluesy track. The lyrics are quite funny. Some very good guitar solos with a wah effect on one of the solos.
This is one of my favourite albums and I hope most of you music lovers will pick it up if you haven't already. If you don't like the album on the first listen, that's fine. Zappa takes a few listens for some people to be appreciated.
Source: Jan Liebregts, NPO and Wikipedia Photo: public domain
