Frank Zappa (1940-1993) is an American composer, whose work is characterized by a high degree of diversity and creativity. His output of over 60 CDs covers about all styles of the 20th century as rock, doo-wop and jazz as well as modern works for ensembles and orchestras. He also worked as a filmmaker and has a reputation as a critic of American society. After his early death due to prostate cancer, his legacy is governed by a family trust.

Early years (1958-1961)

Zappa was born in Baltimore on December 21, 1940. He became the eldest of four siblings. His father worked as an engineer with varying jobs, which caused the family to have to move frequently. His interest in music first showed itself during his teens, when he became a drummer in local bands. At the age of eighteen he learned to play guitar. At the same time that he was listening to blues, he taught himself to write sheet music and got fascinated by the music of Edgar Varèse. After graduation Zappa took one semester of formal musical education at Chaffee Junior College, where he met his first wife Kay Sherman. When he had reached twenty, Zappa had enough musical understanding to write orchestra music, next to being able to play the standard pop and jazz repertoire. Playing in bands became his job. The first opportunity to have his sheet music performed came when he got commissioned by Timothy Carey to do the soundtrack for The world's greatest sinner. With the orchestra music recorded in 1961, this film premiered in 1963. In the same year Zappa could record chamber music for another movie, called Run home, slow. The lost episodes: Zappa's teens

Lost in a whirlpool, Pound for a brown, Sleeping in a jar, Waltz for guitar, Mice, The Blackouts

The mystery disc #1: movie scores

The world's greatest sinner (single and soundtrack), Holiday in Berlin, Run home, slow (theme and soundtrack), The little march





Singles (1962-1964)

In 1961 Zappa first met Paul Buff, who was running a recording studio at Cucamonga. Paul was one of the first to operate a multi-track recorder. Their working relationship intensified in 1963, when they began collaborating for releasing singles. Zappa was involved as player, producer and songwriter. Their biggest success became Buff's Tijuana surf, with Zappa's Grunion run on the b-side. In 2009 Paul opened his Pal and Original sound archives on line, bringing to the public some yet unreleased recordings by Zappa. The money coming in from the Run home, slow, movie gave Zappa the opportunity to take over Buff's studio. He started working on a film project himself, but got thwarted by local officials. A set-up got constructed for arresting him for recording pornographic material. He got a minor sentence and actually had to spend a couple of days in prison. This was sufficient to block his business in Cucamonga. Pal and Original sound: working with Paul Buff

Take your clothes off when you dance, Any way the wind blows, Why don't you do me right, Walkin' out, Waltz, Speed-freak boogie, Metal man, Tiger roach

Cucamonga years: singles and broadcast music

Opus 5, Breaktime, Memories of El Monte, Love of my life, Grunion run, Jessie Lee

The mystery disc #2: projects

I was a teenage malt shop, Status back baby, Toad of the short forest, Duodenum, Bossa Nova, Mondo Hollywood, Motherly love





First line-up of The Mothers Of Invention (1965-1968)

Zappa continued to play in bands and took the lead of the Soul Giants, in 1965 re-baptized as The Mothers Of Invention. Freak out!, their first album, got released in 1966 as one of the first double albums in rock history. With Absolutely free from 1967 Zappa could demonstrate what he was capable of as a composer. Brown shoes don't make it is famous for bringing together a multitude of styles, using varying meters and rhythms, as well as an atonal interlude. The sudden rise of the hippie movement incited Zappa to compile We're only in it for the money, a social commentary. No two sequent Zappa albums are more different from each other than Cruising with Ruben and the Jets and Lumpy Gravy. The first a tribute to the doo-wop genre from the fifties, the second a bizarre collage. Freak out! - Fillmore West, 1966: into the rock industry

Hungry freaks, I ain't got no heart, Who are the brain police?, I'm not satisfied, You're probably wondering why I'm here, Trouble every day, Help, I'm a rock, It can't happen here, Monster magnet, Downtown talent scout

Absolutely free: complexities

Plastic people, Duke of prunes (1967), Amnesia vivace, Invocation & ritual dance of the young pumpkin, Soft-sell conclusion, America drinks (and goes home), Brown shoes don't make it (1967)

We're only in it for the money: the sixties

Who needs the Peace Corps?, Concentration moon, Bow tie daddy, The ugliest part of your body, Absolutely free, Flower punk, Mother people, The chrome plated megaphone of destiny, No matter what you do

Lumpy gravy - Lumpy money: a collage

Oh no, It's from Kansas, I don't know if I can go through this again, King Kong (1968), Kangaroos, Foamy soaky, Unit 3A and 9, How did that get in here?

Cruising with Ruben and the Jets - Greasy love songs: doo-wop

Cheap thrills, How could I be such a fool, Jelly roll gum drop, You didn't try to call me, "No. No. No.", Stuff up the cracks, Oh, in the sky, If only I could be your love again





Uncle Meat - Weasels ripped my flesh (1968-1969)

Uncle Meat was the title of both an album and a movie. This movie only got completed as a video in 1986, with the music appearing on Ahead of their time. The modern harmonies of the Uncle Meat title track sound refreshing till today. Next Zappa recorded a fusion album under his own name. Hot rats features complex interwoven harmonies, obtained through overdubbing. In 1969 he was looking for new directions and disbanded the original Mothers Of Invention overnight. The band members were taken by surprise. The unreleased material Zappa had in stock appeared on Burnt weeny sandwich and Weasels ripped my flesh. Uncle Meat - Ahead of their time: integration

Uncle meat (variations) (1969), Nine types of industrial pollution, Zolar Czakl, Dog breath (variations), Blood unit, The legend of the golden arches, Exercise #4 (1973), Prelude to King Kong, Ian Underwood whips it out, We can shoot you, The air, Project X, Cruising for burgers, King Kong (1969), Epilogue, Agency man, The rejected Mexican pope, Uncle rhebus

Hot rats: overdubs

Peaches en regalia, Willie the pimp (1969), Little umbrellas, The Gumbo variations, It must be a camel, Bognos Regis, Peaches jam, Twenty small cigars

Burnt weeny sandwich: atonality and the use of scales

Igor's boogie I and II, Theme from Burnt weeny sandwich, Holiday in Berlin (full blown), Aybe sea, The little house I used to live in (1970), Kung fu

Weasels ripped my flesh - YCDTOSA V: counterpoint #1 and improvisations

What will this evening bring me this morning?, Sofa (1976), Didja get any onya?, Gas mask, Get a little, Eric Dolphy memorial barbecue, Dwarf nebula, My guitar wants to kill your mama, The Orange County lumber truck, Weasels ripped my flesh, Baked-bean boogie, No waiting for the peanuts to dissolve, Chocolate Halvah, Underground freak-out music





Comedy shows and 200 Motels (1970-1971)

In 1970 Zappa met Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, former singers of The Turtles. He asked them to become the front men of his new band. At first this new line-up of the Mothers of invention started where the previous band had stopped, with newly written material appearing on Chunga's revenge. Next they started working on specific subjects, building comedy acts around them. The groupie opera was released on Fillmore East, while Billy the mountain appeared on Just another band from L.A. A third sequence, the Sofa suite, only became completed with the 1992 release Playground psychotics. With Uncle Meat still unfinished, Zappa did manage to film 200 Motels, a movie about a band on the road. The soundtrack offers a bewildering variety of styles, featuring modern orchestral works as well as rock band pieces. The orchestral works were also planned to be performed in the shape of The suites, but the direction of the Albert Hall cancelled the concert when they noticed that they considered some of Zappa's lyrics obscene. Eventually The suites did appear on CD in 2015. The 1971 tour ended with disasters. In Montreux the concert hall took fire and in London Zappa got thrown off stage. Chunga's revenge: mainstream pop

Transylvania boogie, The Nancy and Mary music, Tell me you love me, Chunga's revenge, Rudy wants to buy yez a drink, Sharleena

Quaudiophiliac - Fillmore East, 1970: bootleg and archive recordings

Twinkle tits, Chunga's basement, Dance of the just plain folks, Brain police (1970), Solos from Call any vegetable and Holiday in Berlin

Fillmore East, June 1971 - Playground psychotics: comedy shows

Little house (1971), Bwana dik, Latex solar beef, Willie the pimp (1971), Do you like my new car?, Tears began to fall, Scumbag, Brixton still life, Once upon a time, Sofa (1971), Divan

Just another band from L.A. - Carnegie Hall - Finer moments: sequences and tempo changes

Billy the Mountain, Number 7, Call any vegetable, Magdalena, Penis dimension, Brain police (1971), The subcutaneous peril, You never know who your friends are

200 Motels (1971 album) - 200 Motels, the suites: the overall piece of art

Overture, Mystery roach, What's the name of your group?, Can I help you with this dummy?, Tuna sandwich bolero, Lonesome cowboy Burt, Touring can make you crazy, Would you like a snack?, Centerville, She painted up her face, Lucy's seduction of a bored violinist, Dental hygiene dilemma, I'm stealing the towels, The pleated gazelle, Magic fingers





Jazz (1972)

Confined to a wheelchair, Zappa composed on paper with an unprecedented pace. He returned to the idea of recording a sequel to Hot rats. The recording sessions resulted in enough material for two albums, Waka/Jawaka and The grand wazoo. A small tour with this band got planned. The first part involved a big band, the second part - due to contractual obligations of some members - a smaller combo. Strangely enough Zappa himself released nothing from these live shows. This conspicuous gap was filled by The Zappa family trust (ZFT), governing his tape archive since 1993. Three CDs could be compiled from these concerts, Imaginary diseases, Wazoo and Little dots. Waka/Jawaka: the jazz combo

Big swifty, Your mouth, It might just be a one shot deal, Frog song, Waka/Jawaka

The grand wazoo: the big band

For Calvin, The grand wazoo, Think it over, Another whole melodic section, Cletus awreetus-awrightus, Eat that question, Blessed relief

Wazoo - Imaginary diseases - Little dots: the jazz band live and blues

Greggery Peccary (1972), The new brown clouds, Imaginary diseases, Variant I, Rollo, Been to Kansas City in A minor, D.C. boogie, Farther O'blivion, Little dots





The Roxy band (1973-1975)

Zoot allures - Zappa in New York (1976-1978)

Sheik Yerbouti - You are what you is (1979-1981)

Orchestral works, chamber music and modern rock (1982-1984)

In 1982 Zappa had acquired sufficient means to hire the London Symphony Orchestra to perform a number of his orchestral works. At the same time he got commissioned by the Ensemble Intercontemporain to write a chamber music piece for them. These recording were released as The L.S.O. and The perfect stranger, the latter with Pierre Boulez conducting. Other performances of orchestra and chamber music scores followed. Among them Sinister footwear, in full regrettably only available as sheet music (apart from a bootleg recording). During these years Zappa's modern music works could also appear on his rock albums. Ship arriving too late to save a drowning witch unintendedly contained a small U.S. hit with Valley girl. On Them or us one of the Sinister footwear movements can be found. On The man from Utopia Zappa experimented with recitatives. Ship arriving too late to save a drowning witch: the modern rock band

Valley girl, I come from nowhere, Drowning witch, Envelopes (1982), Teen-age prostitute

The man from Utopia: recitatives

Cocaine decisions, Tink walks amok, The radio is broken, We are not alone, Stick together, The jazz discharge party hats, Moggio, The torture never stops (1980)

The London Symphony Orchestra: a modern composer

Sad Jane, Bob in Dacron, Mo 'n Herb's vacation, Envelopes (1983), Pedro's dowry, Strictly genteel (1983)

The perfect stranger: a modern composer (cntd.)

The perfect stranger, Naval aviation in art?, Jeff and Don, The girl in the magnesium dress, Outside now again, Dupree's paradise (1984)

Them or us - Sinister footwear: the modern rock band (cntd.) and instrumentation

Ya Hozna, Truck driver divorce, Marque-Son's chicken, Planet of my dreams, Them or us, Frogs with dirty little lips, Sinister footwear I-III





The synclavier (1984-1986)

In 1982 Zappa bought a synclavier, a computer controlled synthesizer, that offered him the possibility to execute pieces, humanly impossible to play. Among the first recordings where this machine was used, was Thing-Fish. This work belongs to the literary side of Zappa with a peculiar plot about a government trying to spread out diseases deliberately. It has the shape of an opera. Does humor belong in music? is a compilation of live music as played during the 1984 tour. In 1985 a senate hearing was held about the possible introduction of warning labels when the lyrics of pop albums could be deemed dangerous or offensive. Zappa was one of the speakers against this idea and released FZ meets the Mothers of prevention as a reaction, doing many interviews as well. This last album also included some complex synclavier works. The next year Jazz from hell followed with the synclavier being present full-fledged. This album got rewarded with an Emmy. Thing-Fish: an opera

Prologue, Mammy nuns, Harry and Rhonda, The evil prince, Mudd club, Harry-as-a-boy, Artificial Rhonda, The crab-grass baby, No not now, Brown Moses, Wistful wit a fistful, Won ton on

Does humor belong in music?: the lyrics

Baby take your teeth out, Let's move to Cleveland, Hot plate heaven, For Giuseppe Franco, He's so gay, Bobby Brown

FZ meets the Mothers of prevention: politics

I don't even care, One man - one vote, Little beige sambo, Aerobics in bondage, Alien orifice, Yo cats, What's new in Baltimore, Porn wars, H.R. 2911

Jazz from hell: the synclavier #1

Night school, The Beltway bandits, G-spot tornado, Damp ankels, Massagio Galore, The black page (1987)





The final tour and the tape vault (1987-1990)

In 1984 stopped being on the road every year and turned his attention to his huge tape archive with, among others, all the live recordings. He had the habit of permanently changing his compositions, so many alternative versions got available via the massive You can't do that on stage anymore set. It comprises six double CDs, covering his whole career and about all different bands and tours. Guitar is another guitar solo collection from the 1982 and 1984 tours. Still there would be much more releasable material in the vault, as some of the ZFT issues indicate. In 1987 Zappa initiated what turned out to be his final tour. It was done with a large band with a large repertoire. The last leg of the tour had to be cancelled because of conflicts within the band. The financial loss was compensated by releasing most of the set on Broadway, the hard way, The best band you never heard in your life and Make a jazz noise here. Trance-fusion is a third guitar solo CD, with the accent lying on the 1988 tour. Guitar: solo types and mingling of closely related scales

Sexual harassment intro, Republicans, Do not pass go, In-a-gadda-Stravinsky, That's not really reggae, Once again, without the net, Jim and Tammy's upper room, San Antonio, Hotel Atlanta incidentals, That's not really a shuffle, Sunrise redeemer, Orrin hatch on skis, But who was Fulcanelli?, For Duane, GOA, Winos do not march, Swans, what swans?, Too ugly for show business, Systems of edges, Things that look like meat, Canadian customs

You can't do that on stage anymore: live compilations #2

Babette, Ride my face to Chicago, King Kong (1971/82), Shall we take ourselves seriously, Don't you want a man like me? (1976-1988), Thirteen

Broadway the hard way: parodies and conventions

Welcome to the U.S., Any kind of pain, Rhymin' man, Promiscuous, Jezebel boy, What kind of girl?, Jesus thinks you're a jerk

The best band you never heard in your life - Make a jazz noise here: live compilations #3

Heavy duty Judy (1988), The torture never stops - part two, Zomby woof, The black page (new age version), When yuppies go to hell, Let's make the water turn black

Trance-fusion: chromatic notes and quarter-tones

Good Lobna, Butter or cannons, Ask dr. Stupid, Trance-fusion, Diplodocus, Soul polka, After dinner smoker, Light is all that matters, Bavarian sunset





The late works (1991-1993)

In 1991 it was publicly announced that Zappa suffered from incurable prostate cancer. He still lived for three years, being able to compose and yet again come up with new directions for his music. It did something to make up for his early death in 1993. After Jazz from hell Zappa continued working on the synclavier, eventually leading to Civilization phaze III and Dance me this. Both CDs show a mix of composed music and collage pieces, achieved by assembling samples. Wolf Harbor is a fascinating world of industrial sounds and percussion sections. Other synclavier music reached a public via indirect sources, as The Valdez score (radio broadcast) and Uncle Sam (as part of a ZFT release). The cooperation with the Ensemble Modern worked out very well. With The yellow shark, Zappa could release some early and recently written chamber music. Outrage at Valdez and others: documentaries

Outrage at Valdez, The Valdez score, Improvisation in A, Budapest solo, Strat Vindaloo

The yellow shark - EIHN: counterpoint #2

9/8 Objects, What will Rumi do?, T'Mershi Duween, This is a test, Uncle meat (1993), Times beach, Ruth is sleeping, None of the above, Pentagon afternoon, Food gathering in post-industrial America, Exercise #4 (1992)

Civilization phaze III: the synclavier #2

Get whitey, Put a motor in yourself, Reagan at Bitburg, Xmas values, N-lite, I was in a drum, A pig with wings, Hot & putrid, Gross man, Why not?, Beat the reaper, Samba funk, Uncle Sam, Amnerika

Dance me this: the synclavier #3

Dance me this, Pachuco gavotte, Wolf Harbor, Rykoniki, Piano, Calculus





Conclusion