Today 78-years ago the greatest musical-innovator of the twentieth-century was born, Frank Zappa.
(°21.12.1940 / + 04.12.1993)
"The Modern Day Composer Refuses To Die"
Frank Zappa made that quote about Edgar Varese, but so many could have made it about Zappa.
Reasons abound as to the importance of this genius, one might be his output, between ‘Freak Out!’ released in June 1966 to his last album ‘The Yellow Shark’ in 1993, Frank Zappa released 102 albums, some live, some studio and live intercut and some out of these were other-worldly instrumental albums made up purely of guitar solos.
A lot of fans were guided to his ‘Hot Rats’ release first, almost totally instrumental apart from the mesmerising ‘Willie the Bimp’ with his old friend Captain Beefheart, their paths were intertwined so much throughout Zappas career, ‘Bongo Fury’ the only proper duet to speak of.
One of the best stories about Frank Zappa surrounds an album that was not released until long after his death,
‘Lather’.
A triple disc set, some had been heard before on ‘Live in New York’ and ‘Waka Jawaka(Hot Rats 2)’ but there is a legend as to why a few years after his death it was finally got released in its original form.
Frank prepared the release of the quadruple set ‘Lather’ by the mid 70s, after setting release dates etc for Halloween 1977.
Warner Brothers, his then label, refused to release it in its Intended state.
Zappa managed to get an agreement with Phonogram to release ‘Lather’ in its original format, and test pressings were made, but of course Warner stepped in and put a claim to the music and so blocked its release.
What Frank did next defines the man, he responded by appearing on the Pasadena, California radio station KROQ, allowing them to broadcast ‘Lather’ over the six sides while all the same time encouraging listeners to make their own tape recordings of the album.
Frank Zappa had the power, not driven by money, greed or chart positions but rather his art and getting it out to his fans regardless of how.
