Frank Zappa and His Influence on 20 th Century Music

1. Frank Zappa and His Influence on20th Century Music By Andrew Dalrymple IT 2010, Georgia State University April 6th, 2013

2. Introduction • What do most people think of when they hear the name Frank Zappa? • Who is he? • Musician, composer, producer, indie record label owner, and a lover of politics • His career and accomplishments • Leader of The Mothers of Invention • Eccentric solo music career

3. Early Life and Influences • Childhood and lifestyle • Dislike of public school and culture surrounding him • First bands • Musical influence • Classical music, R&B, and all things blues • Effect of lifestyle on music and future career “The things that were happening in 1955 were cosmic ... in terms of music history.” (1969 Interview with Pop Chronicles)

4. So Begins His Music • Early jobs writing soundtracks for films • Side work playing in local bands • He became the guitarist for The Soul Giants. • Founding of The Mothers • Insistence on making original music instead of covers • Live stage performances that used very unconventional and eccentric methods • Freak Out, 1966, being the first concept album and using derogatory lyrics on societal values • We’re Only In It For The Money, 1968, and satire being placed in popular music “On a personal level, Freaking Out is a process whereby an individual casts off outmoded and restricting standards of thinking, dress, and social etiquette in order to express creatively his relationship to his immediate environment and the social structure as a whole” (Linear Notes on Freak Out!)

5. End of The Mothers and Beginning of Going Solo • First solo works and disbanding The Mothers • Disbanded The Mothers in late 1969 • Lumpy Gravy, 1967, recorded with a full orchestra • Hot Rats, 1969, one of the first jazz-rock fusion recordings and his debut as a prominent guitarist • The highest standards • He only admitted musicians with the best skill • Practices lasted for 5-6 hours per day and he was continuously writing new music

6. Solo Career Cont. • He was a producer too! • Captain Beefheart and the making of Trout Mask Replica, 1969. • Working with Alice Cooper, the GTOs, Wild Man Fischer

7. Further Work and His Delve Into Politics • His later albums continued to bring innovative ideas and create even more controversy to audiences • Joe’s Garage, 1980, and the xenochrony technique • Conflict with Jewish Princess and Christian-satirizing material • The synclavier, a computer making music • 1980’s and his new role as a political figure • Testified to Congress in 1984 about near censorship of lyrics in music • Further delving into political discussion and encouraging audiences to go vote.

8. Finale and What To Learn From Him • Artists influenced: Weird Al, Phish, Radiohead, Black Sabbath, and even the Beatles! • His refusal to compromise as inspiration of self-identity • The importance of always trying new techniques • “If a person wants to write music and lyrics, he has a perfect right to express his views on a certain subject. I would feel wrong if I were to express anything that I didn’t believe in. I write what I like to write.”