Posted on 10/22/2017 4:00:46 PM PDT by Eddie01
It's soundcheck time at the Capitol Theatre, just north of New York, and Dweezil Zappa is leading his band through the songs of his father, Frank. Dweezil, 46, has been regularly performing his dad's music for a decade, but his current tour is stranger – and more tense – than any before it. Unplugging his guitar, Dweezil looks out at the empty hall. "Sometimes people in the crowd yell things out, so I talk about it onstage," he says. "I feel like people are choosing sides."
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This should be a year for honoring the legacy of Frank Zappa, who died in 1993. A new, acclaimed Zappa documentary, Eat That Question, is in theaters, and a series of deluxe reissues and archival releases just hit shelves. Dweezil's tour features songs from Frank's landmark debut, Freak Out!, released 50 years ago this summer. But instead of celebrating, the four Zappa children are locked in a drama that has bitterly divided a once-close family and exposed its quirks. "I was hoping to keep the fact that we were a Grey Gardens family a secret," says oldest daughter Moon, 48, an actress and novelist. "Oops!"
Last year, Gail Zappa – Frank's widow, who had controlled his estate since his death – was dying of lung cancer, and began to say "weird things," according to Moon. "She said, 'Do you forgive me for what I've done?' I said, 'Sure,'
[snip]
(Excerpt) Read more at rollingstone.com ...
Yup
I found Frank to be a very nice guy. Once he figured out I wasn’t a jerk, we had a blast!
I use one of Frank’s lines all the time: “Do you love it? Do you hate it? There it is, the way you made it.” And the lyrics to “I’m The Slime” are the stone cold truth.
He summed it up in “more trouble everyday”
” And the lyrics to “I’m The Slime” are the stone cold truth.”
I asked Frank how he recorded that voice, but he wouldn’t tell me!
I saw Grace Slick gnawing on a steak in 1996 LOL
It was pitiful :)
“I noticed, too late, my tickets were second row, center.”
Blue Oyster Cult. 3rd row, about middle right.
15% loss in the high frequencies in my right ear.
Those were the days.
L
He had a choice, take it out on the one guy, or the others who sold out the concert? He obviously decided to lash out at everyone. I really liked him and his music, but I lost respect for him because of the way I, a paying customer, was treated.
The way I see it, it was his choice, he had a cool run of playing Detroit the night before Thanksgiving, and that ended it.
Those are lyrics.
What’s the ugliest part of your body
What’s the ugliest part of your body
Some say your nose
Some say your toes
But I think it’s your mind
I guess it was a given that the kids would fight over Frank’s genius.
People are dumb all over and maybe a little ugly on the side,
Night and day, day or night, People we is not wound tight...
Is this the old loft with the paint peelin’ off it
By the Chinese police where the dogs roll by?
Is this where they keep the philostophers now,
With the rugs and the dust, where the books go to die?
How many yez got? Say yet got quite a few,
Just sittin’ around there with nothin’ to do?
Well I just called yez up ‘cause I wanted to see
Could a philosopher be of assistance to me.
My deepest sympathies for Dweezil and Moon. Frank’s music was an important part of my pre-teen and teen years and unlike most of the other music I listened to back then, I still love his work. Dweezil is keeping his father’s music alive, using some of Frank’s old band-mates, and I’m certain Frank would be proud of him. I’ll be buying tickets to see Dweezil next time he comes through.
Zappa, Occams Razor...
They are fighting over vaults of this unreleased stuff
Where can I find music on the radio or in the club today?
My friend Mikey went to roadie with Blondie at CBGBS when they played punk.
Years later Mike “Squeek” was the sound guy for a small time band and I caught him with a microphone stuck in a bucket of water holding the mike with one hand and swooshing the other around in a bucket of water for a synthesizer intro
I was all like hey Squeak this band sucks and do you wanna see your future Grandbabys?
Zappa was smarter than the average bear.
Do you know what you are?
Or, one daughter-in-law can break up a family and cause terrible pain.
Yes. So many ways a family can go wrong. Prayers up for my own kids, may they have a blessed generation of peace and companionship and brotherhood. Cause I won’t know that in this world.
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