He always claimed that he didn’t do acid. Many found that hard to believe because of his bizarre lyrics and compelling music. It’s possible. I have met some people who you’d swear were high as a kite, or wound up on speed, but no, that was simply their nature. Some people approach life with a great intensity.
Many of us have that bristling intensity trained out of us while trying to pass tests in school or while trying to keep a job. I’m guilty of that. Over-civilized. Some folks never lose that ‘Zippety-Do-Dah!’ excitement about certain areas of their lives. I try to stay open minded and able to learn from those people, not always keep life simpler by avoiding or ignoring them.
Frank was brilliant but a bit out of touch. I have spoken to Mike Keneally (who backed FZ in 1988) and he said Frank liked the idea of covering Stairway to Heaven (which he did that tour) but FZ wanted to improvise the solo...he had no idea that Page’s guitar solo was legendary. In the end Mike convinced him it’d be better if the horn section did a note-for-note cover of the solo, and Frank went with it. That was Frank...a lover of Varese and Stravinsky but no clue that people would scream bloody murder if the guitar solo to Stairway was replaced with some improv.