Zappa.com

Yep high-five. I feel like I have a spiel, but yer close enough to my opinion for me to refrain.

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Don't Be Stupid Unless You Want To

Great to hear! For a second there, I was about to high-five myself.

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ONE NATION UNDER SOCIALISM



Because of Obamination's spending & socialist BS, America and much of the world will endure one of the worst depressions in history in 5...4...3...2...

I turned off my RVI and read this story (no idea why that was blocked), and I am not getting that heavy arrogance thing, I definitely hear confidence though. One thing you may not realize is when you are really good at something or taking something to a different level, you have to have extreme confidence and this is sometimes construed as arrogance.

When myself and others were bringing Skateboarding into the modern age during the 70’s, we new we were innovating, we new we were the best, and we were not afraid to tell people. Were we arrogant, people probably thought so, but when you are doing something at a whole new level and skating included risking our lives, you better be pretty dam confident of yourself.

We used to use the old Walter Brennan line from the “The Guns of Will Sonnett” “No brag, just fact”…that’s what I'm feeling from Frank in this interview, he’s the best and maybe only and no one can touch him, and if he doesn’t have that attitude maybe he doesn’t do what he did.

AFAIK Zappa never did anything for purely altruistic reasons...He expected to get paid for what he did. It didn't mean he didn't enjoy what he was doing, but he expected (quite rightly) a pay check. Why he thought his band members should be any different I don't know... Why he seems to express disdain for his, ahem, employees I am not sure. Real double standard.

I think we would have to hear the tape of the interview to deduce the voice level of inflection to say that, I am just not getting that while reading it, I am getting a more matter of fact kind of sense when I read it...

For the record, I think some people are just way too touchy when it comes to defending FZ. My comment above wasn't from shock - like I didn't know already the guy could be quite arrogant? He was just a human being, he was no saint. I had and still maintain a lot of respect for the man, but he was far from perfect. A lot of his social commentary was brilliant, some of his political opinions stank, he was quite a word smith and could have put spin or shed light, however he chose, on anything he wanted to, and he could be quite the hypocrite. But, on balance he was a remarkable human being.

My main reason for continuing to be interested in him is as a composer. I still get value out of some of his non musical contributions, but his music is where it's at.

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The way I see it Barry, this should be a very dynamite show.

Indeed.

This may come as a surpise to the forum, but like many of you I too have willfully exposed myself to many many many FZ interviews, shocking as that sounds. On the whole and without "hearing" the interview, this one didn't look too bad. The Jurno's lucky FZ didn't quiz the hell outta him, he seemed quite unprepared. How do you run out of questions for frogs sake.

PS I doubt many of todays evolved adult "you know who you are" forumers view FZ through a pair of trendy rose tinted raybans.

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Thanks for the music Frank.

Well I'm about to get sick from watching my TV

I was wondering the same thing he gave up so quick, I think if he would have worked harder he could have gotten longer more in depth answerer, or maybe Frank was sick or something and just wanted to get it over with. But the guy ultimately gave up way to fast.

Warning: FZ was a mother, no doubt. Now, that I am superior attitude, that I hate a lot attitude, that nobody relates in a non-financial way to music (to him) - paranoia - and the general cynical attitude could lead to patterns of organic stress that could correlate causally with cancer and other fatal diseases (heart attacks, for instance)... Don't get me wrong, not all cancers are caused because of being an asshole, but it helps (in my book)... [open umbrella and awaits a shit rain...]

BTW, thanks Plook for turning off your bold mode. I am actually pretty much ignoring it, for it makes my already tired eyes, uh well, tired...

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The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true Art and Science. - Albert Einstein

There seems to be a sizeable group of people who consider the word "arrogant" to be appropriate here. I don't agree. Arrogant implies that FZ is insolent or rude when its not the case. So, I thought I'd look at the places in the interview that might result in a claim of arrogance..

Disrespect to journalists. Over the years, I've heard a few people say that FZ was too hard on journalists, but never to the point of arrogance. Just some people who think along the lines of there being a few good journalists out there.

Audiences come and go. Did we really expect FZ to whine about the fickleness of fans? If anything one might expect him to be upset by this, but his remarks are passe.

I just do what I do. Its not arrogant for an artist to make music that pleases himself without concern for historical opinion. One might even argue that art made to please the consumer isn't art anymore, but product.

Wild Man Fischer. I do feel like he sidestepped GP's question, but it is in reference to his own house and family, so I'm cutting slack on that one.

What percentage of the fans do you think appreciate what you do in the way that you intend it? I suspect that this is a question that makes people think the interview is arrogant. To me, it brings to mind the quotes about CC. I don't have the quote at my fingertips, but FZ was asked how people could understand all the inside jokes and references and he responded that he was the only one who could do that because he's the only one who lived his life.

Do you think any of the musicians on the albums appreciate it in the way that you intend it?
While this one sounds incredulous, in that we KNOW that many of the musicians literally created much of the CC, I think it ultimately gets back to the previous question of the totality being a lifetime that only FZ has access to.

Musicians only do it cuz their paid. I think this relates to FZ being The Boss. He knows that they won't do it if they are not paid, so therefore it is the critical element.

Do you never bump into people anymore who you feel empathy with ... who would help the overall view of the music? 2 answers. 1 - FZ is the artist in the music of FZ, so can someone else help him with his art? Of course not, its his! 2 - FZ was well known for seeing the innate talents of people and making that uniqueness shine. I think he felt empathy with many musicians that helped. But, the word "overall" is what I have to think FZ focused on and to that effect, the true answer is no.

Do you feel you're not talking to people who're on the same intellectual level as yourself?
A video sure would help here. Is he giving him a look that says "I'm talking about you, you idiot?" Because, without that, I have to say that this is no different that the above disrespect to journalists. Would the question even exist if this took place AFTER Packard Goose?

Do you ever meet people who you can communicate with on what you would see as an equal basis? OK, not about journalists, but other than that its the 200 Motels lifestyle, he didn't go town-to-town meeting geniuses, so what? Should he lie and say "Ultimately, we're all the same so lets hold hands". But, he doesn't go on and say that he sees himself as being better due to this. He just answers the question unadorned.

Do you care?
An incomplete question and another case where video would help.

Would you put yourself at the top of your own poll? Who else has ever been in the same category as FZ? The interviewer didn't go on and ask "as a guitarist" or "as a composer" etc.. For myself, I'm not sure who else would be in that poll.

I love the idea of people more than particular people. I really feel sorry for the stuff they have to go through. I have those kind of feelings. Personally, I think that going around saying "I love everyone" is fake. He did express empathy which is sort of the opposite of arrogant.

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Don't Be Stupid Unless You Want To

A side of me says that yes, he is arrogant.

The other side of me says that the rock press is worse, and above all, it is as vain and smelly as shit! And on top of it, a lot of people play stupid and then agree with some of the amazing wording that says ... nothing. And the problem? ... not enough people are educated enough to know ... the difference, and when I say this I'm not putting you down, or anyone else!

The other part is that Frank was also an actor, and I think he needed someone to call his bluff once in a while, to set him straight, but most people were not strong enough, or well defnined enough to be able to do so with Frank and talk ... serious music ... instead of favorite song and some more crap about this person or that person ... for which you and I would also be annoyed ... you want to talk to me about me and you are asking about others! ... what an interview!

I posted here before a link for the one bit on Guy Guden's blog with Frank ... and the same thing is in there ... the two sides. The star and the other one is the true musician.

But how can I talk to you about music, when you only know the songs you like, not the music or the work itself? And you calling me arrogant?

I have the same issue with the ProgArchives folks, some of which consider themselves the caretakers of the word "progressive" and then the choices and definitions are ... bizarre ... have no connection at all to the work and its time and place, or what the music stood for ... and you know what it's like? ... a bunch of stoned mother fuckers that never grew up and learned nothing from Jimi playing the anthem in front of garbage ... we're too damn fucked up to give a shit! KC is progressive, but Robert Fripp is not ... and he is by far more experimental than that band ever was! Go figure!

One last thing, about intelligence ... what should have been the single greatest image to help us come to grips with who we were, instead got buried, forgotten, and ... fucked up ... and ignored. And guess what? ... we're still to fucking ripped to know the difference! And Frank's fight has not died ... his son is not Frank and he doesn't have the constitution to continue it ... and he has the wrong people around him worshipping the rock god, instead of concentrating on the music. Or worse ... we're the "greed is good" generation still thinking that top ten is awesome and great! We still believe in Harry Potter!

And in the end ... nothing is clearer than ... we're in it for the money!

Does it matter?

And you still think it's arrogant?

Yes FZ could be arrogant take what he said knebworth house.also he said RJ write articles about about things they don't know about read by people who can't read.and he said opinions are like assholes they stink.

You either take it with a salt pinch or believe your a idiot.

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Arf you out of your fucking mind.

Moshkito relax man, life is short, top 10 is fun, DZ is a great show, Frank was awesome, you have to be confident if your good...Progressive messive, its all good. You all sometimes sound like your pissed at the world, go with the flow just don't drink the water, stay thirsty my friend...

I've answered that already, I think you should read my follow up post above.

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The way I see it Barry, this should be a very dynamite show.

Here's a fabulous shot of Frank with the proofs for the cover of Läther during a radio broadcast in 1977 --

http://www.myspace.com/djjimmer/photos/38496460#


And here's a nice photoshop job on based on the Joe's Garage cover, showing what it could have looked like --



http://s3.excoboard.com/exco/archive.php?ac=t&forumid=29211&date=07-08-2011&t=775853-11


But do you know if there's a color original for those photocopies, slimey?

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We make a special art in an environment hostile to dreamers. Frank Zappa, 1971