Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, musician, and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa established himself as a prolific and highly distinctive composer, electric guitar player and band leader. He worked in various different musical genres and wrote music for rock bands, jazz ensembles, synthesizers and symphony orchestra, as well as musique concrète works constructed from pre-recorded, synthesized or sampled sources. In addition to his music recordings, he created feature-length and short films, music videos, and album covers.
Although his major commercial successes, especially within his native United States, were few in number, he maintained a highly productive career that encompassed composing, recording, touring, producing and merchandising his own and others’ music. Zappa self-produced almost every one of the more than sixty albums he released with the Mothers of Invention or as a solo artist. He received multiple Grammy nominations and won for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1988 for the album Jazz from Hell. Zappa was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. In 2005, his 1968 album with the Mothers of Invention, We’re Only in It for the Money, was inducted into the United States National Recording Preservation Board’s National Recording Registry. The same year, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him #71 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2007, his birthplace Baltimore declared August 9 official “Frank Zappa Day” in his honor.
Politically, Zappa was a self-proclaimed “practical conservative.” He was also a strident critic of mainstream education and organized religion. Zappa was a forthright and passionate advocate for freedom of speech and the abolition of censorship, and his work embodied his skeptical view of established political processes and structures. Although many assumed that he used drugs like many musicians of the time, Zappa strongly opposed recreational drug use. Zappa was married to Kathryn J. “Kay” Sherman (1960–1964; no children), and then in 1967 to Adelaide Gail Sloatman, with whom he remained until his death in December 1993 of prostate cancer. They had four children: Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen. Gail Zappa handles the businesses of her late husband under the company name the Zappa Family Trust.
Bobby Brown (Goes Down)
This song comes from Zappa’s mostly live album, Sheik Yerbouti, which was one of his humorous and satirical efforts that not only pokes fun at certain people or music genres, but also poked fun at certain groups.
Hey there, people, I’m Bobby Brown
They say I’m the cutest boy in town
My car is fast, my teeth is shiney
I tell all the girls they can kiss my heinie
Here I am at a famous school
I’m dressin’ sharp and I’m actin’ cool
I got a cheerleader here wants to help with my paper
I’ll let her do all the work ‘n’ maybe later I’ll rape herOh God I am the American dream
I do not think I’m too extreme
An’ I’m a handsome sonofabitch
I’m gonna get a good job ‘n’ be real rich
Get a good, get a good, get a good, get a good job…Women’s Liberation
Came creepin’ all across the nation
I tell you people, I was not ready
When I fucked this dyke by the name of Freddie
She made a little speech then,
Aw, she tried to make me say when
She had my balls in a vice, but she left my dick
I guess it’s still hooked on, but now it shoots too quickOh God I am the American dream,
But now I smell like Vaseline
An’ I’m a miserable sonofabitch
Am I a boy or a lady…I don’t know which
I wonder…wonder…wonder…wonder…So I went out ‘n’ bought me a leisure suit
I jingle my change, but I’m still kinda cute
Got a job doin’ radio promo
An’ none of the jocks can even tell I’m a homo
Eventually me ‘n’ a friend
Sorta drifted along into S&M
I can take about an hour on the tower of power
‘Long as I gets a little golden showerOh God I am the American Dream
With a spindle up my butt till it makes me scream
An’ I’ll do anything to get ahead
I lay awake nights saying “Thank you Fred”
Oh God, Oh God, I’m so fantastic!
Thanks to Freddie, I’m a sexual spastic
And my name is Bobby Brown
Watch me now, I’m going downAnd my name is Bobby Brown
Watch me now, I’m going down
And my name is Bobby Brown
Watch me now, I’m going down
And my name is Bobby Brown
Watch me now, I’m going downI knew you’d be surprised…
July 14th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Genius Deej. Shame he died.