Frank Zappa seems like a cooler
guy as he grows. From the late 60s to the late 70s, he seems more focused on
creation than ever before and more open to new ways of expression available and
a need to be taken more seriously as an all-around artist. This shift in
emphasis shows a more mature and assertive personality than his younger self, and
one that seems to usher in the most creatively prolific stage of his career so
far.
The one thing that struck me in
Zappa’s evolution as a composer at this stage is his complete disassociation with
the type of music one would link with the stereotypical image of Zappa. Indeed,
if anything his compositions now seem more orchestral, more grandiose than the psychedelic
rock frontman of before. Watching some of the video performances in March 23rd’s
class was a shocker, in some ways – the music had a feeling of jazz most of the
time, and even what some would classify as funk. Hell, the song ‘Inca Roads’
sounded practically like Earth, Wind and Fire to me, with pretty prominent
clarinet playing and a strong, groovy and complex bass line. This may be due to
Frank Zappa’s constantly evolving maturity as a songwriter, I guess. This is
him in his mid-30s stage of his life, after all, and that pure rebelliousness
nature must inevitably get dulled after some time. While his past work was
always complex and elaborate, it always did have that raw, rock-and-roll
quality that seems to be much less present in this type of material. Another
factor to this transition in Zappa’s life may be the fact that he seemed to be
more preoccupied with composing at this stage than ever, and the advancement of
technology of that era almost permitted him to do so obsessively. No longer did
he need to rely on expensive studio time, he was now permitted acquire more
advanced recording equipment for himself, making it possible to do way more
creatively in the comfort of his own home. To top it off, Zappa was more
comfortable financially at this stage in his career that this permitted him to
be more liberal with his time as well, giving him the opportunity to immerse
himself in more left-field endeavours if he felt the need to (such as the
stop-motion projects with Bruce Bickford). This seemed to suggest to me that
Zappa was less reliant on live performances as before, and grown detached to the
idea of being a leader to the countercultural movement he held in high esteem
during his younger years. As Zappa grew with age, it seemed like his need to
feed his ego with adoring praise on stage was becoming less and less important to
him and seemed to want to focus his attention on what garnered him the most
worldwide praise: composing and writing music. This evolution as a composer is
reflected strongly in his evolution as a performer, as well: like the aforementioned
work with Bickford, he seemed more willing than ever to let others take over
major duties. In fact, the 1970’s seemed to be the era when Zappa relinquished
singing duties to others he deemed more talented than him. He definitely seemed in a more sharing and
open mood at this stage of his life, even mentoring younger musicians and being
more open to ideas from those around him. This gives the image of a more serene
Zappa than ever, focused on his craft and more creatively open than ever
before. He seemed easier to work with as well, and working under his wing
seemed less like a nightmare to those around him, especially with his band from
the mid to late 70’s, a stark contrast from the dictatorial image satirized in
200 Motels.
While his urge to shock seemed
less present in this later stage of his career, Frank Zappa’s outspoken
personality seemed never to have slowed down. He simply seemed more organized
in how he did so. His appearances in the media seemed to display a calmer and
more mature Zappa, and his opinions seemed to be taken more seriously as well.
His focus seemed more now on the message delivered in his works and
composition. His move away from the stage and more in the studio may be linked
to his previous negative experiences on stage, such as the catastrophic London
show. Different ways to express his message seemed to have evolved, as well.
His foray into cinema with 200 Motels is just one example. Animation seemed to
be another that he seemed willing to experiment with: the aforementioned work
with Bickford being one example, and the trippy ‘Dental Hygiene’ must not be
overlooked either. One of my favorite surprised from Zappa during this era is
his appearance on the Monkees TV program – I used to love that show as a kid,
watching the reruns obsessively, and always felt they never got the praise they
deserved. The fact that Zappa saw over all the boy-band negative connotations
and respected them for their talents was awesome to see. His problems with
record labels may have been a factor in this shift as well, making Zappa more
aware of the importance of being in control of what happens behind the stage
than ever before. This was a wise move on his part, as he was now more and more
a lucrative asset in the eyes of music executives. While still nothing of a
top-selling artist such as some of his music counterparts, he seemed more and
more respected as a songwriter and his following was growing rabidly loyal.
Creative freedom was something Zappa always held in high esteem and this seemed
to prove problematic at some times. It must have been pretty hard on him, being
so musically compulsive, to be so held down with legal issues that he was
unable to release any new material whatsoever in 1977, the only year in his
career to do so.
This evolution displayed in Zappa
is an interesting one, and leaves me curious to see what is held in store for
his future. With the 80s approaching, an era of excess and flashy over-abundance,
as well as a musical shift to all things technological and computerized, who
knows what’s coming up.
