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00:00:11,846 --> 00:00:12,930
MAN: How does
this camera look?
2
00:00:12,930 --> 00:00:14,390
Is it nice?
3
00:00:14,390 --> 00:00:16,767
Okay, how about this?
4
00:00:16,767 --> 00:00:20,020
How about saying,
"Hi, this is Frank Zappa.
5
00:00:20,020 --> 00:00:22,815
"I guess... I... I guess you
don't have anything better
6
00:00:22,815 --> 00:00:24,150
"to do tonight, huh?"
7
00:00:24,150 --> 00:00:26,026
I mean, assuming that
they've flicked on the set
8
00:00:26,026 --> 00:00:27,112
and they're sitting there,
absorbing the rays.
9
00:00:27,112 --> 00:00:29,238
Mmm-hmm.
10
00:00:29,238 --> 00:00:32,825
MAN: "Well,
you might as well sit back
and watch Take Off, then."
11
00:00:32,825 --> 00:00:34,201
All of that?
12
00:00:34,201 --> 00:00:36,120
MAN: Yeah.
13
00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:37,955
Oh, you don't have to say
the stuff about the rays.
14
00:00:37,955 --> 00:00:39,290
That's parenthetical.
15
00:00:39,290 --> 00:00:40,207
(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)
16
00:00:43,711 --> 00:00:45,296
Say it again?
(WOMAN LAUGHS)
17
00:00:46,213 --> 00:00:48,090
MAN: Um...
18
00:00:48,090 --> 00:00:50,218
Something like,
"Hi, this is Frank Zappa.
19
00:00:50,218 --> 00:00:52,761
"I guess you don't have
anything better to
do tonight, huh?"
20
00:00:52,761 --> 00:00:53,888
Yeah. Ready?
21
00:00:55,764 --> 00:00:57,100
Hi.
22
00:00:57,100 --> 00:00:59,143
This is Frank Zappa.
23
00:00:59,143 --> 00:01:02,646
I guess you
don't have anything
better to do tonight, huh?
24
00:01:02,646 --> 00:01:05,065
That's why you're
watching Take Off.
25
00:01:05,065 --> 00:01:05,858
Huh?
26
00:01:06,734 --> 00:01:08,527
Nothing better to do, huh?
27
00:01:08,527 --> 00:01:10,696
(ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)
28
00:01:10,696 --> 00:01:12,531
Hello, we're
talking with Frank Zappa,
29
00:01:12,531 --> 00:01:16,119
a musician, filmmaker,
an independent thinker,
30
00:01:16,119 --> 00:01:17,703
and a personal
favorite of mine,
31
00:01:17,703 --> 00:01:20,456
who's been in rock music
for almost two decades.
32
00:01:20,456 --> 00:01:22,917
♪ Well, I'm about to get sick
33
00:01:22,917 --> 00:01:25,211
♪ From watching my TV
34
00:01:25,211 --> 00:01:29,257
♪ Been checking out the news
Until my eyeballs
fail to see...
35
00:01:29,257 --> 00:01:32,593
Zappa is the leader of
perhaps the roughest and
farthest-out group
36
00:01:32,593 --> 00:01:35,387
in the scene today,
the Mothers of Invention.
37
00:01:35,387 --> 00:01:37,264
♪ Is anybody's guess... ♪
38
00:01:37,264 --> 00:01:38,891
And ever since 1967,
39
00:01:38,891 --> 00:01:41,560
he has left an explosive
trail of music
40
00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:43,896
that has had one
constant throughout:
41
00:01:43,896 --> 00:01:45,272
biting social commentary.
42
00:01:45,272 --> 00:01:47,066
You're being
victimized right now.
43
00:01:47,066 --> 00:01:48,609
Do you know it?
44
00:01:48,609 --> 00:01:50,444
♪ That trouble
coming every day
45
00:01:50,444 --> 00:01:53,656
♪ No way to delay that trouble
Coming every day... ♪
46
00:01:53,656 --> 00:01:54,949
You have
a classical background.
47
00:01:54,949 --> 00:01:56,367
That intrigues me.
Are you doing...
48
00:01:56,367 --> 00:01:59,162
Not really.
I'm just... You know?
49
00:01:59,162 --> 00:02:00,287
MAN: Frank Zappa
is one of the most
50
00:02:00,287 --> 00:02:03,749
controversial modern composers
and musicians.
51
00:02:03,749 --> 00:02:06,294
WOMAN: Zappa is perhaps
most famous for a style
52
00:02:06,294 --> 00:02:09,713
of musical satire
involving
lavatorial expletives
53
00:02:09,713 --> 00:02:11,715
and outrageous happenings.
54
00:02:11,715 --> 00:02:13,301
Those are
the same people who say,
55
00:02:13,301 --> 00:02:15,761
"Yeah, he eats shit on stage
and steps on baby chickens."
56
00:02:15,761 --> 00:02:19,223
MAN: The distorted
mirror through which
we experience ourselves
57
00:02:19,223 --> 00:02:21,767
and the neurotic, perverted
society that man has created.
58
00:02:21,767 --> 00:02:23,228
♪ On his street
would take a turn... ♪
59
00:02:23,228 --> 00:02:25,396
WOMAN: The guy who
sat on the toilet seat,
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00:02:25,396 --> 00:02:27,773
some kind of hairy
monster from the '60s.
61
00:02:27,773 --> 00:02:30,943
Well, let's face it,
I sit on a toilet seat,
and so do you.
62
00:02:30,943 --> 00:02:33,279
The only problem is that
somebody took my
picture while I was there.
63
00:02:33,279 --> 00:02:35,406
♪ Every time I hear 'em
64
00:02:35,406 --> 00:02:37,408
♪ Sayin' that
there's no way to delay
65
00:02:37,408 --> 00:02:38,492
♪ That trouble
comin' every day... ♪
66
00:02:38,492 --> 00:02:40,160
Zappa is irreverent.
67
00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:42,621
Some people think he
is downright offensive.
68
00:02:42,621 --> 00:02:44,623
What about this suggestion?
69
00:02:44,623 --> 00:02:47,042
But I guarantee you this,
he absolutely
will not bore you
70
00:02:47,042 --> 00:02:48,378
and he very well
may surprise you.
71
00:02:48,378 --> 00:02:50,296
Well, hello.
72
00:02:50,296 --> 00:02:51,630
Fuck the union.
73
00:02:51,630 --> 00:02:53,549
Well, what does it all
add up to?
74
00:02:53,549 --> 00:02:56,386
What is Frank Zappa about?
75
00:02:56,386 --> 00:02:59,805
Well, I don't think that
anybody has ever seen
the real Frank Zappa,
76
00:02:59,805 --> 00:03:02,850
because being
interviewed is one of
the most abnormal things
77
00:03:02,850 --> 00:03:04,810
that you can do
to somebody else.
78
00:03:04,810 --> 00:03:06,979
It's two steps removed
from the Inquisition.
79
00:03:08,230 --> 00:03:09,773
(MUSICAL STATIC CRACKLING)
80
00:03:14,362 --> 00:03:15,571
FEMALE INTERVIEWER:
All right.
Oh, are you rolling?
81
00:03:15,571 --> 00:03:17,323
MAN 1:
Uh, yep.
MAN 2: What?
82
00:03:17,323 --> 00:03:20,117
You okay?
We can start? Okay.
83
00:03:20,117 --> 00:03:22,745
It seems that,
uh, the business thing
84
00:03:22,745 --> 00:03:25,414
is usually the thing that
drags most artists down,
85
00:03:25,414 --> 00:03:27,292
but I hear you're
quite a great businessman.
86
00:03:27,292 --> 00:03:30,044
Well, how have you managed
to survive so long?
87
00:03:30,044 --> 00:03:32,546
Well, it is just a matter...
It's a matter of survival
88
00:03:32,546 --> 00:03:36,342
more than, uh...
Um, success.
89
00:03:36,342 --> 00:03:39,345
I have survived for 17 years.
90
00:03:39,345 --> 00:03:41,889
Successfully? Survived?
91
00:03:41,889 --> 00:03:43,349
I'm still in the business,
that's something.
92
00:03:43,349 --> 00:03:45,393
Are you happy?
93
00:03:45,393 --> 00:03:46,769
Oh, sure.
I love what I'm doing.
94
00:03:46,769 --> 00:03:49,104
I have the best
job in the world.
95
00:03:49,104 --> 00:03:52,232
If you had to define your job,
how would you define it?
96
00:03:52,232 --> 00:03:53,984
Uh, I'm an entertainer.
97
00:03:53,984 --> 00:03:55,320
(INTERVIEWER LAUGHS)
98
00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:56,445
Pure and simple.
99
00:03:56,445 --> 00:03:58,238
Right.
Mmm-hmm.
100
00:03:58,238 --> 00:04:00,240
Do you think
the kind of entertainment
101
00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:02,034
that people are
craving now is much different
102
00:04:02,034 --> 00:04:04,412
than it was when
you first emerged?
103
00:04:04,412 --> 00:04:06,538
No. I don't think so.
104
00:04:06,538 --> 00:04:09,208
There's several
different kinds of people
who listen to what we do.
105
00:04:09,208 --> 00:04:10,501
You can't please 'em all.
106
00:04:10,501 --> 00:04:14,338
I mean,
there are some people that
only like the earliest albums,
107
00:04:14,338 --> 00:04:16,382
and they think
they're really true fans,
108
00:04:16,382 --> 00:04:18,509
but actually they're
just fucked, you know?
109
00:04:18,509 --> 00:04:20,594
They're just these
snotty little people
110
00:04:20,594 --> 00:04:22,846
who don't really
understand what's going on.
111
00:04:22,846 --> 00:04:25,307
These are the people
who know everything they know
112
00:04:25,307 --> 00:04:27,142
about me from
Rolling Stone magazine.
113
00:04:27,142 --> 00:04:29,812
People just crave
those early albums
114
00:04:29,812 --> 00:04:31,563
and don't know anything about
what we're doing today.
115
00:04:31,563 --> 00:04:33,816
Does that upset you?
Obviously, it's...
116
00:04:33,816 --> 00:04:37,695
Well, I hate to see
anybody with a closed
mind on any topic.
117
00:04:37,695 --> 00:04:41,323
So, I just feel sorry
that they're missing
out on a lot of good stuff
118
00:04:41,323 --> 00:04:43,659
that's happened since 1967.
119
00:04:43,659 --> 00:04:45,077
(DISCORDANT NOTES
AND RHYTHMS PLAYING)
120
00:04:45,077 --> 00:04:47,913
ZAPPA:
Your mothers and fathers
are all drinking beer...
121
00:04:48,455 --> 00:04:51,041
Watching...
122
00:04:51,041 --> 00:04:53,752
They're watching Roller Derby,
and then they
change the channel.
123
00:04:57,005 --> 00:04:59,675
And then they see
you guys on the floor,
124
00:04:59,675 --> 00:05:01,885
and they say, "Oh, boy,
they're really sick."
125
00:05:04,847 --> 00:05:09,435
I think I might be calling you
something that most of
America wouldn't call you.
126
00:05:09,435 --> 00:05:11,395
They'd look upon
you as an exploiter.
127
00:05:11,395 --> 00:05:13,272
Why an exploiter?
128
00:05:13,272 --> 00:05:17,360
An exploiter of a...
Of a... Of a revolution...
129
00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:19,319
Someone hoping to
sell tickets to a concert
130
00:05:19,319 --> 00:05:21,989
on the basis of
a social revolution.
131
00:05:21,989 --> 00:05:24,742
Did we ever advertise
that we were going to
promote a revolution,
132
00:05:24,742 --> 00:05:27,745
display a revolution,
discuss a revolution,
133
00:05:27,745 --> 00:05:31,123
or have anything
to do with a revolution
at a concert?
134
00:05:31,123 --> 00:05:33,167
In many ways,
you epitomize the revolution.
135
00:05:33,167 --> 00:05:34,877
Well, that has
nothing to do with the means
136
00:05:34,877 --> 00:05:37,171
by which we
advertise a concert.
137
00:05:37,171 --> 00:05:39,339
We advertise that
we're coming there to play.
138
00:05:39,339 --> 00:05:40,841
The word gets around.
139
00:05:40,841 --> 00:05:42,676
(ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)
140
00:05:50,434 --> 00:05:51,810
♪ Plastic people
141
00:05:55,398 --> 00:05:58,317
♪ You gotta go
142
00:05:58,317 --> 00:06:00,528
♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah
143
00:06:00,528 --> 00:06:01,779
♪ Plastic people
144
00:06:05,575 --> 00:06:06,617
♪ You gotta go... ♪
145
00:06:10,329 --> 00:06:11,539
(MUSIC STOPS)
146
00:06:11,539 --> 00:06:14,541
Hey, that sounds like shit.
147
00:06:14,541 --> 00:06:17,419
Frank, a few questions
that we'd like to
ask you this evening
148
00:06:17,419 --> 00:06:21,465
come from high
school students, uh,
in southeast Pennsylvania.
149
00:06:21,465 --> 00:06:24,218
And the first question
that we'd like to ask you is,
150
00:06:24,218 --> 00:06:26,553
uh, how did you start out
in the music business,
151
00:06:26,553 --> 00:06:28,806
and how old were you
when you first got started?
152
00:06:28,806 --> 00:06:31,559
Well, the first time I ever
got paid for playing music
153
00:06:31,559 --> 00:06:33,519
was when I was 15.
154
00:06:33,519 --> 00:06:36,271
And I started
off as a drummer,
155
00:06:36,271 --> 00:06:40,234
and before I
actually had a drum set,
I used to play, um...
156
00:06:40,234 --> 00:06:42,445
I was rehearsing with
this rhythm and blues band.
157
00:06:42,445 --> 00:06:44,738
We used to rehearse over
at this preacher's house,
158
00:06:44,738 --> 00:06:47,533
and since I didn't
have any drums at all,
159
00:06:47,533 --> 00:06:50,911
uh, I had to borrow two pots
from the kitchen,
160
00:06:50,911 --> 00:06:53,205
and I used to put them
between my legs, like bongos,
161
00:06:53,205 --> 00:06:54,456
and play on them
with the drumsticks,
162
00:06:54,456 --> 00:06:56,458
and that's how I started off.
163
00:06:56,458 --> 00:06:58,001
FEMALE INTERVIEWER:
I was reading about
the first time you ever
164
00:06:58,001 --> 00:07:00,588
composed a piece of music.
165
00:07:00,588 --> 00:07:03,173
And I don't know if it was
really a piece of music,
166
00:07:03,173 --> 00:07:06,260
but you actually
went and you ruled out
the way it should look,
167
00:07:06,260 --> 00:07:08,428
and you started drawing
the notes on the page...
168
00:07:08,428 --> 00:07:11,223
Mmm-hmm.
That was a pretty great story.
169
00:07:11,223 --> 00:07:13,517
Well...
What inspired you to do that?
170
00:07:13,517 --> 00:07:15,727
I always thought music
looked nice on paper,
171
00:07:15,727 --> 00:07:18,397
and since I had
a kind of interest in art
172
00:07:18,397 --> 00:07:20,858
when I was a kid,
I could draw pretty good.
173
00:07:20,858 --> 00:07:23,528
I used to draw dollar bills
and things like that.
174
00:07:23,528 --> 00:07:25,529
They were the wrong color,
so I couldn't pass 'em,
175
00:07:25,529 --> 00:07:27,865
'cause all I had was
pencils and white paper.
176
00:07:27,865 --> 00:07:29,741
You know, I couldn't
get the green right.
177
00:07:29,741 --> 00:07:31,661
But, uh...
(LAUGHS)
178
00:07:31,661 --> 00:07:34,621
I figured, well,
if I could just draw those
things on the paper,
179
00:07:34,621 --> 00:07:35,998
then you hand
it to a musician,
180
00:07:35,998 --> 00:07:37,833
and a musician
knows how to read it,
181
00:07:37,833 --> 00:07:39,167
and then he can play it,
so that's what I did.
182
00:07:39,167 --> 00:07:40,752
And then I
started drawing music.
183
00:07:40,752 --> 00:07:43,005
I hadn't the faintest idea
what it sounded like.
184
00:07:43,005 --> 00:07:45,841
(LAUGHS) So the music came
before the lyrics.
185
00:07:45,841 --> 00:07:48,468
Oh, yeah. I didn't
write a rock-and-roll song
186
00:07:48,468 --> 00:07:51,179
until I was about
21 or 22 years old.
187
00:07:51,179 --> 00:07:53,223
Or any song with
any lyrics to it.
188
00:07:53,223 --> 00:07:55,851
And prior to that time,
the only thing
that I was writing
189
00:07:55,851 --> 00:07:57,436
was chamber music
and orchestra music.
190
00:07:57,436 --> 00:07:58,937
I started when I was 14.
191
00:07:58,937 --> 00:07:59,855
STEVE ALLEN:
You play a bicycle?
192
00:07:59,855 --> 00:08:01,565
I... Yeah.
193
00:08:01,565 --> 00:08:03,609
Are you in
the musician's union?
194
00:08:03,609 --> 00:08:05,485
Uh, no.
195
00:08:05,485 --> 00:08:06,737
Do you play any
other musical instrument?
196
00:08:06,737 --> 00:08:07,738
Anything more
conventional, perhaps.
197
00:08:07,738 --> 00:08:10,616
Guitar, vibes,
bass and drums.
198
00:08:10,616 --> 00:08:12,618
How long have you
been playing bike,
uh, Frank?
199
00:08:12,618 --> 00:08:13,911
(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
200
00:08:15,370 --> 00:08:16,747
About two weeks.
201
00:08:16,747 --> 00:08:18,332
(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
202
00:08:20,792 --> 00:08:23,211
He probably was selling
insurance or something,
203
00:08:23,211 --> 00:08:24,796
and he thought,
"What's something real jerky
204
00:08:24,796 --> 00:08:27,215
"that'll get me on
The Steve Allen Show?"
205
00:08:27,215 --> 00:08:28,634
Playing bicycle.
What could be
sillier than that?
206
00:08:28,634 --> 00:08:30,093
And he did it,
and here we are.
207
00:08:30,093 --> 00:08:31,637
That's probably
how it happened.
208
00:08:31,637 --> 00:08:32,722
You really only
been playing two weeks?
209
00:08:32,722 --> 00:08:34,056
Yes.
210
00:08:34,056 --> 00:08:35,641
What do you do ordinarily,
besides this?
211
00:08:35,641 --> 00:08:37,643
I'm a composer.
Ah!
212
00:08:37,643 --> 00:08:40,020
Now, the whole idea that
we're going to, uh, do here
213
00:08:40,020 --> 00:08:42,856
in this improvised
concerto for two bicycles,
214
00:08:42,856 --> 00:08:45,859
a pre-recorded tape,
and the musicians in the back,
215
00:08:45,859 --> 00:08:48,820
is that you're supposed to
express yourself freely,
216
00:08:48,820 --> 00:08:50,906
without any kind of, uh...
217
00:08:50,906 --> 00:08:52,950
You have to let
your front down and...
218
00:08:52,950 --> 00:08:54,326
(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
219
00:08:57,788 --> 00:08:59,081
(ELECTRONIC MUSIC PLAYING)
220
00:09:00,415 --> 00:09:02,167
(MUSIC STOPS)
All right.
221
00:09:02,167 --> 00:09:07,589
Now, the tape is
pre-recorded electric noises
that, uh, I stuck together.
222
00:09:07,589 --> 00:09:10,467
But now the...
The way we work this is,
223
00:09:10,467 --> 00:09:12,511
when the man in
the control booth
feels moved
224
00:09:12,511 --> 00:09:15,472
to add his electronic
part to our work here,
225
00:09:15,472 --> 00:09:18,141
he will throw a little switch,
which just lets some
of this noise through,
226
00:09:18,141 --> 00:09:21,645
and then I requested
the musicians that,
227
00:09:21,645 --> 00:09:26,108
if they feel so moved,
make any noise
possible on their instrument.
228
00:09:26,108 --> 00:09:28,860
No... Try to refrain
from musical tones.
229
00:09:28,860 --> 00:09:31,613
And, in fact...
(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
230
00:09:31,613 --> 00:09:33,490
They won't have any
trouble with that order.
231
00:09:35,367 --> 00:09:37,369
(SCREECHING,
BLEATING, TOOTING)
232
00:09:37,369 --> 00:09:38,745
(CLATTERING)
233
00:09:52,718 --> 00:09:54,428
(BLEATING, TOOTING)
234
00:09:59,642 --> 00:10:01,476
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
235
00:10:01,476 --> 00:10:02,352
MAN: Bravo!
236
00:10:04,479 --> 00:10:08,025
I must say that I am
always in favor of
enlarging the horizons,
237
00:10:08,025 --> 00:10:10,902
at least in
peering anxiously
beyond the horizons
238
00:10:10,902 --> 00:10:14,573
of any field of human
endeavor or interest,
239
00:10:14,573 --> 00:10:19,995
and, therefore,
I, uh, congratulate you
on your farsightedness.
240
00:10:19,995 --> 00:10:21,580
(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
241
00:10:21,580 --> 00:10:24,374
And as for your music,
don't ever do it
around here again.
242
00:10:26,209 --> 00:10:30,881
Some people like to
be a carpenter, you know.
243
00:10:30,881 --> 00:10:32,842
They're interested
in working with their hands,
244
00:10:32,842 --> 00:10:35,093
or they... Or they're
interested in electronics.
245
00:10:35,093 --> 00:10:36,803
They like to
solder wires together.
246
00:10:36,803 --> 00:10:39,139
Or they're artists,
or they're something.
247
00:10:39,139 --> 00:10:41,058
That's their
field of interest.
248
00:10:41,058 --> 00:10:43,018
Unfortunately,
I like to play music.
249
00:10:43,018 --> 00:10:44,644
Now, when you want
to play music
250
00:10:44,644 --> 00:10:47,189
and you want to earn a living
from playing music,
251
00:10:47,189 --> 00:10:50,317
you have to work
under the conditions
252
00:10:50,317 --> 00:10:53,403
that the environment
imposes on you.
253
00:10:53,403 --> 00:10:56,615
They don't make it easy
for you to be a musician.
254
00:10:56,615 --> 00:10:58,116
They don't, uh...
255
00:10:58,116 --> 00:11:01,036
In the United
States especially,
256
00:11:01,036 --> 00:11:03,789
musicians are
generally regarded as sort of
257
00:11:05,457 --> 00:11:07,584
useless adjuncts
to the society,
258
00:11:07,584 --> 00:11:09,879
unless they do
something creative like
259
00:11:09,879 --> 00:11:13,673
write a Coca-Cola jingle,
and then they'll be accepted.
260
00:11:13,673 --> 00:11:16,134
But musicians
usually are regarded
261
00:11:16,134 --> 00:11:18,678
as sort of
the scum of the earth,
262
00:11:18,678 --> 00:11:20,972
and so, if you want to,
uh, be a musician,
263
00:11:20,972 --> 00:11:23,809
(TELEPHONE RINGS)
264
00:11:23,809 --> 00:11:26,603
you just have to
realize before you start
265
00:11:26,603 --> 00:11:29,857
that nobody is
really gonna care.
266
00:11:29,857 --> 00:11:31,108
Wait a minute.
It's time to hype an album.
267
00:11:31,108 --> 00:11:32,818
TALK HOST: Oh, okay, go ahead.
268
00:11:32,818 --> 00:11:36,739
This particular project
has been very expensive.
269
00:11:36,739 --> 00:11:38,782
This is our third album.
Can you see it?
270
00:11:38,782 --> 00:11:41,743
Have you got
a picture of it,
so we can all see it?
271
00:11:41,743 --> 00:11:44,538
ZAPPA: It's called
We're Only in
It for the Money.
272
00:11:44,538 --> 00:11:45,705
(ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)
273
00:11:53,588 --> 00:11:54,881
(SONG PLAYING)
274
00:11:54,881 --> 00:11:56,925
♪ We are the other people
We are the other people
275
00:11:56,925 --> 00:11:58,761
♪ We are the other people
276
00:11:58,761 --> 00:12:01,388
♪ You're the other people, too
277
00:12:01,388 --> 00:12:03,807
♪ Found a way to get to you
278
00:12:04,891 --> 00:12:07,394
♪ Do you think that I'm crazy
279
00:12:09,187 --> 00:12:10,939
♪ Out of my mind?
280
00:12:14,568 --> 00:12:17,905
♪ Do you think that
I creep in the night
281
00:12:17,905 --> 00:12:20,323
♪ And sleep in a phone booth?
282
00:12:24,536 --> 00:12:26,955
♪ Let me take
a minute to tell you my plan
283
00:12:26,955 --> 00:12:28,415
♪ Let me take
a minute and tell who I am
284
00:12:28,415 --> 00:12:30,000
♪ If it doesn't show,
think you better know
285
00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,002
♪ I'm another person... ♪
286
00:12:32,002 --> 00:12:35,798
All of a sudden,
your music is selling
and making a lot of money.
287
00:12:35,798 --> 00:12:37,174
You dig the bread?
288
00:12:37,174 --> 00:12:38,717
I think that
it's very pleasant,
289
00:12:38,717 --> 00:12:40,218
but I'd like to
see some of it.
290
00:12:40,218 --> 00:12:41,887
You're not getting any of it?
(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
291
00:12:41,887 --> 00:12:44,974
Well,
it seems to take a long time
getting there, you know?
292
00:12:44,974 --> 00:12:47,810
Record companies have
a peculiar way of making sure
293
00:12:47,810 --> 00:12:50,855
that your expenses always
exceed your profits.
294
00:12:50,855 --> 00:12:52,272
Oh, it's very...
295
00:12:52,272 --> 00:12:53,816
You know how they
do that, don't you?
296
00:12:53,816 --> 00:12:55,150
Yeah, I know how they do that.
297
00:12:55,150 --> 00:12:56,651
And don't you get
a feeling that now,
298
00:12:56,651 --> 00:12:58,486
with your records
moving up in the charts,
299
00:12:58,486 --> 00:12:59,571
you're moving into
the establishment very much?
300
00:12:59,571 --> 00:13:01,781
Oh, I don't know.
301
00:13:01,781 --> 00:13:03,909
I've been hearing that.
302
00:13:03,909 --> 00:13:06,578
Do I look like I'm
moving into the establishment
very much?
303
00:13:06,578 --> 00:13:08,246
Before that,
you never got your music
304
00:13:08,246 --> 00:13:09,581
heard by anybody,
isn't that correct?
305
00:13:09,581 --> 00:13:11,041
Absolutely true.
Okay.
306
00:13:11,041 --> 00:13:12,834
Nobody cared.
Nobody cared.
307
00:13:12,834 --> 00:13:14,294
And now...
And they still don't care,
308
00:13:14,294 --> 00:13:16,504
but they pay for it.
Right.
309
00:13:16,504 --> 00:13:18,215
Well, you know who's buying
the albums, don't you?
310
00:13:18,215 --> 00:13:20,258
Yes, I do.
I've examined my
market rather thoroughly.
311
00:13:20,258 --> 00:13:22,011
And who's buying it?
312
00:13:22,011 --> 00:13:23,261
That's none
of your business.
Okay.
313
00:13:23,261 --> 00:13:25,347
(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
314
00:13:25,347 --> 00:13:27,724
But then, isn't it...
The minute you look at you,
315
00:13:27,724 --> 00:13:30,560
don't you get a feeling
that you're part of
the hippie establishment?
316
00:13:30,560 --> 00:13:32,062
Just because of the looks.
Maybe.
317
00:13:32,062 --> 00:13:34,606
I'm not talking about
what you say or do,
or how you play.
318
00:13:34,606 --> 00:13:35,982
You're very packaging
oriented, aren't you?
319
00:13:35,982 --> 00:13:37,901
Yeah. I think
everybody is, to a degree.
320
00:13:37,901 --> 00:13:40,737
That you look, when somebody
sees you for the first time,
321
00:13:40,737 --> 00:13:42,113
as part of
the hippie establishment.
322
00:13:42,113 --> 00:13:43,866
Or worse.
Or worse, right?
323
00:13:43,866 --> 00:13:45,200
Yeah. Yeah.
(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
324
00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:46,785
All right,
let me ask you this, Frank.
325
00:13:46,785 --> 00:13:48,662
You want to be
a serious musician, I assume.
326
00:13:48,662 --> 00:13:50,956
I've always wanted to
be a serious musician.
327
00:13:50,956 --> 00:13:53,333
And where are you
going from here,
328
00:13:53,333 --> 00:13:55,585
besides the bizarre that
you're doing at this point?
329
00:13:55,585 --> 00:13:57,754
I mean, where are you
going to go from here,
330
00:13:57,754 --> 00:14:00,257
and what do you
want to achieve,
at this point now?
331
00:14:00,257 --> 00:14:03,051
Well, I think one thing
that I'd like to do
332
00:14:03,051 --> 00:14:04,887
is to not work.
333
00:14:04,887 --> 00:14:06,346
Not work.
Yes.
334
00:14:06,346 --> 00:14:07,806
In any field? Not write?
335
00:14:07,806 --> 00:14:09,349
For a while.
336
00:14:09,349 --> 00:14:11,685
I'd like to write,
but that's not work.
337
00:14:11,685 --> 00:14:13,020
Meaning composing
isn't working.
338
00:14:13,020 --> 00:14:14,938
No.
339
00:14:14,938 --> 00:14:18,901
Well, isn't that
what you're going to do
for a livelihood, eventually?
340
00:14:18,901 --> 00:14:21,027
People don't
compose for a livelihood,
341
00:14:21,027 --> 00:14:23,655
especially in
the United States.
342
00:14:23,655 --> 00:14:24,614
(PLAYING)
343
00:14:39,170 --> 00:14:41,965
The composition end of, uh,
my musical experience
344
00:14:41,965 --> 00:14:44,175
started in high school,
345
00:14:44,175 --> 00:14:47,178
when I heard
an album by Edgard Varese.
346
00:14:51,058 --> 00:14:52,350
I said,
"Boy, that sounds great.
347
00:14:52,350 --> 00:14:54,060
"I have to
write some of that."
348
00:15:02,069 --> 00:15:05,780
I also got ahold of an album
called The Rite of Spring.
349
00:15:05,780 --> 00:15:07,324
It was on
a little cheapo label.
350
00:15:07,324 --> 00:15:09,367
Little $1.98 thing.
351
00:15:11,077 --> 00:15:14,456
And that excited me, too.
352
00:15:14,456 --> 00:15:18,127
I thought, "Boy, if anybody
could make a missing link
353
00:15:18,127 --> 00:15:22,922
"between Edgard Varese
and Igor Stravinsky,
that'd be pretty nifty."
354
00:15:22,922 --> 00:15:25,216
And then somebody turned me on
to an album of music
355
00:15:25,216 --> 00:15:27,677
by Anton Webern,
and I said, "Wow!
356
00:15:27,677 --> 00:15:30,013
"If anybody could
get a missing link
357
00:15:30,013 --> 00:15:32,307
"between Igor Stravinsky,
Anton Webern,
358
00:15:32,307 --> 00:15:36,061
"and Edgard Varese,
that'd be really spiffy."
359
00:15:36,061 --> 00:15:39,064
Then I heard what some of
the stuff sounded like
that I'd been writing,
360
00:15:39,064 --> 00:15:43,610
and it was so ugly
that I decided to go backwards
361
00:15:43,610 --> 00:15:48,031
and get into
the melodic area again.
362
00:15:48,031 --> 00:15:52,410
And then people started
telling me that my melodies
were ugly, so...
363
00:15:52,410 --> 00:15:54,120
I guess I'm successful.
364
00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:55,580
(SPEAKING FRENCH)
365
00:15:55,580 --> 00:15:58,458
And bang, here we are
with the Mothers of Invention,
366
00:15:58,458 --> 00:16:01,003
so now it's going
to be a bit special.
367
00:16:01,003 --> 00:16:04,798
It's an American pop music
band which is connected
with pop in a certain way,
368
00:16:07,509 --> 00:16:11,262
by jazz, rhythm 'n' blues
and blues.
369
00:16:11,262 --> 00:16:16,434
But their leader Frank Zappa
that you'll see later on
and who is noticeable,
370
00:16:19,187 --> 00:16:24,109
is interested
in contemporary music,
371
00:16:24,109 --> 00:16:29,697
and while their stage attitude
might shock, it matches
very well their music.
372
00:16:34,494 --> 00:16:37,747
(MELODY, RHYTHM
AND VOCALIZATIONS PLAYING)
373
00:16:47,006 --> 00:16:49,592
(VOCALIZING IN
HIGH-PITCHED TONES)
374
00:16:58,893 --> 00:17:00,187
(SHOUTS)
375
00:17:00,187 --> 00:17:01,938
(RHYTHM CONTINUES)
376
00:17:02,897 --> 00:17:04,191
(SHOUTS)
377
00:17:04,191 --> 00:17:06,443
(RHYTHM CONTINUES)
378
00:17:07,444 --> 00:17:09,070
(MELODIC GROANING)
379
00:17:17,328 --> 00:17:19,414
(RHYTHM CONTINUES,
ZAPPA COUNTS SILENTLY)
380
00:17:19,414 --> 00:17:20,915
(VOCALIZATIONS STOP)
381
00:17:20,915 --> 00:17:23,251
(BAND PLAYING
DISCORDANT ROCK MUSIC)
382
00:18:32,070 --> 00:18:34,113
(TEMPO SLOWS)
383
00:19:16,281 --> 00:19:17,198
(SPEAKING DANISH)
384
00:19:17,198 --> 00:19:18,616
Eccentric.
385
00:19:21,286 --> 00:19:24,080
It's the new style.
386
00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:28,001
In 20 years this music
is going to be classical.
387
00:19:28,001 --> 00:19:30,295
You cannot define his music.
What he does is anti-music.
388
00:19:31,338 --> 00:19:35,049
How to define his music?
389
00:19:35,049 --> 00:19:38,303
He doesn't give a fuck
about the establishment.
390
00:19:38,303 --> 00:19:42,056
When you founded your
record producing company,
391
00:19:42,056 --> 00:19:44,851
it was more or
less a reaction to
392
00:19:44,851 --> 00:19:47,520
censorship problems
with the big companies...
393
00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:50,023
Yeah, MGM.
MGM.
394
00:19:50,023 --> 00:19:53,776
Because they had been
actually tampering with my...
395
00:19:53,776 --> 00:19:55,945
I would finish an album
and give them the tapes,
396
00:19:55,945 --> 00:19:58,323
and they would take the tapes
into another secret room
397
00:19:58,323 --> 00:19:59,866
and cut things out of it.
(INTERVIEWER SCOFFS)
398
00:19:59,866 --> 00:20:02,368
You know.
That's what happened to the
399
00:20:02,368 --> 00:20:04,787
We're Only in It
for the Money album.
400
00:20:04,787 --> 00:20:06,831
(CLEARS THROAT)
To give you an example
401
00:20:06,831 --> 00:20:09,083
of what censorship was
like at this company,
402
00:20:09,083 --> 00:20:11,461
one of the lines
that they cut out,
403
00:20:11,461 --> 00:20:15,632
it took me years to find out
why this line was removed.
404
00:20:15,632 --> 00:20:18,385
But in the song
Let's Make
the Water Turn Black,
405
00:20:18,385 --> 00:20:21,554
there's a line that says,
"And I still remember Mama,
406
00:20:21,554 --> 00:20:23,890
"with her apron and her pad
407
00:20:23,890 --> 00:20:26,476
"feeding all
the boys at Ed's Cafe."
408
00:20:26,476 --> 00:20:28,811
And this is a song
about these two boys
409
00:20:28,811 --> 00:20:30,980
in this town that
I knew, and it's...
410
00:20:30,980 --> 00:20:33,275
Their mother was
a waitress in a cafe.
411
00:20:33,275 --> 00:20:35,860
And I couldn't understand
why they took this line out.
412
00:20:35,860 --> 00:20:38,404
Two years later,
in hushed whispers,
413
00:20:38,404 --> 00:20:41,115
an executive from
the company told me
414
00:20:41,115 --> 00:20:43,993
that the pad was supposed
to be a sanitary napkin.
415
00:20:45,287 --> 00:20:46,871
(INTERVIEWER LAUGHS)
And they were upset
416
00:20:46,871 --> 00:20:50,292
that there was
a reference to such
a device in this album.
417
00:20:50,292 --> 00:20:53,753
And so they told one of the
engineers at their company
418
00:20:53,753 --> 00:20:55,338
to remove the line.
419
00:20:55,338 --> 00:20:56,506
(INTERVIEWER MUTTERS)
420
00:20:58,049 --> 00:21:01,302
I heard that the
professor at the Wayne
University in Detroit
421
00:21:01,302 --> 00:21:05,807
has done a study of profanity
in the English language,
422
00:21:05,807 --> 00:21:10,144
and he has discovered that,
uh, statistically,
423
00:21:10,144 --> 00:21:13,022
the three most popular words
in the English language,
424
00:21:13,022 --> 00:21:17,402
especially in
the United States, are,
425
00:21:17,402 --> 00:21:19,904
"Uh," "Uh," and "Uh."
426
00:21:19,904 --> 00:21:22,031
And, uh...
(INTERVIEWER LAUGHS)
427
00:21:22,031 --> 00:21:25,369
I'll save you the trouble of
pushing that button upstairs.
428
00:21:25,369 --> 00:21:30,581
And, uh, I think it's amazing
that so many people
429
00:21:30,581 --> 00:21:34,001
ascribe magical
properties to these words.
430
00:21:34,001 --> 00:21:36,254
Don't you think, in a way,
Frank, that it takes...
431
00:21:36,254 --> 00:21:41,676
It takes
a lively sense of guilt
to make sin fun or enjoyable,
432
00:21:41,676 --> 00:21:47,014
and society decides for itself
what will be sinful?
433
00:21:47,014 --> 00:21:49,350
Yeah, well,
the worst part of all this is
434
00:21:49,350 --> 00:21:55,106
while society is being duped
by all these, uh, maneuvers,
435
00:21:55,106 --> 00:22:00,487
they have so little chance
of escaping that cycle,
you know.
436
00:22:00,487 --> 00:22:01,738
Just can't get out of it.
437
00:22:01,738 --> 00:22:03,614
They'll just keep
on being fooled.
438
00:22:03,614 --> 00:22:07,452
If you talk to
someone on the TV, um,
439
00:22:07,452 --> 00:22:10,705
this isn't only the person
Frank Zappa talking there,
440
00:22:10,705 --> 00:22:13,500
but for the audience at least,
441
00:22:13,500 --> 00:22:18,296
it associates the
record company
owner Frank Zappa,
442
00:22:18,296 --> 00:22:22,383
the Mother of Invention
leader Frank Zappa,
443
00:22:22,383 --> 00:22:24,552
the man perhaps
who's interesting...
444
00:22:24,552 --> 00:22:26,637
Interested to
promote his records.
445
00:22:26,637 --> 00:22:29,558
What other images are there?
446
00:22:29,558 --> 00:22:32,143
There might be
a couple people who
think of me as a composer.
447
00:22:32,143 --> 00:22:33,561
INTERVIEWER: Mmm-hmm.
448
00:22:33,561 --> 00:22:36,939
An isolated minority perhaps.
449
00:22:36,939 --> 00:22:40,735
Some people
think that I'm, uh,
some sort of political rebel.
450
00:22:45,490 --> 00:22:47,784
Isn't it strange
the fantasies
that people have?
451
00:22:47,784 --> 00:22:49,453
(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)
452
00:22:49,453 --> 00:22:52,705
You had one very negative
experience in Berlin...
453
00:22:52,705 --> 00:22:54,458
Yes, I did.
454
00:22:54,458 --> 00:22:55,416
Could you perhaps
tell about that?
455
00:22:56,125 --> 00:22:57,419
Yes.
456
00:22:57,419 --> 00:23:03,132
We arrived in Berlin,
and we set up our equipment
457
00:23:03,132 --> 00:23:05,051
at the Sportpalast.
458
00:23:05,051 --> 00:23:07,845
And some students
came over there,
and they said,
459
00:23:07,845 --> 00:23:10,515
"We would like to
have you help us
with a political action."
460
00:23:10,515 --> 00:23:13,434
And they wanted to set fire
to the allied command center.
461
00:23:13,434 --> 00:23:15,061
And I said, "I don't think
that is good mental health."
462
00:23:19,023 --> 00:23:21,609
The minute we came onstage,
about 200 students got up
463
00:23:21,609 --> 00:23:24,320
and they were waving
red banners and
they were shouting,
464
00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:26,573
"Ho-Ho-Ho Chi Minh."
465
00:23:26,573 --> 00:23:30,159
And they're blowing horns,
and they were
throwing things on the stage,
466
00:23:30,159 --> 00:23:31,911
and they were calling us
"The Mothers of Reaction,"
467
00:23:31,911 --> 00:23:32,829
and they tried to
ruin the concert.
468
00:23:36,625 --> 00:23:39,877
And a few hundred people
were coming toward the stage,
469
00:23:39,877 --> 00:23:42,589
so I increased
the volume of the music.
470
00:23:42,589 --> 00:23:44,799
And this noise was
so loud and so ugly
471
00:23:44,799 --> 00:23:46,843
that it was actually
pushing them back.
472
00:23:46,843 --> 00:23:48,845
It was like
a science fiction story.
473
00:23:48,845 --> 00:23:51,180
Meanwhile,
there's all the other
474
00:23:51,180 --> 00:23:52,890
thousands of people who are
sitting there looking around.
475
00:23:52,890 --> 00:23:55,477
They didn't know
whether it was
part of the show
476
00:23:55,477 --> 00:23:57,144
that we had put together.
(INTERVIEWER LAUGHS)
477
00:23:57,144 --> 00:23:59,814
They thought it was, you know,
something that we might do.
478
00:24:01,525 --> 00:24:02,817
(MUSIC STOPS)
479
00:24:02,817 --> 00:24:08,281
There were reports
that you called these
students fascists and...
480
00:24:08,281 --> 00:24:10,534
I did. Yeah.
481
00:24:10,534 --> 00:24:13,411
Because I think that
there's definitely
a fascistic element,
482
00:24:13,411 --> 00:24:17,624
not only in
the left wing in Germany,
but in the United States, too.
483
00:24:17,624 --> 00:24:22,461
Any sort of
political ideology that
doesn't allow for the rights,
484
00:24:26,299 --> 00:24:28,759
and doesn't take
into consideration
485
00:24:28,759 --> 00:24:30,887
the differences that
people have is wrong.
486
00:24:30,887 --> 00:24:32,597
I won't go for it.
487
00:24:32,597 --> 00:24:34,223
I don't care what kind
of label you stick on it.
488
00:24:35,516 --> 00:24:37,644
(PIANO PLAYING GENTLE MUSIC)
489
00:24:37,644 --> 00:24:42,982
♪ This town, this town
490
00:24:42,982 --> 00:24:47,820
♪ Is a sealed tuna sandwich
491
00:24:49,405 --> 00:24:53,534
♪ Sealed tuna sandwich
492
00:24:53,534 --> 00:24:56,495
♪ With the wrapper glued... ♪
493
00:24:59,541 --> 00:25:01,542
(SINGING SOFTLY)
494
00:25:04,629 --> 00:25:07,381
ZAPPA: There's this
piece that I had written
495
00:25:07,381 --> 00:25:10,635
over a period of years
while touring
with The Mothers.
496
00:25:10,635 --> 00:25:14,513
It's called 200 Motels,
and the reason
it's called 200 Motels
497
00:25:14,513 --> 00:25:17,601
is because all the sketches
were done either in airports
498
00:25:17,601 --> 00:25:19,727
or in the hotel
rooms or on the planes
499
00:25:19,727 --> 00:25:23,397
or just traveling around,
so it's like a musical diary.
500
00:25:23,397 --> 00:25:27,234
It's a mixed
media presentation,
501
00:25:27,234 --> 00:25:30,655
a combination of
both film and opera,
a television show,
502
00:25:30,655 --> 00:25:35,576
a rock-and-roll concert,
various different elements
503
00:25:35,576 --> 00:25:40,456
that all tells a story of
when you go on the road,
it makes you crazy.
504
00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,294
This starts off with a...
505
00:25:45,836 --> 00:25:47,380
(CLEARS THROAT)
506
00:25:47,380 --> 00:25:52,969
Sort of a quiet
string and piano background
507
00:25:52,969 --> 00:25:55,763
with the strings
divided into many parts.
508
00:25:55,763 --> 00:25:59,475
Then we have the full-fledged
version of The Girl's Dream,
509
00:25:59,475 --> 00:26:02,645
which begins with
the sopranos and altos
510
00:26:02,645 --> 00:26:05,856
blowing bubbles with
a straw into a paper cup
511
00:26:05,856 --> 00:26:08,776
in this area A here.
512
00:26:08,776 --> 00:26:12,905
And the narrator, who might
possibly be the conductor...
513
00:26:12,905 --> 00:26:14,573
You know,
it'd be funny to have
514
00:26:14,573 --> 00:26:16,575
the conductor
saying these lines.
515
00:26:16,575 --> 00:26:20,413
He says, "The girl wants
to fix him some broth."
516
00:26:20,413 --> 00:26:21,580
Hot broth.
517
00:26:21,580 --> 00:26:23,708
MEN: Hot dog broth?
518
00:26:23,708 --> 00:26:26,627
♪ Hot dog debris
519
00:26:26,627 --> 00:26:27,878
MAN: How do you like it?
520
00:26:27,878 --> 00:26:31,132
♪ Dog breath dog broth
521
00:26:31,132 --> 00:26:33,467
(CHORUS)
♪ Dog breath broth
522
00:26:33,467 --> 00:26:35,094
And the chorus
comes in and goes...
523
00:26:35,094 --> 00:26:38,723
♪ Doo-wee-oo,
tinselcock, my baby ♪
524
00:26:38,723 --> 00:26:41,643
And then she says,
"Would you like some broth?"
525
00:26:41,643 --> 00:26:44,729
And the narrator says,
"Some nice soup."
526
00:26:44,729 --> 00:26:46,772
And she goes,
"Some hot broth?"
527
00:26:46,772 --> 00:26:49,316
And the chorus goes, "Yum,"
and snaps their fingers,
528
00:26:49,316 --> 00:26:50,819
and then they hum.
529
00:26:50,819 --> 00:26:53,320
And he says,
"Small dogs in it."
530
00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:54,655
And the chorus goes,
"Doggies?"
531
00:26:54,655 --> 00:26:56,866
And she goes, "Hmm? Do ya?"
532
00:26:56,866 --> 00:26:59,744
Then there's a fanfare where
the whole chorus screams...
533
00:26:59,744 --> 00:27:02,538
(CHORUS)
♪ Tinselcock ♪
534
00:27:03,665 --> 00:27:05,833
(BAND PLAYING FANFARE)
535
00:27:07,711 --> 00:27:09,754
(WOMAN VOCALIZING)
536
00:27:18,345 --> 00:27:20,723
(MUSIC FADES)
537
00:27:20,723 --> 00:27:22,851
Blindfolds in place, please.
538
00:27:22,851 --> 00:27:24,185
Yes, sir.
Here we go.
539
00:27:24,185 --> 00:27:25,770
WALLY:
Are they securely in place?
Yes, secure, secure.
540
00:27:25,770 --> 00:27:27,856
WALLY: All right,
mystery challenger,
541
00:27:27,856 --> 00:27:29,648
will you enter
and sign in please?
542
00:27:29,648 --> 00:27:30,858
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
543
00:27:30,858 --> 00:27:32,318
WALLY: Primo Carnera.
544
00:27:35,739 --> 00:27:37,114
Ole!
545
00:27:37,114 --> 00:27:38,783
Ole!
546
00:27:38,783 --> 00:27:40,409
Ole!
Ole!
547
00:27:42,078 --> 00:27:43,329
Are you in the arts?
548
00:27:43,329 --> 00:27:44,997
Yes.
549
00:27:44,997 --> 00:27:47,124
Is there anything
musical about your work?
550
00:27:47,124 --> 00:27:48,835
Some people think so.
551
00:27:48,835 --> 00:27:50,252
(AUDIENCE LAUGHING
AND APPLAUDING)
552
00:27:50,252 --> 00:27:51,712
Then are you on the stage?
553
00:27:51,712 --> 00:27:52,880
Yes.
554
00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:54,298
A special kind of stage.
555
00:27:54,298 --> 00:27:55,883
MAN: You mean music stage.
Yes.
556
00:27:55,883 --> 00:27:58,219
Are you...
Are you also a composer?
557
00:27:58,219 --> 00:27:59,678
Yes.
558
00:27:59,678 --> 00:28:01,055
WALLY: Arlene?
559
00:28:01,055 --> 00:28:02,681
Are you part of a group?
560
00:28:02,681 --> 00:28:04,183
Yes.
561
00:28:04,183 --> 00:28:05,726
WALLY: Soupy.
SOUPY: Oh!
562
00:28:05,726 --> 00:28:07,311
Do you have a mustache?
563
00:28:07,311 --> 00:28:08,897
Yes.
SOUPY: You Frank Zappa?
564
00:28:08,897 --> 00:28:09,980
Yes.
WALLY: Yes!
565
00:28:09,980 --> 00:28:11,732
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
566
00:28:11,732 --> 00:28:13,192
WALLY: Good boy, Soup!
Yeah.
567
00:28:13,192 --> 00:28:14,777
Good for you, Soupy!
Very good!
568
00:28:14,777 --> 00:28:16,195
Yeah! That's right.
569
00:28:16,195 --> 00:28:18,656
WALLY: Attaboy, Soup!
Two Franks.
570
00:28:18,656 --> 00:28:20,658
Tell us about
the movie, Frank,
571
00:28:20,658 --> 00:28:22,326
that you've
been involved with.
572
00:28:22,326 --> 00:28:25,914
We just finished
a film called 200 Motels.
573
00:28:25,914 --> 00:28:29,667
It's the first feature film
to be shot on videotape.
574
00:28:29,667 --> 00:28:33,462
And we used four cameras,
shot it in seven days
575
00:28:33,462 --> 00:28:35,714
at Pinewood
Studios in England,
and it was transferred
576
00:28:35,714 --> 00:28:40,344
to 35 mm film by
a company called Vidtronics
577
00:28:40,344 --> 00:28:42,847
that has a process that takes
the normal TV line,
578
00:28:42,847 --> 00:28:45,599
which is straight,
and makes it
go wiggly like that,
579
00:28:45,599 --> 00:28:47,852
and they interlock,
and the result is, on film,
580
00:28:47,852 --> 00:28:49,770
it looks like
a 35 mm negative.
581
00:28:49,770 --> 00:28:52,189
You are Volman.
582
00:28:52,189 --> 00:28:54,108
See, but you're getting
Martin back there
and everybody.
583
00:28:54,108 --> 00:28:55,526
You're waking them all up.
584
00:28:55,526 --> 00:28:58,404
Well, you may call
me Rance Muhammitz.
585
00:28:58,404 --> 00:29:00,573
It took four years
to write the orchestra music.
586
00:29:00,573 --> 00:29:03,827
It took about two and
a half or three weeks
to write the script.
587
00:29:03,827 --> 00:29:06,788
It took,
uh, 10 days to rehearse it,
588
00:29:06,788 --> 00:29:09,833
seven days to shoot it,
11 days for videotape editing,
589
00:29:09,833 --> 00:29:11,417
and three months
for film editing,
590
00:29:11,417 --> 00:29:13,210
and the rest of the time
was negative cutting
591
00:29:13,210 --> 00:29:14,838
and transfer...
WALLY: And, you know,
592
00:29:14,838 --> 00:29:16,422
talking about all that time,
we've ran out, Frank.
593
00:29:16,422 --> 00:29:18,215
So, why don't you stay
with us, and I'll say
594
00:29:18,215 --> 00:29:19,758
we'll continue
right after this word.
595
00:29:19,758 --> 00:29:21,177
(APPLAUSE)
596
00:29:21,177 --> 00:29:22,804
(ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)
597
00:29:22,804 --> 00:29:26,098
♪ Ooh, the way
you love me, lady
598
00:29:26,098 --> 00:29:30,477
♪ I get so hard
now I could die
599
00:29:33,857 --> 00:29:37,484
♪ Ooh, the way you
love me, sugar
600
00:29:37,484 --> 00:29:40,946
♪ I get so hard
now I could die
601
00:29:45,701 --> 00:29:48,037
♪ Open up your pocketbook
Get another quarter out
602
00:29:48,037 --> 00:29:52,750
♪ Drop it in the meter, mama
And try me on for size ♪
603
00:29:52,750 --> 00:29:54,376
(ROCK MUSIC CONTINUES)
604
00:30:23,322 --> 00:30:25,199
MALE REPORTER:
As far as anyone
here can remember,
605
00:30:25,199 --> 00:30:26,825
this is the first time
anything of this sort
606
00:30:26,825 --> 00:30:28,869
has ever happened
at the Albert Hall.
607
00:30:28,869 --> 00:30:32,248
5,000 or so fans were booked
for the Frank Zappa concert
608
00:30:32,248 --> 00:30:34,876
with the Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra.
609
00:30:34,876 --> 00:30:37,670
Then the Albert
Hall management
got a copy of his script
610
00:30:37,670 --> 00:30:39,797
from his agent
who'd hired the hall.
611
00:30:39,797 --> 00:30:41,173
MALE INTERVIEWER:
You've had bookings
612
00:30:41,173 --> 00:30:42,884
for pop concerts in
the Albert Hall before,
613
00:30:42,884 --> 00:30:45,844
surely you must have learned
to expect this type of thing.
614
00:30:45,844 --> 00:30:47,763
Yes, I think it's
a little more than a...
615
00:30:47,763 --> 00:30:50,016
A little more than
a pop concert, you see.
616
00:30:50,016 --> 00:30:53,227
This was booked as a concert,
and it was only after that
617
00:30:53,227 --> 00:30:57,982
that we were told that
it was all part of
a film with a script,
618
00:30:57,982 --> 00:31:00,609
in addition to
the songs and the music.
619
00:31:00,609 --> 00:31:04,780
But who are you
trying to protect
by canceling the concert?
620
00:31:04,780 --> 00:31:07,866
Oh, the reputation of
the hall, I suppose.
621
00:31:07,866 --> 00:31:10,160
Anybody who might come
thinking that
they're going to hear
622
00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:12,204
a concert with the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,
623
00:31:12,204 --> 00:31:13,957
our seat holders.
624
00:31:13,957 --> 00:31:16,500
I don't see why
the Albert Hall
625
00:31:16,500 --> 00:31:18,877
would need a script
in the first place,
626
00:31:18,877 --> 00:31:20,671
because we
weren't doing a play,
627
00:31:20,671 --> 00:31:23,091
we were doing an orchestra
and group concert.
628
00:31:23,091 --> 00:31:25,926
And we gave them a copy
of the lyrics in
their original form,
629
00:31:25,926 --> 00:31:28,054
along with
a copy of the lyrics
630
00:31:28,054 --> 00:31:31,432
as we would amend them
to remove any
objectionable words.
631
00:31:31,432 --> 00:31:33,935
And then we found out
that one of the things
632
00:31:33,935 --> 00:31:36,437
that they were
complaining about was a line
633
00:31:36,437 --> 00:31:39,231
in one of the orchestra pieces
where somebody says,
634
00:31:39,231 --> 00:31:42,151
"You know what kind of a girl
works in a boutique?
635
00:31:42,151 --> 00:31:44,069
"The kind of
a girl with a sister
636
00:31:44,069 --> 00:31:46,114
"who wears a brassiere
to a pop festival."
637
00:31:46,114 --> 00:31:48,074
Now, that was
one of the things
638
00:31:48,074 --> 00:31:50,117
that they
objected to in the text.
639
00:31:50,117 --> 00:31:52,244
And so, you know,
we said, "We'll take
the 'brassiere' out
640
00:31:52,244 --> 00:31:54,080
"if that offends you,"
you know.
641
00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:55,914
Or maybe it was "pop festival"
that would offend them.
642
00:31:55,914 --> 00:31:58,542
But we gave them
two sets of lyrics,
643
00:31:58,542 --> 00:32:01,003
and they got
a choice to choose between.
644
00:32:01,003 --> 00:32:02,546
MALE INTERVIEWER: Do you
think there was anything
645
00:32:02,546 --> 00:32:05,133
in your piece that the average
person in Britain today
646
00:32:05,133 --> 00:32:06,759
would consider obscene?
647
00:32:06,759 --> 00:32:08,927
No.
648
00:32:08,927 --> 00:32:11,430
Do you think people are
still as hung up hearing
dirty words as they were
649
00:32:11,430 --> 00:32:13,975
when you first
started saying them?
650
00:32:13,975 --> 00:32:17,978
Well, first of all,
there is no such thing
as a dirty word.
651
00:32:17,978 --> 00:32:20,230
I... Here's my
stock line about that.
652
00:32:20,230 --> 00:32:22,191
There is no word,
653
00:32:22,191 --> 00:32:24,485
nor any sound
that you can make
with your mouth,
654
00:32:24,485 --> 00:32:26,862
that is so powerful
that it will condemn you
655
00:32:26,862 --> 00:32:29,948
to the lake of fire
at the time when you hear it.
656
00:32:29,948 --> 00:32:31,492
Dirty words don't exist.
657
00:32:31,492 --> 00:32:33,744
This is a fantasy
that is manufactured
658
00:32:33,744 --> 00:32:36,372
by religious fanatics
and government organizations
659
00:32:36,372 --> 00:32:38,457
to keep people stupid.
660
00:32:38,457 --> 00:32:42,086
Any word that gets the point
across is a good word.
661
00:32:42,086 --> 00:32:44,463
If you want to tell
somebody to get fucked,
662
00:32:44,463 --> 00:32:47,049
that's the best
way to tell them.
663
00:32:47,049 --> 00:32:49,301
You know, that does the job.
664
00:32:49,301 --> 00:32:51,762
And I'm interested in
getting the point across fast,
665
00:32:51,762 --> 00:32:54,765
and so I use my
native language
666
00:32:54,765 --> 00:32:57,643
to the utmost of its,
uh, capabilities.
667
00:32:57,643 --> 00:33:00,104
It's got great things in it.
668
00:33:00,104 --> 00:33:01,688
I like the American language.
669
00:33:02,231 --> 00:33:03,565
(HUMMING)
670
00:33:06,151 --> 00:33:12,616
♪ Penis dimension
671
00:33:15,078 --> 00:33:20,916
♪ Penis dimension
672
00:33:25,379 --> 00:33:31,635
♪ Penis dimension
is worrying me
673
00:33:36,223 --> 00:33:41,478
♪ I can't hardly
sleep at night
674
00:33:41,478 --> 00:33:48,193
♪ 'Cause of penis dimension
675
00:33:52,573 --> 00:33:54,408
(TEMPO INCREASES)
676
00:33:59,663 --> 00:34:01,331
♪ Do you worry?
677
00:34:01,331 --> 00:34:04,668
♪ Do you worry a lot?
678
00:34:12,092 --> 00:34:14,136
♪ Do you worry?
679
00:34:14,136 --> 00:34:20,142
♪ Do you worry and moan
680
00:34:20,142 --> 00:34:23,896
♪ That the size of your cock
681
00:34:23,896 --> 00:34:29,735
♪ Is not monstrous enough?
682
00:34:31,279 --> 00:34:36,700
♪ It's your penis dimension ♪
683
00:34:39,870 --> 00:34:41,079
MALE INTERVIEWER:
Sometimes when...
To see you in action
684
00:34:41,079 --> 00:34:42,956
or see the group in action,
685
00:34:42,956 --> 00:34:45,459
gives an impression
of being very well-rehearsed,
686
00:34:45,459 --> 00:34:48,879
very, very well-written.
687
00:34:48,879 --> 00:34:51,673
Are there no
improvisations at all
in the concert?
688
00:34:51,673 --> 00:34:53,717
Oh, there's
plenty of improvisation
in a concert,
689
00:34:53,717 --> 00:34:55,886
but what you see as
being well-rehearsed
690
00:34:55,886 --> 00:34:58,764
is the structure that allows
that improvisation to occur
691
00:34:58,764 --> 00:35:02,976
within specified time periods
during the show.
692
00:35:02,976 --> 00:35:06,313
And that
improvisation includes
not only instrumental solos,
693
00:35:06,313 --> 00:35:08,857
but also dialogue
that can be inserted
694
00:35:08,857 --> 00:35:13,070
and different vocal things
that can be
done during a show.
695
00:35:13,070 --> 00:35:15,531
Or also the sequence
of events in a show.
696
00:35:15,531 --> 00:35:19,034
That's all subject to change
from night to night.
697
00:35:19,034 --> 00:35:23,497
But the blocks of material,
each song is pretty
thoroughly rehearsed.
698
00:35:23,497 --> 00:35:28,126
I don't like to go out onstage
and slop around.
699
00:35:28,126 --> 00:35:30,963
(HUMMING, PITCH WARBLING)
700
00:35:38,512 --> 00:35:40,514
(DRUM JOINS IN SOFTLY)
701
00:35:45,018 --> 00:35:46,979
(HUMMING CONTINUES)
702
00:35:56,238 --> 00:35:58,991
(CACKLING LOUDLY)
703
00:36:00,201 --> 00:36:01,868
♪ The air
704
00:36:01,868 --> 00:36:05,622
♪ Escaping from your pits
705
00:36:05,622 --> 00:36:09,293
♪ The hair
escaping from my teeth
706
00:36:09,293 --> 00:36:11,086
♪ From you
707
00:36:11,086 --> 00:36:16,717
♪ My hands are
gripping but they're slipping
708
00:36:16,717 --> 00:36:21,513
♪ And they're
dripping 'cause I'm tripping
709
00:36:21,513 --> 00:36:25,350
♪ I got busted... ♪
710
00:36:25,350 --> 00:36:27,519
MALE INTERVIEWER:
You're mainly the boss.
711
00:36:27,519 --> 00:36:29,813
ZAPPA:
Well, I don't like to think
of myself as a boss.
712
00:36:29,813 --> 00:36:31,982
You know, that sounds snotty.
713
00:36:31,982 --> 00:36:34,276
In regards to the group,
I function in the same way
714
00:36:34,276 --> 00:36:37,070
that a conductor
of a symphony
orchestra functions,
715
00:36:37,070 --> 00:36:39,573
with the slight difference
that I'm also the author
716
00:36:39,573 --> 00:36:43,243
of the musical material
that's being performed.
717
00:36:43,243 --> 00:36:46,538
But if I direct the group,
it has nothing to do with, uh,
718
00:36:46,538 --> 00:36:49,875
you know,
imposing my will upon them.
719
00:36:49,875 --> 00:36:52,836
It's like a referee
at a sports match,
720
00:36:52,836 --> 00:36:55,213
where I will
decide what the balance
721
00:36:55,213 --> 00:36:59,051
between the instruments is,
and who's going to play what,
722
00:36:59,051 --> 00:37:01,219
when they come
in and so forth.
723
00:37:01,219 --> 00:37:03,847
It helps to keep
the material organized.
724
00:37:03,847 --> 00:37:05,515
The Bee Gees!
725
00:37:05,515 --> 00:37:09,144
♪ Won't you be
726
00:37:11,355 --> 00:37:13,982
(WARBLING VOCALIZATIONS)
727
00:37:14,983 --> 00:37:17,277
(CROWD CHEERING)
728
00:37:18,362 --> 00:37:20,989
♪ Hear my
729
00:37:21,615 --> 00:37:24,368
(WARBLING VOCALIZATIONS)
730
00:37:26,828 --> 00:37:30,582
♪ Plea ♪
731
00:37:35,587 --> 00:37:37,130
(BAND PLAYING UPBEAT MUSIC)
732
00:37:42,345 --> 00:37:45,305
MALE INTERVIEWER:
Do any or has any
of your band members
733
00:37:45,305 --> 00:37:47,391
throughout
the years used drugs,
734
00:37:47,391 --> 00:37:50,311
and how do you
control your band members?
735
00:37:50,311 --> 00:37:53,897
Do you have
a tight rein on them
as far as drug use?
736
00:37:53,897 --> 00:37:57,567
When a person, uh,
takes the job in the band,
737
00:37:57,567 --> 00:38:00,987
they understand that
what they do in
their private lives
738
00:38:00,987 --> 00:38:03,449
is their business,
but if they're on the road,
739
00:38:03,449 --> 00:38:07,536
they are representing me,
they're representing my music,
740
00:38:07,536 --> 00:38:11,289
and they're representing
the need for the audience
741
00:38:11,289 --> 00:38:13,500
to get entertainment on time.
742
00:38:13,500 --> 00:38:15,627
That means you
don't go to jail
743
00:38:15,627 --> 00:38:17,629
while you're
on the road, okay?
744
00:38:17,629 --> 00:38:20,508
And so I ask them
not to use drugs.
745
00:38:20,508 --> 00:38:22,843
If they want to do it
when they get home, fine,
746
00:38:22,843 --> 00:38:25,262
but when they're on the road,
please don't do it.
747
00:38:25,262 --> 00:38:28,432
Because it's...
Aside from
the chemical damage,
748
00:38:28,432 --> 00:38:32,395
there's the legal
risk that somebody's
gonna take their freedom away,
749
00:38:32,395 --> 00:38:35,105
and I'm gonna be
sitting there going,
"Where's the drummer?"
750
00:38:35,105 --> 00:38:36,356
You know?
751
00:38:36,356 --> 00:38:37,983
I don't want any of that.
752
00:38:37,983 --> 00:38:41,445
And I have fired
people for using drugs.
753
00:38:41,445 --> 00:38:44,322
MALE INTERVIEWER:
What was your initial
reaction to drugs? I mean...
754
00:38:44,322 --> 00:38:45,991
Well...
755
00:38:45,991 --> 00:38:48,326
I've never taken any acid.
756
00:38:48,326 --> 00:38:52,415
I've smoked about 10 joints
over a period of nine years.
757
00:38:52,415 --> 00:38:55,667
They gave me a sore throat
and made me sleepy.
758
00:38:55,667 --> 00:38:57,794
I've not had any
cosmic revelations.
759
00:38:57,794 --> 00:39:01,382
I don't feel any
closer or farther away
760
00:39:01,382 --> 00:39:04,676
from the center of
cosmic consciousness
761
00:39:04,676 --> 00:39:08,680
because of the use of drugs.
762
00:39:11,016 --> 00:39:12,934
Anything else that
I put in my body,
763
00:39:12,934 --> 00:39:17,481
aside from peanut
butter and coffee,
is by prescription.
764
00:39:17,481 --> 00:39:20,526
The closest I get
to heavy drug use
is when I'm on the road
765
00:39:20,526 --> 00:39:23,028
and I take penicillin
because I get the clap.
766
00:39:23,028 --> 00:39:24,362
That's it.
767
00:39:26,573 --> 00:39:29,201
MALE INTERVIEWER:
"To many people,
Zappa has often seemed to be
768
00:39:29,201 --> 00:39:33,288
"a force of cultural darkness,
bearded and gross and filthy,
769
00:39:33,288 --> 00:39:36,917
"entirely obscene,
a Mephistophelian figure
770
00:39:36,917 --> 00:39:39,836
"serving as a lone brutal
reminder of music's potential
771
00:39:39,836 --> 00:39:42,172
"for invoking
chaos and destruction."
772
00:39:42,172 --> 00:39:45,592
That's from Time
in October 1969.
773
00:39:45,592 --> 00:39:48,845
"By any standard,
he was quite
outstandingly ugly."
774
00:39:48,845 --> 00:39:51,848
And finally,
"I was never a hippie.
775
00:39:51,848 --> 00:39:54,602
"Always a freak,
but never a hippie."
776
00:39:54,602 --> 00:39:56,978
Frank Zappa on Frank Zappa.
777
00:39:56,978 --> 00:39:59,648
Well, Frank,
during the past few days,
778
00:39:59,648 --> 00:40:01,191
I've been reading
some of the things
779
00:40:01,191 --> 00:40:02,734
that you've said
about groupies.
780
00:40:02,734 --> 00:40:05,445
And you've said quite a lot.
781
00:40:05,445 --> 00:40:07,989
Well, I think that
it was about time
that somebody did
782
00:40:07,989 --> 00:40:10,200
start discussing groupies,
because prior to that time,
783
00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:12,994
it was
a sociological phenomenon
784
00:40:12,994 --> 00:40:15,455
that it existed
in the pop world,
785
00:40:15,455 --> 00:40:17,415
it's been existing
for years and years,
786
00:40:17,415 --> 00:40:19,459
and nobody even
said anything about it.
787
00:40:19,459 --> 00:40:21,670
And I was the first
one to put it in print.
788
00:40:21,670 --> 00:40:24,214
Well, can I just
quote what you did say?
789
00:40:24,214 --> 00:40:27,551
You said, "They make the
ultimate gesture of worship,
790
00:40:27,551 --> 00:40:29,469
"human sacrifice." That's...
791
00:40:29,469 --> 00:40:31,137
(LAUGHTER, APPLAUSE)
792
00:40:32,889 --> 00:40:35,642
We've been
a program of ill repute,
793
00:40:35,642 --> 00:40:38,270
but in this regard,
like, Monday Conference,
794
00:40:38,270 --> 00:40:40,647
it wouldn't be as
male sexist as that.
795
00:40:40,647 --> 00:40:42,691
ZAPPA: I'm not...
"Gesture of worship"?
"Human sacrifice"?
796
00:40:42,691 --> 00:40:45,151
But that is
exactly what happens.
797
00:40:45,151 --> 00:40:46,862
And it's all right?
So all you have to do
798
00:40:46,862 --> 00:40:48,363
is describe what's happening.
799
00:40:48,363 --> 00:40:50,490
I'm describing a phenomenon.
Why should you call it sexist?
800
00:40:50,490 --> 00:40:53,410
You said it's also...
It's one of the most amazingly
801
00:40:53,410 --> 00:40:54,828
beautiful products of
the sexual revolution.
802
00:40:54,828 --> 00:40:56,872
Why "beautiful"?
803
00:40:56,872 --> 00:40:59,541
Well,
you'd have to go on the road
and check it out a few times.
804
00:40:59,541 --> 00:41:01,585
(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
805
00:41:01,585 --> 00:41:04,505
(WHISTLING, CHEERING)
806
00:41:04,505 --> 00:41:05,548
(SPEAKING SWEDISH)
807
00:41:05,548 --> 00:41:08,216
Welcome everyone
808
00:41:08,216 --> 00:41:10,844
to this year's final edition
of Opopoppa
809
00:41:10,844 --> 00:41:14,014
here at Skansen Solliden.
810
00:41:14,014 --> 00:41:17,267
Taking the lead of this gang,
we have a gentleman
811
00:41:17,267 --> 00:41:20,437
who variously has been called
a musician, a critic,
812
00:41:20,437 --> 00:41:23,398
he has also been called
a spokesman of
a lost generation.
813
00:41:23,398 --> 00:41:25,984
He is called seducer,
he is called freak,
814
00:41:25,984 --> 00:41:28,486
perverted genius
and businessman.
815
00:41:28,486 --> 00:41:31,740
I am talking about Frank Zappa
and The Mothers of Invention.
816
00:41:31,740 --> 00:41:33,701
(CROWD CHEERING)
817
00:41:33,701 --> 00:41:35,703
(COUNTS SILENTLY)
818
00:41:35,703 --> 00:41:37,287
(ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)
819
00:41:48,882 --> 00:41:50,759
♪ The mystery man came over
820
00:41:50,759 --> 00:41:54,179
♪ And he said I'm outta sight
821
00:41:54,179 --> 00:41:57,223
♪ He said for
a nominal service charge
822
00:41:57,223 --> 00:42:00,477
♪ I could reach
nirvana tonight
823
00:42:00,477 --> 00:42:03,563
♪ If I was ready,
willing and able
824
00:42:03,563 --> 00:42:06,566
♪ To pay him his regular fee
825
00:42:06,566 --> 00:42:09,736
♪ He would drop all the rest
Of his pressing affairs
826
00:42:09,736 --> 00:42:11,780
♪ And devote
his attention to me
827
00:42:11,780 --> 00:42:13,574
♪ But I said
828
00:42:13,574 --> 00:42:15,492
♪ Look here, brother
829
00:42:18,161 --> 00:42:20,622
♪ Who you jivin'
with that Cosmik Debris?
830
00:42:20,622 --> 00:42:23,291
♪ Who you jivin'
with that Cosmik Debris?
831
00:42:26,461 --> 00:42:30,048
♪ Look here, brother
832
00:42:30,048 --> 00:42:32,384
♪ Don't you waste
your time on me ♪
833
00:43:13,216 --> 00:43:16,637
MALE INTERVIEWER:
Is commercial success
important to you, rather than
834
00:43:16,637 --> 00:43:19,723
making enough money to do
what you want to do?
835
00:43:19,723 --> 00:43:23,727
Well, commercial success
represents two things.
836
00:43:23,727 --> 00:43:25,646
One, it represents
dollars and cents,
837
00:43:25,646 --> 00:43:29,775
and two, it represents
reaching a large audience.
838
00:43:29,775 --> 00:43:33,445
Um... The dollars and cents
I'm comfortable
with right now,
839
00:43:33,445 --> 00:43:35,822
because I
manage to make enough
from the concert tours
840
00:43:35,822 --> 00:43:40,243
and so forth, publishing,
to pay for
the equipment that I use,
841
00:43:40,243 --> 00:43:43,663
and to pay the people
who are making the music.
842
00:43:43,663 --> 00:43:45,540
(CLEARS THROAT)
But the problem
843
00:43:45,540 --> 00:43:47,625
about reaching
a larger audience is...
844
00:43:47,625 --> 00:43:52,464
It's important to me because
more people know my
face from a poster
845
00:43:52,464 --> 00:43:58,053
or from doing an interview
on television or
radio or magazine,
846
00:43:58,053 --> 00:43:59,888
than have ever
heard the albums,
847
00:43:59,888 --> 00:44:01,724
or have ever seen
the group live, you know?
848
00:44:01,724 --> 00:44:03,349
So, it makes you wonder.
849
00:44:03,349 --> 00:44:07,062
I...
I'm famous, but most people
don't even know what I do.
850
00:44:07,062 --> 00:44:09,355
One, two,
one, two, three, four.
851
00:44:09,355 --> 00:44:12,734
(DYNAMIC, FAST-TEMPO
MUSIC PLAYING)
852
00:44:51,481 --> 00:44:52,816
(MUSIC STOPS)
853
00:44:52,816 --> 00:44:55,193
All right,
now that's the melody.
854
00:44:55,193 --> 00:44:56,528
Now, we're gonna play...
855
00:44:56,528 --> 00:44:57,863
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
856
00:44:57,863 --> 00:44:59,697
The melody will now be sung.
857
00:44:59,697 --> 00:45:02,450
Everybody is going
to sing their part.
858
00:45:02,450 --> 00:45:05,703
(CHUCKLES) One, two,
one, two, three, four.
859
00:45:05,703 --> 00:45:09,124
(MUSICIANS VOCALIZING MELODY)
860
00:45:26,141 --> 00:45:28,434
(VOCALIZING CONTINUES)
861
00:45:33,148 --> 00:45:35,358
Chester, you're not
singing your drum fills.
862
00:45:37,569 --> 00:45:39,362
FEMALE INTERVIEWER:
It's so incredibly ironic
863
00:45:39,362 --> 00:45:41,197
that there's so many people
that listen to your stuff
864
00:45:41,197 --> 00:45:42,908
and say, "Hey,
he must've been really stoned
865
00:45:42,908 --> 00:45:44,868
"to have thought that up."
That's because
866
00:45:44,868 --> 00:45:47,036
people are just not
accustomed to excellence.
867
00:45:48,872 --> 00:45:50,373
They're not
trained to it, you know?
868
00:45:50,373 --> 00:45:52,417
Because when you go to school,
869
00:45:52,417 --> 00:45:54,460
you're not given the criteria
by which to judge
870
00:45:54,460 --> 00:45:56,754
between quality
this or quality that.
871
00:45:56,754 --> 00:45:58,841
All they do is
teach you just enough
872
00:45:58,841 --> 00:46:01,259
to be some kind of a slug
in a factory, to do your job,
873
00:46:01,259 --> 00:46:03,344
so you can take
home a paycheck
874
00:46:03,344 --> 00:46:06,556
and consume some other stuff
that somebody else makes.
875
00:46:06,556 --> 00:46:09,350
And there's no emphasis
in schools in
the United States
876
00:46:09,350 --> 00:46:12,187
put on people...
877
00:46:12,187 --> 00:46:14,898
Preparing people
to live a life
878
00:46:14,898 --> 00:46:17,818
that has
beautiful things in it.
879
00:46:17,818 --> 00:46:22,780
You know, things that
might bring them
aesthetic enrichment.
880
00:46:22,780 --> 00:46:26,117
This is not
a major consideration
in the United States.
881
00:46:26,117 --> 00:46:29,078
How did you manage
to escape all that
negative brainwashing?
882
00:46:29,078 --> 00:46:31,456
I got out of school
as fast as I could.
883
00:46:31,456 --> 00:46:33,708
MALE INTERVIEWER:
Don't you feel miffed
884
00:46:33,708 --> 00:46:36,211
that you have this
stigma attached to you,
885
00:46:36,211 --> 00:46:40,506
from the younger crowd
that comes out
to your concerts,
886
00:46:40,506 --> 00:46:44,427
that you are into drugs,
and obviously you're not,
887
00:46:44,427 --> 00:46:47,014
or don't you feel
that you have that?
888
00:46:47,014 --> 00:46:49,599
Well, yeah,
it's kind of an affliction,
but that's not from the kids,
889
00:46:49,599 --> 00:46:51,768
that's from the media,
you know.
890
00:46:51,768 --> 00:46:53,561
It's another
way that the media
891
00:46:53,561 --> 00:46:55,897
keeps me from getting
my point of view across.
892
00:46:55,897 --> 00:46:59,025
The more abstract and weird
they make me look,
893
00:46:59,025 --> 00:47:03,863
the less access I have
to a normal channel
of communication
894
00:47:03,863 --> 00:47:07,325
with the people
who might benefit
from what I have to say.
895
00:47:07,325 --> 00:47:09,202
Which is one of the reasons
why I'm doing this.
896
00:47:09,202 --> 00:47:11,914
I feel very strongly
about my point of view.
897
00:47:11,914 --> 00:47:14,999
I think there are other people
that might agree with it,
if they heard it,
898
00:47:14,999 --> 00:47:17,210
and I'll do whatever I can
899
00:47:17,210 --> 00:47:20,421
to say my point of view
wherever it can be said.
900
00:47:20,421 --> 00:47:23,132
But you don't see me on
normal television very often.
901
00:47:23,132 --> 00:47:25,010
You don't hear the records
on the radio very often.
902
00:47:25,010 --> 00:47:26,844
If you read about
me in the papers,
903
00:47:26,844 --> 00:47:28,931
they write about me
like I'm a maniac.
904
00:47:28,931 --> 00:47:30,848
I'm not.
I'm 40 years old
and I'm normal.
905
00:47:30,848 --> 00:47:33,643
I got four kids, a house and
a mortgage, and all that crap.
906
00:47:33,643 --> 00:47:35,353
You know?
907
00:47:35,353 --> 00:47:37,022
I'm a...
And I'm an American citizen.
908
00:47:37,022 --> 00:47:38,064
I'm happy to be that way.
909
00:47:38,064 --> 00:47:40,650
I pay taxes and everything.
910
00:47:40,650 --> 00:47:43,236
Has it been hard
to juggle the career with
the family life?
911
00:47:43,236 --> 00:47:45,488
I know you've got...
You've got kids...
912
00:47:45,488 --> 00:47:47,950
Yeah,
I have a wife, four kids,
mortgage, the works.
913
00:47:47,950 --> 00:47:49,909
And? How is it?
Yeah, it's hard to juggle.
914
00:47:49,909 --> 00:47:52,245
Well, I've been married to
the same wife for 14 years.
915
00:47:52,245 --> 00:47:54,080
What's she like?
916
00:47:54,080 --> 00:47:56,416
Uh, she's a mean
little sucker.
917
00:47:56,416 --> 00:47:58,626
Oh, I bet she'd have to
be to put up with you.
918
00:47:58,626 --> 00:48:00,420
She's a...
She's an excellent
boss's wife.
919
00:48:00,420 --> 00:48:03,840
Everybody knows that
Gail is the boss's wife.
920
00:48:03,840 --> 00:48:05,591
And what are the kids like?
921
00:48:05,591 --> 00:48:08,219
How do they feel
about you as their dad?
922
00:48:08,219 --> 00:48:11,098
They like me.
923
00:48:11,098 --> 00:48:13,641
Do you end up spending a lot
of time with them, then?
924
00:48:13,641 --> 00:48:14,851
When I'm home.
925
00:48:15,560 --> 00:48:17,687
(CROWD CHEERING)
926
00:48:27,196 --> 00:48:29,032
(CHEERING CONTINUES)
927
00:48:40,043 --> 00:48:41,044
All right.
928
00:48:46,966 --> 00:48:50,053
I'm gonna tell
you one more time.
929
00:48:50,053 --> 00:48:53,056
I want to thank you
because I really
appreciate this.
930
00:48:53,056 --> 00:48:55,767
The name of this
song is Dinah-Moe Humm.
931
00:48:55,767 --> 00:48:57,560
One, two, three, four.
932
00:48:57,560 --> 00:48:59,437
(FAST-TEMPO
ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)
933
00:49:03,941 --> 00:49:05,777
♪ I couldn't say
where she's comin' from
934
00:49:05,777 --> 00:49:07,070
♪ But I just met
a lady named Dinah-Moe Humm
935
00:49:10,365 --> 00:49:12,283
♪ Strolled on over,
said, "Look here, bum
936
00:49:12,283 --> 00:49:14,410
♪ "I got a $40 bill
says you can't make me come
937
00:49:14,410 --> 00:49:16,621
♪ "No way!
You just can't do it"
938
00:49:16,621 --> 00:49:17,914
♪ She made a bet
with her sister
939
00:49:17,914 --> 00:49:19,374
♪ Who's a little bit dumb
940
00:49:19,374 --> 00:49:20,958
♪ She could prove at any time
All men was scum
941
00:49:23,961 --> 00:49:25,963
♪ I don't mind that
she called me a bum
942
00:49:25,963 --> 00:49:28,257
♪ But I knew right away
She was really gonna come
943
00:49:28,257 --> 00:49:31,053
♪ So I got down to it
944
00:49:31,053 --> 00:49:32,553
♪ Whipped off her bloomers
And stiffened my tongue
945
00:49:32,553 --> 00:49:33,596
♪ And applied rotation
to her sugar plumb
946
00:49:37,059 --> 00:49:39,143
♪ I poked and stroked
till my wrist got numb
947
00:49:39,143 --> 00:49:42,022
♪ Still didn't
hear no Dinah-Moe Humm
948
00:49:42,022 --> 00:49:44,232
♪ Dinah-Moe Humm
949
00:49:44,232 --> 00:49:45,858
♪ Dinah-Moe Humm,
Dinah-Moe Humm
950
00:49:45,858 --> 00:49:47,819
♪ Where's this
Dinah-Moe coming from?
951
00:49:47,819 --> 00:49:49,195
♪ I done spent three hours
And I ain't got a crumb
952
00:49:49,195 --> 00:49:50,655
♪ From the Dinah-Moe,
Dinah-Moe
953
00:49:50,655 --> 00:49:52,156
♪ Dinah-Moe, Dinah-Moe Humm
954
00:49:54,992 --> 00:49:57,412
♪ Got a spot that gets me hot
955
00:49:57,412 --> 00:49:58,663
♪ And you ain't been to it
956
00:49:58,663 --> 00:50:00,206
♪ Got a spot that gets me hot
957
00:50:00,206 --> 00:50:01,666
♪ And you ain't been to it
958
00:50:01,666 --> 00:50:03,376
♪ Got a spot that gets me hot
959
00:50:03,376 --> 00:50:05,087
♪ You ain't been to it
960
00:50:05,087 --> 00:50:06,671
♪ Got a spot that gets me hot
961
00:50:06,671 --> 00:50:08,423
♪ You ain't been to it
962
00:50:08,423 --> 00:50:12,135
♪ 'Cause I can't get into
it unless I get out of it
963
00:50:12,135 --> 00:50:15,012
♪ And I gotta get out of it
to get myself into it
964
00:50:15,012 --> 00:50:18,015
♪ I can't get into it
unless I get out of it
965
00:50:18,015 --> 00:50:21,727
♪ And I gotta get out of it
before I get into it
966
00:50:21,727 --> 00:50:24,647
♪ She looked over at
me with a glazed eye
967
00:50:24,647 --> 00:50:27,942
♪ And some bovine perspiration
On her upper lip area
968
00:50:27,942 --> 00:50:30,236
♪ And she said
969
00:50:30,236 --> 00:50:32,029
♪ And here's what she said
970
00:50:32,029 --> 00:50:34,365
♪ "Just get me wasted
and you're halfway there
971
00:50:34,365 --> 00:50:36,284
♪ "'Cause if my mind's tore up
972
00:50:36,284 --> 00:50:37,994
♪ "Well,
then my body won't care"
973
00:50:37,994 --> 00:50:42,124
♪ I rubbed my chinny-chin-chin
And said, "My, my, my
974
00:50:42,124 --> 00:50:45,376
♪ "What sort of thing
Might this lady
get high upon?"
975
00:50:45,376 --> 00:50:48,045
♪ The $40 bill
didn't matter no more
976
00:50:48,045 --> 00:50:51,507
♪ When her sister got naked
And laid on the floor
977
00:50:51,507 --> 00:50:54,886
♪ She said,
"Dinah-Moe might win the bet
978
00:50:54,886 --> 00:50:56,888
♪ "But she could use a little
(MAN SQUAWKS)
979
00:50:56,888 --> 00:50:58,431
♪ "If I wasn't dead yet"
980
00:50:58,431 --> 00:51:00,225
♪ I told her
just because the sun
981
00:51:00,225 --> 00:51:01,809
♪ Want a place in the sky
982
00:51:01,809 --> 00:51:05,272
♪ No reason to assume
I wouldn't give her a try
983
00:51:05,272 --> 00:51:07,023
♪ So I pulled on her hair
984
00:51:07,023 --> 00:51:08,858
♪ Got her legs in the air
985
00:51:08,858 --> 00:51:11,611
♪ And asked her if she had
any cooties in there... ♪
986
00:51:11,611 --> 00:51:13,404
FEMALE INTERVIEWER:
Frank, whatever
987
00:51:13,404 --> 00:51:15,072
happened to Popestock,
as you called it?
988
00:51:15,072 --> 00:51:16,991
When the Pope wanted us to...
989
00:51:16,991 --> 00:51:18,284
When the Pope thought
that maybe you would play
990
00:51:18,284 --> 00:51:19,952
at a huge benefit...
991
00:51:19,952 --> 00:51:21,078
Well, you have
to understand, it's...
992
00:51:21,078 --> 00:51:23,289
We're not talking about
the Pope that's in there now,
993
00:51:23,289 --> 00:51:25,541
and we're not talking about
the quickie guy who died,
994
00:51:25,541 --> 00:51:27,293
who was, you know,
just in there a little bit.
995
00:51:27,293 --> 00:51:31,130
It was the one before that,
who got in touch
with my former manager,
996
00:51:31,130 --> 00:51:34,091
and asked if we
would go to the Vatican
997
00:51:34,091 --> 00:51:37,262
and play a special
concert at the Vatican
998
00:51:37,262 --> 00:51:40,431
that would draw all these
children to the Vatican,
999
00:51:40,431 --> 00:51:42,892
so that he could
address them and deliver
his message to them.
1000
00:51:42,892 --> 00:51:44,810
And I refused to do it.
1001
00:51:44,810 --> 00:51:46,229
Oh, you refused to do it.
Yeah.
1002
00:51:46,229 --> 00:51:48,022
Why didn't you do it?
1003
00:51:48,022 --> 00:51:51,234
I don't do it for the Pope,
and I don't do it
for political leaders,
1004
00:51:51,234 --> 00:51:54,028
I don't do it for unions,
I don't do it
for organizations.
1005
00:51:54,028 --> 00:51:56,572
I do it for music.
1006
00:51:56,572 --> 00:51:58,616
We've been offered,
three or four times,
1007
00:51:58,616 --> 00:52:01,285
to play for the big
communist party
picnic in France,
1008
00:52:01,285 --> 00:52:03,704
you know, the...
Which is the big
1009
00:52:03,704 --> 00:52:05,456
social event there
they have every summer.
1010
00:52:05,456 --> 00:52:07,333
And they offer a lot of money.
1011
00:52:07,333 --> 00:52:09,294
You know, "We'll pay you.
Come and do this.
1012
00:52:09,294 --> 00:52:10,920
"Everybody will see you."
1013
00:52:10,920 --> 00:52:12,421
No, I don't want to
work for the Communists.
1014
00:52:12,421 --> 00:52:14,382
Fuck the Communists, you know.
1015
00:52:14,382 --> 00:52:16,884
I don't like those people.
1016
00:52:16,884 --> 00:52:20,222
And I do my music for
people who like music.
1017
00:52:20,222 --> 00:52:21,306
(MELLOW ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)
1018
00:52:21,306 --> 00:52:24,725
♪ Hey, there, well,
I'm Bobby Brown
1019
00:52:24,725 --> 00:52:28,354
♪ They say I'm
the cutest boy in town
1020
00:52:28,354 --> 00:52:30,398
♪ My car is fast
1021
00:52:30,398 --> 00:52:32,858
♪ My teeth is shiny
1022
00:52:32,858 --> 00:52:36,612
♪ I tell all the girls
they can kiss my heinie
1023
00:52:36,612 --> 00:52:40,199
♪ Here I am at a famous school
1024
00:52:40,199 --> 00:52:44,161
♪ I'm dressing sharp
and I'm acting cool
1025
00:52:44,161 --> 00:52:48,040
♪ I got a cheerleader here
Wants to help with my paper
1026
00:52:48,040 --> 00:52:51,752
♪ Let her do all the work
And maybe later I'll rape her
1027
00:52:51,752 --> 00:52:55,590
♪ Oh, God,
I am the American Dream
1028
00:52:55,590 --> 00:52:59,510
♪ I do not think
I'm too extreme
1029
00:52:59,510 --> 00:53:02,930
♪ And I'm a handsome
son of a bitch
1030
00:53:02,930 --> 00:53:05,350
♪ I'm gonna get a good job
1031
00:53:05,350 --> 00:53:07,435
♪ And be real rich... ♪
1032
00:53:12,399 --> 00:53:14,942
ZAPPA: They could never play
Bobby Brown on US radio.
1033
00:53:14,942 --> 00:53:17,320
It was successful because,
outside the US,
1034
00:53:17,320 --> 00:53:19,822
you know, the song
was played on the radio.
1035
00:53:19,822 --> 00:53:22,950
♪ People, I was not ready... ♪
1036
00:53:22,950 --> 00:53:26,162
ZAPPA: I'm not sure
that it was the lyrics
that really made it popular.
1037
00:53:26,162 --> 00:53:30,166
The place where it
took off first was Norway,
1038
00:53:30,166 --> 00:53:33,294
and the people liked the tune.
1039
00:53:33,294 --> 00:53:36,339
I remember going to Norway,
when the thing
was still a hit,
1040
00:53:36,339 --> 00:53:38,215
and going to a disco,
1041
00:53:38,215 --> 00:53:41,510
and seeing people
dancing close together,
like it was a ballad.
1042
00:53:41,510 --> 00:53:43,387
They were out on
the dance floor.
1043
00:53:43,387 --> 00:53:48,809
It was the song
to slow-dance to
in Norwegian discos.
1044
00:53:48,809 --> 00:53:51,812
It was
the largest-selling single
in CBS's history,
1045
00:53:51,812 --> 00:53:53,314
in Scandinavia, at that time.
1046
00:53:53,314 --> 00:53:55,566
♪ Am I a boy or a lady?
1047
00:53:55,566 --> 00:53:57,902
♪ I don't know which
1048
00:53:57,902 --> 00:54:01,656
♪ I wonder,
wonder, wonder, wonder
1049
00:54:01,656 --> 00:54:05,868
♪ So I went out and
bought me a leisure suit
1050
00:54:05,868 --> 00:54:09,246
♪ I jingle my change,
but I'm still kind of cute
1051
00:54:09,246 --> 00:54:13,626
♪ Got a job doing radio promo
1052
00:54:13,626 --> 00:54:17,422
♪ And none of the jocks
Can even tell I'm a homo
1053
00:54:17,422 --> 00:54:20,591
♪ Eventually, me and a friend
1054
00:54:20,591 --> 00:54:24,637
♪ Sorta drifted along into S&M
1055
00:54:24,637 --> 00:54:28,933
♪ I can take about an hour
On the tower of power
1056
00:54:28,933 --> 00:54:32,770
♪ Long as I get
a little golden shower
1057
00:54:32,770 --> 00:54:36,273
♪ Oh, God,
I am the American Dream
1058
00:54:36,273 --> 00:54:40,111
♪ With a spindle up my butt
Till it makes me scream
1059
00:54:40,111 --> 00:54:44,031
♪ And I'll do
anything to get ahead
1060
00:54:44,031 --> 00:54:47,660
♪ I lay awake nights saying,
"Thank you, Fred"
1061
00:54:47,660 --> 00:54:51,455
♪ Oh, God, oh, God,
I'm so fantastic
1062
00:54:51,455 --> 00:54:55,084
♪ Thanks to Freddy,
I'm a sexual spastic
1063
00:54:55,084 --> 00:54:58,629
♪ And my name is Bobby Brown
1064
00:54:58,629 --> 00:55:00,464
♪ Watch me now
1065
00:55:00,464 --> 00:55:02,717
♪ I'm going down
1066
00:55:02,717 --> 00:55:06,721
♪ And my name is Bobby Brown
1067
00:55:06,721 --> 00:55:10,475
♪ Watch me now,
I'm a-goin' down
1068
00:55:10,475 --> 00:55:13,978
♪ My name is Bobby Brown... ♪
1069
00:55:13,978 --> 00:55:16,897
(FUNKY INSTRUMENTAL
THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
1070
00:55:16,897 --> 00:55:18,899
That's Frank Zappa,
ladies and gentlemen,
1071
00:55:18,899 --> 00:55:21,444
one of the legends,
legendary man.
1072
00:55:21,444 --> 00:55:23,279
Used to watch this man
when I was just a kid.
1073
00:55:23,279 --> 00:55:26,157
Just a kid out there
in the slums of Beverly Hills.
1074
00:55:26,157 --> 00:55:29,201
And multi-faceted composer,
am I right?
1075
00:55:29,201 --> 00:55:30,369
Right.
1076
00:55:30,369 --> 00:55:31,787
HOST: How many songs
have you composed?
1077
00:55:31,787 --> 00:55:33,122
300.
HOST: You're kidding! 300?
1078
00:55:34,331 --> 00:55:35,416
Well, why would you
kid about that?
1079
00:55:35,416 --> 00:55:36,500
Master musician.
1080
00:55:36,500 --> 00:55:38,378
Film director, right?
1081
00:55:38,378 --> 00:55:39,462
Right.
Producer?
1082
00:55:39,462 --> 00:55:40,755
Yep.
Motion...
1083
00:55:40,755 --> 00:55:42,382
Not a motion picture,
but you're
1084
00:55:42,382 --> 00:55:43,716
kind of a record
company magnate.
1085
00:55:43,716 --> 00:55:45,009
You have your own building,
at this point?
1086
00:55:45,009 --> 00:55:46,510
Yes.
1087
00:55:46,510 --> 00:55:49,389
You always were a renegade
against the music business.
1088
00:55:49,389 --> 00:55:50,890
Why?
1089
00:55:50,890 --> 00:55:52,475
Because most of what
the music business does
1090
00:55:52,475 --> 00:55:53,100
is not musical.
1091
00:55:54,351 --> 00:55:55,686
What do you mean by that?
1092
00:55:55,686 --> 00:55:59,440
Because it's
designed to create product
and not to create music.
1093
00:55:59,440 --> 00:56:01,443
There's this
lack of integrity,
is what you're saying.
1094
00:56:01,443 --> 00:56:03,861
Well, the music business,
as a business,
1095
00:56:03,861 --> 00:56:06,947
is interested in doing things
that I'm not interested in.
1096
00:56:06,947 --> 00:56:08,699
HOST: All right,
here is Frank Zappa's
1097
00:56:08,699 --> 00:56:10,451
new album called
Tinseltown Rebellion.
1098
00:56:10,451 --> 00:56:13,245
Now, there's some very, very
interesting lyrics,
1099
00:56:13,245 --> 00:56:15,581
and I would like to
read some of them to you.
1100
00:56:15,581 --> 00:56:16,665
"Did you know that,
in Tinseltown..."
1101
00:56:16,665 --> 00:56:18,459
That's Hollywood, right?
1102
00:56:18,459 --> 00:56:20,420
"Hollywood,"
as they say out here.
1103
00:56:20,420 --> 00:56:23,088
"The people there
think substance is a bore
1104
00:56:23,088 --> 00:56:25,758
"And if your New Wave
group looks good
1105
00:56:25,758 --> 00:56:27,760
"They'll hurry
on back for more
1106
00:56:27,760 --> 00:56:29,720
"Of leather groups
and plastic groups
1107
00:56:29,720 --> 00:56:31,722
"And groups that
look real queer
1108
00:56:31,722 --> 00:56:36,268
"The Tinseltown aficionados
Come to see and not to hear."
1109
00:56:36,268 --> 00:56:38,187
That's pretty explicit,
isn't it?
Yeah.
1110
00:56:38,187 --> 00:56:39,772
In other words,
what are we saying?
1111
00:56:39,772 --> 00:56:42,900
That the lyrics have
the intellectual
consistency of toothpaste?
1112
00:56:42,900 --> 00:56:45,194
That guys just
want to make money?
1113
00:56:45,194 --> 00:56:46,362
The record guys?
Is that what
you're telling us?
1114
00:56:46,362 --> 00:56:48,113
I... Let me quote to you...
Please.
1115
00:56:48,113 --> 00:56:50,157
...from something
that I prepared
for Newsweek magazine,
1116
00:56:50,157 --> 00:56:52,117
which they have
since rejected.
1117
00:56:52,117 --> 00:56:54,328
I wrote this little
article for the section
1118
00:56:54,328 --> 00:56:56,413
in there that's
called "My Turn,"
1119
00:56:56,413 --> 00:56:59,250
and the name of
the article was Say Cheese.
1120
00:56:59,250 --> 00:57:02,044
And the whole idea of the
article is, we, as a nation,
1121
00:57:02,044 --> 00:57:04,839
have chosen cheese
as a way of life.
1122
00:57:04,839 --> 00:57:06,924
Everything that
we choose to do,
1123
00:57:06,924 --> 00:57:09,009
we always settle for
something that's cheesy,
1124
00:57:09,009 --> 00:57:11,053
because of some
economic expedient,
1125
00:57:11,053 --> 00:57:14,807
and we're too eager to believe
when people tell us
1126
00:57:14,807 --> 00:57:17,601
that budget-cutting is
the way to salvation,
1127
00:57:17,601 --> 00:57:20,563
that all we have to do is
cut the budget of something,
1128
00:57:20,563 --> 00:57:23,482
and everything will be okay.
This is wrong.
1129
00:57:23,482 --> 00:57:26,151
And we're not
concerned enough about
the quality of our lives.
1130
00:57:26,151 --> 00:57:29,363
I sense though
that there is a deep,
1131
00:57:29,363 --> 00:57:32,575
permanent, irreversible
cynicism in you.
1132
00:57:32,575 --> 00:57:34,702
And I wish that I could have
other people catch some of it.
1133
00:57:35,703 --> 00:57:38,330
(UPBEAT ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)
1134
00:57:39,999 --> 00:57:41,375
(MANIACAL LAUGHTER)
1135
00:57:44,503 --> 00:57:46,630
♪ I used to play
all kinds of stuff
1136
00:57:46,630 --> 00:57:49,383
♪ And some of it was nice
1137
00:57:49,383 --> 00:57:51,093
♪ Some of it was musical
1138
00:57:51,093 --> 00:57:53,345
♪ But then they
took some guy's advice
1139
00:57:53,345 --> 00:57:55,681
♪ To get
a record deal, he said
1140
00:57:55,681 --> 00:57:58,434
♪ They would
have to be more punk
1141
00:57:58,434 --> 00:58:00,144
♪ Forget their
chops and play real dumb
1142
00:58:00,144 --> 00:58:02,689
♪ Or else they would be sunk
1143
00:58:02,689 --> 00:58:04,691
♪ So off they go to S-I-R
1144
00:58:04,691 --> 00:58:06,483
♪ To learn some stupid riffs
1145
00:58:06,483 --> 00:58:08,402
♪ Oh, no
1146
00:58:08,402 --> 00:58:10,863
♪ No!
♪ Oh, no, no, no, no, no
1147
00:58:10,863 --> 00:58:14,199
♪ No!
♪ It's the '80s again
1148
00:58:14,199 --> 00:58:15,868
♪ No, no, no, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
1149
00:58:15,868 --> 00:58:17,786
♪ And when they
think they've got it
1150
00:58:17,786 --> 00:58:20,456
♪ They launch a new career
1151
00:58:20,456 --> 00:58:22,583
♪ Who gives a fuck
if what they play
1152
00:58:22,583 --> 00:58:24,544
♪ Is somewhat insincere?
1153
00:58:24,544 --> 00:58:27,589
♪ Let's dance
the blues again, get down
1154
00:58:27,589 --> 00:58:29,673
♪ Dance the blues again,
everybody
1155
00:58:29,673 --> 00:58:31,008
♪ Dance the blues again, hey
1156
00:58:31,842 --> 00:58:32,760
(POPS)
(WHISTLES)
1157
00:58:33,678 --> 00:58:35,512
(IMITATES EXPLOSION)
1158
00:58:35,512 --> 00:58:39,642
♪ I write the songs
That make
the young girls cry
1159
00:58:39,642 --> 00:58:40,851
(POPS)
1160
00:58:40,851 --> 00:58:43,103
(CRASHING)
1161
00:58:43,103 --> 00:58:45,522
♪ Did you know
that in Tinseltown
1162
00:58:45,522 --> 00:58:49,652
♪ The people down there think
That substance is a bore?
1163
00:58:49,652 --> 00:58:51,779
♪ And if your New Wave
group looks good
1164
00:58:51,779 --> 00:58:54,114
♪ Well, hurry on back for more
1165
00:58:54,114 --> 00:58:55,407
♪ Of leather groups
1166
00:58:55,407 --> 00:58:58,160
♪ Why do I
1167
00:58:58,160 --> 00:58:59,662
♪ Go rock you
like a nincompoop?
1168
00:59:03,583 --> 00:59:04,249
♪ And plastic groups
1169
00:59:05,793 --> 00:59:07,711
♪ Whip it good
(POPS)
1170
00:59:07,711 --> 00:59:09,463
(CACOPHONY OF NOTES PLAYING)
1171
00:59:11,507 --> 00:59:13,342
♪ And groups
that look real queer
1172
00:59:15,260 --> 00:59:19,766
♪ I'll tumble for ya,
I'll tumble for ya
1173
00:59:19,766 --> 00:59:20,766
♪ I'll tumble for
1174
00:59:24,019 --> 00:59:26,480
♪ Moo, moo-moo, moo, moo
1175
00:59:26,480 --> 00:59:28,691
♪ Moo, moo-moo, moo, moo
1176
00:59:28,691 --> 00:59:31,318
♪ Moo, moo-moo, moo, moo
Moo, moo-moo
1177
00:59:31,318 --> 00:59:32,778
♪ Moo Ann
1178
00:59:33,696 --> 00:59:35,572
♪ The Tinseltown aficionados
1179
00:59:35,572 --> 00:59:38,450
♪ Come to see and not to hear
1180
00:59:38,450 --> 00:59:41,495
♪ But then again, the system
Works as perfect as a dream
1181
00:59:41,495 --> 00:59:43,497
(GLISSANDO)
♪ It works for all of those
1182
00:59:43,497 --> 00:59:45,667
♪ Record company pricks
1183
00:59:45,667 --> 00:59:47,794
♪ Who come to skim the
1184
00:59:47,794 --> 00:59:49,628
(BAND PLAYING RIFF)
1185
00:59:49,628 --> 00:59:52,423
♪ Cream ♪
1186
00:59:52,423 --> 00:59:54,676
The thing that sets the
Americans apart from the rest
1187
00:59:54,676 --> 00:59:57,886
of the cultures in the world
is we're so fucking stupid.
1188
00:59:57,886 --> 00:59:59,722
This country's been around
for a couple hundred years,
1189
00:59:59,722 --> 01:00:01,432
and we think we're hot shit.
1190
01:00:01,432 --> 01:00:03,434
And they don't...
We don't even realize
1191
01:00:03,434 --> 01:00:05,644
that other countries
have thousands of years
1192
01:00:05,644 --> 01:00:09,064
of history and culture,
and they're proud of it.
1193
01:00:09,064 --> 01:00:11,900
And when we deal on an
international level, you know,
1194
01:00:11,900 --> 01:00:14,486
with foreign policy
and stuff like that,
1195
01:00:14,486 --> 01:00:17,781
and we try and go in as,
you know, a big American
1196
01:00:17,781 --> 01:00:19,616
strong country
and all that stuff,
1197
01:00:19,616 --> 01:00:22,704
they must laugh up
their sleeves at us,
because we are nothing.
1198
01:00:22,704 --> 01:00:23,746
We are culturally nothing.
1199
01:00:23,746 --> 01:00:25,164
We mean nothing.
1200
01:00:25,164 --> 01:00:28,459
We're only interested
in the bottom line.
1201
01:00:28,459 --> 01:00:31,713
You know, every other country
has their own art,
1202
01:00:31,713 --> 01:00:33,964
their own music,
their own theater,
1203
01:00:33,964 --> 01:00:36,008
their own drama,
their folk dances,
1204
01:00:36,008 --> 01:00:38,218
folk songs, folklore,
1205
01:00:38,218 --> 01:00:40,137
and it means
something to them,
and they're proud of it,
1206
01:00:40,137 --> 01:00:42,389
and that's their
ethnic heritage.
1207
01:00:42,389 --> 01:00:45,184
We have Levi's,
we have designer jeans,
1208
01:00:45,184 --> 01:00:47,770
we have hamburgers,
we have Coca-Cola,
1209
01:00:47,770 --> 01:00:51,273
we have REO Speedwagon,
we have Journey,
1210
01:00:51,273 --> 01:00:53,192
we have this one,
we have that one.
1211
01:00:53,192 --> 01:00:55,152
And then we go out
there and we say,
1212
01:00:55,152 --> 01:00:57,780
"Yeah, but we also have
neutron bombs and poison gas,
1213
01:00:57,780 --> 01:00:59,740
"so maybe that
makes up for it."
1214
01:00:59,740 --> 01:01:05,746
I mean,
it's really kind of sad
when you evaluate it that way.
1215
01:01:05,746 --> 01:01:09,750
And I think that a country
that doesn't do something
1216
01:01:09,750 --> 01:01:12,920
to sustain its culture,
whatever it is,
1217
01:01:12,920 --> 01:01:15,172
doesn't invest in it,
doesn't keep it happening,
1218
01:01:15,172 --> 01:01:17,883
isn't proud of it,
1219
01:01:17,883 --> 01:01:20,636
maybe they just
shouldn't exist,
1220
01:01:20,636 --> 01:01:22,763
because it's the culture
1221
01:01:22,763 --> 01:01:25,767
and the beautiful things
that a society produces,
1222
01:01:25,767 --> 01:01:27,727
those are the things
that should survive
1223
01:01:27,727 --> 01:01:32,648
for thousands of years,
not the designer jeans.
1224
01:01:32,648 --> 01:01:34,691
Tomorrow night,
the London Symphony Orchestra
1225
01:01:34,691 --> 01:01:37,486
are giving a concert at their
home in the Barbican Centre.
1226
01:01:37,486 --> 01:01:39,446
Nothing much new in that.
1227
01:01:39,446 --> 01:01:41,740
But what is new is that
the program of
orchestral music
1228
01:01:41,740 --> 01:01:43,951
they'll be playing
is music written by
1229
01:01:43,951 --> 01:01:47,329
the celebrated
American rock
star Frank Zappa,
1230
01:01:47,329 --> 01:01:49,832
a man once banned,
if you remember,
from the Royal Albert Hall
1231
01:01:49,832 --> 01:01:52,584
because his lyrics were
thought to be too obscene.
1232
01:01:52,584 --> 01:01:54,795
Robin Denselow's been looking
at the least known
1233
01:01:54,795 --> 01:01:58,132
and the least commercial
side of Zappa's art.
1234
01:01:58,132 --> 01:02:00,843
DENSELOW: Frank Zappa has been
quietly writing pieces
1235
01:02:00,843 --> 01:02:04,680
for a full orchestra,
alongside his
rock work, for years.
1236
01:02:04,680 --> 01:02:06,598
For their first
ever performance,
1237
01:02:06,598 --> 01:02:09,769
he's using the
London Symphony Orchestra
and so many musicians
1238
01:02:09,769 --> 01:02:12,062
that they might not fit
on the Barbican stage.
1239
01:02:12,062 --> 01:02:14,773
It's going to be difficult.
1240
01:02:14,773 --> 01:02:18,652
It's going to be maybe even
painful for some of them.
1241
01:02:18,652 --> 01:02:20,988
DENSELOW: The LSO are
rehearsing compositions
1242
01:02:20,988 --> 01:02:24,199
that Zappa has
written from 1975 on,
1243
01:02:24,199 --> 01:02:27,787
but which he is
only hearing now
for the first time.
1244
01:02:27,787 --> 01:02:31,123
The conductor, Kent Nagano,
mostly works in San Francisco
1245
01:02:31,123 --> 01:02:34,459
and was chosen by Zappa.
1246
01:02:34,459 --> 01:02:37,462
As the LSO grapple with
the highly complicated,
1247
01:02:37,462 --> 01:02:39,464
unusual rhythm structures,
1248
01:02:39,464 --> 01:02:43,635
Nagano agrees he's not
given them an easy time.
1249
01:02:43,635 --> 01:02:46,763
He regards the compositions
as very important.
1250
01:02:46,763 --> 01:02:48,975
For Zappa,
it doesn't seem to matter
1251
01:02:48,975 --> 01:02:51,560
that his simpler rock songs
are far better known
1252
01:02:51,560 --> 01:02:53,937
than these
serious compositions.
1253
01:02:53,937 --> 01:02:56,273
I think that
it's just as serious
1254
01:02:56,273 --> 01:02:58,901
to write a song
like Valley Girl
1255
01:02:58,901 --> 01:03:02,529
as it is to
write a ballet called
Mo 'n Herb's Vacation.
1256
01:03:02,529 --> 01:03:05,157
To me, they're equally
serious problems in music.
1257
01:03:05,157 --> 01:03:07,201
DENSELOW: Really? I mean,
one must take you, what,
1258
01:03:07,201 --> 01:03:10,997
a matter of days,
and the other
a matter of months and months.
1259
01:03:10,997 --> 01:03:12,664
Well, in the case
of Valley Girl,
1260
01:03:12,664 --> 01:03:15,459
it took me
a matter of moments,
but in the case of
1261
01:03:15,459 --> 01:03:17,294
some of the orchestra pieces,
they'll take, like,
1262
01:03:17,294 --> 01:03:19,463
six months to write,
but that doesn't mean
1263
01:03:19,463 --> 01:03:22,591
there's any less seriousness
involved in the construction
1264
01:03:22,591 --> 01:03:25,302
of each piece, because
they're for different mediums,
1265
01:03:25,302 --> 01:03:27,429
they're for
different audiences,
1266
01:03:27,429 --> 01:03:30,057
and they deal with different
kinds of musical problems.
1267
01:03:30,057 --> 01:03:32,809
DENSELOW: At the rehearsals,
Zappa sat out in the stalls,
1268
01:03:32,809 --> 01:03:35,437
but made sure that
Nagano and the orchestra
1269
01:03:35,437 --> 01:03:37,981
were always aware
of exactly what he wanted.
1270
01:03:37,981 --> 01:03:39,900
Why don't we split it up
with all 1-As doing that?
1271
01:03:39,900 --> 01:03:41,735
How about that?
Okay.
1272
01:03:41,735 --> 01:03:43,820
Um, excuse me.
(TAPPING STAND)
1273
01:03:43,820 --> 01:03:46,907
So could you take
a look please, everyone. 159.
1274
01:03:48,116 --> 01:03:50,744
Ready, and...
1275
01:03:50,744 --> 01:03:52,871
(ORCHESTRA PLAYING DRAMATIC,
DISCORDANT MUSIC)
1276
01:04:12,349 --> 01:04:13,809
NAGANO: Don't get ahead.
1277
01:04:13,809 --> 01:04:14,935
And...
1278
01:04:28,198 --> 01:04:31,785
Do you expect to
actually make any money
out of the concert
1279
01:04:31,785 --> 01:04:33,495
and the recordings
that you've come here
to make with the LSO?
1280
01:04:33,495 --> 01:04:35,122
No. No.
1281
01:04:35,122 --> 01:04:37,124
Why, then, do you do it?
1282
01:04:37,124 --> 01:04:40,460
Well,
I think that any artistic
decision that is based on
1283
01:04:40,460 --> 01:04:42,546
whether or not you're going
to make money is not really
1284
01:04:42,546 --> 01:04:46,968
an artistic decision,
it's a business decision.
1285
01:04:46,968 --> 01:04:49,886
And there are a lot of things
that I can do
to earn a living,
1286
01:04:49,886 --> 01:04:52,889
and a lot of things that I've
already done to earn a living,
1287
01:04:52,889 --> 01:04:55,225
which have produced
the amount of capital needed
1288
01:04:55,225 --> 01:04:56,810
to do this project.
1289
01:04:56,810 --> 01:05:00,355
I came here to spend money
on an English orchestra,
1290
01:05:00,355 --> 01:05:04,776
to record my music
so I can take it home
and I can listen to it.
1291
01:05:04,776 --> 01:05:07,989
And if somebody else
likes that kind of stuff,
1292
01:05:07,989 --> 01:05:11,533
I will make it
available on a record
so that they can hear it.
1293
01:05:11,533 --> 01:05:13,243
That is my part of
the public service
1294
01:05:13,243 --> 01:05:16,288
of spending the money
to make this event happen.
1295
01:05:16,288 --> 01:05:19,666
No foundation grant,
no government assistance,
1296
01:05:19,666 --> 01:05:23,003
no corporation, no committee,
1297
01:05:23,003 --> 01:05:28,133
just a crazy guy
who spent the money
to hire English musicians
1298
01:05:28,133 --> 01:05:31,303
to do a concert
at the Barbican
and make an album
1299
01:05:31,303 --> 01:05:33,555
for Barking Pumpkin Records.
1300
01:05:33,555 --> 01:05:36,016
Frank, is it good?
Is the music good?
1301
01:05:36,016 --> 01:05:38,352
I think it's fantastic.
1302
01:05:38,352 --> 01:05:40,103
MAN: And you're on.
1303
01:05:40,103 --> 01:05:41,855
All right, we're rolling.
1304
01:05:43,357 --> 01:05:44,983
Now what?
MAN: Just do it.
1305
01:05:44,983 --> 01:05:46,943
Do what?
MAN: Go in after, you know,
1306
01:05:46,943 --> 01:05:48,362
"The Constitution's
coming here."
1307
01:05:48,362 --> 01:05:49,696
You say,
"And this is Frank Zappa."
1308
01:05:49,696 --> 01:05:52,158
Okay.
MAN: Porn Wars, right?
1309
01:05:52,158 --> 01:05:56,162
This is Frank Zappa
with tonight's
edition of Porn Wars.
1310
01:05:56,162 --> 01:05:58,455
Has rock and roll
finally gone too far?
1311
01:05:58,455 --> 01:06:00,040
Well, a growing
number of people think so,
1312
01:06:00,040 --> 01:06:03,335
and today they took their case
to a US Senate hearing.
1313
01:06:03,335 --> 01:06:06,254
Their complaint?
That rock lyrics and videos
1314
01:06:06,254 --> 01:06:09,299
are crossing the line
into trash and smut.
1315
01:06:09,299 --> 01:06:12,886
Some parent
groups want to rate
rock records that may contain
1316
01:06:12,886 --> 01:06:15,639
objectionable material
the way movies are rated.
1317
01:06:15,639 --> 01:06:18,975
Tipper Gore, wife of
Tennessee Democratic
Senator Albert Gore,
1318
01:06:18,975 --> 01:06:21,395
called for
voluntary warning labels
1319
01:06:21,395 --> 01:06:24,106
on raunchy and
violent rock albums.
1320
01:06:24,106 --> 01:06:27,109
Frank Zappa was
one of the rock stars
who opposed the idea.
1321
01:06:27,109 --> 01:06:29,945
We now propose one
generic warning label
1322
01:06:29,945 --> 01:06:34,908
to inform consumers
in the marketplace
about lyric content.
1323
01:06:34,908 --> 01:06:38,120
The labels would
apply to all music.
1324
01:06:38,120 --> 01:06:41,706
The PMRC proposal is an
ill-conceived
piece of nonsense
1325
01:06:41,706 --> 01:06:45,127
which fails to
deliver any real
benefits to children,
1326
01:06:45,127 --> 01:06:48,547
infringes the civil liberties
of people who
are not children,
1327
01:06:48,547 --> 01:06:51,216
and promises to
keep the courts
busy for years dealing with
1328
01:06:51,216 --> 01:06:54,094
the interpretational
and enforcemental problems
1329
01:06:54,094 --> 01:06:55,971
inherent in
the proposal's design.
1330
01:06:57,556 --> 01:07:00,976
Zappa, whose albums are
often sexually explicit,
1331
01:07:00,976 --> 01:07:05,021
described Mrs. Gore
and her supporters as
"the wives of Big Brother."
1332
01:07:05,021 --> 01:07:08,692
You're taking
a very drastic step
toward national censorship.
1333
01:07:08,692 --> 01:07:12,237
And whenever
censorship is mentioned,
these wives go wild.
1334
01:07:12,237 --> 01:07:13,697
You know, it's like
The Emperor's New Clothes.
1335
01:07:13,697 --> 01:07:16,199
"Oh, this is not
censorship, no."
1336
01:07:16,199 --> 01:07:21,830
Censorship implies
restricting access
or suppressing content.
1337
01:07:21,830 --> 01:07:24,082
This proposal does neither.
1338
01:07:24,082 --> 01:07:26,042
And the media thinks,
"Well, they're very, you know,
1339
01:07:26,042 --> 01:07:28,044
"they wouldn't lie,
they're very cute,
they're from Washington."
1340
01:07:28,044 --> 01:07:30,422
Porn rock.
1341
01:07:30,422 --> 01:07:33,133
But if it looks
like censorship
and it smells like censorship,
1342
01:07:33,133 --> 01:07:35,136
it is censorship,
no matter whose wife is
talking about it.
1343
01:07:35,136 --> 01:07:37,304
It's censorship.
1344
01:07:37,304 --> 01:07:39,265
"Pyromania."
1345
01:07:39,265 --> 01:07:41,142
No question.
1346
01:07:41,142 --> 01:07:42,142
Burn a building.
1347
01:07:42,142 --> 01:07:44,853
Burn, burn, burn.
1348
01:07:44,853 --> 01:07:48,064
These right-wing people
have this fetish
about the right to life.
1349
01:07:48,064 --> 01:07:51,985
What about the right
to the life of an unborn idea?
1350
01:07:51,985 --> 01:07:54,070
How much are
you gonna miss out
on in the United States
1351
01:07:54,070 --> 01:07:57,073
if you won't let people think,
say what they think
1352
01:07:57,073 --> 01:08:00,619
and do something about it,
so that people who don't think
1353
01:08:00,619 --> 01:08:02,370
and are too busy
doing something else
1354
01:08:02,370 --> 01:08:06,125
can have the benefit
of the people who think?
1355
01:08:06,125 --> 01:08:10,171
It is a stupid waste
of resource to
take the ability
1356
01:08:10,171 --> 01:08:13,381
to think for yourself,
or to allow somebody
1357
01:08:13,381 --> 01:08:16,260
who might think for you
1358
01:08:16,260 --> 01:08:18,803
in a positive way
to generate ideas
1359
01:08:18,803 --> 01:08:20,181
that can turn
into something...
1360
01:08:20,181 --> 01:08:22,182
Income for instance,
1361
01:08:22,182 --> 01:08:24,185
to stop that from happening.
1362
01:08:24,185 --> 01:08:25,769
It is
incredibly short-sighted.
1363
01:08:27,270 --> 01:08:28,897
HAWKINS: That's...
1364
01:08:28,897 --> 01:08:29,689
ZAPPA: Yes.
1365
01:08:31,316 --> 01:08:32,776
You say you
have four children?
1366
01:08:32,776 --> 01:08:34,110
ZAPPA: Yes.
Pardon me?
1367
01:08:34,110 --> 01:08:35,904
ZAPPA: Four children.
Four children.
1368
01:08:35,904 --> 01:08:38,199
Have you ever purchased toys
for those children?
1369
01:08:38,199 --> 01:08:40,867
ZAPPA: No, my wife does.
1370
01:08:40,867 --> 01:08:45,163
Well... I might tell you
that if you were to
go in a toy store,
1371
01:08:45,163 --> 01:08:47,832
which is very educational
for fathers, by the way,
1372
01:08:47,832 --> 01:08:52,087
it's not
a maternal responsibility
1373
01:08:52,087 --> 01:08:55,966
to buy toys for children,
that you may look on the box
1374
01:08:55,966 --> 01:08:58,510
and the box says,
"This is suitable for
1375
01:08:58,510 --> 01:09:02,514
"five to seven years of age,"
or "Eight to 15"
1376
01:09:02,514 --> 01:09:05,350
or "15 and above,"
1377
01:09:05,350 --> 01:09:10,021
to give you some guidance
for a toy for a child.
1378
01:09:10,021 --> 01:09:11,690
Do you object to that?
1379
01:09:13,400 --> 01:09:15,694
In a way, I do.
1380
01:09:15,694 --> 01:09:18,405
Because that means
that somebody in
an office someplace
1381
01:09:18,405 --> 01:09:22,450
is telling...
Making the decision
about how smart my child is.
1382
01:09:22,450 --> 01:09:23,577
(CROWD LAUGHING)
1383
01:09:25,579 --> 01:09:29,332
HAWKINS:
I'd be interested to see
what toys your kids ever had.
1384
01:09:29,332 --> 01:09:31,126
Why would you be interested?
1385
01:09:31,126 --> 01:09:33,169
HAWKINS: Just as
a point of interest in this...
1386
01:09:33,169 --> 01:09:35,171
Well,
come on over to the house,
I'll show them to you.
1387
01:09:35,171 --> 01:09:36,423
(CROWD LAUGHING)
1388
01:09:45,391 --> 01:09:46,391
ZAPPA: Really.
1389
01:09:46,391 --> 01:09:47,309
I... I might do that.
1390
01:09:47,309 --> 01:09:48,560
(CROWD LAUGHING)
1391
01:09:50,604 --> 01:09:55,234
Have you ever made...
Do you make a profit
from sales of rock records?
1392
01:09:55,234 --> 01:09:55,984
ZAPPA: Yes.
1393
01:09:57,360 --> 01:09:59,487
So you do make a profit
from sales of rock records.
1394
01:09:59,487 --> 01:10:00,363
ZAPPA: Yes. Mmm-hmm.
1395
01:10:02,490 --> 01:10:05,243
Thank you.
I think that statement
1396
01:10:05,243 --> 01:10:08,330
tells the story
to this committee.
1397
01:10:08,330 --> 01:10:09,205
Thank you.
(CROWD MURMURING)
1398
01:10:13,501 --> 01:10:15,337
(CROSSFIRE THEME PLAYING)
1399
01:10:15,337 --> 01:10:16,254
ANNOUNCER: Crossfire.
1400
01:10:16,254 --> 01:10:18,256
On the left, Tom Braden.
1401
01:10:18,256 --> 01:10:20,342
On the right, Robert Novak.
1402
01:10:20,342 --> 01:10:24,305
In the crossfire,
Washington Times
columnist John Lofton
1403
01:10:24,305 --> 01:10:26,514
and rock musician Frank Zappa.
1404
01:10:26,514 --> 01:10:28,475
But why do you underestimate
the power of words?
1405
01:10:28,475 --> 01:10:31,186
Words have consequences.
1406
01:10:31,186 --> 01:10:32,771
They have impact on people.
1407
01:10:32,771 --> 01:10:34,689
Now, I agree with
you that the first line
1408
01:10:34,689 --> 01:10:38,318
of responsibility
is the family to stop
the kind of garbage
1409
01:10:38,318 --> 01:10:39,778
that we're talking
about here today,
1410
01:10:39,778 --> 01:10:41,488
but good grief,
can't we call on
1411
01:10:41,488 --> 01:10:44,157
our government to help us
in this fight, Frank?
1412
01:10:44,157 --> 01:10:46,076
I mean, you have kids.
Are you an anarchist?
1413
01:10:46,076 --> 01:10:48,745
Is it the government's role
to do nothing about this?
1414
01:10:48,745 --> 01:10:50,538
No, I'm a conservative,
and you may not
like that, but I am.
1415
01:10:50,538 --> 01:10:53,041
What is the function
of government, Frank,
the civil government?
1416
01:10:53,041 --> 01:10:54,876
Isn't it to,
in part, promote
1417
01:10:54,876 --> 01:10:58,297
the general welfare
and to help protect families?
1418
01:10:58,297 --> 01:11:00,173
Does the government have
any purpose, Frank?
1419
01:11:00,173 --> 01:11:02,258
Yeah, it has a number
of purposes.
What? What is it?
1420
01:11:02,258 --> 01:11:03,718
Name one.
I'm not gonna give you
a civics lesson here,
1421
01:11:03,718 --> 01:11:04,678
but I'll tell you one thing.
Yeah.
1422
01:11:04,678 --> 01:11:06,471
We must not see eye to eye
1423
01:11:06,471 --> 01:11:08,765
on the idea of a government
that must forbid things
1424
01:11:08,765 --> 01:11:10,183
in order to protect families.
1425
01:11:10,183 --> 01:11:11,267
Really? What is
the government's role?
1426
01:11:11,267 --> 01:11:13,395
You've told me several times
what it shouldn't do.
1427
01:11:13,395 --> 01:11:14,813
How about national defense
and making sure things...
1428
01:11:14,813 --> 01:11:16,731
Yeah, I consider this
national defense, pal.
1429
01:11:16,731 --> 01:11:20,944
Our families are under attack
from people like you
with these lyrics.
1430
01:11:20,944 --> 01:11:22,321
BRADEN: John,
you don't have to bite him.
1431
01:11:22,321 --> 01:11:23,780
NOVAK: Mr. Zappa...
1432
01:11:23,780 --> 01:11:25,365
Could I make a statement
about national defense?
1433
01:11:25,365 --> 01:11:26,950
Yeah.
1434
01:11:26,950 --> 01:11:28,243
The biggest
threat to America today
1435
01:11:28,243 --> 01:11:30,286
is not communism,
it's moving America
1436
01:11:30,286 --> 01:11:32,498
toward a fascist theocracy.
1437
01:11:32,498 --> 01:11:33,832
And everything that's happened
1438
01:11:33,832 --> 01:11:35,458
during the Reagan
administration
1439
01:11:35,458 --> 01:11:37,210
is steering us
right down that pipe.
1440
01:11:37,210 --> 01:11:38,545
NOVAK: Oh, Mr.
Zappa, do you... Do you...
1441
01:11:38,545 --> 01:11:40,088
Yes, Mr. Zappa.
1442
01:11:40,088 --> 01:11:41,715
BRADEN: Wait a minute.
In what way?
1443
01:11:41,715 --> 01:11:43,509
Give me... Give me one...
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
1444
01:11:43,509 --> 01:11:46,553
One example, one example
of a fascist theocracy.
1445
01:11:46,553 --> 01:11:48,555
When you have a government
1446
01:11:48,555 --> 01:11:52,016
that prefers
a certain moral code
1447
01:11:52,016 --> 01:11:54,144
derived from
a certain religion,
1448
01:11:54,144 --> 01:11:57,856
and that moral code turns into
legislation to suit
1449
01:11:57,856 --> 01:11:58,857
one certain
religious point of view...
1450
01:11:58,857 --> 01:12:00,233
NOVAK: Mr. Zappa. Mr. Zappa.
1451
01:12:00,233 --> 01:12:02,193
...and if that code...
NOVAK: Frank.
1452
01:12:02,193 --> 01:12:04,904
...happens to be very,
very right-wing,
1453
01:12:04,904 --> 01:12:07,198
almost toward
Attila the Hun...
1454
01:12:07,198 --> 01:12:08,867
Well, then you
are an anarchist.
1455
01:12:08,867 --> 01:12:12,787
Every form of civil government
is based on some
kind of morality, Frank.
1456
01:12:12,787 --> 01:12:15,290
Morality in
terms of behavior...
1457
01:12:15,290 --> 01:12:17,792
LOFTON: Well, of course.
...not in terms of theology.
1458
01:12:17,792 --> 01:12:21,463
Rock and roll is here to stay,
but it will never
make everyone happy,
1459
01:12:21,463 --> 01:12:25,133
and the latest
controversy involves
sexual and violent lyrics.
1460
01:12:25,133 --> 01:12:27,844
A number of parents groups
want warning
labels on records.
1461
01:12:27,844 --> 01:12:30,431
Today, as NBC's
Robert Hager reports now,
1462
01:12:30,431 --> 01:12:33,517
the record industry
came up with its own solution.
1463
01:12:33,517 --> 01:12:35,226
HAGER: The record
industry has agreed
1464
01:12:35,226 --> 01:12:37,061
to a voluntary
self-policing code
1465
01:12:37,061 --> 01:12:40,231
by which warning labels
can now be stuck on albums
1466
01:12:40,231 --> 01:12:43,777
with explicit
lyrics on topics like
sex, drugs and violence.
1467
01:12:43,777 --> 01:12:45,820
But the biggest
warning sticker in town
1468
01:12:45,820 --> 01:12:47,947
is on the new
album by Frank Zappa.
1469
01:12:47,947 --> 01:12:51,117
He stuck it on himself
to guarantee, as he puts it,
1470
01:12:51,117 --> 01:12:54,370
that it won't "cause eternal
torment in the place
1471
01:12:54,370 --> 01:12:56,623
"where the guy
with the pointed
stick conducts his business."
1472
01:12:56,623 --> 01:12:58,416
♪ ...friend
1473
01:12:58,416 --> 01:13:01,377
♪ When the lies get so big
1474
01:13:01,377 --> 01:13:03,797
♪ And the fog gets so thick
1475
01:13:05,006 --> 01:13:09,302
♪ And the facts disappear
1476
01:13:09,302 --> 01:13:12,472
♪ The Republican trick
1477
01:13:12,472 --> 01:13:15,809
♪ Can be played out again
1478
01:13:15,809 --> 01:13:19,729
♪ People, please tell me when
1479
01:13:19,729 --> 01:13:25,401
♪ We'll be rid of these men
1480
01:13:27,529 --> 01:13:32,492
♪ Just who do they really
Suppose that they are?
1481
01:13:34,702 --> 01:13:40,625
♪ And how do they
manage to travel as far
1482
01:13:40,625 --> 01:13:44,087
♪ As they seem to have come?
1483
01:13:44,087 --> 01:13:50,677
♪ Were we really that dumb?
1484
01:13:52,471 --> 01:13:54,514
♪ People, wake up
1485
01:13:55,473 --> 01:13:58,601
♪ Figure it out
1486
01:13:58,601 --> 01:14:01,980
♪ Religious fanatics
1487
01:14:01,980 --> 01:14:05,651
♪ Around and about
1488
01:14:05,651 --> 01:14:08,862
♪ The courthouse,
the statehouse
1489
01:14:08,862 --> 01:14:12,574
♪ The Congress,
the White House
1490
01:14:12,574 --> 01:14:15,535
♪ Criminal saints
1491
01:14:15,535 --> 01:14:19,498
♪ With a heavenly mission
1492
01:14:19,498 --> 01:14:22,626
♪ A nation enraptured
1493
01:14:22,626 --> 01:14:25,879
♪ By pure superstition
1494
01:14:25,879 --> 01:14:30,216
♪ Is everybody happy? ♪
1495
01:14:41,769 --> 01:14:45,481
WOMAN: Very few rock musicians
have been as controversial
as Frank Zappa,
1496
01:14:45,481 --> 01:14:48,192
but there is no
controversy about his talent
1497
01:14:48,192 --> 01:14:51,237
or about his role
as a rock-and-roll innovator.
1498
01:14:51,237 --> 01:14:54,575
So today, we will be at home
with Frank Zappa.
1499
01:14:54,575 --> 01:14:56,868
Frank,
how are you this morning?
1500
01:14:56,868 --> 01:14:59,287
Boy, you know, I don't like
to get up this early,
that's for sure.
1501
01:14:59,287 --> 01:15:00,538
(SMITH CHUCKLES)
1502
01:15:00,538 --> 01:15:04,375
You got a Grammy
for Jazz from Hell.
1503
01:15:04,375 --> 01:15:08,254
Is it... Does that mean
anything extra to you?
1504
01:15:08,254 --> 01:15:10,715
Well, I think that it's,
you know, living proof
1505
01:15:10,715 --> 01:15:12,884
that the whole
process is a fraud.
1506
01:15:12,884 --> 01:15:16,555
This is a little plastic joke,
the Grammy itself.
1507
01:15:16,555 --> 01:15:19,474
I got it for a song
called Jazz from Hell,
1508
01:15:19,474 --> 01:15:22,518
which I'm convinced
nobody has ever heard,
1509
01:15:22,518 --> 01:15:25,688
and I don't know
why they gave me
a Grammy for this song.
1510
01:15:25,688 --> 01:15:30,234
It was the most
obscure track on a CD
called Jazz from Hell.
1511
01:15:30,234 --> 01:15:33,112
SMITH: We're in
a different part of the house.
1512
01:15:33,112 --> 01:15:35,949
Looks like you've got
an entire studio set up there.
1513
01:15:35,949 --> 01:15:38,619
That's right.
1514
01:15:38,619 --> 01:15:40,411
SMITH: You may...
I'll just walk over here.
1515
01:15:40,411 --> 01:15:42,080
SMITH: Yeah, yeah,
let's look
around a little bit.
1516
01:15:42,080 --> 01:15:43,957
Yeah.
SMITH: There's something
1517
01:15:43,957 --> 01:15:45,541
you're sitting by now
1518
01:15:45,541 --> 01:15:47,877
that I'm not even
sure how to pronounce it.
1519
01:15:47,877 --> 01:15:49,712
Can you explain it?
1520
01:15:49,712 --> 01:15:52,340
Well, it's a machine
called a Synclavier,
which is...
1521
01:15:52,340 --> 01:15:54,300
This is the machine
that produced
1522
01:15:54,300 --> 01:15:56,636
that Grammy award-winning
song Jazz from Hell.
1523
01:15:56,636 --> 01:15:58,262
(SMITH LAUGHS)
1524
01:15:58,262 --> 01:16:00,139
SMITH: That some...
That everyone is humming
1525
01:16:00,139 --> 01:16:02,433
on the way to
work this morning.
Yeah.
1526
01:16:02,433 --> 01:16:03,518
SMITH: What...
What does the machine do?
1527
01:16:03,518 --> 01:16:05,687
How does it work?
1528
01:16:05,687 --> 01:16:09,607
Well, it allows you to, um,
perform on the keyboard.
1529
01:16:09,607 --> 01:16:12,151
You could play a composition
on the keyboard
1530
01:16:12,151 --> 01:16:14,237
which is then stored
in the computer memory,
1531
01:16:14,237 --> 01:16:16,489
and then you edit
what you played,
1532
01:16:16,489 --> 01:16:19,867
or you can type in information
on this keypad here
1533
01:16:20,660 --> 01:16:22,746
and edit what you played.
1534
01:16:22,746 --> 01:16:24,288
(PERCUSSION RIFF PLAYS)
1535
01:16:26,666 --> 01:16:28,626
The sequence
that's in here now
sounds like this.
1536
01:16:31,713 --> 01:16:33,715
(PERCUSSION RIFF PLAYING)
1537
01:16:42,015 --> 01:16:44,267
Okay, let's say you happen
to think that that was
1538
01:16:44,267 --> 01:16:47,562
really a good groove,
and you wanted to
1539
01:16:47,562 --> 01:16:49,773
have that played by something
other than a drum set.
1540
01:16:49,773 --> 01:16:51,566
Just go to the back again
1541
01:16:51,566 --> 01:16:53,860
and look for
some other kind of
a noise to play it back.
1542
01:16:55,611 --> 01:16:57,030
How about, um...
1543
01:16:57,030 --> 01:16:59,240
(SUCKS TEETH)
1544
01:16:59,240 --> 01:17:02,410
Let's take spastic...
Mmm, spastic droopers is okay.
1545
01:17:06,372 --> 01:17:09,042
(PERCUSSION AND
HORN RIFF PLAYING)
1546
01:17:12,170 --> 01:17:14,714
SMITH: Do you ever
think the electronics
1547
01:17:14,714 --> 01:17:17,633
and the microchips can kind of
get in the way, though,
1548
01:17:17,633 --> 01:17:20,428
of the actual
true music itself,
1549
01:17:20,428 --> 01:17:23,724
or what you're
really trying to get at?
1550
01:17:23,724 --> 01:17:26,727
No, actually it improves it by
subtracting the human element,
1551
01:17:26,727 --> 01:17:29,562
which is the most unreliable
part of doing music.
1552
01:17:29,562 --> 01:17:31,815
(LAUGHS) I thought
that was supposed to be
1553
01:17:31,815 --> 01:17:33,692
part of the creative
process though.
1554
01:17:33,692 --> 01:17:36,235
Employing musicians?
Hell, no.
1555
01:17:36,235 --> 01:17:38,863
(FRANTIC ELECTRONIC
MUSIC PLAYING)
1556
01:18:15,441 --> 01:18:17,235
(MAN SPEAKING IN CZECH)
1557
01:18:17,235 --> 01:18:20,363
10:30 a.m. one of the most
influential personalities
of the rock world
1558
01:18:21,656 --> 01:18:23,116
steps out of the plane,
1559
01:18:23,991 --> 01:18:26,744
the 49 year old Frank Zappa.
1560
01:18:26,744 --> 01:18:31,332
ZAPPA: Never before,
in 25 years in rock and roll
1561
01:18:31,332 --> 01:18:35,545
have I gotten
off of an airplane
and seen anything like that.
1562
01:18:35,545 --> 01:18:37,380
(CROWD CHANTING)
(SPEAKING IN CZECH)
1563
01:18:37,380 --> 01:18:39,841
How long have you been
waiting for this?
My whole life.
1564
01:18:40,716 --> 01:18:43,177
I am here to see my prince.
1565
01:18:45,638 --> 01:18:49,851
I feel so tired,
but so happy to be in Prague,
but I'll bet
1566
01:18:49,851 --> 01:18:52,937
I don't feel as
happy as you do
to have a brand new country.
1567
01:18:52,937 --> 01:18:56,440
And I give you
my congratulations
on your political success.
1568
01:18:56,440 --> 01:18:58,359
(CROWD CHEERING)
(MAN SPEAKING IN CZECH)
1569
01:18:58,359 --> 01:19:01,070
What I would say to Zappa?
1570
01:19:01,070 --> 01:19:04,615
We started playing
his music in 1972
1571
01:19:04,615 --> 01:19:08,035
with our band "Elektrobus"
and were hunted
by the police for that.
1572
01:19:08,035 --> 01:19:12,833
When we were interrogated
the cops told us:
1573
01:19:12,833 --> 01:19:16,794
We will take your Zappa away,
you will not spread
his ideology here.
1574
01:19:16,794 --> 01:19:21,757
Obviously they looked at him
as a political ideologist,
1575
01:19:21,757 --> 01:19:25,052
kind of an anti-communist
leader of an ideologically
alternative group.
1576
01:19:26,345 --> 01:19:27,763
(REPORTER SPEAKING IN CZECH)
1577
01:19:27,763 --> 01:19:31,642
Today president Vaclav Havel
welcomed Frank Zappa
1578
01:19:31,642 --> 01:19:35,813
the leading representative
of rock music at the castle.
1579
01:19:35,813 --> 01:19:38,774
The friendly
and informal atmosphere
was supported by the fact
1580
01:19:38,774 --> 01:19:41,777
that the president
knew Zappa's music very well.
1581
01:19:41,777 --> 01:19:44,363
Is Mr. Havel the first
president you've met in
your life personally?
1582
01:19:44,363 --> 01:19:45,239
Yes.
1583
01:19:46,657 --> 01:19:47,783
ZAPPA:
There's no official title.
1584
01:19:47,783 --> 01:19:49,827
In fact, I don't think
they've ever invented a name
1585
01:19:49,827 --> 01:19:51,913
for what it is that I expect
to be doing for them.
1586
01:19:51,913 --> 01:19:55,082
They want me to help
them to develop trade,
1587
01:19:55,082 --> 01:19:57,668
tourism and things
in the cultural field.
1588
01:19:59,503 --> 01:20:01,797
Even if I'm doing something
like a business deal,
1589
01:20:01,797 --> 01:20:03,633
it is a type of composition.
1590
01:20:03,633 --> 01:20:04,842
I view the whole
thing as composition.
1591
01:20:08,387 --> 01:20:11,766
MAN: Mr. Zappa,
can you tell me
what this contract is about?
1592
01:20:11,766 --> 01:20:16,145
It is to release records,
CDs, and cassettes
1593
01:20:16,145 --> 01:20:18,564
of my music, in Czechoslovakia
for the first time.
1594
01:20:18,564 --> 01:20:19,899
Legally.
1595
01:20:19,899 --> 01:20:22,944
(CROWD APPLAUDING)
1596
01:20:22,944 --> 01:20:26,447
I've been playing music
in the United States
for 25 years.
1597
01:20:26,447 --> 01:20:29,825
Most people in that country
don't even know what I do,
1598
01:20:29,825 --> 01:20:32,703
and they would be shocked
to see these people
1599
01:20:32,703 --> 01:20:35,581
standing here,
listening to me, right now.
1600
01:20:35,581 --> 01:20:38,042
They would
think you are crazy.
1601
01:20:38,042 --> 01:20:43,172
You have a lot of fans here,
so if you fuck up
it in America,
1602
01:20:43,172 --> 01:20:46,550
so, then, you can rely on
your Czech listeners.
1603
01:20:47,843 --> 01:20:49,888
(MUSIC PLAYING)
MAN: Can you sing the number?
1604
01:20:49,888 --> 01:20:51,764
Frankie!
1605
01:20:51,764 --> 01:20:53,015
♪ Love of my life
1606
01:20:53,015 --> 01:20:54,141
(CROWD CHEERING)
1607
01:20:54,141 --> 01:20:57,895
♪ I love you so
1608
01:20:57,895 --> 01:21:00,398
♪ Love of my life
1609
01:21:00,398 --> 01:21:04,277
♪ Don't ever go
1610
01:21:04,277 --> 01:21:06,988
♪ I love you only
1611
01:21:06,988 --> 01:21:12,243
♪ Love, love of my life ♪
1612
01:21:12,243 --> 01:21:15,454
You know, they won't play this
on the radio in America.
1613
01:21:17,456 --> 01:21:19,166
♪ Love of my life
1614
01:21:20,084 --> 01:21:22,628
♪ I love you so... ♪
1615
01:21:22,628 --> 01:21:25,089
(TAPE REWINDING)
1616
01:21:25,089 --> 01:21:27,466
(BLUESY RIFF PLAYING ON TAPE)
1617
01:21:29,343 --> 01:21:32,179
♪ Took Ike's watch
like they always do... ♪
1618
01:21:34,056 --> 01:21:35,725
(CROWD NOISE PLAYING ON TAPE)
1619
01:21:35,725 --> 01:21:36,935
(DRUMBEAT PLAYS ON TAPE)
1620
01:21:36,935 --> 01:21:38,644
(VOCALIZING)
1621
01:21:41,940 --> 01:21:42,815
(ELECTRIC GUITAR
RIFF BLASTS ON TAPE)
1622
01:21:49,030 --> 01:21:50,156
(DRUMS PLAYING ON TAPE)
1623
01:21:51,032 --> 01:21:52,325
♪ Draws ♪
1624
01:21:53,075 --> 01:21:54,952
(ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)
1625
01:21:56,996 --> 01:21:59,165
ZAPPA: There's two things
you ought to consider here.
1626
01:21:59,165 --> 01:22:02,043
One is the possibility
that the whole body of my work
1627
01:22:02,043 --> 01:22:03,127
is one composition.
MAN: Right.
1628
01:22:03,127 --> 01:22:07,132
And only separated
into individual tracks,
1629
01:22:07,132 --> 01:22:10,051
so to speak, because I'm
releasing it on records,
1630
01:22:10,051 --> 01:22:12,595
and it takes me
years to put it together.
1631
01:22:12,595 --> 01:22:16,098
But, if I was all done,
and you stuck it all together,
1632
01:22:16,098 --> 01:22:18,726
it's one composition,
basically.
1633
01:22:18,726 --> 01:22:22,396
And a theme that
started off in,
you know, on the first record,
1634
01:22:22,396 --> 01:22:26,400
could just as easily occur,
later on, with
1635
01:22:28,153 --> 01:22:30,988
no... No reason other than,
1636
01:22:30,988 --> 01:22:33,824
since the whole mass of work
is one composition,
1637
01:22:33,824 --> 01:22:37,411
why can't you
recapitulate a theme
that started off years ago?
1638
01:22:38,954 --> 01:22:41,123
(PERCUSSION PLAYING RHYTHM)
1639
01:22:41,123 --> 01:22:43,292
(ORCHESTRA PLAYING SELECTION
FROM YELLOW SHARK)
1640
01:23:25,793 --> 01:23:28,587
I wound up with
a style of music
that has snorks, burps,
1641
01:23:28,587 --> 01:23:31,924
uh, and dissonant chords,
1642
01:23:31,924 --> 01:23:34,927
and nice tunes and triads
1643
01:23:34,927 --> 01:23:38,305
and straight rhythms
and complicated rhythms,
1644
01:23:38,305 --> 01:23:41,016
and just about anything,
in any order.
1645
01:23:41,016 --> 01:23:43,061
MAN: Right.
1646
01:23:43,061 --> 01:23:46,106
And the easiest way
to sum up the aesthetic
would be,
1647
01:23:46,106 --> 01:23:50,193
anything, anytime, anyplace,
for no reason at all.
1648
01:23:50,193 --> 01:23:52,445
And I think with
an aesthetic like that,
1649
01:23:52,445 --> 01:23:55,990
you can have
pretty good latitude
for being creative.
1650
01:23:55,990 --> 01:23:57,616
(YELLOW SHARK CONTINUES)
1651
01:24:07,793 --> 01:24:08,502
(MUSIC STOPS)
1652
01:24:10,546 --> 01:24:12,673
MAN: What is wrong with it?
1653
01:24:12,673 --> 01:24:13,799
No, no...
MAN: No.
1654
01:24:15,718 --> 01:24:18,220
In my band, when somebody
would make a mistake
1655
01:24:18,220 --> 01:24:21,765
of that magnitude,
it's called
a "strong wrong," so...
1656
01:24:21,765 --> 01:24:23,100
(MAN LAUGHING)
1657
01:24:27,646 --> 01:24:30,065
But other than that,
it sounded really good.
1658
01:24:30,065 --> 01:24:31,484
KATIE COURIC:
You know, to some,
1659
01:24:31,484 --> 01:24:33,652
Frank Zappa is
a legend in rock music.
1660
01:24:33,652 --> 01:24:36,113
To others,
he's a bizarre performer
1661
01:24:36,113 --> 01:24:38,407
with a penchant for
lascivious lyrics.
1662
01:24:38,407 --> 01:24:40,993
But what few
realize is that he's also
1663
01:24:40,993 --> 01:24:44,079
a serious and respected
classical composer.
1664
01:24:44,079 --> 01:24:46,290
Today Show
national correspondent,
Jamie Gangel,
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01:24:46,290 --> 01:24:49,169
is here this morning
with a rare interview
with Frank Zappa,
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an interview that
almost didn't happen,
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01:24:51,045 --> 01:24:54,257
because Frank Zappa
is also quite ill.
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Jamie, how's he doing?
He's not doing well.
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He's been suffering
from prostate cancer
for a number of years,
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and we really
got the impression
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that it took all
of his strength
to even do this interview.
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01:25:06,101 --> 01:25:08,270
And although he
guards his privacy,
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he talked about his cancer,
and in spite of it all,
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01:25:11,440 --> 01:25:14,777
at 52, Frank Zappa
is still Frank Zappa,
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funny, opinionated,
and off the wall.
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For the last four years,
Zappa has focused
on classical music.
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Almost unheard in America,
he sells out
concert halls in Europe.
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01:25:28,249 --> 01:25:31,169
Tell me about
The Yellow Shark concert.
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01:25:31,169 --> 01:25:34,547
It was... It got
an extraordinary reaction.
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01:25:34,547 --> 01:25:37,342
How'd you feel about that?
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01:25:37,342 --> 01:25:39,051
Well, as I said to
you a little earlier,
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there's no
accounting for taste.
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(LAUGHS) Oh, come on!
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You must have been thrilled.
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01:25:44,307 --> 01:25:46,184
I was sick.
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01:25:46,184 --> 01:25:48,269
Some... So it's hard
to be truly thrilled.
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01:25:48,269 --> 01:25:51,897
But, I was... I was
happier that they did that
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01:25:51,897 --> 01:25:53,774
rather than throw
things at the stage.
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01:25:53,774 --> 01:25:55,150
(CROWD CHEERING, WHISTLING)
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(ORCHESTRA PLAYS)
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(ORCHESTRA STOPS)
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(CHEERING CONTINUES)
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You have made a career
out of making
fun of everybody,
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gays,
Jewish-American princesses,
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01:26:14,003 --> 01:26:17,214
and you have taken
a lot of heat for it.
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01:26:17,214 --> 01:26:19,300
Does that bother you at all?
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01:26:19,300 --> 01:26:20,926
No. I'm totally unrepentant.
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01:26:20,926 --> 01:26:23,304
(GANGEL LAUGHS)
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Is there anything you
ever did that you were
sorry for in music?
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No.
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A lot of performers
do things that are shocking,
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or might be considered
obscenity or pornography,
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but you get singled
out a lot, I think.
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Do you have any idea why?
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'Cause I'm ugly.
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GANGEL: Oh, stop!
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Well, you know, the...
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In this world of
basic stereotyping,
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give a guy a big nose
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and some weird hair,
and he's capable of anything.
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01:26:56,211 --> 01:26:56,879
(GANGEL LAUGHS)
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You're a legendary workaholic.
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01:27:00,799 --> 01:27:02,301
Are you able to work...
Not anymore.
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Not anymore.
(CHUCKLES)
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Tell me.
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Ah, basically, on a good day,
I can go 9:30 to 6:30, but...
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It's really
slowed you down.
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Yeah.
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Can you tell me a little bit
about how you've been doing?
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Fair.
Fair.
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01:27:19,068 --> 01:27:20,944
Yeah. Good days, bad days.
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01:27:20,944 --> 01:27:22,905
More bad days
than good days?
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Yeah.
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Let me go through
a list of words that,
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whenever you read about
Frank Zappa, you hear.
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And tell me how
they strike you.
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"Rock legend."
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That's pathetic. (CHUCKLES)
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"Test pilot pushing the edge."
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That's...
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Don't you like
that one a little bit?
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No.
No?
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01:27:49,098 --> 01:27:50,350
No.
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It's a little bit too...
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Got that military aroma to it.
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01:27:54,269 --> 01:27:56,480
"Eccentric genius"?
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01:27:56,480 --> 01:27:58,649
Eccentric, yes.
Genius, maybe.
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"Funny guy."
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Only to a few.
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Here's a question,
you'll know
exactly what it is,
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and that is,
how does Frank Zappa
want to be remembered?
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Ah.
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That's not important.
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Not important at all?
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Mmm-mmm.
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Want to be remembered
for the music?
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It's not important
to even be remembered.
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I mean, the people who worry
about being remembered
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are guys like Reagan, Bush.
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These people want
to be remembered.
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And they'll
spend a lot of money
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and do a lot of
work to make sure
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that remembrance
is just terrific.
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And for Frank Zappa?
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I don't care.
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One, two, three, four.
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(ORCHESTRA PLAYING DRAMATIC,
PERCUSSIVE MUSIC)
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(ORCHESTRA CONTINUES PLAYING)
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(ORCHESTRAL MUSIC ENDS)
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01:30:58,621 --> 01:31:00,706
(♪♪)
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♪ Now believe
me when I tell you
That my song is really true
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♪ I want everyone
to listen and believe
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♪ It's about
some little people
From a long time ago
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♪ And all the things
the neighbors didn't know
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♪ Early in the morning
Daddy Dinky went to work
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♪ Selling lamps and chairs
To San Ber'dino squares
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01:31:28,650 --> 01:31:32,487
♪ And I still remember Mama
With her apron and her pad
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01:31:32,487 --> 01:31:36,491
♪ Feeding all
the boys at Ed's Cafe
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♪ Whizzing and
pasting and pooting
Through the day
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♪ Ronnie helping Kenny helping
Burn his poots away
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♪ And all the while
on a shelf in the shed
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♪ Kenny's little
creatures on display
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♪ Ronnie saves his numies
On a window in his room
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♪ A marvel to be seen
Dysentery green
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♪ While Kenny and his buddies
Had a game out in the back
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♪ Let's make
the water turn black
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♪ We see them after school
In a world of their own
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♪ To some it might
seem creepy what they do
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♪ The neighbors on the right
Sat and watched
them every night
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♪ I bet you'd do
the same if they was you
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♪ Whizzing and
pasting and pooting
Through the day
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♪ Ronnie helping Kenny helping
Burn his poots away
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01:32:26,917 --> 01:32:30,837
♪ And all the while
on a shelf in the shed
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♪ Kenny's little
creatures on display
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♪ Ronnie's in the Army now
And Kenny's taking pills
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♪ Oh, how they yearn
to see a bomber burn
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♪ Color flashing,
thunder crashing
Dynamite machine
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♪ Wait till
the fire turns green
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♪ Wait till
the fire turns green
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01:32:52,109 --> 01:32:54,569
♪ Wait till
the fire turns green ♪
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(MUSIC ENDS)
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You're 18.
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Take the spoon
out of your nose,
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take the needle
out of your arm,
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01:33:02,869 --> 01:33:05,748
take the beer out of
your mouth, and go vote.
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01:33:05,748 --> 01:33:07,124
You know what I mean? Vote.
1797
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Register and
vote like a beast.
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