Frank Zappa: Difference between revisions

''If it does it's because you're dumb''|'''Frank Zappa'''|"Wind Up Workin' in a Gas Station" }}

'''Frank Zappa''' (1940-1993) was a famous [[Crazy Awesome]], unbelievably prolific composer/musician, singer, virtuoso guitarist, [[Record Producer]], film director and anti-censorship activist. His massive 75-album output, both solo and with his band The Mothers of Invention, is largely known for [[Neoclassical Punk Zydeco Rockabilly|spanning almost every genre known to man]] from [[Hard Rock|straightforward rock 'n roll]] to [[True Art Is Incomprehensible|free-jazz, musique concrète]] and classical music, alternating between heavy experimentalism and accesible catchiness and being chock-full of satirical, absurd, [[Crowning Moment of Funny|gut-bustingly hilarious]] lyrics. While he had occasional brushes with mainstream fame in [[The Seventies]] and [[The Eighties]], the bulk of his career was spent as a legendary cult figure, boasting a small but devoted fandom and critical acclaim. His eclecticism, absurdism, instrumental talent and anti-establishment stance has been heavily influential, with numerous acts citing his influence such as [[Primus]], [[Phish]], [[Red Hot Chili Peppers|John Frusciante]], [[Black Sabbath]], [[Dream Theater]], [[System of a Down]], [[George Clinton]], [[Insane Clown Posse|Mike E. Clark]] and [["Weird Al" Yankovic|Weird Al Yankovic]]. Several other famous musicians have worked with him at various points, such as [[King Crimson|Adrian Belew]], [[Cream|Jack Bruce]], Aynsley Dunbar, Mike Keneally, [[Steve Vai]] (who began his career as guitarist in his backing band), Jean Luc-Ponty, [[John Lennon]] and [[Yoko Ono]], and friend (occasional [[The Rival|rival]]) and collaborator [[Captain Beefheart|Don Van Vliet]].