Artist
American composer, lyricist, songwriter, guitarist, vocalist, bandleader, conductor, producer, filmmaker.
Born 21 December 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Died 4 December 1993 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Frank Vincent Zappa was of Italian origins, his grandfather having arrived in America from Partinico, Sicily. Frank Zappa grew to be one of the most accomplished composers of the rock era, his music combining an understanding and appreciation for such contemporary classical figures as Igor Stravinsky, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Edgard Varèse. These influences, coupled with an affection for late '50s doo-wop, rock & roll and skillful guitar-heavy rock, dominated pop in the '70s. However, Zappa was also a keen satirist, whose reserves of scorn and parody seemed bottomless and whose wicked sense of humor and absurdity continued to delight his numerous fans - even when his lyrics crossed the broadest bounds of taste.
Zappa was also a prolific record-maker in his time, astutely producing massive amounts of music on his own labels of Bizarre Records, Straight & Barking Pumpkin Records and through distribution deals with Rykodisc and Rhino Entertainment Company. This after long unhappy associations with industry giants like Warner Bros. Records and the now-defunct MGM. In the '80s, Zappa then gained the rights to his old albums and began to reissue them, first on his own and then through Rykodisc. Throughout his recording career Zappa stayed consistently at the forefront of technology, investing in equipment, home-studio facilities and vault storage that would enable the fullest control over production of his works.
In 1988 his official autobiography emerged and he embarked on a world tour. Sadly, that was the end of his live performing when, in late 1991, it was confirmed that Zappa was seriously ill with cancer. Nevertheless, his schedule of album releases continued to be rapid. The Zappa Family Trust continues to this day with his wife Gail Zappa (aka Pumpkin (5)) as the figurehead of the ZFT until her death in 2015. The Zappa Family Trust produced numerous posthumous releases and remasters of the back catalog. The children inherited the ZFT and remain in the industry, Dweezil Zappa the force behind "Zappa Plays Zappa" as well as an accomplished guitarist in his own right; Moon Zappa, Diva Zappa and the more reserved Ahmet Zappa.
Inducted into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 (Performer).
Tracks
1-1
Knick Knack Intro
1-2
The Deathless Horsie
1-3
Dancin Fool
1-4
Easy Meat
1-5
Honey Don't You Want A Man Like Me
1-6
Keep It Greasey
1-7
Village Of The Sun
1-8
The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing
1-9
City Of Tiny Lights
1-10
A Pound For A Brown
1-11
Bobby Brown
1-12
Conehead
1-13
Flakes
1-14
Magic Fingers
1-15
Bamboozled By Love
2-1
Black Napkins
2-2
Montana
2-3
Easy Meat
2-4
Beauty Knows No Pain
2-5
I'm A Beatiful Guy
2-6
Charlie's Enormous Mouth
2-7
Fine Girl
2-8
Teenage Wind
2-9
Harder Than Your Husband
2-10
Bamboozled By Love
2-11
We're Turning Again
2-12
Alien Orifice
2-13
Flakes
3-1
Broken Hearts Are For Assholes
3-2
You Are What You Is
3-3
Mudd Club
3-4
The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing
3-5
Dumb All Over
3-6
Heavenly Bank Account
3-7
Suicide Chump
3-8
Jumbo Go Away
3-9
Stevie's Spanking
3-10
The Torture Never Stops
3-11
Strictly Genteel
3-12
The Illinois Enema Bandit
4-1
Intro
4-2
Apostrophe
4-3
Duke Of Prunes
4-4
Honey Don't You Want A Man Like Me?
4-5
The Illinois Enema Bandit
4-6
Carolina Hardcore Ecstasy
4-7
Lonely Little Girl
4-8
Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance
4-9
What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body?
4-10
Chunga's Revenge
5-1
Swallow My Pride
5-2
Any Downers
5-3
Canadian Customs Routine
5-4
T'Mershi Duween
5-5
Zoot Allures
5-6
Sleep Dirt
5-7
Black Napkins
5-8
Advance Romance
5-9
I'm The Slime
6-1
Tush Tush Tush
6-2
Stinkfoot
6-3
RDNZL
6-4
Village Of The Sun
6-5
Enchinada's Arf
6-6
Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?
6-7
Apostrophe
6-8
Penguin In Bondage
6-9
T'Mershi Duween
6-10
Dog Meat
6-11
Dina-Moe Humm
6-12
Camarillo Brillo
6-13
Montana
