Does everyone agree? The guy was on another planet musically, and politically? WOW, this guy was smart! I talk about him all the time to my friends (I've made more than 1 a Zappa Freak!)

Don't your friends go nuts when you start talking Zappic again? Mine do.

I had the Sheik Yerbouti photo on my locker in high school. It was unfortunate that FZ sort of circumstantially resembled a terrorist at that particular time...

I've sort of given up trying to explain to people. It's hard, especially with non-musicians.

It's also hard for me personally because I notoriously get obsessed with things very suddenly. I don't get taken seriously very much. Maybe I should stop with the giant shoes.

Recent obsessions:

1. Dinosaurs
2. Golf
3. Charles Dickens
4. Pool/Snooker
5. Table tennis
6. Religions, and the historicity of JC in particular.
7. The Late Show, with David Letterman
8. The Universe, and people like Stephen Hawking, Ed Witten, etc.

So, I ramble frequently to people, and they rarely really listen.

The things I find that are the main obstacles between people and FZ is:

1. People generally lack a sense of humour, a sense of absurdity and of the ridiculous. Have you ever read those "Mr. Men" books? They are ingenious.

2. People generally don't want to admit that there are things in the world that they don't understand. Instead, they put these things below them.

3. People are generally non-musicians. I know that there must be people here who are not musicians, but you guys are very special people. It must certainly be easier for musicians to enter into FZ-ville.

4. As the flipside to number 2, people generally don't want to know about that particular higher world where FZ dwells, and so does Einstein, Coltrane, Rauschenberg, Dali, and anyone else that's amazing that you can think of. Actually, they recognize that it's there, but they don't want to go there.

5. People generally (unfortunately) get forced into some major or minor conscious, or unconcscious ideology by their parents or friends from a very young age, which prevents any kind of independent thought for the rest of their lives.

6. It is not good for business for people to be like FZ!!

There are probably plenty more reasons, but i'm really getting sick of myself.:duh:

[Edited on 24-11-2005 by scallopino]

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3. People are generally non-musicians. I know that there must be people here who are not musicians, but you guys are very special people. It must certainly be easier for musicians to enter into FZ-ville.

I've noticed that non-musicians who like Zappa often like him mostly for the funny or naughty stuff like "Yellow Snow", "Bobby Brown", "Titties and Beer", "Dinah Moe Humm", etc. I like the comedy stuff too, but what hooked me first was the impeccable musicianship and the complexity of a lot of his compositions.

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Originally posted by James Does everyone agree? The guy was on another planet musically, and politically? WOW, this guy was smart! I talk about him all the time to my friends (I've made more than 1 a Zappa Freak!)

James, man I couldn't persuade my friends that all the music they had ever listened to was extremely likely to be extremely fucking lame. People don't like to be told that they have awful taste.

Let me qualify that a little: I have no problem with people listening to whatever the hell they want. But 99% of the time they cannot provide a single decent reason WHY they like it. It doesn't have to be a music-language reasons, it can be any reasons at all. Something like: "It makes me want to dance" is a GREAT reason. But they can't provide any, which means they don't think about what they listen to, which means they are listening because they have been tricked into it by someone else. Possibly even by the :devil:

:offtopic::offtopic::offtopic::offtopic:

Hey puptent, me too!

But anyway.. I don't like 'fanboy' idolizing, but to me FZ is an absolute genius and one of the most brilliant musical minds of the 20th century.

Name me one other person who could compose for both rock bands, jazz ensembles and classical orchestras, who played the guitar like an absolute virtuoso, used his music as a vehicle to give social commentary and who managed to put out over 60 albums of challenging and stunningly original music.

Us FZ freaks know the deal, but It's really a shame that his accomplishments aren't recognized on a bigger level.

I agree Puptent, I think itll stay that way too, as most people find Zappa music too "difficult" or "wierd".....it happens with all the genius composers...