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Zeeuwse Courant Translations
This topic will contain translations of the articles Slime hooked me up to.
Pay attention: currency is guilders, and dates are listed as DD-MM-YY
10/05/71
By the end of this summer, the film 200 Motels by Frank Zappa is espected in cinemas. The film, a reflection of Zappa's versatility, deals with a
group on tour. Before the final product is ready, there has already been trouble about the contents of the movie. This happened after the VPRO show,
in which the notorious vacuum cleaner act and the groupie story were subject. A while ago a live performance of the rock opera was cancelled because
several members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra refused to yell out the foul language from the script. That was no reason for Zappa to halt the
production, au contraire. It was a stimulance to get the 3 million {guilders} movie in the cinemas as fast as possible. In the strangest places, from
a concentrationcamp to an underground cinema, from motel to modern farm. On top of that the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, supported by a classical
choir, plays compositions by Frank Zappa, who doesn't want to deviate from his starting point. For the first time in film history the electronical
freedom, that was discovered by popular music, will be exploited. Several actors in 200 Motels are: Ringo Starr (Larry the Dwarf), Keith Moon (the
nurse) and the Mothers of Invention. In the London Pinewood studios, recordings from performances and studio shot film are being cut and pasted by
Zappa himself. Whether he will succeed in transmitting his feelings will remain an open question until this summer.
04-05-74
Article about individualism in music says the following on Frank:
One of the greatest DIYers in pop music is Frank Zappa, the musician who is such a versatile genius that there are barely words to describe it. He may
not make music that is easy to understand, but he still deserves full attention. It was a bit too quick to assume that he had passed his prime when
his best Mothers Of Invention-formation (with the two ex-Turtles).
Zappa then resorted to complex instrumental music, in which there was no place for show. There was hardly any singing: Zappa directed a professional
orchestra and rarely grabbed his guitar.
On Apostrophe, his latest record, something has changed again. Zappa is back on guitar and the playing is beautiful, by an all-star formation with Jim
Gordon, Johnny Goerin, Aynsley Dunbar, Jack Bruce, Tom Fowler, Ian Underwood, Sal Marques and Ruth Underwood, The old Frank sings again and is aided
by nine others. The record - a perfect song we can't stop listening is Stinkfoot - is a logical consequence of the previous: hard, understandable,
hard and more understandable. His lyrics still don't know taboos, his musical structures are characteristic and on apostrophe can be followed by the
listener who had to give up after "Just Another Band From L.A.
3-02-77
ZAPPA GENIUS by Peter J. Boyer (music review)
In the tumultuous sixties a bearded musician with a large hawk nose, Frank Zappa, let part of the American youth listen to his musical preaching about
sweaty feet and lumpy gravy: "little miracles" that were overlooked by the other musicians of his day.
What does the now 36-year-old Zappa write about, in the seventies, a calm age, in which the circle of the rock & roll revolution is completed with
the happy smile music by Joohn Denver? Boozers with red eyes, carefully hair-dressed deejays and "Friendly Little Finger".
Zappa's halfwit inventivity has not diminished, nor adapted to the ever changing taste of American kids.
According to Zappa - who performs in the Jaap Eden hall in Amsterdam next Saturday - this will never happen. "I believe my music isn't crazy or
bizarre at all," he says.
"It's just that I write about things that other people apparently don't see. I'm convinced that I'm paying people a sociological service."
About ten years ago, when the audiences came to be shocked, Zappa's ideas caused a run on record stores and music critics were tripping over
superlatives to attempt to convey the message of this underground-messiah to the reader. Zappa and the Mothers of Invention would make music at the
level of James Joyce in literature. Zappa was important. One had to understand him in order to not lose face.
A musical critic in Newsweek:
"In Zappa's refined musical style we hear echos of composers like Stravinsky and Varèse. An example of this "refined musical style" was performed by
the Los Angeles Philharmonic, who once played the Zappa-composition 200 Motels {sic}. He let the 104 orchestra members shout "bleep", burp at his
indication, snap their fingers over their heads {YMMV, incomprehensible line} and ended this "colossal" work by letting them yell in harmony.
This type of musical "highlights" gave Zappa the name Genius. But his group, the Mothers, fell apart, fell apart again (according to Zappa over 60
people have played in his band), the war in Vietnam ended and the tides changed. Zappa went on with his own weird art form, but his works was received
with ever less enthusiasm and at one point the audience was no longer interested in Zappa and his works. Thumbs, toes and Burnt Weeny Sandwiched had
had their time. The audience seemed to say: its time to proceed to other things.
Not Frank Zappa. "I believe I'm about the only one who approaches rock & roll in a rational way," Zappa replies when asked after the success of
his last "insanity", the LP Zoot Allures. According to him, present-day composers and lyricists live in a fantasy world. He says he thinks that the
audience will eventually back his ideas again.
"What else can be as purely based on fantasy than the fellows who spend their natural born days with writing songs about boy-girl siruations that were
born from their brain and are pure fantasy and therefore unmaintainable," he wonders.
Freeze-dried
"What I intend to say is: how can you reduce the world view to something like boy meets girl, boy stays with girl, girl stays with boy. The world is a
lot larger than that. It still seems to be the only thing people can write about. Most vocal pop music is built on different variations on the
what-boys-and-girls-do-together-after-they-got-in-contact theme. All of this with the most ridiculous references to this freeze-dried concept of
something beautiful like love."
Zapa leaves the writing of these lumps of fake romance to others. Zappa stays Zappa. "Look," he says, "I see the world in my way and they see it in
their way. But I don't think the other artists are completely honest, they work with fake images. We could all be better off if the others would write
songs the way they see the world, not the way they think they see it."
Anachronistic
"Zoot Allures", according to Zappa his 41st LP, will get no-one to ecstacy apart from the hardcore Zappa fans. There's some good hard-rock on it, but
Zappa's singing gives associations with torture chambers. The spooky themes of the songs miss the effect they used to have. One pop critic believed
that Zappa is "anachronistic in his approach, up to the nostalgic, and he only irritates when he attempts to shock."
Does this mean that the grand old man of electric musical absurdity is prepared to admit that the days of shock-is-sell are over forever and that Zoot
Allures will be more or less his swansong?
"Not at all", Zappa says, "because I'm really good. I play good music. And the audience likes that I do it the way I do it. I don't intend to quit.
Especially since I can't be compared with other musicians. {YMMV: crooked line} I do it for a different reason. I happen to like music!"
17-03-1979:
Apparently the Sleep Dirt record cost 13,90 guilders.
17-06-83
The VARA shows "You Are What You Is" from the latest Frank Zappa concert in the series of Halloween concerts, recorded at the New York Palladium. In
the growth of popular music, Zappa was one of the most eye-catching characters. The versatility of the now 42-year-old Frank Zappa as lyricist,
composer, director and guitarist are shown in this programme, but also his unmistakable, forcing personality will glue the many fans to the tube.
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22-03-80 This page was folded towards the edge of the text, making some words illegible.
Truth is stronger than the imagination, says Zappa, and ambiguity is absolutely forbidden.
"I don't believe that the public today has a more grown up opinion on sex, or that one learns to develop an ethic. Nor do I believe that my songs on
those subjects shoot past their target. In most cases this is why they are so harsh and in your face. I do this with {illegible}. I don't write love
songs like every other song writer. With such songs you raise expectations that will never come true. Love, as is described in popular song, does not
exist and cannot exist. Such {illegible} of love doesn't exist, because I don't know anybody who experienced that this way. Writing this is
disgusting."
For some time, commercial success has smiled at Frank Zappa, the most important living godfather of rock. A big hit is an awkward luxury for this
unorthodox composer, whose catalog contains over thirty albums, next to a large amount of never executed music for film and orchestra. His Dancin'
Fool, a parody on disco, scored high in the American charts last year. More or less by accident, is his explanation.
{illegibile line, something about those boys making money}
On top of that, in America, if you want a hit, you have to write a love song. Or else they won't play your record. They see dollars: after that they
start to believe in their message. An unmaintainable position: Love is All You Need, a la Beatles. The reason Dancin' Fool became a hit, is because it
contained the word "dance". That is enough." "Dancing is a safe subject. The other reason why it caught on, is because it was a novelty song, a tune
with a new aspect. There was enough melody in it, so
you can hum it along after a few bars. And most pop records don't have even a shred of a sense of humour."
"Ambiguity is forbidden, and everything that's not normal should be avoided. So if it's not about love, it's about dancing, or about love, or about
people who love while dancing. Or {illegible}, that's also in a good market position. It was different by the end of the fifties, early sixties. Not
that the records then had hilarity, but they had a sense of humour. Teeny Weeny Bikini, Ahab the Arab. That genre is extinct."
The misunderstood Zappa grins and sighs at the same time. His playfulness disappears when he's asked why he keeps going back to the same erotic
themes. It can barely still be shocking. Or can it?
Zappa: "As composer or lyricist, you choose the material that fits you best. If you want to find the largest common nominator of my work, you reach
human behaviour. My main theme is human behaviour. It's really that sociological basic theme behind all my lyrics; the way in which people, sometimes
interact with other things and with each other. That's what it comes down to, yeah."
"You could say that after a time you start repeating yourself, because people got to know your approach. But I have a rock & roll audience, with a
strong flow. People have a short memory. Kids who hear my record now, often don't know my early work."
"Some examples. Take Wet T-shirt Nite. That sort of thing really happens in America. In college towns, beach cities, you have these bars where you can
drink and watch girls join a contest who has the prettiest breasts for fifty dollars. How do you feel about the mentality of such a girl who lets her
T-shirt get soaked, shows her tits and gives competition with it. Something like that is a classic American syndrom."
"On the other hand there's a very popular industry in lonely people devices. Perope who buy plastic versions of their ideal partner, often such dolls
are their only friends, theironly consolation. I recently saw ads for plastic copies of realistic dog dicks. I mean, I don't invent that kind of
things.
They exist; and apparently there are enough of them being sold to make production possible. I sing about it, yes. Would that be shocking? Come now.
Truth is stronger than imagination or fantasy."
The topic of the conversation reaches Baby Snakes, Zappa's movie project. Despite his formal speech he reacts very hurt if even people seem to suspect
his cinematographic qualities. "I want to develop my movie side because I think I have the capacities. I have the skill, can deal with the lab
process, cutting and synchronising. I want to be good at that. Don't see it as a hobby, that would be too expensive: I had to pay Baby Snakes out of
my own pocket. I realize it's a different film. I don't want to compete with the movie industry who produces based on gun fights and pursuits the
cinema audience wants to see."
The American cinema is disgusting in the eyes of Zappa, who relates how cash cows are turned into series (Airport, Jaws, Omen) and because there is no
arthouse circuit. "The big moneymakers in our small cinemas have been Deep Throat and The Devil in mrs Jones for years. There's no market for real
cinema. What about my movie then, eh? I think there are about 600,000 people on the earth who enjoy my kind of entertainment. I work for them. I
develop products for them; they are waiting for it."
I do work with my own money circulation system. I continuously try to release better products, but before I can do that I have to earn back the money
I invested. This film cost me 480,000 dollars: three times that has to come back if you want to clear all costs (including copies and ads). An iron
law. I have the responsibility for my own business, I'm not going out of its way."
Our final topic involves the ongoing rumours of a participation of Zappa in the Holland Festival {see TRFZB}. His orchestral and avant-garde
repertoire is barely known here, but since he became friends with Edo de Waard {dutch conductor} (currently working in the US) there have been
contacts between the two.
Two of his orchestral pieces, Bob in Dacron & Sad Jane and Mo 'n Herb's Vacacion are studied by the Residentie orchestra, but the size of the
scores makes it hard to realize.
With some sense of drama he speaks like a businessman whose investment won't pay off, pointing at the score:
"I've been working on it for years. The parts have all been written out, copying cost lots of money. I don't buy anything with rumours. Not that I
need to earn from it, but damn, I'd love to hear this work.
22-11-75
Zappa-Beefheart, back good at song and dance. (Bongo Fury review)
That Frank Zappa's music eventually hasn't lost any of its potential after the departure of Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan from the Mothers, is the
best proof of his geniality. In the time these noticable ex-Turtles worked in the Zappa-group, it was assumed that the most important chapters in the
Mothers-story were written. It was formed into many cosy performances and in the LPs Chunga's Revenge, Live at the Fillmore East, Just Another Band
From L.A., and the 200 Motels project.
In this time, the Mothers were super-productive and the results were very pleasant and continuously surprising. Concerts of the group were true
events, and there was a lot of laughter.
When Volman and Kaylan left, the Zappa-network seemed to have collapsed. Frank came back with mainly instrumental work like Waka Jawaka and Grand
Wazoo. There was song nor dance and his physica appearances were limited to manipulation of the director's baton. On these records were amazingly
clever pieces, but all those who heard the Mothers-cabaret felt something missing. Slowly the amusing lyrics returned and with that the in the
entertainment industry tried and true combination of fun and music. The difference with the established entertainment was just that with pronouncing
and singing lyrics, no topic was shunned, nor did the music have anything in common with what was being done elsewhere. Over Nice Sensation {sic},
Apostrophe and especially Roxy And Elsewhere let Zappa and consort play at their best level. One Size Fits All, which was put out after that, was a
bit of a downer for me personally, probably because it had much studio work. But on the latest Zappa-record with Captain Beefheart (a.k.a. Don van
Vliet), zappa is at it as usual. The record is called Bongo Fury and is largely live. Most recording was done in The Armedille World Headquarters in
Austin, Texas, with a group that is not very different from the last one. The most noticable change is that Ruth Underwood was substituted by Terry
Bozzio (drums). And of course Beefheart joint briefly, all doesn't he dominate as much as you'd guess from the cover.
The most beautiful songs are Carolina Hardcare Costacy {sic}, Sam with the showing scalp flat top, Poofter's froth Wyoming plans ahead, 200 years old,
Advance Romance, Man with the Woman Head, and Muffin Man. Gorgeous music that shows that free-rock is enjoyable. (And that's just for all those who
squeeze their nose when Zappa's name is mentioned, because that free-rock is more relative than you'd think after an initial superficial
introduction). Zappa is a language artist who rarely slips (on the Beefheart record only once, but that's funny). ON top of that he's a guitarist who
deserved to be considered one of the best in recent music. The LP is heartily recommended.
27-05-71
Zappa: no rebuke
The secretary of culture, recreation and society has concluded that the documentary o the American pop musician Frank Zappa, showed by VPRO eary
February, is not brushing against art. 10 paragraph 2 of the recording law, that says that emissions shouldn't contain anything that "is dangerous to
state security, the peace, and public morality. The VPRO will soon receive the official message.
It means that VPRO won't be rebuked for the second time. A few months ago VPRO was officially rebuked in connection to publishing a radio report in
which interviewees indicated how to commit sabotage near the fence of an army location.
In the Frank Zappa documentary could be seen how one of the women from Frank Zappa's "court" related on the performances of her partner. Also in the
film a vacuum cleaner was manouvered near the breasts of one of the ladies. The VPRO declared not to want to cut the risque parts because the portrait
of Frank Zappa and his music would have been incomplete otherwise.
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13-12-71
ZAPPA HURT IN FIGHT
The American rockstar Frank Zappa got badly hurt during a performance in a London theatre last Friday. A man jumped on stage and grabbed the singer,
who while fighting landed three meters lower in the orchestra pit.
Zappa was brought into the hospital with a broken leg and brain damage. The culprit, 24-year-old worker Trevor Charles, was angry, because his girl
spoke of nothing but Zappa.
31-03-79
Sheik Yerbouti review
Temptation is great to call Frank Zappa the most genius person in popular music. But I've got something against superlatives, especially when it comes
to the genius qualification, since it's a component of the competition element that makes society so ill. Every man may be genius in controlling his
own life. So too Frank Zappa, with the difference that in his case the public cameras are aimed at him, because he happens to make music. And even
that is relative, because Zappa is so lucky to live in an age that is dominated by radio, TV and record players. Without all of this, he would be a
genius between the sliding doors, like so many. This relativity resonates in Zappa's music. He works with a firm conscience and rarely seems to cut
corners, but he's too much of a realist to have the illusion to reform the world, something unwashed boys with unschooled music claim to do. Still
Frank Zappa is a sort of reformer in the world of pop music, because he's one of the few from the 60s underground who got more or less global
recognition, although his music initially wasn't allowed to be played on the radio. Frank Zappa wasn't tempted to make easier music. He continues to
follow his complex road of richly structured music and unsuspected ideas. Such is the case on his most recent output: the double album Sheik Yerbouti.
The music on the record can barely be called recent, because they are live recordings, that were fitted with periods and commas in the studio.
But even then there's a package that can't surprise the real Zappa connaisseur, but that is still so varied in construction, that many will have a
pleasant time with it. With music on the whole being difficult to describe in prose, Zappa's music is this to the extreme. He manages again and again
to musically decorate the sometimes simple texts (although often with hidden meaning) in such manner, that there are collages that captivate for a
long time. What to think of a song like Flakes, in which an unsurpassable spoof on Bob Dylan is put, or a song that spares no-one like Broken Hearts
Are For Assholes. On top of that, on these disks can be found many technical and musical gimmicks, and a curious {misspelled word, could also be
interpreted as dubious} song like Rubber Shirt with a technical description of how it was created. Stunts of musical virtuosity are found by the
heaps. The songs range from ballads (as far as you have ballads in Zappa) past ingenious instrumental intermezzi to straight rock & roll. It might
be concluded that Frank Zappa's music has evolved a little over the last few years - I even noticed the occasional grasp to the first period of the
Mothers of Invention - she is still hard to capture in words, but more than worth listening.
3-04-75
Interview with Jean-Luc Ponty. The Zappa bits:
-Why did you leave Zappa?
-As I said, I had plans for my own band, but that wasn't the only reason. There were many. Plenty. Let's call it personal reasons. It was a good
experiment for a while, but it's not easy to continuously deal with a personality like Frank's. And I was drawn into non-musical activities I wasn't
waiting on. Acting on stage and such, which may be fun for a lot of people, but not to me. Personally I just want to be an instrumentalist, a
musician.
11-02-71
Announcement in TV listings. Th VPRO documentary was shown on Nederland 1 at 21:45, tucked between a documentary on the 1929 financial crisis and the
evening news.
26-08-72
Short announcement with interesting insight:
Frank Zappa and his Hot Rats, a 26 man strong orchestra, will perform on September 17th in the Houtrusthallen in The Hague. Agent Paul Acket chose The
Hague over Amsterdam, because 15,000 people can be seated in the Houtrusthallen with no breathing problems. On his tour Frank Zappa will also play
West-Berlin and London.
28-08-71
Review of Fillmore East
The performance of the Mothers Fillmore East has been put on record. It's the first LP of the group in its new permutation: Frank Zappa, Howard
Kaylan, Mark Volman, two ex-Turtles, Ian Underwood, Aynsley Dunbar, Don Preston and Jim Pons. This group also played the VPRO show Picknick. The band
could also be seen in the stirring documentary on Zappa. On the LP are various songs of older LPs, like Peaches en Regalia (off Hot Rats) and Little
House I Used To Live In (off Burnt Weeny Sandwich) On the LP are also songs from the Zappa-film 200 Motels. Various works on this new LP were also
performed by the Mothers in the VPRO-documentary. A large share of Mothers in Fillmore East is taken by the groupie phenomenon. There's some mocking
with the girls, who want to drive along with pop idols and will keep them company for the night but who choose not to be groupies. Especially for
these begging girls (played by several Mothers) the song Happy Together from the Turtles. On the LP is also the deeply sad Tears Began To Fall, a song
with a lot of high voices, soon to be released on single.
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29/01/70 The early rumours...
Frank Zappa on Holland Festival?
Mr Elsendoorn of Holland Festival spoke with pop musician Frank Zappa about a possible participation of Zappa at the Holland festival this weekend.
The American composer Zappa, who stayed in the Netherlands for several days, wants to perform a concert written by him in The Netherlands. Initially
the works would first be released in England and America. These talks however wouldn't die. Zappa now hopes to bring the world or European premiere in
Amsterdam.
The board of Holland Festival (which is annually from June 15 to July 9), said to be interested in Zappa's work. It will be two months until time and
location of the concert can be announced.
If the talks with Zappa turn out positive, then the Dutch symphony orchestra will perform it in combination with Frank Zappa and his group.
12/03/1981 The rumours finally end, 11 years later
ANGRY ZAPPA NOT IN HOLLAND FESTIVAL
The musical projects of the Residentie orchestra, the Dutch Blazer (wind) ensemble and the Hoketus company with Frank Zappa have been cancelled. The
intention was for new Zappa works to get their world premier in Holland Festival. There has been no agreement on the costs. Zappa pulled out
angrily.
The complex financing was over a million guilders, for which sponsors had to be found. The Holland Festival and Residentie orchestra met with other
problems. In the financing, selling the recordings of the pieces was included. Musicians wanted their share and charged to the full.
Apart from that, Zappa didn't seem to understand that a full month of rehearsal is much too extravagant for one concert, according to the Residentie
orchestra.
(article continues about Residentie orchestra)
06-01-73 Review
New project: Grand Wazoo
FRANCIS ZAPPA, SONG NOR DANCE
Since Zappa started working with the Mothers Of Invention (roughly since 1964) he has been wanting to gather a large orchestra around him. An
orchestra that's capable of playing complex compositions on a sonic intensity level that's known from other forms in pop music. The new Mothers Of
Invention/Hot Rats/Grand Wazoo formation is really his first attempt to realize something like it for the long term. The American avant-garde pop
brain Frank Zappa said this at the introduction of his new orchestra, that debuted on 10 September 1972 in the Hollywood Bowl and that visited our
country.
The Grand Wazoo is also the title of Zappa's latest record, an LP with five songs on which some twenty musicians under the collective name The
Mothers.
With several familiar names for Mothers fans, like Don Preston (minimoog) and Aynsley Dunbar (drums), but for the large part with little known greats.
Zappa sketched them as: "The most important thing they do is sit and read music from an impressive amount of nice, little fiber-board stands. Nobody
sings and nobody dances. There is just music being made."
To us "The Grand Wazoo" is the idea of making music that Zappa introduced on Waka/Jawaka, the record that was made after the Mothers broke up, with a
largely identical formation as on Wazoo. The difference is that there was still singing on Waka/Jawaka, and none on Grand Wazoo. To bring some story
to the music, the inner cover was printed with The Legend of Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus and the Grand Wazoo, a fantastic tale to go with the song of
the same title starring Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus, the funky emperor.
A legend with extreme Billy The Mountain-like images in which Zappa spoofingly points at corrupt situations in popular culture.
Francis Vincent Zappa is an awkward character who doesn't shy away from absurdity. He has been appearing for ten years in as many different
appearances. While it now looks like he feels fine as solo guitarist in (as usual, at least clearly in spirit, as leader of) a cabaret-like rock &
roll band,then he appears on stage as conductor of a large pop big band. When he seems to pull away as performer one time, next time he stars in a
completely new project with a yet unheard of musical aspect. Zappa is almost exhaustively working with putting together images that sprouted from his
brain; new things, original musical and visual combinations in which everything's possible. The Grand Wazoo is - as follow-up to Waka/Jawaka - a
record in which (do call it this way) popular music goes hand in hand with everything, except negroid, futurist jazzy sounds. Incalculable, and yet
almost everything is on paper.
13-11-71 Review
Pausing at Zappa's 200 Motels
Frank Zappa's score of the film 200 Motels has been released on record. Reason to stop and listen to the strictly uncommercial result of 4 years of
work. Zappa has become known as plaintiff of in his vision ruling social abuses. He doesn't hesitate to use a terminology that wouldn't look bad in
graffiti. 200 Motels is the name of the highly avant-garde double LP on which, besides the Mothers of Invention, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra can
be heard conducted by Elgar Howarth. The disk is full with at first glance totally unconnected bits of music and hints of text, sometimes lovable and
soft, sometimes frightening fortissimo. Music lovers who haven't yet discovered Zappa will never be charmed with 200 Motels, and even the
Zappa-connaisseurs will, if they wish to admit, have trouble with the most recent secretion of the moustached American revolutionary.
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19-09-72 Concert review
"Monstrosity" in Houtrusthal
New Zappa brought no new sound.
Under the monstrosity flag maestro Frank Zappa brought his last creation to the Dutch audience on Sunday evening: the Grand Wazoo band. Twenty
musicians. Zappa: "I have always been fascinated by a fully intense sound."
Wazoo brings us this monstrous music. Zappa's new friends are unfortunately one hit wonders. Even when they did their current tour (Hollywood, Berlin,
London, The Hague, Copenhagen, New York, Boston and LA) it was clear that after the seventh concert they would be disbanded. The ceremony will take
place in Boston, after which they will unite one more time in LA. Then Zappa will continue with half of the Wazoo band, which doesn't produce as many
decibels, but which is much cheaper.
It's a shame. Because in the full Haguian Houtrusthallen the orchestra showed it deserved more than the bad acoustics of the display halls, which
Zappa described as a "high cave". Five years after his first performance on Dutch ground - the country where he, per head, probably has the most
popularity - Zappa was allowed to show his new face to the Dutch audience from organiser Paul Ackett.
The thousands of viewers got little more to see than the neck, and sometimes the characteristic Zappa profile at the moments the grand master casually
muttered Hullo or Thank you. Zappa turned his back to the audience in the most pleasant way possible. He is a conductor nowadays. He even bought a
baton, which he manipulates standing behind his chair. He only uses the microphone to express thanks, give an explanatory note, and burp here and
there to make clear he had just eaten Chinese food with the group.
No singing
The singing has been scratched from the programme completely, Grand Wazoo - in fact a group of session musicians gathered over the telephone by Zappa
and his team - plays purely instrumental: brass, woodwinds and rhythm, wich as remarkable additions Ian Underwood's synthesizer and three guitars,
played by Tony Duran, Dave Parlato and Zappa himself. Grand Wazoo is called an experiment by Zappa, a first attempt to make mass {no church mass}
music.
And it is grand. Everything is amplified electronically, sometimes outside any proportion, and swinged into the hall by ten speaker boxes. The
described acoustics have the consequence that it whips the necks of the viewers a second later. Especially the pieces with tendency to cacophony (like
Approximate) this works messy. It would have been nicer if Grand Wazoo had performed in a concert building. Eventually they have all the appearance
and size of a worthy orchestra, complete with music stands. The movement of Wazoo doesn't remind us of the glory of the past beat: one doesn't dance,
jump or wiggle, but one sits neatly on chairs, occasionally smiling at each other, making a toast with a beer can, ooking at the director. And Zappa
himself: jeans, purple sweater and turquoise slipover, regularly lighting a cigarette which he cleverly attaches to his guitar if the score wants him
to solo.
No rock & roll
The new orchestra didn't get a label. Frank Zappa announced at the start: "No vocal, no rock & roll". Later he did speak of rock & roll (he
let the audience choose between the R&R song Big Swifty and the more soothing New Brown Clouds). Afterwards Zappa's monstrosity showed more signs
of modern jazz, particularly in the brass- and woodwindsolos. But often it moves along with other styles, from sweet musicalmusic to Stravinsky-like
sections.
It can be pondered if the controversial musician Zappa, who after his early deeds with the Mothers of Invention in '64-'65 was given the title of
innovator, let the entire audience go home completely satisfied. He was greeted with a thunderous ovation (after he and his colleagues were bus driven
into the back of the stage), but after two hours of non-stop music part of the estimated 4000 viewers gave a meagre applause, and Zappa had to hop
offstage, tired and limp in a mixture of clapping and whistles.
No waves
His twenty Grand Wazoo-members followed. It's a shame half of them will be sacked next week. In the Houtrusthallen they were good musicians, both in
the orchestral sections and in improvisations. (Zappa: I put a lot of crosses in the score to sign they can play what they want) It was clear to the
audience that Frank Zappa in 1972 will no more make waves in the pond of pop music. He makes good music, but no new sound will come from him. Not even
from his half Wazoo.
16-07-82
Riot during Frank Zappa concert
PALERMO - A group of unruly youths caused a riot Wednesday evening during a performance by American rock-musician Frank Zappa in Palermo. Seven cops
were injured when they tried to bring back the peace. Tear gas had to be used to end the disturbances, causing the 10,000 attendants to run for the
exits. No-one was arrested. A second performance by Zappa later that evening has been cancelled. According to the police trouble began half an hour
into the concert when a small group of youngsters broke through fencing to get to the stage and to see Zappa, who is of Sicilian origin, up close.
When the police wanted to force the kids back, they threw bottles and rocks, which was answered by the police with tear gas.
27-01-83
Frank Zappa in Haguian court
The Dutch agent Paul Acket let the American pop musician Frank Zappa be summoned before the Haguian court. Acket appealed against two verdicts, in
which he was convicted to pay 70,000 guilders to Zappa. Acket had booked Frank Zappa and several other bands several years ago, for an concert in the
Haguian Zuiderparkstadion. When it turned out there were no more than a few hundred people interested, Acket announced it wouldn't go on. Zappa did
demand his fee, because he was not informed of this decision until the last moment. After a lawsuit in Haguian court he was awarded 70,000 guilders.
Ackett appealed this: other groups who were to be in the stadium submitted to the cancellation.
10-11-73 Over-Nite Sensation review
New Mothers play literally what Zappa says.
Frank Zappa was forced to take a break for a while. He got injured last year during a performance in London and after that it was a bit quiet, until
he came back with a new group of Mothers. The ex-Turtles Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan, who mainly did the show aspect on stage, left and successfully
continued as the duo Flo & Eddie. Zappa fored a new group and he asked some old Mother people. The couple Ruth and Ian Underwood, George Duke,
Jean Luc Ponty, Tom and Bruce Fowler and Sal Marques went into the studio with Zappa. There would be a new Mothers music: less funny than in the
Volman/Kaylan days, but more perfect, more balanced than a class LP like Hot Rats.
Perfection had been there long with Zappa, but still the master forgot something. What was so charming in Zappa's music was that it was all
beautifully balanced, but there was also a loose presentation. Volman and Kaylan managed to put something funny in the presentation. Now Zappa is
without them, the music on the next LP is suddenly in a new direction. Zappa wrote and composed everything, but it is performed too smoothly by the
new Mothers. There are seven fine works on the record, but you miss the athmosphere. There are more groups who give spotless work without technical
flaws. But with Zappa you expect a little more, a loose presentation with the perfection that always put the Mothers records ahead of everything. On
LPs like WOIIFTM things were done that made you shake your head and say: "That Zappa guy..." When you shake your head hearing this, it's because you
can't find that athmosphere. Although the word "athmosphere" is a charged word, it always fitted in with Zappa's records.
Over-Nite Sensation is a perfect record with many Zappa traits, but it would have been one of the best records of the year if you could just hear
something funny, something surprising. Then it could have been one of the best records of '73.
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28-01-73
Chunga's Revenge cost 21 guilders
26-06-71
Frank Zappa: "A dying tree with fun suspenders"
Frank Zappa is one of a kind: an anti-idol in any case. "He looks like a dying tree with suspenders," a producer said recently. But of all idols Zappa
is the one who is best at expressing himself in both interviews and concerts. In the "Rock Story", a book by Rolling Stone contributor Jerry Hopkins
that was published last week, can be read: "He owes it to his talent as arranger and composer that he receives so much respect."
Zappa definitely doesn't look like the idea that the non-hip world has of the musician of the year. Next to that, his image and that of the MOI may be
so freaky, he did a lot to influence pop music all over the world.
The founder of the MOI is often funny. Not in the way the well-known TV comedian is. Just his titles tell you a lot about Zappa's view on life. Hungry
Freaks Daddy, and Who Are The Brain Police? on the first LP Freak Out: Plastic People, Brown Shoes Don't Make It and America Drinks and Goes Home on
Absolutely Free. Also typical is the song "What's the ugliest part of your body?"
(follow lyrics)
"It rarely happens that the girls fall for me. I sooner think they're afraid of me," Zappa told Rolling Stone. "I'd like to take this opportunity to
tell the groupies of this country that I'm a nice guy, so don't be scared."
Zappa doesn't just write music. He made abook about groupies and wrote a very well-considered article in Life.
Dangerous to the State
The MOI were created in 1963. Zappa, Roy Estrada and Jimmy Carl Black were the founders. Zappa, easily the most important man, is musically influenced
by almost every type of music you can imagine: jazz, blues, rock and roll, and pop. He doesn't get trouble with the music itself. He often gets it
with his lyrics. In America Zappa is considered dangerous to the state. No record can be released, or it has been chastened.
Zappa makes "Ugy music for an ugly people". He advertises his understanding of freak out: the process in which the individual sheds his old-fashioned
and restricted norms for thinking, dressing and lifestyle to express his relation to the immediate surroundings and structure creatively.
On one Zappa record the experimental pop is emphasized, on others his work is criticising society, satiric, rock or jazz. Frank Zappa is like the
Byrds in our country more popular than anywhere.
He often comes to the Netherlands, and his plan to perform 200 Motels with Edo de Waart had enough publicity. That popularity would've been the reason
for releasing the double album Mother's Day last week.
Its a selection of songs on Freak Out, Absolutely Free, WOIIFTM, and CwRatJ. These are the most important records by Zappa and the Mothers. The
Mother's Day record is decorated with bows, pink flowers, brown photos from the albu that surfaced when grandad died,and the names of the songs were
written with dip pen and purple ink. The album gives a clear overview of the typical traits and styles of Zappa. Frank Zappa is an idol. Other idols
like the Beatles got some of their ideas from him.
(follow lyrics of WOIIFTMs Absolutely Free)
It's good to pay attention to a masterbrain sometimes.
23-12-71 The Dutch documentary on 200 Motels was first shown at 21:30 today.
14-04-72 200 Motels shown in Alhambra in Vlissingen.
Monday and Tuesday Alhambra has 200 Motels by Frank Zpp {sic} on program. The deeds of this unreproducable story take place in the nonexistent city
Centerville, in a concentration camp, an underground cinema, and in various hotels and motel rooms. The music of the MOI form naturally a substantial
part of the film. Starring among others Theodore Bikel, ex-Beatle drummer Ringo Starr and Keith Moon from The Who. Other important parts in the film
are by groupies Janet Ferguson and Miss Lucky Offeral.
17-06-83
VARA shows a Zappa concert at 22:45.
17-01-83
Zappa's Baby Snakes will soon show in our country.
Frank Zappa showed his latest movie Baby Snakes to the press in the Amsterdam Movies-theatre last Wednesday. Zappa, who produced and financed the film
himself, is currently travelling Europe with his film under his arm trying to find a suitable distributor. Once he finds it, the film will be showed
in the Dutch cinemas with a proper sound installation.
The film music mainly comes from the LPs In New York and Sheik Yerbouti. The images can be considered as explanation of Zappa's complex music; image
and sound play an equally important part in Baby Snakes.
The film gives an image of Zappa's work in front of and behind the screens. Recording was done during various concerts in New York, in the dressing
room, the recording studio and also in the studio of artist Bruce Rickford {sic}.
In the first ninety minutes of the movie Rickford's work dominates, who makes animations with ever changing clay images and a photo camera. This adds
a very eccentric visual element to the music. The also not very simple music by Zappa during concert and his banter with the audience fill the second
half of the film. "It's a film especially for people who are interested in all my work," Zappa said. He also let it be known he doesn't care if it
becomes a commercial failure.
"If I had the money for it, I'd like to make a film for a bigger audience now, for instance based on my last records: Joe's Garage 1, 2 and 3. For now
that's not going to happen, because as soon as I'm back in the studio I want to finish my new record."
Also he wants to stop with his traditional winter tours, the next European Zappa concerts can be expected next summer on several large festivals.
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Let's put in a photo...
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03-07-82
Zappa ends Geneva concert prematurely
The Concert Zappa and his consort gave Thursday evening in Geneva only lasted 40 minutes. Someone in the audience threw a cigarette on stage. This
caused Frank's anger, who requested an apology. Instead he was thrown an entire package. The musicians took teir instruments and walked offstage
behind Zappa. Switzerland doesn't bring Zappa muci luck. A few years ago, fire broke out in the Montreaux casion, where he was giving a concert.
03-02-70
Edo de Waart: Like to be with zappa in HF {Holland Festival}
A lot can happen in The Netherlands, why not this? he young Rotterdam conductor Edo de Waart has a good feeling the idea of semi-pop musician Frank
Zappa can go on. American Zappa chose our country to premier his classical pop concert 200 Motels. Zappa contacted Edo de Waart about the execution.
Bovema's Hans Boskamp showed Zappa the business route.
The unique musical event shoult be fitted into the 1970 Holland Festival programme. In festival circles people are enthusiastic about Zappa's score,
but it's feared he's too late to be incorporated in this year's programme.
"The programme is practically full and for financial reasons we have already dropped plans we wanted to make happen," says a spokesperson of the
festival. Edo de Waart has in one day read through the score with Zappa, who is back in America. He says: "It's a fantastic piece, with possibilities
to endless improvisations. Vor the performance over a hundred musicians are needed." Zappa wrote his score for symphony "orchestra and electric
group".
Zappa wants to use his Mothers of Invention for the performance. Edo de Waart has let his mind set on his own Dutch Windensemble, percussion group
Amsterdam and a freelance string set with among others Christiaan Bor and Emmy Verhey.
Edo de Waart: "Zappa has chosen The Netherlands for the performance, because the climate is ripe for it here. A lot is possible in The Netherlands
these days. Think of Reconstructie {Dutch modern opera} and Labyrint {I couldn't find out what this is}. The score is somewhat jazzy written and asks
for a strength of young people."
The American wrote the score during the four year lasting world tour with his MOI. He told Edo de Waart: You can do things in motels in your spare
time: watch television or work. I {article not finished}
25-06-70 Article about a pop festival.
There will be a film. Who won't be coming is Frank Zappa. He charged 25,000 dollars and that was too much for Visser {Berry James Visser, for MOJO,
currently the Dutch major concert organizer}. You never know with Zappa and his new Mothers. They are strange guys and started to consider The
Netherlands as a second motherland, which is not so strange,since only here Zappa seems to be in a favourable market position. Maybe he'll settle for
less money.
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2-09-72 (after a positive review on Flo & Eddie's album)
Speaking of Zappa, he too has just released an LP. MOI are no more, but that didn't stop Zappa to use some faithfu followers and a few new musicians
(again named Hot Rats) to record Waka/Jawaka. The disk is just what may be expected from Zappa: long and less long instrumentals with typical rhythms
and metric jokes you can find on all Zappa LPs. In certain musical figures you'd expect the Mothers-voices to ring out, but they're not there.
Instrumental, and occasionally jazzy. Even country can be heard, because in It Just Might Be A One-shot Deal Sneeky Pete Kleinow plays a true country
solo on the pedal steel guitar. Waka/Jawaka opens with Big Swifty, a composition that takes up the first side of the record. The combination of
instruments is unique, but we already knew everything is possible with Zappa. A lot of computer-like music is coming from the moog (Don Preston) and
the ring-modulated & echoplexed electric piano (George Duke), electronical effects that work well and that all have a function in Zappa's
progressive music. Not pretty to everyone, but very interesting.
Also: On Sunday 17 September Zappa visits our country with his Hot Rats orchestra. In The Hague (Houtrusthallen) they will give a jubilee concert
because the monthly magazine Muziek Expres appeared 200 times. A good time to find a large number (26) of Zappa-musicians in their prune garden. The
concert will start at 7 o'clock.
4-10-84 (printed too closely to the edge)
Zappa: critical but American, by John Oomkes
"I love America! I think it's a beautiful country! I am happy I'm an American! I don't care what anyone in Europe says about the Americans. Americans
are fantastic people. You just haven't seen any good Americans. They really are there, millions of them." Frank Zappa hasn't changed. He is still
besides a terrific band leader and composer (who is appreciated in both classic and popular circles) a critical spirit. One who can't shut up about
America in the Orwell-year 1984. But also not someone who wants to weep along with the fashionable anti-Americanism that always works so well in
Europe.
Frank recently took another tour through the Old World for the first time in two-and-a-half years. That means, if we ignore the surprisingly well
collaboration with the French (classic) conductor Pierre Boulez. Last September he played Brussels and Rotterdam. The reviews on the tour are almost
unanimously praising. Timeless quality: Zappa back to earthly rhythm & blues. Sharp style. The immediate future is looking good as well. Soon the
record with Boulez is released, will there be a cassette with a musical stretching three vinyls (a hilarious story about fashionable gayness and the
evil genius that would've invented AIDS) in the market, is it expected we will get an LP box every year so his entire MOI-discography will be
available again, etcetera. And a new double: Them Or Us.
"America fears quality," he says with no faked modesty. It's just one link in a chain of powerful quotes you can easily pull out of Zappa.
Another one: "I always work with young musicians because the older ones can't keep up with the tempo." Conceit is frank's most trusted and most
expressive trait. Of course the arguments plead for him: "When I'm at home, I work 18 hours a day. Now that I'm in Europe I sleep 6 hours per night,
normally that's a bit less. It's no necessity. Nobody would hold it against me if I started to work a lot less. I could work in the same way as
others. If you don't do a soundcheck you can sleep longer. If you only put out one record per two years, you have less to worry about. Less hours.
Easy, but I'm not that way.
Why doesn't Zappa work this way? Why do record contracts end because he gives too many recordings? Frank: "In order to be a happy person, I have to do
that which nature tells me. When I wake up and don't feel hungry, I don't have breakfast. Not a single logical thought could force me to have
breakfast if I'm not hungry. If I have to write a song, or an opera, or a symphony, then I do that, as long as it doesn't harm anyone. I don't hurt
anyone by working hard. But it is a threat to other artists. Those are a bit lazier. And that shows.
Zappa's quality is not doubted. Occasionally a record appears that's not as accessible, like the three cassette set Get Up And Play Your Guitar {sic},
but all details speak of input and character. Frank: "I pay a lot of attention to futilities. I don't have a secretary at hand who can do this or that
for me. I do it all myself: all physical actions are carried out by me, because I care a lot about it. I follow the production process step by step.
That takes a lot of time."
Friends
Is it because he can't delegate? Can't share work? Or don't his colleagues have the same level? Don't they possess this clawing?
Zappa, decided: "If your equals aren't equal you don't need them. Don't hang out with them. Don't have colleagues then. Nobody needs colleagues, you
see?
Friends... nobody needs friends. What you need is to make sure you like yourself. If you wake up in the morning and you shave yourself and you look in
that mirror, you have to be able to love the guy who stares back at you. If you can stay faithful to yourself you can have a good life."
This air of confidence has had effect on Zappa's ever sizeable share of followers. Frank: "Yes, I see what you mean. But I don't push it in. I don't
force onto everybody that my work is the best in the world. For most people this is not true anyway: most people don't care at all. For the people who
love it it's their life fulfillment. We have such hardcore fans you can't imagine. I know them, I talk to them. There's someone who divorces over
me."
Tells the story of a 50-year-old motorcycle cop from Pennsylvania who travels hundreds of miles to see his hero. But has a wife who can't hear
Zappa.
It feeds his ego, he says. "It's flattering, yes. But I can't understand that amount of appreciation."
Politics is still on his terrain, but Zappa limits himself to the music/text relation. Not on the record, but on the cover of Them Or Us you can find
how scary Zappa feels the grim 80s climate is. Years in which is turned back to conservative values. An eection year in which Reacan next to Mondale
looks like a knight in shining armor, while everyone knows he's an actor without his own thoughts. It's Tweedle Dee against Tweedle Dum."
Zappa sees a new dark period in the future. "The new Middle Ages. Only now we have computers to arrange everything the way we like it and satellites
that can spread everything worldwide." He doesn't think it's about sentiments at play among the people. The nationalism found at for instance the
Olympics he considers fake, result of posing.
"The flag, all about Jezus Christ, apple pie, health foods, no sex... It's all being sold. They'd love to see that the world believes it's America
today. But in America we see a totally different view, it doesn't work. I'll tell you what goes on. Cocaine, cocaine, cocaine, alcohol, cocaine,
cocaine and cocaine. In all layers of our society it's the new currency of the US. The problem has progressed so far it's not even a matter of
discussion anymore."
15-12-72 Section from an article on films currently in cinema:
On Monday and Tuesday in Grand in Goes 200 Motels by Frank Zappa will be shown. This film was played in Zeeland {province} before and was so
successful that Grand now - several months later - Grand included it into the programme again. The film gives a surreal image of Frank Zappa and the
MOI.
18-12-71 Article on Alice Cooper
(...) This was also the case (and the best pupils will remember it) in the early years of MOI, led by Frank Zappa. Zappa was seen as a naughty rebel
who could impossibly be from this workd: he said exactly those things that other people would be ashamed about if the ideas were no more than idle
fancies. Zappa is more accepted than ever. Sure, he still calls on abuses, using a vocabulary that would fit a fence in a child-rich neighborhood
Zappa is not that lonely in it anymore. Occasionally he calls upon respected conductors to aid him. Zappa was one of the first and that makes him
(only now with certain abiding music reviewers) to a respected artist. With this in mind it must be pleadant to listen to the modern music of
200 motels. That aside. (...)
14-06-68 WOIIFTM review
"What's the ugliest part of your body? Some say your nose, some say your toes, but I think it's your mind." A small section of the lyrics, chosen at
random from the songs on the latest record by the American group MOI. This LP, entitled WOIIFTM, is another bizarre, but successful product of Frank
Zappa's inventive mind.
The whole record is the bringing together of three sections, three games with man and music, a slide between subtlety and absurdity, gunshots in a
peaceful, sunny valley with love-making couples. Three times MOI, without being disturbed by any convention at all: the cover, the songs and the
electronic, psychedelic footnotes. The cover is a large-scale parody on the cover of the LP Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles.
Probably to prevent difficulty with copyright, what is on the outside with the Beatles is on the inside with the Mothers. While the Beatles placed
themselves in front of a collage of portraits from many greats from antiquity. Among the many characters surrounding the Mothers, are Confucius, Lee
Oswald, president Johnson and the Statue of Liberty. The LP also has cut-outs with among others a bank note that uses Billy Mundi's navel as
watermark, Zappa's moustache and goatee, and of course badges, one has the nipple of one of the group members. Text and music are both subtle and
absurd It's often a carefully introduced, but suddenly smashing charge against society. They get spanked, the pigs, the hippes, the American woman and
old-fashioned, non-understanding parents. The compositions are occasionally little works of art. Sound effects were also embedded in the record, like
the sound of a jumping, scratching needle. There is nothing wrong with the record: it just indicates that the words in that spot would have been
scratched by the censors enyway, so the Mothers just left it out in advance. The LP has more to offer than can be summarized in a few words. An LP you
need to listen to quietly. The final chords of side two - electronic music, loud laughter (as if the Mothers consider the entire album a joke) and
sound effects - last too long for or taste (over 6 minutes), but it can't break down the bigger picture. A record to own and listen to. In stereo.
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13-06-69
Excited article at the thought Zappa might visit Zeeuws-Vlaanderen.
27-09-79
Joe's Garage on offer at 14,50.
10-11-79 Joe's Garage Act 1 review
For over ten years, the nearly 39-year-old Frank Zappa scatters his genial musical eruptions at the world. Not to everyone's approval and often
calling up controversy. Zappa doesn't hesitate to hit where it hurts, although that kick has a sense of justice about it. His latest product Joe's
Garage, Act 1 (which will be in three parts) also has a deeper meaning.
Zappa himself compares his work with a cheap kind of school theatre, but that can only be explained as exponent of his unique sense of humour. Because
Zappa delivered another professional work that is very up to date with current politics, the energy crisis and revolution in Iran, where a religious
leader announces that music is bad for mental health. The story Frank builds on Joe's Garage is about a country where people want to surpress the
popularity of music by accentuating the negative aspects of this form of entertainment. The execution of this thought is in good hands with Zappa. In
the lyrics he doesn't mince his words, as we can expect from him. Musically we can speak again of the typical Zappa-sound, exciting and inventive,
although there won't be so much news for the faithful Zappa audience. But Zappa is still Zappa and that's quality guaranteed. Above all, Zappa is for
listening, since his music is hard to capture in words. This too goes for Joe's Garage, a joy to listen to.
02-03-83
200 Motels showed in a cafe in Middelburg.
12-02-71 Angry column about the VPRO documentary.
Translation on request.
2-03-74 The Luxor theatre in Bergen op Zoom shows 200 Motels. At 16:30. Categorised for all ages.
22-12-71
A movie about making a movie
Frank Zappa makes 200 motels
The film 200 Motels - that will be shown in The Netherlands in March - is the story of Frank Zappa and his MOI on tour. These events have been filmed
in a very absurdist way.
Their performances, drugs, groupies, sex and relations between the group members are the main ingredients. Zappa himself - for the occasion played by
Ringo Starr - chases the group in the movie everywhere with taperecorder and notebook to catch everything that's happening and so gather material for
his movie. A sort of frame picture.
200 Motels was made in the record time of 1 week. To gain time a video system was used, so images were already selected during recording. Roelof Kiers
and his cameraman attended the recording in London and made a documentary that will be shown tomorrow by the VPRO.
30-12-71
Sums up the pop music of 71. In the top 20, two Zappa outputs can be found: Fillmore East at 7 and 200 Motels at 20.
"Interesting in the avant-garde segment remains Frank Zappa. With his 200 Motels he'll influence many brothers in music. Not yet, because what a
member of his famed string section said appears to be true: "Perhaps they are just not ready for this." If the film has played for half a year and
the negative reactions are forgotten, something could burst around the Zappa character.
15-07-70
The MOI wese shortly before the festival in Kralingse Bos seen on the VPRO show Picknick. There they gave an hour-long show. To everybody's amazement
the group didn't perform during the festival. The gentlemen were on the festival in the English Bath however. Why? Zappa: "The only reason is that I
thought it was a good idea to introduce the Mothers to the audience. I wanted to do that in
The Netherlands too, but the negotiations ceased on the money we charge for performances. We were offered less than we get for an evening in an
American club." Money does apparently play a part with Zappa, who continuously brings out a-commercial works like Wild Man Fischer's record. Zappa
doesn't comment further, besides this remark about his motherland: "America is a nation of big junk. the more rotten it is in the States, the more
optimistic I become about America's future. I wouldn't want to stay in Europe for long and leave the junk behind me. I'm too American for that.
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Photos!
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19-10-68 (about the award FZ received for WOIIFTM, see TRFZB)
Record censored
MOI return their newly acquired Edison
Frank Zappa, leader of the famous American beatgroup MOI, who are at the moment in The Netherlands for two concerts, gave back the Edison 1968 on
Friday afternoon, just a few minutes after getting it. During the award ceremony the record was played that the Mothers received the award for:
WOIIFTM.
FZ found that it was a censored version of the original record and gave back the Edison. WOIIFTM was apparently released in two versions. The record
company made four cuts in the original version. Not until after in the USA some 40,000 copies were release, did FZ and co note the forgery. After
protesting and much talking, the original recording was released. It turns out that the record company did release the censored version abroad. The
leader of the MOI thought it against his principles to accept an award for a vinyl that he didn't want in this form. The company that released WOIIFTM
in The Netherlands, couldn't be reached for comment on Friday. It's clear that the error found by Zappa wasn't made in The Netherlands. The record was
made in Germany, so that is where people are responsible for what happened.
24-06-72 JABFLA review:
Frank Zappa, the comedian
Every LP released by Frank Zappa's MOI, proves that Zappa is a highly inventive chap, who writes dazzling avant-garde pop music and performs with a
seemingly untirable engagement. Superficial listeners of pop music won't find it too surprising that about a hundred percent of the charts-aimed
audience doesn't understand anything from what he puts in his Bizarre-label; nevertheless in our country a substantial amount of Zappa-followers have
separated, who with a religious devotion scarily cheer at everything the master announces. The worship of the artist, who manifests himself in all
types of music, seems to go far to us. We thought that Zappa, besides avant-garde musician to be reckoned with, should be seen as snide comedian, who
is critical about situations he sees in society. It's (like with a comedian) up to the audience to decide to what level spiritual advantages can be
gotten from his outlets and points of view. This also goes for JABFLA, the new Mothers record that opens with the 25 minutes long Billy The Mountain,
a musical satire with clever gimmicks, one of the most requested Zappa compositions at the moment. Food for learned sociologists, worth to know. On
the flipside "Call Any Vegetable", a work we knew already off Absolutely Free, this time in a better, evoluted live version with the catching lyrics
that is a trait in Zappa-music: (Lyric)
with the segue into Eddy {sic} Are You Kidding the best songs on an LP of Fillmore East caliber.
09-02-71 Announcement for the VPRO doc (with the vacuum cleaner) to be shown two days later:
Closer and highlight of the evening is a programme Rudolf Kiers made in America about the Frank Zappa character, leader of the MOI, composer, hippie
leader etc. For three weeks he was followed on his miraculous working route through America. An important part of the programme made from a MOI show
and Mr Zappa gives several spicy quotes.
16-05-69 Uncle Meat review
The recently released double album by MOI, Uncle Meat, points in a certain direction. Of course built on a modern base, these records show common
features with classical music: most importantly: continuing and returning to an earlier theme. We can trust this to a Back, a Rachmaninoff, or a
Beethoven, but in the case of MOI the fantasy or inventivity of FZ in this point (note, on other points his imagination seems inexhaustible) is cut
short. The double has the most common factors with the Zappa-production Lumpy Gravy. For two record sides this music is tolerable, but four sides is
too much of it. Listening to the two disks after each other with full attention was impossible for us. Either concentration lapsed, or the music was
irritating on the forced attention. At some points, the music is too bare, too grey, too uninteresting. MOI aren't worthless and of course this double
album contains some clever compositions. Perhaps it would all be better if we played one side per day, but on the other hand, Uncle Meat is sold in
one piece, as music to elong to a film to be made sometime. A judgment of pop music - we go by what we hear, not by technical background - is always
unilateral. One person's love may be another person's terror. In this respect, Uncle Meat doesn't appeal as much as, say, WOIIFTM, another Mothers
record. The difference is we prefer to hear the Mothers sing, which only happens incidentally on Uncle Meat. We don't doubt that there are people who
think otherwise. To them we recommend this double album, even though it's pricey.
11-09-71 Fillmore East is tip #1 in this list
Frank Zappa clearly has a lot to tell with his mothers. Not everybody will want to add the LP Fillmore East like a "precious treasure" to his record
collections, but anyone who cares about the fate of group members should not fail to listen to What Kind Of Girl Do You Think We Are? and the nice Ted
Mud Shark. (...)
23-09-72
Talks of including 200 Motels into a youngster film festival. It is the opener for the festival, shown at 2PM. Daycare centre will be organized in the
foyer of the theatre.
28-06-79
In an article on the band UK, Terry Bozzio talks about FZ:
Terry Bozzio would like to say something about his previous employer, Zappa. "He is a dictator. As a musician he gives you very little slack. For the
drummer that's OK, maybe that's why I stayed with him for so long."
"As a person I value him highly. He is my second father. But well, I wanted do do something with my own ideas. (...)"
20-01-73 Section on guitarists in pop:
Also a perfectionist is avant-gardist Frank Zappa. Next to neutral beat filling he also gives smashing soloing, rounded off and improvising
functionslly, as you can hear it best on Hot Rats. Zappa uses the Gibson Les Paul and has excellent mastery of his instrument. Zappa too is all-round,
nothing but necessities for performing his own music.
9-12-71
Segment from an article about a Lennon interview:
When pop-avantgardist Frank Zappa invited John Lennon to play along with his MOI, Lennon replied he didn't feel capable enough to accept the
invitation. Yoko's reaction was: "I'll scream along a little, then John's musical sensiment will be so stimulated he'll have to play along."
This was the last batch. Now open for discussion!
[Edited on 15-8-11 by BBP]
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