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Frank Zappa
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Frank Zappa is arguably the most genre-spanning innovative artist of the 20th century. In his 30 year career he's pushed the

boundaries for avant-garde/art rock, jazz, doo wop, pop, R&B, among many others. As well as toying with these genres, he also

ventured into the less contemporary, composing pieces with full orchestras and a synthesizing machine called a Synclavier. He was

also known for his satirical humour, taking aim at everything from the hippie flower child culture, music censorship (which he helped

battle against in the 80s), t ...read more

Frank Zappa is arguably the most genre-spanning innovative artist of the 20th century. In his 30 year career he's pushed the

boundaries for avant-garde/art rock, jazz, doo wop, pop, R&B, among many others. As well as toying with these genres, he also

ventured into the less contemporary, composing pieces with full orchestras and a synthesizing machine called a Synclavier. He was

also known for his satirical humour, taking aim at everything from the hippie flower child culture, music censorship (which he helped

battle against in the 80s), to media in general, and parodied countless others (most notably in his three part/LP rock opera Joe's

Garage
.



Zappa started out with his band [l]Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention (which is regarded as a separate discography from

his solo career), debuting with 1966's Freak Out!. Though it was groundbreaking and influential (the first concept album), The

Mothers never garnered much mainstream success or support from its record company. The original Mothers disbanded in 1969,

but Zappa's solo career went on (it began with 1968's Lumpy Gravy.) He reformed the Mothers once more in 1970 and finally

dissolved them in 1975. He released albums entirely through the 70s, and even gained some mainstream attention with Dancin'

Fool
from 1978's Sheik Yerbouti, and the infamous Valley Girls from 1982's Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a

Drowning Witch
. The Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar trilogy from 1981 has helped solidify Zappa as one of the best guitar

players, being entirely instrumental and stuffed with guitar solos (1988's double album Guitar was also centered around

Zappa's live solos). His reputation as a guitar hero was heightened with his tutoring of shredding icon Steve Vai. He died in

1993 of cancer at 52. Posthumous released come out regularly, as Zappa left an astonishing amount of of unreleased and unfinished

music, as well as concerts that make it to official releases. « hide

Similar Bands: Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, The Residents, Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, Clutch

Zappa's Menage
10/01/2008

3.5
1 Votes
Wazoo
2007

4.5
3 Votes
The Dub Room Special
2007

3.5
1 Votes
Buffalo
2007

4.8
4 Votes
Album Name
2007

The MOFO Project/Object
2006

4.5
1 Votes
Trance-Fusion
2006

3.7
3 Votes
Imaginary Diseases
2006

4.4
5 Votes
Joe's XMASage
2005

1.8
2 Votes
Joe's Domage
2004

2
2 Votes
QuAUDIOPHILIAc
2004

3.5
1 Votes
Joe's Corsage
2004

2.6
4 Votes
Halloween
2003

3.5
1 Votes
FZ:OZ
2002

4.2
3 Votes
Everything Is Healing Nicely (EIHN)
1999

4.5
1 Votes
Mystery Disc
1998

3.4
5 Votes
Have I Offended Someone?
1997

3.1
4 Votes
Frank Zappa Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa
1996

4
1 Votes
Läther
1996

4
7 Votes
The Lost Episodes
1996

3.8
3 Votes
Other
1995

Strictly Commercial
1995

3.8
34 Votes
Civilization Phaze III
1994

4.8
2 Votes
The Yellow Shark
1993

3.9
11 Votes
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol 4
1991

3.6
7 Votes
Make a Jazz Noise Here
1991

3.5
5 Votes
The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life
1991

4
20 Votes
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol 3
1989

3.8
4 Votes
Broadway the Hard Way
1989

3.4
12 Votes
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 2
1988

3.8
6 Votes
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1
1988

3.7
5 Votes
Guitar
1988

2.6
11 Votes
London Symphony Orchestra Vol. II
1987

4.5
2 Votes
Jazz From Hell
1986

3.6
42 Votes
Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention
1985

3.7
9 Votes
Thing-Fish
1984

2.9
11 Votes
Francesco Zappa
1984

3.1
5 Votes
Them or Us
1984

3.7
13 Votes
Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger
1984

3.8
4 Votes
London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 1
1983

3.3
7 Votes
Baby Snakes
1983

3.5
7 Votes
The Man from Utopia
1983

3.4
15 Votes
Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch
1982

3.9
9 Votes
You Are What You Is
1981

3.9
20 Votes
Tinsel Town Rebellion
1981

3.2
16 Votes
Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar
1981

3.8
23 Votes
Orchestral Favorites
1979

3.2
6 Votes
Sheik Yerbouti
1979

3.9
68 Votes
Sleep Dirt
1979

3.4
9 Votes
Joe's Garage: Acts I, II, & III
1979

4.2
57 Votes
Studio Tan
1978

3.4
8 Votes
Zappa In New York
1978

4
19 Votes
Zoot Allures
1976

3.8
30 Votes
Bongo Fury
1975

3.6
22 Votes
Apostrophe(')
1974

4.1
102 Votes
The Grand Wazoo
1972

3.9
38 Votes
Waka/Jawaka
1972

3.8
25 Votes
200 Motels
1971

3.4
12 Votes
Chunga's Revenge
1970

3.6
24 Votes
Hot Rats
1969

4.4
150 Votes
Lumpy Gravy
1968

3.4
23 Votes

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