72 names, one genius: who the hell actually shaped Frank Zappa's beautiful madness?
On the liner notes to Freak Out!, the 1967 debut album by Zappa's original band the Mothers of Invention, Zappa listed some seventy-two names on the liner notes and cited them as influences. The Freak Out List intends to explore who these artists are and what influence they had on Zappa's music. This listing encompasses all sorts of music, from classical composer Edgar Varese to R&B star Johnny "Guitar" Watson to jazzman Eric Dolphy to flamenco guitarist Sabicas. You can hear for instance, how the esoteric classical influence of Varese shaped Zappa's long-form epics like "Lumpy Gravy" or how Dolphy's instrumental prowess led Zappa to incorporate jazz-fusion on albums like Weasels Ripped My Flesh! (1970), which even included a song titled "The Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue." Interviews with various Zappa biographers and music historians as well as musicians George Duke, Ian Underwood, and Don Preston, all of whom played in the Mothers at one time or another, help add additional context.
Production
Rare archival footage that Zappa obsessives will lose their minds over.
Writing
Smart connecting of dots between Varèse and 'Lumpy Gravy.'
Acting
George Duke and Ian Underwood's firsthand war stories from the Mothers.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Zappa discovered Varèse's music as a teenager after reading a review in a hi-fi magazine, then spent years hunting down the composer's out-of-print records.
The Freak Out! liner notes were essentially Zappa's attempt to position his band within a high-art canon decades before 'influencer playlists' existed.
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